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http://fogelbergconsulting.com/

Fogelberg Consulting, Level 1, 57 Symonds Street, Grafton, Auckland (2026)

07/09/2025

Does anyone like Paddy Gower?

I ask the question, because last week I read his book, “This is the F #$%ing News”.

I was enjoying it so much I brought it up in numerous conversations throughout the week.

But most people replied with some iteration of “I don’t like him”.

I thought it was a bit weird, tbh.

I haven’t watched TV much in years, so my memory of him is from the news maybe 10 plus years ago.

And I don’t think I hold any opinions on people in that kind of role.

Maybe I’ve got better things to think about, or maybe I’m dumb and ignorant.

In any case, I always thought he was cool. So did my flatmate and bestie in my 20s. We liked his vibe.

Anyway, I read his book off the back of another that was vaguely similar in the sense the author had a problem with alcohol.

Her name is Laurie Woolever, and her memoir “Care & Feeding” opened my eyes to some of the atrocious behind-the-scenes of the New York restaurant scene.

I was GRIPPED by it; it was unlike anything I’d read before and centred in a place and industry I know little about, so I learned a lot.

But I was also intrigued by some online reviews I’d read of people absolutely disparaging the woman, exclaiming what a horrible human being she must be because of all the years she spent in a drunken tailspin and the resulting indiscretions on her marriage.

That’s not what I took away from her story at all.

I only saw a person having the courage to face their demons, own up to their wrongdoings and probably find some catharsis through writing it all out on paper.

There will be a lot about her experience others can learn from, now she is out the other side of her addictions and trying to lead a better life for herself.

She is only human, after all.

Who are we if we condemn people for coming clean in the most public way on how they acted when they weren’t?

She didn’t commit any crimes, aside from perhaps sinning in the eyes of some and hurting a handful of people along the way.

And Paddy Gower is similar.

Apparently he’s acted like a dick at times. Haven’t we all?

But he’s similar to Laurie in that he realised something about his life he wasn’t happy with (being an alcoholic), and then sought to change it.

If you “don’t like Paddy Gower”, maybe read his book.

Maybe think about whether you don’t like him, or just don’t like his opinions.

Maybe you will learn to appreciate the beauty of someone baring their innermost thoughts and insecurities rather than judging them on what they tell you through your TV screen.

He is a human just like you and I, just like Laurie Woolever.

And he wrote a fu***ng good book.

(Be prepared for chapters 18 and 19, I cried).

05/09/2025

Perfect is a moving target.
Done is progress.
Take the shot, adjust as you go.

04/09/2025

You don’t need another course. You need a room!

Most business owners I work with already know what to do.

They’ve followed the 101.
Bought the t-shirt, so to speak.
Watched the replay.

But the decisions still aren’t made.
The plan still isn’t clear.
The calendar still looks like chaos.

They don’t need more information.
(If all we needed was information, we’d all be billionaires with 6-packs, right?)

They need a room:

– With structure
– With smart feedback
– With someone asking, “Is this still the real priority?”

That’s why I built On Track.

It’s not a networking circle.
Not a “mastermind” with a big price tag and 0 follow-up.
Not a course you’ll ghost after module two.

Just a grounded, strategic space to stay in motion:

→ Weekly calls to build in public
→ Monthly and quarterly planning sessions
→ 24/7 private community for real-time help
→ Guest experts who’ve built real businesses
→ Optional 1:1 support when you’re ready to sprint

If you’re done flying solo - but aren’t at the stage where you can engage a consultant 1:1,

DM me “TRACK” to see if you’d be a fit for our group :)

03/09/2025

Lots of people want to scale. But many business owners chase the wrong levers.

Revenue = sometimes fleeting.
Headcount = often expensive.

Nice premises = the expensive sibling to headcount.

If you strip it all back, there are only a few real sources of compounding in any business. Here are two of them:

1. Operational leverage

The goal isn’t to grow. It’s to scale without collapse.

Many people overcomplicate.

Real operators build:

• SOPs that train people, not just onboard them
• Automations that cut hours, not just clicks
• Clear roles so decisions don’t bottleneck

This is how you stop being the bottleneck in your own business too.

2. Brand trust

This is the one no spreadsheet can measure - but it’s the most powerful.

It builds slowly. Then shows up all at once.
Trust means:

• People believe you before you pitch
• They refer you when you’re not in the room
• You don’t have to “convince” - you just show up

Many things fade.

Traffic drops. Offers get copied. People leave.
But if you own just one of these levers?

You’ve got something real.

If you own both?

You’re definitely not just building a business.
You’re building something that lasts.

02/09/2025

If you’re constantly reacting, you’re not leading. You’re being led.

It’s something many people (especially business owners) don’t want to hear.

That moving fast = being effective.
Because we think reactivity = responsiveness.

That being “plugged in” = being in control.
It’s not.

When you react, you’re proving you’re easily manipulated.

By:

– Your competitor’s launch
– Your customer’s not so subtle dig
– A dopamine spike disguised as “alignment”

And if your brand or business only exists in reaction to other people…

You don’t have a strategy.
You have a series of emotional responses dressed up as decisions.

Emotional control isn’t optional.

It’s the most underdeveloped, underleveraged skill in business, maybe in life.

Control isn’t what you do under pressure.
It’s what you DON’T do when something triggers you.

If you want to build with intention, you have to stop reacting by default.

Strategic stillness is also a power move.

01/09/2025

The best leaders don’t micromanage.
They create repeatable systems.
Empower people. Scale impact.

31/08/2025

The older I get, the less I sanitise my thoughts for other people’s comfort.

(Not because I want to offend. But because I want to grow)

There’s a pressure - especially for women in business - to say the palatable thing.

To be “professional.”

To preface and pad every sentence with social lubricant.
But real insight isn’t always neat.

And I’m not here to be digestible.
I’m here to say what’s useful.

→ Even if it makes people uncomfortable.
→ Especially if it invites them to think.

Here’s what I know from more years than I care to admit in business:

→ Most boardrooms aren’t suffering from lack of intelligence. They’re suffering from politeness.
→ Most business owners don’t need more feedback. They need sharper mirrors.
→ And most ideas don’t die from being wrong. They die because no one had the guts to challenge them.

Politeness never built a resilient business.
Honesty did.
So no, I won’t sanitise.

Truth - delivered with care - changes everything.
(Read the book Radical Candor)

And it might be exactly what sets the room free.
What unlocks the next level.
What says the thing everyone’s felt - but no one’s voiced.

Because in every boardroom, leadership team, or business owner 1:1 -

There’s always a moment.
A choice.
Smooth the edges, or say the thing.

And I’ve learned:
If it’s true, useful, and in service of the outcome -
I say it.

Because clarity requires courage.

And the strongest signal in the room,
Is the one that doesn’t flinch when the truth lands.

29/08/2025

"The customer is always right."
Biggest. Lie. Ever.

Sometimes, the customer is a nightmare.
And sometimes, you need to show them the door.

Here's when it's time to say goodbye:

1. They're costing you money
→ When the juice ain't worth the squeeze
→ When you're losing cash on every job

2. They're sucking your soul
→ Constant complaints
→ Unreasonable demands
→ Midnight calls for non-emergencies

3. They're hurting your team
→ Abusive behavior
→ Disrespect
→ Morale-killing interactions

4. They're damaging your brand
→ Bad-mouthing you publicly
→ Demanding unethical practices
→ Misaligning with your values

5. They're stunting your growth
→ Preventing you from taking on better clients
→ Keeping you in your comfort zone

Now, the how:

1. Be professional
• No emotional outbursts
• Stick to facts

2. Be clear
• No wishy-washy language
• State your decision firmly

3. Be brief
• It's not a negotiation
• Short and sweet does it

4. Be helpful
• Offer recommendations if possible
• Smooth the transition if relevant

5. Be final
• Once decided, don't backtrack

Firing a client isn't failure.
It's making room for success.

Your dream clients are out there.
But first, you need to make space for them.

So go ahead.
Fire that nightmare client.

They are NOT worth it.

28/08/2025

The 5 strategy mistakes that actually matter (and how to fix them):

1. You're Drowning in Initiatives

• Your team has 15+ "strategic priorities"
• Everyone's busy, nothing moves forward
• Resources are spread too thin

The Fix (Do this today):

• List ALL your initiatives
• Rank them by revenue impact and strategic fit
• Kill bottom 70%
• Reallocate those resources to top 3

2. Your Strategy lives in PowerPoint (my personal pet peeve)

• Beautiful deck, zero ex*****on
• Team can't explain strategy
• No clear daily actions

The Fix (Do this week):

• Create one-page “Plan on a Page”
• List 3 key moves for next 90 days
• Assign clear owners and “what does success look like?” metrics
• Daily 15-min standing check-ins

3. You're avoiding hard choices

• Trying to please everyone
• No clear target customer
• Scattered resources

The Fix (Do this month):

• Define who you're NOT serving
• List products or services you'll stop offering
• Name competitors you won't chase
• Document "no-go" markets

4. Your metrics seem wrong

• Tracking vanity metrics
• No leading indicators
• Too many KPIs

The Fix (Next 30 Days):

• Pick 5 critical metrics
• Must include: finance, customer satisfaction, sales
• Create weekly dashboard
• Set trigger points for action

5. You're not testing fast enough

• Big bets without validation
• Annual planning cycles
• Fear of small tests

The Fix (Next Quarter):

• Launch 3 small market tests
• Set 30-day learning goals
• Document kill/continue criteria
• Execute on winners immediately

Remember: Strategy without ex*****on is hallucination.

Ex*****on without strategy is chaos.

You don't need more ideas. You need fewer initiatives and better ex*****on.

27/08/2025

Hope won’t pay the bills. Cash will. How are you protecting your runway right now?

26/08/2025

Your business doesn’t have a revenue problem.

It has a margin problem.

I’ve seen businesses hit $500K, $1M, $5M, even $10M revenue - and still struggle to stay afloat.

Why?

Because revenue alone doesn’t build a sustainable business.

The problem is:

• Pricing that doesn’t reflect the value you deliver.
• Costs that scale faster than your revenue.
• A focus on top-line growth while ignoring what’s happening to your margins.

Or…

Your numbers are invisible and your margins are a mystery.

If your margins are broken or invisible, it doesn’t matter how much you sell, you’re still running uphill or in circles.

The truth is:

Top-line growth makes headlines.

But bottom-line growth builds sustainable businesses.

Want to grow your bottom line in 2025?

Send me a message to see how we can do that :)

25/08/2025

Throwing people at a problem won’t always solve it.

I see it all the time.

Teams are stressed, deadlines are slipping, and someone says,

“We just need more hands.”

But more people are just more bodies in the room if you’re not fixing the real issues.

Here’s the reality:

1. 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀.

They need better systems.

Bringing in more people won’t magically fix broken workflows or bad communication.

2. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗽𝘂𝘁.

Adding bodies to chaos just creates… more chaos.

If your processes are a mess, you’re just expanding the mess.

3. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆.

Is it a workload issue?

Or is it a bottleneck in how things get done?

Too often, hiring is the lazy answer to a problem that actually needs strategy.

So what should you do instead?

1. 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱.

Break down the process.

Where’s it jamming up? Fix that first.

Half the time, people aren’t stretched because they’re overloaded; they’re stretched because they’re wasting time on the wrong things.

2. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀.

Sometimes, one smart piece of tech can do what five new hires can’t.

Invest in your team’s toolkit before you invest in more people.

3. 𝗕𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

When no one knows who owns what, tasks fall through the cracks.

Make roles crystal clear. Then watch how much faster things get done.

And if you really need to hire? Make it a strategic decision, not a reflex.

But before you do anything, ask yourself this:

What’s the real problem we're trying to solve?

Hiring might be part of the solution.

But if it’s your only answer, you’re likely solving the wrong problem.

Have any questions related to hiring? Share below - I’d be happy to help!

Fogelberg Consulting

07/09/2025

05/09/2025

04/09/2025

03/09/2025

02/09/2025

01/09/2025

31/08/2025

29/08/2025

28/08/2025

27/08/2025

26/08/2025

25/08/2025

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