Jon Epps

I help founders and leaders through growth, strain and transition, in businesses and nonprofits alike. I've done this work in food production and distribution, construction, camps and nonprofits, and the pattern is the same: the problem is rarely effort. It's the system underneath it.

 

How I got here

I've spent my career inside organizations, not just advising them.

• As an operations leader at Acme Farms + Kitchen and Spade & Spoon, I helped a regional meal kit company through post-pandemic decline and rising costs. I redesigned workflows, built equipment and training systems, and expanded the menu without sacrificing quality or stability.

• At The Firs in Bellingham, I led operations through COVID. I secured funding, held the budget steady, moved staff and board to hybrid work, and kept summer and after-school programs running safely for families.

• As a strategic advisor and board member at Collide, I help a growing nonprofit find where effort is leaking and build the systems behind its next season.

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What I believe about this work

• The constraint is usually the system, not the people. Most teams are already working hard. The problem is structure, not effort.

• Stability before growth. Restore steadiness before you hire, expand or add complexity.

• Process before platform. Fix how the work flows before buying or building tools.

• Trust is the real infrastructure. Change that outruns people's confidence doesn't last.

• Steadiness over urgency. I'm drawn to situations where effort is high and clarity is low, and where progress takes a calm hand.

 

How I work
I tell the truth about what I see, do what I say I'll do, and work alongside your team rather than handing them a report. I work best with leaders who care deeply about their people and their work. I measure success by whether the organization runs better after I've stepped back.

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What leaders say

"Jon strengthened our operational backbone during a pivotal period, delivering measurable impact on efficiency, profitability, and customer experience…"
— Joy Rubey, Founder & Owner, Acme Farms + Kitchen

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"Jon brings unusual clarity to complex situations…"
— Willow Weston, Founder & Executive Director, Collide

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"Jon brings disciplined operational judgment to complex organizations under pressure."
— Paul Peterson, Organizational Leader & Board Member

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"Jon combines systems thinking with practical financial discipline…"
— Marc Watson, Business Manager

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Read the full endorsements

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I'm based in Bellingham, Washington, and have called the Pacific Northwest home for more than 30 years.