Our Vision
SMBs leading on their terms—with bold strategy, powerful frameworks, and AI that actually works.
What We Stand For
At SMB Strategy Systems, our values aren't wall art—they're how we work. They guide every workshop we facilitate, every system we build, and every AI tool we recommend. We believe growth should be clear, purposeful, and human-centered. That means cutting through the noise, choosing innovation that actually delivers, and building strategies that outlast the buzzwords. These values are our compass and the reason our clients scale smarter, with confidence and clarity.
Our Core Values
Strategic Simplicity:
Clear beats clever—simple proven frameworks that cut complexity and align your vision, team, and results.
Instead of handing you a 50-slide strategy deck, we build a 3-step roadmap your team can start using on Monday.
Purposeful Innovation:
AI and automation where they make a real-world impact—not just because they're trending.
We've saved clients 15+ hours a week by automating routine workflows, freeing leaders to focus on strategy, not spreadsheets.
People-First Leadership:
Systems that support and empower people, not replace them.
We design processes that give managers more time to lead—and give teams the clarity they need to do their best work.
Sustainable Results
Built for clarity and longevity, so success lasts beyond the launch.
Our systems work just as well a year later as they do the day we launch them—because they're designed to adapt as you grow.
True Partnership:
We scale with you—adjusting, refining, and delivering side by side.
When challenges pop up mid-implementation, we're in the trenches with you, adjusting the plan to keep momentum going.
Our Story
SMB Strategy Systems was born from a simple belief: growing businesses deserve access to the same level of strategic clarity, operational rigor, and future-ready tools as the Fortune 500. With over 60 years of combined experience across health insurance, e-commerce, tech, and finance, our founders came together to close the gap.
We've sat in executive boardrooms, managed multi-million-dollar programs, and built scalable systems in high-stakes environments. But our passion lies in helping entrepreneurs, founders, and lean teams build smart, sustainable businesses—on their own terms.
We're not here to deliver a binder of recommendations and disappear. We walk with you through the messy middle of growth, aligning your strategy, systems, and people to what actually moves the needle.
Three leaders.
Decades of fortune 500 experience.
One goal:
To give growing businesses the clarity, strategy, and systems they need to scale like the enterprise—without the corporate baggage.
Who We Are
Brad Marendt, Founder and CEO
Brad designs the bridge between ambition and execution. With two decades of senior leadership experience—including shaping strategy and execution for global Fortune 500 organizations—he's crafted visions, set game-changing goals, and built the systems that make them stick. He's the one you call when "strategy" has been living in a slide deck for too long. Brad brings structure to complexity, aligns stakeholders, and ensures execution moves as fast as the vision demands.
Blair Marendt, Founder and COO
Blair leads with people in mind and performance in focus. Over his 15+ years in Fortune 500 healthcare operations, he's scaled teams from handfuls to dozens, delivered multi-million-dollar improvements, and built operational resilience under pressure. His strength lies in turning complex challenges into simple, sustainable solutions—building leaders along the way. Blair makes sure growth strengthens, rather than strains, the people behind the business.
Aylin Roeben, Founder and CMO
Aylin turns big ideas into big results. She's led high-stakes transformations for Fortune 500 companies in healthcare, finance, and tech—aligning leadership, strategy, and execution so growth feels intentional, not accidental. Known for distilling complexity into clear, actionable strategies, she mobilizes teams and delivers momentum fast. Aylin believes scaling should strengthen teams, not burn them out—and she builds strategies that prove it.