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💡

The holidays are better with sauna.


Cold air, warm cedar, and steam rolling off the rocks… it always gets people right where they need to be.

That might be letting go of the weight, a little sauna talk, or just being silent. Good heat is simple, and it does its magic every single time.

Whether you're:

-Looking for a last-minute team outing
-Hosting family
-On the hunt for a fun friend adventure
-Or in the mood for a no-fuss solo heat soak

I’ve got a nature sauna escape ready for you, built by us from the frame up.

If you’re in the Twin Cities, DM me for a 10% off code.

See you on the bench! 🔥

Purpose-Led Growth Architect | Advisor to Founders Building Profitable, Sustainable Businesses | Author of Grow North Thursday | 3x Entrepreneur & Builder of Communities, Airplanes & Saunas

A few weeks ago I woke up, drank some coffee, and went straight into… chaos.
 
I was half-writing a newsletter, half-scrolling my calendar, making smoothies for the kids (one landed on me and the floor), and trying to get us out the door.
 
One kid had no clean underwear.  My sweater was covered in smoothie.  My mother-in-law called about Christmas plans.
 
And I blurted out:  “I can't talk right now! I’m too busy!”
 
As if the universe should have known that I, Colleen Kranz, was operating in full crisis mode.
 
Then the wiser voice chimed in: “Hey Mrs. Life Design and Purpose Work… you’re making everybody crazy.”
 
Whoops.
 
Ever been there?
 
You get spun up in your own internal urgency and suddenly everyone around you gets pulled into it.
 
Deadlines are real. People count on us. The pressure is real.
 
But there’s a better way to handle intensity without letting it run your whole system.
 
That’s what tomorrow’s Grow North Thursday newsletter is about:
 
the antidote to your own urgency story.
 
If you want to join us, the link is in the comments. 👇

Back in 2015, we completed the build of our Vans RV-10 airplane.
 
It took years of weekends, late nights, and a whole lot of learning.
 
The plane has a Garmin G3X touchscreen and an autopilot system that, once you’re at cruising altitude, can hold course for hours.
 
It’s smooth. Reliable. Honestly… a little too easy.
 
Because even with autopilot on, we still stay alert. Watching the skies. Navigating around weather. Listening to the radio. Monitoring fuel and altitude.
 
Autopilot keeps the wings level. But it doesn’t think ahead.
 
That part is still on us.
 
And it’s not all that different from how we live our lives.
 
We find our routines. We lock in a course. And suddenly we’re months or years down the line, moving fast but not checking whether we’re still headed somewhere that matters.
 
A client said this to me recently on a strategy call:
 
“I’m so busy keeping everything running that I can’t remember the last time I felt excited about any of it.”
 
She wasn’t burned out. She was disconnected.
 
Her days had turned into a checklist of things that once mattered but no longer felt alive.
 
That’s what autopilot looks like in real life. You keep moving, but you stop steering.
 
Tomorrow in Grow North Thursday newsletter, I’m sharing 5 practical ways to step out of autopilot and take back the controls in your work, your leadership, and your life.
 
If you want the guide, the link to subscribe is in the comments. ✈️ 💛

Lately I’ve been noticing how tightly I grip my schedule.


Every minute accounted for. Every block of time is ultra-efficient. 

So, I tried a small experiment.

I started leaving for appointments ten or fifteen minutes earlier.

(obvious advice, right?)
 
But those extra minutes changed how I moved through the day. I stopped rushing and showing up everywhere hot. I noticed things again, like the quiet of my car or the random flyer on the coffee shop bulletin board. I felt time soften a little instead of something I had to push against.
 
It made me wonder: how much of our stress comes not from time itself, but from how we treat it?
 
Over the past few months I’ve been learning to relate to my schedule differently. Not to dominate it with more rules, but to calm it.
 
In tomorrow’s Grow North Thursday email, I’m sharing four simple shifts that helped me get there.

Want to follow along? Link is in the comments. ↓


📌 Which one are you: leave-early, right-on-time, or always-rushing?

“Berry rich.”


Last weekend I was sitting around a bonfire with friends when someone used this phrase I'd never heard before.

It means you can afford to buy berries in the middle of winter.

I laughed out loud. When I was growing up, we had wild black raspberries that grew along every edge of our farm. Each summer, we’d fill old ice cream buckets with them until our fingers were stained purple. My parents froze what we couldn't eat - small containers stacked in the freezer, waiting for winter.

I can't even remember buying berries from a store, but man... did it feel rich.

So when I heard "berry rich,” it got me thinking. 

Maybe richness isn’t just about what we can buy. Maybe it’s also about what we can still appreciate.

If you’ve ever wondered what “rich” really means, or how to keep the good things from losing their meaning, tomorrow's Thanksgiving-edition newsletter is for you.

We’ll explore what it means to define richness for yourself, and how to protect what makes your life feel full.

Want to join us? Link is in the comments ↓

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

You'd be surprised how many people are out there doing it completely terrified.

Some people have just figured out how to take action anyway.

Nobody does brave things alone.

Every bold move I’ve ever made was easier because of the people in my corner. The ones who remind me who I am, and nudge me toward the version of myself I’m building.

Fear shrinks when your inner circle is strong.

The friend who listens without judgment. Bhavika Tilwani
The one who tells you the truth gently. Laura Krafka
The one who reminds you you’ve done hard things before. Jenica Pospisil
The one who believes in you on the days you forget to. Keri Lappi 

If you’re stepping into something new right now and feeling that familiar fear… don’t white-knuckle it alone.

Lean on your people.  
Accept support.  
Let yourself be lifted.

Your fear doesn't disqualify you from success.
 
What bold step are 𝘺𝘰𝘶 taking this week? ✌️


📸 image cred: Lake Superior sunrise moment in Two Harbors with the lovely Laura Krafka. She’s bringing something meaningful to the North Shore - a place for people to slow down, reconnect, and grow!

Who do you know that could benefit from your kindness at this time?


Not your money or your advice. Your kindness.

This might look like a genuine check-in, a thoughtful message. Or a reminder that they’re not alone in what they’re building, facing, or carrying.

Business isn’t just about strategy, sales, or scaling. It’s about humanity. And often, the most powerful growth lever we have isn’t another tactic, it's our presence.

So today, I’m choosing to slow down for a moment and ask:

Who could use a little extra kindness from me?

And I’ll challenge you to do the same. Pick one person, reach out, and be genuine.

Because this is what growing on purpose really looks like in the day-to-day.

We rise by lifting others, especially when there's no ROI expected.

📌 Tag someone who’s shown you that kind of kindness. Let’s spread what the world could use more of right now.

I’m grateful for you.


Whether you’ve been in my corner for years or we just connected recently, thank you for reading, supporting, sharing your wins, asking thoughtful questions, and doing the hard work of growing with intention.
 
It’s easy to rush through the year without stopping to notice what (and who) is actually helping us move forward.
 
So today, I hope you get a moment of stillness. A moment to breathe. A moment to appreciate how far you’ve come, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
 
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. Cheering for you always. 🤍

I’ve noticed a pattern this year across the leaders I work with.

 
Many of them are growing, but not always in a direction that feels meaningful to them.
 
They’re busy. They’re hitting milestones. They’re moving things forward.
 
But the progress doesn’t feel like the right kind of growth.
 
Across my client work (fractional CMO, growth coach, and strategist), the same three themes keep showing up. 

 
1. Clarity is beating speed  

More leaders are slowing down long enough to ask better questions. Where are we heading? Why does it matter?
 
The companies growing in a healthy direction are defining their reason for existing, choosing a direction and a specific market position, cutting noise, and making decisions with intention. They know speed without clarity just creates burnout.

 
2. Simplicity is becoming an advantage  

So many teams feel the weight of complexity. Too many tools, tactics, and competing ideas.
 
What’s working now is much simpler: clear messaging, focused offers, and systems people can actually follow through on. Leaders want work to feel cleaner, not heavier.

 
3. Well-being is becoming a business strategy  

This is one of the most encouraging shifts.
 
More founders are recognizing that sustainable growth depends on their capacity. They’re choosing fewer priorities, setting boundaries, and designing healthier rhythms. Overwhelmed leaders make overwhelmed decisions.

 
The bottom line  
 
The leaders who pause, simplify, and realign are the ones creating growth that actually feels like success.

A big part of being happy is letting yourself be excited about things.
 

And I’m not talking about big milestones. I mean the tiny, ordinary moments that make up most of your life.
 
My son Dash reminds me of this. His superpower is feeling excited about things. A new house project we’re working on, a new friend, hot chocolate, something we mentioned two weeks ago.
 
His excitement fills the whole house.
 
We adults, especially leaders and entrepreneurs, often lose this skill.
 
We stop letting ourselves look forward to things unless they are big or “productive.” We move from one responsibility to the next. We forget how energizing simple excitement can be.
 
I’ve been trying to bring more of it back into my week.
 
Sauna Fridays.  
Planning a meal I love.  
Cheering for my friends and clients.  
Anything that gives the week a spark of excitement.
 
When you let yourself get excited about everyday things, life feels more alive. More meaningful. More yours.
 
📌 What’s something you’re excited about today?

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

This quote from Viktor Frankl has been on my mind lately, especially around the tension between two skills that shape how we grow:

Self-honesty: facing reality as it is.
Self-freedom: loosening our grip on the identities and stories that keep us stuck.

Most of us lean hard toward one side.

Some of us are great at being honest. We see the numbers. We see the patterns. We see the strain we keep calling “a busy season.” But honesty without freedom can feel like a cage. You stare at the truth, judge yourself for it, and stay rooted in the same spot.

Others lean toward freedom. We love new ideas and possibilities. We detach from old beliefs quickly. But freedom without honesty can drift into avoidance. No grounding.

I believe real growth happens when both are present:

➽ Honesty says: Here’s what’s true right now.
➽ Freedom says: And here’s how I’m willing to respond.

So here’s a simple practice for this week:

Where do I need more honesty?
(What am I avoiding, downplaying, or rationalizing?)

Where do I need more freedom?
(Where am I gripping too tightly to old roles, expectations, or stories?)

If you can hold both, you’ll make clearer decisions and stay far more resilient through change.

Which one do you need more of right now?

I'll go first 👇

What did you love before you got so busy?


It's easy to focus on productivity and results while unintentionally sidelining the things that replenish our energy and reconnect us to joy.

For me, that’s music. That’s community. It’s creating something together that’s bigger than what any one of us could do alone.

So this year, I decided to sing again - and joined a choir!

If you’re local, I’d love to invite you to come see what we've been working on:

📍 Hastings High School Auditorium  
📅 Sunday, December 14 | 2–3pm  
🎟️ Free admission, donations accepted to support the chorale

But wherever you are, and whatever’s on your plate right now, I hope you find a few minutes this week to reconnect with your thing - whatever brings you joy, no ROI required.

p.s. We're singing with an orchestra (yes, we’re fancy)

4 years ago, I started my business helping companies build more intentional marketing strategies.
 
Like many founders, I thought the biggest hurdles would be tactical: positioning, pricing, pipeline.
 
But here’s what I’ve learned - growth is mostly internal.
 
Building a business will ask you to confront every piece of armor you’ve ever put on:  

→ The fear of failing publicly  
→ The instinct to over-deliver and prove your worth  
→ The urge to play it safe instead of play it true
 
That armor helps at first. It protects. It gets you through the messy beginning.
 
But at some point, it becomes a weight.
 
If you’re in a season where you're outgrowing your old habits, I see you.
 
The discomfort is a sign you’re on the right path. 

Keep going. Let it be messy. Let it be real.

There’s clarity, freedom, and impact on the other side.

Do you struggle to switch off from work?


You’re not alone. I’ve worn a lot of hats in my life: consultant, entrepreneur, volunteer, creator. For a long time, work slipped into corners of my day that should have stayed personal.

Even after hours, my mind kept running through ideas, problems, and the next thing on my list.

If that feels familiar, I get it.

I eventually realized that if we want to make a long-term impact, we have to protect our personal time.

So how do you switch off?

Here are three things that helped me build a clearer line between work and the rest of my life:

1 - Digital Detox

Set Do Not Disturb, remove work apps from your phone, and stay off work platforms once the day is done.

2 - Shutdown Meeting

A simple end-of-day routine that wraps up loose ends, lowers stress, and gives you a clean start for tomorrow.

3 - Transition Ritual

A small activity that helps your brain shift gears. A walk, a book, a moment of quiet. Anything that pulls you out of work mode. My go-to is a walk with the pup.

These habits made a noticeable difference in how I felt and how I worked.

How do you switch off from work?

LinkedIn's year in review is out, and look who's at the top of my list...

Joe Raasch, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and your ability to clear the clutter when it comes to impactful executive writing and corporate communications.

Plus, I love all the tips like 30 at 3, mindful baking, and pups as presence.

Follow my friend Joe Raasch if you'd like to see more of the good stuff in your feed.

#YearinReview

Staying informed without getting swallowed whole by the news cycle feels like a modern-life tightrope.

I want to know what’s happening in the world. But I also want to protect my mental bandwidth so I can do good work and show up well for the people around me.

For a long time, I swung between two extremes.

⮕ Total avoidance or total overload.

Neither felt great.

Lately, I’ve landed on something that works well enough. A quick morning radio update.
Audio only. Short. Intentional.

Just enough to feel informed without the emotional pull that comes from watching video or scrolling headlines.

How do you stay up to date without getting pulled into the vortex?

Here’s the process that works for me right now:

𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿
For me, that's five to ten minutes in the morning. No doom-scrolling before bed. No mid-day “quick checks” that turn into spirals.

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
Audio is easier on my mind than video. Short summaries beat commentary. And local news helps me feel grounded.

𝗕𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀
I'm choosing outlets that focus on facts. My goal is clarity.

𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽
After I get the information I need, I move on. This is the part I used to skip. Intentional consumption requires an intentional exit.

I haven’t found a perfect system for me yet, but this has helped me stay aware without feeling weighed down. 


I'm looking for more tips. What’s your preference for consuming news?

Ryan McKesson

Enterprise Sales Executive

Presidio

Senior Account Manager

Solution Design Group

Founded in 1989, Solution Design Group (SDG) in one of the top local IT consulting firms in the Twin Cities area. Our value proposition is simple: OUR PEOPLE and our commitment to building LONG-TERM relationships. SDG has a gold-standard for employing the best and the brightest technical talent available. This allows us to grow our business by being innovative partners to our clients.

 Our culture and business plan is structured around fostering long term relationships with our clients, our great team, and a commitment to responding to the perpetual trends and changes in the information technology industry. It is on this genuine model that SDG has been recognized by The Business Journal as a "Best Places to Work" and "Fast 50" multiple times.

 SDG provides IT Consulting Services and Staff Augmentation in Project Delivery, Microsoft Solutions and Open Source/JAVA application development in the Twin Cities market.


 Specialties: Java, Groovy, .Net, SQL Server Developers (SSIS, SSAS, SSRS) and DBA's, SharePoint, IT Consulting, Staff Augmentation, Project Managers and Business Analysts, Project Management, Business Analysis, Database development, Application Development, and Product Implementation.

Account Executive

ADP is consistently named one of the "Most Admired Companies" by FORTUNE® Magazine, and recognized by Forbes® as one of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies,” ADP has over a half-million clients around the globe and 60+ years of experience as a world-wide leader of business outsourcing solutions. 

My role within ADP is to connect with business owners and executives to help them focus on their core competencies and reach their business goals. I do this with strategic business consulting, including payroll, time and attendance, and back office operations development. Advising businesses in areas such as: risk mitigation, monitoring for profit leaks, and controlling their total cost of labor.


My specialties include:
- Affordable Care Act Strategies
- International Expansion
- Strategic Human Capital Deployment
- Time & Labor Management Solutions
- Tax & Compliance
- Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

Major Accounts District Manager

AT&T Mobility

•	Responsible for profitable revenue and net add growth on a portfolio of accounts. Establish a trusted partner relationship with Executive level (CEO, CIO, Functional President or leadership equivalent).
•	Penetrate new national accounts and leverage new products to increase revenue within current accounts.
•	Develop and execute an account strategy, and sales relationships at multiple levels. Lead and manage the sales process for all product/applications.

•	Participated in extensive six months Business Markets Group sales program.
•	Acquired and sharpened comprehensive solution selling skills based upon three integrated approaches and methodologies.
•	Assisted in cold calling, prospecting, and business development activities with a field based Corporate Account Executive.
•	Compiled and internalized through understanding and knowledge of AT&amp;T Mobility systems and procedures.

Corporate Account Executive

Championing business growth at Presidio, my journey in technology sales has been marked by fostering client relationships and consultative selling. 

My passion is connecting with clients and understanding their unique challenges, enabling tailored solutions ranging from Microsoft technologies to mobile enterprise applications. Beyond just transactions, it's about creating lasting value and empowering clients in Minneapolis and beyond with strategic consulting and innovative IT solutions.

It's a rare gift when a longtime mentor of yours becomes a teammate...


For the better part of a decade I've been looking for a way to join forces with Andrew Knutson. So when he started with Presidio last week, I was devastated not to be there in person for his first day. 

But walking into the office yesterday and finally getting the chance to welcome him properly reminded me of something:

Great companies do more than hire great talent; they attract the people you've always dreamt of working with...

I couldn't be more excited for Andrew to join this team. There’s something deeply meaningful about watching people you care about step into a place you’re proud of.

Welcome to Presidio, Andrew. The Force feels stronger with you here.

IT Ambassador, People Connector, Lifelong Learner and Purveyor of all things Positive.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday! 


I’ve had a daily gratitude practice for as long as I can remember, and I share often how that’s positively impacted my life. 

So an entire day dedicated to being thankful is like my Superbowl. 

But the truth is that I constantly waffle between second guessing past decisions and fearing the uncertainty of the future. 

And gratitude has always been my way out of that dance and back to the present. 

So today, I am focusing on just that. 

Being grateful for all that I have and present with those who make it all worth while. 

Wishing you all the same! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

No alternative text description for this image

Most people approach networking with an outcome already in mind. To get a lead, or an intro, or even to close a deal. 

And while having a goal is important, it's our attachment to specific outcomes that can limit where an organic conversation may lead us.  

But what happens if we take the pressure off completely?

Let me introduce you to something I call 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗢 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴:

𝗡𝗼𝘁
𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱
𝗧𝗼
𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲

When you stop treating networking as a transaction, everything changes.
You listen more fully.
You show up more authentically.
You connect more genuinely.

And ironically, that’s when the real opportunities start to show up. The unexpected introductions, the collaborations you never saw coming, the friendships that outlast any business cycle.

Over the past few years, letting go of the outcome has made networking one of the most rewarding parts of my life. Not because of what it gets me, but because of who it connects me with.

“If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”


Well, even with 60,000+ people in attendance at this year's AWS re:invent, I can assure you I never once felt like I stumbled into the wrong room. 

This was my first time at the conference, and I finally understand what all the hype is about. 

What Stood Out Immediately

- The scale is unbelievable.
 It feels like an entire city temporarily forms into a makeshift convention center.

- The energy is electric.
 Everywhere you turn, people are talking about building, modernizing, optimizing, and pushing boundaries.

- AI isn’t aspirational — it’s operational.
AWS rolled out innovation at a pace that made it clear: the future is no longer “coming soon.” It's here.

And somewhere between the breakout sessions, the keynotes, and the deep-dives, one theme kept coming through:

Organisations don’t just want more cloud; they want clarity, strategy, and execution.

That’s precisely where Presidio thrives.

- Helping customers modernize with intention
- Building strong cloud foundations for AI
- Bringing order to complexity
- Turning AWS innovation into measurable business outcomes

If re:Invent is where ideas break through, Presidio is where those ideas become real.

What I’m Bringing Back

- Cloud modernization is accelerating again
- FinOps remains essential to every conversation
- Agentic AI is about to reshape operating models
- Partnerships matter more than platforms

Final Thought

My first re:Invent was eye-opening, energizing, and incredibly motivating.
AWS is defining what’s next — and it’s clear that Presidio is uniquely positioned to help customers take full advantage of that momentum.

Already looking forward to next year!

Every year at this time I struggle with the idea of “home.”


Because I’m lucky enough to have two.

I’m from California.
Where my story began. Where my foundation was built. Where family, mentors, and early experiences shaped who I am.

And I live in Minnesota.
A place that didn’t just give me a new address. It gave me a life. With new relationships, new opportunities, and a community that feels like family.

And I’m deeply grateful for both.

Grateful for where I started.
Grateful for where I am.
Grateful for the people in each place who poured into my life in different ways.

Sometimes gratitude isn’t about choosing one thing over another. 
It’s about recognizing how fortunate you are to have more than one place that feels like “home.”

Where is a place you are grateful for today?

That’s a wrap San Diego!  Now off to Vegas for my first re:invent experience. 


After a wonderful week filled with gratitude and time spent with my family, I’m excited to meet up with my tech community in Vegas. 

If anyone else is going to be in town let me know! It’s going to be a great week.

Last week, our local high school and community did something small that made a huge impact.


They invited our kids' teams onto the court to play a game during halftime.

For a few minutes, my son and daughter got a glimpse of what it feels like to play in a real high school game: the lights, the crowd, the energy.

That kind of exposure matters.

If we want kids to stay motivated in sports, they need moments where the future feels real and reachable, not abstract.

I can't predict if any of my children will play sports in high school. But I can tell you with absolute certainty that after this experience, they both want to.  

Huge gratitude to the Chaska coaches and players who made space for them. This is how communities get kids to keep dreaming. And to keep playing.

Remembering people's names is a superpower. Part 3...


Yesterday, I shared how our memories work in pictures, not words. With that in mind, my number one tip to instantly get better at remembering a person's name is to associate it with someone (or something) you are already familiar with. 

Let's say you meet me, Ryan, at an event. You might instantly think of the famous actor Ryan Gosling. (This would obviously be my preferred method for you remembering my name 😉)

But the name Ryan might also remind you of that kid in your 4th-grade class who talked too much, drove everyone insane, but also made you blush when he gave you a Valentine's Day card.

The best part? 

It's none of my business how you remember my name. And either way, I'll be flattered when we meet at the coatrack and you say, "Hi Ryan, it was nice to meet you this evening." 

This trick works impressively well when you first meet someone, but in order to store that name in your long-term memory, it takes one more simple step.

Which I will share with you all tomorrow in my final installment of this series.

This time of year, I am constantly reminded that one of the greatest gifts you can give to others is... 


Your undivided time and attention. 

Failing to realize this held me back for years. 

It was never a lack of desire to help. 
It was a constant second-guessing of how I possibly could.

That was until I stopped asking myself and started listening to others to find out. 

And that is when it dawned on me.

Most of the time, really listening to others is the best way you can help them.

Which means that no matter where you are in your own journey, you can add value to anyone else. And adding value to others remains the single best way to build a network.

The coolest thing I discovered this week... 


Did you know that the WNBA has its own trading cards?

My two boys have been into cards for a few years now. And they are always a staple on their Christmas lists. 

But my daughter (who loves sports) never showed any interest. But how could I blame her? 

None of the athletes on the cards her brothers collect are of the players she looks up to. Or aspires to be. 

So when I saw these the other day, I thought it was fantastic. And now I'm thrilled to watch her open a box of cards, hoping to find a Caitlyn Clark, just as my boys tremble with anticipation as they look for their favorite players. 

Thought it was worth sharing in case anyone else out there has a budding female athlete who dreams of seeing herself on a card someday.

Ok, this makes happy for so many different reasons. Kim Wier has become a dear friend and someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for.  

Glad to see she is the person I connected with the most on LinkedIn this year. 

You can find your own #YearinReview in the LI app.

One of my favorite articles to write every year. Here is my 2025 Holiday Gift Guide.

Gift giving is my love language, but even I need inspiration sometimes. I've always been a fan of the holiday gift guide, and Oprah's favorite things 

Open article: 2025 Holiday Gift Guide by Ryan McKesson • 4 min read

This book has shaped more of my life than any New Year’s resolution ever has.


Jinny Ditzler’s “Your Best Year Yet”.

Several years ago, I realized I was setting goals but not building a life. I was chasing outcomes instead of aligning with what actually mattered to me.

For the first time, I had found a planning framework didn’t just ask, “What do you want to accomplish?”

It asked, “Who do you want to become?”

That shift changed everything.

The book walks you through simple but revealing questions about the past year, what you’ve learned, what matters most, and what you truly want in the year ahead. And it anchors all of it in your values.

By the end, you’re not holding a list of goals. You’re holding a clearer version of yourself.

Do you have a framework you use for goal setting or New Year planning?

How one message made me rethink my entire content strategy...


Creating and sharing ideas that resonate with lots of people is difficult. And that is exactly what I was doing wrong when I first started. Trying to write for everyone, instead of any ONE person. 

Early in my content creation journey, I wrote a post sharing the advice: "Don't should on yourself." 

It got 12 courtesy likes and 2 comments. But it also spurred a colleague to send me the DM below. 

And in that moment, I realized something profound.  

If a message touches even one single person, then that is more than enough for me. 

Impressions are overrated when impact is what really matters. 

The lesson? 

If you feel compelled to share your ideas, please do.  

And if you are moved by a message someone shared, please let them know. I can't tell you how much this note below meant to me at the time. And it kept me going when my self-doubt was at an all-time high.

Remembering names is a superpower. Part 4...


We often say things like, “I’m terrible with names,” as if our brains simply don’t have enough room.

But here’s the truth:
It’s not a storage problem.
It’s a recall problem.

And recall needs a hook, something memorable, visual, or emotional to grab onto.

So if you want to transfer someone's name to your long-term memory, stop relying on repetition… and start creating a story. 

Let's go back to the example of meeting me, Ryan, and thinking about Ryan Gosling. (Again, would really prefer you do this when you meet me 😉 )

But hey, even I can admit that's a stretch. But what if you pictured a tiny little Ryan Gosling mowing back my hairline like a lawn, revealing my ever-so-slightly oversized forehead? 

Ridiculous? 
Absolutely.

But I dare you to think of this image and not remember my name the next time you see me 😀 

The lesson:
If you want names to stick, don’t store them.
Story them.

Create a visual.
Make it playful.
Bring it to life with action. 

PS - This is admittedly difficult to do on the fly. So I often find myself creating these visual stories on the way home from meeting new friends at an event. And it's an impressively effective way to make sure I recall their names the next time I see them.

The most important skill you can bring to a negotiation is…


Transparency. 

In college, one of my professors walked our class through an exercise that has lived with me ever since. 

The premise was simple. We were split into teams and told to negotiate over oranges. 10 total to be exact. 

Most teams came to an agreement of 5 oranges each. A harmonious win-win situation. (I was very proud to be in this group)

A few teams were able to walk away with 7 or 8 oranges. Triumphantly claiming victory over their less than equal counterparts. 

But do you know what none of the teams did? 

Share the purpose of why they were negotiating for the oranges in the first place. 

Each team was given a backstory of what they would be using the oranges for. It was only brief, as the focus of the assignment was that the more you procured, the more you would profit. 

But as it turns out. One side needed the peel of the orange for a baking recipe, while the other only the inside to make orange juice. 

If either side had been transparent about why they needed the oranges, it is fair to assume they would come to the same conclusion. 

That each side could walk away with 10 oranges. 

Now that would have been a win-win situation. 

This lesson has stuck with me ever since. And it’s the reason I routinely wonder, “what am I holding back that may be preventing us both from getting what we want?”

When it comes to networking, it’s not about who you know. It’s about who knows you. But...


The only way for people to know you is to let them.

Real connection happens at the intersection of curiosity and vulnerability.

Curiosity matters. Asking thoughtful questions builds trust. It shows you care.

But if curiosity is the only thing in the room, it can start to feel less like a conversation and more like an interrogation.

On the flip side, vulnerability matters too. Sharing your story, your perspective, your lessons learned. That’s how people remember you.

But vulnerability without curiosity… that’s just oversharing.
The magic happens when both are present.

Ask great questions.
Then be willing to answer them yourself.

Listen deeply.
Then share honestly.

That’s how relationships move from transactional to real.
And that’s when people don’t just meet you, they remember you.

Remembering people's names is a superpower. Part 2...


Have you ever found yourself uttering the phrase, "I'm great with faces but bad with names"? 

Well here's the truth. That’s not a flaw.
That’s your brain doing exactly what it was designed to do.

Our brains were never built to remember names.
They were built to remember 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔.

Long before humans ever named the "saber-tooth tiger", 
we remembered to stay the heck away from it.

We didn’t need a name to know what it meant.
Our survival depended on remembering the 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆, not the label.

That wiring hasn’t changed.  

So when you meet someone at an event and instantly remember their face, their laugh, or the story they shared, but their name disappears into thin air?

That’s not a character flaw.
That’s biology.

Because remembering a name is like trying to hold onto a balloon with no string.
There is nothing to grasp on to. 

So repeat after me, "I am NOT bad with names!" 

And stay tuned for tomorrow when I share how to start remembering people instead of trying to grasp onto their names...

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but it's also the quickest path to mastery...


Three of my favorite examples of this lesson. 

1) When Tiger Woods was an infant, his father, Earl, would put him in a high chair while he hit golf balls into a net. He said it was the only way that young Tiger would sit still. Tiger watched his father hit thousands of golf balls before he could even hold a club. And his first interest in the game was merely imitating his Dad. 

2) The Beatles started as a cover band. They played hundreds of shows before they dared to write and perform their own songs. They fell in love with the stage by learning to cover their favorite artists such as Chuck Barry, Little Richard, and The Everly Brothers. Playing these covers helped them develop their sound, stage presence, and songwriting skills. 

3) Hunter S. Thompson once rewrote The Great Gatsby, word for word, by hand, because he said he wanted to feel what it was like to write a great American Novel. 

We so often credit our own favorite artists with some divine natural talent. But everyone started somewhere. And most of them started by mimicking their heroes. 

The lesson? 

Copying is not the opposite of originality; it’s often the prerequisite.

If you feel like you’re “just copying” right now, you’re probably on the right path.

PS - Huge thank you to Ryan Sutter for a way better photo than my original post!

"What if we don't want to use AI just to go faster?" 


This is the sentiment I've heard from several IT leaders lately. And I love it. 

For the past few years, since the introduction of Gen AI, all we've been talking about is speed. 

Speed to value
Speed to market
Speed Speed Speed

But the narrative is changing, and for good reason. 

Building 20% faster won't get you ahead of your competition anymore. It may not even help you keep pace. 

What leaders are looking for are ways to solve problems they never could before. 

Instead of asking, "How much more productive can we be?"

They are asking, "What are we able to accomplish that would have been impossible 18 months ago?" 

And while I don't have all the answers, I'm encouraged that we are starting to ask the right questions.

taplio

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Ryan McKesson

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The Battle

Colleen Kranz💡

Ryan McKesson

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Colleen Kranz💡's LinkedIn Performance

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