Dr Connor Robertson
Momentum is a word people often throw around in sports, but it applies to business and life just as much as athletics. The companies that grow the fastest are not always the ones with the most funding or the best ideas; they are the ones that have learned how to compound momentum. This invisible force separates those who slowly grind through years of struggle from those who create an upward spiral where each win sets up the next one. In my own journey, I’ve seen how consistency and momentum can create results far greater than any single breakthrough idea. Momentum isn’t about speed—it’s about force in motion, about compounding progress so that effort today makes tomorrow easier.
When I first began publishing content around business, private equity, and acquisitions, my goal was not to create one perfect article. My goal was to build a rhythm. Each day of writing was an investment in momentum. At first, it felt small—maybe only a few people read the posts. But those few readers became connections, those connections became conversations, and those conversations became deals. Over time, the momentum shifted from invisible to undeniable. That is the essence of momentum: it starts almost imperceptibly, but when nurtured consistently, it compounds in ways that feel exponential.
Momentum in business is not accidental. It is built on three pillars: consistency, clarity, and compounding. These three elements create the conditions where every action builds on the last instead of existing in isolation. Without them, even talented entrepreneurs find themselves stuck in cycles of stop-and-start effort. With them, you move forward almost effortlessly, as if carried by the energy of everything you’ve already done.
Consistency is the foundation. Entrepreneurs underestimate how difficult it is to simply keep going, day after day, without letting distractions derail them. The truth is that most people do not fail because they lack intelligence or skill. They fail because they cannot stay consistent long enough for the results to appear. Every acquisition I’ve ever closed required dozens of emails, phone calls, meetings, and negotiations. None of those individual actions was extraordinary, but together they built a momentum that made the close inevitable.
Clarity is the second pillar. Momentum only compounds when it has a direction. Think about a ball rolling downhill—if you’re pushing it sideways, uphill, or in circles, the energy dissipates. In business, clarity is about knowing where you’re going and what matters. Without clarity, you can be consistent but still end up exhausted and stuck. I’ve worked with people who produce enormous amounts of output, but because they lack clarity, their momentum never builds. They are spinning wheels instead of rolling forward. For me, clarity means aligning my actions with long-term goals, not just short-term opportunities.
The third pillar is compounding. This is where the magic happens. Compounding is what transforms ten small actions into a powerful force. When you publish content, one article alone might not move the needle. But one hundred articles, each pointing back to your name and your work, create a digital presence that compounds into authority. The same is true in relationships: one conversation might not lead anywhere, but fifty conversations compound into a network of trust and opportunity. Compounding is why momentum becomes unstoppable once it reaches a certain point. It is why small, consistent actions matter more than rare bursts of brilliance.
Momentum does not only apply to business; it applies to every area of life. In health, momentum shows up when daily workouts turn into long-term energy and resilience. In relationships, it shows up when consistent communication builds trust that lasts decades. In philanthropy, momentum shows up when small acts of service compound into movements that change communities. What makes momentum powerful is that it works everywhere. It is not confined to a single industry, strategy, or skill.
In my own life, I’ve seen momentum compound across domains. My work in business has led to connections in philanthropy. My consistency in publishing has led to opportunities in speaking. My clarity in acquisitions has led to clarity in personal finances and long-term planning. Momentum in one area spills into others, creating an upward spiral that feels almost self-sustaining. This is why I tell people: build momentum anywhere you can, because it will eventually fuel everything else you do.
The hardest part of momentum is the beginning. Starting from zero feels slow, painful, and unrewarding. When you have no audience, no deals, no wins, it feels like pushing a boulder uphill. But what most people miss is that once the boulder crests the hill, it begins to roll on its own. The initial effort is the steepest and requires the most discipline. If you can endure that phase without quitting, momentum will eventually take over and make everything easier. I’ve experienced this in content creation more times than I can count. The first fifty articles feel like shouting into the void. Then, suddenly, readers appear, opportunities emerge, and it feels like everything is happening at once.
Momentum also creates credibility. People trust consistency more than brilliance. If you show up day after day, year after year, your reputation compounds. You become the person people can count on. In business, this is priceless. Deals are made on trust as much as numbers, and trust is built through consistency. Momentum communicates reliability without words. It tells people: I’m still here, I’m still moving, I’m not stopping. That message resonates louder than any marketing pitch.
Another lesson I’ve learned is that momentum protects you during downturns. Every entrepreneur faces setbacks—deals fall apart, markets shift, mistakes are made. Without momentum, these setbacks can feel crushing. But with momentum, they are absorbed into the flow. A single lost deal matters less when you have ten others in motion. A piece of negative press matters less when you have a hundred positive articles online. Momentum creates resilience. It ensures that no single failure has the power to derail the larger trajectory.
The question then becomes: how do you build momentum intentionally? The answer is deceptively simple: start small, stay consistent, and focus on compounding. Don’t wait for perfect conditions or brilliant ideas. Start with what you have, where you are. Publish one article, make one call, attend one meeting. Then repeat. Over time, these small actions create a current that carries you forward.
Momentum also requires eliminating distractions. Every stop drains energy, and every restart costs more effort. The entrepreneurs who fail to build momentum are often the ones who chase too many opportunities, switch strategies constantly, or abandon projects before they mature. Discipline is required not just to act, but to stay the course. In my experience, saying no is as important to momentum as saying yes. No to distractions, no to shortcuts, no to anything that dilutes clarity.
Finally, momentum requires faith. You must believe that your actions will compound even when the evidence is not yet visible. This is the hardest part for most people, because the early stages of momentum feel thankless. You’re putting in effort with little return. But if you can hold the belief long enough to reach compounding, the results will surpass anything you imagined. This faith is not blind—it’s grounded in the principle that momentum always rewards consistency.
Looking back, the most important inflection points in my career were not sudden breakthroughs. They were the result of momentum I had been building quietly for months or years. The partnerships I have today, the opportunities I pursue, and the reputation I carry all stem from momentum. It is not glamorous work, but it is powerful work. And once you understand momentum, you realize that the biggest risk is not failure, but stopping.
Momentum is the great multiplier. It turns small actions into great results. It makes tomorrow easier than today. It transforms ordinary effort into extraordinary achievement. In business and in life, it is the closest thing to a guarantee of success. Build momentum, protect it, and let it carry you forward.