Business & Design Consultant

How can I help you, my friend?

My life and professional career have been filled with rich learning experiences and inspiration.  Over 35 years of design work and building businesses has taught me some vital lessons.  The focus of my consulting practice is to synergize those experiences into a meaningful gift to help you reach your goals.  

The short story is: 

I went to school for Design and Horticulture.  Then became an entrepreneur by age 21.  My first company designed commercial interiors, stage sets, large corporate events, and environmentally friendly landscaping.  From there I built several other companies and sold them. After further education in Mergers and Acquisitions, I became certified by The International Business Brokers Association to assist companies in reorganization.  Assisting businesses to establish value for the purposes of selling or merging with another company was my specialty.  Buying and selling businesses led me to find my passion for coaching business owners and organizations. Together we find unique opportunities and innovative approaches for growth and sustainability.  My goal is to insure that each interaction is a win-win for all parties involved and have fun doing it. 

If you want the longer story...

I believe any challenge can be overcome by good strategy, creativity, and collaboration. That core belief started for me around age 12. I grew up with very meager resources. If I wanted school clothes or supplies, I had to find a way to pay for them myself. This state of need triggered a drive in me to always find a way. Some have said I was born an entrepreneur. It became second nature for me to think outside the box and use innovation and strategy to achieve my goals. I was hungry for knowledge, an avid reader and researcher. The library was my second home.

Spending so much time in the library led to my first official job at age 16; Assistant to the Head Librarian of our County Library. On my first day she put me in a large room stacked higher than me with file boxes. She told me to “make sense of this mess.” I had to find a way to organize tens of thousands of pieces of paper stuffed into boxes with no labels or files. I looked for the patterns and developed a system. Thanks to creativity and hard work I processed "the mess" in a matter of weeks. It was a fun exercise for my curious, logical brain.  

The public school I attended ran out of things for me to learn by the 10th grade. They arranged for me to attend a college program where I received a special scholarship to study Design and Horticulture.  I did not waste a moment of my education, so grateful for the opportunity.  The sky was the limit for my optimistic young mind.  I packed my bags the day after graduation and headed West.

I moved from the Midwest to Arizona where I was hired by a large design company.  I loved it, but soon learned that the time and attention I gave to clients, really listening to what they wanted, did not win points with my boss. "Profits over people” was his approach.  After 3 years, I quit and started my own business. My income for one month was higher than my previous wages for an entire year.   Many of my previous clients found me and followed me.  

Lesson number 1: "Putting people first pays."  Our customers and clients need the same things as the people who run our companies. Dignity, respect, and care. I have learned a lot from my own mistakes and those of others. I hold on to those lessons, synergize them, and translate them into every aspect of my professional life and coaching my clients.

Building companies and filling market niches was fun for me. They ranged from Corporate Events, Commercial Interiors, Landscaping, Fine Art, Tourism, Business Brokerage, Mergers and Acquisitions, and small manufacturing. After 20 years I realized that I enjoyed helping others succeed a little more than I enjoyed starting another company. I was invited to become a Certified Business Broker with the International Business Brokers Association.  

A business broker must be able to assess and evaluate all aspects of a business.  That is key so buyer and seller can equally realize the value of a transaction. Preparing a business for sale is a delicate process and must be done with absolute discretion.  I can look back and see the success of my happy clients.  After many successful transactions over the years, I now focus on being a consultant instead of a broker to be more freely available to coach my clients.  

Of course I never let go of my first love; Design.  Designing healthy commercial interiors and landscaping is a joy for me.  I take occasional commercial design projects when I have the time.  I love variety and new challenges.  What is your challenge?  I am listening.  Let's begin.