The end of February 2026 “marked” (pun intended) a significant milestone for On The Mark Strategies. We’ve been in business for 15 years, and we’ve learned plenty of small business lessons along the way. Why is 15 years so important? Because:
- 20% of small businesses fail in their first year
- 30% of small businesses fail by their second year
- 50% of small businesses fail by their fifth year
- Only 30% of small businesses remain after 10 years
- Only 25% of small businesses survive to 15 years
But On The Mark Strategies is not about just surviving. And we are not about the numbers. We never will be. We are about growth. We are about people. We are about helping others.
As I pause and reflect on the last 15 years, I wanted to share what I’ve learned throughout the journey. So, this post is going to be a little personal.
Here are 15 small business lessons I’ve learned from leading On The Mark Strategies for the past 15 years:
1. Take risks
I thought and talked with others (Rory Rowland, Jeff Rendel and Tim Harrington to name just a few) for years about leaving an executive job at a credit union and starting my own “thing.” At the end of the day, it came down to overcoming fear and taking the leap. Taking the risk. And whether it was hiring people, creating new positions or trying new products, we continued to take risks at On The Mark Strategies. Has every one of them worked? Of course not. But more often than not, taking a risk led to additional success and growth.
2. Hire “A” players
This list is not in any certain order. But if it were, this might be number one out of all the small business lessons here. At every possible crossroads, I attempted to hire for excellence. Not good hires. Great hires. The current team (Michelle Arnold, Shawn Temple, Jim Foley, Elizabeth Rider, Jeff Kjoller, Colleen Cormier, Abby Trauth, Sean Galli, Jonathan Machen, Austin Lohnes, Cody Temple, Danielle Clair and Cindy Stevens) are all A+ players. They bring it. Every. Single. Day. Those are the type of people with which you want to surround yourself.
3. Get help for your weaknesses
I am far from perfect. I have many weaknesses. Or as we teach in one of our leadership modules, I have blind spots. We all do. My degree is in journalism and I cut my teeth in that field. Not exactly the business degree and MBA route to entrepreneurship. So, I worked extensively with Tom Colvin, who provided many great small business lessons. He was a great help and coached me extensively on the financial nuances of running a company. Operations are not my natural bent. So, I put a team in place to assist with processes, procedures and systems.
4. It’s not about you
Success and growth come from a focus on others. It’s easy to obsess about every detail in your business (I’ve been guilty of that at times). But I learned when you focus on you, you lose your why. Focus on your clients, your team and those around you. Or as Herb Kelleher once said, “If you just love others…and have fun doing it….you’ll make so much money you won’t know how to spend it all.”
5. Be the guide
I learned this principle from Donald Miller. It’s one of the key small business lessons we try to employ at On The Mark Strategies. Always remember you are in a story and have a role to play. And that role is the guide. Those you serve (your clients, your members, your customers) are the heroes. I keep a Yoda figurine on my desk for that visual reminder.
6. Invest in your professional development
You never arrive as a leader. You can always learn. Through the last 15 years, I’ve been in Michael Hyatt’s Business Accelerator group, Mandi Ellefson’s Hands Off CEO program and Courtney De Ronde’s Forge workshops among others. I learned countless lessons with each. Did they cost money? Of course. But did I gain a tenfold return on my investment? Every single time.
7. Get involved in a MasterMind or peer group
Attending conferences, going to workshops and completing other professional development activities (see above) are all critical small business lessons. But so is having a close, intimate group of other CEOs and business owners you can lean into and go deep. For me, it’s Casey Boggs (ReputationUs) and Jeff Rendel (Rising Above Enterprises). Those guys continue to challenge, coach and push me. You need people in your life who help you see things you can’t.
8. Have fun
The day-to-day hustle and grind is real. That’s why it’s important to slow down (hard for me) and just enjoy the ride. Take vacations. Unplug. Get away. Leading a company can be all consuming. And at times, On The Mark Strategies has consumed me. When that happens, I’m usually not in a good place. And when I’m not in a good place, the company is not in a good place. So, take time for you and your family.
9. Pause and think
This is one of the recent small business lessons I’m learning to employ. As busy, hard-driving leaders, we can go, go and go. All the time. But it’s more important than ever to slow down. And not just slow down…slow down for a purpose. Slow down to think. I am putting time on my calendar to think about big picture and strategic issues. Brainstorm. Journal. Reflect. It’s amazing the ideas and insights you generate if you simply pause and think.
10. The challenging times don’t last
Not every day, month or year is perfect. You can’t be in business for 15 years and not experience a few bumps or roadblocks. Challenging times will happen (can’t be helped)…so it comes down to what you will do and how you will handle them. A moment of honesty: I haven’t always handled them great. I get frustrated and down when things go wrong. But I learned whatever challenges you face, you need to stay positive because those setbacks are often temporary. For example, the COVID shutdown and impact did not last forever. Rather than let it slow down On The Mark Strategies, we got together as a team and focused on how we could serve our clients. And we had one of our best years ever.
11. Focus on consistent, daily actions
As the CEO and owner, one of my primary responsibilities is sales (and hint: everyone is in sales!). On a practical level, one thing I do in sales is simple, consistent, daily actions. Call. Email. Send a thank you note. I may not be able to spend hours and hours preparing a presentation, prepping for a planning session or working on a branding project. But I can do something every single day. I make daily steps to improve. Remember this adage: Perfection is not the goal; progress is the goal.
12. Read, read, read
The more you read, the more you learn. And the more you learn, the more you earn. Take time every day to read. Books, email newsletters, trade journals, blogs posts. Some of my favorite reading sources are CU Insight, CU Daily, The Financial Brand, CU Times, The Sales Hunter blog, Social Media Examiner and many others. And if reading is just not your thing, then listen to Audible or podcasts.
13. Challenge yourself and those around you
We always use the term “frienemy” with our clients – we are going to love you like a friend but challenge you like an enemy. Success is a trap. Complacency is a trap. In other words, some of your biggest growth threats are not external…they are internal. Your mindset matters. So, always challenge yourself and your team. The biggest small business lessons come from never getting complacent and always pushing for more.
14. Invent and try new things
Don’t do what everyone else is doing. When others are zigging, that’s the time for you to zag. Look for needs in the marketplace you can fill. For example, we were the first company to offer marketing assessments for financial institutions. We saw a huge need in financial institutions when it came to mid-level and executive skillsets, so we offer customized leadership training. We saw that once a rebrand was complete, credit unions and banks often asked “what’s next?” So, we created a consumer experience program that helps financial institutions operationalize their brand. As Earl Nightengale said, “Don’t copy….create.”
15. Protect your culture at all costs
The culture inside an organization will make or break it. We created an “Avengers” culture at On The Mark Strategies where everyone has a specific character name (I’m Captain America if you’re curious). We created three core values: Own It, Hit Home Runs and Play for the Team. Those are not just words on a PowerPoint. We hire for values. We live our values. We protect our values.
Blessed Beyond Measure
I’ve been blessed beyond measure. God has been extremely good to me and my family. There is no On The Mark Strategies without God, my family and faith.
Truth be told…when I started as a solopreneur, speaker and consultant, I never truly envisioned growing our company to where it is today. But the growth didn’t just happen. It was the result of the many small business lessons noted above.
Now onto the next 15 years.
Tackle the Next 15 Years With Us
There wouldn’t be a first 15 years without the incredible group of clients who chose us all this time. Thank you for being an integral part of the journey. There’s no us without you.
We’d love to spend the next 15 years helping even more people accelerate their organizations, too. If you need help with strategy, branding, marketing or training, book a free consultation now.
