How to Build an Intentional Business Growth Strategy

If I were brought in to drive growth at a $10M+ DTC brand, here’s how I’d approach it: No fluff. No vanity plays. Just high-impact moves that shift the bottom line. (It's tempting to dive into rebranding or launching new channels. However, impactful growth often stems from focusing on foundational elements.) Here's how I'd approach it: Step 1: Figure out where the money’s made → Which products drive the highest margins, LTV, and repeat purchases? → What SKUs actually scale profitably with paid media? I’m not touching the ad account until this is crystal clear. Step 2: Clean house on performance marketing → Audit every dollar spent across Meta, Google, and email. → Consolidate campaigns, kill what's not working, double down on proven angles. → Creative is the lever. Not targeting. Step 3: Choose 1 hero product to lead acquisition → Ideally something high-margin, low return rate, with a story. → This becomes the core of all TOF messaging + landing pages. → Simple scales. Complexity kills. Step 4: Rebuild top ads with new content → Take the top 5 hooks and redo them with fresh UGC, statics, and cutdowns. → Launch 10+ ad variations ASAP. → Start developing a creative strategy process. Paid media dies without fresh creative input. Step 5: Patch the leaky funnel → Is the site fast? → Are PDPs clear? → Are we using urgency, bundling, cart optimizers? → Are email flows even sending? You don’t need more traffic if you’re wasting the traffic you’ve got. Step 6: Get email working while you sleep → Start with flows: welcome, cart abandonment, post-purchase, winback, VIP. → Then layer in 1-2 campaigns a week that don’t feel like a sale but still convert. Step 7: Test 3 offers in 30 days → Think: gift with purchase, bundle + save, free shipping thresholds, subscription perks. → Speed is leverage. You don’t need months to validate an offer. Growth isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things in the right order—with urgency. Curious—what would your first 3 moves be? If you’re a brand doing $1M+ in revenue and need help with growth, please DM me and let’s chat.

"Strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite: its starting point." – Henry Mintzberg Developing a strategy is about creating a clear, actionable roadmap to achieve your most critical goals. It’s not just about what you want to accomplish, but how you’ll get there. Great strategies are focused, adaptable, and grounded in reality. They turn vision into execution and effort into results. Here’s how to develop a winning strategy: 1. Define the End Goal Start with the outcome in mind. What does success look like? Be clear, specific, and measurable. A powerful strategy is built around a compelling goal that aligns with your overall vision. Ask: * What are we trying to achieve, and why does it matter? * How will we know we’ve succeeded? 2. Assess Your Current Reality You need to know where you are to chart the path to where you want to go. Take an honest look at your current situation, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. Ask: * What resources, skills, and assets do we already have? * What challenges or gaps must we address to move forward? 3. Identify the Key Levers Not everything matters equally. Strategy is about focusing on the critical few actions or decisions that will make the biggest impact. Ask: * What are the 2–3 priorities that will move the needle? * What must we focus on to achieve the greatest return on effort? 4. Anticipate Obstacles Great strategies are proactive. Identify potential roadblocks or risks in advance, and build contingency plans to address them. Ask: * What could get in the way of success? * How can we mitigate these risks or turn them into opportunities? 5. Create an Action Plan A strategy without execution is just a wish. Break your strategy into clear, actionable steps with defined roles, responsibilities, and timelines. Ask: * Who is responsible for what? * What milestones will keep us on track? 6. Measure and Adjust No strategy survives unchanged. Build systems to regularly monitor progress, gather feedback, and adapt as needed. Agility ensures your strategy stays relevant. Ask: * How will we track progress and measure success? * What feedback loops will help us adjust along the way? 7. Communicate Relentlessly A strategy must be understood to be executed. Clearly communicate the goal, the priorities, and the plan to everyone involved. People need to know how their actions connect to the bigger picture. A great strategy doesn’t try to do everything—it prioritizes the right things. It bridges the gap between where you are and where you want to go, providing focus, clarity, and momentum. Ask yourself: What’s the bold move that will drive the greatest impact? Build your strategy around it, take decisive action, and stay committed. Remember: a clear strategy is the first step to extraordinary results.

In 2012, when I joined ZoomInfo as the VP Product, Growth & Strategy, they were stuck at $9M ARR. When I left 5 years later, we were at over $80M ARR. Here’s the 5-step GTM playbook we used to get unstuck and build the foundation to scale: Step 1: Develop contrarian products that satisfy unmet demand - Most companies can't convince themselves to radically innovate - In 2012, data companies were selling CSVs, no one was investing in product - We took massive risk and doubled down on building products to streamline data delivery - We started to "look different" from the space - Sometimes it's better to "look different" than "be better" Step 2: Focus on SMB or lower end of the market - Market disruption always happens at the low end - As a small company, it’s difficult to compete for your competitor’s best customers - Instead aim your efforts at the customers your competitors would give up without a fight - We focused on the SMB and lower mid market with a self-serve product at a low price - Everyone else was fighting for the more lucrative enterprise customers Step 3: Increase Prices, Decrease Churn, Add Features Rapidly - We rapidly developed features that gave GTM teams ammo for upgrades - With new products, we could add a new line item in the invoice and post growth with relative ease - New features also gave us the reason to reach out to customers to talk about upsell - All this was predicated on our ability to develop a sustained product roadmap with a strong understanding of the impact on GTM and our ability to attach growth initiatives to every small feature release Step 4: Intentionally Design Market Expansion for Virality - Nonlinear growth comes from getting the inbound engine started early - At first, we went after the spray and pray approach with some automation, which worked well - However, our revenues exploded when we started getting strategic with TAM and went after market niches, especially the ones that were ignored by other B2B data vendors - This allowed us to dominate multiple small verticals and as we got popular within those verticals it resulted in word of mouth - virality, inbound inquiries and increased retention contributing to the non linear growth Step 5: Cultivate a Leader's Mindset - Startups are often fighting just to stay afloat - this creates chaos, panic & unrest in organizations - By switching the mental model from a survival mindset to a leader's mindset, you can switch from a perpetual struggle for revenue growth to attempting to decimate competitors - You switch from being a price follower to becoming a price setter in the long run - This mindset provides a purpose, a better decision making framework, and results in a much healthier business and work culture TAKEAWAY: Markets are always evolving, and every market can be disrupted. Any business can get unstuck. The specific plays required to disrupt the B2B data market would be different today, but the ZoomInfo playbook's principles are timeless.

Elena Verna’s has written and recorded >500 hours of content on PLG Growth in B2B — here is EVERYTHING you need to know, save, and implement in 10 bullets: 𝟭𝟬-𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝟮𝗕/𝗣𝗟𝗚 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 1. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 “𝗮𝗵𝗮” 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. Every growth model starts by proving value fast through a self-serve flow that walks the user straight to the core outcome, minimizing time-to-value and instrumentation gaps. 2. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀. Replace linear acquisition funnels with compounding growth loops where each cycle of usage creates new input (content, invites, referrals or data) that feeds the next cycle and lowers marginal CAC. 3. 𝗦𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲. Identify your highest-retention ICP(s), double-down on them, and expand only to “adjacent users” once growth in the core segment saturates; one size never fits all. 4. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 → 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁 → 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲. Don’t gate value too early; wait until the product habit is forming, then intersect upgrade triggers (usage limits, collaboration, security, etc.) with clear pay-offs to convert. 5. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀. Iterate on paywalls, tiers, and thresholds the same way you iterate on product—continuously, with clear hypotheses and measurable upgrade metrics. 6. 𝗕𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗟𝗚 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀-𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁. Use product-qualified leads (PQLs) to hand warm, usage-validated accounts to Sales; PLG and SLG complement each other rather than compete, especially in enterprise. 7. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀.Drive email, in-app and human touchpoints off real usage—not calendar dates—to accelerate activation, expansion and resurrection. 8. 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 ~𝟭𝟴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀. Expect channels to plateau; dedicate ~20-25 % of resources to testing new growth loops long before the current ones top out. 9. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝘀. Small squads of product, design, eng, data and marketing own a single North-Star metric and operate with rapid experiment cycles—no hand-offs, no silos. 10. 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. “Growth at what cost?” is Elena’s constant refrain—CAC payback and cohort retention trump vanity metrics, and sustainable, defensible growth beats short-lived spikes.

I’m the person business leaders come to when they feel like none of their marketing efforts are working… They’ve missed a goal and they’re ready to bring on a consultant that can help launch something “new” — new ads, partnerships, social platforms, communities, etc — and they want to do it FAST. However, my most valuable marketing advice to a frantic business leader like this is to STOP doing new things. That frantic energy just creates more chaos and spreads yourself (and team) thin. It leads to burnout and a long list of half-finished projects that don’t resonate with your audience and keep you stuck in the same position. Instead of adding new items to your plate, it’s time to take a strategic pause to understand what's *actually* working and why other things are not working. Before you launch any new marketing initiatives, here are 3 steps to take: 👉🏾 Identify Where You’re Already Winning; Don't just look at the numbers you missed. Go back to your top-performing campaigns and channels from the past 6-12 months. What worked? Why did it resonate with your audience? 👉🏾 Talk to Your Best Customers: Go straight to the source. Ask them, "What led you to us in the first place, and what do you love about working with us?" Their answers give you the insight on what to do moving forward. 👉🏾 Make Sure Your Team is On Board: Employee morale & engagement is super important for any project. Get everyone on the same page about what's currently working and hear their concerns about what’s not. Stop the new, scattered projects and focus your team's energy and resources on amplifying the 1-2 things that have already shown promise. This pause is the most valuable investment you can make in your company’s growth. -- 👋🏾 Welcome! I'm Netta, a marketing strategist, consultant and boutique agency owner. I help leaders build brands that drive significant, measurable growth through strategic planning, outsourced execution, and keynote speaking. Ready to build a plan? Let's connect! Want insights like this directly in your inbox each Tuesday morning? Subscribe to my new newsletter, The Strategic CMO: https://lnkd.in/eKGf-bfb (The first issue drops September 9th!)

Ever feel like you're throwing spaghetti at the wall when it comes to finding new clients? You’re not alone. Most solopreneurs are juggling so many hats that they lose sight of a key question: How many clients do you actually need to hit your revenue goals? When you don’t know that number, you end up hustling in a million directions—burned out, overwhelmed, and still not seeing the growth you crave. Here’s a simple roadmap to bring clarity and focus to your client acquisition strategy: 1️⃣ Set Your Annual Goal: How many new clients do you need this year to hit your target revenue? Be specific. Knowing this gives you a clear destination. 2️⃣ Break It Down Monthly: Divide your annual goal into manageable monthly targets. Consider seasonal trends—some months might naturally be slower or busier than others. 3️⃣ Know Your Conversion Rate: What’s your current sales conversion rate? This tells you how many leads you’ll need to hit your client goals. For example, if you close 10% of leads and need 5 clients, you’ll need 50 leads. 4️⃣ Choose Your Lead Generation Activities: Not all strategies are created equal, so focus on what works for YOU. A few options: -Content marketing -Paid ads -Networking events -Webinars -Direct outreach campaigns 5️⃣ Build an Activity Plan: Once you know your numbers, create a specific plan. For instance: “To gain 5 new clients in January, reach out to 50 qualified leads, host one webinar, and run two email campaigns.” When you break things down like this, you stop guessing and execute with purpose. Your Next Step: What’s your client number? Sit down today and calculate it. Once you have your goal, you’ll know exactly where to put your time and energy. How does this shift your perspective on growing your business?

Want your strategy to succeed? Don’t build it alone. The biggest killer of a strategy isn’t lack of effort. It’s lack of buy-in. If your team doesn’t shape the plan,  they won’t feel ownership. And without ownership?  No follow-through. This simple 5-part process turns strategy  into a co-created commitment: 1. Identify your current state ↳ Highlight a recent win worth building on ↳ Call out a friction point that’s slowing progress ↳ Spot a pattern that’s shaping outcomes 2. Define your future vision ↳ Write the future headline you'd want to read  ↳ Anchor it in something your clients would notice ↳ Make sure the team sees why it matters 3. Select 3 core strategies ↳ Start with a draft—don’t aim for perfect ↳ Invite feedback to sharpen focus ↳ Land on the few moves that make the biggest impact 4. Set 30-day action plans ↳ Define the first meaningful step for each strategy ↳ Assign ownership so it doesn’t drift ↳ Schedule a check-in before momentum fades 5. Create a To-Don’t list ↳ Cut the tasks that eat time but deliver little ↳ Name the distractions that derail attention ↳ Protect your focus by making boundaries explicit The strategy isn’t in the deck. It’s the shared decisions that make it real. So, start with a draft.  Invite real input. Then watch what happens when the plan  feels like theirs. Which part will you build with your team this quarter? 📌Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies  that don’t feel like selling.

There's no magic bullet that propelled our business from $10 million to $100 million over 7 years. No big unlock.  No single strategic business decision. The primary driver of our growth has been a commitment to executing "the basics" very well over time. Here are 14 of those basics:  1. Giving our team a reason (beyond simply a paycheck) to spend their career with you. 2. Giving our business a compelling Purpose (why we exist) and Values that guide our actions in pursuit of our Purpose. 3. Defining success clearly across every role type. 4. Designing processes that will drive incremental improvements in the KPIs we need to drive. 5. Coaching to those processes often and with consistency. 6. Setting organization-wide goals and translating them into specific and measurable goals for both teams and individuals. 7. Fostering a high-accountability environment by incorporating weekly 1-on-1s and performance evaluations. 8. Recognizing people for doing great things—often and publicly. 9. Bringing core functions and mission-critical competencies in-house. 10. Outsourcing everything else. 11. Knowing your business model then sticking to it. 12. Refusing to give in to the temptation to chase shiny things or say "yes" to work that isn't in our model. 13. Adopting a mindset of continuous improvement. 14. Never accepting "good enough" and constantly challenging the organization to do better—even on the small things. If you're trying to grow your business, execute on the basics consistently over time. Focus on continuous improvement. Growth will follow. 

Last week, I spoke at SaaStr on a fireside chat with Accel's Sara Ittelson on how we grew Decagon from 0 to 7 figures in ARR in a year.   With Sara's experience at Uber, Faire, and Accel, we shared some great insights into what it takes to grow your brand efficiently.   Without giving too much away, here are some of the topics we touched on. 1. How to figure out what your customers really need If you don't take the time to know your customer, you'll never build a product people actually need. So, start with research before you build. Then do founder-led sales so you can be as close to your customers as possible. Finally, include continuous validation and iteration to make sure your product evolves with your customers' needs. 2. Why intentionality when building your team will make or break you Your team is everything. If you have the right people by your side, they'll understand your vision and push you in the right direction. Choose the right co-founder(s), be intentional about when you build your exec team (you may not need so many cooks in the kitchen at the start), and most importantly, don’t compromise on core principles. 3. How to build your product with speed and intentionality Execute everything you do with intention. That includes identifying whether to be in-office or not, your team structure, etc. Prioritize the right tasks aggressively and know your market (including the competition). This way, you'll know what to build, who's going to help you build it, and you can act quickly. Thank you Sara for joining me and thank you to SaaStr for having us!

Everyone talks about strategy. “You need a strategy.” “Let’s get strategic about that.” “Your strategy isn’t working.” But what most people really mean is… they don’t have a plan. Or worse, they have a bunch of disconnected ideas, chasing trends, and reacting to whatever's happening today — and they call that “strategy.” What is strategy? Strategy is the intentional plan behind your actions. It’s how you connect where you are right now… to where you want to go. Without it? You’re busy. You’re posting. You’re working. But you’re not moving the needle So How Do You Actually Build a Real Strategy? Here’s the straightforward, 4 step no-fluff version: Step 1: Get Ruthlessly Clear on the Outcome If your goal is vague, your strategy will be vague. “I want to grow my business” isn’t a goal. Neither is “get more visible” or “become a thought leader.” You need to ask: ✔ What specifically do I want? IE: 10 new clients this quarter $100K in revenue in the next 6 months Qualified inbound leads Invitations to speak or collaborate Recognition as an expert in my niche The clearer the target, the sharper the strategy. Step 2: Know Your Starting Point (Reality Check) This part most people skip. They build a strategy based on where they wish they were, not where they actually are. Ask yourself: What resources do I have? (Time, money, skills, team, connections) What gaps exist? (Skill gaps? Visibility gaps? Lead generation gaps?) What’s already working — even a little? (Double down there.) Strategy without an honest audit? That’s just wishful thinking. Step 3: Get clear on what actually moves the dial Not every action moves you forward. Figure out the offers, actions, and relationships that actually create momentum — and cut the rest. Step 4: Stop overthinking — focus on the next three moves Forget perfect. Strategy isn’t about overplanning — it’s about knowing what’s next. Map out three simple, specific actions that move you toward your goal. Once you’ve done those? You adjust. You build the next three. That’s how real strategy stays alive — not stuck in a Google Doc. Step 5: Measure. Adjust. Repeat. Strategy isn’t set in stone — it evolves. If it’s working? Double down. If it’s not? Adjust. But don’t confuse “it’s uncomfortable” with “it’s not working.” Real strategy requires consistency — not constant reinvention. Strategy need not be complicated. But it is intentional. It’s how you trade busy work for purposeful action. It’s how you stop reacting and start leading. Otherwise? You’re not building a business. You’re stuck in motion ♻️ Share this is you found it helpful Be sure to follow me WENDY SHORE for useful tips an advice on building Brand Authority and your business on LinkedIn