Still in the making.

I didn’t start with a blueprint.
I started with the work.

I started in marketing, in corporate America. Then I left to help a startup scale through hypergrowth. The work changed, and so did I.

Marketing led me into operations. Operations led me into executive leadership. Eventually, I started building companies of my own.

Each stage taught me something the previous one couldn’t. A plan matters. But the people who can turn that plan into reality matter more.

During a transition year, I kept seeing the same problem. Companies were juggling three to five fractional executives, each in a silo. Smart people doing their part, with nobody coordinating the whole.

I also saw consultancies send a senior person to close the deal and a junior person to deliver the work. The result was a 100-page deck. The company still had to figure out what to do on Monday.

Companies don’t need another deck.
They need people who can do the work.

That’s why I built The Proper Group. Today, my title is Founder & CEO, The Proper Group. A Cincinnati-based collective of approximately 100 vetted fractional and interim executives. Seasoned operators who embed with companies instead of leaving a presentation behind.

I also build and invest in consumer and local-business brands through Michael Ryan Betz Ventures. Different businesses, but the same commitment to doing the work.

In The Making is my story of that journey. Not a victory lap. A look at the stages, the transitions, and the lessons that made the next chapter possible.

I also host In The Making with Michael R. Betz, real, raw conversations with people navigating life’s in-between moments. Chasing new dreams. Rebuilding after setbacks. Reinventing careers and building something that matters.

I’m still building. Still learning. Still in the making.