Tom Turner

Cultivating Culture and Scaling Success – Tom Turner

Tom Turner is the Managing Director of STS Capital Partners, an international boutique mergers and acquisitions firm. As a CEO, entrepreneur, board member, and philanthropist, he has over 20 years of experience across the legal services, electronic discovery, computer forensics, and technology industries. Tom was also the Founding Partner of DSi, Inc., a legal services firm providing electronic discovery and digital forensics services.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn

[2:26] How Tom Turner pivoted his business from a paper-based to a digital model to skyrocket growth
[6:50] Why Tom joined EO to navigate the entrepreneurial journey — and what he learned from the experience
[10:44] Leadership strategies for creating an impactful company culture
[22:37] Tom’s transition from president to the executive chairman of his company
[27:02] The pivotal decision-making process that led to a business sale
[31:05] Tom talks about the emotional complexities and strategic planning involved in transitioning business ownership
[38:01] Maximizing the value of EO memberships for personal and professional development

In This Episode

It’s common for entrepreneurs to feel stuck in their journeys when they’re battling against growth plateaus and cultural dysfunctions. How can you transform your business to catalyze exponential growth?

After reaching $3 million in revenue, Tom Turner thought he was too good for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. He joined reluctantly and discovered that his leadership and cultural structures were fractured. By investing in a business coach, Tom built a robust culture and a sustainable business model where he transitioned from the president to the executive chairman. This allowed him to scale and eventually sell his business at $180 million. Tom credits peer support in his EO forum and recommends embracing the forum experience with an open mind.

Tune in to this episode of The Decision as Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson chat with Tom Turner, the Managing Director of STS Capital Partners, about how he navigated his business’ growth and exit. Tom talks about how EO transformed his business and life, the process of transitioning business ownership, and how he built a thriving culture.

Quotable Moments:

“Everybody has a culture. You either have a culture by design, or you have a culture by default.”
“The bottleneck is at the top of the bottle.”
“What got you here is not going to get you there.”
“Turn that mess off; start your day in a positive mindset.”
“By building an amazing culture, we… attracted talent that we had not historically been able to attract.”

Action Steps:

Engage with the EO community or similar entrepreneurial networks for support and knowledge sharing: This strategy can result in personal growth and a wealth of shared experiences that can guide important business decisions.
Embrace technological shifts and industry trends to keep the business innovative and competitive.
Cultivate a culture by design within your organization to increase employee satisfaction and retention.
Consider roles within your company and whether leadership changes could benefit the business’ growth.
Plan ahead for the future with intentional estate planning, tax strategies, and exit planning to maximize the value of your business and personal legacies.