How to Win and Where to Play: A Practical Strategy Framework for Growing Smart
At Blue Pen Strategy Group, we spend a lot of time helping organizations slow down just enough to make better decisions. Not more decisions. Better ones. One of the most useful frameworks we return to again and again is the “Where to Play / How to Win” concept,…
What’s the Difference Between a Tactic and a Strategy in Sheet Music Publishing?
A Clayton Christensen–inspired look at long-term innovation, disruption, and how not to confuse motion for meaning Introduction: Why Tactics Can’t Save a Flawed Business Model In the world of sheet music publishing—whether sacred, educational, choral, or…
What Is a Sheet Music Sales Funnel – How Can It Help Sell Sheet Music
If you’re a music publisher or composer, you’ve probably heard terms like “sales funnel” thrown around by marketers. But what is a sales funnel, really—and how can it help you sell more sheet music? Good news: it’s not as complicated as it sounds. What Is a Sales…
What Is Technical SEO and Why Should You Care?
Let’s get real for a second. You’ve probably heard people throw around the term “Technical SEO” like it’s some advanced, backend wizardry that only developers understand. You might even be thinking: “That’s not my job. I just want to rank on Google and get traffic to…
Building Your Business in Phases: A Simplified Roadmap for Non-Strategic Founders
A Stage-Based Guide for Sheet Music Publishers (Who’d Rather Be Composing Than Planning) Let’s face it: most people who start a sheet music publishing business aren’t in it for the spreadsheets. You’re a composer, an arranger, a music educator. You’ve got ideas to…
What Small Teams Can Learn From Big Brands (Without the Bloat)
Real tactics from Netflix, Costco, and Amazon that you can use—today Look—You Don’t Need a 300-Person Marketing Team to Win Let’s just get this out of the way: Big brands don’t win because they’re big.They win because they execute with clarity, build culture, and stay…
The Art of Space: 5 Lessons for Choirs from Minecraft
Minecraft is more than a game about building — it’s a masterclass in how space creates feeling. The vast landscapes, echoing caverns, and open skies shape the mood as much as its music does. For choirs, this offers a powerful metaphor. Choral sound lives inside space…
What Game Design Can Teach Choral Composers About Atmosphere
Game designers and choral composers might seem to live in separate worlds — one digital, one acoustic — yet both rely on the same essential craft: creating emotional spaces that people can feel inside.The lessons of great game design, especially from immersive worlds…
7 Fascinating Things To Learn About Minecraft’s Music (and Why It Still Hits So Hard)
The Sound of a Blocky World Minecraft’s emotional core isn’t visual — it’s musical. Composer Daniel Rosenfeld (C418) shaped the game’s peaceful atmosphere with minimalistic piano and synth textures. His work invites players into a world of calm discovery rather than…
AI Isn’t as Scary as It Sounds: How Small Businesses Can Use It to Work Smarter (Not Harder)
When people hear Artificial Intelligence, it can sound like something meant for big tech companies — complicated, expensive, and light-years beyond the reach of a small business. But here’s the reality: AI is already here, it’s easier than you think, and it’s built…