Roundtable Review – Growth Opportunities

On Jan 23rd, we held our first Roundtable of 2020 at Spring Place in New York. The roundtable, “Defining and Articulating Growth Opportunities”, was introduced by strategy consultants Sandra Cariglio and Brendan Muha of ReD Associates. 

Attendees each shared specific growth goals and organizational challenges they face in the year ahead, with colleagues providing comments, questions and insights in response. 

Topics included vertically integrated lines of business; growth goals limited by HR challenges; productising services to deliver upfront value in new client relationships; promoting the work of MWBEs through joint ventures (and the challenges of earning MWBE status); and scaling up consultancy businesses models, and more. 

Below are some of the specific statements made by participants:

I am restructuring early conversations and work with clients to focus on specific value for them. The mechanism I am using is an upfront diagnostic phase

–Brand Designer

On development projects I’ve found that the equity investor, operator and developer all have different strengths and weaknesses. I’m interested in pursuing joint-venture deals where all three of these parties are in partnership with one another.

–Real Estate Investor

We don’t have a strategy for growth. Do I need a clear and formal strategy in order to do the larger and more creative projects my firm wants to do?

–Structural Engineer

I’m taking a huge bet on transitioning from design to development

–Interior Designer

There is a white space in the Hudson Valley for contractors like us to do $5m – $25m projects.

–General Contractor

We have new projects opening, with articles being written in ways that are not consistent with the story we want to tell about our work. Should I hire a publicist?

–Architect

Below you’ll find a few photos from the session, and Brick & Wonder members can access our Roundtable notes here.