I help leaders make the hard call when the stakes are high and the answer isn’t obvious.
Most of my work happens at turning points: a leadership transition, a deal, a turnaround, or a team that has stopped pulling in the same direction.
I’ve been a founder, a CEO, an operating partner, and an acquirer. I get to the real problem quickly, tell you what I see, and help you and your team decide what to do about it.
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What I do
Leadership
Transitions at the top are where the most value is won or lost: a founder stepping into a new role after a sale or investment, a successor taking over, a change of CEO. I help owners, boards, and leaders get these right in a way that protects the business, the people, and what’s been built.
When a leadership team isn’t keeping up with growth, a merger, or a new plan, I work out what’s actually going on, including what people aren’t saying out loud, and get the team to a real decision about the way forward. I’ve done this for everyone from fast-growing startups to Fortune 500 companies.
I also design and lead leadership offsites built around the real problem the team is facing. They end with decisions made and commitments people will keep, not just a good day away from the office.
Deals
Acquisitions, sales, IP purchases, partnerships, and partner separations. I help you work out what the deal needs to accomplish, where the leverage really is, and what the people across the table actually want.
I can represent you at the table or work behind the scenes. My approach is direct and honest, which builds trust with the other side and gets deals done that posturing would kill.
Turnarounds
When the plan isn’t working, whether burn is too high, growth has stalled, or the strategy needs to change, I help you see the situation clearly, decide what has to change, and bring the organization along with you.
That often includes the capital question: whether to raise, how much, from whom, and what case will make the company fundable. I help you answer it and prepare for the conversations that follow.
How I work
Every engagement has a clear scope, a clear endpoint, and a clear fee. I don’t bill by the hour.
- Projects
- A defined problem with a defined endpoint: a leadership transition, a turnaround plan, an offsite. Usually a few weeks to a few months.
- Transactions
- Support on a specific deal, from the first conversation to close. Deal fees can include a success component tied to the outcome. Work on capital raises is always fixed-fee.
- Ongoing advisory
- A monthly retainer for leaders who want a senior advisor available for major decisions. Sometimes structured with equity.
I lead every engagement personally. There’s no junior team. When a project needs specialized expertise, I bring in people I trust. All engagements are confidential.
What to expect
A straight answer, after real listening
I start by hearing from the people who matter, including the ones who don’t usually get asked. Then I tell you what I see, quickly and plainly, even when it’s not what you were hoping to hear.
Decisions, not reports
You’ll finish with the key decisions made and a plan to carry them out, not a document to file away.
Experience, not theory
Everything I advise on, I’ve done myself: built companies, raised money, run teams, negotiated deals, and made the hard calls.
About
I’ve spent twenty years building, leading, and fixing companies in high-stakes situations.
Much of my career has been spent inside organizations at their hardest moments. I stepped in as CEO of EVRYMAN after its acquisition, cutting burn 40% and growing monthly recurring revenue 50% in eight months. Earlier, I co-founded Exbellum, a consulting firm that led post-merger integration and organizational transformation for clients including Johnson & Johnson, Omnicom, Seagate, Pinterest, Scotts Miracle-Gro, and Constellis, where we combined eight defense companies into one.
I’ve also built companies from nothing. I co-founded Terradepth, a defense technology company, and led it as CEO. It won two awards from U.S. Special Operations Command and now has two programs of record with the Department of War. I co-founded Desert Door, which created the Texas sotol category. Together the two companies raised $65 million. On the investor side, I served as an operating partner at Cold Bore Capital, working with portfolio companies on growth and leadership.
Before business, I served as a Navy SEAL on more than 200 combat missions, as lead navigator and later as a sniper team leader. That’s where I learned to make decisions with incomplete information and real consequences. I hold an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, and I serve on the board of The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. I’m also a recipient of the Texas Business Hall of Fame’s Future Legend Award.
I’m based in Austin and work with companies across the country.
Let’s talk
If you’re facing a hard call, whether it’s a leadership transition, a deal, a turnaround, or a team that isn’t working, tell me what’s going on. I’ll let you know quickly whether I’m the right person to help.
Prefer email? Email Judson at judson@turquoisepoint.com