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When trade talks between the US and Canada collapsed and tariffs hit many Canadian goods, Prime Minister Mark Carney did something most of us find hard to do. He stopped waiting.

Instead of hoping things would go back to normal, he went looking for other buyers. He set a goal to double Canada’s non-US exports over the next decade, and has since signed a significant trade agreement with the European Union.

Forget the politics for a minute and look at the strategy. When your biggest customer changes the rules, you don’t sit there hoping. You find new markets.

Who Is Your Biggest Customer?

For most of us, the answer is one employer, one industry, and one skill set. If that market tightens, whether through tariffs, AI, or restructuring, you have a choice. You can wait for it to come back, or you can already be looking elsewhere.

You don’t have to burn the old career. Just stop being a one-customer business. As Terry puts it, the goal is more options, not abandoning what you have.

A Message for Leaders

Leaders, this one is on you too. Your people have skills that are valuable somewhere else in your organization. Move them before you lose them.

And start early. Diversification takes years, not weeks.

Hope Is Not a Strategy. Diversification Is.

If the job you have is shrinking, don’t just polish it. Take what you know to a place that needs it.

Terry’s Homework
Before you leave work tonight, write down the names of three people, places, or industries that would pay for what you know. Then call them this week.

Don’t wait for the market to come back. Go find a new one.

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