How EOS gave a law-trained founder the tools to run a business

Executive overview

Makara Rumley founded Hummingbird Firm in 2016 without a business school background, relying on instinct until a 400% growth surge in 2020 made structure non-negotiable. She rediscovered the book Traction, attempted self-implementation, and hit enough internal roadblocks to hire a professional EOS Implementer. The Implementer pushed the team past its blind spots, improved hiring, and gave Rumley a clear path toward fully stepping into her visionary role.

EOS works not just as a business operating system but as a confidence framework for founders who never learned how to run a company.

The business and its growth trigger

• Hummingbird Firm delivers culturally competent community engagement, data analytics, and systems-change training.
• Work focuses on environmental justice, transportation equity, and climate justice for underserved communities.
• Founded 2016 and grew organically until 2020, when revenue jumped 400%.
• The spike came because construction and development kept operating during lockdowns, and government infrastructure RFPs kept flowing.
• Rapid growth exposed the limits of one person managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Why structure became critical

• Spinning multiple plates works at small scale; it breaks down when projects demand more people.
• All strategy existed only in the founder's head — getting it on paper became urgent.
• A strong integrator (Denise) became indispensable; "the company would not run without" her.
• The visionary/integrator split is described as essential, not optional.

The path to EOS implementation

• Rumley re-read Traction (originally a gift to her husband) and immediately recognised it as the missing framework.
• The team attempted self-implementation first but stalled on defining internal mission, vision, and identity.
• Decision made to hire an outside Implementer rather than continue stalling.
• A team member attended an EOS conference, was impressed by Shea Peffly's workshop, and recruited her on the spot.
• Peffly was in Atlanta for the annual retreat within 30 days.

Impact of working with an Implementer

• Peffly acted as challenger, cheerleader, and tough-question-asker throughout the engagement.
• EOS provided "x-ray vision" — misalignments become visible quickly rather than festering.
• A pre-EOS hiring process led to wrong hires; following EOS steps on separation kept decisions grounded in core values.
• The current leadership team is described as a "rock star" group built using EOS hiring practices.
• Lessons learned the hard way through EOS stick permanently.

Confidence and the visionary role

• EOS builds business-thinking muscle for founders who never had formal training.
• The framework creates a sense of safety and responsibility that business school or training programmes did not provide.
• Rumley's stated goal is to step 100% into her visionary role as EOS infrastructure matures.
• She believes the outcome will exceed even her own vision for the company.