You don’t beat giants by playing their game. You beat them by changing it.
Becoming a Catalyst in your small business is about choosing speed over bureaucracy, clarity over noise, and bold execution over timid consensus. This isn’t theory. It’s the mindset and the mechanics that let you jump over larger competitors, energize your ecosystem, and turn “risky” ideas into repeatable wins.
Leapfrog The Big Guys: Sharp, Innovative Offers
Big companies move slow because every decision drags across meetings and managers. Your advantage is focus.
Pick one painful customer problem and solve it faster, cleaner, and with a better experience than anyone in your space. Package it as a tight productized service or a simple, irresistible offer. Price it clearly. Guarantee an outcome. Build in speed and accountability. Catalysts don’t add features. They remove friction.
Turn Your People Into Catalysts
Your people are either amplifying momentum or draining it. Make the mission stupid simple so everyone can repeat it word for word.
Give your team ownership of outcomes, not just tasks. Expect proactive communication and fast feedback loops.
Pull in vendors like strategic partners, not order takers. Share your roadmap, set service level expectations, and reward responsiveness.
Treat feeders like VIPs. Give them a one-pager, a short intro script, and a fast referral path so sending you opportunities is effortless. When your whole ecosystem moves with urgency and pride, you look bigger than you are.
Face Your Mental Struggle & Bet on Bold
Here’s the truth most owners won’t say out loud: the fear isn’t launching the new service. It’s launching it and hearing crickets. That’s the voice in your head telling you to wait for perfect.
Catalysts move before perfect. You will feel exposed. Good. Pressure forces clarity. Set a short runway, define the win, and commit. If the first version underperforms, you learn fast, adjust, and relaunch. Momentum is a decision, not a mood.
Make The Risk Pay Off With Disciplined Execution
Bold doesn’t mean sloppy. Track three metrics that matter: pipeline for the new offer, conversion speed, and client outcomes. Review weekly. Kill what drags. Double down on what moves. Build simple playbooks your team can run without you in the room. Catalysts create systems that scale courage into consistency.
One Action Step This Week
Pick one high-potential client and run a 14-day pilot of your new productized offer.
Write a one-page promise, outcomes, price, and timeline. Book the call, secure a quick yes, deliver like your reputation depends on it, and collect a case study.
That proof becomes your new sales engine.
Take The Next Step Forward
If you want the full playbook, my new book, Catalyst Leadership, launches on Amazon on September 30 (read the first chapter here).
It’s built for owners who are done waiting and ready to lead like force multipliers. Let’s stop acting small and start moving like the market leader your customers already need.
