My career has never followed a predictable path. I have always learned by doing, by experimenting, by diving headfirst into whatever challenge was in front of me, and by refusing to let a lack of formal training stand in the way of what needed to be built.
The Beginning: A Self-Taught Programmer in a Scrappy Startup
Before EOS became part of my life, I was a self taught programmer who entered the entrepreneurial world through a tiny, bootstrapped software startup. I was the first employee. There was no safety net and no instruction manual. There were only problems that needed solving and customers who needed help.
I wrote the code.
I met with clients.
I configured workflows.
I supported the product.
I handled operations and strategy and everything in between.
Over time, my role grew into the executive team, but the heart of the work never changed. I was always searching for the deeper patterns. Why things worked. Why they didn’t. What was really causing friction. What would make the company stronger.
I loved solving problems. What I loved even more was understanding the system beneath the problems.
The Turning Point: When Our Company Found EOS
Everything shifted the day our leadership team discovered EOS. We had reached a stage where talent and passion were no longer enough. We needed direction, clarity, accountability, and a shared language for how we operated. And when we were introduced to EOS, something inside me lit up.
I became a key player in weaving EOS into the heartbeat of the company.
I helped integrate the tools.
I supported the leadership team.
I lived inside the disciplines.
I saw what happened when clarity finally met structure.
For the first time, I watched a team become aligned in a way I had only imagined. I watched issues get solved at the root instead of at the surface. I watched leaders step into true ownership. I watched a company become calmer, stronger, and more intentional.
And something unexpected happened in me.
It lit a fire.
A real one.
A deep internal sense that this work was not simply helpful. It was transformative.
EOS had changed the company.
And it changed me.
Enter the Kolbe 8543 Brain
Once that fire was lit, my Kolbe 8543 instincts took over. I did not waver. I did not dabble. I went straight into research mode.
I read everything.
I studied everything.
Then I went directly to the people living the EOS life.
I reached out to Implementers who were brand new.
I talked to those who had been doing this work for years.
I asked questions about the reality of the role.
I listened to their stories.
I paid attention to the patterns.
Every conversation confirmed what I already felt. EOS aligned perfectly with the way I think, the way I operate, and the way I naturally help teams.
The Decision to Go All In
Once the picture became clear, I moved fast. I signed my franchise agreement. I studied intensely. I attended Boot Camp fully prepared to absorb everything. And then I became a Professional EOS Implementer.
Becoming an Implementer did not feel like stepping into something new. It felt like stepping into something I had been preparing for throughout my entire career.
My First QCE: The Moment I Realized I Had Found My Community
Boot Camp lit the spark. But nothing prepared me for my first QCE, the Quarterly Collaborative Exchange where Implementers from all over the world gather to learn and support each other.
Walking into that room felt like stepping into a world where everyone shared the same heart, the same intention, and the same desire to help first.
These were my people.
People who care about entrepreneurs.
People who believe in clarity and accountability.
People who want businesses to run well so humans can live well.
I felt fully at home for the first time in a long career.
Why This Journey Fits So Naturally
My path makes sense now. The years in a scrappy startup. The executive experience. The problem solving. The consulting. The discovery of EOS. The fire it lit. The research. The leap. The training. The community.
It all brought me to the work I do today.
I have lived the challenges my clients face. I have felt the weight of complexity. I have navigated growth without structure. I have also experienced firsthand the peace and power that comes when a team finally has a system to run the business.
Helping leadership teams gain clarity and traction is not just something I do. It is the work I am built for. And it brings me immense joy to help entrepreneurial companies run a better business and live a better life.
I’d love to learn more about your entrepreneurial journey.
About Niki Wilson
As a Professional EOS® Implementer, Niki Wilson serves as a teacher, coach, and facilitator, helping business leaders transform their companies and their lives through the Entrepreneurial Operating System®.
https://www.eosworldwide.com/niki-wilson
This blog post covers the following topics:
Entrepreneurial Operating System
EOS Implementer
Professional EOS Implementer
EOS Implementation
EOS Coach
Entrepreneurial coach
Leadership team coaching
Business operating system
Business traction tools
EOS New Orleans
EOS Gulf Coast