Corefour Advisors | ScalingUp Implementation

Sound Familiar?

A Day in the Life Without an Operating System

7:15 AM

Ops Manager, via text

Hey, what should the team focus on this week? The project board is a mess and everyone's asking me.

There's no weekly plan because there's no quarterly plan. You make something up in the parking lot.

8:45 AM

Sales Lead, walks into your office

Can we offer a 10% discount to close the Meridian deal? They're comparing us to a competitor and I don't want to lose it.

There's no pricing framework. No margin floor. Every deal is a one-off negotiation that lands on your desk.

10:00 AM

Marketing Manager, Slack message

Can you approve $8K for a booth at the industry conference next month? Registration closes Friday.

No annual budget. No marketing plan tied to revenue. You have no idea if the last conference generated a single lead.

11:30 AM

Your best project manager, closed door

I need to talk about my comp. I've been here three years and I haven't seen a raise. I've got another offer.

No comp bands. No review cycle. No career path. You're about to lose someone you can't replace — and you'll say yes to whatever number keeps them.

1:00 PM

Controller, email with attachment

Here are last month's financials. A few things look off but I'm not sure what happened with that project. Can we talk later?

The P&L is 3 weeks late. Cash feels tight but you can't pinpoint why. Nobody owns the numbers because nobody agreed on what to measure.

3:00 PM

Leadership meeting (the second one today)

So... are we still doing that new service line? I thought we decided to wait. Mike's team already started building it.

Nobody can remember what was decided last quarter because it was never written down. Priorities shift based on who talked to you last.

5:30 PM

Your spouse, via text

Are you coming home for dinner or should I just go ahead?

You haven't worked "on" the business in weeks. You spent the whole day being everyone else's operating system.

None of this means you're doing it wrong. It means you've outgrown doing it alone. Your business is ready for an operating system.

Who This Is For

Same Operating System. Very Different Starting Points.

Growth-stage owners and post-acquisition teams face different pressures — but the discipline they need is identical.

Owners Scaling for Growth or Exit

You've built a good business, but it still depends on you. Systems are informal, growth has plateaued, and you're wearing too many hats to scale.

Stuck at a revenue ceiling — can't break through without systems
Key decisions bottleneck through the owner
No consistent meeting rhythm, KPIs, or quarterly priorities
Preparing for a sale but the business isn't "buyer-ready"

Post-Acquisition Teams

New ownership needs operating discipline fast. The management team needs alignment, accountability structures, and a shared playbook — not trial and error.

New sponsor or owner needs an operating rhythm installed quickly
Management team needs alignment on strategy and priorities
No time for trial and error — 100-day plan demands results
Need to professionalize reporting, cadence, and accountability

The Methodology

What Is ScalingUp?

ScalingUp is the operating methodology built on Verne Harnish's Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0). It gives leadership teams a shared language, a set of tools, and a rhythm of accountability across the four decisions that drive every business.

It's not theory. It's not a workshop you attend and forget. It's a structured operating system that installs the habits, rhythms, and accountability structures that high-growth companies run on every day.

80K+

Companies worldwide

20+

Years proven

Core decisions

Certified Coach

We don't just teach the framework — we implement it alongside your team as certified ScalingUp coaches.

The Framework

Four Decisions That Drive Every Business

Every company must master four fundamental areas. ScalingUp gives each one a framework, a set of tools, and a rhythm of accountability.

People

Right people, right seats, aligned on values and purpose.

Core values definition and hiring alignment
Accountability chart — who owns what
A-Player assessment and talent gaps
Leadership depth beyond the founder

Strategy

Core customer, brand promise, and competitive moats — on one page.

One-Page Strategic Plan (OPSP)
Core customer and brand promise clarity
3-5 year big hairy audacious goal and annual priorities
Competitive differentiation strategy

Execution

Meeting rhythm, KPI accountability, and quarterly priorities that drive results.

Daily huddles, weekly meetings, monthly reviews
Quarterly priorities with clear ownership
KPI scorecards at every level
Cross-functional alignment on priorities

Cash

Cash conversion cycle, financial visibility, and working capital discipline.

Cash conversion cycle optimization
Profit-per-X and unit economics clarity
Financial reporting and visibility
Working capital as competitive advantage

Engagement Options

Two Ways to Start

Whether you need a strategic sprint or ongoing operating system installation, we meet you where you are.

Sprint

ScalingUp Workshop

A 1-2 day intensive with your leadership team. We facilitate the core ScalingUp tools — OPSP, core values, quarterly priorities, and meeting rhythm — so your team leaves aligned and ready to execute.

One-Page Strategic Plan (OPSP) build-out
Core values and core customer definition
Quarterly priority setting and accountability mapping
Meeting rhythm design and KPI framework
1-day or 2-day format based on team size and needs

Ideal for annual resets, new leadership teams, or companies exploring ScalingUp for the first time.

Book a Workshop

Ongoing

Full Implementation Coaching

A sustained engagement that installs ScalingUp as your operating system. We work alongside your team monthly to build habits, drive accountability, and adapt the framework as you grow.

2-day kickoff workshop with full leadership team
Monthly business reviews with structured agenda
Weekly CEO/owner check-in calls
Quarterly planning facilitation and priority reviews
Annual strategic planning and long-term goal recalibration

Ideal for companies serious about installing discipline — whether scaling toward a transaction or building post-acquisition rigor.

Engage Us

Download Our Values Discovery Workbook

Before you can align your team, you need to know what you stand for. This workbook walks your leadership team through the exercise of defining your core values — the foundation of every ScalingUp implementation.

Step-by-step exercises for leadership teams
Core values identification framework
Alignment tools for hiring and performance management
Used as the starting point in every engagement we run

Get the Workbook

Free download. No spam. Just the tool we use with every client.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

ScalingUp works best for companies between $2M and $200M in revenue with 10-500 employees. It's designed for businesses that have outgrown informal management but aren't ready (or willing) to build a Fortune 500 bureaucracy. If decisions bottleneck through the founder, if priorities shift every quarter, or if the team is growing faster than the systems — that's the sweet spot.

The core tools — OPSP, meeting rhythm, quarterly priorities, KPIs — can be installed in 90 days. But ScalingUp is a discipline, not a project. Most companies see meaningful traction in the first quarter and continue refining over 12-24 months as the operating rhythm becomes second nature. The workshop is the jump-start; full coaching builds the habit.

It helps, but it's not required. We've designed our workshops and coaching to be standalone — you'll get the concepts, tools, and frameworks in the session. That said, CEOs and leadership teams who've read Scaling Up by Verne Harnish tend to move faster because they understand the "why" behind the system. We'll send a copy to anyone who wants one before we start.

Absolutely — that's one of the highest-value use cases. ScalingUp gives new ownership an operating rhythm from day one: alignment on strategy, a cadence of accountability, and visibility into what's working and what's not. It replaces the chaos of "figuring it out" with a system the management team can rally around. We've run this alongside 100-day plans, integration playbooks, and portfolio operating models.

For the workshop, it's 1-2 full days with the leadership team. For ongoing coaching, plan on a 30-minute weekly check-in, a half-day monthly business review, and a full-day quarterly planning session. The investment is real — but ScalingUp is designed to give CEOs more time, not less. Once the rhythm is running, the operating system handles the noise so the CEO can focus on what actually moves the business.

While our coaching isn't designed to be a board effectiveness engagement, your board meetings will get better. Your leadership team will be aligned on strategy, speaking the same language, and presenting with confidence. The board will see real KPIs, a clear strategic plan, and quarterly priorities tied to measurable outcomes — not slide decks thrown together the night before. Over time, that builds cadence and trust. When your operating system is running, board meetings stop being stressful and start being the place where you demonstrate command of the business.

Your business needs an operating system. Not more advice.