When I first started The A Group, we were mostly a marketing agency focused on design, print, and some web work. Today, we are two strong divisions: a marketing agency and a technology company. Throughout our 10 years in business I got a lot of advice from friends and mentors, but one tip has paid off more than any of the others, and it has helped grow my company even in times where a lot of similar businesses have struggled.

I remember telling my friend Mike Miller that I used my organizational and leadership knowledge skills as a valued added for my clients who were buying marketing services from us. His reaction was unexpected: “you’re doing this upside down! The strategy is what matters the most. Anyone can come up with design. Your consulting is what you should be charging for.”

He was right. And that day I began to put a value on what I did best: my ability to understand a situation, figure out an outcome and, intuitively know what the next steps should be. From the strategy, my team has a clear road map to the execution. To date, our best marketing and technology work has come from the strategic services we provided our clients prior to production.

What was the best business advice you’ve ever gotten?