Scaling Through Standards: From Local Trade to Platform
Join us for our second Operators Huddle featuring Mark Stoner, Founder of Ashbusters and co-founder of the Chimney Collective. Over 40+ years, Mark grew Ashbusters from a local trade business into the 2nd largest chimney repair company in the US. He'll share hard-won lessons on building field teams, developing leaders, creating repeatable standards, and moving from founder hustle to a scalable operating company.
We built this because no one else did.
Most networks are built for dealmakers, investors, or founders raising capital. Operators Huddle exists for the scalers — the ones who inherit the strategy, build the machine, and make it real. We don't pitch. We don't sell. We practice the craft of operating together.
A room designed for real conversation.
Every huddle is a facilitated conversation — curated guests, a capped room, and Chatham House Rule from start to finish. Whether it's a keynote, a panel, or a roundtable, the format serves the room — so operators can speak freely about what's really happening inside their organizations.
What happens in the room.
Operator-Led Sessions
One operator shares a real challenge or playbook. No slides required — just candor.
Peer Exchange
Structured roundtable where operators trade what's working, what's not, and what they'd do differently.
Trusted Referrals
We surface vetted vendors, advisors, and tools the way operators actually find them — through trusted peers.
Chatham House Rule.
Participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
Built for people like you.
Current Operators & Executives
COOs, VPs of Ops, Chiefs of Staff running the day-to-day.
Founders & Owner-Operators
Building and operating simultaneously.
ETA & Search Fund Operators
Acquiring and operating small businesses.
Operating Partners & Investors
Hands-on value creation in portfolio companies.
Fractional Leaders
Seasoned operators working across multiple organizations.
Finance, People & GTM Leaders
The operational backbone — scaling revenue, teams, and systems.
From the Inaugural Huddle
Adam Malone spoke on "Failure IS An Option: The Truth About Risk, Trust & Great Leadership." Learn more at The Tenacious Operator.
"It's rare that a speaker shifts my perspective. Adam's ability to tell a very relatable story that resonated with everyone in the room, keep the presentation feeling like a conversation, and bring new insights to the way I think about leadership made for a very enjoyable experience. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a speaker for their event."
"Adam brought a comprehensive, real-world tested framework for enabling team members to embrace their agency and act fully within their span of control. I appreciated that I left with both an understanding of a theory of agency and a simple, practical way to execute."
"Tremendous"
Request Your Invitation
Operators Huddle is invite-only. If you're an operator who builds, scales, and leads in Tennessee, tell us about yourself.