Ric Franzi

As a Business Partner with Renaissance Executive Forums, we help Orange County's leading technology, healthcare, construction, manufacturing, and professional services executives align their vision, strategy, and execution through collective intelligence, just like we did for a recent member.
 
This business founder wanted to exit the business. However, he and his key executive did not have a management team capable of making decisions or running the business.
 
They recognized the company depended on them for all decision-making. They needed to know how to change that culture despite previous failed attempts.
 
Through insights and advice from the group, they came to realizations that led to significant breakthroughs, including:
 
・Enrolling the founder and his partner in separate peer groups
・Developing a strategic planning process
・Identifying manager interdependencies and leadership capabilities
・Developing models for hiring, marketing, finances, managing inventory, and developing employees
・Mapping out an effective exit plan with post-exit responsibilities
・Selling the business to the employees through an ESOP
・Creating a company board of directors
・Preparing the partner to become the president
・Recruiting two additional outside directors for the board
 
As a result, the founder could:
 
・Fully cash out six years after starting the sale process
・Give the new president a growth plan to double revenue within five years
・Leave behind a profitable and growing business capable of exploring new geographic markets
 
If you're ready to:
 
・Improve company profitability, sales, and productivity
・Develop more precise performance benchmarks, and
・Obtain new knowledge you can't get anywhere else
 
Let's talk and see if you're a good fit for our Executive Forum.
 
https://richardfranzi.as.me/ExecForumsintroductions

CASE STUDY: How To Execute A Successful Exit Strategy Despite A Pandemic

As a Business Partner with Renaissance Executive Forums, we help Orange County's leading technology, construction, manufacturing, and professional services executives align their vision, strategy, and execution through collective peer intelligence, as we did for our recent member.
 
As the founder of her growing company, she worked 16-hour days, 6-7 days a week, and became a slave to the business.
 
She rarely had time for her children, and the toll of responsibilities prevented her from growing further.
 
Through our group's insights, advice, and accountability, she came to realizations that led to significant breakthroughs, including:
 
・How her behavior contributed to the situation
・The need to fire her #2 employee
・Buffering herself from her operational business needs
・Identifying the qualities necessary for new direct reports
・Building a new management team
・Letting go of being the "firefighter"
・Setting concrete 3-5 year goals
・Mapping out the evolution to allow desired growth
・Financially modeling the financial requirements to support desired growth
 
By prioritizing her essential strategic goals, implementing those ideas, and setting deadlines, within less than two years, she was able to:
 
・Double her clients
・Limit her work days to 8 hours with free weekends
・Take a 2-week work-free vacation with her family for the first time
・Buy a vacation home and plan to spend regular family time there.
・Significantly lower her stress levels and improve her health.
 
If you're ready to:
 
・Improve company profitability, sales, and productivity
・Develop more precise performance benchmarks, and
・Obtain new knowledge you can't get anywhere else
 
Let's talk and see if you're a good fit for our Executive Forum.
 
https://richardfranzi.as.me/ExecForumsintroductions

CASE STUDY:  How To Go From 16-Hour Days To 2-Week Vacations 

Since 2007 I have dedicated my career to creating a safe place for business executives to work on their businesses. 

"Experience is the best teacher, but some business lessons are best learned vicariously through the experiences of your peer business owners."  

I am the Orange County Business Partner for Renaissance Executive Forums, an international CEO organization with over 2,500 members.

I know that it is lonely at the top, having served as President and for a global, 700-person engineering and manufacturing firm for five years.

For business owners and executives who are leading companies with 5 to 250 employees, I stimulate original thinking to support their critical decisions. I chair CEO Peer Groups for Orange County-based firms.

The peer groups I chair provide a safe place where members can learn from each other, share their experiences, and ultimately improve the performance of their firms over the long term.

My members create a unique environment where they trust each other to provide honest and unbiased feedback for their most pressing issues and opportunities. 

Many times the process simply ensures my members are moving in the right direction eliminating the trial and error approach so common in today's ever-changing business world.

The peer group helps to illuminate and magnify possible new ideas and approaches to the business challenges CEOs and business owners face every day.

Finally, over time membership in a Renaissance Executive Forums CEO Peer Group guides members to develop a deeper self-awareness enabling them to release the true potential of their firm and live impactful lives.

Business Partner-Orange County

I am the author of 3 books written for executives of small companies. My original book was the first ever written on the sustainable value of CEO Peer Groups®.  My second book explores the importance of a CEO's mindset. My latest book looks at how unintended consequences can damage a leader's effectiveness and a firm's performance.

Business Author

A nationally recognized keynote speaker and workshop facilitator.   

Here is what clients say about him:
"Richard was a keynote speaker at our industry's 2017 CEO Retreat. He also facilitated a peer-learning workshop for this group of 200+ CEOs. He fostered a safe environment for the participants to share their experiences and to learn from each other. Richard's keynote was his “Killing Cats Leads to Rats” presentation, based on his 3rd book. He was well-received, and the participants appreciated his humor and approach to facilitating peer learning."-David Jennings, Vice President of Education, Community Associations Institute.

I speak to audiences of CEOs and business executives who are leading middle market firms on concepts relating to peer learning for business executives.

I bring ideas and concepts to executive and management teams that will improve their performance.  I present my concepts in a fast-paced, fun manner to engage the audience to learn the concepts and retain them.

Keynote Speaker ∙ Workshop Facilitator

Critical Mass Business Talk Show

Critical Mass Business Talk Show has a deep and rich catalog of interviews in our archives. To listen to past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews, visit podcast.criticalmassforbusiness.com or youtube.com/richardfranzi

Business Talk Show Host

Dekra-Lite Industries, Inc.

Located in the heart of Orange County, Dekra-Lite has been a leader in commercial Christmas Decorating since 1987. Bringing a fresh and innovative approach to holiday decorating, we are the premier decorator for hundreds of commercial properties, amusement parks and cities across the country. As experts in commercial Christmas decorating, our staff is able to assist in every aspect of transforming your property for the holidays, from design to installation. In addition to carrying a wide array of dazzling products to choose from, we also fabricate custom decor pieces. This enables us to fulfill every one of our clients’ specific needs, making their vision come to life. Years of experience paired with extensive industry knowledge makes Dekra-Lite the ideal choice for your property, no matter how large or small.

Chairman Board Of Directors-ESOP

Cal Pac Sheet Metal, Inc.

OC Metals is committed to being a single source for specialty contractors and the building industry for Custom and Standard Architectural Metals, Metal Roofing, Rain Gutter Carrying, Waterproofing and products and accessories associated. We offer and stock a comprehensive line of products in addition to custom fabricating to project specifications. Tools, fasteners, and sealants are required for every job and we don't want our customers driving around spending time and money looking for these specific accessories. OC Metals has listened to what our customers consider the best manufacturers who deliver the best products and we stock our shelves with these accessory lines and pass the savings on to our customers. When it comes to custom fabrication we strive for accuracy with a quick turnaround. Our promise is Value and Service. We want to be part of your team, offering you that competitive advantage needed in today's market place.

Member Of The Board Of Advisors

The Value Builder System™

I lead CEO Peer Groups made up of business owners who are running companies with 5 to 250 employees who are focused on improving the value of their business by applying the concepts within the The Value Builder System.  

This system is a scientific methodology proven to increase the value of a business.

After analyzing over 40,000 businesses, the average Value Builder Score is 59 out of 100. If you look at the acquisition offers these businesses have received, the average offer is 3.5 times pretax profit.

The Value Builder users who have improved their score to 90 or greater-by following the system- are receiving offers of 7.1 times pretax profit on average.

Advisor

Forbes Coaches Council

As a former member of the council, I submitted thought leadership articles and short tips on industry related topics for publication on Forbes.com

My focus was on understanding how unintended consequences arise from strategic business decisions made by CEOs and executive teams.  I also be explored how best to avoid, reduce or mitigate the negative effects of unintended consequences on business performance and employee morale.

Columnist

Aptiv (Formerly Delphi Connection Systems)

Grew top line revenue by $20 million (40%) while implementing process improvements through Lean Initiative, Six Sigma on other tools, redesigned our business model by converting to a Business Line Profit and Loss Structure with 4 Business Units, led the creation, adoption and execution of a 5-year vision that drove our entry into new markets while expanding our global customer base and market penetration.
 
Each of these steps were required to unleash the firm's true potential for growth and financial performance. 

Full P&L responsibility.  Led a global team of 15 direct reports and 700 employees.

Top executive with oversight of all engineering, finance, manufacturing/operations, quality, sales, marketing, human resources and IT functions.

President

Hired to build new sales channels and revitalize the company's position in existing markets.  Expanded markets to encompass: medical devices, military, industrial controls, computer products and automotive interconnects.

Executive Vice President for Global Sales

Clearview Networks

Early stage, VC funded start-up internet video technology firm.  Senior Sales and Marketing Executive responsible for building the marketing and sales strategy for leading-edge Internet video/audio monitoring technology to attract clients, investors, media and prepare the firm for a future IPO.

Executive Vice President Sales Marketing

Lantronix, Inc.

Senior Sales Executive responsible for developing systems and procedures to enable this privately owned firm to conduct an IPO.  

Recruited to fill the position from existing employer specifically for my demonstrated skills in building professional sales teams and my experience working for publicly traded corporations.

Vice President of Global Sales

☎ TEXT Me: 949-887-4104 | ✉ rfranzi@ref.global | 🌐ricfranzi.com | Complete my Executive Empowerment Quiz and receive a FREE copy of my book "Critical Mass: The 10 Explosive Powers of CEO Peer Groups". The book shows you how to unlock your company's true potential and value, overcome common threats in today's business climate, and propel you and your organization to the next level! 🎁 

https://bit.ly/3NWGthw

ʜᴀʀɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ -- ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴜᴄᴄᴇꜱꜱꜰᴜʟ ᴄᴇᴏ’ꜱ, ᴘʀᴇꜱɪᴅᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴏᴡɴᴇʀꜱ

You probably already know that your whole company is greater than the sum of its departments.

As your organization's leader, it's your job to ensure that every department performs as well as possible.

However, your organization will face challenging events and decisions as it develops and moves forward. You will need to know more regarding the following: 

⚠️ Emerging technologies,
⚠️ Rapidly evolving regulations and social responsibilities,
⚠️ Agile competitors continually test your adaptation ability.

Most of us must improve our ability to identify gaps in our knowledge and sometimes feel isolated or unsure regarding new tasks and challenges. 

My name is Ric Franzi. I'm a happy husband, father, international keynote speaker, Amazon best-selling author, and the host of Orange County's longest-running business talk show.

As the president of a global manufacturing firm, I know that being a CEO can be stressful, and there is a need to understand that the decisions you make are optimal. 

Nobody is an island. We all need others to help us with decision-making. 
I have found a group of people who understand that situation and help with valuable insights and advice when making informed decisions. They have enabled me to grow my company's revenue by 40%.  

In 2007 I left my corporate job to lead local private peer groups and help others use this compelling process.

I am now a nationally recognized thought leader on the power of collective intelligence and a Business Partner with Renaissance Executive Forums. I help OC business leaders discover their ability to make lasting positive changes in their lives and organizations.

Through this process, I want to help you and make you feel like a leader. 

👉 Please be my guest and discover how collective intelligence helps solve problems to keep your company ahead of the curve and allows you to get a good night's sleep.

WunderMarx Inc.

WunderMarx is a high-stakes strategic communications firm specializing in public relations, crisis communications, reputation management, public affairs, executive branding and go-to-market strategies. We help leaders, brands and organizations own their narratives, navigate complex challenges, and turn influence into impact. Launched in 2002 and reimagined in 2025 as The Persuasion Collective, we don’t just tell stories—we shape the conversations that move industries forward.

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Blue C

I serve as Chief Strategy Officer, where I lead brand strategy, market positioning, and growth initiatives for clients navigating complex, high-stakes moments. I work with founders, executives, and internal teams to align bold ideas with bottom-line impact—integrating narrative strategy, public relations, public affairs, crisis communications and reputation management. I also help guide Blue C’s evolution as an agency, blending strategic consulting with creative execution to deliver results that resonate across multiple channels, including media, stakeholders, and investors.

Chief Strategy Officer

TAVA

I lead the strategic positioning, public relations, and brand storytelling efforts that power our mission.

TAVA (Transatlantic Venture Association) is Southern California’s first nonprofit accelerator dedicated to helping Swiss and European technology companies successfully enter and scale in the U.S. market. Backed by a strong network of international partners and U.S. market insiders, we support growth-stage companies across key innovation sectors—from medical technology and health tech to agritech, cleantech, robotics, and beyond.

In this role, I’m responsible for driving awareness of our programs and partnerships, building our reputation across both sides of the Atlantic, and crafting integrated campaigns that engage investors, founders, and public sector allies. I also oversee earned media strategy, public affairs messaging, and thought leadership initiatives that position TAVA as a trusted bridge for European companies ready to land and expand in the United States, with a focus on Southern California.

Vice President Brand Marketing

ManifestSeven

At the first integrated omnichannel platform for legal cannabis and CBD — merging compliant distribution with a retail superhighway — Cara led a large, multigenerational and multilocation marketing, brand and communications team comprised of specialists in public relations, consumer marketing, B2B marketing, digital marketing, creative, social media/influencer relations, content marketing, ecommerce and customer service. Developed and oversaw branding, GTM and strategic marketing/sales integration for eight D2C, B2C and B2B brands, including corporate relations for parent company; a distribution and logistics company; a women’s lifestyle and wellness CPG company spanning skincare and holistic self-care; and several ecommerce companies selling fast-moving consumer goods. Onboarded and integrated acquired brands into one global strategy through brand relaunches or refreshes, change management and GTM planning. Created and managed a multimillion-dollar P&L based on KPIs, market research and ROI. Pivoted to a digital-first strategy that increased ecommerce sales YOY. Took initiative to forge company’s first community relations, cause marketing and brand partner relationships. Developed crisis communications protocols for identifiable industry threats as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Surpassed retail lead generation KPIs and retail guest retention KPIs. Launched retail education events in store and through social media with measurable ROI. Spearheaded first retail guest experience survey and loyalty program.

Vice President of Marketing and Communications

MyJane LLC

Recognizing that women are the new targets of the adult-use cannabis wellness sector — yet their needs are not being addressed — Cara sped MyJane through the innovation cycle to a successful acquisition. 

Ideation:  Developed brand to serve as the honest broker between women and the industry to normalize cannabis usage. Launched industry’s first premium box company showcasing CBD/cannabis-based wellness solutions for sleep, stress, pain and skincare, created by women for women. 

Incubation & Validation: Led market research among 42,000 Gen X and baby boomer women in Southern California. Developed a successful focus group and speaker series to educate target markets about cannabis/CBD and create pre-launch demand for service. 

Acceleration: Focused fundraising on securing seed investment and maximizing brand equity, which led to an acquisition by ManifestSeven.

Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer

Reveille, Inc.

Cara was responsible for bringing together brand-building and performance marketing to tell clients’ stories of innovation using omnimedia channels. She championed the growth of the branding, content, marketing communications and creative services staff and assisted in the business development of the agency.

Vice President 

In this fast-paced, cross-functional agency role, Cara served as a member of Reveille's senior leadership. She was responsible for developing and executing omnimedia strategic plans encompassing public relations, influencer relations, social media, marketing communications, crisis communications, executive visibility and thought leadership, and branding. She also led content development efforts to ensure message continuity across channels and audiences.

Director of Brand Strategy and Content

WunderMarx

Cara founded and grew her solo consultancy into one of the top three marketing and PR agencies in Orange County, Calif., in less than four years. She differentiated WunderMarx among the Southern California agency ecosystem by offering robust business consulting services and integrated marketing communications consulting. The firm served distribution and logistics; semiconductor; enterprise SaaS, fintech, governance, risk and compliance (GRC); and med device brands, and specialized in developing the brand reputation of emerging-growth companies. Among the agency's highlights, Cara and her team created brand equity for six companies that contributed to their successful mergers, acquisitions and institutional investments. Clients included Axiom Microdevices (acquired by Skyworks), DexCom, EON Reality, GloNav (acquired by Broadcom), California’s Thank You Ocean Campaign, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Enclarity (acquired by LexisNexis), EON Reality, OptionEase (acquired by Solium Capital), Printronix and Webvisible. OC METRO recognized WunderMarx as one of the best places to work in Orange County in 2008 based on its commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

HKA, Inc. Marketing Communications

At this public relations agency focused on Orange County companies, Cara collaborated with the agency founder and president to formulate comprehensive business development strategies and attract a portfolio of technology clients. She also mentored young professionals on staff to aid in their development of required media relations, client relations and writing skills.

Director, Client Services

Ethentica

Cara led communications strategies for this early-stage developer of fingerprint biometric software technology. She wrote the comprehensive PR, sales communications and employee communications strategy to launch Ethentica and complement the company’s product development, product marketing and business development efforts. Among her achievements, Cara secured 30 positive product reviews among top-tier technology, business, consumer and local media during a one-year campaign.

Director, Corporate and Marketing Communications

Benjamin Group

Cara managed the corporate PR account team for Toshiba Computer Systems Group.

Account Manager

I build movements with founders & leaders who don’t just want to win—they want to shift culture, lead conversation, reshape power. International & U.S. high-stakes branding, PR, public affairs & crisis communications.

If you’re a founder, CXO, or culture-shifting leader who’s not here to compete—but to change the narrative, lead the conversation, and reshape power—you’re in the right place.

I’m Cara Stewart. I don’t “do” PR. I engineer perception, narratives, and momentum for those bold enough to build international and U.S. movements.

I’m the persuasion architect and movement strategist leaders call before the world knows their name—or when everything’s on the line.

For over three decades, I’ve helped FORTUNE 500 executives, hypergrowth startups, public figures, and public institutions architect strategic narratives that influence perception, attract allies, defuse crises, and build lasting power. From crisis communications and public affairs to go-to-market launches and legacy storytelling, my work lives where message meets movement.

In 2002, I co-founded WunderMarx, a top-ranked public relations agency. In 2025, I reimagined it as The Persuasion Collective—where high-stakes communication meets category-defining strategy.

I specialize in:

	•	Narrative Acceleration for Founders & Visionary Leaders
	•	Crisis & Reputation Management in High-Risk Moments
	•	Brand Positioning & Messaging for Movement-Builders
	•	Public Affairs, AI & Innovation Policy, and Cultural Influence Strategy
	•	Scaling Thought Leadership into Legacy Platforms

I also chair the Costa Mesa Democratic Club and serve on the Board of Governors at Irvine Valley College, continuing my commitment to service, equity, and shaping public dialogue.

If influence is currency, I help my clients print power.

Let’s build your movement.
cara@wundermarx.com | +1 949-290-5563

P.S. I’m currently booking speaking engagements, VIP strategy intensives, and high-stakes narrative projects for bold leaders ready to make their next move. If that’s you—let’s talk.

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