About Bob Foster

During my college years I was fortunate to be involved in one of the best work-study programs in the country—graduating from Kettering University with a degree in Industrial Engineering.

After graduation, I worked in a GM plant and started early as a Maverick. I designed production tools and robotic equipment, which I then had constructed in the Maintenance department instead of the Tooling department, thus by-passing all the policies, procedures and directives of General Motors. I got away with it because my inventions worked well, cost less to build, and improved efficiency.

Succumbing to the thrill of the airplane over the automobile, I served a stint on the President’s staff of The Boeing Airplane Company. This experience gave me an entirely new perspective of business, plus an opportunity to apply more of my controversial ideas to several Boeing-sponsored non-profit social service agencies in the Seattle area. (One of these adventures is included as a case history in my book, Be Your Own Turnaround Manager.)

Eventually deciding I needed a new challenge, I took on the job of automating a large mortgage, real estate, and finance company. Successful completion of this task landed me in a position with Coopers & Lybrand (before they merged with PriceWaterhouse) on their consulting staff.

Although large professional firms discourage mavericks and controversy, I lasted long enough to execute a few successful projects (controversial ones, naturally). Then one of Coopers & Lybrand’s clients asked me to take over their small company that had just experienced a total management walkout—and that began one of the most interesting careers imaginable.

Following the successful resurrection of that company after the walkout, I began working as an independent troubleshooter and sub-contract consultant for several professional firms. As CEO or consultant, I worked in businesses from the high-tech world of the "Silicon Rain Forest," to the commercial fishing grounds of Alaska and Mexico. I worked on projects involving products from beer to computers, and in industries from pulp and paper to urban renewal.

I also took my direct and controversial approach to the City Halls of large cities and county governments—and was even invited back.

I rode shotgun through the night with sheriff’s deputies to determine how to make law enforcement more efficient. I bought businesses and sold businesses, and was lied to by large multi-national corporations (according to Wilson Harrell, all big corporations lie).

Along the way I earned a reputation for saving businesses that were deemed unsalvageable.

Not content to just help others with their businesses, I also entered the world of the entrepreneur, where I felt the excitement of success as well as the sting of failure. Tom Peters once said:

"Entrepreneurial Capitalism is the strongest force possible for unleashing human potential."

Until you actually become an entrepreneur you cannot appreciate the full impact of Tom's words.

Yes, I made mistakes along the way, but I also did some things right. It has been a rich and rewarding career and I experienced things in the business world that would normally take several lifetimes to encounter.

Before college I married my High School sweetheart, and we have three children—all of them serial entrepreneurs.

So, that is the foundation and background upon which I am now building this website. I want to share much of what I learned—through real experiences, not just in classrooms—with entrepreneurs everywhere.

Even though I have spent part of my career working for large corporations, it is the small business arena that excites me---where "Entrepreneurial Capitalism" is born and flourishes. While big business stifles creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit, small business encourages and nurtures the entrepreneur in us all.

That is why I am developing this website, and why I now concentrate on helping the small-business entrepreneur. That is my mission, and the mission of this website as well.

I hope you find the information I am presenting in this website helpful in your endeavors as an entrepreneur.

Good luck, and I wish you much success.

Bob Foster

You can contact me by using the Contact Form