By Cheryl Powers

Founders who explain success through grit alone usually miss what actually built the business and what may be quietly limiting its value now.

Hard work matters. But timing, structure, readiness, and founder dependence shape business outcomes far more than most owners want to admit, especially when it’s time to scale, transfer, or sell.

A founder sits across from me, proud, tired, and faintly irritated.

On paper, he’s done everything right. He built the company from almost no...

by Cheryl Powers

As a business owner, it can be difficult to know how to prepare in the face of the looming economic downturn of 2023. But with the right focus and strategies and network, you can not only survive but you can thrive in the challenging environment ahead. 

Here are some key areas that will help you find success in 2023:

• Identifying your company’s unique strengths and differentiators and leveraging them to create an edge over your competitors.
• Developing a clear strategy that ...

by Cheryl Powers

The Game is On

Facts, while indisputable, merely describe the state of something. They point to things which are real, which exist but which don't necessarily explain why or how they got that way. And which, if viewed from another vantage point, may even seem to prove something else entirely.

Sherlock Holmes knows this well. Holmes out-sleuthed the police detectives time after time. He was especially fond of showing Detective Lestrade, who always seemed confused by the facts ...