About Larry
Larry Closs is a seasoned leadership coach, consultant, and entrepreneur dedicated to empowering leaders and transforming teams. With a proven track record of building, scaling, and exiting businesses, he brings invaluable real-world experience to his coaching practice. Larry has founded and scaled multiple companies, appearing eight times on the Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing companies. In 2021, he successfully exited a home services company to a ~$1 billion private equity-backed roll-up, staying on post-transaction to manage through the transition and eventually working as a coach, consultant, and facilitator through the private equity fund’s exit.
Beyond his coaching practice, Larry is involved at the board, founder, and investor levels with private companies; active in local non-profits; guest lectures in MBA programs; and is a member of Tiger 21. Larry is an alumnus of Tulane University and Harvard Business School's Owner/President Management Program, completed Rice University's CoachRice program, and is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Larry Closs
LEADERSHIP COACH
Unlock Leadership Potential and Organizational Performance
Maximize your personal and professional growth, confidently navigate private equity transitions, build high-performing teams, and transform your organization's culture with seasoned executive coach, Larry Closs
Services for Individuals
Transformative Leadership Coaching
Tailored Coaching Experience: Every leader's journey is unique. Larry offers personalized coaching to address your specific professional and personal goals.
Holistic Growth Approach: Focuses on both business challenges and personal development to unlock untapped potential.
Proven Methodologies: Utilizes evidence-based techniques
like one-on-one coaching, 360-degree feedback, guided visualizations, and industry best practices to deliver tangible
results
Private Equity Transition Coaching
Navigate New Ownership: Specialized coaching to help leaders successfully manage the dynamics of private equity acquisitions.
Change Management: Guide leaders to implement effective strategies, foster collaboration, and maintain morale during transitions.
Next Steps/New Purpose for Owners/Founders
Purpose Rediscovery: Assist former owners and executives in exploring new avenues for personal and professional fulfillment after exiting their companies.
Strategic Life Planning: Set goals and develop a roadmap
for your next chapter.
Services for Organizations
Expert Facilitation
Facilitate Effective Meetings: Improve communication between internal teams, ownership, and other operating companies.
Lead Strategic Planning: Drive your company's vision and objectives forward through strategic planning sessions.
Private Equity Support
Roll-up/Consolidation: Assist in facilitating roll-ups and consolidations by working closely with operating company executives and teams.
Team Alignment: Foster collaboration and maintain morale
during transitions.
Culture Building/Alignment
Culture Transformation: Discover, build, or transform your organizational culture for better alignment and performance.
Help build systems and traditions to strengthen your culture.
Sample Use Cases for Services
Private Equity Roll-Up Integration
A roll-up is struggling to achieve buy-in and alignment. Operational leaders (i.e., former founders) need to understand and implement changes in systems, branding, and the roll-up process. Larry facilitates group meetings with operating leaders, as well as joint meetings with PE and operating leaders, serving as a liaison between the two.
Outcome: Operating leaders gain a clearer understanding of what is required and demonstrate greater buy-in. The PE firm gains a deeper insight into the operating leadership’s viewpoints and can make more informed decisions regarding the future organizational chart and division realignment.
Founder Seeking the Next Chapter
A founder who exited to PE feels stuck and uncertain about the future. Larry helps the client develop personal values and a mission statement and conducts a 360-degree review with close associates, friends, and family, which provides valuable feedback.
Outcome: The client develops a values-based life plan and feels re-energized, moving forward with a clear sense of purpose, and enjoying a renewed, positive relationship with his family.
New Hire Leader Aspiring to Excel
A newly promoted non-profit CEO wants to reach his full potential and meet the board’s ambitious goals. Larry begins by holding client meetings and conducting an in-person 360-degree review with team and board members. He integrates the 360-degree feedback into his coaching and collaborates with the client to design a plan that achieves both personal and board goals.
Outcome: The CEO gains the confidence to achieve both personal and board objectives, feeling energized to pursue an even more ambitious strategic vision for the organization.
Founder Struggling with Transition to Private Equity Ownership
Larry meets with the founder and PE owners to identify gaps and issues, helping them set concrete, mutually agreed-upon goals. He provides one-on-one coaching and conducts regular check-ins with the PE owners. The founder feels comfortable having an external, experienced coach.
Outcome: The founder adjusts to the new role, embraces the company culture, and accepts support. The next quarter’s KPI goals are met, and the executive team is aligned.
"Larry is a fantastic coach. He has a very effective approach to helping people find clarity and motivation. I called Larry after a private equity acquisition of the company I worked for. Through our coaching sessions I was able to sort through the noise and figure out what was of real priority to me in my career - and confidently pursue it. I found our discussions an invaluable resource in directing me toward realizing my goals."
Testimonials
"I reached out to Larry to help develop a young founder from a company we acquired. I knew the founder needed some work on his executive leadership skills and I was not sure that the founder had what it took to move the company to the next level. Larry did a great job working the founder and helping them with not just better basic management skills but also helped them develop higher level strategic thinking. Larry also provided me with feedback that helped me evaluate the founder. I am now going to bring Larry in sooner on our next deal."
"As an incredibly successful entrepreneur, business owner, CEO with extensive engagement in both profit and nonprofit sectors, Larry brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his executive coaching and leadership mentoring. Soon into my engagement with Larry, I began keeping a document entitled "Larry's Nuggets of Wisdom" to capture the advice and counsel that every coaching session provided. From the strategic to the managerial to the financial to the personnel decisions that make or break the success of your organization, there is not an issue too large or small that Larry doesn't tackle with you, and that coaching extends to your leadership team as needed. Larry cuts through the fog and provides clarity where you need it most."