Why I Do This Work

I didn’t start out in operations. I have a PhD in neuroscience from Yale, and spent time consulting at McKinsey before buying a small urn wholesale business. I evaluated numerous companies before choosing the one I purchased, assessing potential risks and forecasting financial outcomes with NPV models to make the right call.

What I walked into was... messy. The warehouse was an unintuitive maze. Orders were tracked by where a piece of paper physically sat in the office. Supplies were bought through regular in-person store visits. Nearly every task was manual and time-consuming — from keeping tabs on orders by hand to transporting urns for engraving in person.

So I rebuilt it.

I created a two-tiered warehouse system: one for easily accessible, pre-quality-checked products organized by SKU, and another for deep storage. I built a digital status code tracking system to show exactly where every order stood in the workflow at a glance. Within two weeks of buying the business, I transitioned accounting from outdated software to QuickBooks, which allowed for remote work and streamlined reporting.

I redesigned the staffing structure too — splitting roles into office and warehouse functions, and hiring multiple part-time team members to ensure flexibility and coverage. Today, I work on new products and high-level strategy. I don’t answer phones or pack boxes. And I know that kind of transformation is possible for other business owners, too.

I do this work because I know how isolating and exhausting it is to run a business without strong systems. I’ve lived the version where you’re doing everything yourself, and I’ve lived the relief of stepping back because the business finally runs without you. Helping other founders build that kind of freedom is some of the most meaningful and satisfying work I know.