Why Burt Steingraeber is the Business Consultant You Need

In a business world that’s constantly evolving, finding the right partner for public relations and business consulting is crucial. Burt Steingraeber is the clear choice for companies in the Midwest and beyond, looking for a reliable, cost-effective partner. With over 24 years of experience in business accounting, branding, and general marketing, Burt offers a unique perspective on achieving success in today’s fast-paced marketplace.

The Burt Steingraeber Difference

Burt’s wealth of experience spans multiple industries, which equips him with a broad skill set that can benefit any business, whether you're focused on financial analysis, brand strategy, or growing your market presence. As a strategic business consultant, Burt leverages his battle-tested knowledge to help his clients achieve their business goals. He is dedicated to offering personalized, actionable strategies that drive results.

How Burt Works

It all starts with a complimentary 30-minute strategy session. This is an opportunity for you to discuss your public relations or business challenges and goals. Burt uses this time to assess what’s affecting your company’s growth, offering a high-level evaluation of your current strategies. From there, Burt will recommend the best next steps to help your business or personal brand reach its full potential. His recommendations are rooted in over two decades of firsthand business experience and strategic insight.

What Makes Burt Steingraeber Stand Out

When you work with Burt, you’re getting more than just advice — you’re receiving one-on-one service directly from him. Unlike larger consulting firms, where your file may be passed along to an associate or third party, Burt ensures you get his personal attention and expertise. With over 21 years of experience as a CFO, Controller, Realtor, and private business owner, Burt has the hands-on knowledge to deliver the results you need.

Ready to Talk?

Whether you're looking to solve specific business challenges or simply need guidance on your next steps, Burt Steingraeber is the consultant who can take your business to the next level. Schedule your complimentary business strategy session today to start turning your challenges into opportunities.

Burt Steingraeber -Global Business Operator

I pay attention to what business owners talk about publicly.

Feeling overlooked.
Needing exposure.
Uncertainty about next steps.

Those aren’t complaints — they’re signals of someone ready for clarity.

Burt Steingraeber

You built the expertise. I’ll build the audience. | Making executives impossible to ignore | Owner of @DirectSourceAI | Top 4% on LI

I’ve noticed something consistent over the years.

Most business owners who feel “stuck” aren’t failing — they’re unclear.
Their work is solid.
Their message isn’t.
That gap is where progress usually begins.

By 2026, AI stops being the headline…
and starts being the infrastructure.

The quiet advantage belongs to leaders who prepare now.

I don’t believe in hard selling.

The best professional relationships start with understanding.
When the fit is right, the conversation moves naturally.
No pressure. No hype

Scaling a business globally isn’t about chasing every new shiny tactic: it’s about doubling down on what translates everywhere: a system for repeatable wins.

The one constant I see: across all 50 states and every market, from Toronto to London to Auckland: is this: The businesses that grow consistently have a scalable process for identifying and acting on their edge. Not just what makes them different, but how they communicate, test, and refine that with every new client, culture, and channel.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not a hack. But it’s replicable. And it’s why my best clients outperform even when trends shift or markets cool.

Curious how others are building systems that scale in wildly different regions? Drop your hard-earned lessons or biggest questions below. Let’s start a real conversation about strategy, not theory.

#ConsultantsCorner #GlobalScaling #BusinessStrategy

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AI is changing the PR game, from media monitoring to smarter messaging. But the real magic happens when you make AI part of your everyday PR processes, not just a bolt-on tool.

Imagine: Real-time sentiment analysis, instant risk alerts, and tailored outreach: all faster and more accurately.

Ready to future-proof your brand’s communications? I’ve helped businesses blend AI with PR for impact (not overwhelm). DM me to discuss your next step toward AI-powered success.

Well thats not a good sign.. Sounds like UPS who's even worse at 30K..

The company mistakenly alerted some employees to the imminent layoffs after sending a "commiseration note" and calendar invites several hours in advance, Reuters reports.

What to do when you’re not sure what to do:
Get disciplined.

Make your bed when everything feels out of control
Hit the gym when motivation is missing
Follow up with leads when sales are slow:

Save cash when the economy feels uncertain
Build relationships when you don’t “need” anything yet
The world is full of talented people.
But talent without discipline becomes frustration.
Discipline turns small actions into a strong foundation.
And foundations are what hold you up when pressure hits.

So don’t wait for the perfect plan.
Stack disciplined days.
                  That’s how you become dangerous.

What to do when you’re not sure what to do:
Raise your standards.

                  Examples: 
Eat clean when your energy is crashing
Practice your pitch when you’re not closing deals
Write content when nobody is watching
Fix your finances when you’re “too busy”
Build your network before you need a favor

Confidence is nice.

If you’re great at what you do but prospects still “go with someone else,” it’s rarely a competence problem.

It’s a recognition problem.

I call it the competence–recognition gap:
You’re delivering real results… but the market can’t *see* it fast enough to choose you.

A simple framework to close it:
1) PROOF: Turn outcomes into receipts (numbers, before/after, named problems solved).
2) POSITION: Pick one lane you want to be known for (not 6).
3) PRESENCE: Show up consistently where decisions get made (content, podcasts, partnerships, earned media).
4) PATH: Make it easy to say yes (clear offer, clear next step, clear expectation).

After 30+ years in strategy + PR, I’ve seen this repeatedly: visibility isn’t ego: it’s leverage. And it compounds when you systematize it.

If you had to tighten your focus to ONE “lane” you want to be chosen for this year, what would it be?

No business is immune to crisis: product failures, viral complaints, or data breaches can strike any time. How you respond determines whether you strengthen or damage your reputation. Yet, while 54% of small businesses have faced major crises, just 23% had a formal communication plan. The difference between lasting damage and resilience is preparation. 

Crisis communications is more than reacting; it’s about strategic planning, decisive action, and consistent messaging. Build your plan: list top crisis scenarios, pre-approve messaging, assign one spokesperson, keep contacts current, clarify communication channels, and review with legal. Select key staff to fill crisis roles and empower them with training.

Your team must always be informed first; employees are your best advocates. Respond fast, be transparent, own your actions, and document everything for ongoing improvement.

Review your plan quarterly. Consult with  legal council before releasing statements. Delays and mixed messages are the quickest way to lose trust.

Leverage has evolved.

30+ years ago, most “growth” looked like brute force:
More calls.
More hours.
More hustle.

Today, the advantage goes to the businesses that build leverage on purpose.

Strategic automation isn’t about replacing the human element.
It’s about amplifying it.

When the repetitive work gets systemized:
• Your team spends more time on judgment and relationships
• Your marketing becomes consistent (not random)
• Your follow-up stops depending on memory and mood
• Your results compound instead of reset every week

The real question isn’t “What can I automate?”
It’s “What strategy is worth automating?”

Thoughts?

Efficiency is a trap if you’re moving in the wrong direction.

I see it often. Entrepreneurs installing powerful engines: AI, automation, complex systems: but forgetting to check the map.

Automation is the engine. Strategy is the steering wheel.

Without a hand on the wheel, you’re just accelerating toward a cliff.

After 30 years in PR and consulting, I’ve learned that speed without direction is just a faster way to fail. You can automate your outreach, but if the message doesn't land, you’re just scaling noise.

The real leverage is the "Trust Layer."

It’s the intersection of decades of strategic wisdom and modern efficiency. It’s the ability to land on FOX News or MarketWatch while keeping your back-end operations lean and automated.

I’m looking to connect with innovators building practical solutions in the automation space. If you’re creating tools that help businesses scale with precision, I’d love to explore potential synergies.

Complexity doesn’t scale.
It compounds.

And it’s quietly draining your profitability.

Not because your team isn’t smart.
But because every “custom exception” becomes:
- another SOP
- another approval step
- another tool
- another handoff
- another meeting

That’s not growth.
That’s overhead.

If you want to scale (without burning margin), simplify what you sell and how you deliver.

3 filters I use with clients:
1) If you can’t explain it in 10 seconds, it’s too complex.
2) If it needs a hero to run, it’s not a system.
3) If it can’t be repeated weekly, it’s not scalable.

Simplicity isn’t “less.”
It’s leverage.

Thoughts?

Hi, I’m Andy, a Change Leadership Consultant based in Montreal, originally from France, now helping organizations across Canada and beyond to turn transformation into a lasting success.

For over 12 years, I’ve worked with executives, HR leaders, and transformation teams to strengthen their change maturity, the mindset, capability, and culture needed to lead change effectively.

Many organizations struggle with transformation because people, culture, and leadership aren’t ready and lack capability for it. 

That’s where I come in.

Here’s what I do:

→ Design tailored change strategies and transformation roadmaps.
→ Coach leaders and sponsors to drive change with confidence.
→ Assess impact, resistance, and risk to ensure smooth transitions.
→ Build internal change capability through hands-on training.
→ Drive clear, 360° communication across all levels, using existing channels effectively.
→ Measure engagement, readiness, and behaviors to demonstrate ROI and lasting impact.

At Elevation Groupe Conseil, my goal is simple: make change your competitive edge.

If you’re ready to make your change initiatives stick, let’s connect.

Send me a DM or email me at andy.lauret@elevationgc.ca

Andy ⬆️

Everyone wants transformation to go faster.

Almost no one counts the damage speed creates.

I’ve seen rushed transformations burn teams, miss decisions, 
and stall adoption months later.

I’ve felt that pressure too.

“Go faster” sounds productive.

Until energy drops and shortcuts multiply.

Speed without clarity isn’t progress.
Speed without capacity creates workarounds.
Forced pace looks efficient, but it quietly sabotages outcomes.

Real acceleration comes from alignment, not pressure.

What’s one change you slowed down to move faster later?

🔁 Repost & ➕ Follow Andy Lauret for more real talk 
from the change frontline.

Andy Lauret ⬆️

Change management partner | Building Change-ready Organizations by helping People-First leaders and employees | Founder @Elevation Groupe Conseil

Change management does not need a seat at the table.
It needs its own table.

For years, change has been treated like support work.

Brought in after decisions are made.

Asked to help people “align” once the hard parts are over.

That is not change management.
That is damage control.

Change work shapes the decision, not the announcement.
- It challenges timelines.
- It questions readiness.
- It slows things down when speed would break trust.

If change leaders only react, they will always be ignored.
If they only facilitate, they will never influence.

Owning the table means saying no.

It means pushing back on leaders who want buy in without ownership.

It means being accountable for outcomes, not just adoption plans.

P.S. Is change invited early or only when things start breaking?

🔁 Repost & ➕ Follow Andy Lauret for more real talk 
from the change frontline.

Leaders accidentally kill engagement.

They broadcast instead of dialogue.
Present instead of co-create.
Celebrate go-live instead of measuring what sticks.

Here’s the truth:
Engagement is not about making people excited.
It’s about making them feel involved, equipped, and heard.

This framework shows:
→ The 5 things that kill engagement (even when leaders mean well)
→ Why each shift matters

One column builds compliance.
The other builds ownership.

Same intentions but very different outcomes.

Worth asking: which one are you designing?

🔁 Repost & ➕ Follow Andy Lauret for more real talk 
from the change frontline

People support what they help shape.

Consultation creates compliance.
Co-creation creates care.

One informs people.
The other gives them authorship.

Change doesn’t need more direction.
It needs shared ownership.

And you, are you designing for control...
or for commitment?

🔁 Repost & ➕ Follow Andy Lauret ⬆️for more real talk 
from the change frontline

Saying ‘I support this change initiative’ is not leadership. 

It’s distance.

Support without visibility is abandonment.

It tells teams the work matters, but not enough for leadership time.

Change does not need cheerleaders.
It needs sponsors who are willing to be seen and challenged.

Here’s what sponsorship actually looks like:

1/ Publicly own the change.
Say “I am accountable for this” instead of “I support this.”

2/ Show up where the tension is.
Join the meetings where people disagree.

3/ Repeat the message often.
If you are tired of saying it, people are just starting to hear it.

4/ Make one visible decision early.
Cut a process, fund a priority or stop an old habit.

5/ Protect the work publicly.
When resistance shows up, address it out loud.

🔁 Repost & ➕ Follow Andy Lauret for more real talk 
from the change frontline.

Same goal, different approaches.

And… it’s OK!

Company A: top-down, directive driven.
Company B: co-created, Participative-driven.

We often search for *the* right way to lead change.

Truth is: there isn't one!

Both succeeded, because their strategies fit their culture, pace, and people.

The danger? Forcing a framework that doesn’t fit your DNA.

Yes my preference goes for a more co-created path… 
but different doesn’t mean wrong!

Context is king.

Custom beats copy.

And you, what’s the boldest change path you’ve seen work?

🔁 Repost & ➕ Follow Andy Lauret for more real talk 
from the change frontline.

For a long time, I thought leading change required authority.

A role, title or mandate.

Then I watched most change actually happen.
It didn’t come from the people with the biggest say.
It came from the ones who stepped in early.

The ones who noticed friction and removed it.
Who helped others make sense of what was shifting.
Who stayed calm when things got uncomfortable.

They didn’t “drive” change, they made it easier to move.

What I’ve learned is this:

Influence doesn’t come from position.

It comes from usefulness, trust, and timing.

– When you create value under pressure, people listen.
– When you follow through, people rely on you.
– When you model the change before it’s popular, people follow.

That’s how change gets led long before it’s approved.

🔁 Repost & ➕ Follow Andy Lauret for more real talk 
from the change frontline.

How to Lead Change Without Authority

Kotter 8-step Framework was meant to guide, not dictate.

It’s not the framework that fails.

It’s how rigidly we apply it.
The problem is using a copy-paste approach to a personalized challenge.

Kotter’s 8 Steps?
Still one of the best frameworks out there.
If you treat it as a compass not a checklist.
Change isn’t linear.

Sometimes urgency comes later.

Sometimes coalitions form mid-flight.

And sometimes empowerment needs to start before the vision is clear.
You can adapt the order.

You can tailor the approach.

But you can’t ignore the conditions.

Frameworks don’t fail.
Misusing them does.

🔁 Repost & ➕ Follow Andy Lauret for more real talk 
from the change frontline.

You didn’t lose value when the project failed.
You lost it when people stopped using it.

On time.
On budget.
Zero value...

Not because of resistance.
But because adoption was assumed, not managed.

Every hour of low adoption is a hidden cost.
And it adds up faster than you think.

Delivery is an event.
Adoption is the investment.

🔁 Repost & ➕ Follow Andy Lauret for more real talk from the change frontline

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