We’re thrilled to kick off our newest blog feature: the Weak Ties/Strong Bonds Member Spotlight! First up is Melanie Ensign, Founder and CEO of Discernible. A Founding Knit member, Melanie helps security and privacy professionals transform how they communicate their mission-critical work. As the world's first communications center of excellence dedicated to security and privacy teams, Discernible solves one of their most persistent challenges: communicating their business value.

We’re officially counting down to January 7th, when the Weak Ties/Strong Bonds membership launches—and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.

This isn’t just a new chapter for us—it’s a game-changer for you and your business. We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates about what’s staying, what’s evolving, and why now is the perfect time to get involved.

As 2024 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on everything this incredible community has accomplished together—and we couldn’t be more grateful for you. This year, with your support, we hosted 12 intimate dinners, celebrated the announcement of the Weak Ties/Strong Bonds membership, helped to generate an additional $150,000 in revenue for our members, and so much more!

We’ve seen countless business owners stretch themselves thin chasing that next milestone, only to burn out or lose sight of why they started in the first place.

The truth? Success is personal, and building a sustainable business means creating one that supports your life, not the other way around.

One of our core tenants at Weak Ties/Strong Bonds is that collaboration is greater than competition. Full stop. Every time.

If you're reading this, chances are you're what we call an "A player."

✔️ A high performer.
✔️ Always ahead of the curve.
✔️ The one who sets the standard and raises the bar for everyone around you.

To go into work for yourself, you've got to be all of those things.

But do you need to be all of those things, all the time?

If you've been to one of our dinners, you've heard us wax poetic about the Weak Ties Theory and how it's been so impactful in our businesses. But if you haven't joined us in person (yet!), you might be wondering what weak ties are and why we chose the name Weak Ties/Strong Bonds.

We were kind of on a role, so we're back with a few more red flags in the hope that we can save you from some of the angst we've felt in our combined 20 years of consulting. Here are some client behaviors that will have you saying "Am I crazy?" (Spoiler alert: you're not.) Spot these and it may be time to cut and run.

Despite the fact that it's consistently 85° here in New York, Fall is quickly approaching. Whether you've had a relaxing, travel-filled summer or you've been pounding the proverbial pavement and have found yourself with an abundance of work, it's important to start thinking about the coming season. Here are some simple ways to set yourself up for success this Fall.

We hear about red flags all the time when it comes to romantic relationships, but it's also super important to be aware of subtle (and not-so-subtle) red flags that come up in a business context. Whether you’re a consultant on the hunt for your next project, a small business making an important hire, or a freelancer navigating multiple client and partner relationships, here are some sneaky red flags to be on the lookout for. 👀

It's us, reporting live from the couch, where we've been firmly planted for the past week while cheering on the athletes in Paris. And in our viewing, we've had a few mini revelations that have gotten us thinking about how we approach our own businesses.

As we sat glued to Olympic gymnastics over the past few days, admiring both the literal and metaphorical heights of Simone Biles and Frederick Richard, we couldn't help but be a little Carrie Bradshaw about it and wonder: could entrepreneurship, with its own highs and lows, qualify as an Olympic sport? 🤔

Networking gives a lot of people the ick. It can feel awkward, salesly, and bring up feelings of insecurity or impostor syndrome.

But it's one of those things that will pay off in spades if you make it a priority - even when (arguably especially when) you don't "need" it.

So how can you make networking less terrible? Reframe your approach.

Branding is one of those terms that can feel vague and amorphous. Case in point, when you google "What is branding?" one of the first things that pops up is an article that states "Branding is key to a successful product."

😑 Wow. Thank you so much. We definitely have no follow up questions.

But seriously, there is a lot out there on the internet that can make branding feel confusing, overwhelming, and like you need an entire team to help you do it properly.

One of the most common topics of conversation at the Weak Ties/Strong Bonds dinners is pricing. Am I charging too much? Am I devaluing my services? Am I even thinking about this the right way? It's an ongoing and ever-changing conversation. One that we come back to often, even after 15+ years of entrepreneurship and consulting between us.

We've been thinking a lot about the idea of growth for the sake of growth.

If you only looked at the media representation of starting a business (Silicon Valley, Shark Tank and the like), it might feel like “real” entrepreneurship means raising millions of dollars from a venture capital firm, not sleeping for a few years, and then achieving a 100x exit (or crashing and burning). 

In what should come as no surprise, we have a very different take.

When we shared our thoughts on working with friends a few weeks back, we got a lot of responses. (In case you missed it, we’re very pro-working-with-pals.)

Some were skeptical. Some were intrigued. All were lovely, because that’s the kind of community this is.

But people were curious about the how.

If you work for yourself, one question that has almost definitely popped into your head at some point is, “So… what do I call myself?”

Freelancer? Consultant? Entrepreneur? Solopreneur?

When Laura started working for herself 12 years ago (!) she really struggled with this. “Freelancer” didn’t feel like it quite captured everything she was doing. But “entrepreneur” felt inauthentic and intimidating.

Claudia Sheinbaum winning the election to become Mexico’s first female president has us in our feels. On the one hand, it’s another crack in the global glass ceiling. 🎉 On the other, yet another country has done what the U.S. refuses to: elect a woman to the most prominent seat of power in the country. 😔

With the election behind her, there are only tougher problems ahead for Sheinbaum. She’ll assume Mexico’s presidency and inherit growing issues with the cartels, the largest budget deficit since the 1980’s, and massive security concerns since more than 30 candidates were assassinated this election cycle. It’s a tale as old as time:

We hire women to clean up messes. 🧹

Have you ever been told “don’t mix friends and business?” A cursory Google search would suggest that this is common advice, but is it actually good advice?

Our hot take: no. 🔥