Welcome to My Portfolio
Zachary Burns — Sales & Operations Leader
People-first sales and operations leader with 10+ years of cross-functional experience spanning retail operations, frontline commercial sales, B2B contractor account management, and multi-unit leadership. Known for architecting scalable turnaround strategies and building high-performing, metric-driven team cultures inside complex brand–retail partnership environments.
I believe great leadership comes from clarity, intentionality, and continuous improvement. This site brings those principles forward by outlining how I lead, how I think, and what I bring to any role or organization.
About Me
I am a Sales & Operations Leader currently serving as Sales Supervisor for Sherwin-Williams' Lowe's Business Unit (LBU) in Riverside, CA — directing a 10-store sales program with 20 direct reports across a distributed footprint. My career spans field sales execution, B2B Pro channel growth, regional turnaround management, and multi-unit operations within one of the most complex retail-vendor partnership environments in the industry.
My leadership philosophy is grounded in pairing real empathy with clear accountability. I don't believe in short-term sales spikes that burn out teams. Instead, I focus on building sustainable, repeatable systems through training, setting clear expectations, and creating a culture of ownership. When employees understand the "why" behind their targets, they take personal pride in hitting them.
I am drawn to performance turnarounds — rebuilding struggling territories by restoring trust, clarifying accountabilities, and introducing structured coaching cadences that make success repeatable.
What You'll Find Here
This portfolio is organized to make it easy to learn about my work and the impact I strive to make. You'll find:
Resume
A detailed breakdown of my career experience, achievements, and responsibilities — spanning Sales Supervisor (10-store, 20-rep footprint), Regional Sales Manager (4-territory turnaround), Pro Sales Representative (B2B contractor growth), and frontline retail operations.
Leadership Style
A full overview of how I lead, how I coach, and how I build strong cultures using frameworks grounded in Transformational Leadership, Situational Leadership, and the Sherwin-Williams SherCoach coaching model.
Professional Philosophy
A deeper dive into the beliefs that drive my leadership decisions — including my 3-step Turnaround Playbook (Culture & Listening, Clarify Accountability, Structured Coaching Cadence).
Project Work & Case Studies
Real examples of systems, frameworks, and strategies I've implemented — including the PSR Toolkit, field coaching cadences, and territory turnaround case studies with measurable results (82% to 95% of budget improvement).
Long-Form Insights
Written pieces that reflect my thinking around leadership, team culture, problem-solving, and personal growth within a fast-moving business environment.
Purpose of This Portfolio
This site is more than a collection of documents. It is a reflection of how I operate as a leader and how I continue to grow. My goal is to give hiring leaders, peers, and future collaborators a clear picture of what it’s like to work with me and what I bring to a team.
I believe in leading with clarity, setting strong expectations, and empowering people to win. Everything you’ll find here reinforces that mission.