The Importance of a Strategic Plan with Susan Pilato & Michelle Warren
The workplace is changing faster than the conversations guiding it. We’re stepping up with a sharper plan for Season Seven: weekly episodes designed to spark action, challenge assumptions, and give you practical tools to build spaces and businesses that actually work.
Growth advice is loud: add reps, spend more on marketing, chase more leads. But if the business foundation is missing, all that effort can turn into scattered activity that looks productive while pulling your team in five directions at once. Susan Pilato and Michelle Warren join Sid to dig into what a true strategic plan is and what it is not, especially for leaders in the contract interiors industry and the world of workplace design.
They talk candidly about why strategic planning gets avoided: ego, fear, overwhelm, and the belief that a founder is supposed to have all the answers. They share why outside perspective is so valuable when you cannot see your own blind spots, and how a simple filter for decisions helps you avoid shiny object syndrome. The group also explores the real difference between working in your business and working on your business, including why blocking time to think is not a luxury, it is leadership.
From there, they get practical about hiring and delegation. “Help” does not have to start with a full-time employee; contractors, part-time roles, and trusted partners can free you up to focus on revenue, quality, and execution. Unpack why involving your team in strategy sessions and SWOT analysis improves alignment and culture, because people believe in what they help build, and silos stop killing momentum.
If you want smarter small business growth, clearer sales and marketing strategy, and a plan you can actually implement, consider checking out The Collaborative Network and the Business Growth Accelerator.
In this episode:
[00:00] Growth Without A Foundation
[02:05] Defining A Real Strategic Plan
[07:15] Why Activity Is Not Strategy
[11:20] Ego Fear And Getting Outside Help
[14:55] Hiring Decisions And Smart Risk
[22:15] Working On Versus In The Business
[27:55] Bringing The Team Into Strategy
[35:55] SWOT Alignment And Shared Language
[36:40] How Planning Prepared A Merger
[43:40] Final Advice And Where To Go Next
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between a strategic plan and a wish list for small businesses?
A: A wish list is a collection of goals or aspirations without a clear framework for how to achieve them. A real strategic plan connects every initiative — hiring decisions, marketing efforts, sales priorities — to a defined destination. As Susan Pilato put it, "strategy is what is pulling all that activity toward the goal." If your business has lots of activity but unclear direction, you likely have a wish list.
Q: Why do small business owners in the contract interiors industry avoid strategic planning?
A: According to Susan Pilato, the two biggest blockers are ego and fear. Ego makes it hard to admit you don't have all the answers; fear makes vulnerability uncomfortable. Many business owners are also so deep in day-to-day operations — wearing every hat from CEO to marketing director — that they never carve out time for the deep thinking that real strategic planning requires.
Q: How can a dealer principal or manufacturer involve their team in building a strategic plan?
A: Rather than creating a plan at the executive level and presenting it to staff, invite team members into the actual planning sessions — including SWOT analysis, sales strategy, and marketing direction. Mantra Inspired Furniture did this throughout their nine-month planning process, and Susan Pilato found it built team alignment and genuine buy-in. People believe in a plan they helped create.
Q: What does it mean to work "on" your business instead of "in" it?
A: Working in your business means handling day-to-day tasks and operational decisions. Working on your business means stepping back to think strategically — where you're headed, how your team is structured, and what needs to change. For many owners, this looks like blocking time to simply think without interruption, or empowering your team to bring you recommendations rather than involving yourself in every evaluation.
Connect with Susan:
Mantra Inspired Furniture
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Susan’s LinkedIn
Connect with Michelle:
The Collaborative Network
Catalyst Consulting Group
LinkedIn
Email
Connect with Sid:
www.sidmeadows.com
Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube
The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Have a Question? Let's Hear It!
Leave a private, anonymous voice message with your question or perspective. We'd love to hear from you.
