Scaling a business as partners

There’s an old expression: Those who can’t do, teach. My partner and I encountered a lot of coaches like that, but that’s not the case at CO2. We wanted someone who had experience scaling a business and had also been in a partnership. It was a tall order, but Gary was a great fit.”

John Folkestad  |

Co-Founder, Salo LLC

John and his business partner wanted to grow and scale quickly, but without experience running their own business, sought a coach with a robust resume to help them. John came across several coaches who could teach, but hadn’t been in John’s shoes themselves. Knowing that he and his partner are strong, opinionated people and needed someone who’d been where they were, they ultimately chose to work with Managing Partner and Coach, Gary B. Cohen—who didn’t just have experience scaling a business, but experience working in a partnership. Not only did Gary’s experience fit the tall order of John’s ideal coach, Gary’s coaching style was empathetic and nurturing. As the leader of a rapidly growing business, John valued both Gary’s responsiveness and his kindness.

Gary helped John and his partner make every decision with their long-term goals in mind—shifting their style from reactionary to visionary. Because of his experience working in a partnership, Gary was able to counsel John on interpersonal issues that felt sensitive at the time but would easily resolve in the grand scheme of things. Through sage, consistent counsel, Gary helped Salo LLC drive toward the future, rather than getting caught up in the moment. Together they refined hiring practices, became more intentional about where they wanted to go as a business, and came to better understand challenges from other stakeholders’ points of view.

By asking where he wants to be in five years, rather than making reactionary decisions in the moment, John has found that he’s able to be even more focused. He’s become more skilled at prioritizing where he wants to go, and making sure he’s setting the table to get there.

Working with CO2 Coaching helped John and his business partner scale Salo LLC rapidly—but also helped them navigate more turbulent times during the recession. Ultimately, Gary’s guidance helped the partners achieve their original design: a company that could operate effectively without them. John describes Gary’s partnership in that transition from “owner/operator” to just “owner” as instrumental and utterly indispensable. Though John and his partner did achieve the growth that originally led them to seek an executive coach, more than anything John is proud of how they achieved that growth. Gary’s empathetic nature and ability to merge kindness with a deep understanding of the passions of entrepreneurs enabled Salo LLC to create a strong, supportive corporate culture that frequently earns “best places to work” accolades. John continues to carry Gary’s guidance with him, especially in regards to future-forward organizational charts. By asking where he wants to be in five years, rather than making reactionary decisions in the moment, John has found that he’s able to be even more focused. He’s become more skilled at prioritizing where he wants to go, and making sure he’s setting the table to get there.