BT Solutions Group

$100 to make you holler. No—not what you’re thinking. Stop. Just stop. ?? That’s what Ron, the sales & ops manager, would yell across the call center I worked in at a gritty windows & siding company in Minnesota. A crisp $100 bill was taped to the wall. The deal? ? First person to close a sale over the phone got the cash. No frills. No CRM. No dashboards. Just old-school hustle, motivation, and a guy named Ron running the room like a mix between Boiler Room and The Office. Ron was something else: ?? Chain smoker ?? Wore pleather jackets unironically ?? Could talk to anyone ?? Definitely not your typical leadership guru But man—he understood people. He knew how to create energy, momentum, and performance—without a playbook. And that year? Ron 5X’d the business and expanded across the Midwest. That experience stuck with me. Because leadership isn’t always about polish. It’s about knowing what drives your team. It’s about creating simple, clear expectations and incentives that unlock big results. It’s about energy, momentum, and reading the room. I’ve come a long way since those window-and-siding sales calls. I’ve led and scaled companies from $0 to $100M+ across multiple industries. But some of the best lessons came from that $100 on the wall. So here’s to the Ron's of the world— Unlikely teachers. Real-world operators. And a reminder that understanding people always beats a fancy slide deck. What’s one of the most unexpected places you learned something that stuck with you? #Leadership #StartupLessons #IncentivesMatter #SalesCulture #ScalingCompanies #BusinessPsychology #Founders #SMB #PrivateEquity #OperatorInsights

Karate Kicks & Pancakes ???? "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once... but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." — A big-time famous karate guy My lunch today? Pancakes. (No judgment—I had breakfast for lunch, and it was awesome.) From left to right in the picture below (Can you guess which is which? ??): ? First pancake? Too light. Uneven. Rough around the edges. ? Second? A bit better. ? Third? Now we’re talking. And while I didn’t include the fourth one (because apparently, people like things in threes ??), trust me—it was perfection. The Lesson? In business, leadership, and life—perfection never happens on the first try. (Or really, ever, but that’s a conversation for another time…) Some of my firsts: ?? First sales pitch? Talked too fast, fumbled key points—hilarious in hindsight. A+ for effort, though! ?? First hiring decision? Thought I needed a "rockstar." Learned that a rockstar is actually just the right fit for the right role. ?? First product launch? Thought it had to be perfect. Turns out, speed to market mattered more. ?? First time leading a team? Thought I had to have all the answers. Now I know it’s about asking the right questions. ?? First time scaling a business? Did it the hard way. Didn’t delegate enough, tried to do too much myself. ?? First time turning a business around? Thought cutting costs was the main focus (don’t get me wrong—it is important!). But fixing the right problems drives real change. The Truth? They’re all first pancakes—messy, frustrating, but valuable. The only way to get that golden-brown, fluffy, perfect pancake? ?? Make the first one. Then another. Then another. ?? Put in the reps. Do the same thing over and over. Just like the big-time karate guy said: Master the things you can do again and again. And to the shiny object people out there—you are loved and appreciated. ?? Truly. But don’t lose focus. And please don’t leave pancakes burning on the grill while chasing eggs or hash browns before you’ve even mastered pancakes. That’s how you end up with a mess—and no breakfast worth eating. (Also, it’s a fire hazard. ??) And if you can’t stay focused, I totally get it. But you owe it to yourself to find someone to work with you that can. It makes all the difference. Me? I’ll be over here flipping pancakes. Over and over and over. Focus and reps. All day, every day, for the win. #Growth #Leadership #FailForward #Resilience #BusinessOwners #Founders #Investors #ExecutionOverPerfection #FractionalCOO #FractionalOps #Advisory #Consulting #Scale #Entrepreneurship

We're About to Lose 60% of Our Business. That's what a founder told me—just 1 week after I was brought in to scale their supply chain company from $20M to $30M ARR. Not a slow decline. Not a hypothetical risk. A sudden revenue drop from $20M to $8M—overnight. And just like that, what was supposed to be a growth play became a full-blown turnaround. Never one to shy away from a challenge, here's how I saved the business: 1?. Cut Costs Without Killing Growth -Launched the "CORE" initiative (Conserve Our Resources Everywhere) -Mothballed underutilized facilities and liquidated excess assets -Right-sized operations without sacrificing ability to scale back up 2?. Repositioned for Long-Term Growth -Created more competitive, focused service offerings -Expanded into strategic geographic markets to offset lost revenue -Strengthened position to compete with larger players 3?. Implemented Data-Driven Execution -Deployed ERP, WMS, TMS, and CRM for real-time insights -Achieved ISO 9001 and SQF Level 3 certifications -Created visibility and accountability at every level 4?. Diversified Revenue Streams -Launched new high-margin services: IT consulting, transloading, temp-controlled packaging -Reduced customer concentration risk with new client segments -Top two customers went from 90% of revenue to just 60% 5?. Overhauled Leadership & Culture -Built a business development team from scratch -Shifted from reactive firefighting to repeatable execution -Established metrics-driven performance culture The Results? ? Revenue Rebounded → From $8M back to $30M ARR ? Efficiency Up 40% → Doubled packaging line up-time, 99.98% inventory accuracy ? Profitability Soared → EBITDA up 90%, running leaner with less risk ? New Clients → Secured five Fortune 500 and three Fortune 50 clients ? New Revenue → Created incremental multi-million-dollar divisions ? Market Position → Competed head-to-head with much larger players ?? The Lesson? It's Not Just What Happens—It's How You Respond. I could've walked out when my scaling opportunity became a turnaround crisis overnight. But things change. Adaptation is everything. Some companies panic when crisis hits. Others execute and turn setbacks into comebacks. I've built, fixed, and scaled businesses from $0 to $100M+—and I know firsthand: Execution separates those who survive from those who dominate. If your company faces operational bottlenecks or needs a turnaround—let's talk. ?? Have you ever had to pivot fast in a crisis? How did you handle it? #BusinessTurnaround #CrisisLeadership #OperationalExcellence #SupplyChain #ExecutionMatters

This morning, I was chin-checked and reminded—big time—that I can’t eat the elephant in one bite! ?? A good reminder that big goals require small, intentional steps.

“We just need a better strategy." That's what a founder told me last week. They had $10M in revenue but felt stuck. And their P&L showed it. Their solution? ·???????More whiteboarding. ·???????More brainstorming. ·???????Another "alignment" meeting. ?? The real issue? Execution. 1000%. I told them straight-up. They agreed. Five minutes later? They went down a rabbit hole chasing another shiny object. ??♂? I encounter this all the time. Founders love thinking big. And I totally get it. ·???????They are inspiring people that also inspire those around them. ·???????They're visionary, resilient, and sharp. ·???????They're driven and innovative. ?? My kinda people!! But at some point, execution has to catch up with vision—otherwise, the business stalls. And let's be real—most founders already know this. They feel it. They see it. And they deserve an execution framework that actually makes it happen. When Execution Becomes the Priority: ·???????P&L improves → Profitability stops being an afterthought. ·???????Cash flow strengthens → Growth doesn't outrun the bank account. ·???????Valuation multiples increase → Investors pay for execution, not just ideas. ·???????The business scales without breaking. ·???????Operations get smoother, momentum builds—and everything gets a little more fun. ·???????And founders? They finally get to focus on vision & growth—not daily firefighting. What I've Learned in 20+ Years in Operations: ·???????Strategy alone doesn't scale a company. Ruthless execution does. ·???????Big ideas don't fail. Poor execution kills them. ·???????Strategy is just theory until execution makes it real. How Do I Know This? ·???????I've built and scaled businesses from $0 to $100M+. ·???????I've navigated the $5M-$50M chaos that kills most companies. ·???????I've cleaned up the mess from too much thinking, not enough doing. The best operators don't overcomplicate. They simplify, execute, measure, adjust, and keep moving. And the best ones are an invaluable resource to founders. ?? If your business is stuck between big ideas and actual results, let's talk. I help founders bridge that gap—and get real results. What's a business problem you've seen people try to "strategize" their way out of instead of executing through? #ExecutionMatters #ScaleSmart #NoMoreShinyObjects #OperationalExcellence

What I Would Tell My Younger Self When I Scaled My First $30M Business ?? I learned the hard way: Where you spend your time will make or break your success. When I started with Red Bull in North America, there weren’t too many of us. They had just sold the first case of Red Bull out of the trunk of a car in Santa Cruz, California. It was a true startup. I saw an opportunity. I had an idea: ?? What if we had company-owned distribution in select markets instead of relying solely on third parties? At the time, we were struggling to sell more than 200 cases a month in most markets. Getting share of mind with 3rd-party distributors was brutal. So, I taught myself PowerPoint, put together my first business plan, and pitched it. I had never written one before—I just figured it out and did it. I still remember where I was sitting in that small but picturesque Pacific Palisades office when I said: ?? "This will give us an opportunity to create success stories and build momentum with 3rd-party distributors. And I ran the numbers—we can actually make money doing it ourselves. Win-win." The response? "Great idea! Now go do it." No blueprint. No playbook. Just figuring it out in real time. What I Learned Over the Next 9 Years While Red Bull Became a Multi-Billion $$ Empire: ? Scaling isn't just about growth—it's about building the right foundation. ? Operations will make or break your ability to execute. ? Cash flow, margins, and poor execution will kill your business. ? Hiring the right people matters. Culture matters. ? Making quick decisions matters. ? How you spend your time—and what you spend it on—matters more than you think. I took those lessons and built multiple distribution companies from $0 to $100M+—handling strategy frameworks, business planning, P&L, EBITDA growth, operations, logistics, sales, hiring, and execution. ?? Now, I help founders, investors, and business owners do the same as a Fractional Ops Leader. Because how you spend your time determines your success. If your business is: ?? Scaling too fast and feeling chaotic ?? Stuck in operational gridlock ?? Struggling to execute on great ideas ?? Wants to grow but can't figure out how ?? Let’s talk. I’ve been there, lived it, solved it—and I can help you do the same. What’s one thing you wish you could tell your younger self about business? #OperationalExcellence #BusinessScaling #StartupGrowth #FractionalLeadership #ExecutionMatters #ScalingDoneRight

You Can't Think Your Way Into Acting. But You Can Act Your Way Into Thinking." —Some Big-Time Psychologist This has always landed with me. Vision is critical. No doubt. Visionaries change the world. And strategy matters 100%. I genuinely love strategy. But execution makes it real. Think about that for a minute (but don't overthink it ha ha) After leading and running SMBs & LMMs as a GM, COO, and CEO—and working as a Fractional Executive and Advisor for 10 years in the $0- to $100M range— I see the same thing over and over: Too much over-thinking, too many shifting strategies, and not enough execution to bring those visions to life. At some point, you just have to execute. ?? More brainstorming won't fix bad execution. ?? Constantly shifting strategies won’t fix market problems. ?? More "big ideas" won't solve operational chaos. Action creates clarity. Execution builds momentum. Strategy sharpens through doing. That's how vision becomes reality—and usually, it evolves into something even better. Stop waiting for the perfect plan. Buy the ticket. Take the ride. The 'Iterate-As-We-Go' bus is already moving. ?? What’s one thing you know you should execute on—but haven’t yet? (Because we all have one!)