Business Owner & Executive Support
Because It's Tough at the Top
You're the expert on your business. You know your industry, your customers, your market. You're passionate about what you do - that's why you started this in the first place.
But running a business means dealing with everything else too: staffing headaches, employee drama, performance issues, operational inefficiencies, doing more with less, volatile supply costs, constantly changing regulations. These aren't the parts you love. They're the parts that keep you up at night.
You lie awake at 2 a.m. running through scenarios. Should you let go of your longest-tenured employee who's stopped performing? How do you handle the family member whose behavior is damaging morale? What do you say to your manager tomorrow when they push back on a decision you're not even sure about yourself? How do you create efficiencies when you're already stretched thin?
And then there are the bigger things - the uncertainties and fears you can't share with your staff. The growth plans you're working on that could transform your business, but you need to put things into action without tipping your hand too early. The risks that keep you up at night that no one else in your organization can fully understand.
You can't vent to your staff - they need to see you confident and in control. You can't always be honest with your business partner about your doubts. Your spouse tries to understand, but they don't know what it's like to carry the weight of payroll, the complexity of personalities, the pressure of decisions that affect people's livelihoods.
So you sit with it. You work through it alone. You make the best call you can and hope it's right.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
Look, I get it. Running a small business in Maine is hard. I've bitten my tongue so many times it's practically calloused. There are things you can't say to your staff, things you don't want to burden your family and friends with, and days where I'm fairly certain Bob Ross would be painting a wood chipper next to his happy little trees, Mister Rogers would be hurling a sneaker at someone in the neighborhood, Mary Poppins would have added that spoonful of sugar to her own mug of Allen's, and the Dalai Lama would be on his couch at midnight stress-eating a "one with everything" pizza.
That’s where I come in. Every owner needs a confidential sounding board - someone who can help carry the weight of those 'unshareable' decisions. I’m here to be the partner you can be 100% honest with, providing a safe space to vent, strategize, and solve problems without judgment.
I've Walked in Your Shoes
Before I became an HR and management consultant, I spent decades in operations and executive leadership. I've owned businesses myself.
I know what it's like to:
Make payroll when cash flow is tight
Fire someone you genuinely care about
Navigate growth that feels both exciting and terrifying
Balance what's right for the business with what's right for your people
Lie awake worrying about decisions that affect people's livelihoods
Wonder if you're making the right call when there's no clear answer
Search for efficiencies while maintaining quality
Deal with employee drama that threatens to derail everything else
Sit on plans you're excited about but can't yet share with your team
I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to help you weigh options, ask the right questions, and think through the implications of different paths forward. Sometimes that means sharing ideas from my 35+ years in operations and leadership. Sometimes it means just listening while you talk it through. Sometimes it means connecting you with resources or people who can help.
How We Work Together
I don't make decisions for you - this is your business, and you know it best. I work with you as a trusted advisor and experienced partner who understands what you're trying to juggle and how isolating the role can be.
You need someone who can listen without judgment, ask the right questions, and help you think through the implications of different choices. Someone who's been in the seat you're in and knows what it's like to carry that weight. Someone who keeps everything confidential and has no agenda other than helping you navigate whatever you're facing and build your vision.
That's the relationship. A safe space to think out loud, work through options, and make the best decisions for your business.
What We Can Work On
Strategic Decisions: Growth planning, new locations or services, organizational restructuring, staffing decisions, operational changes.
People Challenges: Dealing with problem employees in key roles, managing family members in the business, succession planning, building your leadership team.
Operational Efficiency: Doing more with less, streamlining processes, identifying bottlenecks, leveraging technology, finding resources you didn't know existed.
Work-Life Balance: Setting boundaries, delegating effectively, avoiding burnout, creating systems that don't require you to be present 24/7.
Difficult Situations: Navigating conflicts, handling performance issues with long-term employees, making tough calls about people or directions.
Leadership Development: Growing your own skills, building confidence in decision-making, developing your management philosophy and style.
The Lonely Parts: Having a confidential space to talk through fears, doubts, and challenges you can't discuss with your team or even your family.
This Isn't "Coaching" or Mentoring
Coaching implies you need correction. You don't. You're already running a successful business.
This is partnership. It's having someone in your corner who understands the pressure you're under, who's faced similar challenges, and who can help you think through options without judgment or agenda.
It's discrete. What we discuss stays between us.
It's flexible. We meet when you need it - whether that's weekly, monthly, or just when something comes up.
It's practical. We focus on real issues you're facing, not abstract leadership theories.
What You Get
Accessible When You Need It: A late-night email when you can't sleep. A phone call from your car before a difficult conversation. Real-time access when issues can't wait for a scheduled appointment.
Confidential Space to Think Out Loud: Bounce around ideas without judgment. Vent frustrations you can't share with your team. Work through messy situations involving family members, long-term employees who've become friends, or partners who disagree on direction. Talk through growth plans before you're ready to share them publicly.
Perspective from Outside the Weeds: I'm not caught up in your day-to-day operations or personal relationships. I can see things you might miss, ask questions you haven't considered, and offer insights on staffing, operations, technology, or connections you might not have known about.
Experience That Matters: Four decades of experience—the last 35 years dedicated to Maine small businesses
Accountability and Support: One-on-one sessions (in-person or virtual) focused on whatever you're currently facing. Ongoing support as you work toward goals, implement changes, or navigate transitions.
Investing In Your Company, and Yourself
Business owner support is available at my low hourly rate with complete flexibility. Some clients meet regularly - weekly or monthly - for ongoing partnership. Others reach out only when specific challenges arise. We'll create an arrangement that fits your needs and your business.
This isn't an expense. It's an investment in reducing stress, navigating challenges with confidence, and freeing up time to focus on the parts of your business that fill your cup.
Dealing with something you need to talk through with someone who gets it? A problem you know you need to address but have been avoiding?
Use the free consultation to see what I bring to the table - test out whether my perspective and experience are helpful before committing to anything.