---
title: Your Strategic Story May Develop Years Later
description: Your Strategic Story May Develop Years Later
---

[Blog | Brainzooming ](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog)

# [Your Strategic Story May Develop Years Later](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog/sometimes-a-strategic-picture-develops-after-the-fact)

 Written by [Mike Brown](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog/author/mike-brown) | Nov 10, 2010 10:50:05 AM

A tweet early Saturday morning mentioned [actress Jill Clayburgh had died](http://www.nbclosangeles.com/entertainment/celebrity/Broadway-and-Hollywood-Acting-Great-Jill-Clayburgh-Passes-Away-106807334.html) the day before. I'll admit when a celebrity death hits Twitter, I usually search for an article to get a little more background on the person and their life.

The first Jill Clayburgh obituary story included a 2005 quote from her on the real "planning" behind a typical actor's career:

*"One of the funny things about actors is that **people look at their careers in retrospect, as if they have a plan.  Mostly, you just get a call.** You're just sitting there going, 'Oh, my God. I'm never going to work again. Oh, God. I'm too old. Maybe I should go and work for Howard Dean.' **And then it changes.**"*

There are the seeds of an important strategic lesson in there: **It's great to have a plan ahead of time, but often you don't have a very formal one.** Plus **things happen which have nothing to do with the plan** or anything which was considered. So even **if you aren't able to draw a smooth, strategic line to anticipate what will happen to you** ahead of it happening, at least **be able to draw the line and shape a strategic story after the fact**.

[Find the connections you would have liked to have seen ahead of time](https://www.brainzooming.com/?p=3289).** Learn what you can from this hindsight-based strategic view**, and **apply it to what's in front of you**...then maybe you will be better able to plan out what's coming up in your future.

<https://www.brainzooming.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/101110ThreeCandlePizza-4.jpg>My reflection on the "it's okay to figure out the strategic picture afterward" idea probably stems from **today being the third anniversary of starting to write the Brainzooming blog's forerunner**.

While the blog was originally written as a creative outlet beyond the corporate world, there was certainly some forethought to wanting to build and document the learnings and tools emerging from the strategy and innovation work I was doing.

I must admit though, **if the blog had been started considering the possibility of it being an integral part of a business-building effort one day, some things would have been done differently**. But then again, all that thinking probably would have gotten in the way of ever getting started.

**The net of it all? It's been 3 years of content creation I wouldn't ever have wanted to miss!**

**Thanks for hanging out with me here!** And please do me a favor:** if you're getting value from the Brainzooming blog,[ share it with a few people you know who might also benefit](https://info.brainzooming.com/email)**. We're always looking for more readers!  – [*Mike Brown*](https://www.brainzooming.com/?page_id=1197)

[***The Brainzooming Group***](https://www.brainzooming.com/?page_id=1188)*** helps make smart organizations more successful by rapidly expanding their strategic options and creating innovative plans they can efficiently implement. Email us at *[*brainzooming@gmail.com*](mailto:brainzooming@gmail.com)* or call us at 816-509-5320 to learn how we can help you enhance your brand strategy and implementation efforts. ***

[View full post](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog/sometimes-a-strategic-picture-develops-after-the-fact)

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