Results
New Perspectives, New Results
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
– Albert Einstein
Case Study #1
How a Successful Construction Company Revamped Its Senior Team Meetings
Client
The client is a $50MM leading hotel renovation firm with offices on the East and West coast and has contracts with a prominent national hotel chain.
Concerns
The company’s president was taking a sabbatical to clarify his vision for the company and was concerned about his management team’s cohesiveness during his absence.
Service
Results
Sharon led the active remediation of counter-productive senior team meetings by empowering department managers to voice individual ideas for improved efficiency and methods for implementing positive change within the organization. She guided team members in understanding one another’s unique work styles and challenged managers to take ownership of their objectives with an actionable strategy.
During this time, Sharon also worked one-on-one with the president to articulate his vision for the company and the values he needed to instill at all levels within the organization so that he could remove himself from daily management and take on new initiatives.
When the president returned from his sabbatical, Sharon facilitated a strategic planning meeting where he communicated his vision and direction for the company, and the management team’s objectives were showcased and vetted.
The result set the stage for next-level growth with team alignment.
Case Study #2
How Honesty, Understanding, and Fun Overcame Silos in a Dysfunctional Manufacturing Company
Client
The client is a specialty manufacturer of high-end metal roofing, architectural metals and hurricane shutters who had been in business for over 30 years. The business had been purchased and became a portfolio operation of a member of the Forbes 400.
Concerns
The CEO was hired in a last-chance attempt to salvage the business for the owners. He had made significant progress coalescing disparate management members into a generally functional team; however, management gaps, communication and operational silos remained a concern.
Service
Results
Sharon facilitated having the management team take the DISC assessment along with the CEO. Thereafter, at an off-site venue conducive to interaction, Sharon led the review and open discussion of each team member’s profile. As the sense of team in the truest sense was fostered (candor, honesty, trust) among the communication and style profile “Ah Hah” moments, the sense of vulnerability, accountability and importance of the exercise manifested itself fostering a more cohesive and productive team.
Case Study #3
How a 3rd Generation Business Leader Developed a Laser Focus on His Company’s Future
Client
The client is a 3rd generation owner of an HVAC and home performance company that has been in business for more than six decades.
Concerns
After taking a leadership role in his family’s business the client realized that he was spending more time working in his business than on it. He wanted to develop a growth strategy to run the company at a higher level of efficiency and acquire a majority ownership position from family members.
Services
Results
Working with Sharon the client was able to focus and develop the strategies to achieve his objectives. During each one-on-one session, Sharon asked the client guiding questions that helped him feel confident that he was making the best decisions for his business.
Having worked with Sharon since 2008, the client is now a majority owner and CEO, a more competent business leader and is implementing his business vision.
Case Study #4
How a Brand-New Business Owner Built Up Her Confidence and Her Company
Client
The client is the leader of a title company that has handled residential/commercial settlements and provided escrow services for over twenty years.
Concerns
This closely held company’s owner began entering the process of transferring leadership responsibilities to the client. As an attorney, the client felt confident managing the company’s legal affairs, but less confident managing the company from a business perspective.
Service
Results
Sharon’s guidance helped the client to explore, define and pursue the right path to manage and grow her organization. She challenged the client to articulate her next steps and follow through in her decisions.
Since 2008, with Sharon’s practical accounting and business knowledge, she has helped the client fine-tune her financials and increase her profit margin. The client now has a solid understanding of her business and has significantly more confidence in leading its operations.
Case Study #5
How One Busy Marketing Pro Secured His Foundation for Rapid Growth and Peace of Mind
Client
The client owns a marketing and public relations firm that has been in business over 10 years.
Concerns
The client’s company began growing quickly several years ago, requiring him to develop his organization and streamline operations, but the client was lost in the fray of his daily responsibilities.
Services
Results
Knowing that the client had reached a pivotal point in his business’s growth, Sharon worked with him in developing a strong organization. She played a crucial role in assisting the client as he made strategic hiring decisions to relieve him from the day-to-day operations and allow him to focus more on planning and business development.
The client tripled the size of his organization in less than 18 months. Since 2010, the client has gained greater focus and has already met many of his strategic goals for growth. He has achieved greater peace of mind about his company’s future and is firmly positioned for even greater growth.
Case Study #6
How a Successful Commercial Lender Found Fulfillment as a Franchise Owner
Client
A former vice president of commercial banking, the client now owns a high-end men’s hair salon franchise.
Concerns
After two decades in commercial lending, the client no longer felt fulfilled – she had successfully built and led business units and longed to use her talents in her own business. Unsure of the many risks of starting a new business and the right path to take she became stalled in making a change. She was further discouraged by a previous business coach that had failed to meet her needs and, in fact, told her she didn’t have what it took to be a business owner.
Service
Results
Sharon assisted the client in defining the disconnect she was experiencing with her current position as a commercial lender. She provided a comprehensive analysis that revealed the client’s intrinsic inclination toward entrepreneurship. After exploring alternatives and determining a viable business opportunity, Sharon guided her through the planning process of successfully negotiating and purchasing her franchise business.
During the tumultuous first few months of owning her business, the client leaned on Sharon for encouragement and guidance related to technical and staffing concerns. Having worked with her since before she owned her franchise, Sharon was able to encourage her when she felt overwhelmed while providing practical business operations advice.
Case Study #7
How an HR Firm Unleashed Organizational Growth
Client
The client is the founder and principal consultant of a full-service human resources firm.
Concerns
The client had a strong vision to become a leading HR firm in the region but was unsure of the right path and how to overcome the myriad obstacles to growth that are inherent in small businesses.
Service
Results
Serving as the key sounding board for this client’s business decisions, Sharon guided the client in achieving her vision to increase her business development footprint. She challenged the client’s reluctance to take risks and bring on talent that would support her initiatives. Projecting ROI, Sharon worked with the client to put a plan in place for successful and stable organization growth.
Since “taking the plunge” the client has quadrupled in size and sales.
Case Study #8
How a Closely Held Family Business Overcame Management and Operational Stress
Client
The client owns a direct-to-consumer e-commerce company that sells winter sports equipment, including skis, snowboards and related items.
Concerns
The client was becoming increasingly concerned about the sustainability of this seasonal business and the undue burdens that were being placed on family members who worked overly long hours to meet customer demands during their busy season, as well as the cultural environment of an old, deteriorating warehouse.
Service
Results
Working with Sharon the client developed strategies to alleviate the stress to his team during the company’s busy season and implement wholesale opportunities to manage cash flow in their off season. Sharon provided hiring solutions and training for the accounting department that streamlined administrative processes.
With Sharon as his sounding board, the client made bold decisions to manage costs and grow his bottom line. The client relocated his operations to a more centrally located State saving thousands in his shipping budget and affording the opportunity to purchase state of the art warehouse and office facilities.
Case Study #9
How a Worldwide Car Service Owner Gained Global Perspective
Client
The client owns a professional livery service that has been providing chauffeured car service and executive ground transportation to and from destinations worldwide since 1988.
Concerns
The client was skeptical that he could continue to grow his company in an increasingly competitive climate.
Service
Results
Sharon, using her broad business knowledge, worked with the client to formulate a strategic plan that appropriately re-allocated resources based on the goals he voiced. Her guidance helped the client identify opportunities to market his business and expand his presence online.
Sharon helped the client realize the value and need for professional expertise in the hiring and training of salespeople. This resulted in adding new customers and significantly increasing sales.
The business coaching process enabled the client to grow both personally and professionally as a business owner, and the client is optimistic of his company’s continued success.
Case Study #10
How an Established Entrepreneur Secured His Solid Path to Success
Client
The client has owned and operated a successful mail house in the city of Maryland’s State Capitol for over 30 years.
Concerns
The client sought guidance with decisions related to accounting and business continuity.
Service
Results
Sharon’s hands-on expertise in finance and accounting helped the client gain deeper insight into critical aspects of the client’s operations. She worked with his key team members to assure they were in alignment with the owner’s expectations and objectives.
Sharon’s understanding of front office, back office and sales helped the client envision a realistic and successful strategic path for future growth and exit planning.
Case Study #11
How Government Contractors Gained Clarity in Their Growth Strategy
Client
The clients are founders and principals at a technology consulting company. A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, the company works with the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, State and local governments, the intelligence community and various commercial clients.
Concerns
The 2 principals were considering if hiring a regional manager was the right strategy for next level of growth.
Service
Results
Sharon led both principals through a brainstorming session that clarified the basis of a regional manager role, including key accountabilities that would be required for the individual in this role to be successful. The process provided the clients with a solid benchmark identifying the top competencies: acumen, cultural rewards, motivators and behavioral traits as well as an assessment tool to compare current talent to the benchmark.
The clients gained clarity for the regional manager role, its viability, and time-frame to incorporate the new management role in their strategic plan.
Case Study #12
How One Architect Doubled His Business and Confidence in the Strategic Direction of His Company
Client
The client is the founder and principal of an architectural and planning firm with offices in Maryland, Washington DC, and South Carolina. An architect with several decades’ experience, he was a first-time business owner when he started the firm in 2003.
Concerns
The client was unsure of the direction to take his company for next level growth and his exit strategy.
Service
Results
During the 4 years Sharon worked with the client he significantly grew his organization and more than doubled his revenue.
Sharon’s accounting background provided clarity and direction that allowed the client to implement changes in his accounting department, relieving the stress he had with respect to accurate financial reporting.
Sharon’s commitment to hold the client accountable for his decisions combined with her understanding approach, encouraged and empowered him to make the decisions to secure his future success.
Case Study #13
How a Long-Time Business Owner Kept His Company Cutting-Edge
Client
The client is the President, CEO, and founder of a life sciences company that has serviced and sold biotech equipment to the research community since 1987. The company serves eight Eastern US states and counts Nobel Prize winners among its clientele.
Concerns
Having already owned his business for more than two decades, the client sought a sounding board for strategic decisions that would help him increase sales despite encroaching competition.
Service
Results
Planning for maximum future success. Sharon helped the client both develop and follow through on strategic goals to enhance the business even after decades of success. She held him accountable for tweaking his business model, developing a better website, and taking other actions to reduce risk and improve operational efficiency.
Maintaining a solid staff. With employees spread across eight states in the Eastern US, the client required a comprehensive system for personnel management. Sharon helped the client fine-tune his system for overseeing the independent, customer-facing engineers who worked for him. She also provided the logical reasoning he needed to proceed with replacing a team member whose behavior was inconsistent with company values.
Beating the competition. The life sciences industry is very competitive, and the client faced an emerging group of competitors whose enticing (but empty) promises lured his potential customers. Acting as a dispassionate advisor, Sharon helped the client maintain his company’s value proposition, knowing that his competitors’ dissatisfied customers would seek his services in due time.