MEET CHARLES MARINO

More than double the revenue, double the profits, and a company on hyper drive. These are the things that have happened since I started meeting with Charles.  He has guided me, both personally and professionally, with outside perspective that has dramatically helped my business and changed my life for the better. Charles has grown to be more than a coach. He is an impactful sounding board, a valuable resource, and a trusted ally. He holds me accountable and speaks up even when a topic may be uncomfortable. Hiring Charles was a launching point for my business to mature. If you are ready to move your company from adolescence to adulthood, hire Charles – he will help you move the needle. 

Charles’s approach to coaching is transformational.  After working with him for several years, and now looking back, I can see the new foundations he has help create in my business and model.  His ability to simplify and focus are extremely valuable to me and our organization.  I would recommend Charles to anyone that wants to grow!

I was a first-time CEO when I joined the McNay Art Museum in the fall of 2016 as its only third executive director. I joined the staff of the first modern art museum in Texas with very ambitious goals of maximizing the Museum’s impact on San Antonio’s growing communities. Early on I met Charles Marino, who during our first Vistage one-on-one session asked me about my elevator pitch. I didn’t have one. In fact, an elevator pitch was one of many things Charles would later teach me to always have at hand as a CEO. So, we crafted one together. A week later, during my first day on the job, the Chairman of the McNay’s Board of Trustees, the late Tom Frost, also asked me for my elevator pitch. Thanks to Charles, I was prepared: “I’m in the business of encouraging people—ALL people—to question the world around them and be inspired to dream and grow, all by engaging with the best of the visual arts.” Mr. Frost was impressed, because it dovetailed beautifully with the McNay’s mission statement.

Being hired as only the third director of a 65-year-old organization has its challenges, particularly for a first-time CEO. But thanks to Charles and his guidance, encouragement, and support these last two years, I was able to realize everything I had promised the Board of Trustees I would deliver when we first met during my interviews. Thanks to Charles, I have been able to focus on vision and strategy while simultaneously strengthening the organization. I was able to introduce a new vision for the McNay, of balancing artistic excellence with community impact. With his support, I was able to improve the organization’s business model with a greater focus on earned revenue opportunities, which we emphasize at new monthly sales meetings. And I was able to strengthen the organization’s work culture by introducing Values-Based Leadership. Charles played a key role in all three contributions, particularly in improving the Museum’s business model. He helped me appreciate on day one that the McNay’s non-profit status is a tax strategy, not a business strategy. And he has helped me and the Board of Trustees close our last fiscal year with a surplus. I am grateful to Charles for so much of the McNay’s success these last two years. His impact on the organization was almost immediate, and I—along with everyone we serve here at the first modern art museum in Texas—am profoundly grateful.

Charles Marino has been my business advisor for the past 6 ½ years.  He’s been a trusted confidant whose objective advice has helped me work through many business challenges in today’s competitive industry.   His highly motivated and structured model in executive coaching has made a measurable difference improving my focus, gaining a greater perspective, building on setting and achieving my goals, and growing my leadership capacity.

Charles has been my personal business coach for the past 7 years.  Through our one to one coaching sessions, we have continued to work on the strategy for Legacy Mutual Mortgage.

Over the past 7 plus years we have doubled our gross revenue from $30 Million annually to $60 Million annually.   Charles is a very valuable business coach for someone that is serious about taking their business to the next level.

I have been working with Charles Marino for over six years.  His influence and coaching has allowed our company to make significant improvements in many aspects of our business but most importantly, profitability.  Charles brings a vast amount of business experience and perspectives that help me see opportunities to improve in many facets.  He provides very clear suggestions and holds me accountable to deliver results.  Charles has a very direct communication method which I have found very productive.  I look forward to many more years of working with Charles Marino.

If you are seeking a business coach who will work with executives, directors and mid-level management to improve performance, leadership skills, & communication effectiveness while exceeding outcome expectations, then I would highly recommend an outstanding business coach named Charles Marino.

I have had the distinct pleasure to work directly with Mr. Marino as well as many of my leadership team since 2010. Charles’s experience, determination, accountability, continued people development and organization guidance has allowed Vanguard Resources to improve prior performance in customer mix, financial performance, new sales, etc. From 2010 to end of year 2017 we have experienced a 205.2% increase in revenue while increasing EBIT by 344%.

Charles has continually challenged me and my organization team members to re-examine our current business and financial models and to recreate ourselves to enhance the outcomes while always monitoring performance daily.

He challenges each of us in ways that may be uncomfortable for peers or subordinates, however he challenges with curiosity and questioning. He never assumes his solution is the best for our situation but offers it up for consideration and allows us to find the solution that is right for us. He has personally broadened my views, both on business & personal matters, offering new and creative ways of looking at certain issues. He has been able to offer an outsider’s viewpoint, which is often overlooked when individuals are to close to the issue at hand, and offer unbiased advice on how to approach the problem.

Charles is a tremendous asset to CEO’s and business executives in my Vistage group. I would highly recommend Mr. Marino to any CEO or Executive team in need of advancing their business outcomes.

I have known Charles for many years when I was a member of the Vistage Executive Network. In that time, many beautiful things have happened because of knowing him.  Throughout the years we worked together he helped provide guidance that resulted in more than doubling the size of our company.

Charles has been a friend, a coach and someone who always brought a fresh perspective with direct and clear questions.  I can reflect today and see many successful initiatives in motion in our company that started out as conversation in one of our monthly sessions.

Charles has never been afraid to challenge me in all areas. He pushed me for greatness to the levels at which I told him I was going to achieve.  I’m an exceptional leader, husband and father because of the many things I learned from Charles.