ABOUT ASH & CEDAR
Build a Business That Thrives — With or Without You in the Room
Ash & Cedar helps business owners, executives, and leadership teams cut through the chaos of growth.
We bring clarity, structure, and strategy, helping leaders build strong teams and scalable systems so their companies can grow and run smoothly, with or without their direct involvement.
Running a business is one of the most rewarding and most demanding challenges a person can take on.
Too often, leaders juggle every role, constantly put out fires, and make decisions reactively instead of strategically.
Over time, what began as a bold vision can become overwhelming and unsustainable.
At Ash & Cedar, we believe business ownership should create freedom, not stress.
We guide owners and executives to step out of survival mode and build companies that operate with clarity and purpose, leaving businesses that run smoothly, grow sustainably, and make a lasting impact on their team, clients, and community.
Who we work with
At Ash & Cedar, we partner with growth-minded business owners who are ready to take their companies to the next level.
Our clients have moved past the early startup phase and want to replace chaos with clarity, building a business that runs smoothly and grows sustainably.
The business owners and leaders we serve typically:
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Have proven revenue and a clear vision for the future.
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Are committed to growth and willing to invest in building stronger systems and teams.
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Want to step back from day-to-day firefighting to focus on strategy and leadership.
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Value clarity and accountability in their organization.
While our primary focus is business owners, we also work alongside executives and leadership teams to streamline operations and align growing organizations for sustainable success.
About the Founder
Meet the dedicated professionals behind Ash & Cedar Consulting.
Michael H.
Founder and Principal
Michael H.
Founder & Principal
Michael, the founder of Ash & Cedar Consulting, created a boutique firm that helps business owners scale with confidence and clarity. With more than a decade in operations, leadership, and growth strategy, he blends corporate banking experience with hands-on entrepreneurship to drive practical, measurable outcomes.
Before launching Ash & Cedar, Michael built and sold IV Tea Co., growing it from a single storefront into a multi-channel business with wholesale partnerships, a healthy e-commerce arm, and distinctive offerings such as a line of tea cocktails. Building, operating, and exiting his own company gave Michael firsthand perspective on the real constraints owners face—hiring, cash flow, channel expansion, and preparing the business to run without the founder.
In his corporate career, Michael served as a business relationship manager at Chase, where he managed two full books of business (100+ clients each) across multiple markets. Over his tenure, he partnered with roughly 20 bankers, mentored teams, and implemented strategies that contributed to multi-million-dollar growth in deposits and lending. He has advised or consulted with roughly 1,000 companies through meetings, follow-ups, and field calls—of which about 300 were deeper, structured engagements—building strong pattern recognition for how small and mid-sized companies scale sustainably.
Michael’s leadership journey began early. At 18, he launched U.S. Landscaping, serving residential and commercial mowing accounts that together totaled several hundred thousand dollars in contracted work. Those formative years—quoting jobs, winning and keeping accounts, and managing crews—shaped his bias for clear plans, accountable execution, and owner-level stewardship.
At Ash & Cedar, Michael partners with companies, providing the leverage of a seasoned operator without the cost of a full-time executive. Whether as a fractional leader or an intensive problem-solving partner, his mission is to move owners out of daily firefighting and into scalable systems, teams, and rhythms.
Michael believes leadership isn’t measured by what you build, but by what continues to grow when you’re no longer in the room.