Elliott Forman says entrepreneurs need a pivot, not surrender

Bonita Payments CEO Elliott Forman says his new book, The Pivot Process, is meant to push founders to adapt instead of walking away when economic conditions get harder. The book arrives as he argues the U.S. needs more independent businesses, not fewer, to sustain jobs, innovation and local economies.

Why it matters: - Elliott Forman says entrepreneurship is being discouraged at the wrong moment, when independent businesses are still central to jobs, neighborhood vitality and innovation. - The Pivot Process argues that founders need a practical way to adjust when markets change, rather than treating difficult conditions as a reason to quit. - Forman frames the issue as bigger than one book or one company, saying the country risks losing future businesses if aspiring founders decide the risk is too high.

What happened: - Forman released The Pivot Process, a new book focused on how business owners should respond when their original strategy stops working. - Forman is the founder and CEO of Bonita Payments, a New Orleans-based technology and payment processing company, and the author of Business is WAR. - The book was published as Forman argues that economic uncertainty is pushing both current and future entrepreneurs to second-guess starting or continuing businesses. - The book is available on Amazon, and more information is available at the author's website and the book listing.

The details: - The Pivot Process focuses on the idea that change is inevitable and that business owners must be ready to adjust when old methods stop producing results. - Forman says a pivot can mean changing a business model, revising an operating strategy, moving to a different customer base or entering a new market. - The book argues that changing direction is not the same as abandoning a mission. - Forman says financial realities must be faced with discipline and judgment, and that determination alone cannot save every struggling business. - Forman presents the book as guidance drawn from his experience as a business founder, U.S. Navy veteran and former professional boxer. - Forman says preparation under pressure matters in business, and success requires action rather than optimism alone. - Forman's first book, Business is WAR, focused on competition and the discipline needed to run a business. - Forman says The Pivot Process expands that conversation to include adaptation, reinvention and lessons learned from years of entrepreneurship. - Forman says Bonita Payments has given him direct experience with technology shifts, customer expectations and decisions that affect employees and business partners.

Between the lines: - Forman is making an argument against a familiar recession-era mindset: that caution should become retreat. - The message is aimed at two audiences at once: founders already under pressure and aspiring entrepreneurs deciding whether to start at all. - Forman is also pushing a broader cultural point that not every capable person fits a conventional workplace, and not every good idea will come from a large company. - His framing suggests he sees entrepreneurship as both an economic engine and a personal path that should remain open, even when conditions are uneven.

What's next: - Forman is using the release of The Pivot Process to encourage struggling owners to examine their options before shutting down. - He is also urging new founders to enter business with realistic expectations and a plan for adapting when conditions change. - Forman says his next goal is to keep attention on entrepreneurship as a pathway worth defending, even in uncertain times. - He continues to promote his work through Bonita Payments, his books and the Business is WAR podcast.

The bottom line: - Forman's message is simple: economic pressure should force better strategy, not automatic surrender.