“Few topics in the business world are discussed more frequently or with more sense of frustration than succession planning. Although countless studies and articles stress the importance of creating robust plans for transferring power and ownership, the number who act on this information stays stubbornly low.
As of 2019, only 33% of North American family businesses had any kind of succession plan for transferring power when the current head retires or dies. Further, most of those plans were largely lip service to the idea: only 18% of them were clearly documented and up to date.”
When It Comes to Business Succession, the Soft Stuff Is Hard | B2B white paper, 30pp. | The Targeted Strategies Group
Roles: Writer, researcher, editor, proofreader
The hit TV show Succession turned the spotlight on the thorny process of naming an heir to the family business. The show was fictional, but the challenges are real. Many business owners find planning for succession so fraught that they just don’t do it––and that’s especially true the emotional aspects, such as letting go of control and dealing with family dynamics.
In this 30-page, research-based white paper on succession––the first in a series of three commissioned by TTSG’s founder and CEO––I examine the psychological and emotional obstacles that often get in the way of effective succession planing for family-owned businesses.
I wrote this white-paper series, along with many website and LinkedIn articles, as the primary content provider for The Targeted Strategies Group, a life-insurance firm for UHNW clients.
Arc’One Manufacturing Facility | Arc’teryx Equipment
Roles: Writer, interviewer, researcher
The legions of hardcore Arc’teryx devotees already knew that the company makes the most durable, comfortable, functional, and high-quality outdoor gear there is. What they didn’t know was how it got that way.
In 2019, Arc’teryx hired me to do interview-based write-ups of all 22 of its finished-goods facilities, telling Arc’teryx users where and how the gear is made, how sewers are trained––often over a period of years, not months––to meet the company’s incredibly stringent standards, and how the processes meet and often exceed the most rigorous sustainability standards in the world.
See all 22 Arc’teryx write-ups here.
“ARC’One is where it all starts for Arc’teryx. Located near the North Vancouver Arc’teryx headquarters, this facility is where the world-famous outdoor-gear company develops its designs, tests its products, and––as importantly––tests its processes.”
“We only need to look at the scenario of McDonald’s in the early 2000s to see how crucial a contingency plan is. First its chairman died of a heart attack in 2004. Using its well-constructed emergency plan, the corporation appointed a competent successor. Then, only a few months later, that successor was diagnosed with cancer, dying just two months after he stepped down. Again following the emergency succession plan, McDonald’s was able to appoint yet another CEO, who led the company to a $20-billion increase in annual sales within 4 years.”
Avoiding a Fire Sale of the Family Business | The Targeted Strategies Group
Roles: Writer, researcher, proofreader
For most family-business owners, the worst possible scenario for their company is the dreaded fire sale: a forced liquidation of their business, with assets usually sold at a price far below market value. But many entrepreneurs trust in good luck and hard work to keep a fire sale from happening to them. The problem is, neither of these things will necessarily stave off the factors that could force them to liquidate their business.
This is one of many finance pieces I wrote, along with three white papers, as the primary content provider for The Targeted Strategies Group, a life-insurance firm for UHNW clients. See more here. (All but the technical articles on life insurance and the book-award announcements are mine.)
Puzzles and Illusions Gallery | Science World
The problem: The sedate write-ups on the Science World website were a mismatch with the on-the-ground reality of hordes of excited, squealing kids running from room to room and diving into hands-on activities.
The solution: Rewrite all 100+ pages on the site in a vibrant tone that conveyed the fun the kids have at Science World, while also delivering needed information for the parents making the decisions.
The Puzzles and Illusions copy is part of Science World’s 2019 website “refresh”, in which I rewrote almost all the webpages for its galleries, exhibitions, and programs. See some others here. Although many write-ups were edited to adjust for COVID conditions, my writing still peeks through in most of them.
“Nothing is as it seems in our Puzzles and Illusions area. Is the line straight or curved? Is the picture black-and-white or coloured? It’s up to you to decide! Over at the puzzle tables, you can test your smarts and skills by tackling dozens of fun, challenging puzzles and games––complete with written hints that can be almost as tricky.”
Pamela Swanigan portfolio 