Who are we?
Why should you care?
We have been there, seen
epic success and failure.
We know what to look for
and the path forward.
Sara Phelan
Entrepreneur, Founder,
Strategist, Coach,
Sara is an ICF Certified Business Coach and Executive Coach, Pragmatic Management Certified - (PMC-I) Product Management, Scrum Master, Google Ad Words Certified, and is a Trusted Advisor, Forbes Coaches Council Member.
A corporate trainer in telcom, turned entrepreneur in her own dream startup, Sara has lived the highs and lows of entrepeurship firsthand. After exiting her dream business in 2010, Sara then spent 4 years selling businesses and learning all the things she didn't know as an as entrepreneur.
Packaging her proven framework for evaluating businesses to diagnosis and correct root cause, Sara has been focused on helping small business owners to overcome obstacles and level up ever since.
Adept at creating a vision for the future that’s ambitious but grounded in the possible. Sara has a passion for putting structure around ideas and building teams that deliver results.
What lights Sara up?
It's the "aha" momments when it clicks and her clients see the path forward.
That, and racing her kids to the bottom of the ski run.
Trainer, Coach, Consultant
Fractional COO, CM0, CXO, Business Manager
My Team
Strategic Partners
Carl Goodwin
Technology Advisor
CTO
Carl is our Technical Advisor. He is a senior technical expert in the fields of biotechnology and computer technology, having provided services to numerous companies from startups to governments on both sides of the Atlantic.
At his most productive in an interim CTO role, Carl is able to rapidly understand technical and commercial challenges and to propose coherent solutions that can be achieved in predictable steps and with minimal disruption.
Although at home in strategic roles, Carl is no stranger to detailed technical work. His ability to walk the walk as well as talk the talk inspires confidence at every level in the organization.
Heather Keller- Hurshman
CPA, CA, Strategist, Coach
CFO
Heather is a highly skilled and accomplished business leader with more than 25 years of diverse corporate and not-for-profit experience.
Working as a Strategic Business Advisor and CFO for hire, Heather is helping small business owners follow the numbers and reach new heights.
Associations or Organizations we partner with include:
**If you are based in Canada, ask about possible funding options.
As approved Service Providers with a number of ecomomic development agencies, our programs often qualify support in Grants or Low interst no interest loans to get started.
2005 Opening Day of my first "Dream Business" - Speciality Outdoor Retail - Wanderlust Outfitters
Meet Sara
Innovation nerd.
Small Business Operational Efficiency Leader
Leadership & Team Developer, Adult Educator
Award-winning Entrepreneur
Small Business Growth Strategist
Mentor, Trusted Advisor
Certified Business & Executive Coach
Business Skills Trainer
Succession Planning Consultant
Former Business Broker
Mom, passionate about being outdoors and downhill skiing.
Everything starts with evaluating your current business. It's a process.
I learned it in the trenches as an Entrepreneur, Business Strategist, Coach, and former Business Broker.
I'm sharing my personal checklist to get a heartbeat on the business and what it needs. I'm also sharing my tool box and lessons learned, so you don't need to struggle. First step is to start with a clear big picture view (messy as it may be). Then map it out and get strategic about what you want and when.
You've got this!
- Sara, Founder, Strategist and Coach
"I wish I had understood my big picture and how to identify gaps, mitigate risk and ask the right questions, MUCH sooner!" - Sara
As a Coach, Sara is asking the tough (not always popular) questions that move businesses and entrepreneurs forward. As a Strategist, she’s got the big picture and a toolbox to get an action plan started.
Passionate about entrepreneurship. Sara is a certified Business and Executive Coach, Business Consultant, and Trainer with over 30 years' experience maximizing organizational performance through Planning, Leadership, Operational Management and Effective Communication.
As a business broker, Sara learned quickly how to evaluate a business to look at the whole picture; pitfalls and potential. Creating custom solutions to meet the opportunity, her experience has crossed a multitude of industries including, but not limited to; Professional Service Providers (Dental, Legal, Medical), Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Renewable Energy, Retail, Tourism, and Non-Profits, while communicating with all levels of organization; from Boards of Directors, CEOs to front line employees and stakeholders.
An entrepreneur herself, Sara was corporate trainer (Leadership and Sales) in the telecom industry, before she ventured into entrepreneurship in 2005 as an independent Specialty Outdoor Retailer. From a great idea in an open market in a small town, Sara drew on her past experiences to create a culture and service offering that was lacking. Managing a boutique retail store and owning one are completely different experiences. Just like everyone else, Sara learned lessons. In 2008, she was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year and has been recognized for her involvement with the business community as an advocate and mentor. Giving back, Sara is an active volunteer and also sits on a number of Non-Profit and Charity Boards.
After exiting her dream business in 2010, Sara wanted to share what she learned and became a certified Business and Executive Coach. Also taking on an opportunity to work as a business broker (selling businesses) for 4 years- during a recession.
Sara found it heartbreaking to see entrepreneurs reach out for the wrong help; often too late, just because they did not know. Confused and unprepared, just like she was.
Preferring to look at the opportunities, she focused her consulting firm to helping entrepreneurs and non-profits to realize success in growth. She loves to dream big and look at the whole picture to set a plan in motion. She has a true soft spot for the startup dream and commercializing innovation.The Evalu8 Framework is her personal checklist for growth strategies, succession planning, and crisis management.
It's all about the “aha” moments, when it all clicks.
Sara’s on a mission to help entrepreneurs roadmap their own businesses, because they need to have all the business into condersation to see the opportunities and what they need to do next.
There is no need to struggle. You are not in this alone.
This is about being set up for success with the ability to make informed decisions and pivot to increase your business value. Reach operational effectiveness and love your business.
Happiest when she is talking business, brainstorming big ideas and pulling together an epic plan – OR - getting an adrenaline fix on the ski slopes, making sure her kids don't get to bottom before her!Connect with Sara on LinkedIn
Involvement
Managment Consultant - Small Business Strategist and Coach - NuFocus Strategic Group
Founding Partner, Growth10
Thought Leader, Member of Forbes Coaches Council
Board of Directors, Albert County Chamber of Commerce (Board of Trade)
- Provincial Advisory Committee NB - Atlantic Chamber of Commerce
Succession Planning Consultant, CBI Business Transitions, since 2011(Associate Business Broker 2011-2015)
Associate, LearnSphere Canada
Mentor, Furturpreneur, since 2015
Mentor, The Forum, since 2021
Mentor, Invest Atlantic, 2023
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Final Word.... if you are hanging on the fence as to whether this is for you.
Think about this:
If you are in business.... you are in growth.
If you are in transition... you are exiting your business one way or another.
You have the SAME need.
In my experince, there has to be some foundational questions asked to prepare the business for the next move.
I'm sharing my proven framework to get you started.
You will:
Put your issues and opportunities in front of you, with added structure and best practices as a checklist to follow.Learn to diagnose your pain andcreate a planto correct courseBuild your One SpotStrategy and Leadership knowledge centerto help you keep on track of everything.
Start your plan, increase your business value and be prepared for whatever Life and Business throw at you.
Level up your entrepreneurial game.Learn what you don't know - yet, and talk about it.
