Testimonials

Let me answer three Questions for you, from my vantage point as Chairman and CEO of Sandridge Foods in Medina, Ohio:

Why Ron? – To me and my Team, he’s “The Master of his Craft.”

Why Ron? – He helps us create and deliver results that far exceed our own self-imposed limits.

Why Ron? – He’s a consummate professional and effective Facilitator that brings out our best qualities and efforts and motivates us to deliver our best work and results, as a Team.

We have a relationship going back 16 years now, and I can say that in those 16 years, Ron has not only become a trusted Coach and Advisor to me and our business, but he has also become a true friend. He has taken a genuine, hands-on personal interest in the development of my two sons as they become the Third Generation of Leadership in our privately-held business.

Ron has the uncanny ability to inspire us to fully prepare for our annual strategic thinking and planning time together; he rapidly re-engages with us each time we meet; he recognizes and quickly aligns and re-aligns the dynamics of our management team when we meet; and he challenges us with clear and concise questions, which lead to the honest dialogue, and which lead ultimately too much better decision-making on both the Strategic and Tactical levels of our business.

As one of our valued colleagues at Sandridge Foods, Ron has been fearless and objective in raising the questions that cut through resistance, help us face essential truths and realities, correct erroneous perceptions, energize the team, and help us confront the Brutal Facts of running and growing a successful family-owned business.

Over the 16 years, we have been acquainted and worked together, Ron has become a true and valued friend as well, and enriched my life – and that of my family – in many ways outside of our business. His wealth of contacts put me in direct contact with Jim Collins this past year, and that encounter, alone, has had one of the most prolific positive impacts on my life so far.

I’m so fortunate and privileged to journey along life’s way knowing Ron Huntington! He is a Pro, a Friend, a Mentor – and Tormentor – all in the most positive ways. And after all these years, he is STILL a Racer! He possesses a burning desire to win – and help his Clients win – and he keeps those competitive fires stoked and burning in me and my Team.

Mark D. Sandridge, CEO at Sandridge Food Corporation

My company has used Ron Huntington as a business coach to lead our quarterly offsite meetings for the last 3 ½ years. Ron has done a masterful job running those quarterly meetings so that I could be a participant rather than have to lead the meetings. That, in turn, has made those meetings much more effective and enjoyable.

About 1 year ago, Ron took my team through the 3HAG process. It has caught on like wildfire and now we are on a path to take my company from $38 million to $65 million in 3 short years. Ron inspired us to create a theme that serves as my company’s rallying cry and will continue to do so for the next 3 years.

In addition to leading the quarterly meetings, Ron has also served as a resource and sounding-board for myself and my team, providing insight and tools when there was something we were struggling with. To say that this relationship has been successful for both my business and personal life is an understatement.
Please call me directly if you need any more insight or particulars about Ron Huntington – 925-872-7326.

Kevin Comerford, Owner at Service Champions (October 7, 2019, Kevin was a client of Ron’s)

I’ve known Ron for more than 10 years. His support and coaching have not only accelerated our business but have been pivotal to my personal and professional leadership development. Ron’s steady, clear, disciplined yet compassionate approach will not only push your business, but your team to perform at a higher level. Simply a great guy and a one of kind advisor. I highly recommend Ron for any growing business that wants to scale.

Keyo Gold, President at Ammex Corporation (January 1, 2020, Keyo was a client of Ron’s)

I have worked with Ron on and off since 2004 and have enjoyed every minute of it. Ron has a way of cutting through the crap and getting to heart of the issues and what needs to be done. I appreciate his direct, no-nonsense, yet diplomatic style. He makes you think about what is important, what is not, and gives practical and impactful guidance and advice. I give Ron the highest recommendation for those entrepreneurs who are serious and committed to becoming the best they can be, both professionally and personally. Thanks for all you have done for me, Ron. I appreciate it deeply.

Matthew Burk, CEO at Fairway America

My company, CMD (Complete Manufacturing & Distribution) works with leading brand owners to manufacture and distribute hard goods in China and other World Markets. Before Ron, we were lacking in discipline to address chronic deficiencies in the business. He shared his vision of what was possible through respectful and honest discussions about accountability. Over the years he got to know us as individuals in spite of the cultural and geographic divide separating our teams. With the heart of our operations in China and team members throughout Asia, Europe and North America, we spanned cultures and communities in ways that broke down barriers and built bridges of collaboration and friendship between excellent teams globally. He pushed us in positive ways to create a robust strategy and chart the tactical issues to achieve our goals. Today, we’re stronger because of values he helped us refine; respect, honesty and accountability. Ron is a consummate professional and gentleman and a joy to work with. Thank you, Ron!

Paul Stepanek, Results Accelerator

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ron in two different roles within my organization – first, as a member of our company’s Executive Council, and most recently as the Director of one of our largest business units. In both of my roles, Ron has provided invaluable direction and support as we continue to move our business from a “Wild West” style of management to an organization that takes an effective and well-orchestrated approach to growth. Corralling a team of executives with similar goals but very different approaches were his first major accomplishment.

Ron brought us together in our mindsets using a systematic approach to goal achievement that felt simple, and we achieved a level of cohesiveness as a group that had not been present in the past. Ron then worked with me, personally, the help translates that approach to my own business unit and the team of leaders I work with every day.

Ron keeps us focused, quarter by quarter and year over year, by providing a place where it’s both appropriate and even somewhat comfortable to iron out our different approaches until we can agree as a team where our priorities must lie. His method of keeping us accountable to ourselves, and to him, has kept our business on track to achieve our significant growth goals over the last four years. I am thankful for all the support Ron has provided to me and am excited to see us hit our next major milestone!

Matthew Kremer – Propel Insurance, Sales Leader helping companies solve complicated Employee Benefits challenges

Ron Huntington is a true gem. I am honoured to say that Ron is our coach, mentor and dear friend. Ron was instrumental in helping Nurse Next Door in our formative years. Ron’s guidance and coaching helped us lay the foundation for Nurse Next Door to become a leader in home health care (we currently have over 200 locations across North America and Australia). Ron also guided the formation of our second company (Rosemary Rocksalt bagels). Under Ron’s guidance, we have quickly become an admired brand. I would enthusiastically hire and/or recommend Ron to my family, friends and acquaintances (which I have on numerous occasions).

Ken Sim, CPA, CA, Co-Founder of Nurse Next Door and Rosemary Rocksalt

For over a decade Ron and I worked together in my capacities first as Finance Manager and then as President of Elliott Bay Design Group, a respected Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering firm in Seattle. During our time working together, he provided consistent guidance to our team, as well as to me, as we created, executed and delivered on our extended series of strategic plans, including:

• Using a structured process to document outcomes;
• Employing exercises to define various facets of the plan;
• Managing team and relationship dynamics;
• Asking the tough questions to ensure we reached concordance; and
• Holding us accountable for the commitments we made to performance within the strategic plans themselves.

We worked together to periodically introduce new material that infused the evolving concepts of current thought leaders into our discussion, plans and actions. Ron also worked with us through various ownership transitions including the employee-funded buy-back of our company.

I appreciate Ron’s personal support before, during and after each of the events in which he participated over the 13 years he served us, and can highly recommend him as a top-rated leader, facilitator and coach – both on the professional and the personal side of our relationship – who will help you and your company get where you want and need to go.

Joe Pritting, CEO Elliot Bay Design Group – 2019

The Propel Team has been successfully partnered with Ron for more than 4 years. Ron has an almost “magic” ability to filter through both conflicts and opportunities and come away with a clear view of what needs to be done NOW. What seemed impossible is all of a sudden possible. Ron does not force things on a group but he doesn’t let us conclude without a workable set of responsibilities. We are glad to have Ron working with our team. We have increased both top-line and bottom-line growth, but even more important – everybody benefits and our company is better off for our association.

Kurt Carlson, President and CEO, Propel Insurance

I have been lucky enough to work with Ron as my business coach for almost four years at this point. His highly effective, empathetic, and no-nonsense approach has been an invaluable part of my own personal growth and our collective success as a company. While there are many things I admire and appreciate about Ron, probably the single biggest asset has been his complete focus on delivering value to me and my company. We have modified the structure of our working arrangement at least 3 times, and it is a rare business coach who is able to evolve with his or her clients to this degree. He is truly my most important and valued advisor, and you will be lucky if you are able to work with him — he’s in demand!

Cameron Madill, CEO at PixelSpoke

I’ve worked with Ron consistently in my company for over 15 years. In that time, he helped my company grow 10-fold with humour, kindness and consistently solid advice. He embedded himself deeply in our culture, leading strategy sessions, helping to guide goal setting and advising me on the best growth plans for the company. He is a ‘whole person’ coach in the sense that he does not just stop his care and advice when he leaves your office. His door is always open, and there were many times over the last 15 years that I called him on weekends to consult with him, asked him to mediate thorny employee disputes or advise me on personal matters. He has a wide depth and breadth of knowledge in many industries which lends itself well to experience-based sharing and reflection. After 15 years, he is an invaluable part of my company’s success and more importantly, he’s invested so much above-and-beyond time that I consider him to be a personal friend as well.

Anne-Marie Faiola, Founder of Best Day Ever | CEO of Bramble Berry

Ron has been a key component in moving us from a struggling small business to a thriving middle-sized business. The knowledge and accountability Ron brings to our company have been the greatest resource as we continue to grow. If your company faces challenges related to growth, vision, or performance then I recommend Ron to help you put these roadblocks behind you and get you moving forward fast!

Norman Vigre, COO at Bramble Berry

I have worked with Ron consistently, going into our 6th Year now in 2019, in my Best in Class Education Centers business. I first met Ron at an EO (Entrepreneur Organization) Event in the Summer of 2014 in Seattle. We immediately clicked at that Event. I contacted Ron shortly thereafter and asked him to coach me and my team and help grow my business. My company was really quite small at the time, honestly, but Ron made room in his busy calendar to take me on, based on the chemistry and regard we developed coming away from the EO Event. That was a fateful day for me and my business. He quickly guided us to create a Mission, Vision, BHAG, SWOT and a comprehensive Growth Plan for the business. This allowed us to clearly define our goals, align our team, and hold ourselves accountable to the required disciplined execution of our Plan. Over the years that I have worked with Ron, the number of Best in Class Education Centers has rapidly jumped from 25 locations in 2014 to 61 as of March 2019, with still many more being added in the future, in line with our original and accelerating Plan. Our next Major Plan Milestone is to open 100 Centers on or before December 21st, 2021 – and we are well on our way to achieving that Milestone. Our revenue growth has nearly doubled in the last 5 years, and we have remained comfortably profitable throughout our rapid growth. I firmly believe our company would not have seen this success as quickly, steadily nor predictably without Ron’s valued mentorship. Ron was also kind enough to write a powerful foreword for my book, From Bad to Worse to Best in Class: A Refugee’s Success Story. Ron’s mentoring is strategic, focused, considerate, professional, objective and unbiased. I am proud to have him as my mentor and friend, and I am forever in debt to him for his expertise, support and encouragement that has – and continues – to benefit me and my team at Best in Class Education Centers.

Hao Lam, Hao Lam CEO and Chairman at Best In Class Education Center