Ryan Kauth

 is a human-first business coach who helps serial founders and family business owners navigate the challenges that success alone doesn’t solve. Over his career, he has guided hundreds of entrepreneurs out of cycles of chaos, supporting them through resets that align priorities, strengthen relationships, and create space for both business and personal growth. He founded the entrepreneurship program at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, was the first program leader of Columbia Business School’s Executive Education in Family Enterprise and Wealth, and today hosts The Fractional Executive podcast.

With a special focus on multigenerational harmony, Ryan works closely with family businesses to foster lasting success through structure, philanthropy, and preparing the “next next” generation. Based in the Upper Midwest, he brings both experience and empathy to every client engagement—though he’ll admit he’s hopelessly lost when Lake Michigan isn’t to his east.

Trevor Holmes

Ryan Kauth

Business Coach

RyanKauth.coach

LinkedIn.com/in/RyanKauth

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About the Company

At our core, we help serial founders and family business owners reset, refocus, and rediscover the balance that success alone often can’t provide. Many of our clients come to us when they’ve reached a recurring valley of business and personal challenges, and together we work through complete resets that strengthen priorities, rebuild relationships, and set the stage for sustainable growth.

We’re especially passionate about supporting multigenerational family businesses. By bringing intentional focus to structure, philanthropy, and preparing future generations, we help families create harmony and long-term success that lasts well beyond today. For us, it’s about more than business—it’s about people, purpose, and leaving a legacy that matters.

 

How to Reset Bad Business Habits: Building Lasting Success with Ryan Kauth 

 

What happens in this episode?

In this episode of The Business Game Podcast, join hosts Lisa and Steve as they dive deep with Ryan Kauth, a renowned executive coach and human-first business coach specializing in serial founders and multi-generational family businesses in the Upper Midwest US. Discover how to reset serial founder habits for lasting success, build effective family business succession plans, and spot hidden talents in your team to drive growth.

Ryan shares his journey from a problem-solving kid born on an army base near Lake Michigan to becoming a trusted advisor for family-owned businesses and serial entrepreneurs, offering actionable strategies for family business coaching, intentional communication, leadership rotations, and next-generation ownership transitions.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

  • Resetting serial founder habits and aligning priorities for sustainable business success
  • Building intentional family business succession plans, including leadership rotations and next-generation preparation
  • Spotting and maximising hidden team talents through coaching and role optimisation
  • Overcoming ego barriers and the value of executive coaching for entrepreneurs and leaders
  • Time management routines, priority alignment techniques, and real-world stories from sports and business