A man with a beard and mustache, wearing a green and black checkered shirt, smiling with his arms crossed, standing inside a room with wooden paneling and shelves in the background.

Hi, I’m Dave

I fix the problems that keep leaders stuck in the weeds: a new system nobody uses, work that’s outgrown the team, a big change that has to pay off.

For 25 years I ran operations where the work kept growing and headcount didn’t. I learned how to make that work, and how to make the change stick.

I’m Stark County born and based. Liz and I live in Massillon with our daughter and three poodle mixes. We also have two adult sons. I serve on the Massillon Public Library board, mentor high school students through the Legacy Project of Stark, and was twice elected to city council. Along the way I earned an MBA in Finance and certifications in project management (PMP) and change management (Prosci).

If one of those problems sounds familiar, let’s talk. Tell me what’s going on, and I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help. Or, who can if I can’t.

And if you know a leader who’s stuck in the weeds, I’d be glad to meet them.

What I Believe

Expert help shouldn’t be reserved for big companies. A 30-person business deserves the same caliber of advice a Fortune 500 gets.

Change doesn’t have to be a gamble. Done right, it’s predictable.

Strong local businesses build strong communities.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • It starts with a conversation about what’s going on. From there:

    1. Find the real problem. It’s usually not the one on the surface.

    2. Figure out what it’s costing you.

    3. Build the fix with your team, not around them.

    4. Put it in place.

    5. Stay with you until it sticks.

    No 200-page decks, and no process for its own sake.

  • Most fixes take about 60 days. Some take less, and sometimes one conversation is enough to get a decision unstuck. Bigger changes, like rolling a new system out across several teams, take longer. Either way, you’ll know the timeline before we start.

  • Less than the problem is taking now. Expect a few hours up front so I can understand what’s going on, then a short weekly check-in. Your team will be involved, because the fix has to work for the people doing the work. But I work around their schedules, not the other way around. The goal is to give you time back, not take more of it.

  • A fixed price, agreed in writing before any work starts. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices. The price is based on what the problem is costing you and what fixing it is worth.

  • Then I keep working. Before we start, we agree on what “fixed” looks like, in terms you can measure. If we’re not there when the time’s up, I stay on it at no extra cost until we are. All I ask is that your team stays in it with me.

  • Yes. Nonprofits run into the same problems businesses do, like a system nobody uses or more work than people, usually with less room for error. I price nonprofit work with your budget in mind, and the same promises apply: a fixed price agreed before work starts, and I keep working until it’s fixed.