Resources to run a better business.

Two examples from real companies I’ve worked with in 2026. Example 1: A client’s business was stalled, and we determined the company needed to bring in a sales leader. This person was in a tough situation, and they knew it. The company sells 7-figure deals to major brands, and they hadn’t closed a significant deal in a year.

Here’s something that’s always been true but resonates even more right now: if you want to grow your business, what got you here won’t get you there.

Nobody owns AI. That’s the problem I’m seeing right now, especially with my clients in service-based businesses. You’re not used to building a tech roadmap. You’re tinkering with AI and have maybe even given a mandate to your team. But you’re falling well short of the potential impact AI can have on your company.

To be successful—which includes being happy or at least content—you can’t pin everything on a single moment in time. It has to be the journey.

It was 1980, and I was 10 years old. For two weeks, I was glued to my television. It was a 13-inch, black and white screen, and missing a dial. To change the channel, I used a pair of needle-nose pliers. Even as a kid, I knew the country needed a win. The Miracle on Ice, US against USSR in the first game of the medal round, gave us one. Every second of the game is etched in my memory.

Join Eric Crews of Crews & co. to learn why financial planning is the lifeblood of any growing business—and how to integrate financial planning to drive the success of your company.

My default mindset is that if I only try hard enough, I can force thinking into being. Bend them to my will. And the thing is…sometimes, my approach works. But I don’t actually think it’s the best one.