Why I’m Starting Mandell Strategic Growth
By Scott Mandell
After more than three decades of building, leading, and advising companies, I’m launching a new chapter—one that feels less like a pivot and more like a return.
Mandell Strategic Growth is the culmination of the lessons I’ve learned, the success I’ve earned, and the desire I now feel to return that value to others. I’m launching this coaching practice to help mid-market founders and leadership teams scale their businesses with clarity, alignment, and real-world perspective.
From Lender to Founder to Coach
My journey began in the 1990s as a commercial lender, helping businesses navigate the complexities of capital, risk, and growth. That experience taught me how to analyze companies—but more importantly, how to listen to entrepreneurs.
In 2001, I became one of them. I founded Enjoy Life Foods and spent 14 years building it into a leading brand in the free-from food space. We grew from a kitchen startup into a nationally recognized company, ultimately acquired by Mondelez. It was one of the first major exits in the “better-for-you” food world—and it came with all the lessons, mistakes, pivots, and hard-won breakthroughs you can imagine.
After that, I led a national cannabis company through its early growth years—navigating complex regulatory hurdles and operational chaos in one of the most volatile industries in modern business. I've also mentored countless founders, invested in privately held companies, and remained active in YPO since 2009.
The Return Phase
I often think about life in three stages: Learn, Earn, and Return. I’ve spent decades learning from others and building my own companies. I’ve had the good fortune to earn success along the way. Now I’m in the return phase—driven not by ego or ambition, but by a genuine desire to help others unlock their potential.
Mandell Strategic Growth is how I’ll do that.
What I’m Building
This is not a traditional consulting firm. I don’t show up with a 200-slide deck and leave you to figure it out. I coach hands-on, using the Scaling Up framework—a practical, proven system designed specifically for growth-stage companies.
More importantly, I coach as someone who has sat in your seat. I understand the pressure of payroll. The messiness of growth. The loneliness of leadership. My job is to help you align your people, clarify your strategy, build execution habits, and ensure your business has the cash—and culture—to scale sustainably.
Who It’s For
Mandell Strategic Growth is for mid-market CEOs, founders, and leadership teams who are:
Growing fast but feeling scattered
Hitting ceilings they can’t explain
Lacking alignment at the leadership level
Ready to build something enduring—but not alone
If that sounds like you, I’d love to talk.
Let’s Build What’s Next
This business is personal to me. It’s not a holding company. It’s not a side hustle. It’s the return phase of a journey that has taken me from banker, to builder, to mentor—and now, to coach.
If you’re a founder or leader looking to scale with clarity and confidence, reach out. I’d love to hear your story—and help you write the next chapter.
