Today we’d like to introduce you to Bernie Anderson.
Hi Bernie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In short: I’m a business/nonprofit consultant with a master’s degree in theology—and that combination has shaped everything I do.
My work started in ministry and leadership long before I ever called myself a “consultant.” I served as a pastor for years, including leading a church redevelopment in Franklin, Tennessee (1993–2006), and later planting and serving as interim senior pastor of a multi-national church in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (2009–2014). Alongside that, I spent significant years in international development in Mongolia (2006–2014), starting a student center in the capital city and doing a lot of the practical “make it work” leadership: communications, content, media, systems, and leadership development.
After returning to the U.S., I stepped into major gifts fundraising with World Relief (2014–2018). That season gave me a deep appreciation for the blend of mission, strategy, and disciplined relationship-building—plus the real mechanics sales and pipelines. From there, my work naturally widened into consulting and coaching: since 2018 I’ve worked as a Growability consultant and coach—helping business and nonprofit leaders build healthier leadership, stronger systems, and clearer strategies (including work with leaders in 14 countries).
I do a lot of coaching, especially career coaching. I’m drawn to the same core question I’ve been living with for decades: how do people do meaningful work with clarity, courage, and sustainability? That’s why I love using tools like Strengthsfinders and DiSC as a practical starting point—giving people language for how they’re wired, and then helping them make wise next decisions.
And my personal life is part of the story as well. Renee’ and I have been married since 1989 (36 years), and we have two adult kids—our daughter lives in Denver, and our son is a real estate agent. Our daughter-in-law is right here in Greenville, which we love.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Smooth? Not at all.
One of the clearest “nope, this is not smooth” moments was back in 2014. I was house-sitting for a friend, sitting on the porch on an early summer morning in South Carolina—before the humidity hits like a hot towel—watching the neighborhood climb into their cars and head to work. And my brain had essentially decided my career was over. I was 48, back from nearly a decade in Central Asia and more than a decade as a pastor, with 20+ years of leadership experience… and yet I felt like none of it translated in the eyes of hiring managers. My résumé said, “I’ve built and accomplished something significant.” What I *heard* back was, “So… you did church stuff and lived in a foreign country.” And after enough interviews, I started thinking, *I guess a stock clerk at Walmart it is.*
That season forced a deeper question than “What job can I get?” The question that had my stomach in knots was: **What am I even made to do?** And the hard truth I eventually had to learn was that my problem wasn’t effort or competence—I could do the jobs. The problem was alignment. I was trying to thrive in roles cut for someone else’s wiring.
A few years later, COVID brought another disruption—but this one turned into a genuine blessing in disguise. The sudden shift online changed my work in the best way: it opened the door to group coaching and consulting with people all over the world. That global emphasis is still a huge part of what I do, and next month I’ll be in Prague working with a client there.
And even now, the struggle that comes baked into consulting is the “catch-22”: marketing and sales are non-negotiable, but once you win the work, you have to execute—really well. That can create a feast-or-famine rhythm if you’re not careful. I’ve had to learn to build steadier systems, keep the pipeline warm, and deliver with excellence—without letting the business own my life.
If there’s a theme in all of it, it’s this: the road hasn’t been smooth, but the rough stretches clarified what matters—doing work that fits, serves well, and lasts.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Most of my work falls into two lanes: nonprofit consulting and career coaching.
On the nonprofit side, I help leaders and teams get traction without burning out. In practice, that usually means simplifying what’s become overly complex and installing a few steady rhythms the organization can actually sustain. The Growability approach is built around a simple idea: reduce unnecessary complexity and install practical rhythms that support disciplined execution. We work from a clear framework called the Five Growability Essentials: consistent leadership, clear vision, collaborative teams, simplified systems, and effective marketing. That structure helps nonprofits (and businesses of all kinds!) move out of reactive mode, clarify priorities, strengthen teamwork, and build systems that reduce friction over time. Ultimately this is sustainable growth! It’s fun stuff.
On the career coaching side, I use the proprietary Growability Career Sweet Spot profile with individuals and teams. It’s designed to help people get clear on how they’re wired, where they create the most value, and what kinds of roles are the best fit for them. I use tools like Strengthsfinders 2.0 and DiSC, along with a proprietary algorithm which took 5 years to create. That’s as a starting point—not as labels, but as language—so clients can make better decisions and move forward with confidence. It’s also a powerful team-building tool because it gives a group shared language, reduces misunderstandings, and helps leaders put the right people in the right seats.
I’ve also done lean-style consulting with billion-dollar manufacturers, and I’m grateful for that experience. But it isn’t my day-to-day “sweet spot.” (To use Growability language!) My practical sweet spot is nonprofit consulting, team building, and career coaching—work that strengthens leaders, clarifies decisions, and helps teams function better together.
What sets Growability apart is that we simplify instead of adding. We’re not trying to pile on more meetings, more jargon, or more “initiatives.” We help leaders get clear on what matters, build a few sustainable rhythms, and execute with consistency. And we care about who leaders are becoming, not just what they’re producing. The coaching commitment we work under is values-based, and I’m proud that our brand is both practical and human: encouraging, direct, and useful.
If readers are leading a nonprofit, building a business or a a team, or wondering what’s next in their career, I would want them to know this: you don’t have to stay stuck in complexity, confusion, or burnout. There is a clearer way forward—and with the right structure and support, growth can be sustainable.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is helping people do work that strengthens the world around them.
My Sweet Spot is centered on being a thinking partner—listening carefully, asking the right questions, seeing patterns, and helping leaders translate complexity into clear decisions. I’m at my best when I’m helping a person or a team align who they are with what they’re responsible for, and then build simple, sustainable rhythms that lead to real results.
And underneath all of this is a conviction I don’t want to let go of: business is ultimately a human endeavor. It’s one of the most practical ways we care for one another—through jobs, products, services, stability, dignity, opportunity, and the way an organization treats people when things get hard. Profit matters. It keeps the lights on. It funds innovation. It creates resilience. But if profit becomes the only bottom line, something breaks. That’s when we start seeing the cracks in our communities—people treated as resources, corners cut, trust eroded, and leaders insulated from the real impact of their decisions.
So what I aim to do with clients is help them build and measure multiple bottom lines: financial health, yes, and also team health, customer or community impact, operational sustainability, leadership maturity, and environmental health. The best organizations aren’t just efficient—they’re responsible. They leave people stronger. They leave communities stronger. They contribute to the common good. Greenville is a better place because they are here. That’s what matters most to me, and it’s why I do this work.
Pricing:
- Consulting: Initial Assessment $5000 (4 day process)
- Consulting: Monthly Implementation $4000
- Career Sweet Spot Profile only: $295
- Coaching: $1000/mo
- I have a brochure with details, as some vary based on needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://growability.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernieanderson/
- Other: https://bernieanderson.substack.com
