Assets to grab? Make it yours fast

Hi everyone,

Yesterday morning I had a really interesting conversation in a hotel lobby. I was on a business trip with a good friend of mine, and while we were waiting to check out, he shared how more and more salespeople have recently joined his real estate brokerage.

As we talked, he mentioned something that really stuck with me. He said a competing agency was about to shut down, and many of its agents were looking to join his company. Then he added, “They’ll go somewhere anyway, so they might as well come to me.”

That sentence made both of us pause, even him, and he was the one who said it.

Think about it. The talent pool in the market is always moving. Some people are just starting out, some are exceptional, and some might not be in the right profession. As entrepreneurs, we should want the best of the best working with us.

But what if those talented people are already out there in the field? What choices do they have? Will they stay where they are or are they always on the lookout for a better opportunity?

If we want to attract the best, we need to make sure we show up on their radar. Because, again: they’ll go somewhere, so why not to us?

This also applies to business acquisitions. Even at the SME level (or even smaller) when one company merges with another, or a slightly bigger player acquires a smaller one, it often follows the same principle. If we monitor the competition and see that they’ve captured a certain market segment or have a unique capability, and if we’re in a position to acquire them... why not? That knowledge, that market, will end up somewhere. Why not with us?

I imagine the same logic plays out in large-scale acquisitions too. I don’t have personal experience with those deals, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some companies aggressively pursue certain brands not just for their value, but simply because they know: if we don’t grab them, someone else will.

Events, sponsorships, media placements... someone will always buy these up, someone will always be featured. If it fits into our strategy, we should ask: which ones make the most sense for us to claim? Because again, someone will, so why not us?

This idea really stuck with me. And I’ve decided to start looking at both operations and strategy through this lens more intentionally. When I reflect on it, I realize we’ve already made a few decisions based on this kind of thinking, though mostly driven by instinct.

Now I’m wondering: how much more could we grow if we added strategy to that instinct?

See you soon,

Gabe