Early in my consulting career, I noticed something odd—smart, capable consultants showing up like robots. Great résumés. Fancy decks. But no humanity. No warmth. No soul. I remember sitting in a room of very senior executives as a 22-year-old with what I thought was a dumb question. My internal monologue went like this:
In a market where visibility is fractured and trust is earned in milliseconds, how you plan for growth in 2026 will determine whether you lead or fall behind.
From May through August, most executive teams, whether at brands or professional services firms, are knee-deep in building strategies and budgets for the coming year. But many are using outdated models: departmental budgets created in isolation, growth projections rooted in past performance and plans that treat customer experience as a byproduct rather than a priority.
By very definition, salespeople sell. But here is the paradox: buyers do not like being sold to. In fact, only 29% of buyers say they prefer to talk to a salesperson when making a purchase. Meanwhile, 62% would rather consult a search engine (HubSpot). That is a striking indictment of traditional sales, and the experience buyers are having with selling organizations.
You wouldn’t coach a sports team without a game plan. You wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint. So why are your employees operating without clear rules?
In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, banks and credit unions are under more pressure than ever to modernize their technology stacks and streamline operations. Whether upgrading core systems, migrating digital platforms, or integrating newly acquired entities, one constant remains: the need for disciplined, precise execution of conversion activities. At Smith Consulting Group, we’ve guided dozens of institutions through these mission-critical transformations, and we’ve seen firsthand that operational excellence is the cornerstone of successful change.
Let’s talk about those unexpected moments that can really supercharge a business. You know the stories about entrepreneurs who start with nothing and end up building empires? We hear about them all the time, but what often gets left out are those key turning points where they suddenly find new markets, channels, or products that just explode their growth. These moments aren’t always visible from the outside, but they’re crucial.
Business partnerships are built on trust, years of collaborative decision-making and, often, an initial foundation of friendship. So, when a rift forms, or simply when partners’ goals diverge, the end of a partnership can be challenging to navigate, both personally and professionally.
Accountability is often viewed as a system of enforcement—a way to ensure that tasks are completed, and responsibilities are upheld. However, true accountability does not emerge from mandates alone; it is the natural result of a well-structured organizational environment.
Ask any founder of a boutique professional services firm what sets them apart, and you’ll almost always hear the same thing: “Our people.” They’ll tell you they have senior talent. That their team has worked on the client side. That they bring unmatched experience to the table. And in many cases, they’re right. The pride is real, and the team is strong.
Every founder enters the Valley of Death with a dream—few make it out alive. It’s not the market that kills most firms. It’s the founder. Or more precisely: the founder’s refusal to change. Here’s what it takes to survive the transition from growth to scale—and come out wealthier on the other side.
