Cultura Coaching, LLC

Founder and leadership coach helping service-based business owner/operators grow their business with clarity, structure, and purpose—one business at a time. 

Through my initial 90-day Growth & Profit Accelerator ($3,995), I deliver a proven, strategic framework that aligns teams, improves culture, and drives measurable results. 

Clients consistently see 25%+ revenue growth, 3%+ profit increases, and stronger retention through clear SMART goals, actionable steps, and full accountability.

Profitable Growth Coach

Cascadia Global Security

Led regional security operations across Oregon, managing 60+ client accounts, 90+ employees, and $5.2M+ in annual revenue with a consistent 18%+ profit margin. Achieved a 47% gross margin improvement within 3 months by optimizing workforce scheduling and reducing labor inefficiencies. Successfully lowered direct labor costs by 9.8% and overhead by 58% while maintaining 100% client satisfaction through strategic hiring and responsive service delivery.

Regional Operations Manager (Oregon)

Premier Services Group

Directed administrative operations for a $40M+ company servicing 110 Lowe’s stores across 6 states, overseeing 800+ daily activities for 1,500+ weekly customers. Led a 30+ person scheduling team, HR, and training functions, enabling 300% revenue growth by formalizing recruiting, onboarding, and customer support systems. Improved customer satisfaction scores by 11% and eliminated overdue scheduling commitments through strategic process design, data-driven accountability, and scalable operational structures.

Director Of Operations

Dovetail Coffee

Brought in by a potential investment group as a business operations expert to partner with the CEO in scaling a specialty coffee business. Oversaw 3 café managers, 12 staff, and 1 roaster while developing and executing a growth strategy that led to the opening of two new locations. Built and optimized internal processes for recruiting, hiring, and training, resulting in a 100% increase in trained team capacity prior to COVID-19-related closure.

Vice President of Operations

G.W. PAULSON COMPANY

Managed operational projects for a construction services provider, leading a team of 12 installers and overseeing all estimating, ordering, and scheduling functions. Handled 100+ daily requests from project superintendents while streamlining processes to increase home builds by 85% and set a 30-year department revenue record at $1.5M/month. Maintained 100% client retention through consistent, high-level service and execution.

Account/Project Manager

Renewal by Andersen of Oregon

Led and developed a high-performing sales team of 15 for a premium window installation company, generating 90+ quality leads per month and driving 30%+ revenue growth in just 6 months. Recruited and trained 25+ new team members in one year, built client satisfaction tracking systems to improve NPS, and optimized field rep placement to achieve record-breaking monthly sales. Recognized by leadership for strategic execution and sales excellence.

Marketing Manager

First Response Security

Oversaw organizational strategy, vision, and execution of operations, client services, human resources, accounting, and business development processes, people, and systems.  
Primary driver of B2B firm delivering 5K+ weekly guard and security services with team of 4 direct reports and 130+ customer-facing security officers. 
Generated revenue by performing all sales activities. Conceived of and implemented new recruiting structure. 

> Executed organizational goals through business process improvement resulting in 842% growth over 8 years and 2 highest years of revenue and profit in 25 year history.  
> Led, coached, and motivated 8+ critical client-facing operational staff and managers overseeing 130+ employees, providing 3 different services to 500+ clients at 6,000+ accounts exceeding client expectations, resulting in 95% client retention and 10%+ annual growth. 
> Analyzed operating budget of $5M+ annually focusing on P&L opportunities resulting in 10% revenue growth and 1%+ of increased net profit year over year.  
>  Increased revenue from -16% loss during recession (2007 -2011) to 27%+ growth over 5 years through strategic planning and execution
>  Improved customer satisfaction and mitigated business risks through the project management,  strategic planning, budgeting and implementation of a proprietary customer facing software and technology for 50+ accounts

Vice President of Services

Negotiated and sold B2B contracts growing revenue by 842% from $360k annually to $3.25M. Achieved 84% revenue growth in 2 years after 3 years of negative profit. Recruited, trained, and onboarded a staff 
of 4 direct reports and 95 security officers.

Oversaw all branch operations to include administration, operations, human resources, customer services, sales and scheduling. In addition, played a leadership role in the client services approach for the company.

Sr. Director, Client Services | Branch Manager

Customer Service Representative

You didn’t start your business to stay stuck—scrambling to make payroll, buried in the weeds, guessing at your margins, and wondering why your bank account doesn’t reflect your hard work.

Yet here you are.

When it comes to building a profitable business, there are two common paths:

1.  Keep pushing, hoping next month will be different—ignoring your numbers, chasing more sales, and reacting to cash flow chaos.
2.  Get strategic—plug profit leaks, build a financial system that works, and create a scalable growth plan based on data, not gut instinct.

Most business owners fall into the first camp.  Not because they’re lazy—but because no one ever taught them how to manage the financial side of the business like a CFO.

Even if you're brilliant at what you do, the numbers can feel intimidating.

Margins are shrinking. Cash is tight. Expenses creep up. And you’re not even sure where the money goes.

You know how to work hard.

You just don’t have a route—a clear, proven path to take back control.

Now, imagine this instead…

▪️ You know your numbers—and exactly where your profit is leaking
▪️ Your cash flow is steady, predictable, and growing
▪️ Your pricing, margins, and offers are optimized for sustainability
▪️ You have time to think, plan, and lead—not just put out fires
▪️ You finally feel in control of your business—and your future

That’s what I help growth-focused business owners do.

What I Offer: The 90-Day Profitable Growth Route™

Inside this high-touch 1:1 program, I guide you from 'Basecamp' to 'Peak'—through a proven route to gain clarity, confidence, and control over your business finances.

Here’s what we build together:

▪️ A clear financial map—so you know what to track, fix, and measure
▪️ A 25%+ increase in profit by plugging leaks and optimizing your pricing
▪️ A cash flow system that ensures you're never surprised by your bank balance
▪️ Operational clarity so you stop spinning and start scaling
▪️ A repeatable, scalable 90-day growth framework to stay on track year-round

Backed by Two Guarantees:

1.  Confidence: If after 2 sessions, you don’t feel confident in the value I bring—I refund you in full.
2.  Completion: If by Day 90 you don’t have a complete plan and time to execute it—I work with you up to 2 additional sessions, at no extra cost.

You Deserve a Business That Pays You Well—Not One That Drains You

If you’re ready to fix your financial foundation and start building toward real, sustainable growth—I invite you to shoot me a DM or schedule your 20-minute clarity call.  

Start your profitable growth journey today!

Damien Foglio

82% of businesses fail due to lack of cash. 
One big reason? They run their business backwards...

Revenue comes in → 
costs and expenses get paid → 
whatever is left is called “profit.”

Which usually means... there isn’t any.

No cash reserves left in the bank and no money to absorb slow months. 

The smarter way? Flip the order.

Decide the profit you want first.
Build your budget around it.

Then run the business with what’s left.

When you plan this way, profit isn’t an afterthought.
It’s built into the system.

👉 Do you treat profit as what’s left over—or as the first line in your plan?

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Talks about #business, #coaching, #leadership, #management, and #productivity

Driving Profitable Growth for Service-based Owner-operators ($500K–$5M) by Hands-on Goal setting, Growing revenue by +25%, Increasing profit by +25% — Without working more hours — in just 8 weeks.

Last night, my wife Larissa Gates and I did something we do every month. 
We got Chipotle and caught up with Matthew Magee and Melissa (Chapman) Magee, PMP. 

It is in our calendar as a recurring event and all we have to do is show up.
It takes time, intentionality, and energy. But it is worth it. 

Truth is, it can be tough to be a friend of mine. 
And to be honest, not many make the cut. 

Not just because I am picky on who I invest my time in (I am), but also what I expect from my friends. 

The people I chose to surround myself need to have some goals. They need to know their purpose. And I expect them to lean into both of these. 

And, perhaps why there are only a select few that make the cut. 

But in the end, when I am on my death bed, to me, nothing will matter more than my relationships. And surface level relationships are not valuable to me. 

Just like a 401k does not hit $1M at 65 without starting your investment at 21, 
Your friends won’t be there then if you don't invest in them now. 

That is what it is like having a friend who is a coach: 
Specific questions
Clarifying questions
Notes for future reference
Healthy accountability 

I know my friends have goals. And I want them to achieve them. 
And I know that speaking them out, specifically, discussing them with others, will help them achieve them. 

Rather than having hundreds say I was a “good guy”, 
I am choosing to have tens say “he made me a better me”. 

That's it. 

Who are some people, individuals or couples, you can invest in starting next week? 

I encourage you to reach out to them and schedule something. 
Take it a step further and schedule something recurring for 2026.

Product Line Manager | Strategic Planning & Lifecycle Ownership

Revenue Operations & Optimization that Scales 10x | GTM Architect & Ops Director | I help businesses run faster, smoother, and smarter - with fewer moving parts | Strategic Problem Solver | Process & Data Nerd

Bilingual Project & Portfolio Manager | PURE PM & PM Accelerator Instructor | Prosci Change Management Practitioner | I help career changers pivot into Project Management

The biggest marriage hack? It's simple: solve 90% of money issues before they even start.

My wife and I have been married for a year and a half. 
Not long, but enough to see the power of a good system. 
We've never argued over money, and that’s not by coincidence.

We set aside a weekend each year to align on our goals. 

We talk about what we want to accomplish, what we want more of, and what we want less of.

Then, we prioritize. 
Not everything can happen in a year, so we pick what matters most. 

From there, we build our monthly budget, one line item at a time, around those goals.

Almost two years in, we’re already hitting our three-year targets. 

Sure, we wish we traveled more. 
We’d love two cars under 70k miles. 
And yes, sometimes our card declines because we’re running a tight budget.

But those sacrifices are short-term. 
They’re investments in the future we want.

Our biggest goal? Being prepared for the unknown. 

You never know when tragedy might strike or opportunity might come knocking.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲: 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱.

That’s how you build a future where money stops causing conflicts and starts fueling progress.

What’s your approach to financial planning for your long-term goals?

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Every Monday night between October and May for the last three years, I’ve been attending and co-leading a men's small group at my church. 

Honestly, at first, my goal was to meet more men in the church. 

But what I’ve discovered is something way more valuable: Sharpening. 

I am walking away each Monday night with ideas that I wrestle with throughout the week. 

Iron sharpening iron isn’t just a saying. It’s real.

And here’s the truth: I am challenged—every single week.

Challenged to be better Husband, father, friend, and business coach.
Challenged to listen to all of those around me.
Challenged to lead my wife and girls by example.

Because when you surround yourself with other people committed to growth, it pushes you to grow too.

It’s not always comfortable.
It’s not always easy.

But every time I walk away, I’m more aligned, more prepared, and more ready to face the week.

So a question for you: Where are you being sharpened? 

It could be a specific friend or friend group. 
A community or group. 

No matter what, if you intend to go far, do it with others. 

Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment. 
Build it. Lead it. Grow it.

Because in the end, that’s where real strength comes from.

I make it a priority to have lunch with my dad every other month. 
Last week was our time. 

We meet at the local golf course restaurant for a good meal and to catch up. 

Our past has had some ups, some downs, and we have not always seen eye-to-eye, but that is a-okay with me. 

Our relationship is not about agreement or even alignment. 
In fact, it really doesn't have a goal, per se, and that is okay too. 

We get together, catch up on life, talk business, the future, etc. 
Not too much more, but definitely not surface level either. 

The older I get, the more important these types of events play a role in my life. And I welcome them with open arms. 

I recommend this to anyone to who has keep a specific some one at arms length...Life is short. 

Take the first step, Reach out, schedule it, make it happen. 
Trust me, its worth it.

I just spent 5 hours over the last two days building a from-the-ground-up spreadsheet for owner-operators to make 2026 the best year yet. 

As my goal for 2026 is to help 100+ owner operators build better business in less time, ones they love to run versus running then, it starts here. 

As cash flow is the #1 killer to businesses, this is my focus: 
Build a business that creates consistent cash flow ith enough reserves to whether any storm. 

But the truth is, cash flow is a result of many other business decisions: 
Pricing, services, costs, payroll, expenses, owners salary, etc. 

And I address each one of these in the 1-Page PGR Gameplan. 
PGR is my "Profitable Growth Route" model I coach.

As growth without profit just magnifies the mess...
Profitable growth is the sweet spot. 

But the only way to get the 1-page PGR Gameplan is to attend my free webinar this Monday, November 24th, at 7 pm EST. (Signup link is in my featured section). 

This is not 100 pages of PDF’s to read through. 
Not countless hours of content to consume. 

Just 1 actionable plan we work together to build for you and your business. 

Afterwards leaving you with steps you can take tomorrow to get a jump start on 2026. 

No fluff. Just action. 👊

Most prospects I talk to aren’t eager to jump on a 20-minute call just to see if we’re a good fit. 

Nor do they want a 50-minute strategy session that feels like another sales pitch. 

They’ve been burned before. 
They’re tired of wasting time on calls that don’t deliver real value. 

But that’s not how I do it. 
I genuinely want to help. 

My approach is simple: I aim to provide so much value in 50 minutes that it’s ridiculous to not keep exploring what we could accomplish in just six weeks together. 

In my last strategy session, we ran out of time, and the client asked, “So, what’s it cost to start?” 

I wasn’t even thinking about selling. 
I wanted to solve his problems. 

Yes, I’ve been burned before with tire-kickers and free info seekers. 
But I believe in showing real value first. 

Because if I can’t help you see the potential in just one call, what’s the point? 

The truth is, most people just want to know someone who can actually help them — not waste their time. 

That’s what I do. 

And the best part? Once we start, I know you’ll see how much more we can get done — fast. 

No fluff. 
Just real results. 

What’s your take?

Last Monday was a complete failure. 

5-minutes prior to a webinar that I had spent over $300 promoting, I was told that the 22 people that had signed up for it, were not actually people - but bots.  

Not a single one.  

The week prior, I had stayed up every night, building the workbook gameplan, the webinar slides, and prepping my talking points.  

My goal was to over-deliver to those that showed up.  
Providing value they could use in the business the very next day.

I managed to get through the webinar to the few actual people that did show up.  
But it was a far cry from the amount of people I thought I was going to help.  

Within minutes of the webinar concluding I packed up my car with my wife and we left for the week to spend Thanksgiving with my wife’s family.

Instead of spending the week basking in a successful webinar, I was left considering what went wrong and what to do next.  

Was this a Meta issue?  An Ad issue?  Or something else?  

In the end, I am not sure and I am not sure I care.  The result was not achieved.

But just because it failed, does not mean the idea, execution, and plan was not a failure.  
It does not mean that webinars are not a great way to showcase value to potential clients.  

But too often, small business owners try something.  
And if it fails, they give up on it.  Chalk it up to being a bad idea.  

Someone might even spit out, “See, I told you it would not work”.  
Most likely to consider it again a few years later.  

But just because something fails, does not mean it is not a bad idea.  
It means that something within it failed.  

I love the old saying, “No need to throw the baby out with the bath water.”  
Just change the water.  

So that’s what I have decided to do.  
  
Run it back, but with some new boundaries and new parameters.  

Join me and some other real business owners on Tuesday, Dec 16, 2025 at 7 pm for my 1-hour workshop Profitable Growth Gameplan™.  

Cost is $25.  Replays will be available.  

If you are a business owner who wants a plan to make 2026 far better than 2025, then this is for you. 

Link is in the comments...

Isn’t it crazy that there are only 6 more weeks left in 2025?! But more importantly, Q1 of 2026 is just around the corner. It’s time to be prepared to hit the ground running...

During this time of the year, for my own business and those I coach, I like to refer back to Gino Wickman “Traction” as it offers a powerful blueprint for shaping our future. 

Here is my plan to take a step toward achieving my goals in 2026…

🕒 Set aside 2 hours of focused, uninterrupted time. 
Just a notebook and pen. 

Think about the year this year: What do you want more of? What do you want less of? 
Remove the bad. 
Double down on the good. 

Think about what you can do over the next year to bring your 3 year vision to life?
(If you don’t have a 3 year vision - time to build one.)

1️⃣ As this is a one year plan, you have a date: Dec 31, 2026

2️⃣ Define the metrics to improve

Most often they include Revenue and Profit. 
But don’t forget, billable hours, your working hours, and other numbers that move the needle.

Right those numbers out and be specific. 

3️⃣ From those goals, what needs to happen in the next 90 days to make them happen? 

Remember, not everything needs to be done right away!
Decide what your priorities are in Q1. Spread out your other goals into different quarters. 
Keep them SMART (specific, measurable, and attainable)

4️⃣ Define the weekly habits that achieve the 90 day goals. 

This is where the magic happens. 
Break your 90-days goals into 12 weeks. 
Monitor weekly and execute relentlessly. 

I use these exact steps. 
These steps are not just theory. 
These steps are the tools that turn your goals into real life.

Ready to carve out your path to success? 
Share your thoughts in the comments!

Helping entrepreneurs and leaders maximize their freedom, creativity and impact | Entrepreneurial Leap, Rocket Fuel, EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), The EOS Life, and The 10 Disciplines

Writing LinkedIn posts that truly communicate your message can be harder than it looks. 

You have a story to tell, a point to make, or a lesson to share. 

But the noise is loud, the attention span is short, and standing out feels almost impossible. 

It’s not just about writing; it’s about making people stop, listen, and understand—every single time. 

That’s the real challenge. 

What’s your take on how to cut through the noise?

The most underrated habit small business owners can adopt? 
Reviewing your Profit & Loss Statement every month.

It’s simple, yet powerful. 

If you have a P&L and aren’t reviewing it regularly, you’re flying blind. 

If you don’t have a P&L yet, you’re leaving profit on the table—and risking your business’s future. 

Here’s what to do today: 

1. Get your most recent P&L statement.
If you don’t have one, make it a priority to create it. 

2. Schedule 30 minutes this week to review it. 
Look at your revenue, expenses, and profit margins. 

3. Identify one area where you’re leaking profit or where margins can improve. 

4. Make a small, specific plan to fix it—whether it’s renegotiating a vendor, cutting unnecessary expenses, or optimizing pricing. 

Reviewing your P&L isn’t just bookkeeping; it’s a strategic tool to control your cash flow and grow profitably. 

Start today, and watch your business become more predictable and profitable. 

What’s your take—how often do you review your numbers?

While meeting with a client earlier this week, he asked me: 
“Should I run ads to the funnel we just built?”

His instinct was to go big—buy traffic, scale fast.

But here’s the truth: 
The materials weren’t tested. 
He hadn’t even run one call yet.

So we paused the ad idea and focused on something more important: 
→ Building a contact list 
→ Testing messages 
→ Validating the offer with real people 

Because boosting a great post after it works? Smart. 

Pouring money into an untested funnel? Waste.

You don’t want to pour gas on a fire that’s not burning yet.

Validation comes first. 
It’s what turns a good idea into a sustainable one.

Have you ever tried to scale something that wasn’t ready? 

Remember: Don’t rush to scale until you know your offer works in the real world. 

Test. 
Validate. 
Then scale confidently. 

That’s the way to grow smarter, not faster.

When I started coaching in June of 2023, I had no idea what I was doing. 

I mean, I had scaled a business +627% in revenue while 5.5x its profit. 
But I had never coached another business owner on how I did it. 

I felt I had the knowledge after going grading business school, 
But I never turned my results into a written and step-by-step gameplan. 

However, now, after coaching 30+ business owners the exact gameplan I built and used, I am ready to start sharing my program with more business owners in a more cost-effective investment. 

In 2026, my goal is to coach 100 business owners to build better businesses in less time. 

A business they run, rather than runs them. 
One with revenue on repeat of +25% annually. 
One that increases profit to at least 10%.
One that pays the owner-operator what it would cost to replace them. 
...All while not adding more hours. 

One client I spoke with yesterday, is determining their new pay rate (from $30k last year to around $100k in 2026) as they made more revenue, more profit last year and didn't work any extra hours. 

If you find yourself overworked and underpaid, I would love to help you. 
Trust me, it's not magic, just a different way of seeing your business. 

Starting December 1st I am running an 8-week pilot group coaching program for 10 owner-operators who want 2026 to be much better/different than 2025. 

If you relate to any of the above, I would love for you to be a part of this. 

My goal is to provide so much value in this first pilot program that the investment is 10x within 6 months. 

Selflessly, 10 business owners will walk into 2026 with more plan, hope, restful nights, and more money in the bank. 

Selfishly, I will build a rock solid program during our 8 weeks together that I can provide to 90+ more business owners with your feedback. 

This pilot program will be 50% of my price for the next time I run it - January 1, 2026. 

And if you don’t love it within the first 7 days, leave it. 
I will buy back the program from you. No harm, no foul. 

Shoot me a DM “Freedom” and I can send you more details. 

If you still might be on the fence, I am running a free 60-minute webinar on Monday, November 24th at 7 pm EST “Cash Flow Gameplan 2026. 

If interested, send me a DM “Webinar” and I will send you the link to sign up.

Let's make 2026 the best year yet.

Be in the 18% of small businesses that continue. 
Not the 82% that will die.

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The two life hacks for entrepreneurs that no one talks about:

1. Eating the same thing every day 
2. Wearing the same outfit every day 

At first glance, these might seem like small, trivial tips. 

But they are powerful tools to free up mental energy and reduce decision fatigue. 

When you're constantly making endless choices—what to eat, what to wear—your brain spends a lot of bandwidth on trivial decisions. 

That’s energy you could be channeling into your core business goals.

By sticking to simple routines, you:

- Save time every morning that can be used for strategic thinking or client work 
- Avoid decision fatigue, so your mental clarity remains sharp for the big stuff 
- Create habits that support focus, discipline, and consistency 

Imagine starting each day with your mental energy fully dedicated to solving problems, closing deals, or developing new strategies—rather than stressing over minor choices. 

The truth is, success often comes down to discipline and focus. 

Small routines like these aren’t about being boring; they’re about removing friction from your day so you can concentrate on what truly drives growth.

So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider simplifying your routines. 

Sometimes, less choice means more clarity and energy for your business goals. 

What routines do you have that help you stay focused? 

(Yes, I have 3 black t-shirts and joggers I rotate through, which are the exact same. Funny thing is, I do the same thing for my gym/workout outfits - All black, all day.)

Linda came to me with a really good business, but bad profit. Her business partner and herself wanted something different, but weren’t sure how to get it. 

They had really good revenue. Great demand. A lot of potential. 
They knew they could be improving their business, but where? How? 

So, in our first two meetings, we built a perfect 12-week gameplan to execute to get them where they wanted to be. Or so we thought. 

After the second meeting...we pivoted. Hard. 

Not because we were wrong in our gameplan, but because as we dug deeper into each item, we would find another layer of items to address. 

These needed to be fixed prior to moving forward. 

But that’s how business is sometimes. 
You think you have a great plan and then, you actually need to re-build the foundation. 

For them specifically, we started with their pricing, in an effort to improve their profit, and ultimately their cash flow. 

Once the price was fixed, we focused on the sales process, which required a lot of time, many customer touches, and was a bit clunky. 

We started with a VSL, created a filter for clients, and only met with qualified prospects. 

Once the pricing and sales were in order, we focused on the financial aspect of the business. 

We plugged everything into my 5-minute CEO dashboard and saw exactly where our profit leaks were, rising costs, etc. No wonder cash flow was stalled. 

The wild part: They weren't the issue. Their systems were. 

Once we stabilized their foundation, their numbers took off: 

👉 Revenue increased by 12% (+$10k /mo)
👉 From a 6-month average of .9% (yes, point 9) to now averaging 16%
👉 Rather than using their savings, they doubled it with 3x Operating expenses saved

The crazy part: All of this was really without doing that much more work. 

If you want to see the exact plan we used — step-by-step — I’m teaching it inside Cash Flow Freedom to a limited number of business owners starting Dec 1. 

Prior to that, I am sharing some valuable nuggets in my free workshop: 

👉 Cash Flow Gameplan tonight (Mon, Nov 24) at 7 pm EST

No fluff. Small pitch. Tons of value. 

Link is in the comments.

A few lessons I learned while starting and scaling my coaching business to $100k in its first 10 months. 🚀

1. Nothing is as easy as it looks on the internet. 🌐

There is quite a bit we do not see from the successful" people. Their network, grit/work ethic behind the scenes, funding, etc.

2. Hiring a coach is the shortcut no one tells you about. 🎯

I had not started a coaching business before, so I hired a coach who had. 

I built an offer, a pricing strategy, a website, and started reaching out to my network.

3. I never took my foot off the gas.

Every morning, I woke up and asked myself, "how am I going to get 1 new client today." I was determined. 💪


Within my first 90-days, I had 5 monthly clients and shifted my focus to execution, while maintaining my momentum in client acquisition.

1. I put the customers' goals as my primary priority.

2. I helped them solve the "unsolvable.

3. I took my learning seriously, reading twice as much to help me have a greater reach of context when providing options and recommendations. 📚

I love coaching and honestly feel for the first time I am in my calling. 

Since going all in on coaching, I have more than replaced my W-2 income of my past while working from my home. 🏠

But more importantly, I have helped over 30+ business owners and solopreneurs build better businesses that take far less of their time while scaling. 🌟

Here is what people think hiring a small business coach looks like:

❌ Fast wins and instant money in the bank
❌ A magic system that is a quick fix
❌ No stress — ever again
❌ Perfect team, perfect clients, perfect life
❌ Working 10 hours a week, sipping margaritas by 12 pm every Friday

Here is what it actually looks like:

✔️ Starting with the person in the mirror
✔️ Tracking real metrics weekly instead of trusting your 'gut'
✔️ Firing underperformers fast and hiring systematically
✔️ Fixing offers, pricing strategy, and delivery — again and again
✔️ Admitting your success needs a new direction and plan

In service-based businesses, sustainable growth is rarely glamorous.
Oh, and don’t get frustrated if you realize you’re the bottleneck.

Instead, remember:

1️⃣ Facing the truth is step one
2️⃣ Broken systems can’t scale — fix them before you grow
3️⃣ Long-term profit > short-term ego boosts

What was your biggest reality check on the road to real growth?

Time and money—our two most valuable resources. 
And honestly, we rarely get to keep both at the same time. 

In the beginning, we pour our time into the business, trying to make every dollar stretch. 

We work nights, weekends, and then some, just to keep things afloat. 

Once we’ve worn ourselves out and accumulated some cash, it’s tempting to start buying back our time. 

But here’s the catch: 

If owners do this too soon, they risk becoming too top heavy—spreading themselves thin across every task. 

If they do it too late, they start losing quality because they’re still doing everything themselves. 

And at the end of the day, the business is only as strong as the owner allows it to be. 

You can’t outsource your passion, your vision, or your leadership. 

So, when is the right time? 
It’s when you’ve built a solid system, not just a paycheck. 

That’s when buying back your time becomes an investment, not a gamble. 

Because the real leverage? 
It’s in your ability to focus on what only you can do. 

What’s your take? 
When did you realize it was time to step back?

Justice Group Advisors

I help biotech leaders succeed in high-stakes roles by leveraging their strengths and addressing what holds them back—so they can lead with greater influence and impact.

🌐 justicegroupadvisors.com

Founder | Executive Coach for Biotech and HR Leaders

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Committees: Governance and Membership, Grants.
As a member of the Board of Directors, I provide strategic guidance and oversight to enhance the University's ability to help students, faculty, and programs by encouraging and stewarding sustained philanthropic support.

Foundation Board Director

I guest lecture on the intersection of brain science, behavior, and leadership—making complex ideas accessible and applicable. My sessions help students connect the dots between theory and practice, especially in biotech and HR.

With a background in behavioral psychopharmacology and executive roles across life sciences, Medical Affairs, and HR, I bring a practical, real-world lens to every class. As a coach, I help leaders earn and embrace their seat at the table—and I bring that same focus to the classroom.

I especially enjoy speaking with MBA students, future HR leaders, and those building careers in biotech.

Guest Lecturer

Advanced Therapies

Advisory Board Member

Enspira

As one of the founding members of Enspira's advisory board, I provided strategic guidance and insights from inception through its acquisition by LEAD3R. Leveraging my expertise in human capital management, talent development, startup growth, and life sciences, I played a pivotal role in fueling Enspira's growth and development. I'm here to provide strategic guidance and support as an advisor to startups in need. Let's connect to explore how I can help your venture thrive.

TCR² Therapeutics Inc.

Executive Team | Board Engagement | People & Medical Affairs Leadership

C-suite leader with a dual mandate: People Strategy + Medical Affairs.

At TCR2, I partnered with the CEO, Board, and executive peers to scale the company through rapid growth, market shifts, and global uncertainty—while also stepping in to lead Medical Affairs during a critical period.

Key contributions:

Board Relations: Presented quarterly to the Board; led Compensation Committee and participated in Nominating & Governance. Built Director fluency on talent priorities, DEI, and organizational risk.

Talent & Succession: Strengthened succession planning and retention by identifying future leaders early and ensuring readiness for key roles.

Manager Development: Built a practical, behavior-focused system that helped people managers grow into confident, influential leaders—laying the foundation for what became The Leadership Lab.

Comp Strategy: Secured Board approval on high-profile initiatives (e.g. Equity Exchange), balancing shareholder expectations, regulatory complexity, and business needs.

DEI Results: Tripled representation of people of color and doubled women in senior leadership; diversified the Board.

Medical Affairs: Assumed functional leadership—growing internal capabilities, increasing scientific publications, expanding congress presence, and elevating patient and KOL engagement.

Culture & Leadership Brand: Sponsored company-wide culture strategy and giving program. Made leadership development a visible strength of the company—helping managers grow into trusted, strategic leaders.

Chief People Officer & Head of Medical Affairs

Surgery Partners, LLC

Executive Team | Board Partnership | Post-Acquisition Integration

Executive leader during a period of rapid transformation, M&A activity, and CEO succession.
Led people strategy across a national network of surgical facilities—guiding cultural integration, talent strategy, and executive transitions during complex change.

Key contributions:

Board Relations: Presented quarterly to the Board; led CEO succession strategy and supported transition from CEO to Chairman and COO to CEO. Partnered with the Compensation Committee to align pay with performance and introduce long-term retention incentives (LPUs).

Comp & Benefits: Launched a Total Rewards strategy that shifted the culture toward performance—while saving 15% in benefit costs and overcoming legacy systems and resistance.

M&A & Scale: Supported $100M+ in annual M&A activity. Standardized people ops and implemented scalable tech infrastructure to integrate acquisitions and generate talent insights.

Org Design & Efficiency: Led post-merger organizational design and cultural integration—improving efficiency, unlocking a $7M run-rate savings, and creating cross-functional alignment.

Leadership & Talent: Introduced enterprise Talent Reviews that increased internal mobility, reduced agency spend, and shortened time-to-fill—driving shared ownership of leadership pipelines.

HR Team Strategy: Transformed HR into a strategic partner and made talent acquisition a core capability. Built a strong leadership bench and led a successful internal successor transition.

Culture & Inclusion: Strengthened engagement across 32 states and 125 sites—spanning surgeons, hospital CEOs, and hourly teams. Improved Glassdoor ratings from 2.6 to 3.9 and moved retention scores to the top quartile.

EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer

Biogen

HR Leadership Team | Enterprise Risk Committee | CEO Learning Committee Lead

Built and led Biogen’s global learning function—transforming fragmented efforts into a strategic advantage.

Led a $30M enterprise learning portfolio supporting R&D, Commercial, Manufacturing, and G&A teams across global sites.

Key contributions:

Enterprise Learning Strategy: Unified siloed training teams into a high-impact global function—establishing learning as a strategic driver of performance, innovation, and retention. Delivered $12M (34%) in savings while earning industry recognition for best-in-class design.

Change Leadership: Championed the company’s most successful IT-HR implementation—a global Learning Management System—by enrolling champions, aligning stakeholders, and leading cross-functional execution entirely through influence.

Leadership Reach: Chaired the CEO’s Learning Committee and contributed to enterprise risk planning—elevating learning as a business lever, not a support function.

Chief Learning Officer

Medical Affairs Leadership Teams | R&D Quality Council

Led global learning for Medical Affairs across multiple therapeutic areas and regions—building scalable capabilities to support pipeline and launch success.

Key contributions:

Global Team Leadership: Managed a $9M budget and led a US- and Switzerland-based team with affiliate partners in EU and APAC. Built scalable systems and capabilities to support growth.

Launch Readiness: Delivered learning strategies for 5 international product launches across 3 therapeutic areas—focused on the knowledge and behavioral shifts required for commercial success.

Risk-Aligned Governance: Shifted organizational posture from one-size-fits-all compliance to value- and risk-based learning decisions—partnering closely with Legal, Regulatory, and R&D.

Senior Director, Global Medical Excellence  /  Director, Medical Training

EMD Serono, Inc.

Neuroscience Portfolio | MS Franchise | Clinical Development Support

Built trust with key scientific leaders and turned field medical into a strategic force—advancing clinical trial engagement and shaping medical strategy.

Key contributions:

Scientific Engagement: Cultivated relationships with medical thought leaders and supported trial site development to advance MS portfolio objectives. Led advisory boards to inform Medical Affairs strategy.

Field Leadership: Recruited, developed, and led a high-performing MSL team covering two-thirds of the U.S.—consistently exceeding performance benchmarks.

Recognition & Impact:
– Received the company’s highest Commercial honor (President’s Award)—the first Medical Affairs team member to do so.
– Appointed to the FDA Advisory Board strategy task force to support a key NDA advancement.

Program Strategy: Managed the operating plan and external education budget—driving field readiness and alignment with corporate goals.

Associate Director, Medical Science Liaisons (MSL)  /  Sr. MSL  /  MSL

National MS Society

Strategic Turnaround | Board Engagement | Revenue Growth

Led cross-functional teams and strategic initiatives to strengthen performance, partnerships, and revenue.

Built and led Chapter Programs, Marketing, Communications & Public Relations, and IT departments.

Developed strong partnerships with key stakeholders including neurologists, scientists, allied health professionals, and corporate partners.

Led Board of Trustees, staff, and volunteers in creating and implementing a 5-year strategic plan that transformed the chapter from underperforming ($5M, lowest rating) to top-performing ($10M, highest rating).

Transformed an informal auxiliary fundraising group into a structured and cohesive Junior Board with aggressive fundraising goals—growing revenue by 66% in year one ($163K → $270K).

Created new revenue streams and governance for corporate partnerships with biotech and pharma companies.

Executive Vice President  /  Vice President

McKinsey & Company

Consultant | Strategy & Operations

Led client engagements with senior executives and operational leaders to drive growth, reduce costs, and implement scalable strategies.

Designed governance model and operational strategy for the National MS Society. Conducted benchmarking, surfaced best practices, and partnered with board and staff to assess high-impact opportunities.

Built and rolled out a performance management program and asset tracking system for a major medical device company—boosting productivity by 20% ($2M) and cutting capital expenditures by $3M.

Developed a shared services strategy for a franchise-based retailer spanning multiple business lines—generating 12% near-term savings ($105M) and a self-funding transition roadmap.

Management Consultant

Strategy doesn’t fail in the boardroom.

It fails in the trenches — when leaders can’t align, decide, or adapt fast enough.

And when that happens, execution stalls, trust erodes, and opportunity slips away.

I’m Angela, and I work with executives and HR leaders to close that gap — building sustainable leadership capacity so strategy turns into results that last.

The leaders I work with aren’t stuck because they lack capability.
They’re stuck because they’re navigating high-stakes roles where expectations are big, pressure is constant, and the path forward isn’t always clear.

Outcomes are high-consequence. Relationships are multi-dimensional. Decisions don’t have obvious answers — but they do have lasting impact.

That’s where I come in.

Sometimes that means executive coaching for senior leaders.
Sometimes it means working with leadership teams, or partnering with HR to scale development across the organization.

I bring a mix of science, strategy, and lived executive experience — from a PhD in neuroscience, to consulting with McKinsey, to serving at the C-level in biotech across both Medical Affairs and HR.

The result?
Leaders who grow as fast as their business challenges — and organizations where strategy doesn’t stall but turns into sustained impact.

What senior leaders say:

“25 years into my career, and the 6 months I worked with Angela was a transformative experience.”
— CPO, Global Biotech

“Angela is a rare strategic thought partner. Coaching with her transforms how you think, act, and lead.”
— CEO, Life Sciences

“Having worked with several coaches, I can confidently say Angela is top-tier.”
— SVP & Board Member

“Working with Angela was a turning point. I’m leading with more influence, impact, and ease.”
— VP, Global Biotech

Angela Justice, PhD

Aaron just worked himself out of a Chief Manufacturing Officer role.  

On purpose.  

That was his goal from day one.  

Ran into him and Chirag at #AdvancedTherapiesUSA last week—both former colleagues from my TCR2 days.  

We spent most of the time catching up on people:  
- Where former teammates have landed  
- What they're building  
- How careers have shifted  

Cell therapy has been brutal this past year. The whole industry has.  

A lot of good people have been in motion—some by choice, some not.  

But what struck me wasn’t the turbulence. It was how Aaron and Chirag have approached building—and leaving.  

Aaron set out to build a function so strong he could step away.  

For most leaders, working yourself out of a job is unthinkable.  

For him, it was proof the system worked.  

Chirag kept circling back to succession planning—not as an exit strategy, but as a leadership responsibility.  

The question that stuck with me:  

👉 Are you building people who need you, or people who are ready when you’re not there?  

That takes intentionality. And the confidence to let go.  

The industry will always be volatile.  

But the people who thrive aren’t the ones who make themselves indispensable.  

They’re the ones who build:  
- Systems  
- People  
- Momentum  

...that keep moving—with or without them.  

They stay adaptable.  
Keep learning.  
Build optionality—not dependency.  

And they stay connected:  
To each other.  
To the work.  
To the people who matter.  

It reminded me of something I wrote recently for BioSpace:  

"When the path you built disappears, the question isn’t ‘Do I stay or go?’ It’s ‘What am I building toward—and does this still serve it?’"  

https://lnkd.in/efTkRdQr

Any company would be lucky to work with these two remarkable leaders.  
Good to see you both. Keep going.  

Are you building people who need you—or people who are ready when you’re not there?  

---
💙 P.S. Calling all TRuCers—who’s up for a reunion in 2026? 
🎤 Karaoke perhaps (Robert Tighe, Erika Gleason, Carly Pirro... looking at you)?

Executive Coach for Biotech Leaders | Strategic Partner to HR & L&D | Creator of The Leadership Lab

Aaron Vernon, Angela Justice, PhD and Chirag Khatiwala smiling in front of wall of white roses and Advanced Therapies USA sign.

At senior levels, the behavior that built your career is often the one that stalls it.

If decisions can't be made until you weigh in… 
If the work slows down when you're out… 
If your calendar is wall-to-wall problems other people should be solving…

That's not proof of your value.

It's evidence that you've built the ceiling you're now bumping against.

The cost of being "essential" goes deeper than most leaders realize.

You don't just slow your team's growth — you prevent it.

And from the outside? Peers, your CEO, even your own team will eventually see the truth: the system can't scale because you haven't let it.

But here's the part most leaders never say out loud:

The reason it's so hard to let go isn't about control.
It's about identity.

I wrote about the question that unlocks the shift — and what changes when leaders move from being indispensable to being strategic.

Read it here👇🏻

I'll never forget the moment a VP I was coaching — deeply respected, high-performing, indispensable — sat back and said quietly: "I'm terrified they'l

Open article: When Your Team Can't Function Without You, You're Not Leading — You're the Bottleneck by Angela Justice, PhD • 4 min read

When Your Team Can't Function Without You, You're Not Leading — You're the Bottleneck

The doll was gone by Sunday morning.

I’m spending the long weekend in Minnesota, where my neighbor has come up with the most brilliant snow gauge: a doll, a ruler, and text updates every time the snow starts piling up.

This storm was relentless.

First the doll was upright.  
Then buried to the waist.
Then just an arm.
Eventually, nothing left to see—just snow. And four deer wandering through the yard like it was any other Saturday.

Somewhere between those updates, I grabbed a shovel and cleared the driveway. Twice. 

I haven’t done that in years, but the rhythm surprised me—steady, simple, almost meditative.

And that’s when it hit me:  

This is what leadership looks like most days.  

You clear a path.  
The next storm rolls in.  
You clear it again.  

Not because it’s glamorous.  
Not because anyone’s watching or clapping.  
But because the people counting on you need a way through.  

The Sunday after Thanksgiving has always felt like a reset, and this storm drove it home:

Leaders don’t wait for perfect conditions.  
They handle what’s right in front of them.  
Then, they handle the next thing.  

Here’s to starting the week grounded.  

PS: To everyone else digging out again this morning — I’m right there with you. Yesterday’s shoveling didn’t stand a chance against this storm.

A snowy yard at dusk with a doll’s arm and an orange ruler barely visible above the snowdrift. A tree wrapped in blue holiday lights glows in the background, with silhouettes of deer near the treeline.

A view from inside a house looking out through three large windows at a freshly shoveled driveway surrounded by snow. Potted plants sit along the interior windowsill.

"I didn't leave biopharma. Biopharma left me."

She said it like she was describing a breakup she didn't see coming.

Fifteen years in.
Hard things done.
Teams that trusted her.

Then priorities shifted.
Restructuring followed.
And the path she'd built disappeared.

She hasn't stopped believing in the science.
She's just not sure there's still a place for her in it.

She's not alone.
56% of employed biopharma professionals are considering jobs outside the industry.
Among the unemployed? 81%.

Will they actually leave? Maybe not.

But the fact that they're asking "Do I still belong here?" — that's the story.

In my latest for BioSpace (thanks Angela Gabriel), I break down a different way to think about staying:

Not as a binary choice.
As a portfolio you build, rebalance, and protect over time.

Because belief in the mission doesn't protect you.
But strategic choice might.

Read it here: https://lnkd.in/e_e2agD3

Know someone wrestling with this question?
Send it their way.

Open article: Fork in the Road: What To Do When Your Biopharma Career Goes Off Track by biospace.com

Fork in the Road: What To Do When Your Biopharma Career Goes Off Track

I’m on the hunt for my next great read.

Something I can’t put down — compelling characters, beautiful writing, not too heavy.

The kind of book that makes me glad I stayed up way too late to finish it.

What’s a favorite of yours?

While I wait for your recs, here’s one of mine. Not fiction — but a game-changer if you want to tell better stories:

📘 Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

Here’s why it’s worth your time:

If you’ve ever struggled to explain what you do — in an interview, a pitch, a meeting — this book is a masterclass in clarity.

Most people start with their resume, their process, their backstory.

Meanwhile, the person listening is quietly wondering: “What’s in it for me?”

StoryBrand flips the script. It helps you craft a message that’s clear, simple — and shows how you solve the right problem for the right people.

Whether you’re:

 – job hunting and want to stand out
 – leading a team and need buy-in
 – struggling to get people to see the value in your work

This book teaches you how to make your message land — not by selling yourself, but by showing how you help.

Now. Back to fiction.
What should I read next?
Drop your recommendations in the comments.

Angela Justice, PhD, executive coach, smiling and holding up the book Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller, with the cover facing the camera.

Open roles are down 28% year over year. 
Yet 81% of employed biopharma professionals still plan to look for a new job.

This chart looks like a hiring story. 
It’s actually a leadership one.

BioSpace reports the steepest decline in live jobs in nine quarters.

Layoffs are up. Openings are scarce.

And yet 81% of employed biopharma professionals still plan to look for a new job.

That combination — less opportunity, more movement — points to something deeper than market dynamics.

It’s about trust.

When people can’t see what’s coming, they start scanning for exits.

So the leaders who’ll keep their best people right now aren’t the ones promising stability — they’re the ones being transparent about uncertainty.

📊 Data: BioSpace Q3 2025 Job Market Report

#Biopharma #Leadership #JobMarket #BioSpace #ExecutiveCoaching

BioSpace data chart showing biopharma job postings down 28% over two years. Shared with insight by Angela Justice, Justice Group Advisors.

People don't want a handout.  
They want a handhold.  

Something steady until they're ready to offer the same to someone else.  

That's the principle behind a model I built.  

It started with a single conversation.  

Someone in my network had been laid off.  
Months of searching, no traction.  

I offered a free coaching session.  

Afterward, she insisted on paying me.  
I told her no.  

But her insistence stuck with me.  

People don't want charity.  
They want to contribute - even when they can't afford much now.  

So I built a model around that.  

How it works:  

A biopharma leader in transition gets a 60-minute strategy session.  

They pay a small admin fee to protect both our time.  

Once they land their next role, they're invited to sponsor a session for someone else.  

When that sponsorship is used, I let them know.  

They see the ripple.  

It's self-renewing.  
It's dignified.  

And in a year where nearly 40,000 people have been laid off in biopharma, it feels important to keep a few spots open.  

This industry's generosity runs deep - even in the hardest times.

"People don't want a handout.  
They want a handhold. " quote with justice group advisors logo
 

Grateful to have joined Deciphera Pharmaceuticals for Career Development Day.

This year’s theme — 1% More Curious — captured something powerful: how small shifts in curiosity can open big opportunities.

Even better, it doesn’t stop there. I deeply believe that a concept this meaningful can’t live only in a workshop. 

Deciphera is taking it further — embedding curiosity into an ongoing campaign designed to keep those insights visible, practical, and alive in daily work.

That’s what real development looks like: not a single event, but a system that reinforces the behaviors that make growth possible.

#Leadership #Biopharma #LearningCulture #ExecutiveCoaching

Last week, we hosted leadership coach Angela Justice, PhD, for our annual career development day.

This year’s theme, 1% More Curious, helped our colleagues unlock new opportunities within themselves and our business by embracing curiosity in their career journeys.

At Deciphera, we are committed to the development of our employees and hold ourselves #accountable for their ongoing success. From our employee-led culture groups to learning programs and events like this one, we believe that investing in our people is just one of the things that makes #TheDecipheraDifference.

#CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth

Most biotech founders lose investors in the first five minutes.

Not because the science is weak. 
Because they're answering the wrong question.

Founders pitch scientific defensibility. 
Investors evaluate commercial execution risk.

Academia trains you for the former—while creating blind spots for the latter.

At #AdvancedTherapiesUSA, I moderated a panel on turning scientific breakthroughs into scalable ATMP businesses.

Six perspectives. One recurring question: 

When does the science become company-ready—and who decides?

What stuck:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 — 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.
Investors want to know if the business can scale—not just if the science works. Founders need to prove commercial thinking early.

"𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆" 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀. Manufacturing partnerships, quality systems, regulatory strategy—these aren't "figure it out later" problems. They shape scalability.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱.
Turning personalized therapies into scalable platforms requires infrastructure that handles complexity at volume. Most companies stall here.

𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬𝟬.
Early hires signal what your company values—and that imprint is hard to undo.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 — 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁. 
The founders who win think like a business from the beginning.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.
The biopharma community is full of people willing to share what they've learned. Conferences like this provide real connection and wisdom from those who've already navigated the build-out.

The gap between breakthrough and build-out isn't just capital. It's translating scientific rigor into commercial clarity.

Big thanks to Eric Hacherl, Lauren Martz, Susan B. Nichols, Hernando Lopez-Bertoni, 吳瓊媛 Sareina Wu, and Petter Björquist for the conversation. What did I miss? Please add below. 

And thanks to Chris Shanks and team for another stellar conference and creating space for these conversations. 

What's one thing you've learned about the gap between science and business—either by living it or watching it play out? 👇🏻

Most leaders I know don’t need another goal. They need permission to dream again.

Years ago, I came across an exercise called The List of 100 Dreams, created by career coach Caroline Ceniza-Levine.

The idea is simple: write down 100 things you want to do, learn, create, or experience in your lifetime.

Not achievements. Not goals. Just dreams.

It’s harder than it sounds. Most people stall out somewhere around #27.

That’s when the real dreaming begins — when you stop editing yourself and start writing what you actually want.

It resurfaced during a coaching conversation with a leader who’d forgotten what it felt like to dream without a deadline attached.

A few things on my own list that have since come true:
– Starting a business.
– Creating and installing an art exhibition.
– Learning to scuba dive.
– Creating a 100% handmade holiday.
– Learning to crochet.
– Perfecting the art of cabbage rolls.

Some are big. Some are small. All of them meaningfully improved my life (yes, even the cabbage rolls).

This weekend, I’m making a new list. Because the act of dreaming — of naming what you want — changes how you move through the world.

Have you ever tried it? What’s the craziest dream on your list?

You just lost the room.  

Not because your analysis was wrong.  
Because nobody knows what you just said.  

𝗖𝗘𝗢: "What's your call?"  

𝗬𝗼𝘂: "Well, there are multiple factors. Seven reasons it could work. Four risks we'd need to address. Three contingency paths. Two strategic frameworks I used to analyze..."  

Eyes glaze.  
People check phones.  
Someone gives you a look that resembles pity.  

When the stakes rise, we drown in data.  
Not because we're thorough - because we're uncertain.  
We mistake volume for confidence.  

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗶𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁.  

- Board updates that bury the decision under 12 bullet points.  
- Portfolio reviews where the critical risk is buried under six others.  
- Strategy sessions where everyone's "aligned" but no one's accountable.  

These aren't knowledge problems.  
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀.  

The people who shape outcomes aren't the experts with the most data.  
They're the ones who can distill complexity without losing the nuance.  

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀.  

Not because three is magic - but because your brain processes information differently under pressure.  

It craves clarity.  
It needs focus.  
It remembers threes.  

I wrote about how to structure any decision in three sentences, why it works, and what changes when you stop trying to say more.  

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 👇🏻

Authority isn't just about what you know. It's about how clearly you can help others act on what you know. And one of the most reliable ways to do tha

Open article: The Rule of Three: How Smart Leaders Sound Clearer, Faster by Angela Justice, PhD • 3 min read

The Rule of Three: How Smart Leaders Sound Clearer, Faster

Most leaders think trust breaks when they deliver bad news.

But the real damage happens earlier—
In the silence.
In the weeks when people sense something shifting... and no one says a word.

This article is about that moment.

🟡 Why silence feels safe to leaders—but erodes trust
🟡 What employees actually want during uncertainty
🟡 How to lead when you don’t have all the answers

If you’re leading through change, this one’s for you.

Read the full piece 👇

Two months ago, in Practical Perspectives (Issue 13), I wrote a piece called Truth or Dare — about how upside-only storytelling backfires when reality

Open article: Why Leadership Silence Erodes Trust — Even Before the Bad News Hits by Angela Justice, PhD • 3 min read

Why Leadership Silence Erodes Trust — Even Before the Bad News Hits

I stopped drinking for three months.

As an experiment.

My A1C was creeping up. I wanted to see what would change if I removed one variable.

But I know my own wiring.

So I didn't just remove something—I redesigned it.

Ten weeks in, the results surprised me.

But the bigger insight isn't about alcohol—it's about how behavior actually changes. For anyone. For leaders. For teams.

Tomorrow's newsletter breaks it all down.

Subscribe now to get it in your inbox tomorrow.
https://lnkd.in/evX8tHd8

P.S. I also share some of my favorite alcohol alternatives.

PPS:  Before you say, “Well, no surprise given your Cadbury Mini Eggs and candy corn habit…” you’re not wrong. But those are twice-a-year indulgences.🙃

Open article: The Secret to Success? Experimentation by pages.justicegroupadvisors.com

📉 October saw the lowest number of biopharma layoffs this year — just 1,677.

That’s a sharp drop from September.
But if you were one of the 1,677?

That statistic doesn’t soften the blow.

It doesn’t help you explain the gap on your resume, renegotiate your visa, or figure out how to tell your kids.

And in those first moments after a layoff, what someone says to you?
It can land like a gut punch — or a lifeline.

That’s why I wrote this:

👉 𝟱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗢𝗳𝗳 (and what to say instead)

🔗 https://lnkd.in/eJCUqpPw

💬 What’s something someone said or did that actually helped you during a layoff?

Your comment might help someone else get it right.

If you work in this industry, someone in your network has been impacted — or will be.

♻️ Reposting this might help them feel a little less alone.

Thanks to ﻿Angela Gabriel﻿ and ﻿BioSpace for continuing to track and share this data.

Bar chart showing monthly biopharma layoffs in 2025 through October. Layoffs peaked in September at 11,777 and dropped sharply in October to 1,677 — the lowest all year. Each bar represents lives and livelihoods impacted across the industry.

The question isn't "Should I stay or should I go?"  

The question is: "What am I building that will matter, regardless of where I land?"  

I've been talking to biopharma leaders who've spent 10, 15, 20 years building deep expertise.  
They still believe in the science.  
They're just not sure the industry still has room for them.  

The silence from recruiters.  
The frozen headcount.  
The mental math that loops at 3am: "How long can I sustain this?"  

Here's what the smartest people are doing:

They're not waiting for certainty. They're treating their careers like a portfolio.  

𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 - the expertise that travels with you, whether you stay in drug development or pivot to medtech, diagnostics, or digital health.  

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘀 - the cross-functional project, the complementary skill, the strategic connection that expands what's possible next.  

𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 - staying visible even when you're not actively looking. Taking the call. Showing up in spaces where opportunity surfaces before it's posted.  

𝗥𝘂𝗻𝘄𝗮𝘆 - the honest assessment of how long you can hold your current position before the clock forces a move you don't want to make.  

You can care deeply about the mission and still acknowledge the market is brutal.  

That's not weakness.  
That's strategic.  

Save this if you're thinking about what's next.

Build options, not just expertise. quote with Justice Group Advisors logo on yellow background

Ever been in a meeting where the silence says everything? 

Where the problem is glaringly obvious, but no one dares to name it? 

That’s not just awkward — it’s a defining leadership moment.

I call it the elephant moment: when tension fills the room, progress halts, and everyone’s waiting for someone to address the unspoken truth.

The best leaders don’t shy away or rush to fix it. 

They create the safety needed to confront it.

I wrote about how to recognize — and lead through — these elephant moments without losing trust or momentum.

Read it here 👇🏻

https://lnkd.in/eafmgQFm

Every team has an unspoken truth. The project that’s behind. The decision no one’s aligned on. The conflict everyone’s working around. And every meeti

Open article: Call the Elephant: The Courage to Say What Needs to Be Said by Angela Justice, PhD • 3 min read

Call the Elephant: The Courage to Say What Needs to Be Said

21 companies committed to creating 1,053 jobs.  
They delivered just 139.  
That's an 87% miss.  

This data comes from a recent report on Massachusetts life sciences tax incentives-and it raises important questions.  

Is this about the science?  
Sometimes. Trials fail. Pipelines shift. Regulatory timelines stretch.  

Is this about the market?  
Partly. Funding dried up. Demand for COVID products dropped. The landscape changed fast.  

But here’s what stands out:  
Nearly half of those companies had layoffs in the same year they were supposed to be scaling.  

Which means somewhere between the commitment and the outcome, a leadership decision point was missed.  

Maybe it was:  
- Overestimating speed to market  
- Underestimating regulatory complexity  
- Building hiring plans based on best-case pipeline scenarios  
- Failing to stress-test assumptions when early signals shifted  

Here’s the pattern:  
Boards want growth.  
Investors want scale.  
Leaders build the plan that gets funded.  

And then-when the science doesn’t cooperate or the market shifts-everyone scrambles.  

HR gets whiplash managing layoffs.  
Executives burn out trying to deliver on commitments that were optimistic from day one.  

Here’s the thing:  
Tax credits don’t build companies.  
Strategic clarity does.  

The leaders who navigate this well aren’t the ones making the loudest promises.  
They’re the ones who:  
- Ground projections in reality, not best-case scenarios  
- Reassess early when assumptions change  
- Make tough calls proactively, before they’re forced to  

This isn’t about being conservative.  
It’s about being honest about what’s knowable-and what isn’t.  

Bottom line:  
The science is hard. The market is volatile.  
But leadership determines whether you see those challenges coming-or get blindsided by them.  

Follow Angela Justice, PhD for more insights on enterprise leadership under pressure.

Content Manager (Life Sciences Careers) at BioSpace

Interesting news here regarding some of the life sciences jobs expected to be added and retained through Massachusetts tax incentives. Not all the hoped-for jobs were created or kept.
#jobmarket #massachusetts #biopharma #biospace

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹—
𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲?

That’s the mindset shift behind the Confidence Threshold.

Because most leaders I work with aren’t indecisive.
They’re just waiting to feel more certain.
But 100% confidence? It’s a myth.

🎧 This 53-second coaching clip might change how you lead.

📌 Save this and play it whenever you’re circling a decision.

Then ask yourself:
“𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱?”

#Leadership #DecisionMaking #ExecutiveCoaching #ConfidenceThreshold #HighLeverageLeadership

Three men on a podium in Qatar.  

One knows he got lucky.  
One knows he got robbed.  
One knows he earned every inch of it.  

First place: pleased.  
Second place: disappointed.  
Third place: over the moon.  

Same stage.  
Same champagne.  
Three wildly different contexts.

You know this moment.  

When the gap between what you delivered 
and what you got is visible.  

And you're the one standing there—
Expected to speak.
Expected to represent.
Expected to carry it with grace.

This is executive leadership in real time.

You deliver. 
The system costs you the win. 
And you still have to stand there—composed, visible, representing the organization that just failed you.

Or you capitalize on someone else's error. 
You didn't dominate, but you executed when it mattered. 
Professional satisfaction, not celebration—because you know how you won.

Or you exceed every expectation. 
You grab an opportunity most would have missed. 
And you let yourself feel it.

The outcome doesn't always reflect the execution. 
The visible emotion doesn't always match what happened. 
And the stakes are different for everyone in the room.

So when you're standing there—visible, evaluated, compared—

Remember: You're not running their race. 
They're not carrying your context. 
And the podium never tells the whole story.

Where are you standing right now?

-----
P.S. I never expected to love F1, but here we are. Follow me for actionable leadership advice; stay for the occasional moment when racing explains the workplace better than any business book.

#LeadershipPresence #ExecutiveLeadership #GraceUnderPressure

Max Verstappen standing on the podium in his Red Bull race suit, holding his trophy overhead with a small, steady smile against a bright screen backdrop.

Oscar Piastri on the Qatar GP podium, lifting his trophy with one hand, wearing his orange McLaren race suit and looking straight ahead with a neutral expression.

Carlos Sainz raising his trophy on the podium, smiling broadly in his white and blue Williams race suit with the red Qatar Airways backdrop behind him.

I've seen layoffs go badly.  

Not because leaders didn't care.  
Because they waited too long to tell the truth.  

Here's what happens:  

You sell the dream.  
🚀 The breakthrough  
💰 The exit  
📈 The upside  

Then the board decides.  
The runway shortens.  
And suddenly you're the one delivering the news.  

If the only story your team has heard is optimism?  
A layoff doesn't just hurt.  
It shatters credibility.  

The leaders who navigate this well don't wait for the hard moment to start being honest.  
They lead like Shackleton.  

"𝙈𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙯𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮.  
𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨, 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙙, 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧, 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡. 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨." 

He didn't sell certainty.  
He told the truth up front.  
And people followed him anyway-because they trusted him.  

That's the leadership gap I see most often:  

Leaders who can rally a team around a vision.  
But struggle to lead when the story changes.  

Clinical trial failure.  
Regulatory setback.  
Deprioritization.  
Layoffs.  

The ones who maintain trust don't sugarcoat volatility.  
They name it early. Stay present. Lead through it.  

When the hard call comes, your team doesn't feel blindsided.  
They feel prepared.  

That's not just good leadership.  
It's strategic preservation of your ability to lead the next chapter.  

P.S. The Shackleton ad is disputed-likely apocryphal. Doesn't matter. The leadership standard holds.

recreation of newspaper ad:
"Men wanted for hazardous journey.
Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful.
Honour and recognition in case of success."

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