Every decision waits on you.
You grew the company past what you can see every day. So you rely on your people to tell you what's going on.
But their jobs depend on you. So they're careful.
Right when you most need somebody to give it to you straight, you're the last person anyone gives it to straight.
You're the bottleneck and the last to know. At the same time.
That's what happens when a company outgrows its founder.
If that sounds like you, let's talk. I can probably help.
How to work with me.
One-on-one coaching and advising.
For owners and senior leaders. Whether that's a single session to get unstuck or a standing call twice a month, we cover what's in front of you. It'll be one of the most valuable meetings of your month.
See How It Works →"Dr. J provided me with much needed clarity on family business related issues. She was able to look at the problem objectively and gave me numerous resources to be better able to solve the problem. I'd recommend her counsel to anyone dealing with family and/or business related problems."
— Jay GroningerCivil Engineer, G&G Hauling and Excavating
Bring me in for your team.
Keynotes, retreats, lunch-and-learns, working sessions. Built around what your group needs to shift — and no death by PowerPoint. 200+ sessions, and every time, somebody tells the owner it was the best thing they did all year.
Bring Dr. J In →"I feel the most empowered I have in five years in this role."
— A participantAfter a team session
Start with the whole picture.
Most people find the pattern with me in coaching. But sometimes the better starting point is gathering data from more than one perspective — that's what the organizational diagnostic is for. I come in, look at the whole thing, and tell you what's going on. Then whatever we do next is the right size for what you need — based on real data gathered from your people and organized into insights you can act on.
Start Here →"Dr. J has so much experience and knowledge around family business, business psychology, and regenerative leadership. It's a joy working with her and the Syncovate team. She continually provides fresh perspectives, and ways to better understand the complexity of the human brain, business and the world!"
— Tyler KanczuzewskiVP of Sustainability, Inovateus Solar
Somebody who really listens. Then tells you straight.
I've spent most of my career in the room, and walking the floor, with owners and their leadership teams. After a while you start to hear the patterns everyone runs into — and the things that make each company, and each owner, unlike any other.
Here's what it's like to work with me. I ask questions. (Unless you just start dumping — then I just listen.) I listen for what you're saying and what you're not. I ask more questions. Then I tell you what I see and hear, as plainly as I can — usually with a metaphor, sometimes with a drawing, sometimes with my hands. Sometimes I'll connect you to a resource. Sometimes we'll plan an action or practice something. Every time, you'll leave with something you can put into play right away, in your business or your life.
Oh, and I'm a business psychologist. Which mostly means I nerd out on all of it — how people and groups behave, and also margin, business model, opportunity cost, org charts, strategy. I will be geeked to learn about you and your business.
For a lot of owners, our calls become the one room where they don't have to be the one with the answers.
"In twenty years of this work, I've never walked into a leadership system where the blind spot was created by bad intentions. It's almost always good intentions — and the assumptions that grew up quietly underneath them."
"She listens — really listens — and then, like a hammer to a nail, she says her piece. Her greatest strength is building trust without ever taking sides. She sees the end goal clearly and doesn't get distracted by feelings or emotions. That's what gets people to open up and say the things that actually need to be said."
— Chase MeeksSenior Accounts Manager, G&G Hauling & Excavating, Inc.
Not sure
where to start?
Let's talk. If I can help, I'll tell you. If I can't, I can probably point you to someone who can — or at least help you get clear on what you need and how to ask for it.