James McCormick
Growth Operations Leader
Operations leader with nearly a decade scaling early-stage and family-owned companies into profitable enterprises — most recently a 500% revenue increase ($1M to $5M) by rebuilding the teams, systems, and software the company needed to mature.
Experience
From building sales agencies to scaling landscaping operations — each role shaped how I think about growth.
ArborScape Inc.
Business Manager
Woodstock, VT
Scaled revenue 5x and grew team from 8 to 30 in 3.5 years
Employee #9 and primary operational architect, partnering directly with ownership to scale a family-owned landscaping operation into a regional market leader.
- Scope: Full P&L ownership across 9 service divisions — go-to-market, pricing, workforce planning, vendor contracts, monthly financials, and biannual strategic reviews (6- and 12-month projections). Daily operating partner to ownership, with formal business reviews twice weekly.
- Internal Overhaul: Rebuilt the back-office stack required to support the transformation — HR (TeamEngine), accounting (QuickBooks Online + chart of accounts rewrite), payroll (Workforce), operations (DynaScape Manage360, Microsoft 365, iPad field data capture), and marketing (website overhaul, print-ad redistribution). Shipped two custom React/TypeScript/Supabase apps (workforce planning + field knowledge library) and introduced 10+ AI tools across 6 functions (Claude, Gemini, M365 Copilot), recovering ~25–30 hours/week. Sales remained owner-led.
- Financial Infrastructure: Rebuilt accounting foundations — migrated QuickBooks Desktop to Online, rewrote chart of accounts for multi-division P&L visibility, developed yearly budgets, and established quarterly KPI reviews.
- Division Launches: Organized and managed the launch of recurring service lines: Garden Maintenance division (3x clients, 4x revenue), Plant Health Care (~2x annual revenue), and in-house Masonry division (built from scratch to six-figure annual contribution).
- People Strategy: Formalized the leadership layer needed to scale from 8 to 30 — designed the org structure, implemented the first handbook, built compensation bands and performance-based bonuses, and led strategic planning. Recruited targeted hires to own new functions as they matured, including an office manager (administrative function) and a part-time social media manager (marketing output).
United Church Camps
Business Development Consultant
Remote
Led second-largest capital raise in org history — $850K
The Horton Group
Risk Advisor & Sales Executive
Waukesha, WI
Built B2B operating fluency across 30+ companies — closed ~$90K and held 100% account retention during the pandemic year
American Income Life
Regional Sales Manager
Minneapolis, MN & Milwaukee, WI
Built agency from 7 to 20 agents, $1M+ first-year sales — 100% commission-based
Three Ways I Add Value
Building the machine, applying the leverage, growing the team.
Build the machine, then optimize it.
I design the systems, processes, and workflows that turn early-stage chaos into repeatable, scalable operations — from standing up new business units to rebuilding accounting foundations.
- Held projected margins through a turbulent growth period — mid-40s gross and double-digit net, both modestly improved
- Business unit launches (3 divisions built)
- Process design & change management
- Enterprise system rollouts (DynaScape, QuickBooks, M365)
- Quarterly KPI frameworks & financial reporting
Software is leverage. I know where to apply it.
Whether it's selecting enterprise platforms, automating manual workflows, or building custom tools from scratch — I close the gap between what a team needs and what off-the-shelf software offers.
- 2 production apps shipped (React / TypeScript / Supabase)
- Enterprise platform selection & implementation
- AI tool adoption across 6 business functions
- Workflow automation & custom tooling
- Data-driven decision-making (Salesforce, analytics)
Scaling teams through ownership, not just process.
I recruit, develop, and retain people who take ownership. From building a sales agency from 7 to 20 agents to growing an operations team from 8 to 30 — I create the structure that lets good people do their best work.
- Compensation frameworks & performance systems
- Recruiting, training, and retention pipelines
- Culture building in high-growth environments
- Cross-functional collaboration with ownership
What I Build
Software that ships.
An ops leader who builds production software is rare. These aren't side projects — they're tools running in the field every day.
Chaos Coordinator
Replaced whiteboard scheduling, eliminated conflicts, and reduced planning time from hours to minutes.
Workforce planning PWA for real-time crew scheduling and capacity visibility.
Crew Companion
Gave every crew member searchable, on-site access to institutional knowledge from day one.
Mobile-first field knowledge library for crew procedures, plant ID, and job-site protocols.
Education
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · 2008 – 2011
Economics (Major), Philosophy (Minor)
Illinois Institute of Technology — AFROTC Detachment 195
Chicago, IL · 2008 – 2011
Aerospace Studies & Military Science (Minor) — ROTC Leadership Laboratories
Beyond Work
Community
- Special Olympics of New Hampshire volunteer
- 9 years active in the recovery community
- WAMBA and VMBA trail association volunteer
Competitive
- Hockey
- Triathlons
- Mountain biking
- Snowboarding
- Surfing
- Hiking & backpacking
Interests
- Business history and founder stories — I read them the way other people watch sports
- Emerging technologies and investing
- A lifelong bias toward helping the underdog
What I'm Looking For
I thrive in environments where the playbook is still being written — where I can build the systems, hire the people, and implement the tools and software that takes a company from scrappy to scalable.
Building mode — whether it's a scaling startup, a new division inside a larger org, or a team that's outgrown what got them here
Operations Manager, Head of Business Development, or Growth & Strategy Lead — close to leadership, with a mandate to build
High trust, high ownership — teams that move fast and love winning
Thanks for making it this far.
Let's Build Something Together
Seeking Operations Manager, Head of Business Development, or Growth & Strategy Lead roles at growth-stage companies
Relocating to Minneapolis, MN