Rock-solid success: Kaplan Consulting’s journey with Bloom Growth

Jon Kaplan’s journey into entrepreneurship started early, helping his dad in the family’s heating and air conditioning business. His father’s push to learn and attend college led Jon to be among the first in his family to pursue higher education.

After earning an accounting degree, Jon spent ten years at a consulting firm, focusing on mergers, acquisitions, and real estate development. He worked for PwC (Pricewaterhouse Coopers), where he honed his skills in operations and finance. When his father’s business partner left, Jon stepped in to help for three years. Later, he joined a friend’s tile shop to expand into the granite fabrication business, becoming a partner in 2002.

Under Jon’s leadership, the company grew from a startup to a $14 million business, crafting 25 kitchens daily. In 2016, they sold to a private equity firm, and Jon took on the CEO role, reviving companies in the countertop industry. He turned around four businesses, increasing revenue to $50 million and growing the team to 250 employees.

At that time, he had hired an EOS implementer, which is what ultimately inspired him to consider a new career path. He recalls saying to himself, “If I ever had a change in career path, I would love to do that for other companies.”

When Traction Tools was introduced, it became the preferred tool for implementing Traction. Jon stated, “I’m pretty good at spreadsheets, but getting others involved and maintaining meeting cadence and structure was tough. Implementing Traction Tools, now Bloom Growth, really helped pull everything together. We customize our agenda and prioritize key issues more effectively. The quality of meetings is better with the software—I could never go back.”

Adopting Bloom Growth revolutionized Kaplan Consulting’s approach to meetings and accountability. “We got up and running, and it was immediately better.” Jon described the implementation process as quick and straightforward, transitioning from spreadsheets to the new system in days. Bloom Growth supported EOS while allowing flexibility to include additional practices and tools—something that Jon required since he didn’t adhere to an EOS-pure approach.

To learn more about how Traction Tools transitioned to Bloom Growth, go here.

When you start using Bloom Growth, you’ll quickly see the benefits multiply. Kaplan Consulting often highlights these advantages:

• Better meetings: They become more focused, time-efficient, and productive.
• Improved accountability: The accountability chart clarifies who does what, while to-dos and goals monitor progress consistently.
• Smart prioritization: Easily rank issues by importance or use star voting to include the team’s perspective in setting priorities.
• User-friendly: The intuitive design ensures everyone can jump right in.
• Flexibility: Customize the system to fit your business needs.
• Customer support: Bloom Growth’s dedicated customer service is key to smooth implementation and maintenance.

Jon Kaplan started using Traction Tools, now Bloom Growth, when there was no alternative on the market. Now, with competitors like EOSOne, Ninety, and Fellow, Kaplan Consulting remains loyal to Bloom. Jon explains, “It just works, and it’s easy to use. The most important thing is the support. Great software paired with great service and support is crucial.”

He highlighted the importance of human support in the era of artificial intelligence, praising his relationship manager, Becky, for being an integral part of his team. “She helps my clients and makes them feel like she’s part of Kaplan Consulting, which is extremely important. Becky is my direct full-service support that I have the luxury of having on my team associated with Bloom Growth. On my behalf, she sits in on meetings and does one-on-ones to maximize the benefit of all the capabilities this software provides. This is the differentiator with other softwares available. The support is undeniable.”

Investing in business efficiency tools like Bloom Growth is not just about staying organized—it’s about creating a culture where everyone knows what’s expected of them. With clear goals and defined roles, teams can move forward confidently with a tool that helps them prioritize the most important issues every week.

When asked how he measured the success of Bloom Growth at Kaplan Consulting, Jon said, “At the end of the year, you do a recap and an annual review. Solving problems and getting the right candidates in the businesses has led my clients to embrace it. I haven’t had a client drop out [from using Bloom Growth] once they got in it. That’s my measure.”

For companies facing similar challenges, Jon Kaplan advises considering the value of a system like Bloom Growth. “It’s just a necessary tool. I probably wouldn’t be as effective if I didn’t have it for my team. You need a system and support, and Bloom Growth provides both.” Kaplan Consulting’s continued partnership with Bloom Growth is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving its ambitious growth objectives.

Looking ahead, Kaplan Consulting aims to expand its influence within the stone industry and beyond. The firm has initiated a Stone Industry Process Mastermind Group to foster collaboration and best practices. Kaplan Consulting is teaming up with machine businesses to streamline processes and boost efficiency, strategically integrating granite and machining workflows to enhance the overall productivity.