Meaningful Partnership in Action: How OpsLab Helped Beacon HR Gain Traction and Reach New Heights

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At OpsLab, we believe that the most powerful transformations happen when two organizations come together in true partnership—aligning strengths, values, and a shared commitment to meaningful growth. Our work with Beacon HR, led by Founder & CEO Nicole Davidson, is a standout example of what can happen when a Visionary chooses to not go it alone.

The Challenge: A Visionary Ready for the Next Level

Nicole reached out to OpsLab because she could feel the next level of her Fractional HR and Talent Acquisition firm calling her. Beacon HR had already weathered the ups and downs that come with entrepreneurship, and through it all Nicole had doubled down on what mattered most:

  • A powerhouse team committed to Do Awesome Work and Own It
  • A set of strong, lived core values
  • A compelling vision for both her business and her personal life

But like many Visionaries, Nicole was wearing too many hats and the structure and cadence needed to sustain that growth – and make it healthy – weren’t fully in place.

She knew she needed traction.
She knew she needed a Thought Partner.
She knew she needed an Integrator.

That’s when she called OpsLab.

Step 1: Visionary State of Mind Day – Clearing the Path Forward

We began the partnership with a Visionary State of Mind Day, a deep-dive designed to understand the true state of the business – and of the Visionary leading it.

We spent a full day with Nicole asking expansive, clarifying, sometimes uncomfortable questions:

  • What’s working?
  • What isn’t?
  • Where do you feel stuck?
  • What are you ready to let go of to step into the next version of your business?

What emerged was crystal-clear: the potential was massive… but so was the load Nicole was carrying. It was time to create the right structure to support her vision.

Step 2: Building Structure – Accountability Chart + People Analyzer

We tackled structure first.

Beacon HR needed an accountability chart that reflected functions, not people – and made it obvious where seats were unclear, overloaded, or simply missing.

We created a Version 1 Accountability Chart, defining the core accountabilities for every function in the business.

Then we used the People Analyzer to determine:

  • Who was a core values match
  • Who GWC’d (Got It, Wanted It, and had Capacity to do) the role
  • Where gaps existed
  • Where future investments in talent would be needed

This step alone immediately gave the team clarity, confidence, and direction.

Step 3: Strengthening the Data Component — Building Meaningful Financial Insight

Beacon HR had already laid a fantastic foundation: their financials were accurate, timely, and well-organized.

But they weren’t yet telling the full story.

Together, we:

  • Improved COGS allocations
  • Built a V1 budget
  • Started measuring actuals vs. budget
  • Analyzed trends through a financial lens, not just an operational one

This gave Nicole and her leadership team visibility they’d never had before—clear indicators of where margins needed attention, what was driving profitability, and which services were performing best.

Beacon HR was no longer guessing. They were leading with data.

Step 4: Establishing Cadence — The Meeting Rhythm to Drive Traction

Next, we introduced the proper EOS meeting cadence:

  • Weekly Leadership L10 Meeting
  • Weekly Operations L10 Meeting
  • Same Page Meeting between Nicole (Visionary) and Shannon (Integrator)

In these meetings, we:

  • Identified the most important issues
  • Dug to the root cause
  • Assigned action items
  • Held each other accountable—every week

Beacon HR’s team didn’t just embrace the cadence—they thrived in it. Their core values shone through as they completed their To Dos on time, with excellence, every single week.

The Results: A Company Rising Into Its Potential

In only a few months, the transformation has been remarkable.

Beacon HR is now:

  • Exceeding revenue and net profit targets
  • Hitting new gross margin goals
  • Optimizing service delivery through the lens of financial performance
  • Continuing to receive rave reviews from clients
  • Growing a team that feels aligned, challenged, and valued
  • Living their core values louder than ever

The culture is strong.
The leadership is aligned.
The future is, fittingly, Beacon Bright.

A Partnership Rooted in Meaning

Working with Nicole and the Beacon HR team has been a true example of Meaningful Partnership, one of OpsLab’s core values. We believe the best work happens when gifts align, trust is high, and both sides value clarity, simplicity, and continuous improvement.

Beacon HR brought heart, expertise, and a deeply committed team.
OpsLab brought structure, accountability, and operational excellence.
Together, we brought the vision to life.

And this is only the beginning…

For HR and Talent Acquisition, contact Beacon HR:  nicole@beacon-hr.com 

For Fractional Integrator or Integrator Coaching Support, contact OpsLab: nina@opslab.ca

Table of Contents

Anna Jean-Louis

Financial Controller

Anna Jean-Louis is an experienced accounting professional with over 25 years of hands-on experience in bookkeeping, financial reporting, and business controls. She specializes in supporting small to mid-sized businesses in a Controller role, providing strategic financial oversight and practical day-to-day support. A graduate of BCIT’s Financial Accounting diploma program, Anna also completed the fourth level of the CGA program, building a strong foundation in financial management and analysis.
Throughout her career, she has worked with clients across a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, professional services, subtrades, industrial, tech, and food services. Her depth of experience allows her to bring insight and structure to growing businesses, ensuring accurate reporting and reliable financial systems. Known for her professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to her clients’ success, Anna plays an integral role in helping businesses stay financially healthy and well-organized.

Stephanie Denton

Fractional Integrator

Stephanie Denton is a seasoned operations leader and Fractional Integrator who specializes in guiding fast-growing, founder-led organizations through scale with intention and heart. With a rare blend of emotional intelligence and operational discipline, she brings structure, clarity, and calm to complex environments, aligning teams, systems, and strategy to drive meaningful growth.
Drawing on her background as a clinical therapist turned business strategist, Stephanie deeply understands how people and process intersect. She has led operations across industries including B2B SaaS, healthcare, fintech, and digital marketing, and played a key role in helping a marketing agency reach $35M in annual recurring revenue. Stephanie thrives in environments where purpose matters and complexity needs to be tamed bringing both empathy and execution to the Integrator seat.

Daisy Parmar

Fractional Integrator

Daisy is a seasoned operations executive and Certified EOS® Integrator with over 20 years of experience leading national and global companies through growth and transformation. With a background as a former COO and expertise across industries like telecom, logistics, manufacturing, and retail, she helps leadership teams align around vision, build operational structure, and scale with confidence. She holds an MBA from Royal Roads University and brings both strategic depth and real-world leadership experience to every engagement.
Over the past 8 years, Daisy has partnered closely with founders and CEOs to remove bottlenecks, clarify roles, and drive accountability. A trained executive coach through the Co-Active Training Institute, she brings a calm, grounded presence and a coaching-based leadership style. Her approach creates space for visionary leaders to focus on what they do best, while she builds the systems and cadence needed to deliver results.

Shannon Johnston

Co-Founder & Integrator

Shannon is a seasoned operations leader and Integrator who thrives on helping entrepreneurial companies scale with clarity and discipline. She brings deep expertise in driving the Entrepreneurial Operating System, having led organizations through rapid growth and operational transformation. Most notably, she served as Integrator for an outsourced accounting firm that achieved 197% growth in just two years, landing on The Globe and Mail’s list of Top Growing Companies in 2024.
With a foundation in Sales, Marketing, and Human Resources, Shannon combines strategic thinking with a people-first approach. She is passionate about building strong leadership teams and creating operational structure that unlocks sustainable growth. Her experience spans industries including food services, construction, professional services, and coaching, proving that great operations are industry-agnostic.

Nina Schwark

Founder & Visionary

Nina is the founder and visionary behind OpsLab, a firm built to solve a problem she saw time and time again: visionary entrepreneurs with big goals, stuck in the weeds of their own businesses. After years of leading operations and seeing firsthand how many founders lacked the right support to turn ideas into action, Nina created OpsLab to bridge that gap, with a clear, proven framework and hands-on leadership.
As both a Visionary and an experienced Integrator, Nina brings a rare combination of strategic thinking and operational execution. She has scaled multiple companies, executed EOS across diverse industries, and built a team of expert Integrators who know how to create traction where others see chaos. Nina is known for her direct, thoughtful approach and her deep commitment to helping founders grow businesses they love without burning out in the process.

STEPHANIE DENTON

Stephanie Denton is a seasoned operations leader and Fractional Integrator who specializes in guiding fast-growing, founder-led organizations through scale with intention and heart. With a rare blend of emotional intelligence and operational discipline, she brings structure, clarity, and calm to complex environments, aligning teams, systems, and strategy to drive meaningful growth.

 

Drawing on her background as a clinical therapist turned business strategist, Stephanie deeply understands how people and process intersect. She has led operations across industries including B2B SaaS, healthcare, fintech, and digital marketing, and played a key role in helping a marketing agency reach $35M in annual recurring revenue. Stephanie thrives in environments where purpose matters and complexity needs to be tamed bringing both empathy and execution to the Integrator seat.