Michael McFall is the cofounder and co-CEO of BIGGBY COFFEE as well as the author of the Inc. Original books GRIND and GROW.
On March 15, 2025, my company celebrated a significant milestone. We turned 30.
As a life-long entrepreneur and business leader, I’m prone to stoicism. However, this landmark felt significant. I am proud of this accomplishment and have been talking about it constantly.
Most startups (about 90%) fail, and only a small percentage have the privilege of making it this far.
Of course, like any company, the journey hasn’t been easy. Even industry leaders have faced significant difficulties. Apple reached the brink of bankruptcy before becoming one of the most profitable companies in history, Johnson & Johnson dealt with the tampering and poisoning of one of their Tylenol products, and Walt Disney Company’s first animation studio failed.
We’ve weathered plenty of storms—moments when it felt like the world was coming to an end.
Today, many leaders feel this way.
Inflation. Tariffs. A constantly changing consumer mindset. It’s easy to get caught up in the panic, and if you are, you’re not alone.
However, a long-term perspective teaches you that these challenges eventually pass. What distinguishes great companies is what they do in these moments of fear.
For today’s business leaders, the mandate is clear: Channel your fear, uncertainty and doubt into productive action and build a stronger, more resilient organization.
Here’s how.
1. Find your focus.
As leaders, we love control.
We live within the illusion that our knowledge, wisdom, insight, even power, can control outcomes. In reality, we have a lot less control than we perceive or expect.
Seasons of uncertainty highlight this reality. When facing factors you can’t control, you must ruthlessly prioritize what you can.
Don’t waste energy worrying or complaining about things you have no control over—like inflation and tariffs or global geopolitics or the latest trend on TikTok. Instead, dedicate your time to improving your product or service.
Concentrate on getting better from the inside out. Make your company stronger so you can weather today’s challenges and take advantage of tomorrow’s opportunities.
Focus on what you can control. Let everything else go.
2. Project confidence and play the long game.
Realizing that you have a lot less control than you think can be scary. Fear is a part of life, and, as a leader, I get scared all the time.
However, our job isn’t to project fear and uncertainty. It’s to project confidence and bring clarity. The effects can have cascading consequences as confidence begets confidence and fear begets fear.
This doesn’t mean that you should ignore your fear.
Smart leaders learn to use fear as a diagnostic tool. I’ve learned that when I shift into a command-and-control mode, it’s a sign that I’m scared of something. That awareness prompts the next, more important question: “What am I scared of?”
After three decades in business, if something scares me, it’s a legitimate issue we need to pay attention to.
3. Get back to basics.
Fear can cause leaders to chase complex, ultimately unimportant initiatives. The key is to resist that distraction and pour your energy into the two things that matter most: operational excellence and the customer experience. Just do that. Nothing else.
This often means getting granular.
For example, we recently executed a brand refresh to ensure our stores feel better the moment you walk in. I also took the time to write down what I call our “270 West,” the unwritten, quirky operational secrets that made us successful but had never been formally documented in a manual.
These aren’t high-level (or particularly high-minded) strategies. They are fundamental, repeatable actions that define our brand. They include concepts like:
• Treat customers like family: We have an unwritten rule that you should treat every customer with the care and attention you’d give your own grandmother.
• Every transaction is a race: Our goal is to get the drink to the delivery counter faster than the customer can get there, creating an efficient and impressive experience.
• 500 Seconds: We turn the open sign on 500 seconds before we open—everyday.
When times get tough, try to channel negative energy back into the fundamental, operational details that make your business unique and your customer feel special. Use fear and uncertainty to make your company better.
Lessons From The 30 Year Milestone
BIGGBY COFFEE is officially middle aged—still young and vibrant but old enough to know a thing or two about dealing with change and building a lasting business.
Most importantly, we’ve learned that tough times are inevitable. Today it might be inflation, tariffs and customer preferences. Tomorrow it will undoubtedly be something else.
The leaders who successfully navigate these moments don’t panic. They use fear and uncertainty as a catalyst for internal improvement as leaders and as companies.
That way, when the storm passes, you won’t have just survived. You’ll be positioned to thrive.
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