leadership
Judgment Over Headcount
Why adding experience may be your most efficient investment this year According to recent labor data, hiring has cooled across multiple sectors over the past year, yet performance expectations haven’t eased. Healthcare organizations are navigating regulatory pressure and margin compression (and insurance simply dropping plans that cost them too much). Consulting firms are competing harder…
Read MoreYour Team’s Good. Let’s Make Them Great.
Too often, internal teams are left scrambling when a senior leader exits. You either overextend a capable manager or bring in an expensive agency that doesn’t know your business. But there’s a better path: bring in a fractional leader who can steady the work and help your team grow while they’re at it. That’s exactly…
Read MoreStop Hiring the Silent Type: Why Your Team Needs a Strategic Voice at the Table
If you’ve ever walked out of a brainstorming session wondering why the marketing hire you were excited about never actually spoke up, you’re not alone. Too often, companies hire marketers who look great on paper and check all those boxes, but don’t bring much to the table—literally. They sit quietly in meetings, nod along in…
Read MoreHow Fractional CMO Services Transform Stagnant Marketing Teams
Your marketing isn’t broken—it’s just stuck. Maybe your head of marketing came from a different industry many years ago. They’re smart, they know your company, but here’s the problem: they don’t know what they don’t know. They have no idea how to accomplish what industry competitors are doing to become recognized industry leaders, or how…
Read MoreYou Can’t Build Loyalty with a Price Tag
I once worked with a health plan positioned as one of the more “affordable” options, which was a draw for price-sensitive employers and some customers. But I quickly observed, competing on price alone isn’t smart marketing. When your core message is “we’re the cheapest,” your marketing becomes reactive and transactional, rather than thoughtful and strategic.…
Read MoreMarketing: Be AI-savvy and a Strategic Sales Partner
Recently, a colleague told me that their marketing team just puts something into ChatGPT, and it spits out topics and drafts an article, blog, or email without any strategic insight, knowledge of their product’s features and benefits, or understanding of the audience/customers/members. When did marketing go from a strategic partner providing insightful market and customer…
Read MoreTurn Your Brain Drain into a Competitive Advantage
In today’s competitive consulting landscape, your firm’s greatest asset isn’t your brand, your client list, or perhaps even your methodology—it’s the collective expertise residing in your most valuable minds at the firm. When your consultants leave (and according to industry data, 20% of your senior talent will transition within 24 months), they take millions in…
Read MoreNo Status Quo in Business
With 30 years in marketing and communications, it’s time I share my insights, opinions, and resources. I hope this blog spurs ideas or in some way makes your business stronger. As I evolve to take on this new challenge of providing food for thought to others online, I urge you to assess where your company…
Read MoreManagers, Take a Page from Retailers
When shopping, there are universal phrases that most retail people know and use when engaging a customer. Some use as you enter to make you feel welcome, or when you look lost or unsure, and nearly all use as appreciation and as you leave. So, why not take a lesson from retailers and ask these…
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