40 Strategy Blog

Do you ever feel like YOU are the bottleneck preventing growth within your organization? Unfortunately, it’s a common mistake business owners make every day: getting stuck in the weeds, becoming the “linchpin,” and slowing down growth.    But there is a better way — one that gets you back into the strategic leadership seat, and that gets your organization back on track. Our guest this week is an expert in helping business owners make that shift (and she’s had to do it herself, too). Isabelle Mercier-Turcotte is a “no-nonsense” dynamo, born to catapult heart-centered entrepreneurs and business leaders to build impactful brands, business and lives. She’s also one of the few repeat guests on the Measure Success Podcast.   Listen to the full episode for more on how to build a strategy that will get you from where you are now to where you want to go, how to establish a deeper “why” for your goals, the art and science of delegation, and why Isabelle swears by a “gambling fu...

If you’ve ever had a strategic initiative fail at your organization and thought to yourself, “What am I doing wrong as a leader?” this episode is for you.  The truth is, most leaders end up with several failed strategies under their belt. The trick is to stop making the same mistakes and lean into some best practices for strategic planning that *actually* work.  There’s no one better to teach leaders how to build that foundation and grow through strategy than our latest guest. Jim Gitney, the Founder and CEO of Group50® Consulting has 45 years of corporate and consulting experience working with over 200 companies in guiding them toward double-digit top line and bottom line growth.  Listen to the full conversation for more on the top mistakes business owners make when it comes to successful strategic initiatives, what the “business hierarchy of needs” is (and what CEOs can learn from it), the downsides of having too many goals, how to align compensation structures in a ...

Our latest guest, Ken Hannaman, certainly hasn’t gone down the “traditional” route in life. Even though he was a decent student as a teenager, he dropped out of high school. But it’s what he’s done in the years since — moving all the way up to corporate leadership positions at some of the most recognizable names in restaurants — that makes his journey unique.    Ken is the Founder and Possibility Mindset Coach at Ungraduated Living, as well as a corporate executive leader of 400+ restaurants.    Listen to the full conversation for more on Ken’s journey after dropping out of high school, why a business’s success will almost always hinge on one specific metric, the top reasons people don’t reach their goals, how to shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, and more.   Here’s a Glimpse of What You’ll Learn:    How Ken has not followed the “typical life pattern,” including his journey to “abundance” after dropping out of high school  ...

Corporate gift giving can often feel stale, depersonalized, and obligatory. But our latest guest, President, co-founder, and Chef Lucia E. Robles, is on a mission to change that — and help companies build better relationships with those they work with. Lucia also knows a thing or two about building great client relationships through top-notch customer service. As the owner of a luxury B2B gourmet gift company, it’s a cornerstone of her business.    Lucia is a pastry chef turned business owner, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, who is the president and co-founder of the high-end luxury B2B gourmet gift company, Lucia & Co. Her firm makes consistent client appreciation gifting possible with their customizable auto done-for-you gift plans, and specializes in working with professionals who have compliance sending and spending regulations.   At 40 Strategy, we’re also a client of Lucia & Co. — we can vouch for their excellent customer service and gifts with a personalized...

If you’re a human being, chances are you’ve failed to reach at least one goal in your lifetime — if not several. But when it comes to actually achieving what you set out to achieve, your daily habits and rituals can make an outsized impact. So, how do you consistently incorporate those healthy routines that move you forward? How do you keep yourself out of the rut of bad habits?   Our guest this week is someone who has mastered the art of habit-building. JM Ryerson is an international speaker, mindset and business coach, host of Let’s Go Win podcast, and best-selling author of two books. He helps high-performing leaders define and execute their individual leadership styles in order to grow the impact of their businesses.   Listen to the full episode for more on JM’s two and a half hour morning routine, the principles he teaches his coaching clients, the one-word question someone has to ask themselves if they haven’t hit their goals yet, simple ways to integrate healthy rou...

Not every small business succeeds. In fact, most don’t. But entrepreneurs should follow certain principles — and avoid common pitfalls — to give themselves the best chance. Our guest this week, Louis Foreman, is one of the best to teach us the ins and outs of entrepreneurship (he even started his first business when he was still in college).     Louis is the founder and Chief Executive of Enventys Partners, an integrated product design and engineering firm. Over the past 20 years, Louis has created 9 successful start-ups and has been directly responsible for the creation of over 20 others. He is the inventor of 10 registered U.S. patents, and his firm is responsible for the development and filing of well over 700 more.    Listen to the full episode for more on the questions someone should ask before they start a new business, how to leverage crowdfunding in your fundraising strategy, top mistakes that entrepreneurs make, and more.   Here’s a Glimpse o...

Big, scary, spiders. This is when you know you’ve hit rock-bottom: when you have no other place than to live in a basement full of them! For entrepreneurs, how they respond to that situation (and that location) is often the most important piece of their business journey.    And no one knows the peaks and valleys of the entrepreneurial journey quite like our latest guest. Steven Pemberton is an entrepreneur who’s generated over $3 million in revenue on e-commerce platforms. He now helps coaches and business leaders get in front of their ideal customers to accelerate their impact through a system called “Challenges.”   Listen to the full episode for more on Steven’s backstory (from losing all his money and living in a basement, to building a 7-figure business), some of the top characteristics the most successful entrepreneurs have in common, the dangers of pride, and more.   Here’s a Glimpse of What You’ll Learn:    More about Steven’s approach to h...