In The Growth Blueprint: 10 Essentials for Building a Thriving Business, fractional strategist Rick Slark outlines the ten most common traits found in successful growth-stage companies. From clarifying your value proposition to building leadership layers and tracking key data, this guide offers practical insights, stats, and action steps to help business owners scale with intention—not chaos. Whether you're navigating growing pains or preparing to level up, this post serves a

Urgent leadership will stall your business. Learn why strategic growth starts by shifting from firefighting to building—and how your leadership drives it.

As experienced employees leave the workforce, businesses risk losing more than labor—they're losing the memory that holds their work together. Here's what you can do before it's too late.

Strategy fatigue is one of the most overlooked challenges for growing businesses. When leaders say yes to too many initiatives without a clear filter, it overwhelms teams and stalls progress. In this article, I break down how to protect your team from burnout using a practical framework that brings focus, clarity, and momentum to your growth strategy.

Americans are back in the office, but lunch crowds haven’t returned. In fact, fewer lunches were bought in 2024 than during the pandemic peak. What does this quiet shift say about consumer behavior, workplace culture, and economic caution? Possibly more than you'd expect.

This week on Deep Dive, Sarah and James break down a sharp article by Rick Slark, Fractional Strategist and owner of Slark Consulting Group. Drawing from NCAA basketball stats, Rick shows how tiny margins—just 3 to 5%—separate top-performing teams from the rest. What does that mean for your business? More than you think. From strategy to execution, this episode unpacks how small gains lead to big wins.

Most business partnerships don’t fail because of poor strategy. They fail because of value collisions—when partners hold fundamentally different beliefs about what matters most. One partner wants rapid growth; the other prioritizes craftsmanship. One sees employees as human capital; the other sees them as a community. These silent collisions erode trust, slow decision-making, and often lead to costly breakdowns. Clarifying core values early, building decision frameworks, and

Buyer’s remorse doesn’t just impact customer satisfaction—it undermines your profitability, retention, and brand trust. In today’s competitive retail landscape, successful businesses must proactively build customer confidence beyond the point of sale. In this post, I share three proven strategies to eliminate buyer’s remorse, increase repeat purchases, and turn hesitant shoppers into loyal customers.

Scaling Isn’t the Hard Part—Scaling Well Is. You did everything right—your business is growing, sales are up, and you’re hiring. But instead of feeling in control, you’re drowning in unexpected challenges.

This article explores the power of small, consistent improvements—getting just 1% better each day. Drawing on Stoic wisdom from Zeno and Marcus Aurelius, it highlights how daily actions and decisions, however small, compound over time to build stronger leaders and better businesses. Readers will find practical tips they can apply immediately to create meaningful progress.

Scaling a business is exciting, but it brings growing pains—more complexity, more decisions, and more operational stress. Without a clear strategy, growth can stall. As a Fractional Growth Strategist, I help startups and mid-sized businesses cut through complexity, optimize operations, and strengthen leadership—so they can scale without breaking. 💡 In this article, you’ll learn: ✔ Why growth brings unexpected challenges ✔ How to manage complexity before it slows you down ✔

Trust isn’t a soft metric—it’s a powerful driver of ROI. With 81% of consumers saying they won’t buy from a brand they don’t trust, small business owners can’t afford to overlook this vital growth strategy. Building trust isn’t just about good customer service—it’s about transparency, consistency, and delivering on promises. The result? Lower acquisition costs, higher retention rates, and increased referrals. Want to turn trust into real revenue? Start today.

Barnes & Noble was once seen as a fading giant in the age of Amazon, but under bold new leadership, it has staged an extraordinary turnaround. By decentralizing decision-making, empowering local booksellers, and focusing on discovery rather than algorithms, B&N has transformed its stores into thriving community hubs. This case study reveals powerful lessons for business owners—how to compete with industry giants, rethink strategy for long-term success, and create customer exp

Change is inevitable in business, and with 2025 on the horizon, shifts in economic policy, market trends, and regulations could significantly impact your company. The key to staying ahead isn’t just reacting—it’s proactively reassessing your strategy. In this article, we explore five critical business adjustments you should make now to prepare for potential challenges and opportunities. From navigating economic fluctuations to adapting to new regulations and evolving customer

Learn why America’s luxury apartment glut teaches a critical lesson for business owners: build products your customers truly want. Discover MVP strategies, customer feedback insights, and more.

Struggling to grow revenue without risking customer loyalty? You’re not alone. Even giants like PepsiCo and P&G are rethinking their...

Picture yourself in a mall in 2002: racks of trendy Aéropostale hoodies, Forever 21’s fast-fashion treasures, and JCPenney’s dependable...

Nowadays, every small business is told it must have a podcast or blog to succeed. But is that true? The pressure to follow these trends...

Red Lobster, a household name synonymous with seafood dining, found itself in choppy waters in 2023, ultimately filing for bankruptcy...

In 1982, two renowned psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, conducted an experiment that showcased a fascinating cognitive...