When your business faces complex challenges or growth opportunities, the decision to bring in outside expertise can be pivotal. But here’s the critical question that often gets overlooked: Are you hiring a consultant who will deliver polished presentations and theoretical frameworks, or are you partnering with operators who will roll up their sleeves and get the job done?
At Empirical, we’ve built our reputation on a simple premise: we’re operators first, consultants second. This distinction isn’t just semantic—it’s fundamental to the value we create and the results we deliver.
The Operator Advantage: Beyond Recommendations to Results
Traditional consulting follows a predictable pattern: analyze, strategize, recommend, and exit. While this approach has its place, it often leaves clients with beautiful decks and strategic roadmaps but no clear path to implementation. The gap between strategy and execution becomes a chasm that swallows both time and money.
Operators approach challenges differently. We don’t just identify what should be done—we understand how to make it happen. We’ve been in the trenches, managed P&Ls, navigated organizational politics, and solved real-world problems under pressure. This experience shapes how we approach every engagement, ensuring that our recommendations aren’t just theoretically sound but practically executable.
When you work with operators, you’re not just buying analysis; you’re investing in accountability. We don’t disappear after delivering recommendations. We stay engaged, helping you navigate the inevitable obstacles that arise during implementation. We adjust strategies based on real-world feedback and market conditions because we understand that the best plan is worthless if it can’t adapt to reality.
Creating Value Through Execution
The consulting industry has long been criticized for delivering expensive reports that gather dust on executive shelves. This happens when consultants focus on the elegance of their thinking rather than the effectiveness of their execution. Operators take a different approach—we measure success by the tangible value we create, not the sophistication of our frameworks.
Value creation requires more than smart thinking; it demands practical execution skills. Can you manage stakeholder relationships during a difficult transition? Can you identify and address the operational bottlenecks that will derail your strategy? Can you build the internal capabilities needed to sustain change? These are operator skills, developed through experience and refined through repeated application.
At Empirical, we’ve learned that the most brilliant strategy fails without proper execution. That’s why we don’t just develop strategies—we implement them. We work alongside your team, transferring knowledge and building capabilities that outlast our engagement. Our success is measured by your results, not our recommendations.
How to Select a Consultant Who Gets Stuff Done
Choosing the right consulting partner requires looking beyond credentials and case studies to understand how they actually work. Here are the key questions to ask:
Do they have operational experience? Look for consultants who have held operational roles in businesses similar to yours. Ask about specific challenges they’ve faced and how they’ve solved them. Theoretical knowledge has its place, but there’s no substitute for having been accountable for results.
How do they approach implementation? The right consultant won’t just hand you a strategy and walk away. They should have a clear methodology for implementation support and be willing to stay engaged through the execution phase. Ask about their track record of seeing projects through to completion.
Can they show measurable results? Demand specific examples of value creation, not just process improvements or strategic insights. What revenue did they help generate? What costs did they help eliminate? What operational improvements did they drive? The best operators can quantify their impact.
Do they understand your business context? Generic solutions rarely work in the real world. The right consultant should take time to understand your specific industry dynamics, organizational culture, and competitive environment. They should ask probing questions about your constraints and capabilities, not just your objectives.
Are they willing to be held accountable? Operators are comfortable with accountability because they’re confident in their ability to deliver results. Look for consultants who are willing to tie their compensation to outcomes or who provide clear metrics for measuring success.
The Empirical Difference
We’ve built our practice around these principles. Our team consists of experienced operators who have run businesses, managed teams, and delivered results in competitive markets. We don’t just advise – we execute. We don’t just strategize – we implement. We don’t just consult – we partner.
When you choose to work with us, you’re not just hiring consultants; you’re gaining operators who are committed to your success. We bring the experience, skills, and accountability needed to turn strategies into results and recommendations into reality.
The next time you consider bringing in outside expertise, ask yourself: Do you want consultants who think, or operators who get stuff done?
The answer will determine not just who you hire, but the results you achieve.
Are you ready to take business recommendations and an action plan and move it to execution? Want to talk to the Empirical team about our unique approach – and how we really make thing happen? We’re ready when you are to connect! Reach out to Bill Morrow, Managing Partner, to start the conversation: bmorrow@thinkempirical.com, or give us a call at (610) 994-1139.
