Aileron Client Success Stories
Read our ever-evolving collection of client success stories and browse the theme below to hear testimonials from business owners who have been in your shoes.
Bridging the Leadership Gap
Doing the work of a CEO is one thing; feeling like a CEO is a whole different ballgame We hear that sentiment a lot at Aileron, especially from young leaders who are fresh in their roles. While imposter syndrome – the self-limiting belief that you’re not as capable as you are – can contribute to not feeling CEO-ready, other [ Read More ]
Creating a Smooth Transition
After years of working in the family business, Jim Smith suddenly became CEO of Keith Smith Company, America’s largest independent producer and provider of broiler hatching eggs, in the early 1990s. Looking for support and guidance in his new leadership role, Jim eagerly connected with Aileron’s founder Clay Mathile through a mutual acquaintance and began his professional management journey – [ Read More ]
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
Management consultant and author Peter Drucker is known for saying culture eats strategy for breakfast. Anyone who’s run a business can attest to the power culture has over all areas of the business. Underlying cultural struggles can make collaboration, recruitment and retention, and growth difficult or even impossible. Said differently, unless your culture is in working order, no strategy – [ Read More ]
Focusing on what Matters
Some of the greatest challenges a business owner faces can also feel like the loneliest — setting the direction for the business, navigating changes in the external environment, and preparing to leave the business to the next generation of leadership are emotionally, mentally daunting tasks. Which is why Aileron exists — to equip business owners and leaders with the [ Read More ]
Gaining Control
Growing revenue and growing the life you’ve dreamed of are common goals we hear from new founders and seasoned entrepreneurs alike. For Matt Carlton, CEO of Carlton Construction, growth was great – until it was outpacing what he could handle. In 2018, the company experienced the best revenue year in its history, having doubled revenue for two consecutive years. In [ Read More ]
Getting Clear on Strategy
Aileron sees business owners from all walks of life and all industries come through our doors. We’ve seen professional management transform $2M family-owned small businesses as well as $200M large corporations. Recently, Course for Presidents alumni and CEO of Mailchimp Ben Chestnut was featured in NPR’s How I Built This. During his conversation with Guy Raz, he shared how [ Read More ]
Getting to the Next Level
For more than 25 years, Sandie and Greg Lange have pursued their shared passions for design as the owners of Swath Design. Together, they grew a business that became a well-known and respected leader in environmental graphic design and wayfinding. When they started discussing how they might transition out of the business while preserving what they’d worked hard to [ Read More ]
Good for Business
Since its founding in 1994, Choice One Engineering has been different from other places to work. Early on, Tony Schroeder and his four co-founders prioritized creating a personable, responsive, and fun environment where people were serious about results but not taking themselves too seriously. Like many entrepreneurs, they set out to build the company they wanted to work for [ Read More ]
Growing Leadership Capabilities
In the competitive world of craft breweries, crafting exceptional beer is table stakes. In order for microbreweries to compete with larger brands and survive for the long-term, they must also build a thriving business, grow a high-performing team, and nurture an intentional culture. Wolf's Ridge Brewing, a Columbus, Ohio-based craft brewery, had the beer part down; they came to [ Read More ]
Mapping the Way Forward
Dr. Mike Hill founded The Hill Hear Better Clinic 35 years ago to improve quality of life for his patients. Armed with extensive audiology training, used equipment, and $6,000 in savings, Hill knew a lot about providing excellent patient care, but running a business wasn’t part of his formal training. “Caring for patients was my main priority, but I [ Read More ]
The Second Generation
Eric Wiechart, President Chairman of the family-owned All Service Glass company in Lima, Ohio, became part of the Aileron community almost 10 years ago when he attended Course for Presidents. At the end of the session, he took the opportunity to ask Aileron Founder Clay Mathile a question — and Clay’s response, he said, shook him to the core. [ Read More ]