Michael Ruskow · Kyle, Texas · Austin metro · hybrid or remote

Operations that exceed the standard.

I lead operations, facilities and capital projects to a standard most organizations only describe. I co-founded and ran the world's largest flotation therapy center through 2023, brought it back from the edge of closure in 2017, and have advised 14 companies through turnaround since. I am ready for the next leadership role where standards and accountability matter.

Start a conversation See the record
  • +47.78% approximate gross revenue growth in eight months
  • 100,000+ float sessions delivered
  • ~15 yrs of jobsite safety leadership without a lost-time injury
Michael Ruskow portrait

My companies featured in

Forbes People ABC News Disney+

Standards and stage

NSF flotation standards development International Float Conference 2019 TEDx 2019

About

I build and lead operations that hold under pressure. Across more than two decades I progressed from unpaid apprentice to designer, builder, project manager and owner: in controlled-environment facilities, in an electrical contracting business, and at the world's largest flotation therapy center throughout my tenure, through 2023, with 11 float suites.

The pattern is consistent. I learn an unfamiliar technical system by hand, then carry it through design, implementation, commissioning, maintenance, management and leadership. The record below is the evidence: budgets, inspections, safety years, reviews and revenue.

Exceeding expectations is how I operate every day, in business and outside it. I live by one rule: the way you do one thing is the way you do everything. I am seeking my next challenge in operations, project, facilities, technical or executive leadership, where standards and accountability matter, in the Austin metro, hybrid or remote.

  • +47.78%

    Approximate gross revenue growth in eight months

    Just Float, from November 2017

  • 100,000+

    Float sessions delivered

    Just Float, during my ownership

  • 700+

    Verified five-star reviews

    Just Float

  • ~15 yrs

    Jobsite safety leadership without a lost-time injury

    2000 – 2015, independent projects and StraightForward

  • 75+

    People hired and managed

    Just Float, over the life of the company

  • 14

    Companies advised through turnaround

    Ruskow Consulting, 2019 – present

Work

2019 – Present

Ruskow Consulting Services

Business Turnaround Consultant Kyle, Texas · remote

I advise owners and operators through business turnarounds using the seven-pillar framework that rescued Just Float: mindset and accountability, branding, marketing, communication, culture, structure and finance.

SituationA client was losing money every month and heading for closure.

ActionI cut expenses, repaired marketing ROI and restructured the organization.

~$13K in monthly profit, up from a monthly loss. The business stayed open.

  • I have advised 14 companies in depth, and two engagements are concluding now.
  • Engagements cover operational assessment, organizational restructuring, financial discipline, marketing ROI, culture and communication, management structure and executive advisory.
The Just Float center lobby: curved blue lounges, sculpted ceiling, signature interior architecture

2011 – 2023

Just Float, Inc.

Co-Founder & CFO (2011–2017) · Co-Founder & CEO (2017–2023) Pasadena, California

I co-founded, built and led the world's largest flotation therapy center throughout my tenure, through 2023, with 11 float suites. Under my ownership the center delivered more than 100,000 float sessions and earned 700+ verified five-star reviews.

SituationIn November 2017 the company was approximately $80,000 worse off than expected, behind on critical bills and within days of possible closure.

ActionI took back day-to-day leadership and rebuilt the company on seven pillars: monthly budgets and cash-flow tracking, premium pricing, KPI-driven marketing, defined roles and a management layer.

+47.78% approximate gross revenue growth in eight months, from about $805K to about $1.2M, at roughly 2,500 floats a month across 11 tanks.

SituationAn empty space of about 3,000 square feet, a planned buildout of approximately $600,000, and a city that rejected an ADA-approved design.

ActionI served as owner's representative across architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire and life safety, acoustics, automation and water sanitation. I redesigned, secured a health-department variance, and commissioned custom tanks engineered for a service life of about 20 years.

~$1.8M buildout delivered in 18 months as owner's representative.

  • I held full P&L responsibility for an annual operating budget of approximately $600,000 to $900,000, with a peak of about 20 concurrent employees and more than 75 people hired and managed over the life of the company.
  • I invested more than seven figures personally and raised $500,000 from two outside investors.
  • I led custom float-tank R&D with engineers, covering dense-fluid pumps, filtration, heating and UV sanitation. A UV sanitizer developed at Just Float was later used at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa.
  • I developed the operating logic for facility-wide Crestron, BACnet and PLC integration and worked deeply in troubleshooting and validation. Specialized programmers wrote the production code.
  • I contributed water-sanitation expertise to weekly NSF flotation standards calls, spoke at the 2019 International Float Conference and gave a local TEDx talk.
  • During COVID I terminated the entire staff, then rehired, rebuilt the workforce and restarted membership from zero.
  • In 2023 I worked through sale processes with several buyers and completed a successful exit.
Michael Ruskow reviewing project plans on a construction site

2003 – 2015

StraightForward Installations

Founder / Operator Greater Los Angeles, California

I founded and ran an electrical contracting, light construction and facilities maintenance business serving residential and light-commercial customers, won through contractor relationships and word of mouth.

SituationContractor-referred electrical work, inspected by city building departments.

ActionI verified every job before the inspector did and built to meet, and usually exceed, code.

0 failed inspections from 2003 to 2015.

  • Peak annual revenue exceeded $350,000, with 5 to 12 employees and subcontractors at a time and 2 to 5 simultaneous jobs.
  • I owned the full project lifecycle: site evaluation, takeoffs, estimates, permits, fixed-price proposals, contracts and change orders, scheduling, procurement, subcontractors, punch lists, QA/QC, inspections and commissioning.
  • I ran the books myself: payroll, A/R and A/P, collections, banking, insurance, taxes, vendor accounts, contracts and cash flow.
  • I led jobsite safety: hazard assessment, PPE, stop-work authority, toolbox meetings, training and enforcement.

2000 – 2013

Independent Controlled-Environment Projects

Project Manager & Systems Designer California · overlapped StraightForward from 2003

I began as an unpaid apprentice and progressed to technician, system designer and builder, troubleshooter and project manager. Other operators later hired me to design, build and maintain their controlled-environment facilities.

SituationAn empty warehouse of approximately 3,750 square feet.

ActionI designed and built the plant end to end: a utility transformer upgrade, an approximately 400A main with two 200A subpanels, about 50 branch circuits, roughly 40 kW of lighting, about 20 tons of HVAC, well and trucked water, backup power, security, permits, inspections and commissioning.

~$250K warehouse conversion, designed, built and commissioned.

  • I controlled annual budgets above $300,000 and was responsible for more than $1 million in aggregate cash within a single year.
  • I was the primary owner of every HVAC, electrical, plumbing and pump failure, including overnight and holiday response, with up to about $100,000 at risk per event. I stayed until systems were restored.
  • I led crews of up to 10 people: recruiting, training, scheduling, quality oversight, SOPs, supplier negotiation and critical spares.

2021 – Present

SYK Investments

Personal investment company Own capital only

SYK is my personal investment company. I manage my own capital only, using technical and structural market analysis across asset classes, with a strong emphasis on risk management and capital preservation.

  • I analyze intercorrelation among multiple assets and asset classes to read market strength and direction.
  • I target relatively small daily and weekly yields with careful compounding.
  • SYK holds no outside or client money and provides no advisory services.

That is the record. The standard behind it follows.

If you are hiring for operations, facilities or project leadership, or your business needs a turnaround, I reply within two business days.

Start a conversation

How I work

In 2017 I rebuilt Just Float with strategist Andreas Kraemer around seven pillars, then audited the company against them every quarter. I bring the same framework to every turnaround engagement, and I hold myself to the same standard in any role.

  1. 01

    Mindset and accountability

    FixesOwner firefighting, blame and micromanagement.

    At Just FloatI moved Just Float from reactive firefighting to proactive executive management and genuine delegation.

  2. 02

    Branding

    FixesPremium positioning undercut by discount-style presentation and pricing.

    At Just FloatI realigned brand and pricing to the premium experience the facility already delivered.

  3. 03

    Marketing

    FixesSpending at 20 to 25% of gross revenue with no measurement, at a loss.

    At Just FloatI converted marketing into a KPI- and ROI-driven investment and cut the unprofitable campaigns.

  4. 04

    Communication

    FixesGossip, unclear escalation and reactive decisions.

    At Just FloatI introduced professional communication and escalation protocols that staff and managers used.

  5. 05

    Culture

    FixesTurnover, low morale and inadequate training.

    At Just FloatI rebuilt training and standards. The culture became an asset again, and again after COVID.

  6. 06

    Structure

    FixesFlat, chaotic responsibility with no defined roles.

    At Just FloatI established a clear chain of command with a Director of Operations and a Director of Experience.

  7. 07

    Finance

    FixesNo budget, no break-even analysis and no cash-flow tracking.

    At Just FloatI introduced monthly budgets, cash-flow tracking and break-even awareness, paid operating costs before debt and distributions, and set a three-month reserve target.

Principles

  • Exceeding expectations is a daily standard, not a business tactic.
  • When a system fails, I own it and stay until it is restored.
  • I verify the work before the inspector does.

Capabilities

Facility lifecycle, owned end to end

  1. Planning
  2. Scope
  3. Budgeting
  4. Estimating
  5. Permits
  6. Utilities
  7. Procurement
  8. Contractors
  9. Construction
  10. Electrical, HVAC, plumbing
  11. Safety
  12. QA/QC
  13. Inspections
  14. Commissioning
  15. Staffing
  16. SOPs
  17. Preventive maintenance
  18. Opening day

01 Project and construction management

  • Owner's representation and multidisciplinary design coordination
  • Scope, budgets, takeoffs and estimates
  • Permitting, utilities, submittals and inspections
  • Contractors, subcontractors and change orders
  • QA/QC, punch lists and commissioning
  • Concurrent-project management

02 Facilities and technical operations

  • Electrical: panels, circuits, load calculations and low-voltage control
  • HVAC, VRF, dehumidification and ventilation
  • Plumbing, pumps, filtration and water sanitation
  • Building controls and automation logic: PLC, Crestron and BACnet
  • Generators, backup power and critical spares
  • Preventive maintenance and emergency response

03 Safety

  • Hazard assessment and pre-job planning
  • PPE, fall, ladder, scaffold, trench and equipment safety
  • Toolbox talks and worker training
  • Stop-work authority and enforcement
  • OSHA, permit and code compliance
  • Universal EPA Section 608 certification

04 Financial and business

  • Full P&L, budgets and cash flow
  • Founder finance, capital raising, projections and pitch decks
  • Pricing, margins, break-even and ROI
  • Payroll, A/R, A/P, banking and taxes
  • Procurement, vendors and contracts
  • Enterprise risk, insurance programs and outside-counsel coordination

05 Leadership and personnel

  • Hiring, training, scheduling and discipline
  • Management-layer design and delegation
  • Culture, communication and change leadership
  • Crews of 10, teams of about 20, and 75+ people hired over a company's life
  • Quarterly audits across the seven pillars

06 Sales, marketing and customer

  • Technical B2B sales and proposals
  • KPI- and ROI-driven digital advertising
  • Brand positioning and premium pricing
  • Membership and subscription strategy
  • PR, media and partnerships
  • Customer experience and problem resolution

07 Technology and systems

  • AI agents, automations and scrapers built with Claude Code
  • Databases, integrations and websites, including this one
  • An 18-drive Unraid server running multiple services
  • Environmental monitoring and facility automation networks
  • Google Workspace, QuickBooks and analytics

Record

Certification
Universal EPA Section 608 Technician, 2006
Certification
Certified Business Coach, Transform Destiny, 2020
Certification
Certified NLP Practitioner, Success Dynamics Institute, 2018
Certification
Certified NLP Practitioner, Transform Destiny, 2020
Certification
Certified Hypnotherapist, Transform Destiny, 2020
Standards
Weekly NSF flotation-system standards development calls, contributing water-sanitation expertise
Speaking
International Float Conference 2019, "From Surviving to Thriving", with Andreas Kraemer
Speaking
TEDx 2019, a local talk on the benefits of flotation therapy
Media
Just Float featured in Disney+ and National Geographic's The World According to Jeff Goldblum, "Pools"
Michael Ruskow on stage at the 2019 International Float Conference
International Float Conference, 2019

Contact

Start a conversation

Hiring for operations, facilities or project leadership? Running a business that needs a turnaround? I read every message and reply within two business days. I am based in Kyle, Texas, in the Austin metro, and work hybrid or remote.

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I reply within two business days.