Robert Sappey Email & Phone Number

As far back as the Kellogg School, when my classmates were inspired by finance, marketing and other functional positions at Fortune 500 companies, I was most interested in the special challenges of running a small to midsized business. How to make all the parts, personalities and complexities – yes, even in a small business - work together to achieve success. And I’ve had a number of rewarding experiences doing just that.Running a business can be both daunting and humbling. I’ve been there. No business is perfect, but running even a good one, consistently and predictably, is fraught with jeopardy - sometimes self-inflicted. Some of the most positively influential people I met in my career – a few under unpleasant circumstances - were “consultants.” Each brought a healthy new optimism, helping me to see and understand my blind spots and, of course, strategies to mitigate them. So, as I thought about what I wanted to do with the balance of my professional life, I decided it would be most gratifying to be similarly helpful and supportive of those working to navigate the labyrinth of opportunities and threats.I hope to minimize the stigma around “needing help.” The need is predictable and positively related to success. The bigger the company and the faster the growth, the more likely the owner will require new perspectives, tools and methods to continue her success. What got her here probably won’t get her there. I draw upon my own academic and hands-on experiences, coupled with the knowledge accumulated by me and my colleagues over hundreds of successful CSI engagements, to bring an insightful, respectful and supportive approach to my clients.I’ll ask probing questions – questions I won’t always know the answers to. But I know many things because I’ve seen a lot. I’m a patient listener - not snapping to judgement - curious to understand the skills, insight and passion that fueled success to date. I acknowledge what is good, well done, valuable. I meet my clients where they are and work collaboratively to develop realistic and executable plans, appropriate in time and place as the situation dictates. These are battle-tested strategies, but there are no boilerplate solutions.If you believe I could be helpful to you, please reach out. That won’t cost a thing and could be the beginning of a special collaboration.