There is a quote attributed to the poet Rumi that states, “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” Rumi, of course, was speaking about the world as he knew it in the 13th century, but his wisdom holds true in the present day.
Take the business world, for instance. When choppy winds come howling, it’s not the size or technological advancements that determine a company’s survival – it’s the ability to adapt on the fly while staying true to the core values that have made you successful in the first place.
The best example is Apple, which during the late 1980s and through the 1990s managed to thrive despite seemingly insurmountable competition from Microsoft. Apple’s resilience and focus on its own goals and processes led to its development of the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Apple is now one of the major 21st-century success stories.
It might well be said that building a resilient business is more important than building a behemoth or being on the cutting edge of research and development. That’s the view, at least, of Michael Amin, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur and founder of Primex World Inc., a management company that has navigated years of large-scale market fluctuations and regulatory changes.
“The best skill to have is being positive about finding the right path through the storm, whatever it is,” says Amin. “When there are radical shifts in anything, from consumer demand to governance, the businesses that can cleanly adjust their strategies have a much better chance of success.”
Amin prioritizes this approach with his colleagues, encouraging them to be decisive about adjusting when the time comes. He believes in actively adopting the mindset of adaptability.
“Resilience is not just about surviving; it’s a mindset that dictates that we grow stronger through overcoming challenges,” he notes. “Businesses need to be willing to experiment, learn from their failures, and make adjustments whenever necessary.”
After graduating from Pepperdine University in the early 1980s, Michael Amin co-founded QuickPix, a one-hour photo company that was among the first of its kind. However, after some initial success—including preliminary plans to franchise the business—they took a look around and found that the market for film development was already oversaturated.
Reflecting on these early days, Amin says, “Sometimes resilience is about recognizing when to adjust your course and move on to something else. After a certain amount of time running QuickPix, I realized that while perseverance is essential, so is the ability to read the market and make tough decisions. Stubbornly sticking to a venture doesn’t make you resilient—in fact, it can often make you miss new opportunities. In this case, adapting to new circumstances and pivoting away from QuickPix allowed me to apply that same mindset to more promising ventures.”
Two startups in the referral sector came next; Primex Talking Yellow Pages and Top Attorneys Directory, with the businesses building on each other’s successes. Then came Primex World Inc., the business with which Amin is most associated today.
“I’ve learned so much from my earlier ventures—what worked, what didn’t, and most importantly, how to adapt when things didn’t go as planned. That experience gave me the confidence to structure Primex in a way that could weather any storm.”
Upon being asked how would-be entrepreneurs can cultivate these traits of adaptability and resilience, Amin offers a final piece of advice: “You can’t be afraid to let go of what’s comfortable. The world changes, and you have to change with it. Stay curious and keep evolving—even when things are going well. Especially then, in fact. Because in business, standing still is just as dangerous as falling behind.”
