June 2026 Newsletter
True Value of a Business Advisor
Since 2004, CEO Advisor, Inc. has provided hands-on business advisory, growth capital and mergers and acquisitions advisory services to CEOs and business owners of small and mid-size businesses. Over the past 20 years, I have spoken to over a thousand CEOs and listened intently to their aspirations and challenges, and personal and professional goals.
During this journey, I have heard many misconceptions and apprehensions that CEOs and business owners have about working with and gaining the experience, expertise and hands-on work and commitment of a business advisor.
CEO Advisor, Inc. provides hands-on business advisory, Exit Strategy planning and prepeparation work for a sale for CEOs and business owners of small and mid-size businesses. Over the past 21 years, I have spoken to over a thousand CEOs and listened intently to their aspirations and challenges, and personal and professional goals.
During this journey, I have heard many misconceptions and apprehensions that CEOs and business owners have about working with and gaining the experience, expertise and hands-on work and commitment of a business advisor.
Here are six misconceptions about hiring a strong, professional, experienced and hands-on business advisor along with the true value of working with a trusted advisor:
Misconception 1 - I will lose control of my company. Actually, you will not lose control of your company or anything for that matter. In fact, you will set goals with your business advisor and execute on your goals far better than you ever have resulting in far greater results and satisfaction in running your business, while maintaining complete control and decision-making.
Misconception 2 - A business advisor creates undue influence or pressure on me as the CEO / business owner to make decisions or changes to the business that I will not be comfortable with. In contrast, a strong, loyal and trusted business advisor will work with you on a weekly basis to help you with your decisions and support you in working on, implementing and achieving your goals at your pace and timeline.
Misconception 3 - A business advisor will provide a lot of advice and then leave it to me to figure out how to do the work, allocate the time to get it done, and implement it on my own. CEO Advisor, Inc. prides itself with 20 years of hands-on work performed and advice by rolling up our sleeves, performing hands-on work on your goals, and collaborating with you on these key issues every step of the way to precisely meet your needs.
Misconception 4 – It is hard to understand or gauge the results of a business advisor because I used an advisor years ago and I didn’t see much results for the investment of time and money. CEO Advisor, Inc. takes a methodical and disciplined approach to working with you to grow your business, address your pressing issues, formulate your Exit Strategy or prepare your business for a sale to achieve an optimal value. We start the engagement by working with you to discuss and document your 5 to 10 or more highest priorities and goals, prioritizing these goals and assigning a target completion date for each goal. Our mode of operation is progress every week. We achieve this by hands-on work on your goals, collaborating with you to finalize and implement each goal and ensuring the success and completion of these goals. Many clients state that they have had several high priorities in the works for years and could never get them done and CEO Advisor, Inc. achieved them all in six months.
Misconception 5 – I don’t believe I need help because I have run this business from day 1. If you are honest with yourself, everyone needs help to accelerate their growth, overcome business challenges, increase their profits and maximize the value of their business, and CEOs and business owners are no exception. After 15 years in corporate America, I was the CEO/founder of a software company from 1996 to 2003, which was successfully sold to a Nasdaq company. Sitting in that CEO seat of my technology company with the many, many tasks, challenges and goals that I had to handle for too many hours a day was the impetus for me starting CEO Advisor, Inc. and it has proven to be extremely helpful to many CEOs, young and old, for over two decades.
Misconception 6 - Business advisors are not affordable for a company of our size. CEO Advisor, Inc. provides 2 levels of pricing as a set monthly retainer so there is absolutely no surprise billing each month - just a retainer for an agreed upon number of hours of hands-on advisory services each month that you decide best suits your needs. Our pricing and retainer of hours per month includes advisory services for both small and mid-size companies.
As you can see, just like every CEO / business owner is different, just like every company is different, I can assure you that every business advisor is different and CEO Advisor, Inc.'s reputation is top notch with proven capabilities, experience and expertise to maximize your results and the return on your investment. I, personally, work with every client the great majority of the time or exclusively to best serve your needs. The true value of a business advisor is contacting and finding the right trusted advisor for you.
CEO Advisor, Inc. has the expertise and experience to help you focus on the growth of your business to achieve your goals and build shareholder value. Contact Mark Hartsell, MBA, President of CEO Advisor, Inc. at (949) 629-2520, by mobile phone at (714) 697-3370, by email at MHartsell@CEOAdvisor.com or visit us at www.CEOAdvisor.com for more information.
CEO Advisor, Inc. has the expertise and experience to help you focus on the growth of your business to achieve your goals and build shareholder value. Contact Mark Hartsell, MBA, President of CEO Advisor, Inc. at (949) 629-2520, by mobile phone at (714) 697-3370, by email at MHartsell@CEOAdvisor.com or visit us at www.CEOAdvisor.com for more information.
During this journey, I have heard many misconceptions and apprehensions that CEOs and business owners have about working with and gaining the experience, expertise and hands-on work and commitment of a business advisor.
CEO Advisor, Inc. provides hands-on business advisory, Exit Strategy planning and prepeparation work for a sale for CEOs and business owners of small and mid-size businesses. Over the past 21 years, I have spoken to over a thousand CEOs and listened intently to their aspirations and challenges, and personal and professional goals.
During this journey, I have heard many misconceptions and apprehensions that CEOs and business owners have about working with and gaining the experience, expertise and hands-on work and commitment of a business advisor.
Here are six misconceptions about hiring a strong, professional, experienced and hands-on business advisor along with the true value of working with a trusted advisor:
Misconception 1 - I will lose control of my company. Actually, you will not lose control of your company or anything for that matter. In fact, you will set goals with your business advisor and execute on your goals far better than you ever have resulting in far greater results and satisfaction in running your business, while maintaining complete control and decision-making.
Misconception 2 - A business advisor creates undue influence or pressure on me as the CEO / business owner to make decisions or changes to the business that I will not be comfortable with. In contrast, a strong, loyal and trusted business advisor will work with you on a weekly basis to help you with your decisions and support you in working on, implementing and achieving your goals at your pace and timeline.
Misconception 3 - A business advisor will provide a lot of advice and then leave it to me to figure out how to do the work, allocate the time to get it done, and implement it on my own. CEO Advisor, Inc. prides itself with 20 years of hands-on work performed and advice by rolling up our sleeves, performing hands-on work on your goals, and collaborating with you on these key issues every step of the way to precisely meet your needs.
Misconception 4 – It is hard to understand or gauge the results of a business advisor because I used an advisor years ago and I didn’t see much results for the investment of time and money. CEO Advisor, Inc. takes a methodical and disciplined approach to working with you to grow your business, address your pressing issues, formulate your Exit Strategy or prepare your business for a sale to achieve an optimal value. We start the engagement by working with you to discuss and document your 5 to 10 or more highest priorities and goals, prioritizing these goals and assigning a target completion date for each goal. Our mode of operation is progress every week. We achieve this by hands-on work on your goals, collaborating with you to finalize and implement each goal and ensuring the success and completion of these goals. Many clients state that they have had several high priorities in the works for years and could never get them done and CEO Advisor, Inc. achieved them all in six months.
Misconception 5 – I don’t believe I need help because I have run this business from day 1. If you are honest with yourself, everyone needs help to accelerate their growth, overcome business challenges, increase their profits and maximize the value of their business, and CEOs and business owners are no exception. After 15 years in corporate America, I was the CEO/founder of a software company from 1996 to 2003, which was successfully sold to a Nasdaq company. Sitting in that CEO seat of my technology company with the many, many tasks, challenges and goals that I had to handle for too many hours a day was the impetus for me starting CEO Advisor, Inc. and it has proven to be extremely helpful to many CEOs, young and old, for over two decades.
Misconception 6 - Business advisors are not affordable for a company of our size. CEO Advisor, Inc. provides 2 levels of pricing as a set monthly retainer so there is absolutely no surprise billing each month - just a retainer for an agreed upon number of hours of hands-on advisory services each month that you decide best suits your needs. Our pricing and retainer of hours per month includes advisory services for both small and mid-size companies.
As you can see, just like every CEO / business owner is different, just like every company is different, I can assure you that every business advisor is different and CEO Advisor, Inc.'s reputation is top notch with proven capabilities, experience and expertise to maximize your results and the return on your investment. I, personally, work with every client the great majority of the time or exclusively to best serve your needs. The true value of a business advisor is contacting and finding the right trusted advisor for you.
CEO Advisor, Inc. has the expertise and experience to help you focus on the growth of your business to achieve your goals and build shareholder value. Contact Mark Hartsell, MBA, President of CEO Advisor, Inc. at (949) 629-2520, by mobile phone at (714) 697-3370, by email at MHartsell@CEOAdvisor.com or visit us at www.CEOAdvisor.com for more information.
CEO Advisor, Inc. has the expertise and experience to help you focus on the growth of your business to achieve your goals and build shareholder value. Contact Mark Hartsell, MBA, President of CEO Advisor, Inc. at (949) 629-2520, by mobile phone at (714) 697-3370, by email at MHartsell@CEOAdvisor.com or visit us at www.CEOAdvisor.com for more information.
With Changing Market Conditions, Now May be the Right Time to RIGHTSIZE
During these uncertain times, a proactive, trusted business advisor with experience and expertise in rightsizing companies can be extremely valuable. To establish whether rightsizing is right for your business, it's important to objectively address your situation and your company.
Have internal and external factors caused your needs and objectives to change? Is your management team equipped with the right skills to address the many variables you must manage today? Answering these questions can help you determine if rightsizing will properly address your needs.
Rightsizing requires experience, expertise, planning and a sense of urgency. It also requires fortitude and making very tough decisions timely. Rightsizing also requires companies to eliminate any duplication of work so that the company is running efficiently and without redundancies. It also enables the company to more effectively plan for the future and meet its strategic objectives both short-term and long-term.
Whether you need to reduce costs and expenses, reduce your workforce, reorganize certain aspects of your business or need help addressing your capital needs, CEO Advisor, Inc. can assist you in achieving your goals. The key is to quickly position the company to maintain profits and shareholder value, and to not waste time.
CEO Advisor, Inc. provides affordable, hands-on, goal-driven, trackable business advisory services to CEOs, presidents and business owners of small and mid-size businesses to ensure results. We will work closely with you to quickly implement best practices coupled with definitive planning and strong decision making to greatly improve your business.
This is the time to be proactive and gain the help you need. CEO Advisor, Inc. has helped over onehundred CEOs, presidents and business owners achieve their goals and change their lives dramatically over the past 21 years.
Contact Mark Hartsell, MBA, President of CEO Advisor, Inc. for a no cost initial consultation at (949) 629-2520, by mobile phone at (714) 697-3370, by email at MHartsell@CEOAdvisor.com or visit us at www.CEOAdvisor.com for more information.
Have internal and external factors caused your needs and objectives to change? Is your management team equipped with the right skills to address the many variables you must manage today? Answering these questions can help you determine if rightsizing will properly address your needs.
Rightsizing requires experience, expertise, planning and a sense of urgency. It also requires fortitude and making very tough decisions timely. Rightsizing also requires companies to eliminate any duplication of work so that the company is running efficiently and without redundancies. It also enables the company to more effectively plan for the future and meet its strategic objectives both short-term and long-term.
Whether you need to reduce costs and expenses, reduce your workforce, reorganize certain aspects of your business or need help addressing your capital needs, CEO Advisor, Inc. can assist you in achieving your goals. The key is to quickly position the company to maintain profits and shareholder value, and to not waste time.
CEO Advisor, Inc. provides affordable, hands-on, goal-driven, trackable business advisory services to CEOs, presidents and business owners of small and mid-size businesses to ensure results. We will work closely with you to quickly implement best practices coupled with definitive planning and strong decision making to greatly improve your business.
This is the time to be proactive and gain the help you need. CEO Advisor, Inc. has helped over onehundred CEOs, presidents and business owners achieve their goals and change their lives dramatically over the past 21 years.
Contact Mark Hartsell, MBA, President of CEO Advisor, Inc. for a no cost initial consultation at (949) 629-2520, by mobile phone at (714) 697-3370, by email at MHartsell@CEOAdvisor.com or visit us at www.CEOAdvisor.com for more information.
Copyright © 2026 CEO Advisor, Inc. All rights reserved.