Redefining growth for Spark: from 10X myths to meaningful movement
Today, Spark turns nine.
It slipped quietly past us. We’ve been deeply immersed in a day of meetings, data reviews and deadlines on a complex change programme – the kind of work that reminds me why Spark exists.
And now, in the stiller moments of this evening, I’m reflecting on what this milestone means. What does year ten look like? What does it mean to talk about growth – and what does meaningful impact actually feel like?
Lately, I’ve been receiving some coaching (with the brilliant team at MoreHappi – highly recommended!). It’s helped me pause and get the headspace to question some of the ideas and assumptions that I’ve picked up over the years, especially around growth. Many of which quietly became limiting beliefs.
Letting go of “the 10X”
There’s a popular narrative – almost a mantra in some entrepreneurial circles – that growth should be exponential: think 10X (“ten times growth”). “How would you 10X it?”; “adopt a 10X mindset!”. Scale fast. Go big, or go home. I’ve read the books, listened to the talks, but have never been drawn to it.
And yet, somewhere along the way, it got stuck in my head. Or rather, my resistance to the 10X mindset got me stuck.
Listening to Dirk Bischof (founder of Hatch) speak at a breakfast workshop last month helped me get unstuck. He spoke about the ceilings people can place on your growth, particularly in the UK social impact space. That after ten years of running a small business, “they” (well-meaning advisers? Our inner critics?) say it’s an achievement to hit six figures with slow, steady growth. Ten per cent a year? That’s good. Especially in a sector like ours. Especially when the climate is so tough. NHS England is being abolished; many Local Authorities’ debts are spiralling; and most of the public think public services have worsened in the past five years.
Your small business is still going? That’s a win.
It feels… reasonable. Supportive, even.
And yet – I find myself rebelling against it. The same way I resisted the “10X” mantra, I’m resisting the “just-survive” narrative.
Where between the 10% and 900% annual growth is a space that feels right for Spark?
Reframing what growth means for Spark
With time (and generous peer challenge), I’ve started to unhook myself from those extremes – the Silicon Valley mantras on one side, and the pragmatic survivalism on the other.
So what space am I stepping towards? One where:
1. It’s not just about the numbers.
Yes, more revenue makes Spark more sustainable. It helps us pay back loans, build reserves, invest in our team and drives our pay-it-forward work. Revenue milestones are real, tangible markers of progress.
But in my resistant thrashing, I’d lost sight of something important: more revenue also means we get to do more of the work we care about. We can say yes to bolder projects. We can do more meaningful work alongside, and inside, systems that are crying out for change. We can genuinely co-produce the future with the people who give, and receive, public services.
Growth, grounded in purpose, simply means more impact. And impact is the bit that ignites my spark (pardon the pun – even after nine years, it never gets old!)
2. We can boldly build something unique
For years now, the question that has kept me up at night was: can Spark become a viable, scalable business? Or would I just be better off getting a “proper job” and a proper night’s sleep?
Now I’m asking: why must Spark scale?
We’ve spent nine years experimenting – in engagement and co-production, storytelling, coaching, data analysis, evaluation and strategy. And yes, a bit of training too – because building capacity matters.
People used to tell me (and some still do), “Pick a lane, Sam. Stay in it”.
But I’m seeing something else emerge: the power – the magic, even – is in the mix. Empathetic storytelling with generative co-production and data-driven strategy. That’s what makes our work distinct.
We’re not here to replicate anyone else’s model. We’re here to shape what’s possible when care and clarity meet.
3. We stay anchored in purpose
As Spark grows, the question we hold is: how can we live our values more deeply through our work?
Every decision should amplify our mission, not dilute it. Easy to say, harder to do.
Our mission is to rekindle humanity in public services. Our definition of humanity – open, kind and fair interactions for all – doesn’t mean being soft. It means finding strength and clarity in times of uncertainty, within complex systems on the verge of crisis, and often struggling – and sometimes, failing, to meet unprecedented levels of demand.
Day to day, this is about helping to set clear boundaries and expectations around what’s in our control; showing up with respect and curiosity; and building cultures where trust and safety aren’t luxuries – they are the default.
It’s hard. It’s messy. The journey is far from perfect. Within this, I’m exploring another space of what leadership means to me, as a woman living in 2025. So far, my biggest learning is to practice self-compassion for the past, with a hopeful, generative view forward.
Forward, to the next Spark
Every Friday, one of our client partners and I pause to ask: “are we further on than we were on Monday?”
And just as importantly: “is that movement taking us in the direction the work needs to go?”.
That’s what year ten will be about for Spark. Deliberate projects. Purposeful growth. And staying in motion – not just for the sake of it, but because the work, and the people, matter.
When a client’s feeling stuck in a tricky part of a project, I often ask: “what’s the next step we can take? Where can we find the spark?”
I remind them that I didn’t call the business “we’re-solving-all-the-world’s-problems-and-putting-a-bow-on-it…by-yesterday.”
It’s one spark that can – and often does – make all the difference. One step forward.
With this birthday post, I’m reminding myself of that too.
Here’s to impactful growth in the year(s) ahead.