Are we a fit for each other?
Our best clients tend to share some common characteristics. How well do you relate?
Expertise
You may be in advertising, accounting, architecture, creative services, data analytics, marketing, business process outsourcing, staffing, or any of a myriad of consulting fields, but the heartbeat of your work is to bring your expertise to bear on your client’s business.
Size
The firm consists of more than you and a virtual assistant. The business is big enough to have a team of real employees but still small enough that you’re involved on a daily basis.
Geography
You could be near us in the Chicago area but we work throughout the United States and, in the right situation, internationally.
Ownership model
You own the business, possibly with partners, or as a family, and are actively leading it. (You haven’t hired a General Manager or CEO that you only touch base with once in a while.)
Life stage
Growth may be stalled or plateaued. Conversely, your leadership, staff, and systems may not be able to keep up with the number of new clients.
Mindset
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You need clarity about what’s holding you back.
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You’re looking for new pathways to long-term growth
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You recognize that to achieve what you’ve never achieved you’ll need to do what you’ve never done.
We love clients with...
Big Dreams
We love clients who have big dreams about the future. They want to help more clients in more ways. Their business isn’t just another job; it’s the opportunity to make a difference in the world. That’s what gets them out of bed in the morning and lets the sleep well at night.
Big Challenges
Some leaders believe if they can just solve their talent problem, or cash flow challenge, or marketing issues, everything will be okay. We are looking for leaders who understand that strategy, leadership, teams, and systems are all interrelated. We love clients like that because the fun comes in unravelling the Christmas lights and taking bold action in the right direction.
Big Questions
We love leaders who don’t just put their heads down and work harder, doing the same things “better, faster, stronger, higher.” New insights come to those who are curious. Curiosity means asking big questions.
Big Passion
We’re drawn to leaders who are passionate about their expertise. They don’t just do their job, it’s part of who they are. Accountants see the world through the lens of ledgers. Writers notice metaphor, alliteration, and turns of phrase. Designers see every situation through the rule of thirds. When you’re passionate about your field you’re much more likely to do what it takes to succeed.
Big Courage
Our clients live in a world where change takes time. They’re determined to do what it takes to move forward. They aren’t looking for a quick fix that can be downloaded from the internet. They are willing to invest the time and energy needed to see healthy, long-term results. We love clients like that because they make things happen.
But most of all, we love leaders with big hearts.
Ever since the industrial revolution, the machine has been the primary metaphor for how we think about business. We build teams like they are made of LEGO® pieces. We manage people as if they are another resource like cash, equipment, or property. We align functions like they are interlocking gears. We believe once we have built it right, the outcome is all but guaranteed.
But a business is not a machine. It’s a living, striving, changing organism. Businesses are grown and tended, not bolted together. When we treat them well, they provide for us—and those around us—in manifold ways. We love clients who are discovering this.