Shawn Walsh is the Founder and CEO of Encore Strategic Consulting and a former IT business owner who successfully exited his company in 2017. Drawing on his firsthand experience, Walsh built a business advisory model that leverages peer groups to help business owners grow, improve operational efficiency, and prepare for exit. With The Value Builder System™ as a cornerstone of his methodology, Walsh has created structured peer groups that provide business owners with education, accountability, and strategic insights.
Business Challenges
When Walsh transitioned from business ownership to advisory services, he faced a few key challenges. Many business owners struggled with execution, leading to stagnation. “I kept seeing business owners come to the same meetings with the same problems, and nothing was changing,” Walsh recalls. “I knew we needed a structured process to ensure accountability and progress.” Additionally, peer groups often devolved into social gatherings rather than strategic discussions, so he required a structure that ensured productivity and real business impact. Traditional one-on-one coaching was time-intensive, so Walsh sought a model that would provide recurring revenue while maximizing his impact on business owners.
Why The Value Builder System™?
Walsh adopted The Value Builder System™ as a foundational tool for assessing business maturity, identifying areas of improvement, and driving long-term business value. By using the Value Builder Score, he establishes a baseline for each business and tracks progress over time, allowing business owners to see tangible improvements in their company’s value. “Business owners often don’t realize the gaps in their company’s value until they see their Value Builder Score,” says Walsh. “Once they do, it completely shifts their mindset.” The system also provided structured educational content that enhanced peer group discussions, keeping meetings focused on strategic growth and development.
Implementation and Impact
Walsh structured his advisory model around three tiers of peer groups designed to guide business owners through different stages of business maturity. The Fundamentals Group focuses on core business metrics, financial literacy, and operational basics. The Strategy Group helps businesses differentiate themselves, implement strategic growth initiatives, and maximize profitability. The Exit Group prepares business owners for a successful transition by optimizing valuation and planning for succession or sale.
The peer groups meet remotely ten times per year for 90-minute sessions using a structured agenda based on business best practices and insights from The Value Builder System™. Twice a year, members gather for in-person retreats, where they participate in deep-dive strategy discussions, financial benchmarking, and networking opportunities. “One of the most valuable aspects of our model is the in-person retreats,” says Walsh. “It’s where business owners step away from daily operations, focus on their strategy, and learn from each other.” Instead of working one-on-one with clients, Walsh facilitates multiple peer groups, each driving growth and accountability. This model has significantly increased his ability to expand his impact.
A Value Builder Success Story
One of Walsh’s peer group members began with inconsistent revenue and struggled to achieve growth. Initially operating with cyclical cash flow, the business was dependent on a few large clients. Through the Value Builder assessment, Walsh identified customer concentration as a key issue and guided the owner in diversifying revenue streams. By implementing strategies discussed in peer meetings, the business secured long-term contracts, stabilized cash flow, and increased EBITDA. “This client went from struggling with cash flow to running a business with 20% profitability—just by following the structured approach we lay out in the peer groups,” Walsh shared. The owner is now in the Exit Group, preparing for a high-value transition.
Conclusion
Walsh’s integration of The Value Builder System™ into his peer group model has created a structured, scalable, and impactful advisory service. Business owners benefit from ongoing accountability, strategic education, and a community of like-minded peers, all while improving their business’s value and preparing for a successful exit. “Value Builder gives us a structured way to help business owners measure and improve their company’s worth,” Walsh says. “By combining it with peer groups, we create an environment where accountability, strategy, and growth intersect—and the results speak for themselves.” For any advisor looking to enhance their impact and create a scalable revenue model, leveraging The Value Builder System™ within peer groups is a powerful strategy.
