From $300K to $2M: Productizing a Consulting Business for Scale

his episode of Founders Future, with host Zach Young, we meet Mike Reardon, the founder of bEffective , a business consulting firm dedicated to empowering small and medium enterprises. Mike shares his journey from his early days in sales, where a "liquid lunch" with top performers taught him the value of a results-oriented work culture, to launching his own practice. He explains that Be Effective was built to address the core business "pet peeves" he observed throughout his career, focusing on three key pillars: redefining strategy as a set of deliberate choices, implementing systems to achieve goals, and tackling the critical issue of employee disengagement by training managers to influence rather than control their teams.The conversation explores Mike's hands-on approach to consulting, which includes a mix of virtual meetings, on-site visits, and tailored workshops to diagnose issues like operational misalignment and unclear processes. He discusses the unique challenges and opportunities of working with different generations, particularly Gen Z, whose innate problem-solving skills and authenticity he sees as major assets when properly channeled. Looking ahead, Mike reveals his ambitious goal to scale his business to $2 million by productizing his services and transitioning from a consultant to a fractional executive role in 2026, aiming to build a team to help him execute his vision directly.  Connect with Mike Reardon:🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepcreardon/