7 min read
What to fix before January
Planning season almost always produces a budget. Next year will run on the systems you already have, so the more useful question is which of them you are willing to keep.
Studio Notes
Working notes from inside Blue Circle Creative. What we build, why, and what we learn along the way.
7 min read
Why growth is not the goal
The default answer to 'how is the business going' is a growth number. Growth has become the way everyone describes a healthy business, but the two are not the same.
7 min read
Every decision you avoid gets made anyway
Leadership teams think deferring a decision keeps the option open. It does not. It hands the decision to whoever hits it next, and each of them will answer it differently.
7 min read
What busy companies look like vs what growing companies look like
From inside, busy and growing feel similar. From outside, they look nothing alike. Eight patterns that separate the two, and the cost of mistaking one for the other.
7 min read
Why your marketing feels busy but your pipeline doesn't grow
Your team is doing more than ever. The number is moving less. Both are usually true at the same time, and the reason has almost nothing to do with the marketing itself.
8 min read
What "marketing isn't working" actually means
When a CEO says marketing isn't working, they almost always mean something other than marketing. Here is what they usually mean, and how to tell which version is yours.
8 min read
Three signs your business has outgrown its operations
Three symptoms you will recognize when your business is about to plateau. Leadership disagreement, founder-as-engine, and activity without growth. From a decade of pattern recognition.