The Opportunity You Might Be Missing

You’ve probably heard the idea: never make assumptions.

It’s simple. It’s clear. And most of us would agree with it.

But in business, it doesn’t always show up that cleanly.

Something unexpected comes your way, and before you’ve had a chance to really look at it, you’ve already decided what it means. Often, that meaning leans negative. It can feel personal. It can feel like something is being taken.

And in that moment, it’s easy to shut it down and move on. Not because the opportunity wasn’t there, but because the story showed up faster than the facts.

When the Story Feels More Real Than the Numbers

I came across a conversation recently where a realtor was frustrated that another agent had shared her listing online. The responses were immediate. People encouraged her to report it, to protect her work, to push back.

And at the same time, there was another way to look at it.

If the goal is to sell the property, more visibility doesn’t necessarily work against that goal. In some cases, it might support it. Nothing had actually been taken. But it felt that way, and that feeling shaped the response.

I’ve seen a similar pattern in partnerships. An opportunity gets passed on because it doesn’t fit neatly into how someone defines their work. And yet, when you zoom out, there’s often a connection.

Sometimes the opportunity isn’t wrong. It just doesn’t look the way you expected it to.

What Might Be Happening Underneath

By the time something feels frustrating or personal, there’s usually more happening underneath.

It might be a belief that if someone else benefits, it takes something away from you. Or an attachment to doing things a certain way, where anything outside of that feels uncomfortable.

There’s also a natural instinct to protect.

None of that is wrong. It’s just worth noticing.

Because in business, not everything unfamiliar is a threat. Sometimes it’s just unfamiliar.

A Different Way to Look at It

In moments like that, it can help to gently shift the question.

Who benefits if this works?

Not to force a positive answer, but to open the lens a little wider.

If the answer includes you, your client, or your business, even alongside someone else, there may be more there than it first seemed.

When Business Feels Quiet

This can show up in quieter seasons too.

When things slow down, there can be an urge to go find something new. And sometimes that’s needed.

And sometimes, what’s already there just hasn’t been revisited yet.

Past clients. Existing relationships. People who already know your work.

Reconnecting there often takes less effort than starting from zero.

Your network isn’t separate from your business. In many ways, it is the business.

Seeing What Might Already Be There

If opportunities feel limited right now, it might not be because nothing is available.

It might be that something is already there, just not in the form you were expecting.

And sometimes, seeing it differently is enough to change what happens next.

Exploration gives you options.

Build a Business That Responds to Evidence, Not Pressure

If you are still figuring things out, you are not behind. You are in the phase that creates real clarity. 

This is the work we focus on inside Business Therapy™. We separate what is working from what is noise and help you build from proven results.

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About the Author: Joké Durojaiye is a Life Coach, Business Therapist™, and author of UNMUTE YOURSELF. She helps creative women entrepreneurs separate the math from the drama so they can develop the leadership, clarity, and emotional capacity required to build sustainable businesses. Learn more at jokedurojaiye.me