Unleashed
Unleashed is a private Michigan-based consulting firm, founded in 2018, that helps SMB founder CEOs hire and onboard 2nd-In-Command (COO/Integrator) counterparts using a proprietary EOS-based 4-step methodology. It has served 150+ founder-led businesses via custom, quote-based multi-year engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersEast Lansing, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Unleashed does
Unleashed (legally Wholehearted Academy, LLC d/b/a Unleashed CEO) is a private professional services firm headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan, founded in 2018 by Richard Shaull. The firm helps founder CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses escape the "Chief Everything Officer" role by matching them with a 2nd-In-Command (2IC) counterpart — typically a COO, Integrator, Chief of Staff, or President — who can execute the founder's vision. The methodology is grounded in the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) framework, drawing explicitly on the Visionary/Integrator dyad from Gino Wickman's Rocket Fuel.
The core offering is a four-step process — Define, Find, Onboard, Support — packaged as four trademarked methodologies: 2IC Compatibility™ (assessment of identity, personality, and competency to define a Success Profile), 2IC Network and Opportunity Recruiting™ (talent sourcing across a pre-vetted network), the Delegation Plan™ (onboarding with a 30-day ROI guarantee), and the Scaling Support Platform™ (ongoing peer and advisory ecosystem). Unleashed is not a technology product; it is a high-touch, human-delivered consulting and recruiting service with no API, SDK, or mobile app. The company monetizes via custom quote-based, multi-year professional services contracts and offers a risk-free guarantee of measurable ROI within 30 days of the initial hire; secondary recurring revenue comes from ongoing Scaling Support subscriptions.
Distribution is sales-led and direct: the primary conversion path is a "Book A Call" discovery consultation funneling prospective founder CEOs into a personalized engagement. The target customer is the SMB founder CEO experiencing overwhelm, with the company reporting 150+ Founder CEOs served cumulatively across industries including insurance, real estate, laundry services, marketing, and professional services. Supporting go-to-market assets include the Becoming Unleashed Podcast, The Visionary Newsletter, the Unleashed Blog, two lead-magnet eBooks (The Remote Integrator Revolution; Are You Missing Your 2nd-In-Command?), an Accelerator training program, and an Advocate Partner Program offering up to 20% referral commission to partners with founder-facing audiences. The firm is founder-owned, has not raised external capital, and operates with an ~11-person team across operations, finance, 2IC delivery, growth, development, and administrative functions.
Unleashed firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Unleashed
- Legal name
- Wholehearted Academy, LLC
- Website
- https://unleashed.ceo
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Unleashed is a private Michigan-based consulting firm, founded in 2018, that helps SMB founder CEOs hire and onboard 2nd-In-Command (COO/Integrator) counterparts using a proprietary EOS-based 4-step methodology. It has served 150+ founder-led businesses via custom, quote-based multi-year engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Unleashed industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Recruiting and Business Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Executive RPO (Leadership Hiring Programs) (BPACABAI), Manager & Team Leader Onboarding (EDABAOAC)
Keywords
Where Unleashed is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- East Lansing
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Unleashed business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- 2nd In Command Matching Services: End-to-end professional services encompassing defining the role, recruiting, onboarding, and supporting the 2nd-In-Command hire. The 4-step process provides a complete solution from identifying needs through ongoing support.
- Ongoing Scaling Support: Continued support services through the Scaling Support Platform™ providing peer networks, advisors, and tools for ongoing CEO and 2IC development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise solution for Founder CEOs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Unleashed product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Unleashed provides a 4-Step Proven Process (Define, Find, Onboard, Support) to help Founder CEOs find, hire, and integrate an elite 2nd-In-Command (2IC) counterpart such as a COO, Integrator, or Chief of Staff. Services span candidate profiling via 2IC Compatibility™, recruiting through a pre-vetted talent network, a Delegation Plan™ with a 30-day ROI guarantee, and ongoing scaling support for the CEO and 2IC pair.
Product overview
Unleashed is a consulting and coaching services company offering a single unified methodology—the 4-Step Proven Process—to help Founder CEOs escape the 'Chief Everything Officer' role by matching them with elite 2nd-In-Command (2IC) counterparts. The core process comprises four interconnected services: 2IC Compatibility™ for defining candidate profiles, 2IC Network and Opportunity Recruiting™ for talent acquisition, Delegation Plan™ for onboarding with guaranteed ROI, and the Scaling Support Platform™ for ongoing support. Additionally, the company provides educational content through branded resources including The Remote Integrator Revolution eBook, the Are You Missing Your 2nd-In-Command? guide, the Unleashed Blog, the Becoming Unleashed Podcast, and The Visionary Newsletter. An Accelerator program trains founders and their teams to scale without burnout.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 4-Step Proven Process (Define, Find, Onboard, Support) Structured end-to-end methodology that defines the right-fit 2nd-In-Command profile, recruits candidates, onboards the hire with a delegation plan, and provides ongoing scaling support for Founder CEOs.
- Advocate Partner Program Referral partnership program for partners with audiences needing operations and team support, offering up to 20% commission on referred clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- 150+ Founder CEOs served successfully with the methodology
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Unleashed
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Unleashed technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Unleashed partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Advocate Partner Program ParticipantscoreUnleashed's Advocate Partnership Program allows partners with audiences needing operations and team support to scale to refer clients in exchange for up to 20% commission on referrals. Partners receive custom referral links, earn commissions, and get featured to the Unleashed community.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Unleashed competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Large global executive search and organizational consulting firm — competes in the broader 'place senior leadership for founder-led companies' space but at enterprise scale rather than the SMB Founder CEO niche.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated CEO & Board Practice — competes for senior leadership placements and offers adjacent leadership advisory services to founders.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm; competes in the same 'place 2IC-level executives' category at the upper end of the market with a broader portfolio of services.
Direct peers
- Riviera Partners: Boutique executive search firm placing C-suite and senior operational leaders — directly comparable offering for the 'Find' step of Unleashed's 4-step process, especially in tech and growth-stage companies.
- EOS Worldwide: The umbrella organization that licenses the EOS framework Unleashed's methodology is built on. EOS Worldwide trains and certifies EOS Implementers who serve the same Founder CEO target buyer with overlapping scaling and operating-system services.
- Strategic Coach: Dan Sullivan's founder-focused coaching organization targeting entrepreneurial CEOs seeking to escape day-to-day operations — same 'Visionary + Integrator' mental model and overlapping customer persona.
- E-Myth Worldwide: Founder-business coaching franchise focused on helping owner-operators systemize and step out of day-to-day work — same Founder CEO pain point and adjacent methodology approach.
- Gazelles (Growth Institute): Verne Harnish's scaling-business coaching and education platform built around 'Scaling Up' / Rockefeller Habits — addresses the same Founder-CEO scaling journey and EOS-adjacent methodologies.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Unleashed social profiles
Digital presenceUnleashed financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Unleashed leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Unleashed funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Unleashed M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Unleashed
What does Unleashed do?
Unleashed provides a 4-Step Proven Process (Define, Find, Onboard, Support) to help Founder CEOs find, hire, and integrate an elite 2nd-In-Command (2IC) counterpart such as a COO, Integrator, or Chief of Staff. Services span candidate profiling via 2IC Compatibility™, recruiting through a pre-vetted talent network, a Delegation Plan™ with a 30-day ROI guarantee, and ongoing scaling support for the CEO and 2IC pair.
Is Unleashed a public or private company?
Unleashed is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Unleashed founded?
Unleashed was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Unleashed based?
Unleashed is headquartered in East Lansing, United States, in the North America region.
How does Unleashed make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. 2nd In Command Matching Services are the primary driver. The others are ongoing Scaling Support.
Who are Unleashed's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles and Spencer Stuart. Direct peers are Riviera Partners, EOS Worldwide, Strategic Coach, E-Myth Worldwide and Gazelles (Growth Institute).
Does Unleashed have an API?
No public API is recorded for Unleashed.
What industry is Unleashed in?
Unleashed's product category is Executive Recruiting and Business Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAB, Executive & Leadership Direct Hire, with a secondary code of BPACABAI, Executive RPO (Leadership Hiring Programs). Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 8742.