What we stand for: caa’s ‘Pillars of Excellence’
This past year, we celebrated something big: 10 years of caa.
And while anniversaries are a moment to look back — to reflect on the wins, the lessons, the growth — they’re also a moment to pause, take a breath, and ask a bigger question: Who are we now, and what do we want to stand for as we move forward?
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While we had built a solid foundation over the past decade, this pause for reflection showed me that it was time to step up our game in line with the rapidly changing world around us. As leaders, especially in times of constant change, grounding yourself in your values is not optional, it’s essential. You need a clear north star. Something that holds steady when things move fast, when the industry shifts, and when the decisions get harder.
That is exactly why we rolled out caa’s “Pillars of Excellence” this month.
These pillars are not buzzwords. They are not aspirational fluff. They are a reflection of who we have been for the past decade, who we are today, and who we are committed to being as we head into 2026 and beyond. They define how we think, how we operate, and how we show up — for our audiences, our partners, and each other.
Think of them as our shared language, our grounding force, and our guiding light.
We Power the Connection Economy
Connection is our purpose, not a byproduct.
At the heart of caa is one simple truth: connection is what we do.
We connect people to ideas. Leaders to insight. Businesses to opportunity. Cities to the broader economic story they are part of. Everything we build — editorial, events, intelligence — is designed to bring the right voices together in meaningful ways.
Connection doesn’t just happen. It takes intention. It takes trust. And it takes consistency. We don’t create noise — we create platforms that matter, conversations that move things forward, and visibility that drives real impact.
As an example, at caa, our ability to tap into local insights is what fuels our leadership conferences, which in turn help nurture regional and national partnerships.
That is what we mean when we say we power the connection economy. It isn’t just a nice idea. It’s our responsibility to accomplish — and it’s something we take seriously.
We Are a Learning Organization
Insight fuels relevance.
If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s this: the moment you think you’ve “figured it all out” is the moment you start falling behind.
At caa, curiosity is baked into our culture. We are constantly learning: from our markets, our audiences, our partners, and from each other. We pay attention. We ask questions. We challenge assumptions. And we stay plugged into the industries and regions we cover.
Our commitment to learning has allowed us to thoughtfully embrace new tools, including AI, to be more strategic across departments, while staying true to our editorial standards. Our teams are now using these tools to provide deeper and more timely insights, while becoming increasingly efficient in their day-to-day. That helps them, it helps the company, and ultimately it helps our audience.
Learning keeps us sharp. It keeps us relevant. And it keeps us growing.
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We Are Better Than We Were Yesterday
Momentum beats complacency.
Excellence doesn’t happen overnight, and it definitely doesn’t happen by accident.
This pillar is about progress. Sometimes big. Sometimes incremental. Always intentional. It’s about refining our processes, strengthening collaboration, improving accountability, and raising the bar just a little higher each day.
Being better than we were yesterday means being honest about what’s working — and what isn’t. It means owning our challenges, learning from them, and moving forward with clarity and momentum.
Complacency is easy. Growth takes effort. We choose growth.
We Obsess Over Quality and Credibility
Trust is the currency of connection.
In our world, trust is everything.
Our audiences rely on us for insight they can believe in, and that trust is earned through quality, accuracy, and consistency. We don’t chase clicks. We don’t cut corners. And we don’t compromise our standards for the sake of speed or scale.
At caa that means interviewing over 200 local CEOs within each market to take their insights into consideration when we compile our analysis. Large companies and small, public entities and private, nationally reaching companies as well as those only operating within that metro area. Why? If we only listened to the voices of a few, we would never be as comprehensive and complete as we are.
Obsession might sound intense, but in this case, it’s intentional. Quality and credibility are non-negotiable at caa. They guide our reporting, our partnerships, our events, and our reputation.
In an oversaturated media landscape, credibility is what sets us apart, and we protect it fiercely.
We Think National — and Publish City by City
Perspective defines our advantage.
One of the things that makes caa truly special is how we see the world.
We operate with national and global awareness, while staying deeply focused on individual metro markets. We understand that local economies don’t exist in a vacuum, they are shaped by larger trends, policies, and forces happening all around them.
By thinking nationally, we bring context. By publishing metro by metro, we bring relevance and nuance. This approach allows us to tell smarter stories, ask better questions, and deliver insight that is both locally meaningful and strategically informed.
It also gives our teams a clear compass: every story should connect the dots between what’s happening here and why it matters in the bigger picture.
Looking Ahead
Rolling out caa’s Pillars of Excellence feels especially meaningful as we step into our next decade.
These pillars are not just words on a page. They are commitments. They will guide how we make decisions, how we grow, and how we navigate whatever comes next. They ground us in what matters most, while giving us the confidence to keep evolving.
Ten years in, I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve built, and I’m even more excited about where we’re going.
This is what we stand for.
This is our foundation.
And this is how caa moves forward into 2026, together.
