If growth is slow, your innovation process might be the problem — but maybe not.

Your Innovation Approach Might Be Slowing You Down

If growth feels harder than it should, your innovation process might be the problem. Misalignment, endless meetings, and unstructured ideas don’t just waste time—they kill momentum.

So, I built a quick assessment to help you uncover what’s really getting in the way.

• Takes five minutes. No deep soul-searching required.

• One email, that’s it. No spamming your whole team.

• Anonymous input, no awkward pauses. Because people are way more honest when they’re not being watched.

• Want a breakdown? I’m willing to walk your team through the results and show you how to fix it fast—so you won’t have to be the bearer of bad news. But no pressure if the results do it for you.

Five minutes now could save you months of frustration. Most teams already have the talent—they just need a simple way to activate it. Let’s make sure yours is actually ready to innovate (and not just stuck in another strategy meeting).

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE INNOVATION ASSESSMENT PAGE

Please let me know what you think!!

Innovation That Drives Business — Not More Meetings.

Innovation isn’t optional anymore—it’s survival.

With markets shifting, technology evolving, and customer expectations changing at lightning speed, companies that don’t innovate risk becoming irrelevant. In fact, experts predict that half of the S&P 500 will disappear in the next decade.

But here’s the problem: Many organizations jump into innovation projects without aligning their core business first—which often creates more chaos than success.

If you want your innovation project to drive real business growth instead of just becoming an expensive distraction, you need a structured approach.

Read on or WATCH THE VIDEO. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Align on Your Core Business First

Before you dive into the future, make sure your present is solid.

If your leadership team isn’t aligned on what your company does best today, launching an innovation initiative will be like building on quicksand. Your project will lack direction, drain resources, and create internal confusion.

If you’re unsure whether your team is fully aligned on your core business strengths, pause and fix that first before moving forward.

Step 2: Use a Future-Back Approach

Most business leaders think from the present forward—reacting to what’s happening now.

The problem? By the time you react, it’s often too late.

Instead, use a future-back approach:

• Identify key game changers coming to your industry.

• Visualize where you want your business to be in five years.

• Work backward to define the innovation focus areas that will get you there.

This keeps your company ahead of the curve instead of constantly playing catch-up.

Step 3: Choose the Right People for Your Innovation Leadership Team

Innovation isn’t a solo effort. You need a team.

Pick three to seven people from your leadership group who:


✔ Have diverse perspectives (not just the usual voices in the room).


✔ Are willing to challenge assumptions and push boundaries.


✔ Understand the company’s long-term vision and core strengths.

This group will be responsible for defining the big focus areas for innovation—NOT for coming up with specific product ideas (yet).

Step 4: Brainstorm Future Game Changers

As a leadership team, identify the biggest external forces that will impact your business.

• What major technology shifts are happening?

• How are customer preferences evolving?

• What market disruptions could change the playing field?

Now, arrange these on a timeline based on when they’ll have a significant impact on your industry.

This exercise gives you a realistic roadmap of where the world is going—so you can innovate proactively instead of reacting too late.

Step 5: Define Your Innovation Focus Areas

Now that you have a vision of the future, it’s time to decide:

What areas of your business need innovation the most?

These could include:

• Reinventing a core business function (e.g., upgrading an outdated process).

• Developing a disruptive new product or service.

• Expanding into a new industry or geography.

• Reimagining your business model entirely.

IMPORTANT: At this stage, you’re not coming up with specific product ideas yet. You’re identifying broad focus areas where innovation will have the highest impact.

Step 6: Align Innovation Areas With Your Vision

Before assigning resources to an innovation area, gut-check it against your company’s core identity.

For each focus area, ask:


✔ Does this align with our long-term vision?


✔ Does it support our company values and culture?


✔ Will it create a powerful value proposition that attracts customers, talent, and partners?

If an idea doesn’t support your bigger business strategy, cut it now before wasting time and resources.

Step 7: Define the Scope for Each Innovation Project

For each innovation focus area, answer these questions:

• What’s the challenge? Define the specific problem you’re solving.

• Why this challenge? How does it align with your company’s core strengths?

• Who will you serve? Which customer segments are you creating value for?

• What are your weak points? Identify assumptions that need testing or unknowns that must be addressed.

• What does success look like? Define clear success criteria—so you know when you’ve achieved your goal.

Step 8: Set Up for Execution (or Risk Wasting Time)

A great innovation ideas means nothing if it doesn’t drive your business. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Assign a dedicated innovation team and team lead. No accountability = no progress.

2. Set a budget. Unfunded innovation projects lead to frustration and failure.

3. Establish a timeline. Without deadlines, projects drag on indefinitely.

4. Decide on your execution framework. If using structured innovation toolkits, set milestones every 2-4 weeks. If not, triple your estimated timeline.

It sounds counterintuitive, but structure is the key to brilliant innovation.

Final Thoughts: Innovation Needs a Plan, Not Just Ideas

The reason most innovation projects fail isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s a lack of how to make decisions and move forward.

By aligning on your core business, thinking future-back, defining clear focus areas, and structuring execution, you set your company up to innovate in a way that actually leads to growth.

Let’s Talk About Your Innovation Strategy. I have a simple framework or two that

I’d love to discuss what you’ve learned so far and how my experience can contribute to your company’s growth.

Let’s talk. Schedule a call here.

Make Smarter, Faster Decisions Without Second-Guessing Yourself

Why Decision-Making Feels Harder Than It Should

You have a successful company. You know how to make good calls. So why does decision-making still feel like an uphill climb sometimes?

Usually, it’s because of one (or more) of these common pitfalls:

The Overthinking Spiral – Somewhere between the data analysis, the brainstorming, and the “what if” scenarios, the momentum dies.

The Fear Factor – No one wants to make the wrong call. But the truth is, there’s rarely a perfect decision. The best leaders move fast and adjust.

Acronym Soup & Fuzzy Logic – You know those meetings where people throw around acronyms and buzzwords, but no one’s totally sure what they mean? Yeah, those don’t help.

How to Make Faster, Smarter, No-Regret Decisions

Start With the ‘Why’

Most decisions get stuck because we skip straight to “How do we do this?” before asking “Why are we doing this?”

To break the cycle, ask yourself:
WHY are we making this decision? No fluff, no buzzwords—what’s the actual goal?
WHAT does success look like? If you can’t define it, you can’t hit it.
HOW does this move us forward? Not just look good in a PowerPoint.

If you can’t answer the why in one sentence, you’re not ready to decide.

Use a ‘Decision Filter’ to Simplify Choices

Instead of treating every decision like a brand-new puzzle, create a repeatable filter that makes choices faster and easier:

• Does it align with our big-picture strategy? Or is it just a shiny distraction?

• Will it actually move the needle? Or just make someone in a meeting feel smart?

• Do we have the team/resources to pull it off? No? Then let’s not talk about it.

• If we don’t act now, will we regret it later? Speed matters.

If a decision fails these questions, it’s either not the right move—or not the right time.

Move Fast, Adjust as Needed

The best companies aren’t the ones that always get it right—they’re the ones that move quickly and adapt.

• Make the best decision you can with the information you have.

• Execute, observe, and adjust.

• Keep the momentum going.

The Payoff: Faster Decisions = Faster Growth

When you simplify decision-making, everything else speeds up:

• More clarity. No more overthinking.

• More action. Decisions in hours, not months.

• More momentum. Every good choice builds on the last one.

Want to make faster, smarter decisions without second-guessing yourself?

Let’s talk. I help business owners and leaders eliminate bottlenecks and create decision-making systems that work.

Uncover overlooked opportunities and weak points in your Business Strategy—fast.

Combine Value Chain Analysis and the Business Model Canvas.

In today’s business landscape, companies that collaborate—internally and externally—are the ones winning.

Businesses that engage cross-functional teams and utilize their ecosystem can gain a competitive edge. That’s where Value Chain Analysis and the Business Model Canvas come in.

These two strategic tools help small to medium business owners clarify their strengths, uncover weaknesses, and build a more resilient, scalable business model — fast. Whether you’re focusing on growth, innovation, or long-term transformation, this approach ensures your business adapts and thrives.

Here’s how to apply both tools to your business strategy—fast and effectively.

Watch the video here instead.

Step 1:
Map Your Value Chain to Reveal How Your Business Actually Works

A Value Chain Analysis is a visual breakdown of how value flows through your business ecosystem. It goes beyond cash flow, helping you see where value is created, exchanged, and potentially lost.

How to Conduct a Value Chain Analysis

• Gather the Right Team: Choose three to seven people from different parts of your business. Diverse viewpoints = better insights.

• Map Your Value Chain: Identify all entities involved—suppliers, partners, distributors, and customers. I created these workflows in Miro, Identify Non-Cash Value Exchanges: Consider data, intellectual property, brand reputation, or customer loyalty. These hidden forms of value are often the key to long-term competitive advantage.

• Refine the Value Map: Take your time here. The clearer your value chain, the better your business decisions will be.

Once you have a detailed value chain, you’re ready to expand your insights with the Business Model Canvas.

Step 2:
Build a Business Model Canvas to Identify Gaps and Opportunities

The Business Model Canvas, created by Alexander Osterwalder, is a simple yet powerful tool that helps you see how your business creates, delivers, and captures value.

Think of it as a high-level sketch of your business strategy that shows where you should focus to improve, grow, or innovate.

How to Create a Business Model Canvas (Step-by-Step Guide)

• Define Key Partners – Who plays a major role in your value chain? (Suppliers, affiliates, distribution partners, etc.)

• List Key Activities – What does your business do that directly delivers value to customers?

• Clarify Your Value Proposition – What unique value does your business offer? How do you stand out from competitors?

• Outline Customer Relationships – How do you engage and retain customers?

• Map Out Your Channels – What marketing and sales channels bring customers into your business?

• Identify Cost Structure – What are your biggest expenses in delivering this model?

• Define Revenue Streams – Where does your revenue come from? How can it grow?

At this stage, don’t over complicate it. You’re just getting clarity on your business model—not solving every problem yet.

Step 3:
Identify Weak Points, Risks, and Opportunities for Growth

Too many businesses stop at defining their business model. But the real power comes from digging into risks and weaknesses.

Here’s how to identify and strengthen weak points:

• Individually, brainstorm potential risks and unknowns. Where are you making assumptions that may not be true?

• What parts of your business are easily copied, difficult to defend, or operationally fragile?

• Prioritize the biggest risks. Remove redundant concerns, clarify key risks, and vote on the most impactful weaknesses to address.

This step is critical for resilience—if you don’t identify potential threats now, you’ll be blindsided later.

Step 4:
Turn Insights into an Action Plan (In 30 Minutes or Less)

Now that you’ve mapped your value chain, business model, and key risks, don’t let that work sit in a folder collecting dust.

Here’s how to create a fast, actionable plan to drive results:

• Assign owners and deadlines to your top action items.

• Set a budget—unfunded ideas go nowhere.

• Define a timeline for execution. If using structured frameworks, set check-ins every 2–4 weeks; otherwise, plan for longer implementation timelines.

• Build a system to track progress— through peer meetings, software, leadership progress check-ins, or use all three.

If you need help to accelerate this process, schedule a call here or connect on LinkedIn

Shari Burk

Why I’m obsessed with fixing business growth

For years, I had a sneaking suspicion that my work wasn’t really working. Sure, I could spin the numbers to make any project look like a win (who doesn’t love a good vanity metric?), but deep down, I knew the impact wasn’t sticking. It bugged me—a lot.

I didn’t want to just help companies look successful. I wanted to help them be successful—like, long-term, no-smoke-and-mirrors, actually-thriving kind of success. The problem? Every time I tried, something got in the way. And after asking roughly one million obnoxious questions, I realized the issue wasn’t my strategies—it was the companies themselves.

Here’s what I uncovered:
Nobody really knew what was going on. Jargon, buzzwords, and corporate-speak created a fog of confusion where no one wanted to admit they were lost.
Teams weren’t truly aligned. Assumptions ran wild, blind spots stayed blind, and big decisions got made in silos.
Employee buy-in was… meh. People were being excluded from key conversations and then expected to just get on board—which, shocker, led to skepticism and disengagement.

Once I saw the problem, I couldn’t unsee it. And being the brilliantly naive person I was back then, I thought: Hey, I bet I can fix this!

So I did what any stubborn problem-solver would do—I kept asking questions, learning from the smartest people I could find, and stress-testing ideas in the real world. Luckily, a few bold business owners let me experiment on them (ethically, of course).

That turned into a 15-year side gig to crack the code on real, sustainable business growth. And I finally did.

I figured out how to take six months of painful confusion and tedious meetings and distill it into about eight hours. My first step alone saves C-suite teams 27 to 46 hours (you’re welcome).

Amazon Web Services (yep, that AWS—the backbone of the internet) even sponsored a pilot to put my methodology to the test. The result? Companies documented 110-330% growth in 10 months or less. That’s when I realized something big: quantifying results is kind of important.

Since then, I’ve expanded my approach across different business functions, helping 100+ companies achieve results they didn’t think were possible.

And honestly? That’s my favorite part—seeing companies not just grow, but actually enjoy the process. Because success shouldn’t feel like a soul-sucking grind.

Now, I get to do this at scale—helping more leaders, more teams, and more businesses break through the barriers holding them back. And I couldn’t be more excited about it.

Want to see what’s possible for your business? I’d love a conversation. I imagine I’ll learn something from you and visa versa.