Author of People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture & Data: Harness Your Numbers to Go From Uncertain to Unstoppable | Visionary and CEO at EOS Worldwide

Today I'm Visionary at EOS Worldwide. But full transparency: 

I've failed more than I've succeeded.

After starting my entrepreneurial journey at 29, I built and sold 9 companies for 7 figures, made the Inc. 5000 thirteen times, and earned Inc's Honor Roll. 

I also started businesses that completely tanked (landscaping, furniture, boot camps, HVAC, and yes, a 660-acre ranch in Wyoming).

The failures taught me more than the wins.

In one of my "successful" companies, we hit pure chaos:

- Nobody agreed where we were going
- Everyone stepped on everyone else
- We fought fires daily instead of building
- We'd set goals then ignore them
- We hit a ceiling and stayed stuck

I knew there had to be a better way to run a business.

That search led me here: 

Helping leadership teams implement EOS to get control of their business and their lives.

We strengthen 6 key components: 

Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction. 

Most companies run at 20-40% strength. 

We get them to 80%+ so entrepreneurs can have what they really want: freedom of time, money, relationships, and purpose.

Ready to get what you want from your business? Start here: https://bit.ly/47a5Nfj

Built a business and want to help others? Consider becoming an EOS Implementer: https://bit.ly/49kWB99

Mark O'Donnell

Great teams solve 5-10 issues per meeting.

Weak ones waste two hours and solve one.

So many teams will sit in the same room week after week,
Discuss the same issues,
But end up resolving nothing.

That's because talking about problems isn't the same as solving them.

In Traction, we discuss the 10 Commandments of Solving Issues.

Functional filters that healthy teams use to make decisions and move forward:

1️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Rule by Consensus
↳ Trying to please everyone makes progress hard.
↳ Make space for discussion, but appoint an owner to decide.

2️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Be a Weenie
↳ Avoiding tough decisions creates confusion.
↳ Say what needs to be said. It's better to be clear than liked.

3️⃣ Thou Shalt Be Decisive
↳ Indecision is a decision. And usually a bad one.
↳ Use what you know now. Make the best call you can, and adjust if needed.

4️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Rely on Secondhand Information
↳ Hearing something third-hand leads to bad choices.
↳ Go to the source. Always check facts before solving the wrong problem.

5️⃣ Thou Shalt Fight for the Greater Good
↳ Solve for what's best for the company, not egos.
↳ When in doubt, ask: what helps the business most right now?

6️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Try to Solve Them All
↳ Not every issue needs fixing now.
↳ Pick your top priorities. Work through the real ones, let the rest wait.

7️⃣ Thou Shalt Live with It, End It, or Change It
↳ You have 3 choices. Staying stuck isn't one of them.
↳ Accept it, fix it, or move on. Stalling helps no one.

8️⃣ Thou Shalt Choose Short-Term Pain and Suffering
↳ Avoiding discomfort only makes it worse.
↳ Have the hard talk. Deal with it now to avoid bigger pain later.

9️⃣ Thou Shalt Enter the Danger
↳ The real issue is usually the one no one wants to say.
↳ Name the elephant in the room. Be brave enough to say what others won't.

🔟 Thou Shalt Take a Shot
↳ No one knows everything. That's not the point.
↳ Trust your gut. Use what you know. Action beats perfection every time.

If your team is stuck rehashing the same issues,
It's not because the issues are too complex.

You're likely just not following a clear process to solve them.

These 10 Commandments are just one piece of the Issues Component in EOS.
The full breakdown is in Traction.

📌 Grab a copy here https://bit.ly/490hqqy

Do you need to revisit any one of these with your team?

♻️ Share this if you know a leader frustrated by unproductive meetings.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on systems-based leadership.

Simple systems for stronger businesses and freer lives | Visionary and CEO at EOS Worldwide | Author of People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture & Data​: Harness Your Numbers to Go From Uncertain to Unstoppable

 10 Commandments of Solving Issues

I believed every single one of these when I started.

Until EOS showed me what really works:

"Why does success feel this hard?" 

That's the question I kept asking myself early in my entrepreneurial journey.

We were winning by every outside measure, but I was exhausted.
My team was confused. And every new level of growth brought more chaos.

Turns out, I'd been believing 9 myths that made everything harder than it should be.

Discovering EOS completely reframed my understanding of a healthy business:

❌ "More hours = more success"
✅ More structure = more success 

Systems multiply your impact, and free you from the work you think only you can do.

❌ "Vision will take care of itself"
✅ Vision only works when it’s shared

Vision has to be documented and shared constantly so everyone is working towards the same goal.

❌ "I have to do everything myself"
✅ Right people, right seats = freedom

When people own outcomes instead of tasks, they solve problems you'll never even see.

❌ “Meetings are a waste of time”
✅ Effective meetings create alignment

90 minutes a week in a Level 10 Meeting builds more alignment than 10 hours of status updates.

❌ “We can grow through chaos”
✅ You can’t scale what isn’t organized

Predictable systems give you the confidence to grow without breaking everything you built.

❌ “Accountability means micromanagement”
✅ Accountability creates ownership

Scorecards turn guesswork into data. When people measure their own numbers, they manage their own performance.

❌ “Hiring fast solves problems”
✅ Hiring right solves problems

The People Analyzer keeps you honest about fit. Slow down the hire, speed up the results.

❌ “Every issue needs my input”
✅ Leaders solve root causes, not every symptom

Stop being the bottleneck. IDS trains your team to solve issues without waiting for you.

❌ “Traction happens by chance”
✅ Traction happens by design

Rocks turn 90 days into progress you can measure. Traction is the outcome of doing the right things consistently.

Structure doesn't slow you down.
In fact, it's the only thing that lets you speed up.

If you're stuck believing any of these, EOS can help. 

See if it's right for you: https://bit.ly/3X7GIeV

♻️ Share to help bust these common myths.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on EOS & systems-based leadership.

9 Myths Entrepreneurs Believe

If it feels like your business is fighting back, it’s not just you.

The problem is one of five predictable frustrations:

If you're an entrepreneur, you've probably hit all five at some point.

I know I did.

After starting nine companies, selling a few, and watching a couple tank,
I started seeing a pattern.

Now, after two decades of helping leadership teams run EOS,
The frustrations come up everywhere.

But these aren't random. They point to something specific.

Something you can fix:

1. Lack of Control
↳ Your business is running you.
↳ You're buried in decisions and can't find time to think.

✅ EOS Fix: Get your vision onto paper. Build structure and be driven by purpose.

2. People Problems
↳ Your team isn't listening or following through.
↳ Deadlines are slipping and there's no ownership.

✅ EOS Fix: Create and assign clear roles. When everyone knows what they're responsible for and they share your core values, things start to click.

3. Not Enough Profit
↳ You're working hard, but the margin isn't there.
↳ Growth costs more than it gives back. Revenue doesn't equal reality.

✅ EOS Fix: Focus on the vital few. Track the right numbers. Simplify your business so you can actually grow it.

4. Hitting the Ceiling
↳ You're always busy, but not growing.
↳ Every new idea dies in execution.

✅ EOS Fix: Delegate. Build systems. Think in 90-day priorities that compound over time.

5. Nothing's Working
↳ You've tried books, consultants, programs... but nothing sticks.
↳ You've lost belief that change is even possible.

✅ EOS Fix: Stop chasing quick fixes. Start running an operating system that aligns your people, process and purpose.

Every entrepreneur comes across these five frustrations eventually.

The question isn't whether you'll face them.

It's whether you'll stay stuck or systemize your way through.

Ready to get what you want from your business?

Let's figure out where you are and where you're going:
https://bit.ly/3X7GIeV

What's one frustration you're in right now?

♻️ Share this to help another entrepreneur out of these problems.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on building systems-based businesses.

Forrest K. Derr

Derr Consulting

Are you a visionary and business owner that struggles with your business managing you rather than you managing your business?

Enter an Interim COO & Integrator.  If you are running on EOS®, you need an effective COO & Integrator to help you structure your organization so that you have a business rather than a job.

I work with organizations who are working with an EOS® Implementor or who are planning to hire an EOS® Implementer to grow their business.

Not running on EOS®, I can still help you with business fundamentals as a COO.  Having worked in several industries including warehousing & distribution, telecom, technology, SaaS, and production, you can leverage my experience to help you streamline your business, automate your technology, and once and for all tame the beast you call your business.

I am currently working as a Fractional COO or Fractional Integrator in the following organizations:

- Power Systems Company
- Construction Company
- Technology Services Company
- Leadership Coaching Company

Integrator & Founder

Launching Leaders

Integrator

ENRG

The Edit Derr

The Edit Derr was the vision of my wife Amber Derr in her journey from receiving a double major in English Education but always having a desire and passion for proofreading and editing. 

COVID opened the doors for most businesses to embrace remote work and fractional positions which enabled her to build her niche around being a Fractional Editor.

Our Purpose/Cause/Passion is to help others spiritually, personally, and professionally.  

My only fear at this point is that she might read this description and send me a text that I need to edit some things in it.

Integrator & Co-Founder

Sexton Lawn & Landscape, Inc.

I had the opportunity to join Sexton after working together with Sid Sexton leading a non-profit leadership group called ENRG for the previous two years.  During that time we were able to build a foundation of trust that led to my interest in joining forces as a Visionary/Integrator duo.  

Together we are guiding a great group of leaders in EOS® and providing the foundation for those leaders to effectively train and organize their crews to ultimately build equity value by providing a great client experience. 

Our Purpose/Cause/Passion is serving our clients by growing our people to become professionals and build better lives.  Our Niche is to provide clients with peace of mind through professionalism, communication, and accountability.

We do this by aligning our team members around our core values which include being Goal Focused, Humility, Accountability, Grit, and Positive Mental Attitude.

By growing leaders in EOS® to grow crew members to become professionals and build better lives, the client always will win.

COO & Integrator

RX SportFit

I joined the RX team in November of 2023 to be the Fractional Integrator with their Visionary.  It is a unique blend of two divisions that include CrossFit and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Both businesses are structured with a manager for each and coaches that lead the training and classes.

RX runs on EOS® and I have the opportunity to be on the leadership team and lead the weekly L10's, quarterly meetings, and have 1 on 1's with the managers to coach them on building their divisions.

RX guides its decisions based on the core values of: Coachable, Happy, Hungry, and Care.

The Purpose/Cause/Passion is providing a space that is an outlet for personal growth, community, and the best damn hour of your day.  Our Niche is Community over Competition.

Altaworx, LLC.

I joined Altaworx after leaving OEC after 18 years.  I thought I joined the business for the technology, but learned over time that I joined for the core values and the business experience.  While here I grew my experience tremendously and learned multiple areas including technology, sales, marketing, and finance.  

We discovered EOS® in June of 2018 and dove in immediately to implement.  On the leadership team we searched for an Integrator and it was eventually concluded after six months that my position had already encompassed most of the responsibilities so I was offered and accepted the position.

From there was a whirlwind journey of attending Rocket Fuel Academy Cohort 003 and then learning how to fill the Integrator seat.  We built out the VTO and started having quarterlies after our focus days.

President & Integrator

EVP & Integrator

Director of Finance & Automation

Director of Technology & Marketing

AMOP, LLC

Telecom Agent Solutions, LLC

OEC, Office Equipment Company of Mobile, Inc.

I started at OEC while I was in my senior year at college while attending University of Mobile.  After starting in the warehouse with shipping and receiving office furniture and supplies, I was able to quickly improve the organization and processes. This brief period in operations led my migration into the IT department, and I rose to IT Manager after the first year. 

While in the IT Manager role, I had the opportunity to build OEC's first website and work with developers to build the first ecommerce platform for customers to order office supplies and then have them delivered next day.  Learning the back end of technology and automation was critical in my growth into other areas of the business. 

The sales team was not comfortable talking to clients on a technological level so I had the opportunity to learn the sales process and customer service by helping our customers get setup to order through the website.  

During my 18 years at OEC, I had several roles and landed as VP of Operations for the last 8 years.  In my role as Vice President of Operations, I was responsible for the management oversight of warehousing, technology infrastructure, and distribution. I worked with employees and sub-contractors to obtain the best furniture installation and office supply delivery services for clients. I located, secured, and managed vendors to maintain and upgrade our facilities and improve our equipment and infrastructure to meet short and long term objectives. I also directed monthly safety meetings for staff while overseeing our safety program and ensuring OSHA compliance. In addition, my role required me to direct our IT team that managed OEC's infrastructure including our IT network, websites, social media, and electronic experience.

Vice President of Operations (Closet Integrator)

Operations Manager

Information Technology Manager

Furniture Delivery & Receiving

I started my working experience by owning a small business: it was a paper route delivering papers to clients in our neighborhood. It was an interesting experience and taught me the basics of sales, purchasing, operations, finance, and customer satisfaction.

I moved on from the paper route and worked for a grocery store chain where I learned warehousing and retail store inventory management and product stocking with minimums and maximums. Later as a gas station assistant manager I learned scheduling team members, inventory management, and inventory control.

In 1994, I left Delaware to start a new degree at the University of Mobile where I graduated in 1998 while I was working at Office Equipment Company (OEC). After starting in the warehouse with shipping and receiving office furniture and supplies, I was able to quickly improve the organization and processes. This brief period in operations led my migration into the IT department, and I rose to IT Manager after the first year. During my 18 years at OEC, I had several roles and landed as VP of Operations for the last 8 years where I oversaw warehousing and distribution along with technology and automation.

During my time at OEC, I started and sold a website development and technology consulting business called Derr Consulting. I also volunteered with two non-profits which included a Christian school where I served on the board and an established business networking group where I served as on the board as secretary, vice president, and president each for a year, and treasurer for seven years.

In 2015, I left OEC to take a position at Altaworx, a smaller technology company that provided more hands-on experience in other business areas such as data-center management, finance, and marketing. I served as President of Altaworx and two other companies: AMOP and Telecom Agent Solutions.

In 2023, I decided to take on a different challenge with a new visionary at Sexton Lawn & Landscape.  In this role, I led an amazing team transforming our organization for the future.  

For 2025, it is now time for a new chapter. From requests over the last couple of years by business owners looking for help in their businesses, I decided to relaunch Derr Consulting to become a fractional COO/Integrator firm. 

Industry Experience:

•	Grocery Retail
•	Convenience Retail
•	Wholesale Warehousing Inventory, Distribution, and Installation
•	Technology Services
•	Telecommunications
•	SaaS
•	Datacenter Planning and Management
•	Landscaping
•	Non-profit

I had the opportunity to join Sexton after working together with Sid Sexton leading a non-profit leadership group called ENRG for the previous two years.  During that time we were able to build a foundation of trust that led to my interest in joining forces as a Visionary/Integrator duo.  

Together we are guiding a great group of leaders in EOS and providing the foundation for those leaders to effectively train and organize their crews to ultimately build equity value by providing a great client experience. 

Our Purpose/Cause/Passion is serving our clients by growing our people ot become professionals and build better lives.  Our Niche is to provide clients with peace of mind through professionalism, communication, and accountability.

We do this by aligning our team members around our core values which include being Goal Focused, Humility,  Accountability, Grit, and Positive Mental Attitude.

By growing leaders in EOS to grow crew members to become professionals and build better lives, the client always will win.

I have decided to start tagging comments on my post as AI generated with post spray commenting when I can tell they are not real.  

Not talking about using AI to develop a thought, this using AI to automatically create comments on posts by using a repeated model and regurgitating part of said posts in the same format over and over again on posts they follow with a bot. 

One easy tell is to go to the persons profile and look at the posts they have commented on in their activity and you will see a consistent pattern of formatting as well as comments that are stacked on multiple people’s posts at the same time.

This annoys me kind of like the professionals who are struggling to look for jobs and when they apply there are thousands of applications made by AI which in turn pushes recruiters to use AI to filter the applications.  

We live in a world now where application bots are talking to recruiting bots and no real connections are ever happening.  

Stop the madness.  Make real comments on posts. Don’t be the new version of spam email.

Bringing People, Process, & Structure Together to Make YOUR Cell Phone Stop Ringing and YOUR Bank Account Start Singing | Empowering Closet Integrators to Unlock Their Potential | NetWeaver | Podcast Host

The man who invented the original concrete block failed.

It was too heavy, too dense, and too inefficient.

So he went back to the drawing board.

He removed what wasn’t needed.

He lightened the material.

He improved insulation.

He made it stronger.

That’s how the cinder block was born.

Sometimes in business, we think adding more will make us better. More systems, more meetings, more people, more layers.

But often, the real progress comes when we remove what’s unnecessary.
Less weight.

Less friction.

More strength.

When you strip away what doesn’t serve you, your business, like the cinder block, becomes lighter, stronger, and built to last.

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We have always done it this way kills more innovation than poor execution.

Business stalls when leaders cling to old habits. 

Growth needs experiments, even small ones.

I was reminded of that in a vegan Thanksgiving cooking class my wife talked me into. 

Not my usual menu. 

But I met new people and picked up techniques I had never used before.

New inputs change how you think. 

New skills change how you work. 

New experiences break patterns that hold you back.

Try something different. 

Your business needs it more than you do.

Ever wonder why some people stop growing while others keep evolving?

A shark in an aquarium will only grow a few inches.

Put that same shark in the ocean, and it can grow to 8 feet or more.

The difference? The Environment.

The same is true for your professional growth.

You can only grow as large as your environment allows.

If you’re surrounded by people who limit your thinking, systems that stifle innovation, or leaders who hold you back, you’ll stay small.

But if you step into a larger environment that challenges you, stretches you, and expects more from you, your potential expands.

Sometimes the next level of your growth doesn’t come from working harder.

It comes from changing your environment.

Don’t be the shark stuck in the tank.

Go find your ocean.

Most founders bring in their attorney and CPA when merging or acquiring another business.

Both are critical, but neither is focused on the vision of what you’re building together.

That’s where I come in.

As The Fractionator (a Fractional Integrator), I help founders design what the combined organization should look like before the legal papers are signed or entities are formed.

Because this early stage is where the real value - or chaos - is created.

We map out:

- The vision and strategy for the merged entity
- The structure - holding companies, operating entities, ownership flow
- The financial integrations and reporting
- The people and process alignment
- The culture decisions that will make or break the transition

Your legal team protects you.

Your CPA advises you.

But a Fractional COO connects the dots between vision and execution ensuring that the outcome you are looking for to execute your vision does not get cluttered where legal and CPA's get caught up in the details.  

Before you merge companies, make sure someone is focused on merging the systems.

I have connected and noticed many new followers this year so I thought it might be a good time to reintroduce myself. 

You didn’t start your business to run every department.

You had a vision. You saw a better way to serve customers, lead people, and grow something meaningful.

But somewhere along the way, you became the bottleneck.

You’re stuck in the weeds. Solving problems you didn’t cause. Approving decisions you shouldn’t have to make. Every new hire or process adds complexity, not clarity.

That’s where I come in.

I help Visionaries like you build real businesses, not high-paying jobs.

As a Fractional Integrator and COO, I step in as your Second-in-Command. I bring structure to the chaos, create clarity around roles, and build systems that keep your team moving forward without constant input from you.

I’ve spent 25+ years doing this across industries: tech, telecom, construction, service, distribution, and several others. I’ve led teams as an VP of Operations, Integrator, President, and COO. Today, I work with companies between $2M and $50M who are scaling fast and feeling the pressure. Most are running on EOS® and have an Implementer™ or graduated from one.

Here’s how we work together:

1. Clarify the structure – Clarify your Accountability Chart so everyone knows who owns what.
2. Install discipline – Use tools like scorecards, Rocks, and Meeting Rhythms that actually get traction.
3. Free you to lead – Remove you from day-to-day ops so you can stay in your zone of genius.

When the right operational structure is in place, everything changes.

You get your time back. Your team gets aligned. And your business becomes something you can grow, scale, or even sell.

Let’s turn your company into the business you originally set out to build.

Based in Fairhope, AL - Available Nationwide

ENRG Fairhope is back this Thursday.

📅 Nov 20th
🕒 8:30–10:00 AM
📍 314 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope, Alabama 36532

If you’re leading a business and running on EOS (or want to), this room is for you.
Real conversations. Real problem solving. No fluff.

Great way to connect with other operators, get unstuck, and leave with something useful. Hope to see you there.

“I used to think I had a business… but I really just had a job.”

That’s what a former client told me after bringing on a fractional COO and it captures the shift perfectly.

Most founders build around themselves. Every decision, every fire, every process runs through them. It works... until it doesn’t.

A fractional COO helps build the structure, systems, and accountability that make the business run without you. That’s when you finally get your time back, when you stop working in the business and start leading it.

You can’t walk in with a sledgehammer and expect lasting change.

When I step into a company as a Fractional COO, the first move is simple: observe, listen, and ask questions. Meet with people one-on-one. Understand their wins, frustrations, and roadblocks. Real traction begins with trust, not big overhauls.

Find a few quick wins and the team starts to see you as an ally instead of a threat. That is where the real foundation for change forms.

Just like Ted Lasso. He did not start by rewriting the playbook. He listened. He asked questions. And he fixed the low water pressure in the showers, a small thing that earned Roy Kent’s respect and shifted everything.

Sometimes leadership starts with fixing the shower pressure.

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The Battle

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