My name is Cherri J Schmidt and I am the founder of Corradeo Consulting.  Although the company is new, the skills and experience that I bring to my clients have been over 30 years in the making. 

It all started with my first job and my first boss.  Two weeks into the job, he called me into his office to ask, "What do you know about paint?"  After saying something glib about finger painting as a child, he handed me a one page letter that announced that Exxon Chemical was going out of the protective coating business.  Why was that significant?  Up to then, the paint specification for Exxon Company USA was only four words long -- Use Exxon Chemical products.  My assignment was to develop a replacement specification to provide corrosion protection for offshore oil platforms.  So, how did I do with my first "consulting" assignment?  It was a resounding success.  The specification I developed way back then is still is use today. 

Since then I have made a career out of taking on challenging projects and assignments -- as both an internal consultant and an external consultant -- in a wide variety of organizational settings. From transforming the way the U.S. Department of Energy manages its contractors to starting up my own small business, I have established a reputation for analyzing situations, developing practical solutions, and achieving results.

From that very first assignment, I learned some valuable lessons about people, organizations and change that have guided my career -- and that now guide Corradeo Consulting.

• You can tackle any problem with a little planning, a little research, and a whole lot of collaboration with other people who have knowledge that you do not have.
• There is usually someone in the organization that knows what you need to know.  You just have to find them and get really good at listening.
• There is always someone in the organization who doesn't want to see the change happen.  You either need to find a way to change their minds -- or replace them.
• Solutions don't need to be perfect -- but they do have to be practical.  The most elegant design will be useless of people don't accept it as workable.
• Information flows down more easily than it flows up.  Managers and executives are often the last to know that a new initiative isn't working or is being actively sabotaged.

Bringing in fresh "eyes" in the form of an external consultant can help facilitate that flow of information.  This is the purpose of Corradeo Consulting.  To help our clients tackle the tough problems using their own resources as much as possible.  To facilitate the flow of information up, down,and across the organization.  And ultimately, to help our clients bridge the gap from vision to reality.