In this episode of the Finish Big Podcast, host Mark Dorman sits down with Brian Zawada—a seasoned business continuity and operational resilience expert, entrepreneur, author, and now boutique winemaker.
Brian shares his incredible journey from serving as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force to co-founding Evolution Consulting, scaling the business, and navigating a successful private equity-backed exit. Today, he's living a new chapter as the co-founder of Violet Vines, crafting exceptional Oregon wines.
This episode is packed with insights on risk management, leadership, entrepreneurship, and life after business ownership. Brian's story is one of intentional decision-making, continuous learning, and the courage to reinvent yourself.
Mark and Brian discuss:
- Military Precision in Business: Lessons from strategic intelligence and risk management.
- Bootstrapping to Success: Scaling Evolution Consulting without debt.
- Breaking Growth Barriers: How private equity and strategic partnerships fueled expansion.
- The Exit Journey: Challenges, lessons, and the importance of cultural fit with investors.
- Life After the Exit: Finding passion and purpose in winemaking at Violet Vines.
- Family, Freedom & Legacy: Balancing career ambitions with personal priorities.
Connect with Mark Dorman:
- Succession Plus US
- LinkedIn: Mark Dorman
- LinkedIn: Succession Plus
- Facebook: Succession Plus
- (330)-416-9271
- mdorman@succession.plus
Connect with Brian Zawada:
- LinkedIn: Brian Zawada
- Website: Violet Vines
About the Guest:
Brian Zawada is a resilience strategist, business advisor, and winemaker. With nearly 30 years of experience in business continuity and operational resilience, Brian has worked across industries including manufacturing, pharma, biotech, and consumer goods. He is the author of The Business Continuity Operating System and a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Business Continuity Institute. Today, he channels his passion into Violet Vines, a boutique winery in Oregon, alongside his family.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.