Knowledge Base

Technology is an enabler to existing work and strategy, and understanding this is important to its use.

Proven framework to improve EBITDA 100-300% in PE-backed middle-market companies through operations, sales, and finance optimization.

This comprehensive framework guides small business owners through building effective systems using a four-phase approach: definition and alignment, requirements

Culture isn't soft HR fluff—it's physics. Four forces determine whether culture pulls toward high performance or decay.

Every business operates on a simple truth that most leaders overcomplicate: you put resources in, and revenue comes out.

Successful companies thrive when they recognize and properly align their three essential workforce components—Communicators who maintain vision alignment,

Run processes manually before automating. Create effective systems and avoid costly software that doesn't fit.

Here's how the highest-performing founders systematically leverage people who can do what they're doing 10x better—and why your ego is the biggest obstacle to

Create job scorecards that define success metrics and improve hiring quality by 60%. Scale your business without constant micromanagement.

This article reveals how to transform meeting agendas from perfunctory topic lists into strategic weapons that drive decision momentum, eliminate hidden

When did you last leave a meeting thinking it was well spent? Reduce meeting tax with better problem-solving methods.

Most weekly meetings accomplish nothing. The real power has nothing to do with information shared—it's about psychology and accountability.

True leadership isn't about doing more of what made you successful—it's about embracing a fundamental transformation in how you work, think, and create value

Ever noticed how planning is one of those business activities everyone claims to value but few actually execute well?...

Ever notice how certain businesses navigate market shifts effortlessly while others get absolutely blindsided by problems anyone could see coming?...

Want to know one of the most underrated tools for building company culture? It's not a fancy values poster in your lobby or an expensive offsite retreat.

Ever notice how some business tools get completely misunderstood? Scorecards might be the most underrated—and misused—tool in your business arsenal.

I recently had an enlightening conversation with my friend Rich Jordan about a powerful sales strategy that's transformed how I think about business growth.

Every percentage point of waste eliminated adds 0.5-1.5% to margins. Learn where waste hides and how to eliminate it systematically.

After identifying your ideal customer profile, align every aspect of your business to serve them exceptionally.

Weekly meetings are the leverage point that transforms every aspect of your operation. Not running them effectively leaves money on the table.

The complete framework for weekly meetings that drive results. Specific structure, timing, and techniques to stop wasting everyone's time.

Running a successful business isn't about creating the perfect product—it's about building a sustainable operation that generates consistent cash flow.

Four fundamental pillars that create a domino effect of positive change. The turnaround framework for struggling businesses.

Ever looked at your business scorecards and thought, "Are these actually helping us grow?" If you're like most business leaders I work with, you've got...

Operational Thinking is about systematically reducing friction across every aspect of a business while amplifying its ability to create and deliver value.

Businesses scale on systems, not heroics. Learn operational thinking—the systematic reduction of friction and amplification of value.

Scaling a business is not just about increasing revenue or operations. It’s about scaling the entire system that powers the business.

Five critical systems every growing business needs to scale: transactions, knowledge, communication, execution, and storage. Reduce coordination overhead.

Every customer interaction shapes your brand and pricing power. Learn how service touchpoints build goodwill that compounds over time.

The dangerous belief that automation must be perfect to deliver value. Why optimizing for friction reduction beats optimizing for percentage automated.

Taking over an acquisition, or really any new leadership position, is like inheriting someone else's half-finished puzzle.

Forget metrics-only management. Understanding energy flows transforms how you lead teams and drive results. A different lens on leadership.

This 3-step framework guides you through understanding, implementing, and documenting new business processes to ensure they are effective, scalable, and aligned

As companies scale, they inevitably encounter breaking points. What worked perfectly at one size begins to crack under the pressure of growth.

Grow sales without costs spiraling out of control. Capability matching helps you expand margins by aligning what you sell with what you do best.

Definition: A daily huddle is a short, tactical meeting designed to align the team on planned work for the day, setting everyone up for success through...

After spending a few years in middle-market private equity and M&A, I've noticed something interesting: most firms are fighting over the same deals.

It is crucial for new leaders to recognize a fundamental truth: your first 90 days will make or break your leadership journey.

How the Three Machines framework helps distribution companies improve inventory management and unlock working capital.

A systematic approach to organizational design that creates accountability and scales with growth.

Want my take on overseas hiring and AI? Buckle up, because it's not looking good for one of these groups. Let me break it down for you.

Most companies obsess over proving competence. The deeper trust layer actually closes deals and keeps customers loyal.

Your first day as CEO or business owner sets the tone for everything. Learn the Day One framework used by PE operators to establish trust and momentum.

Analysis paralysis kills businesses. Develop a bias toward action that separates great leaders from the rest. Perfect is the enemy of good.

Ever wonder why some people seem to achieve the impossible while others struggle to meet basic goals? The answer might surprise you.

Spend analysis should be done monthly or quarterly to understand where your money goes. Practical framework.

Many companies get bogged down in complex processes that do more harm than good. A simple framework to fix it.

Stop being the only one who cares about success. The alignment blueprint gets your entire team rowing in the same direction with shared ownership.

Procrastination is the silent killer of growth. Learn how to create urgency without burning out your team or sacrificing quality.

Many companies use safety stock as a buffer against supply chain uncertainties, but often set arbitrary limits like "10%" or "1 box" across the board.

Build a world-class company by setting culture proactively, not accepting what you inherit.

“In my definition, an entrepreneur is someone who doesn’t just see the problems, but also sees the solutions, the opportunities.”

Build A-players who own their work, hit their numbers, and handle problems independently. Monthly accountability framework.

One aspect of business management that I often find problematic is the overemphasis on sales as the primary metric of activity and tracking.

02/17/In the complex world of business, having a clear framework is indispensable for thorough analysis and improvement.

When leaders jump in to help, they often hurt the team. Learn when teaming builds culture vs when it creates dependency and stunts growth.

Build a strategic axis line that aligns every decision, system, and team member. The framework PE firms use to scale businesses 2-5x.

The key to maintaining a profitable business lies in understanding and implementing fundamental principles that cut across various industries.

Forget traditional goal-setting. Build the strategic 'box' that guides all decisions next year. A better approach to annual planning.

Taking over an operation in turmoil is like inheriting a complex puzzle. How to reshape it strategically.

Stop directing—start asking. Socratic management develops teams who solve problems themselves. Build ownership instead of dependency.

Optimize your business capacity without adding headcount. Learn how to identify bottlenecks, measure throughput, and scale operations profitably.

If you're involved in any facet of Purchase Orders (POs), Sales Orders, Customer Relations, or Quality Control in a manufacturing facility, this article is a...

Laying off employees is an incredibly challenging and sensitive task, and it demands careful planning and thoughtful communication.

Why traditional budgets fail and what works instead. A smarter approach to cost management that prevents overhead bloat as you scale.

In a world dominated by well-funded corporations and low-cost production hubs like Southeast Asia, small businesses must adopt a different strategy to thrive.

1:1s keep employees valued, aligned, and performing. Quick reference guide with structure, questions, and cadence for small business owners.

Boost capacity and sales without new equipment or hires. Learn how to maximize existing resources before spending a dime on growth.

Stop getting pulled into every problem. Define metric-based roles that let employees make decisions without you and actually own their results.

Learn the 4P operational excellence framework used by Toyota and Danaher. Transform your business with proven systems that scale.

Quick fixes create operational debt that compounds over time. Use these 8 questions to future-proof decisions and avoid expensive rework.

When should you hire, buy equipment, or invest in tools? A smarter resource allocation strategy than just throwing money at growth.

Discover 6 proven strategies top operations consultants use to dominate your industry. Learn how to build competitive advantages that last.

Master the first 90 days after an acquisition. Learn how to build trust with new teams and preserve value during critical transitions.

When you are great at your work, you have learned how to use the resources around you combined with your skills and experience, to create high-quality outputs.

There are 100s of small improvements you could make each month that would make your business operate smoother, with fewer problems, and a higher growth rate.

Write SOPs that people actually use. The step-by-step framework for creating procedures that reduce errors, speed up training, and scale operations.

There are thousands of financial metrics and ratios for looking at and understanding your business, but few are as valuable as RNOA.

Hire your first overseas team member the right way. Complete guide to sourcing, vetting, onboarding, and managing global talent for small businesses.