In this episode, Mary, Tom, and Sean look ahead to 2026 by exploring how digital health, AI-driven micro-segmentation, and workforce shifts are beginning to intersect. Rather than focusing on a single dominant trend, they discuss why understanding second-order effects — and viewing change through the eyes of customers and stakeholders — will be critical for effective strategy in the years ahead.

In this year-end discussion, the team unpacks what 2025 really highlighted about organizational strategy. They examine how high-performing teams used AI to widen the range of strategic choices, why uneven economic shifts made scenario planning a necessity, and how Nike's distribution reset underscored the importance of understanding influence systems. The episode emphasizes that the organizations that made real progress were the ones prepared to act without perfect clarity — because they had built readiness long before they needed it.

This episode explores why great companies fall behind — and how to avoid the same mistakes. The team breaks down the forces that cause once-dominant brands to lose their way and the practices that keep customer-aware companies on top.

Too many B2B "stories" are just fact dumps. In this episode, we explore why real storytelling matters in strategy — and how to make your customer the hero, build around tension, and use emotion to make your message stick.

How do you price with confidence when markets shift, competitors undercut, and customers demand more for less? In this episode, the team explores how AI—combined with the right strategic tools—is making pricing smarter, more precise, and more aligned to real customer value.

Sales and strategy often operate in silos. But with AI-enhanced playbooks, the handoff becomes a continuous loop—where strategy shapes execution, and sales sharpens strategy.

Many B2B firms stop short of customizing their value props—even after strong segmentation. This episode explores how AI, used with the right strategic tools, can transform value props from generic to segment-specific—and prove ROI before you launch.

Positioning is where strategy turns into story. In this episode, the team explains how AI helps sharpen your message, pressure-test its uniqueness, and connect it to execution across teams and channels. Want better stories? Start here.