Category: Insights & News

Join Kelly Renz, CEO of inVantage, Vistage Member, Certified Pinnacle Business Guide^®  for a free Vistage Chair educational session about the changes in the business operating system landscape. 

There is no secret that running a strong business requires scalable organizational systems run by leadership teams that work in harmony, with transparency, accountability, and focus.  As a Vistage Chair, you guide your members on these premises to make their climb. 

Vistage group members are talking about the hot topic – business operating systems – and there are a lot of questions they want answers to.  So, how do you help them with a topic this important to their business?  You learn about them from a Vistage Trusted Advisor.

As a trained business coach in multiple business operating systems, Kelly will share the differences in systems and why there has been disruption in this market.  This educational session will provide an overview of the trends, practices, and options available to your members. 

Virtual Session Via Zoom

Date: August 23rd, 9:00 – 10:00 am CT

Please RSVP by August 19^th to krenz@invantageteam.com

Experienced business coaches Rick Appleby, Kelly Renz, Jim Palzewicz, Todd Hanson, and Matthias Bollmus introduce new business operating platform and tools in Wisconsin

Top Wisconsin business coaches and entrepreneurs announce their organizations are now the exclusive state providers of the Pinnacle Business Guides© platform for business operations, growth and development, five of only 100 globally.

The Pinnacle Business Guides© organization was born to disrupt the way businesses view and select an operating system.  Pinnacle has evolved the model of a “one size fits all” operating system to create a journey for each client to reach their business summit – the Pinnacle.  This journey provides a structure and tools for leadership teams to continue to make their climb by learning the best business tools offered in the market.  Pinnacle also provides a technology platform to manage key performance information and data. 

“I’ve been an entrepreneur for a long time and know that every business will hit a ceiling at some point –more than likely multiple times.  Whether it is people challenges, growth is stymied, or something else creating a limitation, leaders who seek guidance from experienced business coaches simply go further AND faster together.” said Kelly Renz, CEO and founder of inVantage. “I have been in my client’s shoes and chose to become a Pinnacle Business Guide because I knew there is not a one-sized-fits-all solution to running a great business.  I wanted to bring the best business tools and executive education to my clients. Pinnacle delivers on it all.”

Jim Palzewicz, Partner at Strategic Business Center added, “I’m always learning and growing, and love how business operating systems mature and evolve.  After working with many of them, I chose to become a Pinnacle Business Guide.  I can now meet my clients wherever they are in their journey and teach them the best tools they need to reach their BHAG.”

“I have had the good fortune of coaching and working with some extraordinarily talented leadership teams during my career” said Rick Appleby, Founder of Strategic Planning Solutions. “I am always seeking the best tools available to help them reach their highest potential. Joining Pinnacle Business Guides has enabled me to take this approach to another level entirely, and I am gratified to join an exceptional organization dedicated to helping our clients achieve their highest goals.”

Todd Hanson, Founder of Catalyst Performance Group stated, “I’ve advocated for years now that executives embrace a strategic and systematic way in which to run their business. Doing so helps them turn their vision into reality. The Pinnacle tool set leapfrogs previous platforms and being a part of the Pinnacle Guide Community allows me the opportunity to leverage literally hundreds of years of experience to meet every leadership team issue head on. This is home.”

Matthias Bollmus, founder of Heja Consulting, adds that, “In my 20 plus years in executive and director level positions I have experienced first-hand what it is like to be stuck; nobody is perfect or knows everything. My clients are humble enough to admit that they need some help, and that is when the magic happens. Adding the Pinnacle tools to my toolbelt has been a great decision for me and my clients.”

Rick, Jim, Kelly, Todd and Matthias each own coaching and development businesses, but enjoy the incredible community of Pinnacle Business Guides who operate like colleagues and foster collaboration for their work.

About Pinnacle Business Guides©

PINNACLE© is an evolution. We’ve packed up some of the finest business tools on the planet—all curated from hundreds of time-tested books, proven systems and concepts—then custom designed for your unique climb—all to help you gain the highest impact in the shortest amount of time. At PINNACLE© we’ve hiked in your boots. We’ve been climbing some serious business mountains for over 30 years. We’ve also spent the past decade in classrooms learning, and teaching leadership teams how to implement growth. It’s not an easy journey, but in the end the view is incredible. Let’s climb!

What exciting news for inVantage!  

I am pleased to share I’m now one of only 100 Certified Pinnacle Business Guides® around the globe. 

The Pinnacle Business Guides organization is comprised of a select group of business advisors and coaches, born to disrupt the way businesses view and select an operating system.  Pinnacle has evolved the model of a “one size fits all” operating system to create a journey for each client to reach their business summit – the Pinnacle. 

This journey provides an operating foundation and then builds upon it so leadership teams continue to make their climb up their unique mountain by learning the best business tools offered in the market.  We know them all and have selected only the top to incorporate into our work, along with proprietary tools we’ve developed as well. 

Pinnacle also provides a technology platform to manage key performance information and data so teams remain connected and on the same page.  This is an operating approach no one outgrows – it evolves with an organization and its leadership team. 

I couldn’t be more excited to for my clients as they start their Pinnacle journey with me!  

Welcome to the inVantage Lightbulb Series. This video series highlights the connection of the Entrepreneurial Operating System® and how I, as Professional EOS Implementer®, partner with other organizations to help clients solve real business challenges.

Many EOS® run organizations find themselves needing additoinal HR support, whethther it is a fullly outsourced need, fractional/part time assistance or payrol and benefits services, having the right HR partner is a key part of scaling a business.  In this short YouTube segment featuring Jen Guzman, we highlight EmPower HR.  This organization creates customized HR management solutions for their clients. They offer a full range of integrated HR solutions that gives clients and their employees access to great benefits and a knowledgeable and responsive staff that is just as dedicated to your business as your own team. 

EmPower HR was a provider to an organization that also ran on EOS® when I was CHRO.  It was the right services at just the right time in our business growth.

Welcome to the inVantage Lightbulb Series. This partner video features Vistage® Chair, Sarah Gibson, based in Madison, WI, demonstrating the power of peer groups.  Whether you are a CEO or a C-suite leader, studies show that Vistage® relationships help grow companies faster.  

The relationship between EOS Implementers® and Vistage® groups is common and complimentary.  You’ve heard the phrase, “it takes a village” before, and the same goes for building strong, healthy businesses.  I am an active Vistage® Trusted Advisor, Vistage® Speaker, and have been a member of a CEO group in the past, so I can first hand share the value of having what I called my “extra board of directors” in my group.  Vistage is where I learned about EOS®, which was a game-changer for my own business!

EOS®, the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, is a holistic business management approach that combines timeless, proven business principles with a set of simple, practical, real-world tools to help entrepreneurs get more of what they want from their business.  Building on that foundation and having an outside set of executives to provide additinal guidance, coaching and ongoing growth are the cornerstones of Vistage®.

In this short YouTube segment, Sarah and I will discuss insights about her role as Chair and the benefits her three Vistage groups experience, and how EOS® provides synergy for companies to grow and thrive.  

With the MMAC, on February 3, 2021, I presented an overview of the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, and the link is here if you’d like to listen in!  

What is the Entrepreneurial Operating System®?

It is a normal cycle of business to find times of thriving and then times of hitting the ceiling, feeling stuck. It may be the whole company, one department or one leader that feels the cycle friction of business evolution and revolution. 

The Entrepreneurial Operating System®, known from the books Traction® and Get A Grip®, has helped over 10,000 businesses get to the next level and reach their goals. The proven, practical, real world tools and methodologies of the EOS model help leadership teams get better at three things:  

1) Vision—getting everyone in your organization 100% on the same page with where you’re going, and how you plan to get there;

2) Traction®—instilling focus, discipline, and accountability throughout the company so that everyone executes on that vision—every day; and

3) Healthy—helping your leaders become a more cohesive, functional, healthy leadership team. 

Welcome to the inVantage Lightbulb Series. This video series highlights the connection of the Entrepreneurial Operating System® and how I, as Professional EOS Implementer®, partner with other organizations to help clients solve real business challenges.

In this short YouTube segment, we highlight TKO Miller, an investment bank that prides itself on “Bringing Big Bank Experience to the Middle Market.” The investment banking team at TKO Miller has years of transaction experience and use their training and talents to bring that experience to middle market clients.  If you have a very large business to sell, investment banks from all over will come to work on your transaction. Too often, if you have a middle market transaction, you were left with substandard advisors. TKO Miller bring together companies on a national and international scale to help our clients achieve their personal and strategic objectives.  

Welcome to the inVantage Lightbulb Series. This video series highlights the connection of the Entrepreneurial Operating System® and how I, as Professional EOS Implementer®, partner with other organizations to help clients solve real business challenges.

In this short YouTube segment, we highlight Jennifer Ott Consulting, a firm specializing in Composite Leadership development programs for managers to build their overall effectiveness while adding valuable capabilities to their career toolkit.

“Why do we keep meeting about the same topics over and over?  Haven’t we solved this before a million times?  This is taking too much time. I’m so frustrated!!!!”

Can you relate?  Have you ever been part of a culture that meets about meetings?  As leaders of businesses, we sure can complicate how to solve issues sometimes, can’t we?

One of the many impactful outcomes of implementing EOS® is gaining two gifts:  time and solving problems at the root cause.   You get time back with fewer meetings.  Also, meetings become exceptionally effective, focusing a leadership team on the issues that need to be knocked to the ground once and for all.

How?  By learning to be effective at solving problems using a method in EOS called IDS™– Identify, Discuss, Solve.  This technique removes the redundant symptom dialog and drives out the root cause so an issue can be actually solved.  Using this model in my personal experience eliminated about 10 wasteful meeting hours per week.  That is like getting a full day back in life per week!  Can you imagine what you’d do with that kind of time?

This was the response from a CFO of a manufacturing company looking to implement EOS®when I asked, “What is your business outlook?”

ATE OUR LUNCH. That sums up what many businesses feel right now. As your organization prepares for 2021, are you going to get what you need out of your business? Is your team operating smoothly and having fun doing it? This year has tested every limit and broken everything we thought we knew, so doing what you’ve done the past may not be the answer. You need to look at new options.

A successful business is no accident. Companies that run on EOS®can experience all the following:

1. 100% aligned organization on the Vision – where you’re headed and how you’re going to get there
2. Accurately predict short- and long-term results; thus make better decisions
3. Goal attainment of 80% or better
4. Leadership team has strong relationships that weather storms
5. Solve issues faster at the root cause level – knock them down for good
6. Weekly insights into business results so levers can be pulled quickly to make adjustments