Testimonials

I’ve worked under Tom’s trusted tutelage for 3 years now and can’t say enough about how far I’ve come and how much I’ve enjoyed our time together. I came to Tom facing some serious issues and his ability to ask the right (and many times difficult) questions cut right to the meat of issues, but at the same time always showing his concern for where I was in my journey, he quickly earned my trust from our very first meeting. Tom’s structured approach and consistent methods questioning even my most fundamental habits, have resulted in achieving goals beyond what I imagined. Having Tom “in my corner” has literally changed my life. Tom Walken is the “real deal.”

Tom has a keen and strategic understanding of finance and operations, using his deep and varied experience as a consultant and operator to drive operational excellence and revenue growth within the SMB and mid-market segments. During my time working with him, I witnessed a unique combination of empathy and technical prowess, something that is both valuable and desperately needed in many growing organizations. I would recommend Tom to any leader looking to improve and modernize their operating model.

Tom Walken is a genius when it comes to helping people bring their company to the next level. His ability to listen combined with his extensive business knowledge is worth millions. I recommend him to anyone in the arts who wants to keep the business side of their life organized.

We have been so pleased to have Tom work with AudioFile Magazine for so many years – almost 30 – as a Contributing Editor and audiobook reviewer. He continues to bring his fresh perspectives and broad interests to his regular column, Learning By Ear, and to his insightful reviews of audiobooks on business, economics, personal growth and contemporary culture. We enjoy collaborating with him on upcoming articles and topics, as well as on occasional production issues. He’s great at meeting deadlines and brainstorming with us on editorial issues, but also at provoking discussions of broader issues that are important to the business.

We sought Tom’ help in hiring a manufacturing plant manager after we terminated a recently hired manager who was a leadership nightmare. We wanted to be sure that the next hire could get get the job done and reassure our assembly teams who were still upset about the previous hire. Tom’s evaluation of the finalist for that position gave us a clear picture of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and how he would handle the situation we were dealing with at the plant.

After the unexpected death of our CEO, Tom met with me and my team and helped us re-assign staff responsibilities. We were falling behind competitively and needed to fine-tune how we were using the talent we had. His thoughtful suggestions helped us move ahead with a sales and marketing plan that made more sense. His steady hand helped us through a tough time and led us to some changes in our ownership structure.