A founder had been running his SEO agency for five years. Good revenue, solid team. But something felt off and he couldn’t figure out what.
The vision disconnect nobody sees
I asked him to describe his vision for the business three years out. He said white glove service, premium clients, high touch, maybe ten accounts maximum.
Then I asked his team the same question. They said throughput, volume, as many clients as possible.
They were building completely different businesses inside the same company. Neither side knew it.
The founder had a vision in his head but had never written it down or shared it clearly. His team made assumptions based on what they saw day to day. More clients coming in, pressure to deliver faster. They assumed that was the direction.
What a vivid vision actually is
A vivid vision is a document that describes what your business looks and feels like at a specific point in the future, usually about three years. Not goals or metrics. A description.
What does it feel like to be in this business? What do clients say about you? How does the team work together? How does the founder interact with the business? What are you known for? What have you deliberately said no to?
Write it in present tense as if you’re already there.
Three things a vivid vision does:
- It aligns execution. When your team knows where you’re going, they make better decisions without asking you. They can filter opportunities and say no to things that don’t fit.
- It attracts and repels. The right people read your vision and want in. The wrong people read it and opt out. Both outcomes are good.
- It gives you a decision filter. When an opportunity comes up, ask whether it moves you toward the vision or away from it. If it doesn’t fit, it’s a no.
How to write one
Set aside a couple of hours. Start with the question: what does my business look like in three years if everything goes well? Write what you see. Clients, team, revenue, reputation, your role, your lifestyle. Don’t edit while you write. Get it all out first, then refine. Make it specific and visceral. Make it something your team can read and actually picture.
Then share it. Not once. Repeatedly. Reference it in team meetings. Use it when making decisions.
The SEO agency founder now starts every quarterly planning session by reading his vivid vision out loud. Takes two minutes. Resets everyone on where they’re going. No more building different businesses.
If you don’t have a clear vision written down, your team is guessing. And they’ll guess based on what they see, not what you intend.
