After passing my 4 year milestone marker of working with founders and leaders, I share my 3 biggest takeaways where improvement is needed.

business, strategy, planning, growth, competition, market, analysis, innovation, decision-making, leadership, tactics, implementation, success, challenges, opportunities

Hey everyone, business growth coach Kevin Dooley. I'm out this morning, on my walk, in the sun, the sun is shining in western New York. And recently I passed my 4 year milestone marker of working with other founders, co-founders and leadership teams. And there's 3 things that really struck me about all those conversations and collaborations. Number 1 is there's not enough emphasis on mindset, right? Like founders spend a lot of time advancing their skill set, but not enough time working on their mindset. Number 2, most of the founders don't really know their buyers at a deep enough level. If you're going to set strategies and tactics and messaging to reach them, you really need to know who they are at a deep level. And then the third one is there's not enough milestones being created. So what you should be doing as a startup is always be goal setting, always be setting the next milestone. And what happens is, once you reach that milestone, you've got a good story to tell. Investors, other people you bring on board, everybody can celebrate those milestones. So get outside, get some morning sun, and I'll talk to you again soon.

Your GTM strategy and plan are critical elements of the successful launch of your business or side hustle. In the microcast I share some of my favorite best practices. Scaling your startup after product-market fit. As Head of Marketing for Blueberry Markets, I share my 5-step growth strategy framework & a 70% referral program success story. A defining moment as cofounder in my brand agency sparked a passion to help others navigate the complexities of co-founding. Now I coach cofounders to build successful partnerships Ditch the pitch for a more authentic power statement. Listen how you can provide a more impactful intro to who you are and what you do. Y Combinator CEO and Partner Michael Seibel on what makes the top 10% of founders different. The foundation of leadership is RESPECT. Leaders must respect themselves and others. Respect contributes to life and where there's life, there's growth. April Dunford, world-leading expert on positioning for B2B tech companies, explains why the Hero's Journey framework works for traditional storytelling, but not for B2B sales. 3. Content is king! My cover connected me with music legend Diane Warren & my brand landed me in Rolling Stone. Here is how strategic social media content can propel your brand. Starting your day with a few habits stacked on top of each creates momentum for the rest of your day. Value = benefits minus cost. This is a formula that founders and solopreneurs should have a clear understanding of. Building a start-up and finding co-founders in a field that isn’t your core competency. As founders we are faced with challenges every day, every minute. We need to overcome them, while enjoying the journey. Leadership starts with self care. You can't care for others if you're neglecting yourself. This episode give you simple ways to care for yourself and be a great leader. A short update for Coach Chris. Dealing with life as a leader, parent, or employee. Creativity is something that I have been embedded with since I was little always riding, drawing, creating something always. As I've grown up I've realized that creativity is my ❤️ The reason to take the plunge into a new venture is also what gets you through the struggles of the first year. Here’s my secret to both as a founder in an uncharted industry. There are no wrong answers or outcomes with true creative thinking they're freedom may overwhelm and you may think your finished project is never perfect but the thing is it was perfect from the start! This is my journey from a 13 year professional baseball career to a co-founder of a company designed to develop and place ex athletes into the medical device industry 2. As a marketing leader & music producer, here are 3 steps I used to build my brand. Define what makes you unique & be consistent. Authenticity is key: share your story to connect! Howard Marks explains why thinking like everyone else leads to mediocre business decisions. For smarter decisions, always ask yourself, “And then what?”