black box vs donuts

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Step one of Clarity Workshops is digging into vision. That’s because (say it with me now) you cannot build a strategy without knowing where you’re heading. I will never stop saying this. When I push leaders to check their vision against this framework, it’s almost always uncomfortable. They want to lead with the action part. it’s is the clearest because it’s what they do.

But actually, when it comes to your business model and your strategy, it’s often the least important. I want you to think of that part as the black box of your business - the part of the process that most people don’t pay attention to or maybe even understand.

One of my favorite podcast episodes masterfully illustrates this by walking through the journey from caterpillar to butterfly. (Cliche I know, but hang with me.) In a really wonderful way, scientists have almost no idea what happens in the middle; and none of us really care that much because what we're interested in is the transformation that happens in there. (Alarmingly the same is true for anesthesia. Give the episode a listen.)

Have you ever microwaved a Krispy Kreme donut? A firm flaky circle goes in and soft melty magic comes out. 🤤🤤 In that moment, I’m not really thinking about how that magical metamorphosis takes place - I’m just enjoying my donut.

Metamorphosis is valuable because it facilitates radical transformation - not because we know how it happens. Do you see the analogy? When you focus on the black box of your business, you often neglect the important part. What do people really care about & pay attention to? What goes in and what comes out. We don’t own microwaves because we’re obsessed with electromagnetic radiation. We just like what it does to our food.

The inside of a microwave? Not that cute. A cocoon is a dark goopy blob. Not a compelling vision - for you or your clients. What is compelling? The kind of change a client experiences because of your work.

What does this have to do with strategy? Because too many of you brilliant souls are strategizing about how to hand out more electromagnetic waves. Or how to build more cocoons. This is a reductive view of your work! You’re here to create donuts! (Or butterflies. You pick.)

Another thing I will never stop saying - that magnificent intersection of the outcomes you care deeply about and the actions you deliver masterfully (products, services, offerings) - that’s what the world needs from you. It’s what your clients need from you. You have to know what that is in order to grow intentionally towards it.

Please do the hard work to figure out what this is - so that you can make yourself a strategy for growth, so that you can deliver value in the way that you are uniquely able, and so that you can make a living doing the stuff that feels magical and energizing to you.

Double down on who you serve and what happens to them because of that. Please don't give up on this. Your future butterfly donuts are counting you. And I’m cheering for you the whole way.

How to put this to work:

1. Check out the framework or book a clarity call if you haven’t pinned down your vision.

2. Quick check your growth plan

   However formal or informal it is, is it a plan that takes you to the black box (that’s focused on how big your microwave/cocoon is) or is it a plan that takes you (and your business and your clients) to that butterfly on the other side?

3. Check in with your donut bbs

   Your best mirrors are often the folks you’ve already worked with. If you need some clarity around exactly what their outcome was or if you’re needing a little reminder of why you like doing this, go find those folks.

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I’m Laura Green - a strategist empowering creative leaders to build businesses they love. My work focuses on crafting actionable insights, scalable strategies, and proven systems to find more impact and less friction. I want you to have the clarity, confidence, and energy to make good stuff happen, to drive profit, and to get back to doing the work you love. As for me - I love charts, good beer, nerdy nature books, and sneakers. When I’m not spinning up spreadsheets, you can find me gardening, hanging with my wonderfully wild kids, or sneaking in a nap. ✌️