Start with Strategy 🏁

Hello Reader,

When I decided to put strategy at the center of business, I knew I was signing up for a tough sell.

It might seem counterintuitive since my approach to sales—which is really just sharing high-quality, valuable information—usually makes things easy. But strategy is different.

Most business owners come to me with a list of outputs they want to implement. These outputs—or "deliverables" (a word I can't stand, by the way)—are exciting! They’re tangible and visible: when I ran my agency this was often things such as a beautiful new typeface, an elegant animation, a sleek website. Now it's headlines dialed in for Google, messaging fine-tuned to reach a perfect audience, or a crisp framework that makes a story easy to tell. You can see, and almost touch,and feel these things, and that feels like progress.

But here’s the reality: without an overarching strategy, those things are just attractive objects that generate vanity metrics (we can't stand vanity metrics). And, unfortunately, the vast majority of folks I speak with haven't developed a strategy that actually confirms that the outputs they want are the best next step.

Strategy Isn't Hard to Do—It's Hard to Prioritize

This isn't a critique of anyone. The disconnect happens because strategic thinking is abstract and hard to measure, making it difficult to report upward in large organizations. For small businesses, the advice we often receive is a checklist of reactive actions, especially in our hyper-fast-paced online world. It’s no one’s fault. It's cultural—modern business moves this way even if it's not all that effective.

However, ignoring strategy doesn't save time; it significantly slows progress.

For years, I tried to accommodate this disconnect. I would gently guide clients toward strategic thinking, acknowledging that it can feel scary. But I never required it, because sometimes people just weren't ready.

That all changed a few years ago. Every single thing I offer now begins with strategy. Even a simple one-time consultation begins with a discussion of goals and the path forward. We can't pass go until that context is firmly in place.

Start with the End in Mind: 3 Questions to Lay the Groundwork

I realize that most people aren't as naturally wired for strategy as I am (most of my top CliftonStrengths are all in the strategic domain—it's just how I operate). So, I want to share a few questions that can help you begin to reverse-engineer your strategic direction.

Answering these helps train your brain to be future-thinking rather than reactive, creating a habit of looking at the whole instead of just the parts.

1. In three years, how would I like my business to feel? What would the day-to-day work consist of?
2. In my industry, what makes me angry, frustrated, or disappointed? What would it look like if this changed for the better?
3. What do I believe in? What are my company or organization's core values, and why do they matter?

Your Next Step: The Landscape View

Not having the answers to these fundamental questions makes your work harder. You end up creating output after output until one generates a desired result—or worse, your work becomes completely misaligned.

A great way to take this necessary landscape view is with a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats).

This exercise may look simple, but don't underestimate its power. You might be surprised at what you discover. Use my easy-peasy Google Doc to get started with this, if you like.​

I'm all-in on strategy because I want you to be successful in a way that’s aligned, focused, and, yes, easy.

Onward & upward,

Sarah

P.S. I've delayed it as long as I can, but this is my one and only warning that my pricing will be increasing for 1:1 services soon (once Josh and I are done with some website updates). Reach out now if you're interested in securing current prices.