Leaders Inspiring Leaders: Lynn Altman, CEO and Founder of Brand Now

With 25+ years of experience across both Fortune 500 companies and emerging brands, Lynn specializes in translating cultural shifts into actionable growth strategies.

What is one timeless leadership lesson modern brands can learn from legacy brands that have stayed relevant across decades?

The brands that endure aren't the ones that move fastest. They're the ones that know when to move—and when to wait.

Startups often operate with speed as the default. The pressure to be first, to ride whatever is trending this quarter, is often part of their success. But heritage brands that have stayed relevant, by nature, have to resist treating every consumer signal as a mandate. The skill for these heritage brands isn't in responding to everything—it's in discerning which movements have staying power.

Not to say that patience doesn’t sometimes become paralysis. Heritage brands that struggle are often the ones that move so slowly the opportunity passes. Or worse, they water it down so completely that it's more murky than memorable.

The smartest heritage brands—often midsize rather than the largest players—have found a balance worth studying. They don't abandon intuition for endless data gathering or 'focus grouping', but they don't act on gut alone either. They develop a hypothesis about where the market is heading, brainstorm oppoortunities for their brand, and then check in with consumers to validate and prioritize before committing resources.

The lesson for modern brands isn't to slow down. It's to be more intentional about when to accelerate, when to pause, when to think like a start-up, but when to act like a giant. Patience isn't the opposite of agility. It's what makes agility sustainable.

What strategic decisions or leadership behaviors most strongly influence a brand's ability to scale from early traction to market leadership?

Scaling isn't easy. But it's usually because there are too many ideas at play and not the other way around. Simply said: the brands that scale successfully are the ones that anchor their momentum with some good old fashioned direction.

Early traction is intoxicating—and dangerous. Suddenly everything feels possible, and the temptation is to do more. Launch more products. Enter more channels. Chase more audiences. A kind of "shiny object syndrome" takes hold, where growth becomes synonymous with constant expansion.

But brands that make the leap to market leadership resist this pull. They scale smartly, not frantically. They have a five-year vision and take deliberate steps to get there. They understand that brand building isn't always about "more" or "new."

In fact, some of the most effective scaling moves aren't product launches at all. They're sizing and format extensions. Multipacks that shift you from impulse purchase to pantry staple. On-pack communications or QR codes that deepen meaning and brand connection. Sales channels that meet consumers where they are. None of it glamorous—but it builds the infrastructure of a durable brand.

The other distinguishing behavior to be mindful of is bringing consumers along on your brand's journey. Step too far ahead—innovate beyond their ability to understand what you stand for (or what the product is)—and you'll leave them behind. Each move should feel like a natural extension of what came before, even when it's taking you somewhere new.

How do you balance stability with innovation, ensuring your brand evolves without losing its core identity?

Before you can balance stability with innovation, you have to answer a more fundamental question: what is your core identity?

This sounds obvious, but it's where many brands get stuck. And the answer matters, because how you define your core determines how much room you have to move.

Some brands define identity broadly—a feeling, a lifestyle, an aspiration. This gives wide latitude to innovate across products, categories, and audiences. Others define it narrowly—a specific ingredient, a moment of consumption, a hero SKU. This constrains options but sharpens focus.

Neither approach is inherently better. A narrow identity lets you own a space so completely that competitors can't dislodge you. A broad identity becomes a platform for expansion. The mistake is not choosing. Without clarity on what's fixed and what's flexible, every innovation decision becomes a debate rather than a strategic choice.

The other essential element is having a plan. Too many brands approach innovation opportunistically—responding to trends, reacting to competitors, chasing whatever seems exciting. Sometimes they get lucky. More often, they end up with a portfolio that doesn't cohere.

Brands that successfully balance stability with innovation have mapped out a path. Not rigidly, but intentionally. They know their next few moves and how those connect to a larger vision. When markets shift, they adapt without losing direction; adjusting the route without abandoning the destination.

Even if you change direction, you're still following a path. That's very different from wandering.