Our partnership starts with a coffee—this isn’t a sales pitch; it’s a real conversation to learn about you and your business goals

Our partnership starts with a coffee—this isn’t a sales pitch; it’s a real conversation to learn about you and your business goals

Coffee & Chat

THE SIALIA CONSULTING GROUP We solve the problem Big Consulting ignores: 70% of AI projects fail because of culture and leadership, not technology. McKinsey charges $500K and sends junior analysts. Boutique AI firms build impressive models nobody uses. We identify why your middle managers will sabotage adoption—then fix that before you waste money on software. Here's how we're different: Complete TransparencyEvery discovery call is professionally transcribed and auto-shared with you immediately. No "he said, she said. "No proprietary insights locked in consultant notebooks. You own the transcript and all recommendations. Operations-Led Approach25 years of running operations informs everything we do. We understand why your warehouse manager won't scan barcodes—not just which scanner to buy. Culture and leadership first, technology second. Fast Delivery, Low RiskKey Findings Reports delivered in 7 days (typically 3). Start with $1K-$2.5K assessments, not $500K proposals. Pilot projects to prove ROI before larger commitments. No 18-month "transformations." Industry Rockstar CertifiedTriple-certified: AI Consultant, AI Implementor, and Data Specialist. Currently advancing through AI-Assisted Leadership and Cultural Technology Adoption certifications—the same framework used by Fortune 500 advisors. But here's the truth: certifications validate the methodology—25 years of operations experience is why I know your culture will resist before you install the system. This 15-minute coffee chat is genuinely pressure-free. We'll determine if there's a fit, and you'll get the transcript immediately after. If your leadership team isn't ready to drive adoption, I'll tell you to save your money.

We identify why your AI project will fail before you waste the money—then help you fix the culture and leadership gaps that kill 70% of implementations. Most consultants sell technology. We solve adoption problems. Here's what actually happens: Transparent DiscoveryEvery call is professionally transcribed and auto-shared with you immediately. No "he said, she said. "No proprietary insights you can't verify. If I recommend it, you have the transcript proving why. Culture-First AnalysisWe analyze your organization with AI-assisted tools to identify cultural readiness gaps and adoption blockers—not just technology opportunities. Your warehouse manager's resistance matters more than your CTO's vendor selection. Fast DeliveryKey Findings Reports delivered in 7 days (we typically deliver in 3). Not 12-week engagements with junior consultants documenting your processes to recommend Salesforce. Low-Risk ValidationStart with a $1K-$2.5K assessment, then pilot projects to prove ROI before larger commitments. No $500K proposals. No 18-month "transformations." Prove value fast or walk away. What makes us different:25 years of running operations (not MBA frameworks).- We start with culture and leadership, not algorithms- Complete transparency—you own every transcript and recommendation- If your leadership isn't ready, we'll tell you to save your money This 15-minute call determines if we're a fit. No pitch deck. No pressure. Just brutal honesty about whether AI can help your business.

Is this really free?Yes. It's 15 minutes. I'm not going to charge you to tell you your AI project is doomed. Will you try to sell me something?Only if I think we can actually help. If your leadership isn't ready, I'll tell you to save your money. What if I've already hired consultants?Then you probably need this call more than anyone. Let me guess—they documented your processes and recommended Salesforce? What's the catch?No catch. I either help you avoid wasting $500K on a failed AI project, or you realize you need someone who gets operations. Either way, it's worth 15 minutes. Do I need to prepare anything?Just be ready to talk honestly about your last technology rollout. What broke? Who resisted? What's still sitting unused? What happens in the 15-minute coffee chat?We'll discuss whether we're a good fit and if AI can actually help your business. Zero pressure. Genuinely exploratory. You get the transcript immediately after so you can review everything we discussed—no "he said, she said. " Why do you transcribe every call?Because most consultants play telephone with your words and later claim you agreed to things you didn't. Every call is transcribed and shared immediately. You have a record of exactly what was discussed, what I recommended, and why. Complete transparency, zero ambiguity. How is this different from big consulting firms?McKinsey charges $500K minimum and sends junior analysts. We start with a $1K-$2.5K assessment delivered in 7 days (usually 3). Then pilot projects to prove ROI before bigger commitments. Plus every conversation is documented and shared with you—not locked in some partner's notebook. What does it actually cost?Anyone who quotes you without understanding your systems is guessing. Our $1K-$2.5K assessment gives you detailed implementation estimates based on YOUR specific reality—not a templated proposal. Then you choose: implement yourself using our roadmap, hire us, or hire someone else. You own the assessment either way. How quickly can I expect results?Coffee chat: 15 minutes, transcript sent immediately. Assessment: $1K-$2.5K, delivered in 7 days (average 3 days). Pilot project: $5K-$15K, 2-4 weeks. Full implementation: scoped based on pilot results. We don't do 18-month "transformations." What if I want to implement the solutions myself?Good. That means the assessment worked. Our Key Findings Report gives you the complete implementation roadmap. Do it yourself, hire us, or hire another provider—your choice. You own the transcript and all recommendations. We'd rather you succeed on your own than fail with us. Do you really share every transcript, even sensitive discussions?Yes. You control what gets recorded. If something's too sensitive, we pause—but 95% of clients don't. Complete transparency builds trust and ensures accountability. I'm not interested in "proprietary insights" you can't verify. If I said it, you should have proof.

I'm Marcus B., founder of The Sialia Consulting Group. I'm not from McKinsey. I didn't get my MBA at Harvard. I don't have a proprietary "10-20-70 Framework" or a deck full of 2x2 matrices. What I do have: 25 years as Director of Dynamic Field Operations &amp; Client Retention at WMAC. I've managed logistics operations, coordinated teams across regions, and implemented process changes on warehouse floors and distribution centers. I know the difference between a PowerPoint that looks impressive and a process that actually works on Tuesday morning at 6 AM. When BCG sends a 28-year-old to your facility, they see "change management opportunities." I see Frank, who's run your shipping department for 15 years, who won't trust the new inventory system because the last three "improvements" made his job harder. That's why 70% of AI projects fail. And that's why I exist. I built The Sialia Agency, teaching businesses digital marketing. Then AI arrived, and I watched companies that spent millions on ad spend—my clients—waste even more millions on AI implementations that looked sophisticated but solved nothing. Same pattern everywhere: brilliant technology, clueless change management, frustrated teams, abandoned projects. That's when I pivoted and launched The Sialia Consulting Group. I became an Industry Rockstar certified AI consultant—not to learn how to code LLMs, but to learn the language of AI so I could translate between your tech vendors and your actual human beings. Now I help small- to mid-cap businesses ($1M-$100M) implement AI without the seven-figure consulting bills or the 18-month "transformation" timelines. This 15-minute call is genuinely pressure-free. I'll tell you if I think we can help. If not, I'll tell you that too. Either way, you get the transcript immediately. When I'm not telling founders uncomfortable truths about their AI strategies, I'm a grandfather to six grandkids in Northern California. Book the call if you want honesty, not a pitch.

What We Do

FAQs