A Word from the Oaklyn Consulting Team
Working at Oaklyn Consulting has given me an unofficial MBA.
Everything that Oaklyn Consulting touches is almost always a small or unique situation type of company, which offers an incredible day-to-day experience. You walk in and get to work on companies that a lot of people in the industry wouldn’t want to touch, wouldn’t find profitable, or wouldn’t see as fitting within their value model.
I was surprised by the level of collaboration we have on all projects.
We really do work hard to help each other and not leave one person stranded alone on a project. We’ve got a lot of people who work with us, whether employees or consultants, who bring expertise in particular areas, and that’s really helpful.
One thing that surprised me was the geographical reach of the company. It’s nationwide. It’s not just in the Southeast, as some might assume.
And the number of industries we serve is incredible. I’ve worked with companies in software, retail, healthcare, veterinary practice, food services, and even industrial automation. It’s a lot of fun to be able to work across so many different industries.
At Oaklyn Consulting, the sky is the limit in terms of impact.
When you find your lane, where you can really plug in and feel like you can spread your wings and excel, everything opens up. There’s always something to learn, but what’s exciting about working with this team is that they can see where your power avenue is and allow you to lean into that.
You’re not forced to focus on things that don’t align with where you’re strongest.
The clients Oaklyn Consulting works with are multifaceted.
We have referral partners, which can include financial planners or other firms in the industry. But on the other side, we work directly with clients, and it’s very rare that Oaklyn works with a traditional investment banking client.
We primarily work with mom-and-pop shops, distressed companies, and more recently, VC sell-side engagements.
We truly offer objective advice and want to achieve the best possible outcome for our clients, whether that means selling their business or deciding not to sell.
That may sound cliché, but it’s true.
In the traditional investment banking world, the business model is driven by a success fee paid upon closing. We are not compensated that way. We are paid as advisors on an hourly basis, which allows us to offer more objective advice and tailor our services to the client’s needs.
Whether they ultimately sell or not is not the focus. Our focus is to serve them and help them in the best possible way.
And having that approach allows us to build a deep level of trust with our clients.
With Oaklyn Consulting, there is always an opportunity to learn.
Even at this stage in my career, I’m able to push into deeper learning, which has been fascinating, compelling, and exciting. We have more opportunity than we can handle at every level of the business.
That includes financial analysis, execution, research, enhancing our systems both internally and externally, and improving how we market, sell, and advise our clients. It’s about providing the right information at the right time.
Frank has built an excellent platform.
Anyone who is ambitious, learns quickly, and can get up to speed fast will find that there is always something new. There’s always a new situation, a new client, a new industry, or a new twist.
We can apply about 80% of our models effectively, and the other 20% we figure out as we go.
Working at Oaklyn Consulting is a hell of an adventure.
It’s a blast. It’s a grind.
And I love it.