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Winning the Fraud and Cybersecurity Race: A Go-to-Market Blueprint for Competitive Edge
Fraud and cybercrime have become a systemic, trillion-dollar drag on the global economy—but the fight to turn the curve is more than a market opportunity.
Over the past few years, I have worked alongside cybersecurity and fraud-management teams in government, banking, and payments, and nothing is more satisfying than seeing a new solution stop a romance scam or prevent a pensioner from losing their life savings.
Insights First: Four Keys to Owning the Post-COVID Marketplace
Tue, Jun 1, 2021 — Interest rates are low. Vaccinations are high. And for the first time in more than a year, we can see the bottom of the faces of our friends and loved ones. Indeed, optimism is abounding these days, and if you are a business owner, you’re likely straining at the reins to get back out there and reap the rewards. As a marketing executive, I know that feeling – it seems that dollar bills can be plucked out of the air, and you want to reach up and grab your bounty.
Why Innovate? How SMB Product Companies Grow
Fri, May 28, 2021 — Part 2: Harnessing Entrepreneurial Energy For Improved Success By Ahmet Abaci and Beth Somplatsky-Martori The road to nowhere is littered with loose ends: Half-finished projects, great ideas that died on the vine, and wasted resources that chipped away at profitability and the bottom line. In a world where startup energy and entrepreneurship are prized, there certainly is no lack of passion about that “one great thing” that is going to transform the company and change the world.
The Entrepreneur’s Growth Playbook: Part Three
Thu, May 27, 2021 — Marketing Strategy: Bringing Your EOS® to Life Written by: Paul Sparrow, Area Managing Partner & CMO, Chief Outsiders with Samuel Kniseley Ballesteros of The Advantage Solution and a Professional EOS® Implementer For anyone who’s ever held a circular saw or tin snips, you know the importance of measurement. With the exception of artist Pablo Picasso and perhaps architect Frank Gehry, precise measurements are absolutely critical in gaining the right result. If you have a manufacturing business, you know what we’re talking about – think about what your supply chain would look like if you didn’t bother to measure things like delivery time, for example. Your customers would rebel, your reputation would suffer – and you may not have a business for very long.
The Entrepreneur’s Growth Playbook: Part Two
Tue, May 18, 2021 — EOS Vision: Defining Your Long-Term Plan Written by: Paul Sparrow, Area Managing Partner & CMO, Chief Outsiders with Samuel Kniseley Ballesteros of The Advantage Solution and a Professional EOS Implementer There’s a reason that unexpected success is credited to a “shot in the dark.” Because the tiny percentage of entrepreneurs who have succeeded this way managed to do so without the most essential trait of business success – vision. The rest of us will need the lights on and a great set of binoculars – not just to see what’s ahead, but to use that visualization in creating sustainable success. And for 66 percent of CEOs, you are going to need clear vision to avoid joining the pile of failed small businesses that couldn’t survive past their first decade.
Growth Hacking vs. Growth Gears: Avoiding the Vanity Metrics Mirage
Thu, Apr 29, 2021 — Congratulations! You’ve hired a so-called “marketing expert,” trusted them with your digital properties, and learned today that you gained 1 million hits to your website last month. But, upon reflection, your cash drawer is not overflowing, and you’re certainly not feeling flush with success. It’s a sad reality – though many marketing agencies are well-meaning, there are some that can coax you into the fast-money trap. They promise shortcuts, big hits, and a load of sexy-sounding data that may look good on the surface – something I call vanity metrics, but not real business results.
The Entrepreneur’s Growth Playbook
Thu, Apr 22, 2021 — Blog 1: Are You a Pioneer or a Settler? Six Steps to a Better Business Model Written by: Paul Sparrow, Area Managing Partner & CMO, Chief Outsiders with Samuel Kniseley Ballesteros of The Advantage Solution and a Professional EOS Implementer Take a trip with us, if you will, back to Northern California in 1849. Word has spread across the land – there’s gold in them there hills, and we need to go find it. On just this pronouncement, and with not much more than hope and a promise, pioneers set forth to go find the gold – and with it, riches beyond their wildest imagination. You know the rest of the story – some of these folks went boom, most went bust, and the California Gold Rush became a literal flash in the pan.
Are Fractional CMOs Only Good for Strategy?
Wed, Apr 7, 2021 — The short answer is no. Fractional CMOs, especially the CMOs at Chief Outsiders, are battle-tested veterans who not only were the heads of marketing for 2+ firms, but we all moved up through the ranks earlier in our careers, mainly doing execution. We do strategy and execution when the client needs it. In general, we get things done!
Positioning for Explosive Growth: A CEO’s Guide To Enthusiastic Leadership - Part Four
Thu, Apr 1, 2021 — Embracing Your Competitive Advantage Ask any sports athlete what gives them the fire to take their field of play, and they will likely cite the prospect of beating their rival. Indeed, without the subplot of competition, sports would be exceedingly boring – for both the players and the viewers. As CEOs, competition, too, represents our drive, our passion, our reason for being. Though we might actually prefer owning the playing field and having it all to ourselves, we can be relatively assured that we will have company as we pursue excellence and strive for the only true tangible measure of success – revenue growth.
Positioning for Explosive Growth: A CEO’s Guide To Enthusiastic Leadership - Part Five
Mon, Mar 29, 2021 — Hiring Talent and Setting Them Free It is highly unlikely that the New England Patriots of the NFL would have won so many championships if they kept quarterback Tom Brady on the bench. The NBA’s Chicago Bulls would likely have been a perennial loser if Air Jordan was grounded on the sidelines. Fortunately for these players and their fans, rather than being threatened by their greatness, their coaches put their own egos aside, embraced their excellence, and got out of their way.