From the start, I want to acknowledge that this blog may not be for everyone in the Collective 54 family.
For some, Collective 54 is as much a part of each day as that second cup of coffee or the trip through the Business section of the Wall Street Journal. You wear your 30% annual EBITDA growth like a finely tailored suit. You have a strong and deep team behind you that lets you focus fully on scaling and your eventual successful exit.
As you know, growth isn’t just about winning one more client or launching one more offering. Growth must be sustainable and intentional. For my firm, this means identifying and nurturing partnerships that expand our reach and increase our revenue.
You’re scaling the firm. You are no longer the Chief Rainmaker who is winning every deal. You have salespeople now who are generating leads and closing deals. But let’s be honest about what happens when a deal is stuck. When the client objects to the price, deliverables or compares you to the competition.
Years ago, I was a young entrepreneur building a small firm from the ground up. Like many of you, I was hungry for growth, learning, and community. So I joined EO—the Entrepreneurs’ Organization—and it made a real difference in my life. The people I met, the forums I joined, and the events I attended helped me grow personally and professionally.
For professional services leaders who want to win more respect, reputation, and revenue, the worst thing you can be is forgettable. Look around. Your field has plenty of smart, capable, hard-working leaders, but only a few truly stand out. Even fewer have earned genuine trust.
The bottom line: Just because someone refers business to you doesn’t mean you should take it. The wrong project can derail your momentum, burn out your team, and cost far more than the revenue it brings in.
Ask a founder if they have their Ideal Client Profile figured out, and most will say yes without hesitation. Ask their team, and you’ll hear a dozen different versions. That’s the problem. A vague or outdated ICP can’t guide decisions. It doesn’t scale. And it doesn’t protect the firm when the pipeline dries up.
“Once you have demonstrated you can help a company solve problems, they never run out of problems they want you to help them solve. ”You have a great business, and you know it. You know that you could double it if only…and then the list starts:• We had the right people• We could get in the right meetings with the right buyers• The economy would improve
One of our core beliefs at Tenzing is that deep, authentic conversations have the power to drive business forward. Over the years, we’ve found that sharing stories—especially those of fellow Experts, Operators, and Practitioners—has not only enriched our community but also helped strengthen our brand and attract new clients.
Every founder experiences the exhilarating rush of building something new. However, this initial energy often gives way to overwhelm as daily operations become overbearing. This article shares the journey of a Collective 54 member who met this juncture and found a path forward. Names and specific details are omitted to focus on universal lessons that echo the struggles many others face.