Jake Hartson
Founder and strategist for the marketplace.
I help operators get clear, decide, and execute when the next chapter of the business is on the line.
USC Marshall MBV
U.S. Army officer
Strategy & OD
Orange County
How I help
I work with founders and operators who need more than another brainstorm. You need decisions, alignment, and a plan the team can run.
Strategic clarity
Diagnose what is actually stuck. Prioritize the few moves that matter. Leave with a 90-day plan your leadership team owns.
Operating rhythm
Turn strategy into meetings, scorecards, and follow-through. Less duct tape. More repeatable execution.
Leadership transitions
Succession, growth inflection, or a founder who needs the business to run without them in every decision. I help you design the next chapter with people and process intact.
Selected experience
Marketplace credibility built through education, military leadership, consulting delivery, and hands-on operations.
-
Strategy consulting practice
Founded and grew a strategy and people-development practice to six figures. Facilitation, prioritization, leadership development, and operating follow-through for service businesses and mission-driven organizations.
-
USC Marshall School of Business
Master of Business for Veterans. Formal training in strategy, ventures, and the responsibility of building and operating a company.
-
U.S. Army officer
Infantry leadership and Civil Affairs. Taught planning and organizational resilience under pressure. Comfortable bringing order to messy systems.
-
Organization development
Pepperdine MSOD training, Patterson Center strategic planning certification, and GIANT leadership coaching. Pattern recognition across teams, culture, and change.
-
Operator background
Nonprofit and enterprise operations across time zones and complex stakeholder environments. Systems, SOPs, workflow modernization, and adoption that sticks.
About
I live in Orange County with my wife Kinsey and our four kids. Most of my work sits at the intersection of strategy, people, and the operating system of a business.
Before consulting, I served as a U.S. Army officer and led operations in complex environments. I later completed USC Marshall's Master of Business for Veterans program and built a practice helping leadership teams get clear and execute.
I am building in the marketplace as a founder and advisor. If you are navigating growth, succession, or a stuck leadership team, I am easy to reach.
Want to talk?
Email is best for a first note. Text or call if you already have context and want a quicker reply. Coffee in Orange County when schedules allow.
I usually respond within a day or two.