How Inner Circle Members Are Leading Transformation in Their Industries

Change doesn't happen by accident. It happens because someone decides the old way of doing things isn't good enough anymore, and then does something about it. Across the Inner Circle, we see this play out all the time. Our members aren't waiting around for the industry to catch up. They're the ones pushing it forward.

Here are three members doing exactly that.

Making Captive Insurance Accessible for Smaller Companies

Steve Brown, President and CEO of Stratego Partners

Steve Brown is tackling one of the most frustrating problems businesses face: health insurance costs that climb every single year with no end in sight. Stratego Partners is rolling out a captive insurance program for businesses and nonprofits with 75 to 300 employees, giving them access to the Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance network. What makes this different is that Stratego is funding the typical $250,000 to $500,000 capital contribution usually required to join a captive, removing a major barrier to entry.

Steve shared that insurance carriers have convinced companies that 10%, 15%, even 20%-plus rate increases every year are just how things work, and that math doesn't hold up over time. Stratego's approach is designed to slow those increases and save captive members hundreds of thousands of dollars over three to five years. That's the kind of change that actually shows up on a company's bottom line.

By covering a cost that used to keep smaller companies locked out, Steve is making a powerful savings tool accessible to businesses that could never get to it before.

Coaching Buyers Toward Realistic Business Ownership

Matt Friscia, Transworld Business Advisors of La Grange, Illinois

Matt Friscia works in business brokerage, and he's noticed something worth paying attention to: buyer fatigue. Everyone wants the same thing: a business that runs itself, generates strong cash flow, and lets them keep their day job. That business exists, but it's rare, especially under the $5 million mark.

Instead of writing off buyers who don't check every box, Matt's team asks a different question. Not "is this buyer qualified," but "what is this person actually trying to accomplish through business ownership?" Sometimes that means a reality check with the buyer about what ownership actually looks like at first: you spend the early months learning the business inside and out before you can even think about stepping back.

Matt shares: “For most small-business acquisitions, a buyer should expect to roll up their sleeves and learn the business from the inside out. Spend the first 3–6 months understanding the employees, customers, operations, financials, vendors, and all of the little things the previous owner did that never made it onto an organizational chart. Then determine what the business can look like without you as the day-to-day owner/operator.”

Matt sees his role as more than matchmaking. He’s helping people figure out what kind of owner they actually want to become, and being patient enough to get them there. In doing so, he's pushing business brokerage away from simple checklists and toward real coaching, helping buyers understand their own goals before they close a deal.

Moving a Hands-On Industry to the Cloud

Noah Thompson, Owner of SecurIT Consulting

Noah's team of IT experts recently helped a heavy-duty diesel repair client migrate from aging local server infrastructure that was holding the business back. SecurIT led a full migration to the cloud, retired outdated hardware, and rolled out modern shop management software that enabled technicians to work from tablets rather than be tied to a desk.

The results came fast. Work order processing time dropped by 30%, and the client finally had real-time visibility into their operations, giving them room to scale in ways they couldn't before. It's a clear example of Noah helping a hands-on, old-school industry catch up with modern technology, with an immediate payoff for his client.

The Common Thread in Transformational Leadership

Three different industries, three different problems, one shared approach: look at what isn't working, and build something better. That's what it means to be a change agent in the Inner Circle. It's not about having all the answers. It's about being willing to challenge the status quo and bring your network along for the ride.

Steve, Matt, and Noah are all Platinum-level members, which means they're deeply engaged in the kind of connections and collaboration that make stories like these possible. If you're ready to surround yourself with professionals who are actively reshaping their industries and build a network that opens doors rather than guards territory, it’s time to explore Platinum membership for yourself. Take our Member MatchUp quiz to find the membership level that fits where your business is headed, or reach out to learn more about what Platinum membership can do for you.

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