There is a version of a growth plan that reads well and funds nothing: a forecast with a rising line, no explanation of what produces it, and an implicit promise to return in twelve months for more. Episode 17 of Call to the Bullpen is about the alternative, and about the specific piece of financial […]
When Should a Growth Company Bring In Board-Level Expertise? Before the First Check
Most founders think of board-level expertise as something that arrives with institutional money, installed by the investor as a condition of the round. By then, several of the decisions a board would have weighed in on have already been made. Episode 17 of Call to the Bullpen makes the case for reversing that order. When […]
What Investors Look For Before They Fund You
Most founders start preparing for a raise by building a pitch deck. By the time the deck exists, the questions that decide the outcome have usually already been answered, correctly or incorrectly, months earlier. Episode 17 of Call to the Bullpen is about that earlier work: the unglamorous preparation that determines whether an investor meeting […]
The Owner Operator Illusion: Why Your Business Operations Strategy Can’t Wait
Call to the Bullpen, Episode 16 — “The Operator Advantage”
Why Private Equity Is Betting Big on Operating Partners Post-Acquisition
An operating partner in private equity is an experienced executive — often a former COO, CEO, or turnaround leader — who works inside portfolio companies to drive the value creation plan: professionalizing operations, building processes and KPIs, upgrading talent, and preparing the business for the next horizon. And right now, PE firms are leaning into […]
10 Common Business Problems and How to Solve Them
Running a growing company but feel like you’re always putting out fires? This guide breaks down 10 common business problems—from cash and costs to talent and strategy—and shows you practical, low-drama moves to regain control and build sustainable momentum.
When Loyalty Becomes a Liability in Leadership Teams
There is a moment in nearly every growing company when loyalty becomes a problem. It does not arrive dramatically. It arrives quietly, in the form of a leadership team that was perfect for the company two years ago and is now subtly holding it back. The founders see it. The investors see it. The high […]
How Blind Spots Create a Hidden Ceiling in Your Business
Most businesses do not stall because of the market. They do not stall because of the product. They stall because of something far less visible — and far harder to fix. They stall because of leadership blind spots. In Episode 11 of Call to the Bullpen, Clint Overton and Ted Stann unpacked an idea that […]
The Two Types of Leadership Blind Spots (And Why Both Are Dangerous)
Every CEO, founder, and executive team has them. They are the issues you cannot see, will not see, or have not yet learned to see. And they are quietly shaping the trajectory of your business right now. On a recent episode of Call to the Bullpen, Clint Overton and Ted Stann broke down a topic […]
Strategy-Execution Gap: How To Leverage A Fractional Leader, a 2026 Playbook
Introduction A lot of teams walk into a season with a killer playbook and still finish with a losing record. The same thing happens inside companies, and it shows up as the strategy-execution gap. Study after study lands on a similar number: somewhere between 60 and 90 percent of strategies fall short in execution, not […]