About
A firm built around one idea.
Founders start companies because they love a craft, a customer, or a problem. They end up trapped in the operational drag the business produces. Odin Advisors exists to take that drag off the founder’s plate, so the business gets larger and the founder gets more of their life back.
01History
Where we came from
Odin Advisors was founded in 2021 by Neil Nesladek, who came to the work from both sides of the table.
Years in operations consulting at national consulting firms, with clients ranging from government agencies and oil and gas to tier one auto suppliers and composite manufacturers, where the standard was Lean Six Sigma done properly. Then a decade operating: general manager of a commercial construction business growing at a rate of 70% for six years, then president of a private-equity-owned commercial construction company brought back to saleable. Consulting taught the method. Operating taught what it feels like when the tickets are paper, the invoices are late, and payroll is Friday.
Since 2021 we have worked with founder-led companies in creative services, wealth management, sports technology, and the trades.
02What we stand for
Integrity. Respect. Balance.
Integrity
Do the right thing, even when it is hard.
The easy version of this work is selling the build. We would rather hand you the finding that costs us the engagement.
Respect
Every stakeholder in the business deserves to be heard and understood.
Being heard is quick. Being understood takes time, and that is the part most people skip. We spend the time.
Balance
Performance comes from a holistic approach.
Fix one process in isolation and the problem usually moves next door. We look at the whole operation, and at what running it costs the person in the middle of it.
03How we think
The problem first, the tool second
Most firms chasing the small-business AI market lead with the technology. We lead with the business problem and treat AI as one tool for solving it, often the best one and sometimes not. You get the honest read either way.
04The founder
“The person you meet on the first call is the person who does the work.”
Neil Nesladek · Founder
I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin (McCombs), a BBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and an AI Automation Certificate from Texas Executive Education at McCombs. Odin Advisors is a small firm on purpose: the work is operational, it is industry-agnostic, and it is done by the person you spoke to.
My full background is on LinkedIn.