Chris Dahlander - about me

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For more than 25 years, I've been in the arena. On the floor, in the kitchen, on the job site, and in the war room when things weren't working. I know what it feels like to make payroll by a thread, to hire the wrong person, to watch a great idea stall because the team wasn't aligned. I also know what it feels like to turn it around.

I founded and grew Snappy Salads from a single concept into a 19-location, $16M restaurant brand over 14 years. Along the way I learned more from the hard moments than the wins and that's exactly what I bring to every client engagement.

Since then, I've worked across construction, CPG, retail, restaurants, sports, and technology starting, transforming, and scaling businesses at different stages and in different kinds of trouble. The thread that runs through all of it is this: when people are aligned on a clear, shared promise, the business performs. When they aren't, no amount of strategy or capital fixes it.

My approach is grounded in three things:

A builder's mindset — I think in systems and structures, not just ideas. 

An operator's discipline — I've lived with the consequences of decisions, so I make them carefully. 

A coach's approach — I develop people, not just processes, because people are the product.

I'm an Eagle Scout, a Positive Coaching Alliance Double-Goal Coach, and an Enneagram 7-8. These aren't just personal details, they shape how I lead, how I listen, and how I show up for your business every single day.

You are the hero of your business story. My job is to guide you and help you play that role even better.

The right fit matters. Here's who I work with best.

I'm not a one-size-fits-all consultant. The clients I do my best work with share a common trait: they're accountable for results and something isn't working the way it should. If that's you, we should talk.

Owner-Led Businesses - You built this. You're proud of it. But somewhere along the way the growth stalled, the culture shifted, or the day-to-day started running you instead of the other way around. I work with owner-operators who are ready to get back in front of their business and stay there.

Mid-Size Companies ($5M–$50M) - You've got traction, but growth has introduced complexity. Roles are blurry, accountability is inconsistent, and the energy that drove the early days is harder to find. I help companies at this stage create the operational clarity and leadership alignment needed to scale without losing what made them good.

Functional Teams Within Larger Organizations - Sometimes the whole company doesn't need work, just one division, one department, or one layer of leadership. I work with executives inside larger organizations who need focused realignment on a specific function: sales culture, operations, customer experience, or team leadership.

Not sure if you fit?

If you're responsible for results and something isn't clicking, that's enough. We can figure out the rest in 20 minutes.

The proof isn't in the pitch. It's in the outcomes.

Every engagement is different. The businesses below came to me at different stages, in different industries, with different problems. What they shared was a willingness to look honestly at what wasn't working and the commitment to change it.

Single-Unit Bakery | Revenue Growth - A bakery owner-operator was working harder than ever but not seeing it in the numbers. The team was busy, but not aligned. We identified the disconnect between what the business stood for and how the team was showing up daily. After establishing a clear aligning statement and rebuilding hiring and recognition practices around it, the result was a 30.4% increase in revenue and $175K improvement in EBITDA in 12 months.

Regional Pizza Chain | Top-Line Growth - A multi-unit pizza chain owner needed his team focused on a single goal: 5% top-line revenue growth. The challenge wasn't ambition, it was that no one could articulate what winning looked like at the restaurant level. We created that clarity, aligned the team around it, and built accountability into daily operations. The 5% target was hit in five months.

Service Business | Culture Realignment - Sometimes the financials look fine but something feels off. That was the case here. Over time, the business had drifted from a people-first culture to a process-first one. Morale was quietly declining, the team was leaving, and the customer experience was following. By reestablishing a "People Are The Product" culture (by rebuilding recognition and leadership practices to match), EBITDA improved and Google reviews climbed significantly.

The pattern across every engagement? 

Clarity. Clarity creates alignment. Alignment drives behavior. Behavior produces results. Profitability is the outcome.