Answer extracted from the Executive Wins Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How did Spark and Pony redefine success to build lasting growth?
Instead of pursuing relentless growth, Cass and Michelle shifted their definition of success to stability over the last 12 months, focusing on strengthening foundational structures before scaling. They rejected the conventional push-harder mentality to create a sustainable business capable of bearing the weight of future expansion.
From growth pressure to foundational strength
Most business advice pushes founders toward one directive: grow faster, push harder, expand relentlessly. Cass Laboucane and Michelle Scully, co-founders of Spark and Pony Creative, discovered this mindset was unsustainable for their seven-year-old creative agency. They pivoted to defining success as stability—a deliberate choice to stop chasing metrics and start building durable systems.
This shift wasn't a retreat from ambition. Rather, it was a strategic repositioning. Over their four years as a two-person partnership before hiring team members, then expanding further, the founders realized their rapid growth had outpaced their internal infrastructure. Strong foundational structures—including team processes, delegation frameworks, and operational clarity—became the priority before taking on additional revenue or clients.
As discussed in the Executive Wins Podcast episode, this approach applies directly to creative businesses where burnout is endemic. By locking in stability first, Cass and Michelle created a platform from which sustainable, controlled growth could happen without sacrificing the well-being of their team or their own sanity.
"A lot of conventional business advice is always telling you to grow, grow, push your team harder. And in the last 12 months we've been redefining success as stability."
Cass Laboucane — Co-Founder and Creative Director, Spark and Pony Creative. A writer by trade who co-founded Spark and Pony Creative with Michelle Scully after both worked together in a marketing department. She has been instrumental in building the agency's messaging and content strategy over seven years while navigating the dual challenge of growing the business and recently becoming a new mother.
The episode also dives into how Cass and Michelle learned to say no to opportunities that didn't align with their foundational work—a tactical skill rarely taught in typical entrepreneurship guides, explored in depth in this conversation.
Key takeaways
- Stability is a valid strategic goal, especially for creative agencies prone to burnout and unsustainable growth cycles.
- Foundational structures—team processes, delegation, and operational clarity—must be strengthened before scaling further.
- Rejecting conventional growth-at-all-costs advice is a competitive advantage for long-term sustainability and team retention.
- Saying no to misaligned opportunities protects the stability you've worked to establish and preserves team capacity.
See also
How can creative agencies close the gap between client expertise and online presentation?
Spark and Pony's approach focuses on helping businesses that are incredibly skilled at what they do but don't translate that expertise online. By bridging this gap through strategic branding and content, they enable clients to showcase their true professional capabilities to a wider audience.
Why does Krista reject the stereotypical accountant identity and how does this differentiate Anderson?
Krista has piercings, tattoos, and an arts background—nothing like the stereotypical, process-oriented, rigid accountant. Her non-traditional approach brings fresh perspective and creative problem-solving to the accounting industry, setting her apart from conventional practitioners.
What did Krista learn from her arts background that applies to her professional leadership?
From her stage management experience, Krista learned that the show must go on regardless of what happens backstage or what goes wrong. This mindset of resilience and adaptability translates directly to her leadership approach in business.