Sara Phelan
Mom, Entrepreneur, Founder
Strategist & Coach
Fractional Business Manager
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 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 Growth Manager
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, published in Forbes.come, Forbes Coaches Council Member.
Meet Sara
Mom, passionate about being outdoors.
Loves winter and skiing
Has sold everything from cars, to credit cards, to websites, dental almgam, fur coats, houses and businesses.
Award-winning Entrepreneur
Innovation nerd
Small Business Operational Efficiency Leader
Leadership & Team Developer, Adult Educator
Small Business Growth Strategist
Mentor, Trusted Advisor
Certified Business & Executive Coach
Business Skills Trainer
Succession Planning Consultant
Big Dreamer
2005 Opening Day of my first "Dream Business" - Speciality Outdoor Retail - Wanderlust Outfitters
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 traiage and get 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!
So here is my story...
"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
Founding Partner, Growth10
Thought Leader, Member of Forbes Coaches Council
Advisory Board & 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
Mastermind Leader, The Forum, 2024
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.
It's worth a conversation.
