We’re pulling back the curtain on something special.

In our work with over 200 hundred growth-minded companies, one thing is clear: leaders want to become better strategists. They’re tired of fluffy frameworks and HBR articles. We’re sharing with our subscribers our free Strategy Masterclass—a high-impact, actionable series. When you subscribe, we’ll release one short module every 3 days via email. Each is designed to help you think more clearly, act more decisively, and scale more intentionally.

You’ll get 10 snack-sized sessions packed with real-world tools and insights.

The 10 Modules:

1. Why Strategy Matters More Than Ever
2. Strategic Planning Basics
3. Choosing Your Battlefield: Strategic Options That Win
4. Mission, Vision, Values & SWOT Reimagined
5. The Heart of Strategy: Crafting a Winning Value Proposition
6. Sizing Up the Opportunity: Mastering Market Sizing
7. Pricing Strategy: Capturing More Value Without Losing Your Edge
8. Building for Scale: Infrastructure That Fuels Growth
9. Staying Agile: How to Adapt Without Losing Direction
10. The Secret Weapon: Gathering Market Intelligence in the AI Era

We’re launching a new weekly video series, Marc’s Minute, for those of you who like their strategy bold, caffeinated, and want to cut to the chase.

• Why We’re Using ChatGPT Wrong – A candid look at where companies are missing the mark
• Law of Attraction – How clarity of purpose will deliver the right prospects to your doorstep

For those who buy into predictions by everyone from Ray Dalio to ITR, the Big Beautiful Bill will only accelerate U.S. debt and the eventual cratering of our economy. By 2030 or 2031, U.S. receipts will roughly equal military spending, entitlements and interest, and won’t fund anything else. U.S. debt and interest payments are of heightened importance.

This makes Trump’s recent awkward moment with Jerome Powell even more consequential. When asked whether he would fire Fed Chair Powell, President Trump was unusually cagey: “We’re not going to do anything right now.” But Trump has made his intention clear: he’s angling for up to 300 basis points, or a full 3% cut in interest rates. And he’s willing to cut out Powell in an effort to get there.

Trump has long touted himself as the “growth president.” Lower rates would goose real estate values (he owns a few properties), reduce the cost of capital, and shrink the federal deficit—at least superficially.

But here’s the catch: the Fed sets the Federal Funds Rate, not mortgage or commercial lending rates. Market conditions, bank spreads, and investor confidence determine those. A rate cut might not lead to a 1:1 drop in borrowing costs. Think of it like tariffs—the impact is not immediate or necessarily proportionate. In fact, when markets are out of balance as they were in 2008, the Fed Funds rate and interest rates actually went in the opposite direction. Counterintuitive, isn’t it?

If investors perceive rate cuts as artificial or politically motivated, markets will recoil. Bond yields could spike. Inflation could reignite. And while it’s tempting to hope for relief from 7% mortgage rates or expensive credit lines, the deeper risk is this: monetary policy becomes weaponized.

When things seem too good to be true, it’s usually because they are.

What if you could simulate every decision before you made it?

Digital twins—virtual models that mirror real-world systems—are breaking into the mainstream. Once the domain of NASA and high-end manufacturing, they’re now a strategic tool for all kinds of companies.

A manufacturer can simulate a new production line before it’s built. A logistics firm can optimize delivery routes without putting a single truck on the road. Even a small real estate developer can model tenant behavior to design better mixed-use spaces.

Here’s a simple example: a private medical group simulates patient flow across a new clinic design, adjusting everything from appointment scheduling to staffing levels. Or, a food distributor might test changes to a cold chain in a virtual environment to avoid spoilage. For SaaS companies, digital twins of the customer journey can model how changes in onboarding or UX impact churn.

Why now? Three reasons:

1. AI has made simulation smarter and faster.
2. IoT has made real-world data more accessible.
3. Cloud platforms have made all this affordable.

Digital twins help leaders move from reactive to predictive. They let you fail fast without the consequences, and win faster with confidence.

We are saddened by the loss of our friend and Vistage community member Don Riddell. A towering presence in both stature and spirit, Don served as a Vistage Chair in Los Angeles before retiring to travel the world with his wife Sharon.

Don was kind, thoughtful, intellectually curious, and fiercely loyal—to his family, his members, and his values. At 6’6”, he could have loomed over a room, but he walked through life with humility and grace. He leaves behind three sons, a growing band of grandchildren, and a legacy of mentorship that will live on.

We will miss him dearly.