Just when you think you’re done…things change. This article explores the pros and cons of disruptive change.

Approximately 1 month ago, on February 4, 2022, I did a soft launch of my first online course, Canva Made Simple: Design With Ease and Build Your Business. In case you’re not familiar with Canva, it is one of the most popular, easy-to-use, and versatile design tools used by many to create stunning graphics, videos, and tons of other media in a matter of minutes. Canva has taken the social media and business industry by storm. According to CNBC, Canva, which was founded in 2013 by a 32-year old Australian entrepreneur Melanie Perkins, competes with tech titans like Microsoft and Adobe. Perkins created Canva based on a high school yearbook business, and you can read the full article to learn how a 32-year-old turned a high school yearbook idea into a $3.2 billion business by clicking here.

Canva has been my number one go-to tool over the last several years. I have used it to create social media posts, logos, branding graphics, quick reference guides, marketing videos, and the list goes on and on. In addition to writing and self-publishing books over the years, my love for computer technology and developing training to help others led me to another disruptive yet positive change: building my first online course. My Canva course officially launched on February 11, 2022. Then, a week later, something changed. The left menu bar looked different! I contacted Canva to confirm if I was seeing things and to get the full scoop on what had happened. They confirmed that they had just released some new and improved features including a menu change that combined two main features into one for better design management. Since I had just recently released my course, I immediately thought about the content being outdated already. Then I searched online and started reading Canva articles and viewing other Canva training and I remembered that this happens all the time. It even happened to me when I worked in the corporate world. Software changes frequently.

Technology is an ever-changing hub of information. The good news is that since my course is just freshly launched, there’s still time for content updates before the sh-t hits the fan. Only a dozen or so people have reviewed my course and/or purchased it thus far, but imagine the outcome if it was a thousand. For starters, I created a What’s New in Canva video that highlights all the recent updates. If you already use Canva, these features can help your business, so go ahead and click here to download the free guide. If you are new to Canva, take a look anyway to see what Canva can do for you.

So while the disruptive change of software updates requires me to drop everything and update videos in my online course, there is a silver lining in all of this. My Canva course is a pilot program allowing me to test the waters and perfect the process. It’s also a wake-up call for me to be better prepared for change. A pilot course is like sending a drone out to scope the area before sending in the troops.

Once the testing phase is complete, training courses for my Author Journey Success book series will be on their way. Companion training for the 7 Steps to Your Bestselling Book, the KDP Self-Publishing process, and the all-important Book Marketing Strategies are forthcoming. All this equates to the evolution of more changes on the business end and career front. It wasn’t too long ago that I did something very disruptive in the career arena: leaving the corporate rat race in 2019. Doing so prepared me for the changes yet to come.

How many disruptive changes did you find in this post? You will find the answer further down in this post. In the meantime, let’s review some major disruptive changes which have occurred in the technology industry.

• The onset the computers
• Apple MACs vs. PCs
• The evolution of Windows vs. iOS operating systems
• Mobile phones replacing analogue phones
• Smart TVs
• GPS devices

Where would we be without these disruptive technological changes?

QUIZ ANSWER: This article post contains at least 5 disruptive changes:

• The launch of Canva by Melanie Perkins and team (approximate launch date was August, 2013)
• Leaving the corporate world and moving to freelance (2019)
• Writing several book series to help the world, nonfiction for business, and children’s books to foster love in families
• Launching online courses in 2022 and the evolution of online learning
• Canva releases major feature updates on 2/17/22, one week after the release of my Canva course

What can we do to embrace change?

Be mindful of where you are and your physical surroundings.

Be open to the possibility that some disruptive thinking and disruptive change is for the good.

Remember that not all disruptive changes are good, but they do offer opportunities for us to take a chance and make a change.

Step out of your normal cycle of life and do something different today.

Do something pleasantly disruptive.

People don’t like changes, but change is the only thing that works.

~ Gary Vee