How Teams Make or Break a Brand

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.
- African Proverb
- Michael Scott

Today, let’s talk about something critical that comes up repeatedly in my work with clients: Teams.

Whether you lead a team or are part of one, I hope you get something out of this short email to take things to the next level for you.

I've encountered countless talented creators who produce exceptional content yet struggle with low engagement, leading them down a spiral of self-doubt.
The inverse is also true. I’ve seen incredible social managers and editors kneecapped by overbearing creators who aren’t aware of their own blindspots and how to let their team guide them.

But let’s zoom out and consider the entire content creation journey:

Creator: Creates content and records a compelling video.

Editor: Receives the video and edits to their understanding of what's needed.

Social Media Manager: Crafts the copy and shares the content online.

Creator: Waits eagerly for results that sometimes never come.

Great leaders naturally accept responsibility but remember, content success involves multiple skilled people, each with a crucial role in achieving the desired outcome (views, growth, and genuine engagement). We are only as strong as our weakest link.

So, what’s really going wrong? Could it be your editor or social manager isn't quite hitting the mark? Could it be the creator? Could it be you? The short answer: Absolutely.

When auditing teams, I typically discover 3 main bottlenecks:

1. Editors: Often editing simply to gain client approval rather than understanding the nuanced "attention code" the structure and pacing required to truly capture viewers.

2. Social Media Managers: Frequently unaware of precisely who the client serves, instead defaulting to trendy tactics that generate superficial engagement but fail to build deep connections with the audience.

3 Creators who doesn’t know how to truly make content and won’t allow a great team to guide.

The best teams I've worked with share one powerful trait: clarity. Every single team member deeply understands their audience, their role, and the ultimate goal, their North Star.

I call these people North Star Team Members. They're aligned, confident, and empowered, all pulling in the same direction, creating a beautiful harmony.

How NOT to be the Bottleneck

I believe we all have a built in servant heart, so if you are working with a team at any level, more clarity will allow you to serve to the best of your ability. This info also applies to VA’s. Just because they are abroad and on their own hours doesn’t excuse them from being North Star centric.

If you're the leader/creator, it's your job to communicate your vision clearly and passionately. Illuminate your North Star so brightly that your team can't help but follow it. Your team's output is directly connected to your clarity. Also, you hired them for a purpose, let them guide you when they see your blindspots.

If you're a team member, honestly ask yourself: "Do I truly understand who we're serving and exactly what our outcome is?" If not, speak up and stand your ground.

If you're an editor, are you editing just to gain approval and a paycheck, or are you intentionally using a proven formula (Hook, Retain, Reward) to give your content its best shot at capturing attention?

If you're managing social media, are you confidently standing up for quality? Or are you settling for subpar output to "get things out"? Do you understand what’s required to stop someone scrolling on your posts? There are no gold stars for just putting stuff out for the sake of doing so.

Top-performing teams know their strengths. They trust each other’s expertise and empower every member to contribute their Michael Jordan-level talent to the common vision. Also, to all of the above, revisiting last weeks newsletter, if EVERYONE is a student of the game and their game, magic happens.

One more thing. If you are a leader/creator with a stellar team, take the time today to let them know. They are on your team, out their batting for you serving your North Star for a brighter future. Without them, you wouldn’t have a vehicle to inspire the world. They could even leave you and become stars in someone else’s sky.

Until next week, where we might touch on AI and how to use it as a tool not a team member….

Bo