This is why companies are bad at strategy, and how to fix it.
Big strategy exercises often loop you back to where you started. I call it the retrofit curse. Faced with a need, your brain grabs whatever is already in the fridge and tries to m…
- business strategy reset
- strategic planning workshop
- strategic planning facilitator
- growth strategy
- go-to-market strategy
- positioning strategy
- market repositioning
- brand repositioning
- messaging strategy
- value proposition
- ideal customer profile
- customer segmentation
- marketing audit
- strategy offsite
- revenue plateau
- agency growth
- brand audit
- fractional cmo
Big strategy exercises often loop you back to where you started. I call it the retrofit curse. Faced with a need, your brain grabs whatever is already in the fridge and tries to make it work. Tuna, ketchup, hot dog buns. Fast and familiar, but not what you actually want. The mind does this to save energy, which is why rearranging the old pieces feels easier than creating something new.
Teams repeat that pattern with strategy. Results stall, then the offsite shuffles the same offers, the same audiences, and the same channels into a fresher template. New slides. Old assumptions. Same outcome. The way out is a clean brief. Name what you truly want. Challenge every constraint. Design the plan from first principles. Then document the choices so everyone can pull in the same direction.
If you feel stuck in that loop, send me a note. We will reset the brief and build a strategy that actually changes the results.
I'm James Archer.
This is Why Firms Hire Me.
For nearly three decades, I’ve focused on marketing strategy and business growth. My journey was forged in the real world:
- I’ve held C-level positions for 20+ years, so I understand the pressures you’re facing.
- I ran a successful marketing agency for 12 years, so I know the service business grind intimately.
- I’ve helped hundreds of businesses achieve strategic clarity, from startups to Fortune 500s, so I have deep experience doing exactly this work.
- My work has been featured in major media outlets, including NPR, The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur.
- I’ve delivered over 100 speaking engagements and written countless articles on what actually drives business success.
Choose Your Path to Clarity
There are two ways to get started. Pick the one that feels right for you.
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