David Schulte
Writer · Speaker
Business Strategist
You’ve spent years building something that matters.
What’s your next big move?
Meet David
Founder · Business Strategist · Turnaround & Restructuring Advisor · Writer · Speaker · Storyteller
After more than 45 years in business, David Schulte has honed a keen ability to see what’s possible when others can only see what’s gone wrong. Helping founders through the worst years a business can have takes a rare kind of judgment. When the old plan stops working, David knows what to look for, what’s worth fighting for, and when it’s time to change course.
As founder of Chilmark Partners, David has sat across the table from people making decisions they never expected to face. He’s helped owners figure out what they can still save when cash is running out, whether to walk away from a deal they once wanted, and how to give a successor room to lead the company they spent a lifetime building.
He has a knack for asking the question that changes the conversation and helps people see an option they’d overlooked.
In Let’s Move the Finish Line, David brings those stories to the page, the stage, and the microphone. He talks about the remarkable people he’s met, the decisions he’s gotten wrong, and how much easier it is to give good advice than to take it. The question he keeps coming back to is one he still asks himself. When the finish line you’ve been running toward no longer makes sense, what would a new one look like?
Audio coming soon
For owners facing a big decision.
David works with business owners weighing what to do after a setback, how to prepare a successor, or whether to bring in a partner. He draws on decades of experience as an adviser, investor, and operator to help owners weigh the trade-offs and decide what to do next.
Talk with David About Your BusinessLet’s Move the Finish Line
What happens when the finish line you’ve spent years running toward no longer makes sense for you?
“It took me 80 years to build this body,” David Schulte tells the audience. It’s the first of several laugh-out-loud moments in a warm, candid keynote about what it takes to change direction.
David has helped business owners navigate turnarounds. He knows how hard it is to walk away from a deal you’ve fought to save or hand over the reins of a business you’ve spent years building, especially when people you care about will feel the consequences. He understands the loyalty behind the urge to hold on. Some of the funniest moments come when David admits that, even now, he still has trouble taking his own advice. Let somebody help you. Hear them out when the idea is theirs. And if they come up with a solution that’s actually better than yours, try to act half as pleased as you’d be if the roles were reversed.
Beneath the laughter, David gets honest about growing older in a changing world. It can sting a bit to realize that, after years of people putting their faith in your judgment, you might be wrong this time. It can also be a surprise to discover how much you still have to learn, and how much you still want to do. You’ve helped other people get where they wanted to go. Where would you like to go next?
Never give up. And when it’s time, know that you can move the finish line.
The decision that changed everything.
Two interviews a month. David Schulte sits down with business leaders, authors, and people who’ve changed the way their industries work. Each conversation starts with a moment when the plan changed. What did they know at the time? What did they miss? And what did they do next?
Listen to the trailer · Coming soon
What we’ll explore in season one
Is there another comeback in me?
Deciding whether to reinvest, bring in a partner, or sell after a major setback.
My name is still on the door.
Giving a successor room to lead when the founder still wants to contribute.
Backing the next generation
Putting decades of experience behind a younger entrepreneur, a business, or a cause.
Lessons Learned and Earned. David closes each interview with one lesson a business owner can use. Ten interviews are planned for the first season.
Life at a Turning Point
From Wingman Next Door™
One cartoon a day about business, life, and the trouble with taking your own advice. David pokes fun at founders, successors, and himself.
So, What’s Next?
Stories and straight talk from David Schulte about turning points in business and life. What do you do after a setback, a big win, or the day you hand over the keys? David writes about how to build on what you’ve learned, decide what’s worth taking on next, and put your experience to work for someone coming up behind you.
New Year. New Finish Line.
24 seats. One honest question. What are you ready to change?
This January in Chicago, pull up a chair with 23 other guests who know what it takes to build and lead a business. Maybe you’re weighing another round of growth, deciding who’s ready to take the reins, thinking about selling, or finally admitting that the five-year plan you wrote six years ago has had a very good run.
Bring one decision you’re wrestling with. Over dinner, David Schulte will guide a candid conversation about the calls we had to make, the surprises we missed, and what we’d do differently. The person across the table may have faced the very decision you’re putting off.
3 Chefs. 3 Courses. 1 Fresh Perspective.
Advance tickets · $195 per person
January date and venue to be announced.