Jo Shoesmith’s Post

Sustaining a business for long term should be an entrepreneur’s vision. It’s harder than it seems, which is why we have JP Chauvet, CEO of Lightspeed Commerce; Ian Rae, CEO of Aptum; Allen Lau, Former CEO of Wattpad on our CEO Succession Planning panel. Sharing tips and tricks which helped them, and made their process of scaling their business smooth and enduring. A key highlight from this panel was "how a CEO is not just a leader but an all-rounder employee who should know every aspect of their business, and should not shy from working for its success."

“You can’t ‘out-tech’ big business, but you sure can ‘out-touch’ them.” - Jon Reily, SVP Commerce Center of Excellence at Bounteous, shares his perspective on how growing brands can gain a competitive edge over big box and e-commerce giants. Read the full article from Entrepreneur Magazine here:

In the fast-paced Consumer Packaged Goods arena, strategic planning is vital. As Black entrepreneurs, the journey to 2024 demands insight, resilience, and dedication to excellence. This is more than a yearly plan; it's a blueprint for thriving in a competitive market. Eager to dive deeper into these strategies? Click/Tap to read more on our blog and begin architecting your 2024 success story. Let's take this year by storm! #BlackEntrepreneurship #CPGSuccess #StrategicGrowth

1997 letter to investors from Jeff Bezos. Fast forwarding 25+ years, you can still see how the early vision set the tone. While not small acorns, seeing their total distribution space 285,000sq ft… they probably have single, regional distribution centres bigger than that now? Andrew Banks? As Snowflake Media Group moves more from day to day marketing execution and focuses more into the strategy and m&a space, we often have to get businesses to re-evaluate. What do they stand for? The letter is a great set of expectation management criteria that could be equally at home with staff, as it was for employees https://lnkd.in/evhC53Xu

I had the opportunity to attend the Black Enterprise Disruptor Summit in Atlanta, GA this past weekend, to hear from the most innovative and inspiring leaders in their industries. The Black Enterprise Disruptor Summit, is a premier business conference that connects, uplifts, and empowers Black entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and creatives. It was created to provide business-minded leaders with the tools, access, and expertise they need to think outside the box, build million-dollar brands, and disrupt their industry. It’s easy to follow the already drafted blueprints, however, it takes courage to be a disruptor and create your own blueprint. Every industry is ripe to be disrupted. Just think about the disruption caused by the likes of Uber, AirBnB, Netflix, and others. In what ways do you think your industry is susceptible to being disrupted? ——— 🏢 Park Royal Capital: Private Equity Real Estate Investment Firm 🌟 Join our community and get our free guide: "10 Things to Know Before Investing in Multifamily Deals"  https://lnkd.in/eab-fsFb 💬 DM us for more info or visit our website: parkroyalcapital.com 🤝 Let's connect and reach new heights together! 👍 Like, 💬 comment, and 🔁 share this post if you found it helpful or if you know someone who would benefit from it! #innovation #investor #businessminded #blackenterprise #disruptorsummit2023

Share this insightful article on how Amazon is fostering growth and support for Black-owned businesses. 📈 https://lnkd.in/gg8CkvrC “August marks the National Black Business Month, celebrating the contribution of black entrepreneurs and businesses across the nation. With over 60% of Amazon’s sales stemming from small and medium-sized enterprises, Amazon introduced the Black Business Accelerator in 2021 to uplift Black-owned ventures. Their dedication to enhancing the Black is Remarkable store and the relaunch of the Amazon Small Business Academy emphasizes their commitment to diversity and equitable growth. Dive in to discover more about Amazon’s initiatives and how you can support Black businesses on their platform. 💼🌐” #blackbusinessmonth #amazonbusiness #blackentrepreneurs #ecommerce #DiverseMarketplace #supportblackbusinesses #digitalempowerment #inclusivegrowth

Busy doesn’t always equal success. 🙅♀️ Hotpot Queen’s business started to take off in Q1, and that kept me very busy — trade shows, orders, meetings, endless emails… Being busy every day gave me an illusion of progress. But it also cost me — the bigger picture blurred, and my health took a hit with constant neck pain.😩 Then this twitt from Tim Ferriss hit me hard: “Most things make no difference. Being busy is a form of laziness — lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.” Ouch, right? But it’s true. I was so buried in ‘doing’ that I neglected ‘improving.’ My order system? It needs streamlining, not my constant babysitting. My approach to retail partnerships? Concentrate on key accounts, not just seizing every opportunity that appears. And inventory forecasting? It’s time for a strategy, not just apologies for stock-outs. I get it. Seeing others in the CPG space soar — Forbes features, major retail launches, shiny awards — can trigger a rush to hustle harder. But their pace isn’t mine, and busyness isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a signpost saying, “Hey, refocus!” 🪧👈 So this week, I’m hitting pause. No meetings, no packing tape. Just me, a notepad, and strategic thinking. Because sometimes, doing nothing is doing something big. I am learning to find success in stillness and to remember that the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with ourselves. 🚶♀️ #Entrepreneurship #BusinessStrategy #TimFerriss #CPGIndustry #Reflection #WorkSmarter #HotpotQueen

Adweek and Olivia Morley covered a report today from RSW/US on the struggles of new business at small/midsize shops. According to the survey, two years ago 28% of agencies found getting new business more challenging than it was in the past. IN 2023 THE NUMBER HIT 58%!!!!! NBZ takeaways: "THERE IS NO PLAN HERE" While economic reasons of course contribute to the decline in new biz, everyone agrees that there is a lack of understanding and implementation of effective new business strategy. Why??? True new biz pros are fewer and further between and there's no industry standard or training to bring up the next gen. What makes it even more painful for small/medium size agencies is that agency leaders with no background in new business are often at the helm of the agency and ill equipped to put a plan and people in place. "SMALL AGENCIES RELY TOO HEAVILY ON NEW BUSINESS LEADERS' ROLODEX" - 1) a true new business leader in our industry isn't selling her black book.. she's selling her experience in agency growth and the agency brand 2) If your new business person holds the key to your network, she takes all the relationships with her when/if she leaves. Networks are a finite resource and should be tapped across the agency leadership when it makes sense. "IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL TO BE IN CHARGE OF NEW BUSINESS " - One individual should NEVER be in charge of new business ... but every agency needs one individual to sit in the "producer role" along side a full cast of highly qualified leaders. The new business person should present a plan and marching orders for each team member and have them clearly understand their responsibility in achieving success as an agency. As we prepare to launch NBZ+ on October 13th, this validates and reinforces our vision to create a community, transparency and change for new business leaders and the industry at large. https://lnkd.in/ejJ9bfFK