strategy Archives - Wakeman Consulting Group

14 Clubs Grew. Melbourne Didn’t.

August 24, 2026
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On September 9, 2025, the Australian Football League announced 1,363,437 members. 14 AFL clubs broke membership records. The Melbourne Demons…not one of them. Four years after winning the 2021 premiership, the Demons were 15th in membership with 58,500 members. Collingwood: 112,491. Carlton: 100,743. Richmond: 92,531. Geelong: 92,379. Hawthorn: 87,204. Same stadium. 58,500 is nearly 7,000 fewer members […]

August 14, 2026
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The miracle promised by direct-to-consumer is dead. D-E-D. Dead. A 2026 research report looked at 50 prominent DTC brand failures between 2022 and 2026. Celebrated brands like SmileDirectClub and Allbirds were included. SmileDirectClub went from a $4.1 billion valuation to a $39 million sale in 53 months. 99% down. Allbirds, once worth billions, and on the feet of so […]

The “10% Test”: A Simple Question to See If You’re a Commodity

I want to share a quick test with you this morning to help you understand the challenges and fears folks face when I talk about commoditization. Fear Most people I speak with are afraid of losing out on a project or a client. They often feel on edge between winning and losing, like they have […]

The Three Stages of Extraction: How We Built a “Buyer Beware” Economy

The Wall Street Journal reports that Polymarket staged fake wins on copycat websites. Creators filmed themselves celebrating fabricated payouts…$100,00 here, a lucky break there. Just a day in the life of a winner. The real market: running on a public blockchain, showed those same bets would have lost. Across 1,105 videos, roughly $1.9M in bets were shown. […]

Who’s Guarding the Game?

College Football Playoff expansion rumors are flowing. 24 teams, baby. More is better. MORE! The SEC meets next week in Destin. This is a topic that will certainly be on the table. The Big Ten wants it. The ACC wants it. The Big 12 wants it. Greg Sankey…doesn’t. He’s set a line at 16. Sankey […]

Vanity Fair Used to Be a Party…

I’ve been a Vanity Fair fan for years. A long-time subscriber. I read Dana Brown’s book on the Graydon Carter era in one sitting. I have a fondness for the magazine and the things it represents: glamour, intelligence, Hollywood. I’m not someone throwing rocks at an easy target. I’m a fan who wants to know […]

From Flailing to Focused: An Extraction Economy Manifesto

From Flailing to Focused You know the feeling. Things feel okay. The numbers look fine. Your board isn’t panicking. But there is something you can’t shake. A weight. An unease. A sense that the foundation isn’t as solid as the spreadsheets suggest. You’ve moved the numbers around. Highlighted different metrics. Told a new twist on […]