A Word from the Founder

My name is Carlton, and I’m the founder and principal strategist at Five Rings Business Strategies, a boutique consultancy where we apply the clear, adaptable principles of Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings to modern business systems.

My focus is helping business owners replace patchwork tech stacks with integrated back-end processes, AI tools, and people-driven systems that save time and support sustainable growth, while preserving the company’s unique vision, culture, and real human connections.

My advice is grounded in real entrepreneurial mileage. I’ve operated Marysville Martial Arts continuously since 1996, an uncommon level of longevity in that industry. Along the way, I’ve acquired commercial properties, become a licensed real estate broker, and taken ownership stakes in businesses across home improvement, skilled trades, and consumer services. Earlier experience in my family’s commercial art, gallery, and publishing business adds a creative, client-facing perspective that continues to shape my strategic approach.

As a consultant and mentor, I’ve supported espresso stands, music schools, and a respected Seattle-area commercial construction management firm, always with a focus on the systems that keep operations running smoothly behind the scenes.

In addition to tying together CRMs, scheduling tools, payment gateways, and reporting dashboards, I help entrepreneurs with LLC and business formation, lender-ready business plans, and strategic growth road maps that link day-to-day execution with long-term goals.

With nearly two decades of hands-on work in virtually every CRM designed for martial arts schools, and deep experience with mainstream platforms in real estate and home services, I stay independent of any one software.

Whether configuring off-the-shelf tools or building custom CRMs and integrations, I measure success by one standard: businesses that run better with less owner stress.