About
I built ClearStack because the gap was too wide.
Mid-market businesses deserve the same quality of technology leadership that Fortune 500 companies take for granted. ClearStack Advisory was founded to close that gap.
My Story
Twenty Years in IT Services. Now I Advise Companies on the Buying Side.
ClearStack Advisory exists because of a problem I used to be on the other side of: the company managing your technology is rarely the company positioned to tell you honestly whether it's still earning what you pay it. Nobody grades their own work accurately, no matter how well-intentioned they are. I ran an MSP for years, so I know exactly where the gap sits between what a contract promises and what actually gets delivered.
I built LANPRO Systems from the ground up into an IT services firm serving 350+ enterprise clients across healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and professional services, then sold it in 2023. That experience taught me precisely how an MSP relationship gets managed from the inside: where scope quietly narrows, where hours get padded, and where a client's trust gets treated as a renewal strategy instead of something earned every month. I started ClearStack to put that knowledge to work for the companies paying the invoice, not the ones sending it.
My approach is direct, transparent, and built around your business objectives, not my billing model. Every engagement starts the same way: a 20-minute fit call, then an independent audit of what you're actually getting for what you're paying, not a pitch for a retainer. What happens after that is your call.
Who I work with: B2B companies at $10M to $30M in revenue, where the buyer is the CEO, CFO, or COO. My comments have been quoted in TechTarget ("Use Cybersecurity Awareness Month as a springboard, not a fire drill," October 1, 2026) and The Epoch Times (cyber fraud story, October 3, 2026).
My Mission
Candor is a service.
Too many technology advisors are grading their own work. The MSP telling you your MSP relationship is healthy has an obvious incentive problem, whether or not anyone involved is being dishonest about it. So does the consultant recommending a platform they get a cut of, or the vendor telling you exactly how much you need to buy this quarter.
ClearStack was built as a direct response to that dynamic. I don't sell managed services, software, or security tools, and I don't get paid more when you buy more of anything. What I do is give you the technology leadership your organization actually needs: honest, experienced, and structured so my incentives and yours point the same direction.
How I Work
Principles I don't bend on.
Honesty over comfort
I tell clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. If a strategy is wrong, a vendor is underperforming, or a project is behind, you'll know: in clear language, with a path forward.
Outcomes over activity
I measure my performance by business results, not deliverable counts. Slide decks and status reports are tools, not the work. The work is moving your revenue, cost, or risk profile in the right direction.
Simplicity over sophistication
The best technology solution is the one that solves the problem reliably and doesn't require a specialist to operate. I resist complexity for its own sake.
Long-term over transactional
My engagements are structured to end when the work is done, not to maximize recurring revenue. Most clients stay because the relationship is valuable, not because they're locked in.
How an engagement starts
Every engagement follows the same three steps: a 20-minute fit call, the Clarity Audit ($2,500 fixed fee, 2 to 3 weeks), and a fractional CIO retainer ($9,500 per month) if the audit shows a fit. The audit fee credits toward your first retainer month when you sign within 30 days of the findings presentation.
Start With a Clarity Audit