JUSTIN LEA
Architect of Emerging & Transitional Businesses
Builder, operator, and former attorney who gravitates toward ideas that require patience, trust, and persistence to become real.
HAYWORTH ATHLETIC
Over two decades, I have worked alongside teams to move concepts through regulatory, financial, and logistical barriers across consumer products, manufacturing, hospitality, law, and nonprofit infrastructure.
LA CAZA TEQUILA
I value long-term relationships and believe meaningful work is sustained through trust, shared ownership, and consistent follow-through.
TAOS ALE HOUSE
Known for staying with problems until resolution, simplifying complex business models, and blending traditional craftsmanship with practical use of emerging tools including AI for research, design iteration, and operational clarity.
GOOD STITCH
I am drawn to unfinished systems and early stages, often alongside ambitious visionaries, where clarity is scarce and steady hands matter most.
CIRCUMNAVIGATION
That is where I do my best work.
TAOS ECO PARK
Your Questions, Answered
What kind of problems do you take on?
I work at moments of transition. Early stage builds, operational turnarounds, and inflection points where an organization needs structure, clarity, or renewal. I am most useful when there is ambition but incomplete infrastructure, or when a longstanding business needs disciplined execution to regain its edge.
What do you actually do?
I take ideas that exist only in conversation and build the structure required to make them real. That means clarifying the business model, building operational systems, aligning people, and staying with execution until the concept stands on its own.
Do you focus more on strategy or execution?
Strategy determines where to go. Execution determines whether you get there. I help define the direction and then build the operating structure to sustain it.
How do you think about numbers?
A P&L should tell a clear story. I help teams understand what their numbers are actually saying — where margin is leaking, where complexity is hiding, and what must change to create durability. Financial clarity is not about spreadsheets; it is about focus and discipline.
What do you do before the numbers?
Before building projections or pitch decks, I help define why the business should exist at all. What problem is real? Why now? Why this team? If that foundation is unclear, no amount of modeling will hold. I build the narrative that aligns mission, market, and execution into something durable.
What makes you useful in complex situations?
I am comfortable navigating problems that have not been solved before: cross-border logistics, regulatory hurdles, distressed operations, or unconventional partnerships. I build relationships across silos and create connections that did not previously exist, turning friction into forward motion.