The Situation
The founders of a successful consumer products company were concerned. They were both passionate about creating a strong company and brand with a triple bottom line – profit, people and planet. He had his fingers in almost every pie from sourcing, production, marketing, branding, facilities, and the like. She had a passion for the product, but was an artist at heart and wanted to pursue that. Her role in the company was unclear. He had hired capable committed people who were doing what seemed to be the right thing. They were on their way with over $10M in sales, yet they couldn’t find the leverage they needed to grow their bottom line, their market presence and their impact.
Pain Point: A founding entrepreneur is stretched too thin – not growing and not having fun
Orchard Advisors Approach
First I helped the founders clarify what they wanted as a couple and the role the business would play in that. As a result, she happily left the leadership team. I worked with the leadership team to create a plan for growth. This included refining distribution channels, clarifying the relationship between sales and marketing, establishing effective communication rhythms, and supporting the CEO in making needed personnel changes. Over our 5 year engagement, I facilitated the design and launch for relocating their production facilities.
The Results
- A strong leadership team
- Increased profitability
- Increased morale
- A CEO freed to use his creative talents to grow and inspire the company
