162. Your Next 12 Months: Review, Regroup & Refocus to Align With Your BHAG

A simple, strategic way to review what's working, regroup your resources, and refocus where you want your business to go next.

This episode is relevant any time of the year, but as we look to a new year, it's a natural moment to think about where you've been and where you're going!

In Ep 162, Katie Mleziva (Real Food Brands) and Clint Matthews (Start Right Foods) share a simple framework you can use now and throughout the year to review your progress, regroup your resources, and refocus your plans.

Katie & Clint start with a light conversation about BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals), a concept from Jim Collins' book Built to Last that Katie first learned during her corporate brand management days at Kraft Foods. It's a helpful reminder to consider the exciting, BIG picture opportunity, and your vision for the kind of business you want to build.

Then they walk through a framework: Review, Regroup, and Refocus, including practical prompts and examples you can use to bring clarity and alignment to your next steps.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What a BHAG is and how it encourages big-picture, energizing thinking
• How to review your year with curiosity using prompts like:
  • What surprised you?
  • What energized or drained you?
  • Where were you aligned? Where were you winging it?
• What it looks like to regroup your time, money, energy, and team bandwidth
• How your results act as either a mirror or not an accurate reflection of your brand strategy
• Why the 3Rs support more aligned, confident decision-making
• Why this is a helpful exercise anytime — not just at the end of the year

Links & Resources

• Episode 143: Ideas Spinning in Your Head? Here's How to Make Them Work for You
• Built to Last by Jim Collins (origin of the BHAG concept)

Want to go deeper?

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Looking for clarity on your next steps?

Katie & Clint help food business owners review their strategy, cut through noise, and move forward with a clear plan. Reply to the newsletter or use the private scheduling link included each week to book a session.

WHAT TO DO NEXT?

1. 📧 Katie's Friday Newsletter includes a Weekly Worksheet to help you apply these ideas directly to your food business. Sign up here.

2. 💬 Join the Conversation! Tune in to the podcast, then join us in the Real Food Brands Marketing Round Table - a free food & farm business owner community - to ask questions and meet other people who love producing real food as much as you do!

3. 📞 If you're ready to talk about building a clear, cohesive brand or integrating your brand + sales strategy, you can Request an Intro Call to discuss the ways we work with food, farm, and natural product brands.

Thanks for listening – let's go shake up shopping carts!

Katie Mleziva

Host & Food Brand Strategist | Real Food Brands