I started Cross Patterns in 2019, after many years supporting business owners and people responsible for their companies and teams.

Five years later, my main takeaway is that everyone can use some support — even the people running businesses and functioning at the highest level.

It’s hard to run on vision alone and sometimes the short-term can feel overwhelming and unsteady.

Many business owners need more than a good sounding board. Building plans won’t help them either, if there’s no time or capacity to execute.  

They need people who can solve problems, get the critical work done and help them achieve their vision. 

So the goal of Cross Patterns is to help business owners get immediate relief and grow their companies by providing hands-on support with business development, business management and expansion planning.

I find this work rewarding because business owners have an outsized impact inside and outside their companies.

If I can provide some relief to them, the impact can go beyond the work itself. 

Moving beyond the next sale

I like to garden and gardeners spend a lot of time enriching the soil and cultivating the right environment. 

It’s not really one thing they do, but the combination of things and the tending over time that yields healthy growth season after season.

Business development is one of those areas that can thrive with a gardener’s touch. Beyond the pipelines and funnels, there’s a way to cultivate relationships and opportunities that builds upon itself.

Of course, you still need to produce measurable results and in this area I’ve helped clients:

• Qualify and close new business 
• Build out service tiers, packaging and pricing
• Implement sales pipelines and CRM platforms  
• Set-up new partnerships and distribution channels
• Secure sponsorships and new project funding 
• Create growth plans for existing clients
• Move clients from project-to-project to retainer/recurring revenue
• Train teams on client onboarding and account management 

Getting organized for growth

I’ve learned from some exceptional business managers over the years, two who I worked for and one who worked for me.

While each had a different speciality, the through line was a balanced approach and steady hand that avoided unnecessary risks and maximized everyone’s strengths.

They helped me appreciate how a well-managed business can be a company’s best asset.

Business owners will understand this instinctively, yet staying ahead of things and getting organized always seem to be on their to-do list.

I call it “getting organized for growth” and there are some important questions that must guide this work:

“Am I setting this client up for success?”

“What functions and processes can run autonomously in the background, without their involvement?”

“Are we surfacing opportunities, informing decisions and minimizing surprises?

“What is truly needed for this business today?“

With these questions in mind, I’ve helped clients:

• Manage company goals and priorities
• Develop growth targets and revenue plans
• Establish and facilitate weekly management reviews
• Introduce analytics and automate business reporting 
• Implement project management platforms
• Manage resource planning and team capacity  
• Troubleshoot client, team and vendor issues
• Fill interim roles during a transition

Planning for expansion

When I work with new clients, I’m interested to hear what they want for their business.

Not everyone wants or needs to scale aggressively, and I’d rather help them build a business they’re excited about and tailored to their skillsets and values.

In most cases, the vision and ideas are already there – whether with their teams, their customers or them – they just need some more exploration or articulation. 

One of my first goals is to show them what’s possible and bring some aspect of that vision into the present. 

When it’s time for expansion, we start by sorting through the existing inventory of ideas and strategies. These can include:

• Entering new markets and categories
• Launching new products and services
• Merging with or acquiring another businesses
• Shifting sales channels (i.e. offline to online)
• Changing the core business model
• Building out the management team
• Investing in infrastructure

From there, it’s a process of modeling and prioritizing each opportunity, thinking about factors like level of effort, return on investment, time to impact and overall strategic fit.

Becoming a client

My motto with clients is “just show up!” 

I’ll take care of everything before, during and after we meet. 

Deliverables are edited and essential, and can be reviewed in the time we have. 

Whatever role I’m playing, that role is clearly defined so you can share with your team and keep me accountable.

I’m thankful to have wonderful clients who are now friends. 

Clients have included local companies Witty Gritty, EverWash, 20Nine, Connect the Dots, CreateXChange and IndieLifeMedia. 

Since I help clients with business development, I’ve also worked with their clients, including The Urban Affairs Coalition, ImpactPHL, 1Philadelphia, Spring Point Partners, Amplify Philly and The Welcoming Center, among others.

About Me

I’ve been in the unofficial role of “business building” now for 15 years. 

Prior to Cross Patterns, I was the COO of Technically Media, helping them diversify their revenue lines and bring to market managed services and recurring revenue products — along with oversight for sales, marketing and product development.

I also held various digital leadership roles at Comcast in their interactive media division. My main role there was building out the advertising business for the Xfinity.com portal, and led a cross-functional team with responsibility for both the growth strategy and P&L.

After Comcast, I cofounded the consultancy POST Digital, helping media and tech companies accelerate their online revenue and transition to the digital era.

Since 2005, I’ve lived in the East Passyunk neighborhood of Philadelphia and share my home with three basset hound rescues Whitman, Fletcher and Moose. I also help organize our neighborhood running group, the Passyunk Beer and Java Runners (aka PB&J).

During the warmer months, I spend a lot of time with friends and family at the Jersey Shore and love those Wildwood Days!

And lastly, my first name is Anthony though my friends and clients all know me as Woj.