1 Bold Step
The Why to Go With the How
Client
1 Bold Step, a B2B growth agency
Challenge
Scaling from a marketing team into a full growth agency, with solid EOS operations, but no long-term strategic framework to steer the transition
Solution
Strategic Planning (StratOp®), paired with their existing EOS
Results
A strategic layer that guides their EOS execution: leaders leading, opportunities filtered against a clear vision, and a value proposition they can say in 30 seconds
"For growing companies navigating a significant transition, I can't overstate the value of having a strategic framework that complements your operational systems. Having a trusted voice who can help you step back and see the bigger picture—while still respecting the systems you already have in place—makes all the difference in maintaining momentum through change." Jennifer Jurgens
The Leader's Challenge
Jennifer Jurgens and Adam Clarke founded 1 Bold Step in 2019 with a different take on what a marketing partner should be. They didn’t sell pretty websites. They prioritized marketing aligned with business goals and measurable results, and it struck a chord with manufacturing and technology companies across the Midwest. The work took off. So did the growing pains.
They’d hit the kind of crossroads that success creates. The company was outgrowing its own systems, pushing beyond marketing into sales enablement and customer success, and trying to hold on to its culture while bringing on new people. They were becoming a full-fledged B2B growth agency, and they knew it.
They’d already put EOS in place to help run operations, and it worked. But operations weren’t the only gap. Jennifer put her finger on it: “We’re in the business of bringing clarity to our clients’ growth strategies every day. But sometimes the hardest organization to step back and evaluate objectively is your own. We needed someone who could help us apply broader strategic thinking.”
Jennifer and I weren’t strangers. We’d worked together on projects over the years, so when 1 Bold Step went looking for that broader thinking, the conversation was easy to start.
This is where a lot of consultants get it wrong, so let me be clear: I wasn’t there to replace EOS. EOS gave 1 Bold Step solid operational discipline, a way to execute priorities week in and week out. What it didn’t do was answer the bigger questions of who they were becoming during this transition. That’s the work we did together. As Jennifer put it, “I’ve known Jay for years and always respected his strategic approach… We needed the ‘why’ to go with our ‘how’.”
Think of it this way: EOS is the engine room, and StratOp® is the crow’s nest deciding where the ship is headed. You want both, and you want them talking to each other.
I didn’t show up with a cookie-cutter playbook. I rolled up my sleeves with the leadership team, and we got after the hard questions together. We took an unflinching look at their current reality from every angle. We dug into the value only 1 Bold Step could bring to the market. We shaped a vision that matched who they were growing into, not who they’d been. And we wove the whole thing into their existing EOS rhythm, then built Action Initiative Plans (AIPs) with enough teeth to drive the priorities and accountability that had been missing.
None of it was about producing a fancy document to sit on a shelf. It established a rhythm of strategic thinking that ran in parallel with their EOS processes.
"Rather than competing systems, we discovered they addressed different needs—EOS giving us operational discipline and Jay leading the StratOp® process providing the strategic clarity to guide those operations."Jennifer Jurgens
The shift showed up first in how the leaders spent their time. They started leading instead of getting swallowed by operations, and they had a set of strategic filters for deciding what to chase and what to let pass. The days of running down every shiny object were over.
The Road Ahead
1 Bold Step made the jump from marketing team to full growth agency, with a value proposition clear enough for a stranger at the bar. Their AIPs turned into action instead of wishful thinking. They got a straight answer on which clients fit and which didn't, and they started hiring on purpose instead of filling seats. The outside world noticed: they picked up a "Best & Brightest Companies to Work for in West Michigan" award in 2025.
"The strategic framework we developed with Jay Hidalgo has become a filter through which we evaluate opportunities and challenges. As market conditions change, we have confidence in our ability to adapt tactically while staying true to our strategic direction."Jennifer Jurgens
Strategy for Companies in Transition
If your company is growing fast and something feels like it's missing, it may not be your operating system. It may be the strategic layer above it. The best operational discipline in the world will still run you efficiently in the wrong direction if nobody's answering the bigger questions. I'm happy to help you find those answers.