Kevin Chern, Author at Sanguine Strategic Advisors

Is Your Sales Funnel Helping or Hurting Growth?

“If you’re not taking care of your customers, your competitors will.”— Bob Hooey, Inspirational Speaker. Setting the Stage A few months ago, I was called in to consult for a fast-scaling software company. They had a well-oiled marketing engine, dozens of leads pouring in monthly, and a charismatic sales team. On paper, everything looked golden.…

How Do Top Businesses Keep Growing in Tough Markets?

“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” — African Proverb A few months ago, I had a conversation with the CEO of a mid-market logistics company. Revenue had plateaued. Margins were thinning. Competitors were folding—or getting acquired. Yet somehow, they were growing. Not explosively, but steadily. Adding new clients. Launching adjacent services. Holding their margins.…

Are You Scaling Too Fast—Or Not Fast Enough?

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.” — James Cash Penney, founder of J.C. Penney Scaling a business is never a matter of chance, it’s the result of strategic planning, calculated decisions, and coordinated efforts across every aspect of the company. While growth is a universal goal for…

How Negative Feedback Impacts Your Business & How to Handle It Professionally

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” — Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com Your reputation is often shaped by what people say about you online. One negative Google review can be enough to turn away potential customers and hurt your business. It doesn’t matter how great your service…

Are You Leaving Growth Opportunities Buried in Your Data?

“The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insight.” — Carly Fiorina, Former CEO of HP The Challenge: Many businesses are stuck in a growth rut, thinking they need new products, a bigger budget, or shiny new channels to make progress. But what if your next big leap is already hiding in…

Prepared or Perished? How to Build a Crisis Management Plan That Protects Your Brand

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father of the United States If there’s one thing every executive should tattoo on the inside of their strategic brain—it’s that quote. We live in a time when a single post can erase a decade of brand equity, a rogue employee can…

Where Did the Money Go? How Smart Budgeting Can Transform Your Hiring Strategy

“A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” — Dave Ramsey, American radio personality and CEO of Ramsey Solutions Let’s be blunt: Most organizations don’t have a hiring problem—they have a budgeting problem disguised as one. The typical hiring strategy resembles a fire drill more than a business…

How to Equip Your Team for Growth Without Burnout

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.” — James Cash Penney, Founder of J.C. Penney I once advised a tech company that had just crossed $50 million in annual recurring revenue. On the surface, everything looked stellar—investors were satisfied, customers were renewing, and the team was expanding. But…

Are You Building Long-Term Value or Just Chasing Revenue?

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Peter Drucker, father of modern management. Peter Drucker knew this well—and it’s a mantra every business leader should live by today. If you’re still playing by the same tired playbook and hoping for different results, you’re already behind. The truth is, the future…

Is a Bad Google Review Costing You Business Every Day?

That conversation is happening whether you’re listening or not. And in most cases, it’s a Google review steering your reputation without your input. It’s not a product flaw.It’s not a marketing problem. It’s not even the competitor who seems to be everywhere. It’s the overlooked power of reputation management.or more specifically, the lack of it.…