Stephanie and Kara both learned early in our professional lives that follow-through matters. As students at Michigan Ross School of Business, it was drilled into us: after an interview, send a thoughtful thank-you note that references the conversation. It was presented as a way to stand out and be polite… a nice finishing touch to remember you by. But although a thank you is polite, it doesn’t build momentum.
Early in our Wolf & Heron days, Stephanie facilitated our Influential Storytelling workshop for a major new client. It was a high-stakes moment: 100+ people in the room, a huge win for us, and her first time delivering the workshop solo. She opened with a story she had polished, rehearsed, and delivered successfully many times before.
Carissa came to Stephanie frustrated. She had a 15-minute slot with her executive leadership team, and she wanted to understand why her user-research findings weren’t influencing leadership action. She had spent months gathering insights, synthesizing trends, and surfacing recommendations, yet every time she presented them, leaders nodded politely and moved on. There was no change or follow through.
We’ve all sat through meetings that looked good on paper but left us frustrated. Stephanie was recently invited to a meeting that included an agenda right in the calendar invite!