Like the company DreamWorks®, you have to work to live your dreams.

IN THE PREVIOUS chapters, the Pivot Points ask you to do a lot of inner work—in service of Honing Your Vision—and you are asked to be intentional and specific. Now it's time to Shift Your Energy and get even more specific and detailed in your plans. Whatever stage you are in—whether you've just recognized what you want to do, or you're ready to write a full business plan for your new endeavors—it is time to put pen to paper and Get Prepared.

The best way to think of this Pivot Point is to tap into your passion and direct it into goals and steps that will take you toward your desired outcome. This dovetails perfectly with why I placed the Getting Prepared Pivot Point ahead of Honoring Your Passion (#8). Far too often, people come up to me with passionate ideas and a request: Tell me what to do to accomplish my dream. Passion is critical to have, and inspiring to hear, but doing the work is nonnegotiable. In any field of endeavor, professionals who are masters of their crafts prepare—and prepare hard. And they prepare in an aligned sequence so that the tasks are done at the appropriate time and not in a haphazard way.

Getting Prepared Gives You a Framework

I recently watched Dance Dreams on Netflix, a documentary about dancer, choreographer, actor, director, producer, and writer Debbie Allen. It tells not only of her life story, but of how each year she brings to life her unique take on the classic The Nutcracker ballet. She turned the concept into the Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, performed by young dancers from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. It was truly a master class in preparation. You may be familiar with Debbie Allen from the Fame television show and movie, or Grey's Anatomy, where she acts, directs, and executive produces. But dancing is in her DNA and her training from that permeates everything she does. Debbie is an example of someone who uses the first five Pivot Points exceptionally well for her dance academy, which is a nonprofit enterprise. Following are Debbie Allen's Pivot Points:

• She Found Her Purpose—to bring professional dance techniques to those who may not have that opportunity.
• She Believes in Possibilities that her dance academy could be created and sustained, and through her fierce advocacy, inspires others to believe also.
• Her Priorities are well defined—to create and teach the programs and continue raising the funds to stay viable.
• She Envisions Prosperity as culturally enriching the lives of young people.
• And boy, does she put her students, herself, and her team through the rigors of Getting Prepared! She expects her young dancers to be on time, to practice hard, and to be professional at all times. She expects herself and her team to understand the difference between being prepared and planning.

In one of her blog posts, life coach Laurie Dupar gives a unique and important distinction between preparation and planning: “Preparation does more than prepare you for what to expect; it puts you in a position to handle what you didn't see coming.”¹ She goes on to say, “Planning leads to awareness, preparation leads to readiness.”

I agree. It's this kind of thinking that is built into Pivot Point #5. Getting Prepared is about developing a framework for your plans. A framework allows for time to think about what happens if Plan A doesn't work. What would Plan B look like? When shifting your energy to pivot toward a new life direction, Getting Prepared can start by simply taking out a crisp new notebook and writing your dream on page one. Then create what I call a “Reverse Calendar”: Write down today's date. Then write down the goal date—6 months or a year from now, whatever your target date—for where you'd like to be after you make your move to pivot. It could be your store grand opening, making your first million, a key priority you've Defined in Pivot Point #3, leaving lots of space in between. Next, put down the months between those dates. Quickly, put down three key things you need to do each month to meet your goal. Get your mind prepared but write it down! That is the start of your Plan A framework. Then, do the same for a Plan B framework. With those two Reverse Calendars, you have started Getting Prepared enough to begin putting some specific plans in place.

By doing this your mind will start moving you to action. Instead of being stuck in the fantasy of your dream, you'll be Shifting Your Energy from Believing in Possibilities (#1) to making them a reality. As you get more specific with your planning, it's important to review your plans on a regular basis to keep yourself prepared. It will help your focus, reduce your stress, and identify options. This way, when the inevitable Murphy's Law kicks in, you will be trained to pivot to move on quickly to the next way to move ahead.

As a serial entrepreneur with more than my share of side hustles, I use the Reverse Calendar tool often. It has helped me make my ideas become very real. It also prioritizes my ideas with my values and resources. I also used this Pivot Point when seeking a new career path, job project or promotion, or educational move. I suspect you can even use this Pivot Point of Getting Prepared to find a life partner! I know that some people are just that intentional—I will have to try it (smile). That's the beauty of the 10 Pivot Points. You can focus them on all aspects of your life, from business to personal.

By the time I left Harvard Business School, I no longer had the dream of running my own retail store. My time spent in a retail environment cooled that dream for me. Even though I was sure my own store would have been less hectic, at the time it did not seem like a path that would Envision the Prosperity that HBS had positioned in my mind. I had begun my love of marketing while I was a first‐year student at Harvard. I was inspired by Professor Steve Starr. He had boundless energetic joy about marketing as he circled the tiered classroom teaching us in his booming voice. But he was dead serious about making sure we got the fundamentals. At Harvard, classes were taught by the Socratic method, all in case studies. You could be called on without notice to present to the class the assigned case for the day, and your classmates would then try to tear apart your analysis. I always sat in the front of the class so I would not miss anything. Early in my first year, Professor Starr called on me. “Miss Hilliard,” he bellowed, “you are the vice president of the Acme Paint Company. Sales are down. What are you going to do?” With my knees shaking under the desk, in my most confident “I'm from Detroit and Howard University” voice, I said, “I am going to raise the advertising budget by $5 million so that people know we make the best paint in America!” Then, I proceeded to lay out the case successfully. From that point on, I was hooked, and I wanted a summer job at a big ad agency in New York.

Professor Starr became my mentor, and we developed a framework for getting me a job by the summer. We worked out what to do month by month to get to my goal of a job by June, using what became the model for a Reverse Calendar. And the mindset of Getting Prepared was key, because in 1977 most of the big agencies didn't have summer intern programs for MBA students. So, I had to have Plans A, B, C, D, and more down the alphabet. Finally, with the help of referral letters from Professor Starr, Frank Mingo of J. Walter Thompson, and Carolyn Jones of BBDO, Young and Rubicam (Y&R), the largest ad agency on Madison Avenue, created a summer internship for me. From the fall through the spring as I Pivoted and Got Prepared, I Honed My Vision in on Y&R. Marie Mandry, the VP of HR, had answered my letter graciously, and we were off to the races. While they didn't have a program, we created one together, based on how I could help them, what I'd learn, and what we could structure for a future intern program. It was everything I hoped it would be. My love for marketing, reinforced through this internship and my experiences at HBS, was the catalyst for me to Find My (New) Purpose and Hone My Vision for what I wanted.

A Reverse Calendar may seem like Gantt charts often used in business to map out major team projects by department, person, and due dates. Conceptually, it is. But it is a lot less detailed, and sometimes, make that many times, it is the best way to light a creative spark, get unstuck, or to get the ball rolling for your team. I used this to get the team moving on White Rain Shampoo when we only had six months to get a new product on the shelves. Each member filled in the specifics for their areas of expertise, and then we had a plan.

The Reverse Calendar also really works for side hustles. While at Gillette, I still had a toe in the fashion world, as people kept asking me for fashion tips. This was in the early 1980s when fashion took an interest in the professional woman's wardrobe. I was never interested in wearing the blue suit and little paisley tie look that was being promoted. So, to make extra money for Christmas one spring I laid out a framework for a wardrobe consulting business for working women. I called it Appointments. I wanted it to be taken seriously by women who could afford to pay me $50 an hour. I did a Reverse Calendar that would put me in business by the end of the summer when women would want to update their wardrobes for the fall season. I had my good friend in Gillette's graphics department design wonderful business cards and a brochure for me, I identified potential clients, stores to shop in, and voilà! I was on my way and had a nice cushion for Christmas gifts. I didn't need a full‐fledged business plan, because I could see from that “market test” that while a good concept, Appointments would be hard for me to scale.

Years later, I looked at buying Bob the Chef's soul food restaurant in Boston, one of the most popular places in town. In that instance, the Reverse Calendar framework was critical in identifying the specifics needed for that major undertaking. That project involved not only buying and operating the restaurant, but it came with a multi‐unit rental property. My husband and I looked very seriously at that deal and came close to making it happen. When the Reverse Calendar indicated we needed to investigate the tax situation as part of our due diligence, some things came to light that gave us pause. We could have pressed on, but we decided not to. Because of that early bullet point on our Reverse Calendar, in our conversations with the owner, we discovered those concerning issues sooner; without that, it might have taken longer to discover or may not have come to light in time to pull out of the deal. This is an example of how Getting Prepared is not the same as planning. It is a mindset that helps your planning.

When directing teams of people, Getting Prepared is a vital part of planning. This is important no matter the environment. I've renovated three vintage properties. To get the best work out of the general contractors, especially on the renovation I did while I was commuting between Boston and Minneapolis with a six‐month‐old baby to care for, my Reverse Calendar kept me focused on when that project had to be completed. It was much easier to keep things on pace and hold the contractors accountable by itemizing what key things needed to be completed by what months. The last thing I needed was to bring my young baby into a house filled with construction dust. My spiral notebooks of Reverse Calendars may have looked like school books, but trust me, they were all about business.

The same was true after I sold my home to start The ComfortCake Company. The condo I bought for my family to live in needed a total renovation—at the same time I was starting the business. Yes, I am a Type A person. Know Thyself. Get Prepared. I could have bought a smaller place, surely, or one that didn't need so much work. But I had used Pivot Point #3 and Defined My Priorities. My children gave up a lot for me to sell our big house on the South Side of Chicago. I did not want them cramped in a small place just as they were entering junior and senior high school. I wanted them to have a space where they could easily bring their friends. In fact, it was a conscious decision to have a place where their friends, especially my son's friends, would want to hang out so that I and their parents would know where they were. We lived in the city of Chicago and keeping our boys close was important. Those Reverse Calendars were on hand at all times as I supervised the renovation work, the commercialization of my recipes for my new company, along with the packaging development, sales, operations, hiring, everything. Not that I did it alone. I was very fortunate to have a wonderful office manager at ComfortCake, Claudine Jordan, otherwise known as the erstwhile and always efficient Cj. Cj and I were together a long time. She was my assistant at Burrell Communications, The Hilliard Group, Soft Sheen, and eventually followed me to Fashion Fair Cosmetics. Cj was an excellent example of Pivot Point #7, Seeking Positivity, as well.

Lesson: Frameworks also help keep the main things the main things. As a leader, you cannot possibly keep all the details in your mind. The most successful and experienced leaders understand that. It's a lesson micromanagers (hey, I've been that too at times!) must learn. Pivoting to a Getting Prepared mindset allows your team to take more ownership of the details. Yes, there are times you may need to get in the weeds. Been there, done that. But those frameworks can keep you from being overwhelmed when you have to sweat the small stuff.

Getting Prepared Is a Mindset

Let me talk about how pivoting to a Getting Prepared mindset can help you in securing the big stuff. Here's a snapshot of some of the companies I've worked for, clients serviced, and customers served:

I share this to paint a picture of how a Getting Prepared mindset helped me to align with the “big boys.” I had to elevate my mind to seek out the top companies to build my résumé and entrepreneurial portfolio with credibility. These companies have immediate name recognition in most halls of business and with most consumers. To Pivot my experience with them into leverage was vital as I developed sales proposals, wrote investment briefs, applied for commercial loans, and moved into bigger jobs. Do you need to go to Harvard Business School to have this kind of mindset? Absolutely not. Research is free. I did the work, and you can too. I always research the companies I desire to align with, to best position what I can offer to them. What were their strategic plans, how were they doing in the marketplace, how could I add value? Creating value for others is one of the most important parts of Getting Prepared. How are you going to create value for others as you develop the plans to meet you own goals? As you Get Prepared to align with others, understand that they are tuned in to radio station WIFM—“WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?” Never lose sight of this as you write your proposal, plan, and make your pitch. If you do so, you are halfway home. Well, perhaps not halfway, but I've found if you keep that radio station in mind, you can keep people more interested in what you have to offer.

Getting Prepared also involves sales. Yes, SALES. You may be thinking, I'm an engineer or accountant or an artist or a mother. I'm not in sales. Yes. You. Are. If you are in any facet of business or management, professionally or personally, you have to sell to someone. You have to do the work of convincing others that your idea, project, invention, air force carrier, or Brussels sprouts are good for them. I counsel people in professions outside of sales to read books about the selling profession. There are many, so again, do the research to find one that resonates for you. You do not have to become a salesperson, but you do have to become skilled in the mindset of selling. As you do your research, you may be surprised at the number of CEOs who come from a sales background. It's knowing the framework of selling that counts. The bottom line is creating value. You demonstrate that value by showing your customer you know their business better than they do.

If you are considering full‐time entrepreneurship, there are some special considerations as you Pivot to Getting Prepared. Unless you are faced with a situation that propels you into entrepreneurship suddenly (such as unexpectedly taking over a business or losing your job), taking the time to Pivot and Get Prepared for this challenging and at times exhilarating period of life is key.

I was the SVP of Marketing at L'Oréal/Soft Sheen for two years. The idea for The ComfortCake Company came while I was there and as I considered leaving L'Oréal/Soft Sheen to start this new business, I took a hard look at my finances. I cleared up my credit cards. I stopped buying unnecessary clothes and other items for myself and my household. I started saving money to support us while ComfortCake got off the ground. I also looked at my time and where I was spending it. I prioritized my volunteer work, knowing my time would become limited once I started the business. Fortunately, I had built up a lot of goodwill in the community in the past. Once ComfortCake got started, I donated samples for community events to support good causes, pivoting the contributions I could make in lieu of time for my volunteer work.

It was also important to look at my health. You have to eat your Wheaties every day as an entrepreneur to deal with the stresses that can come from building your own business. It is still a priority for me to get enough exercise and eat healthy foods. You also must prepare your family. For me, I prepared my family not to expect annual big vacations like we had when I was in the corporate world. That was hard for them and for me. Travel is something we all love and still do. Part of Getting Prepared is to have clear communications with those close to you about how life will change so that expectations can be managed. Even your friends need to understand that your time will not be as accessible. At the same time, do not cut people off, as you will need them for support when you hit those bumps in the road. Relationships matter.

So, you have done a Reverse Calendar. Gotten your house in order. You're ready to go into sales mode and sell. You are doing research as you prepare to do a business plan. Take a moment to step back before you jump in deeper. Do you know yourself? This is another important aspect of this Pivot Point. As you are about to make a Pivot toward a new direction, whether it's your own business, new job, a move across the country, or another major challenge, look inward and assess if you have what it takes to Make the Move. As you Hone Your Vision and Shift Your Energy, a valuable thing to have in place is your personal board of directors. These are people in your life who know you, whom you respect, and who will tell you the truth. Tell them about your plans. Ask them what they think. A personal board of directors can be critical advisors at key points in your life. If you don't have one, I strongly recommend you build one, and nurture those relationships, as they are vital for the pivot of Getting Prepared.

As I said earlier, people often come to me with passionate ideas and ask for my help in getting them off the ground. I try to be encouraging, but I am direct and ask if they have done a business plan. That is that last part of Getting Prepared I want to cover in this chapter. I will not do a full‐court press on how to write a business plan; there are many books available on that subject. What I will provide here is a basic framework for you to consider as you think about your passion that you'd like to bring to life. Everyone won't be as lucky as the Southwest Airlines cofounder Herb Kelleher, who, legend has it, wrote his business plan on a cocktail napkin in a San Antonio restaurant. But with a framework of what it takes to write a plan to start a business, you can keep the primary components in mind as you consider your opportunity.

As you Get Prepared and work toward creating a business plan, having the framework of one in mind (and written down) as you work through your Reverse Calendar helps keep Your Vision Honed as you continue on the path to making your dreams real. The Small Business Association has a good framework for a business plan:²

Appendix

Use your appendix to provide supporting documents or other materials that were specially requested. Common items to include are credit histories, résumés, product pictures, letters of reference, licenses, permits, or patents, legal documents, permits, and other contracts.