Bill Canady’s ‘Blank Page’ Method Featured in Fast Company

September 9, 2025

Ever stared at a new project, feeling that familiar paralysis? The "blank page syndrome" isn't just for writers – it can hit any team facing a big, complex goal, leaving them wondering, "Where do we even begin?"

As a CEO who has successfully guided organizations through plenty of challenging times, Bill Canady has seen this inertia firsthand. That's why he developed a powerful, yet simple, antidote: a method that transforms the daunting blank slate into a vibrant canvas of potential. Now, he's sharing this proven strategy with the readers of Fast Company.

In his latest article for the publication, "How a ‘blank page’ meeting can turbo-charge any project or goal," he dives deep into a five-step formula that can help any team overcome overwhelm, clarify vision, and ignite productivity.

In the piece, Bill walks readers through how to:

Define their "what" with surprising ease.
Generate a wealth of "hows" by fostering creative, criticism-free brainstorming.
Converge on the best solutions by road-testing ideas against real-world constraints.
Refine and improve the chosen approach.
Interrogate the strategy to ensure its effectiveness.

Plus, he shares two "accelerators" to get teams moving even faster, including a unique way to make the blank page less intimidating from the get-go.

Inspired by Newton's First Law of Motion, this approach is all about applying that initial force to get things rolling. Once a project is in motion, keeping it in motion becomes so much easier.

Ready to transform your team's approach to new projects and goals?

Read Bill's full article on Fast Company.

About the Author

Bill Canady

Bill Canady is a national best-selling author, Founder & CEO of The 80/20 Institute, and a global business leader known for transforming companies into high-performing, profitable enterprises. Over the course of his career, Bill has led multibillion-dollar organizations through their most critical challenges—navigating complex regulatory, investor, and media environments—while consistently delivering profitable growth.

Drawing on decades of executive experience, Bill created the Profitable Growth Operating System (PGOS), a proven framework designed to help leaders cut complexity, focus on the critical few, and accelerate growth. Through The 80/20 Institute, he and his team partner with CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs worldwide to apply the 80/20 methodology in real-world settings, unlocking revenue growth, margin expansion, and shareholder value.

As both an operator and advisor, Bill’s mission is clear: to give leaders the tools, systems, and confidence they need to achieve sustainable, profitable growth — without sacrificing focus, culture, or execution.

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