Operations · E-commerce · Team building
I've run the warehouse, the boardroom, and everything in between. Let's fix your ops.
I co-founded Smoke Cartel, ran its operations, took it public, and led it through an $8M acquisition. Not to mention, lobbied for cannabis reform, aided other companies in preparing for acquisition, and built more than 4 brands. Now I help founders and operators sort out what's breaking, scale what's working, and build teams that don't need them in every room.
No pitch deck required. Start with a 30-minute chat.
Where I can help
The unglamorous stuff that decides whether a business works.
Operations & fulfillment
Warehouse flow, order handling, customer service, and prepping for the rush before it hits. Fewer fires, faster response times.
Tech stack & systems
An honest audit of your tools, what to buy versus build, and the boring playbooks that keep big problems from happening.
Teams & leadership
Hiring the scrappers, paying people fairly, managing through turnover, and building a team that can run without you.
Latest writing
Field notes from the operator's chair
Defend Your Team, Out Loud
Your team finds out fast whether you'll actually go to bat for them. How to build a real case for someone, the time I failed to, and the...
Read the article →
Let the Customer Walk Away Feeling Like They Won
The customer isn't always right, but they should always walk away feeling like they won. The store-credit policy that pushed our returning-customer rate to 27%, and the three...
Read the article →Defend Your Team, Out Loud
Your team finds out fast whether you'll actually go to bat for them. How to build a real case for someone, the time I failed to, and the...
Read the article →Work with me
Bring me the mess. I've probably seen worse.
Straight answers, no jargon, and no 40-page deck you'll never read. We talk through what's going on, I tell you what I'd do, and you leave with next steps you can act on this week.
- 1Pick a call length and a time that works
- 2Tell me a little about the business and what's on fire
- 3We dig in, and you walk away with a plan
A quick gut check on one problem. Good for "am I crazy or is this broken?"
Book 30 minRoom to get into the weeds on operations, systems, or your team, and build a real plan.
Book an hour
About me
Operator first. Also a real person.
I've packed boxes at 2am, sat across from investors, and hired (and lost) people I'd go to war for. I spent eight years building Smoke Cartel, then five more consulting for businesses trying to grow without breaking.
I'm based in Las Vegas by way of Asheville, I studied service design at SCAD, and I believe most business problems are really people and process problems wearing a trench coat.
Hear it from a founder first, directly to your inbox
Practical writing on operations, e-commerce, and building teams. Once a week, no spam. Subscribers also get first word on my book, The Team You Build.
Darby is nothing short of brilliant. She is a charismatic leader with a resilient work ethic and passion for the digital space.