Threaded Solutions

06/13/2025

Minnesota service business owners: Our June short-range planning data infographic shows a stable month for vehicles, fuel, and financing costs. It also highlights the volatility of weather forecasts. The monthly forecast indicated average precipitation, but the last 24 hours and 10 day forecast suggest outdoor service planning will be a challenge for the rest of June.

It would be a privilege to help you and your team build processes, tools, and financial visibility to adapt quickly when your plans go awry. They will, but it doesn't always need to fall on you to pick up the pieces.

Have a great start to Summer and rest of June!

06/06/2025

Are you training or teaching your team?

As we head into the weekend, I will once again be doing something I love outside of work: coaching youth recreational sports. One of the best parts is seeing the pride and confidence a player finds in themselves when they succeed at a skill or situation that was once challenging.

I’ve observed that this happens MUCH more frequently when I ask players questions about the challenge they are facing and encourage them to explore and try solutions. Batting practice this week was no different. One of my players was crushing pitches over the middle and outside of the plate, but couldn’t connect with anything inside. I paused the round and we had an exchange where I ONLY asked him questions. I didn’t provide any solutions.

We restarted and I threw him a series of inside pitches only. He fouled off the second one. I reinforced that he was approaching it the right way and would find success. Then—WHACK. He crushed it to the back corner of the cage. No words needed. His wry smile said it all: ‘I’ve got this.’ The absolute best!

I could have “trained” him by telling him the specific adjustment to make. It would have been faster. However, we’d be doing it again the next time something was difficult in the batter’s box. I would have prevented him from gaining the confidence from finding the solution and the tools to solve the next challenge.

What “inside pitches” is your team facing? How can you help them find the solution while growing their confidence and skills to adjust to the next challenging pitch?

04/16/2025

Minnesota small service business owners: We're updating our monthly data summaries for items that that impact your cash flow into two parts: short-term and long-term factors. This will give you more data to make decisions in a timeline manner.

Observations from the items that may impact you this month:
- Weather in April is still showing "typical" precipitation and temperatures, so keep booking those outdoor services
- Fuel prices are up ~$0.10-$0.20 per gallon now - watch your margins
- National fuel price forecasts expect some relief as we move through Q2
- New & used vehicle prices are up slightly and tariffs will drive volatility. If you need a car/truck and get a good price, don't hesitate.

We'll share longer-term data later in the month. Keep building a stronger business! We'd be honored to help you along the way.

11/12/2024

Everything about this is wonderful. Generational impact to a family, town, and preservation of quality goods. They passed down a craft and so much more. Please spend a few minutes of your time to get a glimpse of this small business that thrives not due to location or technology, but on the strength of its family, expertise, and care. A good business indeed.

Despite the lack of a website, Weaver's Leather Store has customers coming from near and far.

09/26/2024

“But the day that had started crooked insisted on going crooked, like a cross-threaded screw.”
- from Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

This line jumped off the page to me as I recently read the 1987 novel. It perfectly encapsulates so many days for a business owner. You have plans. You know what to do. You dive in. Now nothing is going as you’d hoped.

If this sounds familiar, I’d appreciate the opportunity to meet you, learn more about your vision, and share how I can help you maintain consistent momentum toward a more scalable, resilient, and calm business. I can help you complete key tasks that keep getting delayed, including:

🔧 Process improvement
⚙️ Automation & AI
💻 Tech selection & implementation
📈 Financial forecasts & analysis
⚖️ Prioritization & incentives

Message me or schedule a no cost intro via our website if you like to explore a partnership. It would be a privilege to help you build the business you envision.

Side Note: Crossing to Safety is a fiction novel about life, goals, and relationships. Don’t pick it up and expect a business book. The Libby App is an amazing (and underutilized) resource that allows you to access endless books, ebooks, and audiobooks with your library card - for free! Check it out.

08/19/2024

My kids: Why do you have so many tools in your tackle box? Aren’t we just fishing? 🎣

Me: “I have these to make sure we get to go fishing.”

This is my late grandfather’s tackle box that I was fortunate to inherit. It is filled with more than just fishing gear—it's ~50% packed with the tools that kept us afloat and moving forward, literally. In fact, I had to use it to make an electrical repair on the lake just a few weeks ago!

In business, just like on the water, your day doesn’t always go as you planned it. Having the right resources and knowledge can make all the difference when navigating these situations.

Think of some extra items you might carry along the way–each one a vital part of ensuring you can keep going, no matter what comes your way:
💰 cash reserves
☔ insurance
🤔 experts on call
⚖️ Service capacity
🔀 Contingency procedures/plans
🔍 Audits or mistake proofing

Let’s talk about how we can prepare your business for the unexpected so you can focus on doing what you love. Schedule a free intro consultation or drop me a message to explore how you can delegate building a more resilient business. 📅

07/31/2024

Yes, we really start projects from text messages! We want business owners to send ideas when & where inspiration (or issues) happen.

Recent text-to-project wins:
📈 Integrating a tuck-in acquisition
✍️ Crafting new sales collateral
⚙️ Automating client outreach
🔍 Tackling insurance audits

How is this possible? Trust + speed = results. We achieve this level of effectiveness through steady collaboration to improve your business.

Ready to turn your texts into business wins? Schedule an intro via our website or message us today.

04/11/2024

I caught a glimpse of the end of the rainbow on my walk last evening. It reminded me of a recent client conversation about building toward the business you want to own.

It’s okay if it feels far off in the distance and you can barely see it. Define it enough so it’s visible on the horizon, then take steps in that general direction. I’d appreciate the opportunity to learn about your vision and help you along the way.

12/22/2023

It’s easy to be pulled into the funhouse this time of year

-Neighbor says “off until Jan 3”
[+1 distorting mirror]
-Holiday cards arrive showing extravagant trips & lifestyles
[+40 distorting mirrors]
-“Crushed it this year” in your social media feeds
[+1K distorting mirrors]

You get the idea.

Let someone into this reality for you & acknowledge your wins (there were some) & the challenges of the “funhouse”. It helps you be kind to yourself & allows others to be kind to you too. Running a business is hard & results are ALWAYS mixed.

Keep going!

08/30/2023

05/04/2023

It's . It really is simple to help your favorite small businesses. Take a few minutes this week to show them your support.

08/03/2021

So, this is how I’ve been getting around the last few weeks thanks to a stress fracture in my hip (surprise, business issues can be physical too)! There are many parallels to being a business owner:

-Adapt to get where you want to go
-Rely on the strength you’ve built
-Learn to ask for help without shame
-Find the tools that work for your situation
-Rest and recover if you want momentum
-You’ll still fall on your face sometimes!

Thank you to my family and customers for your compassion & adaptability! Reach out if you need some extra support to get your or where you want it to go. I’ll keep leaning on my crutches to get where I want to go this month while growing Threaded Solutions.