Let the fires burn
You have to be a builder first and a firefighter second. Every fire you put out yourself is a building project that dies.
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Begins January 1st — with helpful tips leading up to launch
SubscribeIt’s not an effort problem. It’s a playbook problem.
Two playbooks. One is built so the business succeeds on you. The other is built so it succeeds without you, and it’s the only one that gets you past the ceiling.
You’re not failing. You’ve reached a new life stage.
Founders don’t start businesses to get stuck in the day-to-day. At a certain point you succeed into a ceiling, and the next stage needs a different playbook, not more effort.
The playbook for getting organized
Three priorities for the founder whose product is working and whose next job is to organize and scale it: cohesion, consistency, and making everything more compelling. And the part nobody talks about.
You can only carry as many things as you have fingers
The most common objection at exec-team offsites is “our company isn’t that simple.” People running much bigger companies get their priorities down to five or fewer. So can you.
Pause five minutes before the end of every meeting
Go around the room and ask what everyone is taking away and what they’re doing by when. Three things happen when you do.
Three questions to answer before your next meeting
One thing you can do today that makes every meeting you lead better, and sets you apart from 95% of the people who lead them.
Southwest just showed you how to break a brand
A “Companion Pass” that only works in the two emptiest months of the year. Shortcut tactics look great on a spreadsheet for a few days and cost you decades of trust.
You don’t have a snail problem
A client who spent decades building ecosystems in Central America taught me the first skill of a green thumb: diagnosing the right problem.
Your business is a living organism
The idea I started Green Thumb on. Organizations change with the people inside them and the seasons around them, and you don’t get them healthy once and walk away.
Whatever Craig puts his hands to grows
A friend said that to me recently, and it’s the best compliment I’ve ever gotten. From a loaned guitar to First15 to a CEO chair to consulting, the through line is the same: helping something reach its potential.
The half of prioritization most leaders skip
Making the list of what matters is the easy half. The half that makes prioritization work is deciding how you’ll guard against the things that almost made it.
Why I’m sharing what I’ve learned
Former guitar player, writer, CEO, now a growth consultant. I’m not starting with a product. I’m starting with ideas, for anyone who wants to scale something in a healthy, sustainable way.
Book Craig
Email Kelsey at kelsey@greenthumb.consulting for any booking requests
The team
green thumb.
Someone with an unusual ability for growth. Adept at growing and making healthy. A natural talent for growth.