Female business owner speaking to office workers in modern conference room

The Entrepreneurs Council: Reinforcing strategic confidence

Confidence is an essential component of the entrepreneurial mindset. It underpins strategy by reinforcing a dynamic blend of innovation, execution and adaptability. From leveraging data and external perspectives to building intentional teams and aligning organizational culture, members of the Entrepreneurs Council share the strategies they lean on to foster efficiency, challenge assumptions and sharpen their decision-making.

How are you setting your company up for success and growth over the next 12 months?

Anthony Chang, BAMF Health

BAMF is entering a hockey-stick phase of growth over the next 12–18 months. We’ve invested significant time preparing the organization to manage the acceleration ahead while also capitalizing on the full potential of this next chapter. Our focus is twofold: cultural readiness and operational readiness.

On the cultural side, we are building the right mindset and setting clear, realistic expectations across the company. Every team member understands our vision, pace, goals and execution plan — creating alignment and accountability as we scale.

Operationally, we are relentlessly focused on hitting major milestones while strengthening the company’s foundation. This includes refining the cap table, fortifying the balance sheet and deepening relationships with strategic growth partners. These steps ensure we have the financial strength and partner alignment required to sustain rapid growth.
Katherine Kostereva, Creatio

The next 12 months are about unlocking efficiency at scale. Large departments, including support, business development and marketing, hold so much potential but are often weighed down by repetitive tasks.

Efficiency is no longer about doing the same work faster; it’s about redefining workflows and what work even means. One of the most exciting opportunities right now is pairing people with artificial intelligence (AI) agents. This approach is changing energy across the team — less time on routine, more time on impact.
Suneera Madhani, Worth

Over the next 12 months, my focus as a founder is on three pillars: innovation, execution and momentum.

Innovation means ensuring AI is not just a buzzword in our business but is embedded into the way we deliver value. I believe the companies that win in the next decade will be the ones that apply technology with discipline and foresight.

Execution comes through enterprise sales and partnerships. In a crowded market, credibility and scale are built by aligning with the right customers and partners. I’m focused on creating fewer, deeper relationships that accelerate impact.

Momentum is about how quickly we can bring ideas to market. Customer onboarding is where strategy meets reality. If we can remove friction and deliver results quickly, we set the stage for sustainable growth.

Finally, I revisit our product roadmap constantly, asking: Does this decision move us closer to long-term leadership, or is it a distraction? Staying disciplined here is what creates true scale.
Dan Oliver, Dan-O's Seasoning

At Dan O’s, we stay grounded in our core values: company-first, go-getter, humbly confident and consumer conscious. These values guide everything we do and are the foundation of our long-term success.

Looking ahead, Dan O’s is focused on sustainable, innovation-driven growth. We follow a structured process to map out the next two years of product and packaging innovation, while also maintaining clear, actionable plans for the next six months.

We're also investing heavily in leadership and team development, ensuring leaders have the tools and support they need, and making sure we have the right people in the right roles.

With a disciplined approach to innovation, clear short-term plans and intentional talent development, Dan-O’s is set up for success and growth over the next 12 months.

How often do you revisit strategic decisions, and what factors do you consider when determining whether to stay the course or pivot?

Christopher Barnett, ABA Centers and ICBD Holdings, LLC

I’ve always believed that while data should guide our decisions, people and purpose should fuel them. At our company, we revisit strategic choices constantly because the stakes are too high to hold onto a plan that isn’t working. We are deeply committed to our mission of improving — and even saving — lives, so we simply cannot get emotionally attached to any single path forward. Our job is to make the best call with the information we have and then hold ourselves accountable to delivering the outcomes we promised.

We welcome mistakes as part of the journey; those mistakes teach us. When the data shows we’re off track, we pivot quickly and decisively. The families we serve don’t have time to wait — and neither do we.

That mindset has fueled our growth. The mistakes have taught us how to do things right, do things fast and do things efficiently — without sacrificing our commitment to clinical excellence. We are a culture of doers, united by an ambitious, but clear mission: deliver world-class autism care to as many families as possible. And that mission is the compass that tells us when to stay the course and when it’s time to chart a new — and better — one.
Elvia Chavez, MC Electric

We revisit strategic decisions monthly as an executive team, or more frequently if major shifts demand it. We evaluate our operational efficiency, market trends in the industries we serve, team culture and financial performance.

With my background in accounting, I used to rely heavily on the numbers, but growth has taught me that numbers alone don’t tell the full story. You need the right mindset to lead through change, and that means resisting the urge to make decisions from a place of fear or protectiveness. That mindset can limit progress.

For example, a department might appear as a cost center on the P&L, but when you talk to your team, you may realize that department is driving success in other areas of the business. That context matters.

We strive to gather as much data as possible, both quantitative and qualitative, before deciding whether to stay the course or pivot. The goal is to make decisions that serve long-term growth, not just short-term optics.

How often do you seek external perspectives to challenge your assumptions, and who do you typically turn to?

Keith L. Harper, A&B Talent

I make it a priority to seek external input regularly because isolation inevitably creates blind spots. I turn to trusted individuals from several circles: internal leadership within my company, fellow CEOs in the EY Entrepreneurs Access Network, targeted forums where entrepreneurs share unfiltered insights, former colleagues and competitors in the staffing industry, and clients who are refreshingly candid about what’s working and what isn’t. Their perspectives keep me focused, sharpen my awareness and ensure I approach decisions with clarity and confidence.

I firmly believe that no leader reaches their maximum potential alone. External perspectives and support are not optional; they are essential to growth both in business and in life.

Key takeaways:

Business leaders preparing for the next phase of growth are focusing on more than just execution — they’re building cultural alignment, redefining efficiency and staying agile in the face of change. By combining structured planning with a mindset of adaptability, they’re positioning their organizations to scale with purpose and resilience.

They revisit strategic decisions frequently, using both data and context to guide their choices, and they seek external perspectives to challenge assumptions and sharpen clarity. From embedding AI into workflows to investing in leadership development and deepening strategic partnerships, these leaders are driving innovation, momentum and long-term value.

The Entrepreneurs Council shares how this multifaceted approach equips leaders to unlock efficiency, stay disciplined in execution and make confident decisions that fuel sustainable growth.

The views reflected in this article are the views of the individual entrepreneurs and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ernst & Young LLP or other members of the global EY organization.

Services

Spotlight

Industries

Case studies

Insights

Trending topics

Insights Spotlight

C-Suite Spotlight

About us

Top news

Careers

Spotlight

The Entrepreneurs Council: Reinforcing strategic confidence

How are you setting your company up for success and growth over the next 12 months?

The views reflected in this article are the views of the individual entrepreneurs and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ernst & Young LLP or other members of the global EY organization.

Services

Spotlight

Industries

Case studies

Insights

Trending topics

Insights Spotlight

C-Suite Spotlight

About us

Top news

Careers

Spotlight

The Entrepreneurs Council: Reinforcing strategic confidence

How are you setting your company up for success and growth over the next 12 months?

Combining cultural alignment with disciplined execution — Anthony Chang, BAMF Health

Reinventing work to unlock efficiency — Katherine Kostereva, Creatio

Focusing on innovation, execution and momentum — Suneera Madhani, Worth

Investing in structured plans and talent development — Dan Oliver, Dan-O’s Seasoning

Leveraging data to deliver promised outcomes — Christopher Barnett, ABA Centers and ICBD Holdings, LLC

Considering both quantitative and qualitative data to drive long-term value — Elvia Chavez, MC Electric

Reducing isolation with insight from a variety of connections — Keith L. Harper, A&B Talent

The views reflected in this article are the views of the individual entrepreneurs and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ernst & Young LLP or other members of the global EY organization.