Bryson Trails

I am an entrepreneur at heart

Ellen Bryson HeadshotI launched Bryson Trails in 2005. I enjoy working with small, entrepreneurial, and mid-market companies. I value people and relationships and believe we accomplish great things when we collaborate with others. Trust and honesty must form the basis of everything we do whether personal or business. People and relationships are the foundation of any success, and I have seen this play out in business over and over again! Before pursuing my passion and starting Bryson Trails, I was a business person and a senior executive in the telecom industry.

More about Bryson Trails

I have a deep appreciation for being out-of-doors and love hiking. This inspired me to name my company, Bryson Trails. Taking the time to plan – both on the trail and in business – is the only way to be certain you will complete any given journey, and be successful in achieving your goals.

Bryson Trails is a strategic advisory firm that focuses on strategic execution and people. In order to grow an organization and outperform your competition, you must have a sound strategy and the right people to implement it. I feel my focus on leadership development and organizational health along with a solid process for strategic implementation sets me apart from my competitors. Over the last 15+ years, working across a myriad of industries, I have learned that having a healthy team is critical for success. There is an economic benefit to working on the healthy side of business.

I have walked in your shoes. I have experienced many of the challenges and pitfalls you are facing. I’ve worked in small and large for-profit companies, non-profits, governmental and quasi-governmental agencies, and have launched two start-ups. I have been a CEO and held numerous senior leadership positions before starting my own company. I bring real-world experience to the table. I am passionate about business and people.  I am dedicated to your success!

When you work with me, you can expect the following:

  • Improved performance
  • Stronger results
  • Greater accountability
  • A healthier culture
  • Facilitation of difficult, but necessary conversations
  • Improved communication across the organization
  • Willingness to confront “the elephant in the room”
  • Probing questions
  • Listening to understand

Ellen has worked with my executive management team since October 2007. We began with strategic planning during a 2 day off site session which identified our Core Values, Core Pupose, and Mission… the foundation of Bardi’s strategic plan. The process that Ellen uses revealed the common threads within our executive team with remarkable ease. After the two day session, I was amazed at how much we accomplished and how much she had extracted from the group. She then introduced the “Rockefeller Habits” and has coached the team on on how they drive results to reach our common goals. Ellen facilitates our quarterly one day off site meetings where we review our previous quarter’s initiatives and set new strategic issues for the organization. Another key component that has impressed me about Ellen’s business coaching is how the Bardi executive team has developed into a cohesive leadership team. One of the key tools that she uses is the material in Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team material. Her tactical approach to leadership development has made a difference. Alignment throughout my company from top to bottom is a result of the many tools that Ellen uses and has taught our team to utilize. My company is getting the maximum benefit from her processes. It is a pleasure to have business association with Ellen Bryson.

Alex Bardi
Bardi Heating, Cooling and Plumbing

Ellen has a firm grasp of Vital Learnings technical training courses titled Essential Skills of Leadership and Essential Skills of Communication. Furthermore, she provided exceptional training for a Project Management Professional Certification class called Leading Successful Projects to all ten of our project managers and four senior project managers. Ellen creates a highly engaging learning environment that facilitates the learning results a company would want after a short period of time. I would highly recommend Ellen in any consulting engagement that involves complexity, tight time constraints, or high-quality requirements.

Brian J. Baker
Bardi Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.

I have attended Ellen Bryson’s “Barriers to Growth” presentation on a few different occasions, and I learn something new from it each time. No matter what business you are in, I believe the information is relevant and helpful if you are trying to grow your business. The presentation highlights the common challenges businesses face at different stages of growth, and having that information has helped me become laser-focused on what I need to be doing to grow to the next level. And having Ellen as the presenter is a bonus—she brings a wealth of knowledge from her years as a consultant and coach and supplements the presentation with real-life examples of what it takes to succeed.

Deanne Rosso
President and Wealth Advisor, Vickery Financial Services

Ellen’s Barriers to Growth presentation was a real eye-opener for me. I gained valuable insight into the key roadblocks that deter progress, and especially about how effective delegation will help us to surpass the next hurdle. I will continue to take steps to put all of this knowledge into practice for my business.

Gabe Brauer
President, Kaptiv8

I was introduced to Ellen Bryson and the CEO Advantage program approximately 8 years ago. During my career, I have been exposed to many strategic planning programs, but have found Ellen’s program to be outstanding. Simply, her program creates immediate results but also long-term benefits. It develops very strong communication and focus for the management team but also teaches how to cascade the plans down to everyone within the organization. Ellen is excellent at leading the sessions, explaining the processes necessary for success and following up on the results to keep everyone “on track”. Her leadership style promotes a comfort level that allows individuals to “open up” yet Ellen is excellent at challenging individuals and teams to promote higher achievement within the organization. I highly recommend Ellen!

Greg Weigle
President and CEO Thermopro, Inc.

I was introduced to Ellen Bryson and the CEO Advantage program approximately 2 years ago. During my career, I have been exposed to many strategic planning programs, but have found Ellen’s program to be outstanding. Simply, her program creates immediate results but also long-term benefits. I highly recommend Ellen and do so with my clients!

Gregory T. Weigle, CPA
Cyber Financial Solutions

As President of TNFOC, Ellen acted as an advocate and credible resource with the state legislature on behalf of municipal electric companies providing broadband services in Tennessee. She managed our lobbying effort and facilitated the development of our legislative strategy. Ellen is an excellent organizer and communicator. She is skilled at keeping teams focused and on task to accomplish their desired result. Ellen is positive and professional in all that she does.

Jody Wigington
CEO, Morristown Utility Systems, Morristown, TN

I have experienced Ellen Bryson’s wisdom and expertise for the past four years, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to any organization. Ellen has the experience necessary to offer valuable advice to those wanting to grow or improve their business, and she does so in a way that makes all participating team members excited and passionate about the organization.

Kari Chitwood
Empire South Clothier

Ellen has been a tremendous help to our growing 45 million dollar organization. For the past 20 months, she had helped our large 12 member executive team and me define what winning is, revamp our strategic planning process, and organize our steps towards accomplishing our goals. Her style of engagement with the team is both gentle and persistent as we navigate through tough decisions- many times asking hard questions to bring clarity to our thinking. This recommendation comes with 100% support for Ellen’s leadership, consultation, and facilitation style.

Kelly Phillips-Henry
CEO, Aurora Mental Health Center Aurora, CO

Working with Ellen helped me step back and refocus my energy and resources on the critical aspects of my business. She used The CEO Advantage process to help me evolve my company’s “big picture” into a simple, concise one-page plan. I’m much clearer now on what I want to achieve and find myself making smarter more strategic choices. Energy is up and we are accomplishing more than I had thought possible.

Mary N. Baker
The Baker Company

I have been in business for over forty years in the area of disaster mitigation and restoration. I’ve attended many “growth” presentations, a fair number of seminars on how to build my business, as well as business courses designed to do the same. In all those years, I’ve not run across a better well of information than your presentation. It was well thought out, precisely planned, and intuitive, so that no matter what level of business you are currently in, you can see what the next steps are in the big picture in order to develop and grow your business. While it was a big picture presentation, it attended to the smaller details that always seem to bedevil businesses; that prevent growth, that keep ownership from obtaining the next level. I would highly recommend this presentation, as well as yourself as the presenter. You added your years of business experience and knowledge to the presentation, to make it truly wonderful!

Peter M. Wood
President, Servpro of Athens

After meeting Ellen I was sold, she introduced me to the CEO Advantage process and our two-year journey together began. As a trusted advisor and a facilitator, Ellen lead us through a process that increased accountability, drove results, and enhanced our effectiveness as a team. Whether you need to reposition your company to succeed in a changing business environment, recommit to the course you are already on, or just give your executive team the competitive advantage that comes from everyone being engaged and rowing in the same direction, I believe Ellen Bryson can help you like she helped me.

Rutherford “Ruddy” Polhill
CEO HealthCare Partners, Inc.

Super Speed Wash’s relationship with Bryson Trails Consulting has been a breakthrough for our business and one of the biggest reasons for our continued growth and success. Like many businesses, we’ve always worked hard. But also like many businesses, we haven’t always worked smart. Bryson Trails’ has provided us with the resources, discipline, and accountability to focus on our short and long-term goals with clear purpose and communication.

Ryan Tyrrell
Super Speed Wash

Bryson Trails has been such a blessing to me and my practice! Ellen’s recommendations have made us a more efficient workplace. Our employees feel more valued and in turn, are more dedicated and tuned into the “big picture.” Athens Bone and Joint has transitioned from a linear small business to a company with true opportunities for advancement and professional development

Taylor Miller
Athens Bone And Joint Orthopedic Clinic

As a business owner, it is exhausting addressing the challenges you are met with as you grow. Ellen Bryson’s presentation on “Barriers to Growth” has helped me understand these barriers for each stage of a business life cycle, so I can stay optimistic and be better equipped to handle the future growth of our company.”

Tiffany Hines
President and CEO, Global Escapes

Are you looking for a sustainable business model of success for years to come? I was fortunate to be able to work with Ellen Bryson, a licensed CEO Advantage Advisor, for four years as a member of the leadership team at Bardi. It was challenging, educational and a lot of fun to see the entire company engaged. The leadership team thrived as did the company. Ellen Bryson was certainly a key to it all. Her passion, insightfulness, and honesty was present in everything she did to help us grow and mature as a company. The many things I learned through Ellen and The CEO Advantage model were priceless to both me and the company! Please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to learn more about how Ellen Bryson made us a stronger team.

Tracy Stone
Human Resources Director, Atlanta, GA

What has impressed me most about Ellen is her passion for what she does. I would recommend Ellen’s services to any organization that wants to increase profitability and develop its leadership team. She is a trusted advisor that will partner with the organization to ensure it is focused and moving in the right direction.

Yvonne Aponte
HR Director

Ellen has worked with my executive management team since October 2007. We began with strategic planning during a 2 day off site session which identified our Core Values, Core Pupose, and Mission… the foundation of Bardi’s strategic plan. The process that Ellen uses revealed the common threads within our executive team with remarkable ease. After the two day session, I was amazed at how much we accomplished and how much she had extracted from the group. She then introduced the “Rockefeller Habits” and has coached the team on on how they drive results to reach our common goals. Ellen facilitates our quarterly one day off site meetings where we review our previous quarter’s initiatives and set new strategic issues for the organization. Another key component that has impressed me about Ellen’s business coaching is how the Bardi executive team has developed into a cohesive leadership team. One of the key tools that she uses is the material in Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team material. Her tactical approach to leadership development has made a difference. Alignment throughout my company from top to bottom is a result of the many tools that Ellen uses and has taught our team to utilize. My company is getting the maximum benefit from her processes. It is a pleasure to have business association with Ellen Bryson.

Alex Bardi
Bardi Heating, Cooling and Plumbing

Ellen has a firm grasp of Vital Learnings technical training courses titled Essential Skills of Leadership and Essential Skills of Communication. Furthermore, she provided exceptional training for a Project Management Professional Certification class called Leading Successful Projects to all ten of our project managers and four senior project managers. Ellen creates a highly engaging learning environment that facilitates the learning results a company would want after a short period of time. I would highly recommend Ellen in any consulting engagement that involves complexity, tight time constraints, or high-quality requirements.

Brian J. Baker
Bardi Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.

I have attended Ellen Bryson’s “Barriers to Growth” presentation on a few different occasions, and I learn something new from it each time. No matter what business you are in, I believe the information is relevant and helpful if you are trying to grow your business. The presentation highlights the common challenges businesses face at different stages of growth, and having that information has helped me become laser-focused on what I need to be doing to grow to the next level. And having Ellen as the presenter is a bonus—she brings a wealth of knowledge from her years as a consultant and coach and supplements the presentation with real-life examples of what it takes to succeed.

Deanne Rosso
President and Wealth Advisor, Vickery Financial Services

Ellen’s Barriers to Growth presentation was a real eye-opener for me. I gained valuable insight into the key roadblocks that deter progress, and especially about how effective delegation will help us to surpass the next hurdle. I will continue to take steps to put all of this knowledge into practice for my business.

Gabe Brauer
President, Kaptiv8

I was introduced to Ellen Bryson and the CEO Advantage program approximately 8 years ago. During my career, I have been exposed to many strategic planning programs, but have found Ellen’s program to be outstanding. Simply, her program creates immediate results but also long-term benefits. It develops very strong communication and focus for the management team but also teaches how to cascade the plans down to everyone within the organization. Ellen is excellent at leading the sessions, explaining the processes necessary for success and following up on the results to keep everyone “on track”. Her leadership style promotes a comfort level that allows individuals to “open up” yet Ellen is excellent at challenging individuals and teams to promote higher achievement within the organization. I highly recommend Ellen!

Greg Weigle
President and CEO Thermopro, Inc.

I was introduced to Ellen Bryson and the CEO Advantage program approximately 2 years ago. During my career, I have been exposed to many strategic planning programs, but have found Ellen’s program to be outstanding. Simply, her program creates immediate results but also long-term benefits. I highly recommend Ellen and do so with my clients!

Gregory T. Weigle, CPA
Cyber Financial Solutions

As President of TNFOC, Ellen acted as an advocate and credible resource with the state legislature on behalf of municipal electric companies providing broadband services in Tennessee. She managed our lobbying effort and facilitated the development of our legislative strategy. Ellen is an excellent organizer and communicator. She is skilled at keeping teams focused and on task to accomplish their desired result. Ellen is positive and professional in all that she does.

Jody Wigington
CEO, Morristown Utility Systems, Morristown, TN

I have experienced Ellen Bryson’s wisdom and expertise for the past four years, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to any organization. Ellen has the experience necessary to offer valuable advice to those wanting to grow or improve their business, and she does so in a way that makes all participating team members excited and passionate about the organization.

Kari Chitwood
Empire South Clothier

Ellen has been a tremendous help to our growing 45 million dollar organization. For the past 20 months, she had helped our large 12 member executive team and me define what winning is, revamp our strategic planning process, and organize our steps towards accomplishing our goals. Her style of engagement with the team is both gentle and persistent as we navigate through tough decisions- many times asking hard questions to bring clarity to our thinking. This recommendation comes with 100% support for Ellen’s leadership, consultation, and facilitation style.

Kelly Phillips-Henry
CEO, Aurora Mental Health Center Aurora, CO

Working with Ellen helped me step back and refocus my energy and resources on the critical aspects of my business. She used The CEO Advantage process to help me evolve my company’s “big picture” into a simple, concise one-page plan. I’m much clearer now on what I want to achieve and find myself making smarter more strategic choices. Energy is up and we are accomplishing more than I had thought possible.

Mary N. Baker
The Baker Company

I have been in business for over forty years in the area of disaster mitigation and restoration. I’ve attended many “growth” presentations, a fair number of seminars on how to build my business, as well as business courses designed to do the same. In all those years, I’ve not run across a better well of information than your presentation. It was well thought out, precisely planned, and intuitive, so that no matter what level of business you are currently in, you can see what the next steps are in the big picture in order to develop and grow your business. While it was a big picture presentation, it attended to the smaller details that always seem to bedevil businesses; that prevent growth, that keep ownership from obtaining the next level. I would highly recommend this presentation, as well as yourself as the presenter. You added your years of business experience and knowledge to the presentation, to make it truly wonderful!

Peter M. Wood
President, Servpro of Athens

After meeting Ellen I was sold, she introduced me to the CEO Advantage process and our two-year journey together began. As a trusted advisor and a facilitator, Ellen lead us through a process that increased accountability, drove results, and enhanced our effectiveness as a team. Whether you need to reposition your company to succeed in a changing business environment, recommit to the course you are already on, or just give your executive team the competitive advantage that comes from everyone being engaged and rowing in the same direction, I believe Ellen Bryson can help you like she helped me.

Rutherford “Ruddy” Polhill
CEO HealthCare Partners, Inc.

Super Speed Wash’s relationship with Bryson Trails Consulting has been a breakthrough for our business and one of the biggest reasons for our continued growth and success. Like many businesses, we’ve always worked hard. But also like many businesses, we haven’t always worked smart. Bryson Trails’ has provided us with the resources, discipline, and accountability to focus on our short and long-term goals with clear purpose and communication.

Ryan Tyrrell
Super Speed Wash

Bryson Trails has been such a blessing to me and my practice! Ellen’s recommendations have made us a more efficient workplace. Our employees feel more valued and in turn, are more dedicated and tuned into the “big picture.” Athens Bone and Joint has transitioned from a linear small business to a company with true opportunities for advancement and professional development

Taylor Miller
Athens Bone And Joint Orthopedic Clinic

As a business owner, it is exhausting addressing the challenges you are met with as you grow. Ellen Bryson’s presentation on “Barriers to Growth” has helped me understand these barriers for each stage of a business life cycle, so I can stay optimistic and be better equipped to handle the future growth of our company.”

Tiffany Hines
President and CEO, Global Escapes

Are you looking for a sustainable business model of success for years to come? I was fortunate to be able to work with Ellen Bryson, a licensed CEO Advantage Advisor, for four years as a member of the leadership team at Bardi. It was challenging, educational and a lot of fun to see the entire company engaged. The leadership team thrived as did the company. Ellen Bryson was certainly a key to it all. Her passion, insightfulness, and honesty was present in everything she did to help us grow and mature as a company. The many things I learned through Ellen and The CEO Advantage model were priceless to both me and the company! Please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to learn more about how Ellen Bryson made us a stronger team.

Tracy Stone
Human Resources Director, Atlanta, GA

What has impressed me most about Ellen is her passion for what she does. I would recommend Ellen’s services to any organization that wants to increase profitability and develop its leadership team. She is a trusted advisor that will partner with the organization to ensure it is focused and moving in the right direction.

Yvonne Aponte
HR Director

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