We specialize in extracting the creative visions of founders and top executives. These visions are then woven into winning messaging and strategic action plans backed by uncommon creative thinking. Together we’ll discover patterns and connections that may otherwise go unnoticed, all-the-while being careful to disallow cognitive biases from influencing our thoughts, recommendations or decision making.
What are Cognitive Biases? At the most basic level, your brain wants to find patterns. But your brain only make decisions based on the information that it currently has access to, which is a combination of the past subjective experiences of your life, and the current flow of information in front of you. The flawed tendency of the human mind is to determine that things are related or unrelated, primarily based on our past or lack of experience. These are cognitive biases. Wikipedia has a list of 175+ cognitive biases descriptions.
When you are too specialized in what you do, your platform from which to make decisions can become too narrowly focused.
Clients hire us to help them to see the things that they cannot and to then use that information as a basis for building a better strategic plan for a more comprehensive and competitive business. While in many cases it is absolutely critical to specialize in your own particular field of endeavor, it is a dangerous platform from which to make decisions if that is your only source of data. Don’t let these biases influence your decision – leverage your decisions based on more than what you know.
We work with clients in the following ways:
TRUSTED ADVISOR
MENTOR | PARTNER
As a business and personal mentor, on a regular basis we discuss top priorities and effectiveness. Consider me a trusted resource partner; someone that remembers everything, brings important ideas and concepts to the table and helps make final decisions. The scope of these conversations can range from problem solving, to confidential discussions about business or personal matters.
PROJECT BASED
ASSIGNMENT FOCUS
In this scenario we will decide on a particular set of deliverables and determine the end goal. Together we will agree upon the time and energy spent to reach these goals. This can be working one-on-one with a founder/executive or with a team, but in the project modality, although we have insight into the underlying framework of the organization, just not running every part of the business.
START or RUN THE ENTIRE
BUSINESS | PROJECT
Imagine being dropped in from a helicopter, hitting the ground and immediately starting to working on the business. We’ll spend time at your location, if one exists and assume full responsibility of the entire project, business or product launch including hiring key personnel, determining strategy and clarifying process. Our time together is spent by reporting what will be done and what has been done.
TRUSTED ADVISOR
MENTOR | PARTNER
Whether we are spending weekly time on the phone or I am on location when you are in front of the media or a client, I excel at bringing clarity; to you, your messaging and in the way to we get things done. Often I am told that it is fantastic to have someone that knows all the details and yet comes from a results driven, creative thought-space.
As a business and personal mentor, on a regular basis we discuss top priorities and effectiveness. Consider me a trusted resource partner; someone that remembers everything, brings important ideas and concepts to the table and helps make final decisions. The scope of these conversations can range from problem solving, to confidential discussions about business or personal matters.
- Weekly sessions by phone or in person
- Competitor analysis, identifying complex underlying patterns
- Expert advice about specific issues and organizational processes
- Develop a comprehensive sales and brand strategy package
- Supportive, motivating and committed sounding board
PROJECT BASED
ASSIGNMENT FOCUS
In this scenario we decide on a particular set of deliverables and determine our end goal. Together we agree on the time and energy to be spent to reach these goals. I’ll work one-on-one with a founder/executive or with a team, and normally have insight into the underlying framework of the organization; although I am not running every part of the business myself.
We regularly meet to discuss top priorities and results. Projects have differing variables, timelines and objectives, but in general, we start right away, get agreement on initial steps and end goals and move forward.
- Main Objectives
- Deliverables
- Milestones
- High level requirements
- Assumptions and exclusions
- Any known issues or risk
- Stakeholder review and approval
START or RUN THE ENTIRE
BUSINESS | PROJECT
Imagine that I am dropped in from a helicopter, hit the ground and immediately start working on the entire business. That’s how it feels sometimes when I start working with someone; and the best part of the ride is once I hit the ground with you. Normally we’ll spend time on a daily basis at your location if one exists. I take over full responsibility of the entire project, business or product launch/development and our time spent is my reporting what I will do and what I have done.
By all means, we can work as a team. In many cases though, I am given full reigns with a reporting schedule and I get right to work by:
- Determining and defining viability
- Business plan w/ financials where appropriate
- Defining specific issues and organizational processes
- Creating a comprehensive sales and brand strategy implementation package
- Handling any legal issues like trademarks, patents, licensing etc.
- Managing all online interaction including websites, social interaction and company sales promotion.
- Ongoing support, motivation and team development