September always feels like a reset. Even long after our own school days are behind us, the rhythm of “back-to-school” has a way of reminding us of new beginnings, fresh challenges, and the cycles of growth that repeat year after year. This month, I felt it firsthand in three very different ways.
Recently, I drove my daughter back to college in Virginia—six hours each way to think about life and business. She moved into her first apartment, which felt like a big step toward independence. As I helped her unpack, I was reminded of my own early days when my parents passed down old furniture and kitchenware to help me get started. She took some hand-me-downs, too, but she and her roommates preferred a fresh start with new things of their own. It was a reminder that every transition is about balance—knowing what to carry forward and what to refresh.
At the same time, my youngest started her freshman year of high school. She already knew the building from volleyball practice and was friends with half the ninth-grade class. But walking those crowded hallways as a student, meeting new classmates, and adjusting to new responsibilities is a completely different experience. Familiar, but new. Comfortable, yet challenging.
And I also stepped back into the classroom at Saint Joseph’s University to teach Consumer Behavior once again. The content is familiar, but the students are new. Each semester is an opportunity to look at the material with fresh eyes—tightening it up, making it more engaging, and connecting it to what’s happening in the marketplace right now.
All three experiences made me think about the rhythms of business. Even in categories like personal care, where usage doesn’t have a dramatic seasonal spike, there are still “business seasons”—planning cycles, reporting deadlines, retailer sell-in windows. And in other categories, the seasons are very real: soup and cold/flu season, the holidays, or pumpkin spice (arriving in stores earlier every year!).
As leaders, it’s important to recognize these rhythms. It’s not just about the strategies and tactics we bring forward—it’s about knowing when to bring them. Sometimes that means preparing well ahead of the planning cycle. Other times it means stepping back and supporting teams in the middle of a sprint, when all hands are on deck.
Just like my daughters’ back-to-school milestones—or stepping back into my own classroom—every business season is both familiar and different. The rhythm may repeat, but the players, challenges, and opportunities evolve. Success comes from honoring the rhythm while embracing what’s new.
So as this “new year” of sorts begins, here’s a question worth asking:
What will you carry forward into this next season, and where is it time for a fresh start?
