Running a small business is one of the hardest, loneliest jobs there is, and the owners who need a trusted sounding board most often can least afford one.
Main Street changes that: a monthly, one-on-one coaching relationship with a seasoned executive advisor, offered at a community rate as an investment in the owners who keep our region strong.
Owners and founders of micro-businesses and early-stage companies who are serious about growing, and ready to do the work.
If that's you, you're exactly who this is for.
Founding Members:
$150/month, locked for life.
Join now as a founding member and your rate never goes up for as long as you stay enrolled. Members who join later pay the standard $200/month community rate.
Scholarships Available: A limited number of scholarship seats are reserved for genuine need. Just ask on the application.
Bryan Van Itallie is the founder of Deep Dive Leadership Consulting and a Vistage Chair guiding CEOs across Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana. A former nuclear submarine officer with a Duke MBA, he spent 30+ years in senior leadership at John Deere, Grace Technologies, and PIC Trailers.
Main Street is his way of putting that experience to work for the owners building our community.
Good Questions... Answered
How is this different from just hiring a business coach? Most coaching is built for companies that can absorb a $1,000-plus monthly retainer. Main Street is built for the owner who can't yet, but needs the counsel just as much. You get an experienced executive advisor one on one, every month, at a community rate. Same caliber of thinking, sized for a small business.
What actually happens on a monthly session? You bring what's on your plate: a hiring decision, a cash crunch, a partner conflict, a growth bet, or just the weight of carrying it alone. We get to the real issue and you leave with a clear next step. It's your hour, focused on what matters most to you right now.
Is my business too small or too new to qualify? Almost certainly not. Main Street is made for micro-businesses and early-stage companies. If you're serious about growing and willing to do the work, you're exactly who this is for.
What does it cost, and what's the catch? Founding members pay $150 a month, locked in for as long as you stay. Members who join later pay $200. There's no catch. This is a give-back, a way to invest in the owners who keep our community strong. A limited number of scholarship seats are reserved for genuine need. Just ask on the application.
How do I lock in the founding rate? Apply while founding seats are open. Founding members keep $150 a month for life, even after the standard rate moves to $200. And if you join later and refer an owner who joins and stays, you earn the founding rate as a thank-you.
What if I need to pause or stop? You can. There's no long-term contract. Stay as long as it's serving you, pause if life or the business demands it, and pick back up when you're ready.
Do you only work with manufacturers? My deepest experience is in manufacturing and operations, but Main Street is open to owners across industries. Good leadership questions cross every sector.
How much time does it take? One hour a month, plus whatever thinking you do between sessions. It's built to fit a busy owner's schedule, not add to the load.