How leaders can future-proof their business

Fast Company

6 hours ago

In the midst of economic volatility driven by inflation, tariffs, and global geopolitical tensions, how do businesses keep up without a crystal ball? As the CEO of Sollis Health, my deep background in scaling mission-driven brands has taught me that thriving businesses don't predict the future—they embrace uncertainty.
Future-proofing is investing in your business, your offerings, and your relationships rather than trying to anticipate specific challenges. At Sollis Health, a 24/7 concierge medical membership, our guiding star is future-proofing by pioneering new ways to elevate and transform healthcare for our members, providers, and community.
Build for adaptability, not predictability
With its rigid structure, extensive financial projections, and reliance on outdated market analyses, the traditional business plan was designed for a world that no longer exists. Rather than boxing themselves in with an inflexible growth strategy, the businesses that prioritize data-driven decision making, lean operational structures, and empowered teams create more opportunities for innovation, even in today's unpredictable business climate.
I've seen this with Sollis Health, where we've found that working to meet the needs of a growing, mobile membership base has given us the freedom to be more responsive to our members' needs. For example, after we saw that many of our New York-based members were regularly visiting our new Palm Beach location, we quickly opened a Boca Raton location because we maintain a robust list of target markets and available real estate. This foresight not only provided more convenience for our local members but strengthened our regional offerings with more comprehensive staffing and services.
Invest in long-term relationships, not just short-term wins
When market volatility rises, trust among your customers, your employees, and your business partners becomes even more valuable. Whether you're expanding member services, prioritizing employee culture, or exploring exciting new campaigns with your partners, investing in your people—whomever they might be—is a future-proofing tactic that builds loyalty across the board.
When I led global strategy and operations at Starwood Preferred Guest, the award-winning hotel loyalty program (now part of Marriott Bonvoy), we invested in 'ambassador service' for our most frequent guests—those staying 100+ nights per year. Each member enjoyed access to a dedicated ambassador to help navigate reservations and service requests, anticipate their needs, and even 'surprise and delight' on special stays, like stocking a member's room with plush dolls for her kids when she redeemed points to treat her family to a Disney World vacation. And if a longtime loyal member didn't spend the requisite number of nights with us in a given year due to extenuating circumstances, the ambassador was empowered to make a proactive exception to maintain ambassador service for another year. With this investment, Starwood made its most important members feel recognized and valued, thereby creating more opportunities for loyalty in the long term.
Make customer experience your competitive edge
In premium sectors especially, customer expectations are rising even as conditions become more uncertain. The pressure to differentiate has never been higher, but it's more than possible to rise to these challenges with a focus on personalization, service continuity, and care that goes beyond the transactional.
At Peloton, we leveraged the power of community to enhance the customer experience. We cultivated online spaces for members to connect outside of class, from scheduling workouts to drive shared accountability, to celebrating fitness milestones together. We even hosted in-person events to bring members together IRL, from hosting group rides and runs at our production studios to instructor meet-and-greets at each new showroom. I still remember a massive line of members decked out in Peloton gear snaking through Washington's Bellevue Square in 2017 to meet instructor Cody Rigsby. We even hosted an annual Peloton 'Homecoming,' a sold-out event in New York City that brought together 3,000 of our most passionate members, cementing their loyalty to the brand.
When it comes to member experiences, it's little things—and they all add up. Whatever your industry, customer experience will continue to be the core of your differentiation. The businesses that serve customers deeply and in obsessive detail will not only outlast economic uncertainty, but ultimately thrive.
Leadership with purpose and clarity
The antidote to uncertainty is not certainty—it's clarity of mission and agility of execution. As business leaders, we must foster cultures that welcome change while remaining steadfast in our commitment to value. You can't future-proof your industry, but if you prioritize adaptability, long-term relationships, and customer experience, you can future-proof your business.