Market Strategy

A Little Bit of Canada in My Life!

Andrew Penny, July 1 2025

For those who celebrate it – Happy Canada Day!  Even if you are not fortunate enough to be a Canadian citizen, do feel free to celebrate the very fact of Canada. In many ways the world could use a bit more Canada just now. Here in Canada, we have muddled along quite well for the last 157 years managing to avoid too much controversy and minding...

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Leadership & Management

Yes, There is an 'I' in Team

Graham Birkenhead, June 24 2025

“There’s no I in team”  is one of those phrases that gets trotted out whenever someone needs to be reminded that it’s not all about them. It’s catchy. It sounds wise. It gets printed on posters, stitched into corporate training slides, and dropped into motivational speeches. I cringe every time I hear it ..... it seems to gloss over the vital...

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Market Strategy

Start Small to Win Big

Andrew Penny, June 17 2025

Early in my career, I was handed a juicy but daunting task: break our company into the OEM market. We were a Montreal based truck spring manufacturer. While we had highly automated equipment, we kept the ability to make springs by hand, one at a time.  When I joined, we were comfortably selling parts to small, independent truck repair shops. But...

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Leadership & Management

Four People and a Dog

Graham Birkenhead, June 10 2025

You may have heard the saying: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”.  When I first heard that, it struck a chord - it still does - and has now been adopted by that little voice at the back of my mind that keeps reminding me to constantly meet and get to know new

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Market Strategy

The Long Game in Market Expansion

Andrew Penny, June 3 2025

Many years ago, I was employee #14 at Bell Mobility in Canada, serving as Vice President responsible for securing dominant market share in Quebec and Eastern Ontario. At the time, we sold cellular subscriptions through phone retailers, whose sales reps could earn up to $1,000 per phone. While our competitors doubled down on this retail gold...

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Leadership & Management

Curiosity Didn’t Kill the Cat

Graham Birkenhead, May 27 2025

We’ve all heard the saying “Curiosity killed the cat.” But where does that come from, and what was it really warning against? It turns out, the original saying, first recorded in the 16th century, was “Care killed the cat”, where “care” meant worry or sorrow. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that it evolved into a cautionary warning against...

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Market Strategy

Ten New Drivers

Andrew Penny, May 20 2025

In a recent Tuesday TUNE-UP, I talked about PESTLE analysis. The timing was uncanny. Because Canada just got a new Prime Minister: Mark Carney. And on day one, he laid out one of the most business-relevant political agendas we’ve seen in years. Here are 10 key drivers you need to

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Leadership & Management

OOh, DAt's a Useful Tool

Graham Birkenhead, May 13 2025

Back in the 1950s, US Air Force Colonel John Boyd was serving as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. His experience in fast-paced dogfighting led him to study decision-making under time pressure. He was especially interested in why American F-86 Sabres were more effective than the technically superior MiG-15s flown by North Korean and Chinese...

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Market Strategy

PESTLE

Andrew Penny, May 6 2025

Every Strategist knows the acronym PESTLE. It helps us to consider the context in which any planned course of action would take place.  I encourage all leaders to put PESTLE into their strategic planning sessions. For those who don’t recall, PESTLE reminds us of the key areas to

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Leadership & Management

Early Birds, Second Mice, and a Dancing Guy

Graham Birkenhead, April 29 2025

In today’s unpredictable world, good leadership isn’t just about moving fast.  Instead, it’s about moving with judgment; it involves knowing when to lead from the front, and when to watch, learn, and move decisively at just the right moment. We all know the old saying:  “The early bird catches the worm”.  And in business, this has often been held...

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