Author of People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture & Data: Harness Your Numbers to Go From Uncertain to Unstoppable | Visionary and CEO at EOS Worldwide

Today I'm Visionary at EOS Worldwide. But full transparency: 

I've failed more than I've succeeded.

After starting my entrepreneurial journey at 29, I built and sold 9 companies for 7 figures, made the Inc. 5000 thirteen times, and earned Inc's Honor Roll. 

I also started businesses that completely tanked (landscaping, furniture, boot camps, HVAC, and yes, a 660-acre ranch in Wyoming).

The failures taught me more than the wins.

In one of my "successful" companies, we hit pure chaos:

- Nobody agreed where we were going
- Everyone stepped on everyone else
- We fought fires daily instead of building
- We'd set goals then ignore them
- We hit a ceiling and stayed stuck

I knew there had to be a better way to run a business.

That search led me here: 

Helping leadership teams implement EOS to get control of their business and their lives.

We strengthen 6 key components: 

Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction. 

Most companies run at 20-40% strength. 

We get them to 80%+ so entrepreneurs can have what they really want: freedom of time, money, relationships, and purpose.

Ready to get what you want from your business? Start here: https://bit.ly/47a5Nfj

Built a business and want to help others? Consider becoming an EOS Implementer: https://bit.ly/49kWB99

Mark O'Donnell

Great teams solve 5-10 issues per meeting.

Weak ones waste two hours and solve one.

So many teams will sit in the same room week after week,
Discuss the same issues,
But end up resolving nothing.

That's because talking about problems isn't the same as solving them.

In Traction, we discuss the 10 Commandments of Solving Issues.

Functional filters that healthy teams use to make decisions and move forward:

1️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Rule by Consensus
↳ Trying to please everyone makes progress hard.
↳ Make space for discussion, but appoint an owner to decide.

2️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Be a Weenie
↳ Avoiding tough decisions creates confusion.
↳ Say what needs to be said. It's better to be clear than liked.

3️⃣ Thou Shalt Be Decisive
↳ Indecision is a decision. And usually a bad one.
↳ Use what you know now. Make the best call you can, and adjust if needed.

4️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Rely on Secondhand Information
↳ Hearing something third-hand leads to bad choices.
↳ Go to the source. Always check facts before solving the wrong problem.

5️⃣ Thou Shalt Fight for the Greater Good
↳ Solve for what's best for the company, not egos.
↳ When in doubt, ask: what helps the business most right now?

6️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Try to Solve Them All
↳ Not every issue needs fixing now.
↳ Pick your top priorities. Work through the real ones, let the rest wait.

7️⃣ Thou Shalt Live with It, End It, or Change It
↳ You have 3 choices. Staying stuck isn't one of them.
↳ Accept it, fix it, or move on. Stalling helps no one.

8️⃣ Thou Shalt Choose Short-Term Pain and Suffering
↳ Avoiding discomfort only makes it worse.
↳ Have the hard talk. Deal with it now to avoid bigger pain later.

9️⃣ Thou Shalt Enter the Danger
↳ The real issue is usually the one no one wants to say.
↳ Name the elephant in the room. Be brave enough to say what others won't.

🔟 Thou Shalt Take a Shot
↳ No one knows everything. That's not the point.
↳ Trust your gut. Use what you know. Action beats perfection every time.

If your team is stuck rehashing the same issues,
It's not because the issues are too complex.

You're likely just not following a clear process to solve them.

These 10 Commandments are just one piece of the Issues Component in EOS.
The full breakdown is in Traction.

📌 Grab a copy here https://bit.ly/490hqqy

Do you need to revisit any one of these with your team?

♻️ Share this if you know a leader frustrated by unproductive meetings.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on systems-based leadership.

Simple systems for stronger businesses and freer lives | Visionary and CEO at EOS Worldwide | Author of People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture & Data​: Harness Your Numbers to Go From Uncertain to Unstoppable

 10 Commandments of Solving Issues

I believed every single one of these when I started.

Until EOS showed me what really works:

"Why does success feel this hard?" 

That's the question I kept asking myself early in my entrepreneurial journey.

We were winning by every outside measure, but I was exhausted.
My team was confused. And every new level of growth brought more chaos.

Turns out, I'd been believing 9 myths that made everything harder than it should be.

Discovering EOS completely reframed my understanding of a healthy business:

❌ "More hours = more success"
✅ More structure = more success 

Systems multiply your impact, and free you from the work you think only you can do.

❌ "Vision will take care of itself"
✅ Vision only works when it’s shared

Vision has to be documented and shared constantly so everyone is working towards the same goal.

❌ "I have to do everything myself"
✅ Right people, right seats = freedom

When people own outcomes instead of tasks, they solve problems you'll never even see.

❌ “Meetings are a waste of time”
✅ Effective meetings create alignment

90 minutes a week in a Level 10 Meeting builds more alignment than 10 hours of status updates.

❌ “We can grow through chaos”
✅ You can’t scale what isn’t organized

Predictable systems give you the confidence to grow without breaking everything you built.

❌ “Accountability means micromanagement”
✅ Accountability creates ownership

Scorecards turn guesswork into data. When people measure their own numbers, they manage their own performance.

❌ “Hiring fast solves problems”
✅ Hiring right solves problems

The People Analyzer keeps you honest about fit. Slow down the hire, speed up the results.

❌ “Every issue needs my input”
✅ Leaders solve root causes, not every symptom

Stop being the bottleneck. IDS trains your team to solve issues without waiting for you.

❌ “Traction happens by chance”
✅ Traction happens by design

Rocks turn 90 days into progress you can measure. Traction is the outcome of doing the right things consistently.

Structure doesn't slow you down.
In fact, it's the only thing that lets you speed up.

If you're stuck believing any of these, EOS can help. 

See if it's right for you: https://bit.ly/3X7GIeV

♻️ Share to help bust these common myths.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on EOS & systems-based leadership.

9 Myths Entrepreneurs Believe

If it feels like your business is fighting back, it’s not just you.

The problem is one of five predictable frustrations:

If you're an entrepreneur, you've probably hit all five at some point.

I know I did.

After starting nine companies, selling a few, and watching a couple tank,
I started seeing a pattern.

Now, after two decades of helping leadership teams run EOS,
The frustrations come up everywhere.

But these aren't random. They point to something specific.

Something you can fix:

1. Lack of Control
↳ Your business is running you.
↳ You're buried in decisions and can't find time to think.

✅ EOS Fix: Get your vision onto paper. Build structure and be driven by purpose.

2. People Problems
↳ Your team isn't listening or following through.
↳ Deadlines are slipping and there's no ownership.

✅ EOS Fix: Create and assign clear roles. When everyone knows what they're responsible for and they share your core values, things start to click.

3. Not Enough Profit
↳ You're working hard, but the margin isn't there.
↳ Growth costs more than it gives back. Revenue doesn't equal reality.

✅ EOS Fix: Focus on the vital few. Track the right numbers. Simplify your business so you can actually grow it.

4. Hitting the Ceiling
↳ You're always busy, but not growing.
↳ Every new idea dies in execution.

✅ EOS Fix: Delegate. Build systems. Think in 90-day priorities that compound over time.

5. Nothing's Working
↳ You've tried books, consultants, programs... but nothing sticks.
↳ You've lost belief that change is even possible.

✅ EOS Fix: Stop chasing quick fixes. Start running an operating system that aligns your people, process and purpose.

Every entrepreneur comes across these five frustrations eventually.

The question isn't whether you'll face them.

It's whether you'll stay stuck or systemize your way through.

Ready to get what you want from your business?

Let's figure out where you are and where you're going:
https://bit.ly/3X7GIeV

What's one frustration you're in right now?

♻️ Share this to help another entrepreneur out of these problems.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on building systems-based businesses.

Temperature Mapping Got You Stressed? | Let me help | Follow for Temp Mapping & Validation Insights ✨

What if I told you temperature mapping isn’t really about temperature?

It’s about protecting lives, ensuring compliance, and preserving trust.

While temperature is the data you’re measuring, the true goal lies beyond the numbers. It’s about safeguarding product integrity, ensuring patient safety, and upholding your organization’s reputation. Temperature mapping isn’t just a technical requirement—it’s a critical step in delivering life-saving products to those who need them most.

For over 24 years, I’ve helped life sciences companies elevate their validation processes—not just meeting global regulations but exceeding them. As a recognized thought leader in temperature mapping and equipment qualification, I’ve shaped industry standards, contributed to ISPE guidelines, and trained professionals worldwide.

Some highlights of my work include:
✅ Helping 100+ pharmaceutical and biotech companies achieve FDA & EU GMP compliance.
✅ Optimizing validation strategies to reduce timelines by up to 30% without compromising quality.
✅ Authoring industry-leading content and best practice guides.
✅ Educating and empowering professionals through training, articles, and thought leadership in validation, calibration, and compliance.

📈 With over 18K LinkedIn followers, I’m also an ISPE Good Practice Guide co-author and the author of Six Steps to Effective Temperature Mapping. My thought leadership has driven business wins, secured global speaking engagements, and positioned me as a trusted expert in the field.

So why isn’t temperature mapping about temperature? Because it’s about something far greater—the lives you’re protecting, the products you’re preserving, and the trust you’re building every step of the way.

Let’s connect to explore how we can take your validation process beyond compliance to deliver real impact.

🔍 #CQV | #Validation | #Qualification | #ISPE | #Entrepreneurship | #ContentCreation | #TemperatureMapping | #QualityAssurance | #LifeSciences | #ColdChain | #GMPCompliance

Nathan Roman 📈

Had a great week collaborating with my colleagues from Denmark, Switzerland and UK/Ireland! 

→ Strategy. 
→ Campaign planning. 
→ And... just a little bit of fun. 

When we align on what truly matters, share insights with openness, and stay committed to creating value, we build more than results - we build traction. Whether in business or life, clarity and connection turn vision into momentum. ☺️ 

Excited about the opportunities we are mapping for Ellab and the journey ahead!

#Ellabers #Strategy #Growth #Validation #Innovation

I help life science leaders reduce risk and increase confidence through proven CQV, calibration & asset management strategies - turning compliance headaches into operational wins with Ellab’s end-to-end solutions.

Quality and business performance are inseparable.

When a company faces an FDA inspection or a major audit,
it’s not just a test of systems -

it’s a test of trust.

And the people watching most closely aren’t always regulators or investors.
→ They’re your customers.
→ They’re your employees.

Recently, a vaccine manufacturer confronted serious FDA findings -
right in the middle of a pending acquisition.

Yet operations continued.
Customers stayed loyal.
Employees stayed focused.

Why?

Because leadership didn’t hide.
They stepped into the spotlight - owned the issue, communicated clearly, and moved fast to correct it.

That’s the real story:

Regulatory resilience isn’t built during a crisis.
It’s built every day before one.

It’s built every time your team:
✅ Updates documentation before an audit notice arrives.
✅ Treats CAPA as a process for learning, not blame.
✅ Communicates openly - inside and outside the company - when something needs fixing.

These daily habits build trust.
They protect not just your license to operate -
but your license to lead.

Because when confidence is shaken,
it’s not the process that saves you - it’s the people who believe in it.

I help life-sciences teams gain confidence and control in validation, calibration, and temperature mapping through clear, practical guidance that removes confusion, reduces risk, and strengthens quality outcomes.

Calibration & Validation — What's the Difference?

If you're working in — or breaking into — biotech, pharma, or lab operations, you'll hear these terms constantly. And they're not interchangeable.

✔️ Validation shows that a process or system consistently performs as intended.
✔️ Calibration ensures an instrument is accurate compared to a reference standard.

I wrote an article that breaks both concepts down in simple terms — when they're needed, how they're performed, and why they matter for quality and patient safety.

👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eM6TiGeB

The table below gives you a side-by-side comparison to make the distinctions even clearer.

P.S. Does this structure make the distinctions clearer for your team or clients?

Nathan Roman: Validation & Calibration

My biggest lesson from the last 20+ years in validation?
We can’t keep using yesterday’s methods for tomorrow’s problems.

(Especially when the industry is becoming more digital by the day.)

Next month, I’m co-hosting an ISPE webinar with Michelle Vuolo and Tatiana Illgen called: 

"Unlocking Innovation: Embracing Validation 4.0 for a Digital Pharma Future"
 
And if your team is feeling the pressure to move faster while staying compliant - this one matters.

Because Validation 4.0 isn’t an upgrade. It’s a paradigm shift.

It moves us from:
❌ Fixed, static validation runs
❌ Paper-heavy documentation
❌ One-time “prove it once” thinking
❌ Slow evidence generation that delays release

To a model built for a digital pharma future:
✅ Real-time, data-driven evidence
✅ Scalable digital systems
✅ Continuous learning and improvement
✅ Stronger, leaner verification of control

And the best part?
It doesn’t replace fundamentals - it builds on them:
• Quality by Design
• Quality Risk Management
• Knowledge Management

We’ll walk through how this shift helps teams avoid bottlenecks, accelerate timelines, and maintain verifiable control in an increasingly digital environment.

What you’ll learn:
✔️ How Validation 4.0 removes traditional validation bottlenecks
✔️ How digital, real-time evidence speeds product release
✔️ 1–2 case studies showing this approach in practice
✔️ Why modern data systems are essential for GxP integrity
✔️ How to prepare your operations for this shift today

If your site, team, or projects still feel “stuck” in older validation ways - this is a good place to start fresh.

Register here: https://lnkd.in/eX9ZfSDf

👉 If you want to see more posts on CQV, temperature mapping, and validation strategy, be sure to follow me, Nathan Roman 📈.

#Validation40 #CQV #LifeSciences #AI #DataIntegrity #GxPCompliance #DigitalTransformation #ISPE

Every day there are professionals out there looking for clear, practical guidance.

❌ Not theory
❌ Not vague advice

But steps they can use on the job — today.

And here’s what often gets overlooked:

I don’t just talk about temperature mapping.

I talk about how work really moves across a GMP lifecycle — from concept → design → commissioning → qualification → monitoring → continuous compliance.

I speak across the entire compliance lifecycle:

→ Regulatory standards
→ Industry guides
→ Risk management
→ Process design
→ Validation strategy
→ CQV
→ Commissioning
→ IQ/OQ/PQ
→ Monitoring
→ Data integrity
→ Documentation

These are the areas teams wrestle with every day — and they deserve straightforward support, not complicated answers.

This new 9-step ULT freezer mapping guide is just one example of that commitment.

It’s for the people who want to work correctly, confidently, and without guesswork.

If you want the guide, be sure to click here: https://lnkd.in/drxZUuSs

🎯 Streamline your Next Validation or Qualification Project

Every successful ULT freezer qualification starts with a clear, structured process - one that saves time, reduces risk, and ensures compliance every step of the way.

At Ellab, we combine global expertise with local support to help life science companies navigate qualification and validation efficiently and confidently.

Our 9-Step Guide breaks down the full process from preparation to final reporting, helping you:
✅ Strengthen data integrity and audit readiness
✅ Reduce downtime and complexity
✅ Gain consistency across sites and teams

📘 Download the full guide and see how to optimize your validation and qualification projects here: https://lnkd.in/drxZUuSs

If you have doubts, ask the author Nathan Roman 📈 directly in the comments!

A 9-Step Guide to Temperature Mapping an Ultra-Low Freezer

Last night, I had the privilege of leading a remote session with professionals at Ellab Academy Singapore.

Participants didn't just attend - they got the chance to really take a look into temperature mapping and CQV fundamentals:

→ From foundational strategy → to flawless execution.

A big thank you to Nerissa Low, Nevil Ng, Roger Sanson and Bhavesh Panchal for the invitation and for including me in such a meaningful, global program. 🙏

It's truly inspiring to connect with professionals who share the same crucial mission:

- Improving quality
- Ensuring compliance
- Elevating patient safety

Even from across the globe, the curiosity, engagement, and unwavering commitment to doing things the right way was encouraging. That’s the power of Ellab Academy!

In this session, we focused on connecting principles with practice and building true confidence in data and systems.

We covered key topics that directly impact data integrity and successful validation:

✅ Determining sensor locations & numbers
✅ The role of mapping inside the CQV lifecycle
✅ Common mistakes that compromise data integrity
✅ How documentation turns data into defensible proof

P.S. 👇 If your team is planning an equipment qualification or a temperature mapping study and needs expert guidance on:

→ Protocol design
→ Sensor strategy
→ Execution support
→ Compliance documentation

Let’s talk!

👉 Send me a DM or book a short call - I’d be happy to help you plan your next successful study.

#Ellab #TemperatureMapping #CQV #Validation #Compliance #EllabAcademy #LifeSciences #Pharma

📸 Here’s a glimpse from the session in Singapore. If you missed this one, stay tuned for future Ellab Academy events around the world!

Happy Thanksgiving, LinkedIn Fam 🦃

Just waiting for the other family to show up.

In our house, we still have the adult table…
…and the “kids” table.

Except the kids are now 16, 17, and 18.
Time really does move fast.

Are you sitting at the adult table or the “kids” table this year? 😂 

Grateful today.
Grateful always.

Enjoy the day, however you’re celebrating.

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Most companies don’t need another validation vendor.

They need a better outcome from the work they already pay for.

Here’s the question I always ask:

“If nothing changed with your current vendor, what would the next 12 months look like?”

If the answer is delays, rework, or qualification anxiety…

You don’t have a vendor problem. You have a system problem.

My solution:

The Vendor Upgrade Framework:
	1.	Identify friction
	2.	Map risk
	3.	Replace weak processes
	4.	Standardize documentation
	5.	Deliver predictable outcomes

This isn’t about switching vendors.
It’s about switching to predictability.

Want your validation done right the first time? I’m the easiest upgrade you’ll make this year—and the one that sets you up for a winning year ahead. 

Let’s work together! ✌️

Stop treating Commissioning and Qualification as separate hurdles.

Embrace an integrated C&Q process from day one.

A single, risk-based verification plan saves time, reduces cost, and accelerates your speed-to-market. It's that simple.

Legacy thinking keeps them apart. Modern practice brings them together. For detailed guidance, refer to the ISPE Baseline® Guide: Volume 5 – Commissioning and Qualification (Second Edition).

#CQV #Validation #Commissioning #ISPE #Ellab #Lean #Efficiency #ProjectManagement

They say you can't succeed alone, and these past couple of years proved it. 

These guys are the definition of 'all in.' 

They embody the energy, the strategy, and the heart brought to every single challenge we tackled.

I’ve been lucky to have partners who support me and who bring that unmatched 'Rod Tidwell' energy—pure loyalty and heart.

Help me help you... celebrate these guys! 🙌

Thank you for helping me accomplish so much. Here’s to your continued success—you guys deserve it all.

🎥: Gordie Tamayo and Joe Wilde

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You don’t find the right team. 
You build it.

(And that changes everything about how you lead.)

Everyone talks about finding the “right people.”

The truth?

Leadership shapes the team into being right.

In honor of our vets this week, I’d like to share a story Mark O'Donnell once wrote on leadership and team performance.

https://lnkd.in/e_GxeGui

He said something that stuck with me: “There are no bad teams, only bad leaders.”

In the story, he shared how a struggling Navy SEAL team turned things around the moment their leader changed.

Same people. Different outcome.

It wasn’t talent that made the difference — it was leadership.

Mark also shared an example close to home: my own journey leading validation teams over the years.

He talked about how belief, humility, and teamwork built a high-performing group that’s stayed together for years and outperformed by 20% margin.

It’s wasn’t luck.
It’s not credentials.
It’s leadership — the kind that inspires, enables, and stays connected.

When leaders take full responsibility for outcomes, something powerful happens:

• Trust grows
• Performance rises
• Potential turns into proof

There are no bad teams — only leaders who haven’t found their rhythm yet.

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e_GxeGui

If you’re leading a CQV, validation, or compliance project and need a partner who brings both leadership and technical depth — I can help.

Send me a DM or book a quick call to learn how I can help.

Who owns your state of control - and do they know it? 💡

Part 5 of our 'Temperature Matters' series reveals how to build and sustain a culture of thermal compliance. Empower your teams with targeted training and reinforce ownership across operations, QA, and facilities.

📖 Read now: Temperature Matters | Building a Culture of Control

Welcome to the final edition of Temperature Matters, closing our five-part series on the foundations of thermal compliance. Across the past four editi

Open article: Part 5: Building a Culture of Control by Nathan Roman 📈 • 9 min read

What if the risks you're managing during qualification are already too late? 

Part 4 of our 'Temperature Matters' series explores integrating QRM into every phase of mapping and qualification. Discover how ICH Q9 principles and performance data drive lean, robust strategies. 😁👍 

📖 Read now: Temperature Matters | The Role of Risk Management

Welcome to the latest edition of Temperature Matters, part four of our five-part series on the foundations of thermal compliance. Last time, we explor

Open article: Part 4: The Role of Risk Management by Nathan Roman 📈 • 9 min read

Most CQV delays aren’t technical failures.
They’re scheduling failures.

I’ve seen $2M+ projects sit idle because no one planned for CQV upfront.

Here’s what gets missed…

→ Document generation and review cycles
→ Execution windows and resource availability
→ Final report approvals

The 3 mistakes that kill timelines:

1. Late involvement

▪️Validation gets looped in after equipment is ordered.
▪️Now you’re retrofitting requirements instead of building them in.

2. No clear definition of “done”

▪️When is equipment qualified? When is the area validated? When can production start?
▪️Without defined acceptance criteria, you’ll debate this at the finish line.

3. Incomplete turnover packages

▪️Engineering hands off equipment without:
→ Calibration records
→ As-built drawings
→ Vendor documentation
▪️Now validation is chasing paperwork instead of executing.

The fix: CQV isn’t a phase at the end.

It’s a workstream that runs parallel to your entire project.

→ Budget for it. 
→ Schedule for it. 
→ Staff for it.

If you’re making these mistakes right now, you’ve got two choices:

1️⃣ Keep hoping the next project goes better (it won’t).
2️⃣ Or bring in someone who’s done this 1,000+ times.

I help pharma and biotech companies:

→ Build CQV into project plans from day one
→ Define turnover criteria that eliminate finish-line chaos
→ Execute qualification strategies that pass audits without drama

The companies I work with don’t scramble at the end.

They don’t delay production starts.

They don’t get audit findings on qualification gaps.

DM me “PROJECT” and I’ll show you exactly where the landmines are in your timeline. 👍🏻

Quality isn’t supposed to clean up everyone else’s problems.

Yet that’s exactly what happens.

If QA is discovering the issues, the process already failed.

Quality shouldn’t be the first to find the problem.

They should be the last.

Good systems make QA a confirmation step — not a rescue operation.

When QA is constantly firefighting, you don’t have a quality problem.

You have a process problem.

P.S. Does QA at your site spend more time preventing or reacting?

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The Battle

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Engagements

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