Welcome to AretéUnboxed! My name is Scott, and this business is a therapeutic journey for me. To be clear, I don’t claim to embody areté—excellence and virtue—myself. But, like many of you who have found your way here, I value the pursuit of areté even while knowing it will never be attributed to me.

When I was a young man, being "average" wasn’t my aspiration. But, over time, I’ve come to appreciate its value and benefits. The point of average on the bell curve is at the top or apex, so I'm among the majority of people, giving me the ability to understand most of us...including your customers and supporters...most of the time. But more importantly, I can see, understand, and empathize with people across the spectrum from this vantage point. I consider this to be my secret sauce and it gives me the confidence to offer my perspective, experience, and skills to you as a decision maker. This is especially helpful when thinking about using Ai in your organization. It's new, mind-boggling, and a little scary. But it is also a powerful tool for any organization that wants to grow and prosper in this Ai era. Ai is here to stay so let's unbox it and apply it for your organization today!

Yes, I am an Average Joe who finds joy in learning from and admiring the qualities of people who embody areté. I love discovering those who break out of boxes and reach for something greater and I have found that leaders in small businesses or non-profits embody areté more than most. This is why AretéUnboxed.com came to be. I want to help decision makers implement Ai processes in their organizations that can help move them farther and faster toward their mission and goals!

Are you ready to engage Ai on your organization's journey toward Areté? Email me for an initial no-cost meeting to see if we are a good match: Scott@areteunboxed.com

"A" is also for Average Joe

A message about why we should meet.

Scott's Experiences and Why They Matter

Sales: Nearly 20 years in school publishing/textbook/EdTech sales throughout California for companies like McGraw-Hill and Cengage/National Geographic Learning, two companies whose culture allowed me to help make a significant positive financial impact on their sales numbers.

Why This Matters: Consistently found ways to improve sales and the sales process including analysis of public data to upend market share toward employer's products; discovery of unused internal system capabilities which when utilized drove sales while cutting time and internal costs. This interest and ability to improve sales will be applied to your business.

Small Business Owner: 5+ years as a residential and commercial construction subcontractor where I managed all aspects of production, inventory, management, sales, and employee relations.

Why This Matters: Responsible for all aspects of business. Streamlined production processes, reduced inventory costs, shifted focus to the most profitable SKUs, and improved employee morale while building brand value. I understand the pulls, pushes, and pressures of small business ownership.

Startup/Founder: EdTech program for teachers to manage classroom and schoolwide student behavior, focusing on positive reinforcement, always with an eye for leveraging software code for new uses and markets.

Why This Matters: Seeing a serious unmet need in school classrooms throughout the country, Scott built an "app for that". Discovered how difficult starting a business is, learned from mistakes, pivoted often, and found new markets. A humbling and invaluable experience that highlighted the fundamentals of the start-up environment.

Accounting and Financial Services: Former CPA with international accounting firm Ernst and Young (formerly Ernst and Whinney) acquiring practical and diverse experience in audit and tax preparation.

Why This Matters: Acquired strong accounting, audit, and tax experience. Can help with accounting systems, paper flow, financial reports, and internal controls. Understands the importance of a good set of books that can be relied on to inform decision-making.