Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Lawrence.
Hi Adam, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always been drawn to adventure and to helping people solve problems that matter.
After graduating from Virginia Tech as an Industrial Engineer, I started my career in North Carolina with Thomasville Furniture, part of Armstrong World Industries. That chapter turned out to be life-changing in more ways than one. I met my future wife there, and 35 years later, we’re still going strong.
Early in my career, I discovered something that would shape everything that followed:
The real solutions to business problems don’t come from conference rooms, they come from the people doing the work.
When I spent time on the factory floor, listening and working alongside operators, we were able to solve problems that had frustrated teams for years. Not in months, often in days.
Over time, Armstrong gave me the opportunity to take on a wide range of roles and work with teams across the globe. But one experience in particular changed my trajectory.
In 1998, I was working with a team in Macon, Georgia. We were making incredible progress. Energy was high, results were real, but our sponsor never came out to see it.
That didn’t sit well with me.
So I decided to push the issue. I approached him directly and challenged him to show up and support the team.
It didn’t go well.
In fact, it nearly got me sent back to corporate on the next plane.
After the dust settled and I got past my frustration, I had a realization that changed everything:
The problem wasn’t just his lack of engagement. It was my failure to show him what great leadership support actually looked like.
That moment became a turning point.
I made it my mission to understand how to truly engage leaders and create systems where teams could not only improve, but sustain those improvements over time.
That work eventually became what I now call The Wheel of Sustainability.
Over the years, I refined and applied this system across dozens of organizations and hundreds of improvement efforts. The results were powerful: stronger engagement, faster results, and improvements that actually stuck.
My work took me all over the world, to places like Europe, Russia, and China, helping teams solve critical business problems and build momentum that lasted. I eventually became the Global Lean Champion for Armstrong’s Building Products Technology group, leading improvement efforts on a global scale.
Then, in 2018, everything changed.
Due to a company restructuring, I was let go.
But instead of seeing it as a setback, I saw it as clarity.
I knew exactly what I was meant to do next.
I started my own business, focused on helping organizations solve their toughest problems quickly and in a way that actually lasts.
Today, I operate as the Kaizen Ninja.
“Kaizen” is a Japanese term that means “make things better,” and it reflects a focused, high-energy approach to rapid improvement. The “Ninja” part represents how I work, guiding teams to solve their own problems, building ownership and confidence, so the results stick long after I’m gone.
I facilitate in a way that engages people, challenges thinking, and creates real breakthroughs, in a week or less.
During the COVID pandemic, I wrote my book, The Wheel of Sustainability, to share this system more broadly with leaders who want their improvements to last.
Today, I’m still chasing that same mission: helping organizations engage their people, solve meaningful problems, and unlock performance they didn’t think was possible.
Along the way, there’s been plenty of travel, challenge, and adventure, but one thing hasn’t changed:
I still believe the best solutions come from the people closest to the work.
After years of moving around the country, my wife, son, and I have settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and if we have anything to say about it, we’re staying put this time.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road hasn’t been smooth and I don’t think it should be.
Every meaningful role I’ve taken has come with challenge. As a change agent, I’ve always pushed organizations to go farther and faster than they thought possible. That tenacity drives results, but it doesn’t always land well.
There were times I pushed teams hard enough to achieve real breakthroughs, but in the process, I rubbed people the wrong way. That feedback made its way back to my managers more than once.
One comment in particular stuck with me. A leader once told me:
“Adam, you’re doing great work, but it’s not my work, and that’s not okay.”
That was tough to hear but it was also one of the most important lessons of my career. It forced me to shift from driving results myself to creating environments where teams could own the results. That shift ultimately shaped how I work today.
There have been other difficult moments as well. I’ve had to make the decision to let people go, and I’ve also been on the receiving end of that decision. Both experiences are life-changing. Even when you know it’s the right thing, it never feels easy.
Balancing work and family has been another constant challenge. My work has taken me all over the world, often with long hours and intense schedules. I’ve always made it a priority to be present for the moments that matter most, but that balance is something you have to fight for.
Starting my own business brought a new set of challenges. As a consultant, I’m responsible for everything, from finding clients to delivering results. There’s no guaranteed paycheck, and work tends to move from one engagement to the next.
Cash flow becomes very real in that world. During COVID, when my work, entirely in-person, came to a halt, I went more than nine months without revenue. That was a true test.
What got me through wasn’t just preparation, like having an emergency fund, it was the support of my family and a clear decision that I was committed to this path. I wasn’t going back.
Looking back, the challenges have shaped how I lead, how I serve clients, and how I think about impact.
The work I do today is better because the road wasn’t smooth.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Process Improvement Partners LLC?
Process Improvement Partners LLC exists for one reason: to help organizations solve their most critical problems quickly and make the results stick.
Most companies don’t struggle with ideas. They struggle with execution and sustainability. That’s where I come in.
I use a focused, high-energy approach called a Kaizen event: bringing teams together to solve a meaningful business problem in a week or less. Not months. Not endless meetings. Real solutions, implemented immediately.
The results can be dramatic:
Eliminating $1.4 million in annual late fees
Increasing factory productivity from 52% to 75% while setting production records
Reducing e-commerce reconciliation time by over 75%, unlocking $1 million in revenue
I operate under the name Kaizen Ninja, and that’s intentional.
The “Kaizen” represents rapid, focused improvement. The “Ninja” reflects how I work: guiding teams to discover and implement solutions themselves, so they own the results and sustain them long after I leave.
My facilitation style is highly hands-on and deeply engaging. I work shoulder-to-shoulder with teams on the floor, testing ideas in real time, often trying multiple solutions in a single week. The experience is intense, energizing, and surprisingly fun.
By the end of the week, teams don’t just solve a problem, they experience what’s possible. That shift in belief is often just as valuable as the result itself.
What sets me apart is the combination of speed, ownership, and sustainability.
Every engagement is tailored to the specific challenge at hand. There are no cookie-cutter events. I adjust in real time based on what we learn, ensuring we get to the best possible outcome, not just the planned one.
And most importantly, I focus on making sure the improvements last. My system, the Wheel of Sustainability, ensures that gains don’t fade once the event is over.
My work typically falls into three areas:
Kaizen Ninja Facilitation – Solving high-impact business problems in a week or less
Kaizen Ninja Institute – Training leaders to run their own high-impact events
Kaizen Ninja Mentorship – Providing real-time coaching to internal facilitators
While my primary focus is manufacturing, I’ve successfully applied this approach across distribution, financial services, and other industries where speed and execution matter.
What I’m most proud of is the experience I create for teams.
When I return to a client site, people don’t avoid me, they seek me out. They ask when they can be part of the next event. That tells me we didn’t just solve a problem, we created something meaningful.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
One thing most people don’t know about me is that back in 1986, I entered the Miss Hawaiian Tropic pageant in Virginia Beach.
With my 6-foot inflatable Godzilla on my shoulders.
In front of thousands of people, I took the stage as “Goddess Zilla,” competing against 28 contestants. I didn’t win, but it was an unforgettable experience, and yes, there is photographic evidence hanging in my house to prove it.
Looking back, it probably says a lot about me. I’ve never been afraid to step into uncomfortable situations, bring energy to a room, and have a little fun along the way. That same mindset shows up in my work today, just without an inflatable monster on my shoulders.
Pricing:
- Pricing for my work varies depending on the scope and complexity of the problem we’re solving. In most cases, the results from a single engagement can deliver a return many times over the investment. The best way to determine fit is simply to have a conversation about the specific challenge and what success would look like.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pi-partners.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-t-lawrence
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm79zUJADNFsfs8riwMRM3w
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/process-improvement-partners-llc
