Launching a business is never easy. From the outside, it looks simple and often observers will watch the CEO and see mistakes and/or questionable decisions and critique the decisions. But from the inside, it is a challenge and a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs and constant decisions. In this episode of CEO Corner we talk with Brett Schklar of Market Creation Group about how he was able to launch the business and grow it into a unique and strong organization.
Meet the Market Creation Group, a full-service marketing firm focused on B2B technology. Market Creation Group focuses on Creative Strategies, Demand Generation, and Creative Services.
Particularly interesting in this business exploration are the principles that Brett discusses that help him in growing and driving his business. CEOs often talk about them and express these ideas but few actually believe in them strongly enough to follow them throughout the growth of the company.
It is so easy as a CEO to get distracted and turned in a different direction because an opportunity arises that looks interesting and feels challenging. But Brett explains a key principle for him is sticking to what you know. As a CEO, it is your challenge to identify and know the skillsets and key capabilities of the organization. And, when the opportunity arises to look at something else, it is your challenge to decide – is this opportunity an extension of what we know and are good at or is it a distraction better achieved through partnership and outsourcing. Sticking to what you know and are good at is critical to making good decisions and keeping a business focused.
Likewise, listening to your customer is an old proverb that fewer and fewer CEOs follow and believe in. But for Brett, not only was this a key principle, but it helped to shape the product offerings and solutions and ultimately the business of Market Creation Group.
And finally, we explore the key changes that happen to a business as it grows. CEOs often are loathe to talk about the different stages of growth of a company because, while exciting on many levels, there are certain pains as well. For any CEO of a growing organization, this conversation is worth a listen to understand how growth will cause you to formalize informal processes and to think about your employees and their growth and capabilities to see if they continue to align with the business as the business evolves.
Be sure to watch the full CEO Corner with Market Creation Group and feel free to tweet or e-mail me ssaber at ThePulseNetwork DOT com. Interested in being a guest on CEO Corner? Contact Bruce Karten, bkarten at ThePulseNetwork DOT com.
