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We entered this fiscal year riding a wave of unprecedented growth—our highest top and bottom-line performance on record. Confidence was high, our strategy felt sound, and our mission was clear. But within the first 30 days, everything changed. Not because we were failing, but because the conditions that had fueled our success shifted beneath our feet. We quickly realized we had succeeded in a world that no longer existed. And that’s when authentic leadership strengthened my team and me—not by doubling down, but by rethinking everything. It’s a testament to our team’s resilience that we’ve been able to navigate these uncharted waters over the last three quarters. Let me preface my thoughts by saying that all our previous internal pivots led us to our unprecedented growth, and we were riding a well-earned high. I know most leaders try to stay positive in these articles, but I must express how frustrated I am that our current need to pivot is externally driven and coming at us from all sides. I could take full ownership if the fault were ours, but in this case, it is not. Trying to consistently grow a firm that provides factual research and accurate information-based consulting services in this current climate is hard for a myriad of reasons. Add to that, a government shutdown that has halted public access to federal resources, including the National Archives, the National Library of Medicine, and the Library of Congress. Like many other organizations, we are also challenged with contract cancellations when working for federal agencies or waiting for FOIA requests answers from different agencies. To stay relevant in a landscape that changed overnight, we made four deliberate pivots—each one designed not just to survive the shift, but to lead through it. Featured Video An Inc.com Featured Presentation Pivot 1: Shift from overdependence on legacy clients to new market visibility. We pivoted from relying on legacy clients to aggressively cultivating new awareness and demand. One key thing to do in this situation is invest heavily in sales and marketing to create new awareness of your services and their value; continue building your pipeline. New is the key word here, as many of our legacy clients and projects are currently at a standstill due to the prevailing conditions. Remember, marketing isn’t a luxury in a downturn—it’s a powerful tool for survival and growth. Adding an experienced head of marketing was also an excellent decision for us, and we’re swiftly seeing a high ROI. Pivot 2: Realign your service portfolio and go-to-market strategy. We rearchitected our offerings and outreach to meet a market that had undergone fundamental changes. This adaptability is a core strength of our company, and it’s what enables us not only to survive, but to thrive in these challenging times. Pivoting to realign our service portfolio and go-to-market strategy, while simultaneously increasing our sales and marketing efforts during a downturn, has been a recipe for success so far, giving us hope for the future. We continue to build on our recent growth achievements, but on a larger scale. Pivot 3: Maintain an open mindset and a bias for action. We chose courage over comfort, and reinvention over inertia. What has also helped immensely is our board of directors’ support and understanding, along with a detailed study of our overhead spending. Concurrently, we made some staffing adjustments. These adjustments were made with careful consideration, ensuring that we maintained our high level of service and continued to have a positive impact on our clients. Pivot 4: Shift strategic and financial planning cycles. We recalibrated our financial lens, thinking in four-year arcs, and prioritizing liquidity. While we remain positive for the year, another pivot we’ve made is to plan in 4-year cycles and try to preserve as much cash as possible. As a 45-year-old company, HAI continues to operate as if we were a startup, reading the market signals, staying closely aligned to our clients, and pivoting as needed in the current environment. 2025 is not what anyone on my team or I expected or could have predicted, but when I think about prior years, including the pandemic, really, what is? Final thoughts In closing, here are a few insights I’ve gained from the pivots we’ve had to make since the beginning of the year:
