As Spooky Season officially hits, we can look back on another month of great progress and see how far we’ve come this year. It’s been a roller coaster, but I’m proud of where we are now and wouldn’t take back any of our experiences for the world. Interacting with all the Bureau members continues to be something I cherish, and I love sending out our weekly newsletter to members and other friends. If you’d like to see what those are like, consider signing up. It’s just once a week, and full of real insights you can use in your business. Here are the highlights of what we discussed in September.
Rate Cut Repercussions
It finally happened. The Fed cut rates for the first time in what felt like forever, and the vibes are good. What does it mean? Well, in the short term the more nimble companies will be able to get ahead quickly, including startups and retail companies. Taking a little longer will be the more cautious outfits, including construction and service providers. There will probably be some companies relatively unaffected, like physical stores and utilities, but overall it’s great news that we hope will give your customers confidence to move full speed ahead.
Finding True Leadership
We’re all used to thinking of the people at the top as your top leaders. After all, you’re in charge. But looking at leadership as more than authority lets you see the true impact of your people. One prime example is project managers, who rarely get the credit they deserve for holding everything together. Your PMs make sure things get done, pushing your strategy forward in the trenches. And there are others in your shop also doing the day-to-day work who can see what is working, what’s not, and how to make things better. From ops, to marketing, to account management, make sure you give people the room to grow themselves and the company. The result is better culture, and a better bottom line.
The Delegation Situation
On the topic of leadership, have you considered it might be time to let go, just a bit? It’s a big step in leadership when you stop taking everything on yourself and learn to trust your team. As you give people the power to make decisions, they will take accountability and perform better. The team will trust you more, and the right amount of pressure on team members will stimulate growth. Meanwhile, you gain a little breathing room to be more strategic and look at what’s next for the company. Not putting out fires constantly will stimulate creativity and help you avoid burnout.
Bureau News
Finally, this month we covered the latest news for the Bureau. First up: Leadership Live Las Vegas, and I’m proud to say that attendance has shot up since we made it a “pay what you can” event. Next, I’m in the middle of evaluating applications for the Bureau Advisory Council, making sure the group adequately reflects our members. This is a vital group that helps me make sure we’re tackling the issues that matter to all of you.
In other news, we’re looking at our first-ever certification designed to help you grow and up your visibility as a Next Level agency. We’re moving along with our rebranding with Focus Lab and will be helping provide an elevator pitch soon. Also, while the details are still in development, I’m happy to say we will indeed have in-person events in 2025!
That wraps things up for September. If this sounds intriguing, you can get the full articles straight to your inbox in the weekly newsletter, But I’ll also keep you posted right here with the basics, for those who are too busy for another email each week. Happy fall!