Hitting the Iceberg
Approximately one hour and forty minutes into the movie Titanic, the barrelman (the navigator stationed in the crow’s nest) shouted, “Iceberg, right ahead.” The fateful collision that followed resulted in the loss of thousands of lives, forever marking it as a tragic miscalculation and providing for one of the most iconic scenes in movie history. But what if we considered the potential upside of “hitting the iceberg” in our own lives?
Many of us go to great lengths to avoid the discomfort of facing difficult situations. We remain in personal and professional relationships that no longer serve us. We settle for a life that leaves us deeply unsatisfied. Why do we do this?
For one, comfort is far easier to navigate than chaos. The idea of hitting our own proverbial iceberg — especially without a plan, or the guarantee of a successful outcome — can be paralyzing. Comfort offers familiarity, safety, and predictability, even if it keeps us stuck. And for many, the thought of leaving that comfort behind feels too overwhelming to confront. I am by no means intimating that life-changing decisions are easy to make. By no means am I suggesting that at all. I am however stating that the riches of a better, more fulfilling (insert reader’s choice) are directly proportional to the difficulty of the decision being made. Andy Dufresne crawled through 500 yards of the foulest smelling ooze in Shawshank Redemption to make his way to freedom. How far will you crawl?
During my nearly 30 years in business, I’ve relied on a set of key statistics I refer to as my “weather reports.” These metrics have provided critical insights that have allowed me to course-correct throughout our journey, helping us avoid the proverbial iceberg. Information such as new patient acquisition, total production, top-line revenue, and expense trends over time have served as weather charts, revealing patterns and guiding business decisions. These data points have given us confidence during downturns and equipped us to navigate uncharted waters. However, this year, some of the weather reports have raised concerns, particularly regarding our Fort Lauderdale location.
As our headquarters, Fort Lauderdale serves a dual purpose: it functions as both a treatment center for local injured federal employees and the operational hub for our nationwide network of providers. Here, we manage claims and billing for patients seen across the country. Unfortunately, the number of new patients at this location has not kept pace with the rest of the country. There are several plausible explanations: perhaps this year is an outlier, maybe there’s increased competition, or fewer injuries in the region. In the past, I would have adjusted course to sidestep the iceberg. But this year, I’ve decided to hit the iceberg head-on.
What does “hitting the iceberg” mean in this context? It means preparing for the impact of change and allowing for the opportunities for a different, better reality. While our numbers in Fort Lauderdale have dipped, our national trends are moving upward, and the potential for growth across our network is what is driving this decision. Further, being leaner in business allows us to appropriate resources for marketing, process development, acquisition and increased service offerings.
In 2025, One-Fed will actively seek a local Physical Therapy provider to join our network of caregivers, enabling us to transition to a virtual model in Fort Lauderdale. Our short term plan is to refine our marketing efforts in order to increase our production in Fort Lauderdale. This will allow us to stabilize our local operations and provide a new therapist with the greatest chance of success. Next, our mid-year plan is to relocate our team to an office-based environment, allowing us to continue delivering our current services and redirect our focus to building our network nationwide. Our commitment to our Why is what drives us each day. And our Why is that ALL federal employees deserve the full rights and benefits afforded to them under FECA regulations delivered through OWCP. This strategic shift underscores our dedication to adaptation and growth, enabling us to expand our reach and elevate our service offerings nationwide. At the same time, we are refocusing our efforts on building the most inclusive network of providers and services to support all federal employees utilizing OWCP.
As we enter the New Year, I’d like to extend a challenge to anyone navigating their own iceberg. Perhaps charting a different course will still lead you to the same result. Or, maybe hitting it head-on will create an entirely new experience. What will you do differently this year? And who knows, perhaps your outcome might differ from Jack’s — you just might live happily ever after.
