At Big River,
we are proud to have been called on by our colleagues to present our experience and expertise at large membership associations,
industry conferences, small group workshops, and individual management teams.

The below list is a sampling of past presentations.  If you are seeking a professional speaker for an upcoming event please call to enquire about availability.

Change Management Odyssey

A critical event is often the catalyst for change, leading to restructuring, almost a constant in growing companies. As such, change is more of an odyssey, because managing change is dynamic, evolving and never ending.

While change is natural, inevitable and often essential, it is human nature for people to fear and resist change. This speech shares the 10 key elements for an effective change management program.  The examples used were gained from real life business transformations.

This presentation focuses on the role of the sponsor, the importance of culture change in realigning strategic direction, and the responsibility of leaders to foster team building.

Demands of Corporate Growth

Every business knows; if you aren’t driving forward, you are sliding backwards.  The need for growth is constant, and brings with it special demands.  This presentation candidly discusses what management must address to keep moving forward.

As an operator, entrepreneur and strategist, Eric Sigurdson focuses on the “Demands of Corporate Growth”, which when met propel a company toward success.

The speech highlights growth from three perspectives; growth after recession or bankruptcy; growth for a sustaining but stagnant business; and growth of a startup. The 12 “demands” for successful growth are identified, presented and related to circumstances of the growth business.

A Franchise Journey, The Real Krispy Kreme Story

Anyone who has ever thought about building their business beyond the title of “small business,” has thought about franchising.   The Franchise Journey, The Real Krispy Kreme Story is a candid and often humorous presentation that shows the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of running a franchise

The speech is delivered by Eric Sigurdson, founder and CEO of the company that secured area development rights to Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Missouri, Illinois and NW Indiana, growing to $60 million peak sales.  The audience will walk away with a totally new understanding of the challenges of owning and operating a successful franchise business.

Highlights include; The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades!; It’s the Feel Good Business, Not the Doughnut Business; Can You Believe it, They Changed the Recipe!; Ultimate Stupidity, Turning a Cult into a Commodity!; Krispy Kreme “Cooks the Books”; It was never about the Fat, Stupid!; Gangs of New York!; Absent Leadership, Incompetent Management!  Time to Sell.

We started Big River Associates after years of launching,
operating and selling successful businesses.

Over the last 25 years,
we have been in the trenches running businesses.  We know how it feels to make big decisions when it is your capital at risk.  We know what it is like to meet payroll,
sometimes in tough economic times.

And we know what it is like to look around for advice and counsel and find only theoretical “academics” and “big-box” consultants. That’s why we started Big River Associates.

We learned how to run a company when it was our money on the line.  

If your business is at a point where key decisions need to be made, money needs to be raised, or a rough patch needs to be overcome, you can rely on the seasoned expertise of Big River Associates.

We have managed thousands of employees, served as CEO and C-level executives and directors of private and public companies. We have cumulatively raised over a billion dollars worth of debt and equity, executed nation-wide marketing campaigns for Fortune 100 companies, and grown franchise groups to peak annual revenue of $60 million.

You can apply our experience to your business.

Unlike other firms who use their managing partners to sign clients and then pass off the work to junior consultants. When you hire Big River Associates, we personally attend to you.

We roll up our sleeves and work directly with you and your management team.  We are able to cover everything from the creative to the analytic detail, from concept through to completion.

Big River also draws upon an extensive professional network whenever needed. This group includes executive level peers, associates, industry specialists, professionals and Wall Street analysts, as well as connections to credit and capital sources.