The Academy - Your source for business growth.

As business leaders, we often feel the pressure to keep looking ahead, chasing the next big idea or opportunity. But what if the key to something truly valuable isn’t in the future—but in the past? Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the power of looking back, not just for nostalgia’s sake, but to uncover ideas, insights, and inspiration that might have been overlooked. Sometimes, what we need most is...

Hey everyone, this is Chris Auman, President of Sanctuary. Welcome back to The Academy, where you get the tools, tips, and advice you need to grow your business. Today I wanted to weigh in on a topic that's on everyone's mind, and one that needs to be top-of-mind in the future, AI. Digital marketing and business is evolving at breakneck speed and AI is set to become a defining force in the way com...

Hey everyone, this is Chris Auman, President of Sanctuary. Welcome back to The Academy, where you get the tools, tips, and advice you need to grow your business. Today I wanted to continue on with an argument that I begun to make in episode 1 and 2 of this series. That is, why I think an investment in design is critical to marketing and ultimately business success. If you haven’t started with epis...

Hey everyone, this is Chris Auman, President of Sanctuary. Welcome back to The Academy, where you get the tools, tips, and advice you need to grow your business. Today I wanted to continue on with an argument that I begun to make in episode 1 of this series. That is, why I think an investment in design is critical to marketing and ultimately business success. If you haven’t started with episode 1,...

Today I wanted to make an argument. That is, why I think an investment in design is critical to marketing and ultimately business success. As a designer for over 30 years, I may be perceived as biased. But I am also a business owner, marketer, and consumer. At this point, I can tell you this with absolute confidence: An investment in design in your business isn’t optional. It’s a thread that suppo...

Hey everyone, this is Chris Auman, President of Sanctuary. Welcome back to The Academy, where you get the tools, tips, and advice you need to grow your business. Today I wanted to talk about customer retention. Retaining customers is how we not only keep our revenue steady, but also create opportunities to increase it. Many businesses mistakenly see a sale as the end of the customer journey, but i...

Today I wanted to openly discuss the benefits of choosing an inbound approach to marketing over more traditional tactics that we're all familiar with. You know them well. TV Ads, Billboards, Print Ads, Cold Calling, Junk Mail. While both aim to generate leads and drive sales, their methods are drastically and fundamentally different. What's inbound marketing exactly? It's more than jus...

Today I wanted to talk about a philosophy called The Toyota Way. The Toyota Way is a comprehensive framework that extends far beyond the auto industry, emphasizing efficiency, innovation, and respect for people to create lasting success. At its heart, it’s about fostering a culture where continuous improvement and problem-solving are central, with a strong recognition that people—not just processe...

Today, we’re going to talk about what a CRMS system is and all the ways you can use this tool to grow your business. Organizations are constantly searching for tools to optimize their operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive new revenue growth across all functions of their business. One of the most powerful tools is a CRM system.  CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and toda...

Today, let's talk about social selling. Social selling on social media platforms has become a cornerstone of modern sales strategies, particularly in the B2B space. It’s not about directly selling and pitching, and it's certainly not about generic outreach or spamming. The focus is on starting and building relationships, demonstrating real value, and engaging with potential customers in he...

Today, let's explore how the world of B2B digital marketing is evolving. Our world has changed rapidly over recent years due to several key factors, including technological advancements and new shifts in buyer behavior. B2B buyers are now more informed, demanding, and hard to reach than ever before — and they expect valuable, helpful content and seamless, personalized experiences across all to...

Today we're continuing the conversation around a concept called visioning. If you haven't heard episode #1 please head over there now. Visioning can be a transformative process that holds immense value for both companies and individuals. At the organizational level, having a clear and compelling vision provides a roadmap for success, guiding strategic decision-making and fostering alignmen...

Today we want to introduce you to a concept called visioning. Visioning can be a transformative process that holds immense value for both companies and individuals. At the organizational level, having a clear and compelling vision provides a roadmap for success, guiding strategic decision-making and fostering alignment among team members. But, on a personal and professional level, visioning can be...

We're well into the fourth quarter of the year, so today on the Academy I wanted to talk a little bit about strategic business planning. If you missed the previous episode where I talked about our final, two day process for planning, check out episodes 53 and 54 now. There are different approaches to strategic planning and ours at Sanctuary is continually evolving. Today I wanted to talk about...

Today on the Academy I wanted to compare the traditional approach of selling and servicing customers to a concept that I believe is a better way to grow your organization -- The Flywheel Model. The flywheel model is a strategic approach to doing business that was introduced by author Jim Collins. It describes how businesses can create a holistic strategy to harness the power of momentum, and it&#3...

Today is another Academy Quick Tip. We're all busy and need to continually learn. But sometimes we just don't have the time to even read entire articles or listen to a 30-minute podcast episode. This series will be a solution to that problem where I'll challenge myself to give you all the information you need to learn something new 5 minutes or less. So with that... the clock is ticket...

Today on the Academy we'll talk about a concept that should be central to everything your business does -- The Buyer's Journey. The buyer's journey is your roadmap that keeps buyers' behaviors, information needs, and problems top of mind, and to reduce the friction that keeps your organization from creating more revenue, faster. Closing new sales is just the start. By systematicall...

Today on the Academy I wanted to talk about having focus in business and in life. If you're continually struggling to achieve your goals, in business and in life, my thoughts here may provide an alternative approach to consider. Do I have it all figured out? Absolutely not. Could you provide another argument that contradicts everything I'm going to say here? Absolutely. So feel free to cha...

Today on the Academy we'll talk briefly about 5 principles that summarize why Inbound, conceptually, is a game-changing strategy to grow your business. Unlike traditional marketing and sales techniques, which rely on interruptive tactics and one-way communication with people who are generally not interested in what you're selling, Inbound is an end-to-end approach to revenue growth that se...

Today on the Academy we’re going to continue talking about Content Marketing and wrap up part 3 in this series. For those who are not familiar with the term or why it might be the single most important part of your marketing strategy, consider listening to episode 1 and 2 in this series for a solid overview where I'll explain why it's definitely a concept that, as a marketer or business ow...

Today on the Academy we’re going to continue talking about Content Marketing. For those who are not familiar with the term or why it might be the single most important part of your marketing strategy, consider listening to episode 1 in this series for a solid overview where I'll explain why it's definitely a concept that, as a marketer or business owner, you probably want to understand and...

Today on the Academy we’re going to be talking about Content Marketing. For those who are not familiar with the term or why it might be the single most important part of your marketing strategy, this episode will explain why it's definitely a concept that, as a marketer or business owner, you may want to understand and consider. Content marketing, conceptually, may seem simple -- and maybe it...

Today on the Academy we’re going to continue our series about how to use A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) to jumpstart and improve your marketing content. As Chris mentioned in previous episodes, if you’ve arrived expecting to hear that you no longer need a talented human to create content, then you’re going to be a little disappointed. In episode 1 Chris provided his thoughts on this, so head over...

Today on the Academy we’re going to continue our series about how to use A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) to jumpstart and improve your marketing content. If you’re here expecting me to say that you no longer need a talented human to create content, then you’re going to be a little disappointed. In episode 1 of this series I provided my thoughts on this, so head over there now to hear more. But, if...

Today on the Academy we’re going to kick off a series about how to use A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) to jumpstart and improve your marketing content. If you’re here expecting me to say that you no longer need a talented human to create content, then you might as well stop here and move on. A.I. Is not going to replace humans anytime soon when it comes to creating great, unique content that’s on b...