Narrator: In the late 19th century, a new invention began to appear on American dinner tables. It was cheap, it was readily available, and it looked almost exactly like butter. It was called margarine, and the American dairy industry panicked. Instead of innovating or competing on quality, they launched a campaign of fear, claiming this new product was made of diseased animal parts and other unsavory materials. When that didn't work, they lobbied for laws to make margarine unappealing. Several states passed "pink laws," mandating that margarine be dyed a sickly pink color to distinguish it from the pure, natural yellow of butter. The strategy backfired. The Supreme Court struck down the laws, and margarine companies simply started including a packet of yellow food dye for customers to mix in at home. For decades, margarine outsold butter. The dairy industry’s panic didn't stop change; it only ensured they lost the battle.

This historical anecdote reveals a timeless human pattern: when faced with disruptive change, our first instinct is often to panic and resist. In his book, Build for Tomorrow: An Actionable Guide to Facing Any Future, author and Entrepreneur magazine editor in chief Jason Feifer argues that this is precisely the wrong approach. He provides a powerful framework for not just surviving change, but for using it as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and building a future you wouldn't trade for anything.

Narrator: Feifer posits that our journey through any significant change, whether personal or professional, follows a predictable four-phase pattern: Panic, Adaptation, New Normal, and Wouldn't Go Back. Understanding this cycle is the first step toward navigating it consciously.

The book illustrates this with the story of Meg O'Hara, a landscape painter who had built a successful business creating commissioned paintings for ski resorts. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the travel industry shut down, and her entire business model evaporated overnight. This was the Panic phase. As she puts it, she allowed herself to "freak out for twenty-four or forty-eight hours."

But then, she moved into Adaptation. She realized that while resorts weren't buying, individual skiers who missed the mountains might. She pivoted her strategy, marketing her work directly to them through social media and building personal relationships. This created a New Normal. Her business was no longer dependent on a few large clients but was supported by a broad community of fans.

Within a year, O'Hara had doubled her revenue, hired her first employee, and won a "30 Under 30" award. She had reached the final phase: Wouldn't Go Back. The crisis had forced her to build a more resilient, profitable, and fulfilling business. She would never return to her old model, even if she could. This journey from panic to a new, better reality is the path Feifer argues is available to anyone who learns to work with change instead of against it.

Narrator: The initial phase of the cycle, Panic, is the most dangerous. It’s an emotional reaction driven by a sense of loss, and it leads to poor, short-sighted decisions. The story of the butter industry versus margarine is a perfect example. Their panic led them to focus all their energy on suppressing a competitor instead of improving their own product or finding new ways to connect with customers.

A more modern example is the fall of Blockbuster. In 2000, the founders of a small startup called Netflix, which rented DVDs by mail, offered to sell their company to Blockbuster for $50 million. Blockbuster’s executives, secure in their market dominance, reportedly laughed them out of the room. They saw Netflix not as the future, but as a niche irrelevance. Their panic, when it finally set in years later, was too little, too late. They failed to adapt to the new realities of mail-order and, eventually, streaming.

Feifer’s point is that panic narrows our vision. It causes us to defend what we have instead of building what could be. The book argues that the first critical skill in building for tomorrow is learning to overcome this initial panic, to pause, and to analyze the situation rationally before taking action.

Narrator: One of the book's most profound ideas is that crises don't magically create new possibilities; they simply shift our perspective, making us willing to consider options that were always available but previously ignored.

Feifer uses the dramatic example of the Bubonic Plague in the 14th century. Before the plague, European society was built on a rigid feudal system where serfs were tied to the land. After the plague killed up to 60% of the population, a massive labor shortage emerged. Suddenly, the surviving serfs had leverage. They could demand wages for their work or leave to find a better offer from a neighboring lord. This crisis didn't invent the concept of employment, but it made the old system untenable and forced society to adopt a new one. This shift led to the decline of feudalism and the rise of a merchant class, fundamentally reshaping the Western world.

On a smaller scale, the book tells the story of the Forsyth Academy of Performing Arts. Before the pandemic, the owner, Leigh Ann Cannady, believed large class sizes were essential for her business model. When COVID-19 forced her to reduce class sizes for safety, she discovered unexpected benefits. Teachers were less stressed, students received more individual attention, and because the smaller classes were easier to fill, revenue remained stable. She had stumbled upon a better model that was always possible, but one she never would have considered without the crisis forcing her hand.

Narrator: To successfully adapt, one must distinguish between "what" they do and "why" they do it. The "what" is the task, the product, the job title. The "why" is the core mission, the underlying value being provided. When change makes the "what" obsolete, the "why" remains as a guide.

Kodak provides a cautionary tale. They defined their "what" as selling film. They were the best in the world at it. But their "why" was helping people capture and share memories. When digital photography emerged—a technology Kodak itself invented in 1975—they shelved it because it threatened their film business. They clung to their "what" and forgot their "why." As a result, companies like Sony and Canon, who embraced the new "what" of digital, fulfilled that "why" for customers and left Kodak behind.

Feifer argues that successful adaptation involves constantly asking, "What is this for?" By understanding the fundamental purpose behind our work, we can remain flexible in our methods. If your "why" is to connect people with information, you can move from newspapers to websites to podcasts without losing your identity.

Narrator: In the final section of the book, Feifer challenges the common desire for finality. Many people operate with a project-based mindset, looking forward to the moment when a task is finished and they can rest. He contrasts this with the concept of "endlessness."

The story of actress Michelle Pfeiffer illustrates this shift. After a successful acting career, where every movie had a clear beginning and end, she founded a clean fragrance company called Henry Rose. She was shocked to discover that launching the company wasn't the finish line; it was the starting line. Running a business was a continuous, endless process of iteration, marketing, and problem-solving. At first, she found this disorienting, but she eventually came to embrace it, realizing, "the fun is really starting now."

Building for tomorrow means accepting that there is no finish line. It is a continuous cycle of learning, adapting, and growing. The goal isn't to reach a static, perfect future, but to engage in the endless process of building it.

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from Build for Tomorrow is that change is not a random force that happens to us, but a predictable process we can learn to navigate. By understanding the four phases—Panic, Adaptation, New Normal, and Wouldn't Go Back—we can move from being victims of circumstance to being architects of our own future. The book demystifies change, transforming it from an object of fear into a tool for reinvention.

The ultimate challenge Feifer leaves us with is to reframe our relationship with the unknown. The next time you feel the ground shift beneath your feet—a new technology, a career disruption, a global crisis—resist the urge to ask, "How can I make this stop?" Instead, ask the more powerful question: "What is this change now making possible?" The answer may lead you to a future you wouldn't go back from.