For nearly 20 years we have guided the top companies in the world on complex marketing/tech initiatives ranging from Fortune 500s to some of the coolest startups that became household brands today, and while going down that path we learned a lot on the magical carpet ride.

Fast forward, we are still riding the waves daily to keep our finger on the pulse yet more focused on using that to continue making a difference whether that’s around creating/launching new strategies or reflecting on the past to see what worked and didn’t work so you’re more prepared for the future. The beauty comes from geeking out on everything and in doing so discovering opportunities you never knew existed.

Looking at what we learned over the years, here’s a quick breakdown of what stands out most:

First, the concept of a team is fantastic in theory however not many companies even on the startup level have the ability/experience to create a small team then scale that into something really special.

On the corporate side, after consulting for many companies, there’s sometimes a mindset employees have of doing the least amount of work each day to make their manager happy which instead of taking core values then trickling them down to boost performance trickles underperforming up the ladder therefore causing a wide variety of issues from both a financial and operational perspective.

The solution: Create a company structure that holds people accountable across all departments while at the same time giving them bonuses/recognition for thinking outside of the box. Whether looking at Fortune 100 or 500 companies they could have never gotten there without their teams operating at the highest level because they really care and love their jobs.

Secondly, which ties into the above, it’s imperative to give the smartest people on your team the ability to explore and geek out on the newest stuff – that’s really what made them valuable in the first place. Thinking back to one of the most epic movies of all time (Office Space), Milton was a genius even though he was eventually moved to a cubicle in the basement with his stapler, though this is one example of such.

The solution: Whether you’re a local restaurant serving the best pizza and just snagged an 8+ score from our boy Dave Portnoy or a Fortune 500 with 20,000+ employees, every single person needs to be recognized/valued which, in the end, makes them want to be better and work harder. Richard Branson has always done a great job of that.

Lastly, follow the data/feedback you’re getting and continue to explore new solutions while thinking outside the box. And if you need help there we got you covered.