I broke the rules.

I broke the rules.

But in doing so, I unlocked a door to hidden potential.

My company is growing.

I’ve been working less “in the business” with day-to-day client work.

Instead, I’ve been working more “on the business.”

To continue growing, targeting new audiences is crucial.

But we’ve struggled with how to break through.

I received an opportunity to work pro-bono.

The company was in a new audience segment with growth potential.

It was a chance to build a case study.

But what came from the experiment unexpectedly shattered long-held assumptions.

Since our team was busy with paid projects.

I took on the day-to-day of the pro bono client.

My time is limited.

The client had no budget.

I was forced to cut corners.

Despite this, the results were fantastic.

More importantly, I uncovered three unexpected insights.

First, I assumed the new audience couldn’t afford our services.

But I found the new audience requires less time and strategic thinking.

Thus, profitability would be similar even with a lower retainer.

Second, I assumed a marketing channel was losing its effectiveness.

But I found the channel quite successful with this new audience.

Thus, it exposed strategic issues with our traditional client audience instead of the channel’s ineffectiveness.

Third, I assumed a step in our tech setup was critical.

But without it, I found no drop in results.

Thus, campaigns might be more powerful without it.

These insights were only possible because I was on the front lines and broke the rules.

Had I delegated the pro bono client, the blindspots wouldn’t have been seen.

These revelations sparked a newfound curiosity.

What other assumptions weren’t true?

How can I repeat this “front-line / rule-breaking” experience and operationalize it in other areas?

How would this improve operations, culture, and performance?

What else was I missing?

The most misleading assumptions are the ones you don’t even know you’re making.