When Life Gives You Lemons, Use Them! Turning Detours Into Your Next Win
I was recently reminded of a story from my study abroad trip at Concordia College. We were in Wales (I think) when the professor leading the trip ordered oysters. The server brought them to her along with lemon wedges. She promptly shot the oyster sans the lemon. When the server returned he said, “Oh, I see you didn’t use the lemons. That’s what makes them die before you eat them.” The professor, a major animal lover realizing she just ate a living creature, was mortified. To which I instantly said to her, “When life gives you lemons; use them.”
As I was reminded of this story a couple of weeks ago, I realized how my 20 year-old self was giving advice to me 25 years (give or take) later. Life doesn’t always go according to plan, and neither does business. We all make the best decisions with the information we have in front of us at the time. It doesn’t always work out. You miss on a key hire. A restructure sends your team scrambling. You lose a big account. But here’s the truth: it’s not the setback that defines you, it’s what you do next. It’s how you use the lemon.
I have come to believe so strongly in the power of the pivot. The best growth stories aren’t linear. They’re full of plot twists, wrong turns, and unexpected clarity. I’ve had plenty of lemons in my professional and creative careers, and they have helped to create some of my best pivots.
Lemons, Meet Leadership
When things go sideways, whether in life or in hiring, it’s easy to get stuck. Maybe you tried to recruit in-house and got overwhelmed. Maybe the candidate you thought was perfect turned out to be a total mismatch. Or maybe your team’s so swamped you haven’t even had time to think about hiring.
It happens. And it’s okay. But that moment of pause? That’s your lemon. Use it.
Lessons in the Detour
Every challenge is a signal:
Struggling to hire: A sign your process might be too slow or too broad.
Constant turnover: Maybe it’s time to rethink the role or the culture fit.
Overwhelmed HR: A chance to reevaluate capacity and bring in support.
The hard moments help you clarify what really matters: your people, your culture, your mission, and how to build a team that reflects all of it.
How Luminous Helps
We’re not just here to fill jobs. We’re here to illuminate the path forward, especially when it’s unclear. When you bring us to your hiring roadblocks, we don’t just bulldoze through them. We help you understand them, learn from them, and build something stronger and more thoughtful in their place.
Let the lemons guide the way.
Let Luminous help!
