Hiring Etiquette: What Employers and Applicants Keep Getting Wrong
Hiring Etiquette Is Not Optional What we have learned from hiring people, getting it wrong, and fixing it Hiring is one of those things people assume they are good at because they have done it a few times. We thought that too. At Northern Primrose, we have hired a lot over the years. Different roles. Different levels. Different seasons of growth. And yes, we have made mistakes. Some small. Some expensive. Some embarrassing in hindsight. What matters more than that is that we noticed them and changed how we hire because the process was not working as well as [...]
2025 Year in Review: A CEO’s Honest Reflection on Growth, Hiring, and Hard Lessons
2025 Year in Review: This is a candid look back at what we built, what broke, and what this year taught us about growth, hiring, and leadership. There’s always a point in December where the calendar finally stops asking questions. No more meetings to prep for. No more deadlines pretending they’re urgent. Just a quiet stretch where you can actually look at the year instead of sprinting through it. This is that pause. 2025 wasn’t a year of tidy growth or clean wins. It was a year of figuring things out while they were already in motion. Some things [...]
Your Calendar Is a Reflection of Your Priorities: Edit Ruthlessly
You can say whatever you want about your priorities, but your calendar doesn’t lie. It’s the clearest measure of CEO time management there is. You can talk about focusing on strategy or investing in your people, but if your week is packed with reactionary meetings and admin tasks, you’re not leading… you’re surviving. Your calendar tells the real story. Your calendar is your mirror. It shows how you make decisions, how you avoid discomfort, and where your business is leaking energy. If it’s crammed with noise, it’s time for a reality check. Because here’s the thing most CEOs won’t admit: [...]
Why Every Business Needs Playbooks (and How to Start)
Ask ten business owners how they keep their company running, and you’ll probably get ten different answers. Some will tell you everything lives in their head. Others will point to a handful of spreadsheets or sticky notes. A few will admit that most of their “system” is just texting people when something goes wrong. The truth is, a lot of businesses run this way for a long time. But sooner or later, the wheels start to shake. People leave, deadlines get missed, and the founder ends up working nights just to keep the lights on. That’s where playbooks come [...]
Letting Someone Go: The Hardest Part of the Job
Letting someone go is the hardest part of running a team—but sometimes, a bum just belongs on a different bus. In this post, we talk about how we handle offboarding at Northern Primrose with dignity, clarity, and a 24-step process that’s always evolving. We also unpack the role of feedback, why cultural fit matters, and why “I take feedback well” isn’t always true in practice. At Northern Primrose, we’re in the business of building efficient, values-driven teams. We help businesses streamline, scale, and succeed—not just by putting bums in seats, but by making damn sure they’re in the right [...]
Say It to My Face (Nicely)
Northern Primrose started as just me—a solopreneur, accountable only to my clients. Fast forward five years, and while we still prioritize client feedback, we've expanded our approach. Now, we actively encourage our team to both give and receive feedback. Feedback is essential for growth—whether between colleagues or between leadership and the team. Continuous improvement stems from continuous feedback. When these conversations flow easily, collaboration thrives, and that’s where the magic happens. Building a Culture of Feedback vs. a Culture of Silence Creating a feedback-driven culture—especially in a remote workplace—is a challenge. Too often people choose silence, hoping issues will [...]
Strategy Meets Execution
Growth is exciting, but without the right mix of strategy and execution, your company is like piling up fancy dishes for a dinner party and forgetting to wash them—impressive at first, but eventually, it’s just a mess. Too often, I see visionaries within companies (usually the CEO) come up with incredibly big plans, only for those plans to die a slow death on the side of their desk, waiting for “when things slow down.” Years pass, and those great ideas stay just that—ideas. Don’t get me wrong—those ideas ARE great. But if they never make it out of the planning [...]
Why Mindset Matters More Than Talent
In this gig economy and remote work era where being a social media travel influencer is an actual job, oh, the times have changed. The days of climbing very slowly up the corporate ladder, doing the same thing day in and day out, while waiting for the folks on top to retire are becoming rare. Our digital world is moving at a super pace and companies are looking for the best employees who can keep up. You may have heard the saying, an organization is only as strong as its people (or some version of this saying). Truer [...]
5 Ways a Virtual Executive Assistant Can Help Grow Your Business This Year
Want to grow your business? Hand off your least favourite tasks to a virtual executive assistant so you can focus on the big picture
How To Reduce Online Meeting Fatigue – and Increase Productivity
We all know those days of back-to-back meetings with nary a minute to switch gears and reset between video calls. And those long meetings. The ones so long you come out of it barely remembering what was discussed in the first half of it.
9 Hacks Every Small Business Should Use In Their Operations
These tools and tips will elevate your game, increase productivity and improve your business operations for the long haul.
4 Common Challenges of Small Businesses – and the Solutions
Any small business owner can attest that building a successful business takes time, consistent effort, flexibility and solution-focused thinking. And while owning a business can be incredibly rewarding, it can come with some rough terrain that can create setbacks and disappointments.
How To Win at Customer Service – and Protect your Reputation
Any small business owner can attest that building a successful business takes time, consistent effort, flexibility and solution-focused thinking. And while owning a business can be incredibly rewarding, it can come with some rough terrain that can create setbacks and disappointments.
