Question 1

Who is Watchfire for?

Accepted Answer

Owner-operators of physical businesses: construction, trades, manufacturing, distribution, field services. The company typically has $1 million to $5 million in normalized annual EBITDA. That's the range where the work can move the value of the business enough to be worth what it costs, but I've worked with businesses both larger and smaller.
The business is established, and too much of it still comes back to you. Most decisions of any weight route through your desk. You've probably tried something before, an operating system, a coach, a consultant, and it either didn't stick or fixed one thing while the real problem stayed put. You're not done, and you're willing to change how you lead.
Outside that range or those industries, we can still talk, and I'll be honest about fit. I started out working with smaller companies and learned that below a certain size the owner usually isn't in a position to get the full value of this type of work, and we both end up frustrated.

Question 2

Do I have to be planning to sell?

Accepted Answer

No. Think of getting a house ready to list. You fix the things you've been living with for years, and right before it goes on the market you look around and think: "This is a nicer house than we realized, why didn't we do this sooner?" The same thing happens with a business. Run it like you'll sell it and it becomes a better place to be, whether you keep it for twenty more years, hand it off to family, or sell.
Whatever you choose, you'll have more options and a business worth more. Part of why I do this is so owners of good local businesses have a real alternative to selling to a PE roll-up because it was the only offer on the table.

Question 3

Do you only work in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

I'm based in Raleigh and I prefer to work in person; most of my time with clients is on site. I work with owners anywhere in the U.S., and the engagement works remotely. We agree on the mix of in-person and remote work as part of the scope, and I'll tell you plainly if I think distance would hurt the result.

Question 4

How is this different from coaching or EOS implementation?

Accepted Answer

I'm a certified executive coach and I've put operating systems into owner-led businesses for more than a decade, so both are in the work. The difference is what the work is aimed at. Everything I do, with you, with your leadership team, with how the company runs, is tied to a specific value target we set at the start and review every quarter.
If you already use EOS, Scaling Up, or another framework and it's working, we keep it. If you tried one and it didn't stick, that's common, and it's usually a sequencing problem rather than a discipline problem. We'll find what needed to come first.

Question 5

I already have a CPA, an attorney, and a wealth advisor. Where do you fit?

Accepted Answer

Alongside them. Your CPA handles tax, your attorney handles legal, your wealth advisor handles your personal balance sheet, and a banker or broker represents you in a transaction. Each sees part of the picture. My seat is inside the business, on the changes that make it worth more: management, operating results, and how much still depends on you. I work to align their advice around your goals, and I'll ask to be introduced to them early.

Who is Watchfire for?

Do I have to be planning to sell?

Do you only work in North Carolina?

How is this different from coaching or EOS implementation?

I already have a CPA, an attorney, and a wealth advisor. Where do you fit?

Questions before we work together

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