Hi–I’m Young. I'm a business owner, coach and systems builder.
I love building operating systems for my own businesses and others. I am endlessly curious about industries, people, and processes. Whether it is building my own or helping others with theirs I build operating systems that work across the board.
My Entrepreneurial Odyssey
Over the past two decades, my journey has woven through the corridors of corporate giants such as Apple, Starbucks, and Philz Coffee. Fueled by a passion for business operations and strategic planning, I've donned various hats — entrepreneur, investor, speaker, business coach, and the voice behind a podcast that shares both family tales and entrepreneurial wisdom.
In a pivotal chapter of my story, Forever Young Agency (FYA) came to life. This all-encompassing BizOps, Fractional CXO, and Executive Coaching service was crafted to serve forward-thinking founders and executives. FYA stands as a testament to my belief that businesses, whether a pool company or a coaching organization, can thrive when rooted in operational excellence.
Alongside FYA, "Owners Club" emerged — a coaching and community haven embodying my philosophy of "Empowering Entrepreneurs to Thrive Together." This platform connects small business owners nationwide, providing resources, networking opportunities, and insights to foster a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Beyond boardrooms and strategy sessions, my podcast, "The Girl Dad Show," reflects a deeply personal side. Each episode delves into my family life, featuring interviews with inspiring entrepreneurs who share their parenting insights and professional journeys. And as the pages of 2024 turn, my upcoming book prepares to unveil the Owners Manual Framework, a blueprint I've honed coaching clients and steering my eight businesses.
This entrepreneurial odyssey, marked by diverse experiences and a commitment to sharing knowledge, embodies not just a career but a purpose — to empower and inspire others on their unique entrepreneurial voyages.
Present day, I am not afraid to admit that I am ‘Always On’. I love my family and I also love building businesses, whether that is for myself or helping others. I am always in the business of building and that's the secret of my success.
Four ways I can help you right now:
Sign up for Blueprints
Dive into my unfiltered weekly newsletter, where business wisdom meets controversy. Every Thursday, expect a curated blend of one idea challenging the status quo, one valuable lesson extracted from real-life experiences, and an actionable item to fuel your business journey.
Follow me on LinkedIn
Follow me on LinkedIn to grab a front row seat to business building adventures, insights, and thought-provoking content around innovation and fearless pursuit of success.
Order my Book
(coming soon)
In my upcoming book, discover a transformative framework that distills decades of business acumen. Whether elevating an existing venture to operational excellence or birthing a million-dollar startup, my book will unfold a simple, actionable guide.
Listen to The Girl Dad Show
Join me, full time dad and full time professional, on my journey to become the best dad he can be through a series of interviews with fellow working parents. These interviews dive into topics such as work-life balance and other candid experiences from both the diverse range of guests and myself.
Listen NowSubscribe to my Newsletter
Follow me on LinkedIn
Order my Book
(coming soon)
Listen to The Girl Dad Show
Dive into my unfiltered weekly newsletter, where business wisdom meets controversy. Every Thursday, expect a curated blend of one idea challenging the status quo, one valuable lesson extracted from real-life experiences, and an actionable item to fuel your business journey.
Follow me on LinkedIn to grab a front row seat to business building adventures, insights, and thought-provoking content around innovation and fearless pursuit of success.
In my upcoming book, discover a transformative framework that distills decades of business acumen. Whether elevating an existing venture to operational excellence or birthing a million-dollar startup, my book will unfold a simple, actionable guide.
Join me, full time dad and full time professional, on my journey to become the best dad he can be through a series of interviews with fellow working parents. These interviews dive into topics such as work-life balance and other candid experiences from both the diverse range of guests and myself.
Subscribe to NewsletterMy background
Multi-Unit Manager
During my time at Starbucks, I managed 15 stores in the Bay Area, successfully turning around underperforming locations into profitable ones. As a certified Manager/Coach/Mentor, I trained over 30 managers and executives, contributing significantly to their professional development. Serving as a Classroom Facilitator, I taught the introductory course for all new hires in the South Bay. Notably, I hired the first developmentally disabled employee in the Bay Area and implemented an environmental business certification program, securing the first Eco-Friendly "Green" certified Starbucks store in the region.
Operations Manager
At Apple, I led and supervised a team of 170+ employees, spanning diverse functions from technical "genius" teams to product knowledge-based "creative" teams and customer service sales teams. Through my strategic communication initiatives and organized launch events, we achieved record-level store sales during product launches. Additionally, within one year, I boosted employee satisfaction scores by 20% and successfully achieved full staffing of the location to 170 employees, a milestone not accomplished in many years.
Director of Marketing
During my time at Philz, I collaborated closely with the CEO, I spearheaded organic marketing efforts and operations that resonated with our culture of sharing our product one cup at a time. Over a span of two years, I successfully executed more than 150 field marketing events and achieved a remarkable increase of over 75% in social media fans within two quarters.
VP of Operations
At Limelight Health, I began as the head of Customer Success, streamlining the team and securing funds within six weeks. My dual role in operations and marketing played a vital role in a successful fundraising round. Post-funding, I transitioned to a marketing role, managing deal flow and a client service pipeline. Recognizing the need for a dedicated head of Customer Success for larger companies, I advised the CEO, leading to the recruitment of a specialized team. Leveraging my experience at eBay, I played a key role in consulting and building a 60-person Customer Success department.
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer and advisor with Cafe X Technologies, I directed the strategy and programs resulting in 15% MoM growth in retail revenue and a new licensing channel. Specifically I was responsible for leading HR, Finance, Retail Operations, Sales and Marketing.
Fractional COO
I work with the CEO and her executives to identify their winning strategy and as their COO I double our CEO’s bandwidth and mentor rising executives. As a Fractional COO, I did a deep analysis of its staff, resources, goals and more. I focused on helping them build an operations architecture so they could capture more client opportunities. I am entrusted with interim leadership responsibilities including marketing, sales, HR, finance, and operations as needed. By being a Fractional COO we have adapted very quickly to the ever changing needs of the business as we have grown over 30% in revenue and size.
Learn more about my journey from recent podcast, news appearances and more...
The Unattainable Myth of Work-Life Balance
I would argue that human beings aren't programmed to segment our lives to separate work and family life. I share my method for prioritizing both the work I am so driven to do with the family I loves so much... and the challenge of staying present and focused throughout.
J.D. Power Podcasts
Listen in as I sit down with senior managing director at J.D. Power, Rich Bongiorno. We discuss key tech trends, including the rise and reliance on seamless automated customer experiences like kiosk technology.
My Origin Story
Previously based in Silicon Valley, I played an instrumental role at hyper-growth venture-backed companies like Philz Coffee and Limelight Health; I wrangled the masses at Starbucks and Apple; and I have since built a myriad of businesses, including Forever Young Agency. If you are new to my story, this is a great place to start.
Meet Me as a Business Coach
Check out my interview with Bold Journey as a delve into the top three characteristics I would develop as a business owner and much more!