Coach Nick Saban once said, “We’re not going to talk about what we’re going to accomplish. We’re going to talk about how we’re going to do it.” Those words carry a great deal of weight when we consider how to grow Icelaven’s portfolio of companies, because without being certain of “the how” wins and celebrations are rare.
In answering this question, there are essentially three ways we can grow: organically, through operational improvements, and with strategic acquisitions.
Over the next few posts, I’ll dive deeper into each of these growth strategies, sharing thoughts about how Icelaven helps our companies thrive, but today, I’ll focus on organic growth.
When we talk about organic growth, we’re referring to the process of growing naturally by leveraging existing resources, capabilities, and market opportunities.
We believe this is the most sustainable way to expand our companies because organic growth allows us to tap into our existing capabilities and the repeatable processes we already have in place. Leveraging these strengths can be done in a single entity or by vertically integrating. Either way, we use existing resources to improve our offerings, achieve greater penetration in existing markets, or expand into new markets.
In our experience, organic growth creates long-term value because it strengthens our core competencies. And leading with our competencies builds trust with customers, enhances brand recognition, and establishes a foundation for future scalability.
We also emphasize organic growth because it complements the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)™, we use to run our businesses. Driven by our core values, we focus on simplifying operations, aligning teams, and creating accountability—all which fuel organic growth with clarity and precision.
If there’s a downside to organic growth, it’s that it takes time, but the results are worth it: resilient business units that are built to last.
How does your business prioritize organic growth? Let’s talk strategies in the comments.