I’ve Been Where You Are
Most consultants have enterprise experience OR business ownership. I've done both—and learned the hard way what actually works.
I lost $60K in inventory before I realized I had a control problem, not a sales problem.
For five months, inventory was disappearing from one of my locations. Part theft. Part weak controls. Mostly because we didn't discover it until reconciliation—five months later. The data existed. It just wasn't connected. That moment changed everything. I'd spent 15 years as an Executive Vice President at Wells Fargo managing $154M budgets and 450+ person teams. I knew how to build enterprise-scale operations. But when I owned three multi-location businesses, I discovered something the consulting world doesn't talk about: Enterprise playbooks don't work for growing businesses. You don't have unlimited resources. You don't have layers of management. You can't hire your way out of problems. And you definitely don't have time to implement a 200-page strategic plan. You need systems that work on Tuesday afternoon when you're short-staffed and a supplier just failed to deliver. That's what I build.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
15 years as EVP at Wells Fargo - Managed $154M+ budgets - Led 450+ person teams - Delivered Board-level regulatory work - Interfaced with the OCC and Federal Reserve - Built enterprise operations at scale Owned 3 multi-location businesses (2021-2024) - Learned what breaks when you scale too fast - Discovered what actually drives consistency across locations - Experienced the gap between "strategy" and "Tuesday afternoon reality" - Sold the businesses to focus on helping others avoid my mistakes Most consultants bring one perspective. I bring both. I know what best-in-class looks like at enterprise scale. And I know what actually works when you're running a $2M-$20M business with limited resources and real constraints.
Strategy Comes First. Technology Is the Amplifier.
Technology doesn't fix chaos. It magnifies whatever system you have.
Before you invest in more software, more automation, or more AI, you need to answer three questions:
1. Do you actually know where your margin is leaking?
2. Can your business operate without you for two weeks?
3. If your best performer left tomorrow, could someone else replicate their results?
If the answer is no, you don't have a technology problem. You have a systems problem.
That's what I fix.
I don't lead with AI. I don't push software. I start with strategy, clarity, and execution discipline. Then—and only then—we look at how technology can amplify what's working.
AI is the brush. Human potential is the masterpiece.
Ready to Fix What's Broken?
You don't need more software. You don't need a $200K COO. You need someone who's been in your shoes and knows what actually works. Let's talk about what's broken and how to fix it.
Or email me directly: shawn@elevatesynergi.com
