Garth Fasano: Pioneering Data-Driven Innovation in Call Centers and Championing Small Business Success

From the skyscrapers of New York to the serene landscapes of Colorado, Garth Fasano, a strategic consultant turned entrepreneur, has reshaped the way we understand call center operations. With a foundation in data analysis and mathematical modeling, his career trajectory took an innovative turn after an insightful internship, leading to impactful stints at Deloitte, BCG, and Task Us. After completing his MBA at CU Boulder and contributing significantly to the public success of Task Us, he embraced the path of entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA). This choice led him to acquire and invigorate a Denver-based company. 

His career, rooted in consulting and strategy, particularly around sales and service for Fortune 500 companies, offers insights into the complex workings of call centers. It's a world where data and mathematics converge to create forecasting models that can significantly impact business outcomes, affecting everything from customer experience to profitability. His entry into this field was unexpected, stemming from a role during college where he managed staffing for a small call center operation. This experience revealed a passion for the data-driven aspect of the work, where minor adjustments could lead to substantial improvements in performance and efficiency.

Upon earning his MBA, he enhanced his consulting acumen at top firms like Deloitte and BCG and gained operational experience at Task Us. Despite this achievement, he was drawn to the more fulfilling work of elevating small businesses and serving the Boulder community.

The Self-Funded Journey of an Entrepreneur and the Rise of Top Dog

For about five years, Garth has engaged in what's known as a search or entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA), a growing trend among MBA graduates and professionals seeking leadership roles in smaller businesses. ETA offers a unique opportunity to lead and transform a company much earlier than might be possible in traditional corporate trajectories. His approach to ETA was self-funded, a path less traveled, where he independently sought out and secured an acquisition target without external investors.

In 2022, his journey led him to acquire and lead Top Dog, a digital outsourcing company based in Denver, marking a new chapter in his career. With over 120 clients spread across the United States and Canada, Top Dog stands out as a dedicated outbound call center, managing and converting leads into sales with an impressive daily dog training sales volume of approximately $100,000.

Top Dog's success lies in its unique approach to sales services. Unlike traditional sales strategies, Top Dog employs a highly educational yet refined sales process that integrates phone calls, text messages, and emails to not only attract but also retain clientele. This method ensures a seamless scheduling and management system for clients, guaranteeing a positive initial engagement with the business, whether it be a first meeting, lesson, or appointment. The acquisition of Top Dog was driven by the belief in its substantial value proposition to small businesses. This conviction has led to the exploration of extending similar services to other small business sectors, promising to bring the same level of sophistication and systematization to their sales processes. For these businesses, Top Dog’s model offers a game-changing advantage: predictability. The ability to forecast revenue and stabilize business operations is invaluable, especially in scenarios where fluctuating schedules can lead to inconsistent sales and income.

Top Dog's service addresses a critical need for small businesses by providing a structured and predictable sales process, ensuring that for every hundred leads funneled into their system, a reliable output can be expected by the end of each month. This predictability not only secures a steady stream of work and income but also allows small businesses to focus on their core offerings without the added stress of managing sales fluctuations. Top Dog’s innovative approach showcases the transformative potential of specialized outbound sales services in supporting small businesses and fostering their growth. Under Garth’s leadership, Top Dog has not only thrived but also shows the impact of strategic foresight and the pursuit of opportunities that align with one's skills and passions.

Entrepreneurship through ETA 

Entrepreneurship, as defined by Garth, goes beyond the narrow perspective of starting a business from scratch. It's about immersing creativity and making improvements, whether that's for a business, the community, or the world. This concept is practiced by entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA), where new leadership can bring a fresh perspective and subtle yet impactful changes to an established business, benefiting clients and employees alike.

“Entrepreneurship is not just about having your own idea for an entire business but bringing your own ideas into any type of business. You can do that if you're an employee at a traditional W 2 job, you can do that if you're a startup entrepreneur and you can also do that in small businesses too.”

Top Dog, a company already excelling in providing specialized sales services, has been a landscape for entrepreneurial creativity. The acquisition has proven to be more than just a business transaction, it's been a vessel for applying innovative strategies to enhance the company's offerings and exploring new markets. Garth envisions a future where the company's capabilities can be adapted across various industries, a hypothesis that is beginning to show promising results with new client types.

Looking ahead, the introduction of different business sectors promises not only a validation of their successful model but also a valuable experience for the team. With 45 employees who have witnessed slow growth within one business unit, the expansion brings with it career opportunities and personal growth. The future for Top Dog is seen as a story of growth, not just in business metrics but in the lives of its employees and the broader impact on the community.