The Story of our Founder

Who I am
For a number of years I conducted my business in a "traditional" way. Not surprisingly I was moderately successful but not terribly satisfied or fulfilled. A few years ago I took a step back, enlisted the help of some wonderfully gifted mentors and advisors and came to the conclusion that in many ways, I was afraid to present who I am and what I was about. I was reacting to the "potential" reaction of prospective clients and I finally decided, that that's not what I wanted to do anymore.

So, I decided to take a risk, a calculated risk. And those of you who are interested in CEO Think Tank® have a right to know that upfront. I've decided that the traditional way of selling, to tell you a little about myself, to ask you a lot of questions about you initially, is self-serving. And I'm about providing value to the folks with whom I work, so I've changed my approach. After speaking with a number of the people that I've worked with over the years, I'm clear about the value that we can add to people's businesses and lives. So, I want to tell you a little bit about myself and my business, my philosophy and how we work at CEO Think Tank®. And, after that, if you find what I say of value to you (and I believe that you will), I'd love to engage in a conversation with you about you and your business.

I also have realized, in my work with folks, that our work can be scary for some people. Not everyone wants to trust that a "consultant" and other CEO's could really help BUT we make it a point of providing value, all along the way. We even take pride in raising the bar in terms of the value that we provide - and - we are truly committed to the success of our members, doing whatever it takes to support them in fulfilling their missions.

As for me, I was born with a very special skill that's been honed over time, doing it early, before I even planned it almost. It's grown and been nurtured and I knew that I was supposed to do something with this talent but wasn't sure what that would be - but I knew that it was important.

Of course, when I grew up, I did what lots of folks do - went to school, studied engineering, got my Master's in OD, got a job, and as I got older, wanted to combine the practical business talents that I had gained with this "spiritual" side.

Along the way, after several different jobs, I also found out that I had entrepreneurial leanings but quite frankly was a bit fearful about being completely up front about ALL of the talents and skills that I brought to the table as a consultant. It took a few years but I finally made the decision that I needed to bring all of my talents to my clients.

I made that decision in part because of my belief that it would be unique and of value and that senior leaders and executives NEED what we have to offer. I know that many executives don't feel like there's anybody who "gets it". They feel lonely, they're driving 100 mph with the lights off and they join an executive roundtable or hire consultant and told to drive 120 mph and, oh by the way, you probably should put the lights on.

We don't do that because we know that you need to drive more sanely, that you may have something run out on the road and need to avoid it or you may come up on a curve and miss it because you're driving too fast and that the best way sometimes to outrun your competition isn't by driving faster but by outthinking them and being creative and you can only do that if you slow down and THINK.

What I'm about
I've been through many transitions myself, most significant being the birth of my first son and the subsequent start of my business over eleven years ago because I wanted to work four days a week and couldn't. The initial years were really bread and butter focused, doing good work but not really being passionate about it.

Like many entrepreneurs, I spent several years going through a "what will this company be when it grows up?" process and in doing so, realized that my true calling was to work with small businesses, particularly those with less than $50 million in revenue or 100 employees. And, that we would do that specifically by working with CEO's and executives of small businesses one-on-one and running executive roundtables, assisting them (and sometimes their teams) to run their businesses in a more conscientious and planned way. And, I've started licensing my business because my clients tell me that there is a great need for this type of help for CEO's and small business owners - and I can't do it by myself.

The journey has been rocky at times but exhilarating and over the last few years, I've learned an incredible amount. Some of those learnings are:

• That, it is possible to make a living and have a life. While we live in a wage-oriented economy and need to make money, we are also spiritual and emotional human beings.and that part of us needs to be understood and nurtured and developed as much as the rest,
• That good management practices, good business practices, good financial practices are really - for the most part - common sense but they may not be common practice and that our role at CEO Think Tank® is to help you make them that - to make them common practice in your businesses,
• That part of being successful in this life is doing the right things in a timely and structured manner and part is "luck" and timing and most importantly, part is being "on the right path" for you. We believe that each of us has a purpose, a mission, in our lives that may or may not be clear but that finding the mission and having folks to support us in living that mission is vitally important - so that we can all be truly passionate and successful - and make a difference in the world.

I've also learned that:

• life needs that same attention as business but the as entrepreneurs and business owners we don't always give it that attention,
• many of us are "successful" but not always satisfied,
• we sometimes lose ourselves in the process of making our businesses successful and need help finding ourselves again,
• and, that we find ourselves at "critical junctures" (like I did a few years ago) asking ourselves, "What am I doing?" "How am I going to get through the next few years and get someone else to take over?" "Where's the rest of my life?" or in my case, "How am I going to create something sustainable that will not just provide me with a good living but also that I will enjoy when I'm doing it?"

CEO Think Tank® is my answer to those questions. We're about helping business owners, CEO's and Senior Leaders to:

• run their businesses more conscientiously and intentionally and using very practical tools and techniques to do so,
• live in a wage-oriented economy and make money AND
• recognize that they are spiritual and emotional beings with lives and families and community commitments and find a way to grow and nurture that part of themselves, and
• discover their own personal Mission and express that in what ever way makes the most sense for them and the people that are most important to them.

And, we've also discovered that when you share that journey with others who are on similar journeys, you find:

• that it's easier, more satisfying and more fun,
• solutions that may not have occurred to you because you were too close to the situation or caught up in your own emotions about the situation are suddenly very obvious,
• that you get stuff done more quickly and have a greater sense of satisfaction from the accomplishment,
• that you get a tremendous amount of pleasure from helping others to achieve their visions and goals.

Cheryl Beth Kuchler
Founder and Managing Principal
CEO Think Tank®