When I landed ClearBags’ first and largest contract-based customer back in 2010, it wasn’t because of a clever pitch or aggressive pricing. The fit was right on paper. I knew the product inside and out. I had spent enough time one-on-one with the president of our supplying factory to know—without hesitation—that we had the best…

Two Similar Problems That Break Execution in Very Different Ways In recent posts, we’ve talked about role confusion — when people aren’t clear on who owns what. But even when role confusion is addressed, organizations still stall.Not because people don’t care.Not because leaders aren’t trying. But because of something easier to miss: role conflation. The…

When Growth Quietly Breaks Execution Most companies do not experience execution failure as a dramatic collapse. Instead, it arrives gradually, often masked by continued growth. Revenue may still be increasing. Headcount may still be expanding. Yet inside the organization, leaders sense a growing drag. Decisions take longer. Conversations repeat themselves. Strong people hesitate in places…

As the year winds down, most small business owners aren’t looking for new software or big changes.They’re looking for breathing room. Between customers, paperwork, emails, and day-to-day decisions, it often feels like the business never truly shuts off. For many small business owners—like those here in McNairy County—growth isn’t the problem. Bandwidth is. The good…

Fractional Operations Support provides clarity, stability, and momentum—without executive overhead or long-term commitment. For founders and owners, this support shows up through a fractional operating partner relationship: a trusted right-hand who helps carry the operational, relational, and decision-making load of the business. This is especially valuable during seasons of growth, transition, sustained pressure, or overload—when…

When You’ve Been Piloting Someone Else’s Ship This week, I sat down to write and felt like nothing important was coming.But beneath that quiet resistance was a realization I had been avoiding: For most of my life, I was piloting someone else’s ship. I wasn’t just an executive — I was a strategist, a builder,…