Insights

Notes from inside the operation.

Straight talk on running an owner-led business: leadership, people, scaling, and the long game of handing it down. Written by Tim Schaefer.

Written by

Tim Schaefer

Founder of Encore Consultants. These notes come straight from decades inside owner-led businesses and agriculture, written the way Tim talks: plain, honest, and useful by Monday morning.

Rethinking Sweat Equity

Why banking on family members working below market wages is a shaky way to build ownership, and what to track and pay instead.

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Of Old Dogs and Old Friends

A Thanksgiving reflection on old dogs, old friends, and the quiet loyalty that shapes a good life.

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Getting Ready for Next Season

A structured winter debrief turns last season's frustrations into next season's fixes: three questions, the whole key team in the room, and an owner named for every change.

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