The discipline of sustainable growth.

Most teams don’t outgrow their market. They outgrow each other.

Strategy drifts. Brand writes one plan, product builds another, and marketing runs on a separate calendar. Teams become siloed, chasing their own version of progress.

Everyone’s moving, but not in the same direction.

That kind of growth feels busy. Not productive.

You see more meetings, more initiatives, more “alignment sessions,” but less real progress.

Sustainable growth starts when leaders stop treating strategy like a department.

It’s one map.

One story.

One direction everyone can actually follow.

Getting there takes uncomfortable work. You have to cut the excess, name the overlaps, and decide what really matters. That process feels slower, but it builds something that can handle weight.

If your brand feels stretched, it’s probably not because you need more. It’s because the pieces don’t fit yet.

Try this reset:

1. Reconcile the plans. Put every strategy on the table: brand, marketing, product, sales. See where they compete for attention.

2. Rewrite the center. Name what your company is truly trying to achieve this year. Use that to filter every goal.

3. Rebuild the rhythm. Create fewer, shared milestones so every team feels progress at the same pace.

Growth feels better when the whole company moves in rhythm.

Reflections to work through:

Where are we busy but not moving forward?

What version of “progress” does each team believe in?

What needs cutting before we grow again?

Ready to build something that can hold real growth? Let’s talk

Ian Adams, Founder the little red sofa

Before founding the little red sofa, I led strategy and creative for brands like Jeep, HSBC, and Unilever at top global agencies and in-house teams across 8 countries. Now I work with founders to turn brand clarity into sustainable growth.