About Ron

That’s me, and that’s exactly what defines my coaching and facilitation practice.

My 25+ years of professional experience and my research-based approach to analyzing and guiding my clients all stems from these three principles.

If you need a sherpa, a confidant, a sounding board for your questions and ideas, or a more comprehensive realignment of your organizational culture, you and I will always come back to these three milestones: Be present. Act in benevolence. Inspire authentic action.

It’s not a fit for everyone, but I’ve found it attracts some of the most outstanding and action-oriented people I’ve ever met.

My services aren’t for everyone

My services are not a generic prescription for the typical business-in-crisis scenario. My experiences may not match yours, and we may not be a good fit for a working relationship.

You see, my guidance — my practical, evidence-based methodology — is useful only if you are inspired to take authentic action. It’s not a cliché or an opportunity to establish my tagline and ramble on about my business adventures.

That’s as simple as I can make it.  I take a practical, no BS approach to guiding you to finding your solution. So let me explain a little more where I’m coming from.

Entrepreneurship & CEO

I began my journey by leaving a corporate environment and joining my family’s automotive aftermarket company. I eventually led the 80 year-old distribution company, cultivating an effective team and culture while growing revenue 5X and profitability 7X. As CEO & President of this multi-location distribution company, I had the opportunity to serve in a leadership role in its national buying and marketing co-op as well as the local and national trade associations.
The hands-on, day-to-day operation of this family-owned business taught me early on the enormous impact of employee engagement and positive culture, all stemming from the development of Positive Psychological Capital in the organization

Experience & Growth

During my time leading our automotive aftermarket distribution company, I took the opportunity to deeply listen to our employees, suppliers and customers. This planted the seed for a driving fascination with the dynamics of organizational culture and strategic alignment.

I continued leading my family’s company, and we experienced many of the typical business struggles along the way. Once I truly discovered the power of developing a positive culture and began experimenting with the ideas, I was able to influence our organization and drive an increasingly above average ROI. After 18 years of leadership, I successfully harvested the company and stepped away from the business.

As I took some time to catch my breath, I spent much of my time reacquainting myself with my family, working on my personal relationships (which had obviously suffered), and pursuing some Angel Investing and mentoring for startups and small to mid-size businesses. During this pause, I took the opportunity to reflect on the journey and the lessons learned.

My reflection culminated in my deeper dive into the academic world and ‘the scientific basis for’ of Positive Psychology. I attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning my Masters in Positive Psychology in 2015. I completed my master’s Capstone on Psychological Capital and Thriving as a Pathway to Employee Engagement.

Mentoring

Angel investing fueled the flame of mentoring and employee engagement that had begun to spark while growing my distribution business. I began to focus on employee engagement and organizational alignment for early-stage businesses, and I coached some of the brightest and most courageous business people I’ve ever met. I continue to serve on the boards of many of these companies as guide and growth strategist.

YPO – Young Presidents Organization and Forum

As a young CEO and third generation leader of a multi-location distribution company, I was fortunate to be introduced by industry friends and an older mentor to YPO. I was a fairly new husband and a father to three kids under the age of 20 months, so I was deeply intrigued by a peer driven organisation offering to support not only my business adventures, but also my family and my own ‘personal’ development.

Even now, the culture of mentorship, support, and idea exchange consistently reinforces in me the desire to see others succeed while feeding my enthusiasm for lifelong learning and the YPO forum experience. Having been fortunate enough to participate as both a forum member and as a moderator, I have been where many YPO’ers find themselves in their forum, in their business, or in their life

Through participating in and leading invaluable forum experiences, I now focus on promoting and improving the YPO forum journey for others, and am honored to serve as a Certified Forum Facilitator.

Evidence-based Methodology

My Masters in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) degree was a natural outcome of my fascination with the dynamics of creating positive corporate culture and guiding businesses and professionals. I took a pragmatic approach to the study of the effect of Positive Psychology on the process of shifting organizational culture by cultivating psychological capital within the organization.

Through my research, I developed an evidence-based, scientific research-backed methodology that has been repeatedly proven with my clients. My capstone research has received praise and has even been adopted into a university business program curriculum.

Boots to Business Instructor and Adjunct Professor

Prior to completing my Masters, I had the honor of investing in those who have sacrificed so much for me and my loved ones. Syracuse University gave me the opportunity to serve as Instructor of Entrepreneurship for their Boots2Business program for the US Military and soon to be veterans. As an instructor for these brave service men and women, we partner with the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to successfully help our military veterans transition into civilian life via entrepreneurship.
Not only has this experience been professionally rewarding, the daily interaction with our veterans has further committed me to a life of counseling, coaching and investing in others — acting in benevolence.

Along with Boots2Business, I have learned as much from the students enrolled in my business classes at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business as they have from me. The infectious enthusiasm of consistently interacting with university students keeps me active, challenged and searching for more efficient and effective methods of guidance and instruction.

Practical Wisdom & Scientific Research

My approach to guiding is grounded both in my academic research and in my first-hand experience as a business professional. But to have any real impact, both concepts must fall under the idea of practical wisdom.

Practical wisdom combines both the will to do the right thing with the skill to help others to identify the right thing. One is just as important as the other. Practical wisdom is the intellectual pursuit of what we CAN change, coupled with the ability to deliberate the choices and create desired actions around those choices. When we discuss your goals and challenges, I make certain we address both.

I’ve been blessed with having the will to do the right thing since a very early age, and through my research and practical experience, I have progressively developed the skill to help others identify that right thing. It’s a skill I love to share.

About You

You see, I know you understand your position. You may understand your options and the general effects of those choices. What you need is someone to help you frame your situation, redefine your ideas, give you perspective, sound out your thoughts, and inspire you to authentic action.

My role is to be that impetus in your process. Honestly, my approach is simple, as long as we can agree that the process will be based on three things: Be present. Act in benevolence. Inspire authentic action.

Again, my services are not a catch-all for every business decision you come across. So here are our options: take the words of my clients sprinkled throughout my website and schedule a meeting, or reach out to me directly to find out more by clicking the link below.

• 25 years of real world business experience in companies and trade organizations leading in sales, operations and C-Level positions.
• Third Generation leader of a family owned 85 year-old auto parts distribution company that we grew 5X revenue, 7X profitability and harvested successfully.
• Adjunct Professor at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business.
• Instructor of Entrepreneurship for the Boots2Business program at Syracuse University. Supporting the US MILITARY’S TAP (Transition Assistance Program), this program gives service men and women the tools and knowledge needed to start and run their own businesses.
• University of Pennsylvania Masters in Applied Positive Psychology (2015) resulting in an approach that is evidence based in the behavioral scientific research of positive psychology with a particular focus on Psychological Capital, Employee Engagement, and Character Strengths.
• YPO Certified Forum Facilitator and YPO member since 2004.
• Active coach to start-ups and growing companies for over a decade.
• Board guide for strategic growth, organizational alignment and general business knowledge for a variety of businesses in many industries.