Welcome to Emerge Insights, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal cutting-edge tips to help you find momentum, scale up your business, and reclaim your life.
Read time: 5.58 minutes.
Read this on: jeanmoncrieff.com
What's in store for today:
- Is your business stuck in chaos?
- How core values transform culture and drive growth
- The right systems are your key to freedom
Hey {{first_name}},
I’m back this week after taking some much-needed downtime. Sinem and I spent a few days snowboarding on the slopes near Monte Bianco. It was the perfect chance to switch off, enjoy the mountains, and recharge.
Taking a break reminded me how important it is to step away and refocus—not just for your energy but also for your clarity.
But stepping away isn’t always simple, is it?
Many business owners feel the pressure to stay switched on.
You’re working tirelessly to grow, yet chaos seems to shadow your every move.
It’s like playing an endless game of whack-a-mole—each time you solve one issue, another immediately takes its place.
This relentless cycle saps your energy, fractures your focus, and leaves little room to focus on what truly matters.
Catherine Dahl knows that feeling well.
When she took over as CEO of Beanworks, she faced the daunting task of stabilizing a failing technology platform, addressing misalignment around the company’s mission and values, and navigating a series of mounting challenges that threatened to derail the business.
But instead of riding the chaos, she introduced structure—transforming Beanworks into a $100M company known for its strong culture and scalable systems.
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Her story is a powerful reminder that freedom doesn’t come from grinding harder but from building smarter.
1. Is your business stuck in chaos?
Many startups thrive on chaos in their early days. It fuels creativity and scrappiness. But as you grow, chaos turns into your biggest obstacle.
I’ve been reading The 60 Minute CFO by Tracy Bech and David Duryee, where they describe the four phases of a business:
- Phase 1: Start-Up or the "Wonder" phase—when everything feels fresh and exciting.
- Phase 2: High-Growth or the "Blunder" phase—where chaos often takes over, and mistakes can be costly.
- Phase 3: Maturity or the "Thunder" phase—when a business achieves stability and consistent success.
- Phase 4: Decline or the "Plunder" phase—when businesses lose their edge and stagnate.
If you’re fortunate enough to make it through the Wonder phase, the real challenge is reaching the Thunder phase, where only 15-20% of businesses ever land.
To reach the Thunder phase, you must navigate beyond the chaos of the Blunder phase—and that’s no easy feat.
As CEO of Beanworks, Catherine experienced this firsthand. The early excitement of the Wonder phase quickly gave way to the challenges of the Blunder phase: a failing platform, an unaligned team, and unclear processes that threatened to stall progress.
By prioritizing structure, embedding core values into the culture, and implementing a growth system, Catherine transformed Beanworks into a $100M success story.
As Catherine says:
“In the early days, chaos feels like progress, but if you want to scale, you need structure. Without systems, you’ll hit a wall.”
Does this sound familiar?
- You’re deeply involved in every decision, big or small.
- Your team struggles to move forward without your input.
- You don’t have systems to handle key processes, leaving gaps in execution.
If so, it’s time to step back, build structure, and create clarity. Here’s how:
- Introduce Daily Huddles: Keep your team aligned and identify issues before they escalate.
- Build a Key Function Flow Map: Track the key functions that move money into your business and measure them daily.
- Empower Leaders: Bring in A-players and give them the tools to own their roles.
Freedom starts when your business can thrive without you.
2. How core values transform culture and drive growth
In my conversation with Catherine, I was particularly struck by how they replaced 50% of their team after defining their core values.
"We replaced 50% of our team after defining our core values. It wasn’t easy, but it transformed the culture. We finally had a team aligned with our mission and committed to the same goals."
Catherine didn’t take this decision lightly. It required clarity, courage, and an unwavering commitment to creating a team that fully embodied Beanworks's values.
Letting go of half the team was a bold move, but it sent a clear message: alignment with core values was non-negotiable.
The impact was transformative. What emerged was a team that didn’t just work for Beanworks but was fully aligned with its mission and deeply committed to its goals.
Core values aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the backbone of a thriving business. When lived and enforced, they help you:
- Hire and retain people who align with your mission: Values-aligned hiring fosters a team that shares your vision and works toward the same goals.
- Create clarity and consistency across teams. With clearly defined values, decisions are easier, alignment improves, and everyone works in the same direction.
- Build a business that attracts top talent: The best people want to work for organizations that stay true to their values and purpose.
Core values have been a recurring theme in my conversations with successful business owners. My discussion with Tom Walter from Tasty Catering highlighted one of the most striking examples of their transformative power.
During a challenging time, Tom reflected on how deeply his employees were connected to the business.
“When I drive home at night, I wonder how many of our team members are driving home thinking about the business the same way I do. We had 60 CEOs in the company—people who shared the same fears, hopes, and ideas about how to move us forward.”
That’s the power of a culture built on clear, actionable values. It transforms employees from task-doers into leaders who feel invested in the business's success.
Tom’s team didn’t just show up for work—they showed up with ideas, took ownership of their roles, and made decisions that contributed to the company’s survival and growth.
This sense of entanglement—the deep connection to a shared mission—comes from living out core values every single day.
Are your values creating this level of ownership and alignment in your team? If not, it might be time to re-evaluate and make them a living, breathing part of your culture.
3. The right systems unlock freedom
With the new year approaching, Catherine’s realization about the importance of systems couldn’t be more relevant:
“You need a growth system if you want to scale fast with the least amount of pain. Without it, you're just putting out fires.”
The start of a new year is the ideal time to organize your business and lay the foundations for lasting success.
A growth system provides the clarity, accountability, and alignment your business needs to thrive. It connects your daily actions to your long-term goals, ensuring you’re not just busy but making intentional progress where it matters most.
If you’re ready to go beyond the chaos and implement a system to propel your business forward, join us in Dublin for the Foundation for Growth Workshop.
This in-person event will help you:
- Build a clear and actionable strategy,
- Align your team around shared goals, and
- Create the systems needed to execute consistently and confidently.
The workshop includes a keynote by Shannon Byrne Susko, founder of Metronomics and a globally recognized expert on scaling businesses.
Space is limited, so don’t wait—secure your spot today and make 2025 the year you transform your business.
Click here to reserve your seat.
One quote to start the week strong
"Freedom is about choice—the ability to decide how you spend your time, money, and energy."- Catherine Dahl
As you prepare for 2025, take a moment to reflect:
Is your business empowering you with the freedom to choose how you live and work, or is it controlling your time and energy?
The choice is yours, and the systems you build will decide the outcome.
Catherine’s journey reminds us that freedom doesn’t come from working harder; it comes from working smarter.
She transformed her business and life by creating structure, aligning her team, and implementing systems.
This new year is your opportunity to do the same. What steps will you take to ensure your business gives you the freedom you deserve?
Have a great week, and happy holidays!
- Jean
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