Grow North Thursday Newsletter

Every Thursday morning, you'll get 1 actionable tip to boost your business, enhance your purpose, and help you live your best life.

Author

Catapult North

I help small and medium businesses, as well as individuals, build audience and revenue through 1:1 coaching, flexible marketing advisory, and Fractional CMO services

Fractional CMO, Marketing Advisor & Growth Coach

Saunable

After experiencing the life-changing benefits of sauna, my husband Ed and I built a high-end, custom mobile sauna. Our mission: help more people feel better through quality, accessible sauna.

Today, we offer custom-built mobile saunas for purchase and host guided sauna experiences in nature. Learn more at Saunable.com.

Founder

Emergent Software

Brought on by the leadership team as a fractional CMO to define marketing strategy aligned with business goals, build a scalable content engine, align resources for execution, elevate brand positioning, and drive awareness and lead generation.

Chief Marketing Officer

Good Plane Living

My husband Ed and I built a Vans RV-10 airplane in our garage over the course of 3.5 years. We vlog/blog about our airplane building (now flying) adventures and life as an aviation family.

Airplane builder & Content Creator

Midion (formerly LeanProject)

I helped Midion navigate the decision and execute the transition from LeanProject into a brand that truly captures its broader value beyond lean construction. I partnered with leadership to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy, including a full rebrand, a website overhaul, and various digital initiatives - while bringing in the right resources to ensure long-term success.

Fractional Chief Marketing Officer

CIOs Against Cancer

After helping build CIOs Against Cancer from the ground up, I stepped into a strategic advisory role to support the next stage of growth.

-Helped shape the plan for scaling our mission and operations beyond the founding team.
-Advised on long-term fundraising efforts, including geographic expansion.
-Supported leadership transitions to ensure continuity and momentum.

I'm proud to have played a part in this organization’s journey. My volunteer commitment to CIOs Against Cancer, cancer research, and ending cancer... for everyone, continues on.

Strategic Advisor

Co-created and launched the organization, spearheading the idea from inception to impact.

Key contributions:

-Community Building: Launched founding events and built the base for long-term engagement.
-Organizational Design: Developed structure and processes for a scalable, consistent community.
-Board Growth: Supported board expansion to ensure long-term stability.
-Fundraising Leadership: Led efforts that raised $1M+ in 4 years

Built the foundation for a mission-driven organization with lasting momentum.

Founding Executive Director

Renodis - Connectivity Technology Experts

I supported the business strategy through marketing advisory and strategic marketing vision to generate awareness, build credibility, and drive qualified leads. I also led the development of Renodis community, CIOs Against Cancer, a group of c-suite technology leaders working toward a future without cancer.

Fractional CMO

Society for Information Management - Minnesota Chapter

SIM (Society for Information Management) brings together IT leaders to share, network and give back to their communities through the collaboration.

Board of Directors - Chair of Programs and Events

Cashé Software

Cashé Software is Minnesota’s leading provider of agency management software for home and community-based services agencies.

In my Strategic Advisory role, I worked with the Marketing Team to create the strategic marketing roadmap as well as provide counsel ongoing.

Fractional CMO, Strategic Advisor

Purpose-Driven Growth Coach | Author, Grow North Thursday | Marketing Advisor | 3x Entrepreneur | Airplane & Sauna Builder

👋 Follow me for weekly thoughts on business growth, personal purpose, and life design. 

🔥 Try my free newsletter Grow North Thursday. Get 1 actionable growth system each week to align profit, purpose, and a meaningful life. 

Award-winning marketing leader with 20 years experience growing B2B technology brands, SaaS startups, and $300M+ legacy businesses.

My purpose is to help others grow in their personal and professional purpose, advancing joy and meaning in individuals and communities, and courageous choices that lead to a fulfilling life.

Personal interests: Experimental aviation, sauna building, lifting heavy weights, meditation, lifestyle design, and attacking cancer. Proud boy mom and partner in projects and dreams with my husband, my life build teammate, Ed.

My Core Values:
-Service & Integrity
-Growth & Curiosity
-Connection & Understanding
-Wellbeing & Health
-Courage & Creative Freedom

LET'S CONNECT.

I love working with smart and interesting people from all walks of life.

If you have an idea for a collaboration, want to jam out on a podcast, or hire me, then let's chat.

Colleen Kranz💡

Your weirdness is your competitive advantage.


We’re living in a time when being truly human is rare. Scroll through any social media platform and everything starts to sound the same. It has the same structure, same tone, and the same recycled ideas dressed in new language.

When I first started sharing ideas on Linkedin I tried to fit the mold. I wrote like I thought I was supposed to. Professional, polished, and very predictable.

It was fine, but it wasn't me.

When I finally started writing the way I actually think and talk, sharing my real stories from building airplanes, saunas, communities, and businesses, something big shifted in me.

A few people who resonated with my message stopped scrolling and started connecting.

I realized this:

The different parts of us, our quirks, stories, tone, and perspective, are the very things that make our work and our message stand out.

You don’t need to sound like everyone else to build trust and visibility.

You just need to sound like you.


📸 image cred: Two Harbors, MN. Some of the last red maple leaves still hanging on.

Purpose-Led Growth Architect | Author, Grow North Thursday | Advisor to Entrepreneurs Who Want Profit, Purpose & Wellbeing | 3x Entrepreneur & Builder of Communities, Airplanes & Saunas

The biggest productivity system I’ve ever built doesn’t live in Notion or a Google Sheet.

It's me.

For years, I thought working harder was the answer. More hours. More coffee. More output.

But burnout and a panic attack during Covid taught me something simple: 

You can’t grow a business on an empty tank.

These days, my health is part of my business strategy.

• Walks in the middle of the day
• Workouts on the calendar
• My daily work shutdown routine
  
The better I feel, the better I lead. The worse I feel, the slower everything moves.

Take care of the system that fuels everything else. You. 

📌 What’s one habit that’s made the biggest difference for you?

By default I am unreasonably hard on myself. But this tool has helped me reprogram:

When something goes off the rails, my inner critic gets loud:

“This isn’t good enough. Just stop.”
“I keep doing things wrong.”

That spiral is the exact opposite of where I want my focus to be.

So I’ve been working, slowly and intentionally, on changing that mindset.

One tool that’s helped me more than I ever expected ➜ my receipts file.

It’s nothing fancy. Just a Notion folder where I collect kind notes people have shared with me about my impact.

The email from Andy Dulka. 
The message from Jennifer Larson. 
The encouraging words from Sheena Burt. 
That text from Heather Manley.
Reminders from Jeff Mader. 
From Bhavika Tilwani, Joe Raasch, Ross Gilbertson, Laura Krafka, Keri Lappi, and Kate Ferrian.

When the critic is loud, I pull up my receipts. I read them again. And again.

Letting others lift me up, even when they don’t know they are.

Because we’re rarely as hard on others as we are on ourselves. 

And sometimes the best way to shift that inner voice… is to borrow someone else’s for a while.

📌 Do you keep your own version of a “receipts file”?

📸 image cred: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, CA. Adventures from our month-long motorhome sabbatical.

I wrote this on a post-it after a recent call with Laura Krafka.

It’s been on my desk ever since.

Most of us listen to respond.
Not to understand.

Laura uses these three words to help people get to what’s really underneath the story they’re telling:

“Tell me more.”

Those words have been sitting with me all week. And I’ve been blown away by how much they can uncover at work, with friends, my kids, even my husband.

I always walk away from our conversations with many nuggets, Laura.

Thanks for this one.

I started thinking about my energy like it’s an expensive luxury item.

Not everyone can afford it. Not everyone gets it automatically.

People tell me, "Wow, you have endless energy."

In fact, I don't. But I build more energy by investing it wisely.

I started thinking... If my energy were a luxury watch, or a family heirloom passed down for generations...

how would I treat it?

I’d protect it.
Keep it out of reach from careless hands.
Get it serviced regularly so it runs smoothly.
And only take it out for moments that matter.

Lately, I’ve been asking myself:

💭 Who and what actually deserve access to my energy?
💭 Where am I wasting it on things that don’t return value, joy, or purpose?
💭 How can I maintain, even grow it - not just manage it - for the long game?

Energy is our most precious currency.
Spend it like it’s rare.
Invest it where it compounds.
And guard it like an heirloom...

because it’s the one thing you can’t replace. ✌


📌 What’s one small boundary or ritual that helps you protect or grow your energy?

📸 image cred: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, South Unit, South Dakota

I got to witness Dewald B. go next level at CrossFit HSC. It was like time stopped.  

This photo was taken 30 seconds after he finished a “death by” workout where you literally go until you cannot take another step.

Here was the workout:

• 6 shuttle runs (300 ft total) + 6 burpees = 1 round
• Each round must be completed in 1 min 30 sec
• For every new round, you earn 30 seconds of rest and add +2 burpees
• You continue until you can no longer complete the round

Dewald smashed 9 rounds.

It was absolutely incredible to watch.

He kept going long after most people tapped out, and he did it with full focus and intention.

Every step was optimized, fluid, and steady. He committed to the round and gave 100% until the very last second.

When you watch someone who’s refined their technique, mastered their mindset, and gives everything they’ve got, holy cow is it inspiring!

It’s also a reminder of what’s possible when effort meets consistency.

Dewald, thanks for being my inspiring gym buddy and thought partner both in and out of the gym.

p.s. Did you know Dewald brings this same level of discipline and determination to his client work too? If you’re looking for a super sharp business coach + technologist + EOS implementer, or just want to connect with a genuinely solid human, give him a shout!

Welp. This was the gut check I didn’t know I needed.        


I’ve been refining a self-leadership curriculum for entrepreneurs while experimenting with AI prompts that serve as honesty checks, using myself and a few brave friends as test subjects.

I call this one The AI Mirror Test.

• It’s disarmingly introspective
• It invites both affirmation and growth-focused feedback
• It simulates a compassionate, neutral third-party reflection

Most entrepreneurs like myself move so fast solving, leading, and building that we rarely stop to notice how we’re showing up.

Here’s the prompt I’ve been experimenting with:

“Act as a thoughtful observer who’s been quietly studying my communication style, ideas, and values through our conversations. If you were to hold up a mirror to who I am as a leader, creator, or human, what would you reflect back that I might not be seeing clearly? Include both the strengths I underestimate and the blind spots I might be ignoring.”

What came back for me was honest and unexpected in the best way. It was the kind of insight you’d get from a mentor or a long-time friend.

If you’re up for a little personal growth this week, give it a try. You might just learn something new about yourself.

If you’re comfortable, share what your “AI mirror” reflected back. 

I’ll go first 👇

Happy birthday to Ed Kranz.


He calls my BS.
He’s my biggest supporter.
Entrepreneur. Builder. Inventor. Fixer. Maker.
Technologist. Pilot. Videographer. Drone pilot. 3D print designer.

My soulmate, build buddy, travel partner, and better half... the complete opposite of me in all the best ways.

Over the years, he’s built airplanes, saunas, and businesses, among so many other things.

He’s also built something even better: the belief that exploring new things can change how you see yourself.

So here’s to the coolest guy I know, who makes everything an adventure. Who teaches by example.

And who somehow makes “let’s build it ourselves” sound like the most reasonable idea in the world.

Happy Birthday. 💙

And thank you for letting me share about you all the time here on LinkedIn. 😉


p.s. You should check out our sauna handiwork. 🔥 Saunable's 3rd season of sauna experiences in nature just kicked off at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan, MN - right on Schulze Lake Beach. Grab a ticket or book your most memorable private event ever. Drop 𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗮 below and I’ll DM you more info. 👇

Things are just more fun in groups. 𐦂𖨆𐀪𖠋𐀪𐀪


OK, maybe this photo is a slight exaggeration, but it’s not that far off. When you get the right people together, you know the shift that happens... shared energy, real support, a bit of accountability, and just a lot more momentum.

So, I’m taking my weekly newsletter, Grow North Thursday, up a notch.

Starting today, there’s a private LinkedIn group for readers to actually talk about the weekly topic, swap experiments, and crowdsource some solutions in a safe, candid space.

This week’s discussion:

We’re kicking things off with a conversation about boundaries - where they’re leaking, what’s actually working, and what still feels hard as a purpose-driven leader.

If you’ve been looking for a group of thoughtful, ambitious folks to share the journey with (no fluff, no spam, no performative nonsense), come check it out.

Click the link in the comments to join us. ↓

I finally upgraded my AirPods. ✌️


My old pair had been through everything. Workouts, flights, deep focus days. They were even Ed’s before they were mine. (I know, ew.)

I used them until they were literally falling apart.

But this time, I ordered my own. And I added my branding.

Free. And just a tiny little mark. But now they feel mine.

It got me thinking about business. Because that’s what every client or customer really wants - for what you deliver to feel like theirs.

Not that it's the most expensive. Or the most complex or even the best. But that it's theirs and just what they need.

Here’s how to do that today 👇

1️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸

Listen closely to how they describe their goals - and use their language in your proposals, recaps, and marketing. It tells them you actually heard them.

2️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 

A handwritten card. A short video, a first-week win, or a check-in that celebrates their progress. Not automated. But real and human.

3️⃣ 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝘄𝗻. 

Programs, plans, or processes feel stronger when the client’s name or story is part of it. (“The Summit Plan” feels way more meaningful than “Strategy Package B.”)

Small touches create ownership. 
Ownership builds connection.
And connection drives loyalty, ease, and better results - for both sides.

Make your work feel "theirs." That’s the real power of personalization.

Burnout doesn’t happen because you’re weak. It happens because your boundaries are.

If you’re like most purpose-driven leaders and business owners I work with, you’re juggling more than most. 

You care deeply about your work, your team, and the impact you’re trying to make.

But all of that caring can become a double-edged sword without clear boundaries.

Here’s how it often shows up:

⚡ Tired but wired
⚡ Constantly reactive
⚡ Like your days are full, but your strategy time is empty
⚡ Or if you stopped, everything would fall apart

These feelings are often a boundary problem in disguise.

I learned this the hard way in 2020 after burning out myself.

It starts small - a late-night email, a quick “yes” to something that “won’t take long.” Before you know it, your focus is scattered, your calendar is bloated, and your vision is buried under busywork.

Boundaries aren’t just about time. They’re the invisible structure that protects your decision-making, strategy, and long-term impact.

And yet…

📊 72% of leaders say they prioritize urgent tasks over important ones
📊 68% check messages outside of work hours
📊 1 in 2 have felt signs of burnout in the last year

This is not sustainable.
But it is fixable.

Let’s get you back in control. In tomorrow’s newsletter, I’m sharing a 4-step Boundary Audit. We'll: 

1. Find your boundary leak zones
2. Define what better looks like
3. Communicate + reinforce your boundaries
4. Create your system for reviewing and adjusting

Because when leaders like you are clear, focused, and your energy is protected, your vision helps move the whole ecosystem forward.

Sign up here:
https://lnkd.in/gkpjFiyN


📌 What's your best boundary advice?

A few weeks ago, I sat on a panel at the University of Minnesota, talking with business sales students about networking.

What surprised me most wasn’t their questions about LinkedIn or how to get introductions, it was the anxiety about the conversation itself.

“What do I say?” 
“How do I start?” 
“What if it’s awkward?”

And honestly, the anxiety isn't just with students. I see this everywhere, from boardrooms to the parents' backyard BBQ I went to last weekend.

We all grew up hearing “communication is important,” but most of us never learned how to actually do it in a way that feels natural for us, builds trust, and opens doors.

The good news: conversation is a skill you can practice and improve, just like anything else that matters in business and life.

Tomorrow in Grow North Thursday, we're breaking down 3 powerful habits I’ve seen work - both in my own life and with clients - for having better conversations anywhere.

If you want me to send you the full walkthrough, drop “convo” in the comments and I’ll send you the link. 👇

The night the mailbox broke.


Andy, my dad’s neighbor, was driving home after high school jazz band practice on a dark and snowy night.

He had just gotten his driver’s license the week before.

He rounded the last corner before his house and hit a patch of ice. The van slid across the road and slammed into something.

When he got out, he saw he’d taken out my dad’s mailbox. The post was snapped in half and there was a tiny dent in the front of the van.

He could have gone home and hoped no one noticed. But he didn’t.

He called his parents, then walked up to my dad’s front door through the snowdrifts.

My dad answered and Andy told him what happened.

My dad said, “Thanks for letting me know. We’ll get it standing again for now, and you can help me put in a new one when spring comes.”

That spring, Andy came over with a shovel and a new mailbox.

The two of them talked while they worked. They didn’t really know each other before that night. Now they stop to chat, help each other out, and wave when they drive by.

All because a kid chose to own his mistake.

It’s funny how connection starts sometimes. It’s not always perfect. Sometimes it begins in small, human moments that reveal who we really are.

In business and in life, those are the moments that build trust and community.

Ever had a promising deal just… disappear?


The calls went well, the proposal was sent… and then silence. It’s a terrible feeling. Like they vanished into a black hole.

That’s where one of my clients was stuck.

me: “Walk me through how a customer decides to buy from you.”
them: “We have a discovery call, send a proposal, and they accept.”
me: “Always?”
them: “Well… sometimes it drags on for months. Honestly, I guess I don’t really know.”

That was the problem. They weren’t missing opportunities, they were missing the map.

And maybe you’ve felt the same. You’re putting in effort, but if someone asked you to draw the steps your customers take before buying, could you do it with confidence?

Customers don’t just stumble into buying. They take steps, often predictable ones, that you can see, document, and improve.

But if you don’t know the path, you can’t guide them.

That day, I started sketching a rough map of their customer journey. Within weeks, they realized the problem wasn’t the proposal, it was everything leading up to it.

Prospects were stalling in the research phase, looping in extra stakeholders, and dragging out timelines.

So we made three small shifts:

✅ Added a simple FAQ sheet to head off repeat objections
✅ Built a one-page summary for busy execs
✅ Added a 3-day follow-up email after proposals

Within a month, multiple deals were moving again. And the team finally had clarity on where to focus next.

I’m breaking this down in detail in tomorrow’s Grow North Thursday newsletter, including:

• The 5 stages customers go through before buying
• How to identify the moments that matter
• A simple framework to map your own customer journey

If you want me to send you the full walkthrough, drop “map” in the comments and I’ll send you the link.

We love the idea of the end result.


The healthy body. The thriving business. The financial freedom.

But every result comes with a lifestyle attached.

If you don’t actually want the day-to-day that creates it, then maybe it’s time to let go of the desire.

Because wanting the reward without the process is the fastest way to stay stuck and frustrated.

Sometimes the braver move isn’t to push harder…
 
…it’s to be honest with yourself about what you’re actually willing or wanting to live.

What’s one goal you’ve let go of because the lifestyle behind it wasn’t really yours?

I'll go first ↓


p.s. this new sander makes fall sauna freshening up a dream!

Ever chased a goal thinking it was for you, only to realize later it was for someone else?

Maybe it was a career move, a business milestone, or a big decision that felt right at the time…

But deep down, it was fueled more by what you thought others expected than what you truly wanted.

That’s the sneaky power of what sociologists call the looking-glass self. The idea that much of how we see ourselves is shaped by how we think others see us.

If you're like me, you probably had to stop and think about that for a second. What a mind screw!

Years ago, I started a blog. I was a new mom, and blogging was having a moment.
Everyone around me seemed to be starting one, so I thought... I’m creative, I can write, this makes sense.

So I launched a mom blog.

But it never felt like me. I found myself writing what I thought I was supposed to write, and it was painful.

Deep down, I didn’t want to build a community around motherhood content. I wanted to write about growth. Business. Purpose. Building things that matter.

Something that didn’t fit into a box.

Looking back, I wasn’t following my gut. I was following what I thought would be approved of.

It looked like self-expression. But it was really self-editing.

Why this matters 👇

When we’re unaware of our looking-glass self, we can unintentionally:

• Build a business that looks good on paper but doesn’t feel good to run
• Create content that gets attention but doesn’t reflect our truth
• Make decisions that slowly pull us away from our purpose, not toward it

Tomorrow in my Grow North Thursday newsletter, I’m breaking down how to spot your own looking-glass self...

and how to reclaim your voice in a world that constantly wants to define it for you.

Want to join us? Subscribe with the link in the comments ↓

Clear words are the byproduct of clear decisions


A few years ago, I was sitting in a boardroom with a leadership team.

We were working on messaging for two solutions that looked dangerously similar. Within minutes, the conversation started circling:

“This one should be positioned as premium.”
“No, this one is faster.”
“Can’t we just say both?”

The words weren’t the problem. The clarity was.

Then, I said something no one really wanted to hear:

❝If we’re not aligned here, the words will never work.❞

Everyone looked at me. The CEO nodded.

Here’s what I’ve learned since: 

The way you talk about your business will always reveal the strategy (or lack of it) underneath.

Which is why so many founders, leaders, and teams get stuck in endless wordsmithing - when the real issue isn’t the copy at all, it’s the decisions that haven’t been made.

Tomorrow in Grow North Thursday newsletter, I’m breaking this down in detail:

• The real cost of unclear words and what they reveal about your strategy
• The 4 cracks that always show up when alignment is missing.
• A simple 3-step reset you can use the next time you feel stuck explaining your offer, business, or services

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to stop spinning in circles and start fixing the foundation so your words actually work.

📌 Have you ever realized a "wordsmithing" problem was really a decision problem? I’d love to hear how you spotted it. 👇

Wise IT Consulting, Inc

Working with Our Clients and Consultants to make Wise IT Decisions

Wise IT Consulting provides Staffing and Recruiting Services in the areas of:
- Project Management and Business Analysis
- Software Development - Java, .Net, Oracle and Mobile
- Quality Assurance - Automation and Manual
- Data Management - DBA, Architects, ETL and Reporting

CEO / Owner

Datacom/Q

Director of Business Development

Datacom Consulting Corp.

Partner

Coherent Solutions, Inc.

Vice President of Business Development

Fujitsu Consulting

District Director

Greenbrier & Russel

Manage all areas to a technology services firm.  Main areas include: Sales, Recruiting, Branch P&L, Delivery, Administration and Client Development.  Ensure development and growth in all Practice areas: Enterprise Solutions (Oracle and PeopleSoft), Business Intelligence and Advanced Technologies (Java and .Net).

Vice President & Managing Director

BP Amoco

As a consultant I was part of a development team creating applications for Amoco's Research Center.

Consultant (with Greenbrier & Russel)

Dan Wisniewski brings over 25 years of consulting industry experience.  He started his career as a Developer/DBA and has been in the roles of recruiter, operations, management and business development.  

Connect with Dan @ 612-735-7622. 



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