Who We Are
An experienced
collective
built for operators.
ManualShift is based in Chicago, IL, and built on 30+ years of documenting how thousands of real businesses run — from front desks and shop floors to back-of-house and kitchen lines.
ManualShift By The Numbers
Diverse industries served
To help businesses shift from operational
dependence to operational excellence.
From fitness studios and home services to senior care, personal services, and med spas, Terry Conroy has spent over 22 years helping businesses run more smoothly. Before she ever wrote an operations manual, Terry was in the classroom — she earned a BA in English from Marquette University and a degree in Secondary Education from UW–Milwaukee, then spent several years teaching middle and high school. Today, she channels that educator's mindset into developing training programs and operations playbooks. She's partnered with brands like CorePower Yoga, Baked by Melissa, FedEx, and European Wax Center.
Terry Conroy
Jim Green has spent 23+ years inside the messy reality of how businesses actually operate. He's worked with early-stage startups and established brands like BP, Topgolf, PetSmart, Ace Hardware, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, and College Hunks Hauling Junk. His specialty is operations manuals and training programs. Before ManualShift, he spent years in operations and training roles supporting statewide programs. He holds a BS from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE).
Jim Green
As an operations and training systems writer and editor with 12+ years of experience, Sheila Benson develops comprehensive playbooks for businesses of all types and sizes. She excels at organizing content, consolidating complex procedures, and extracting key details to create clear, well-structured materials. Before joining ManualShift, Sheila served as Executive Director of a regional chamber of commerce. She holds a BA from Northern Illinois University.
Sheila Benson
Michael Goldberg has spent 30+ years working across video production, enterprise operations consulting, and Agile transformation leadership — including 20 years at IBM where he helped redesign how 50,000+ employees work across four continents. He holds an MFA from the University of Illinois and dual ICAgile certifications. At ManualShift, Michael brings strategic thinking, storytelling instincts, and a genuine talent for getting what lives in a business owner's head onto the page — or on screen.
Michael Goldberg
Joe Bargas has spent more than 25 years in the trenches of retail and franchise operations, and he's seen just about everything that can go right and wrong when a business tries to grow. He's consulted with and written franchise operations manuals and training programs for clients across a wide range of industries, including the United States Navy, BP, Dave & Buster's, Fogo de Chão, Zain, First Watch, Buona Beef, Rainbow Cone, and Rosati's. Before ManualShift, Joe was Director of Franchise Development and Operations at Famous Famiglia Pizzeria, where he helped take the brand from 12 locations to over 200 open and in development. He holds a BA from Southern Illinois University.
Joe Bargas
Sue Hamilton is an editor with more than 20 years of experience crafting clear, high-impact guides for national brands. She specializes in full-scale production of detailed operations manuals. Her career began at Amoco Corporation where she built a strong foundation in editorial standards for global communications. At ManualShift, Sue is known for meticulous attention to detail and delivering on time, every time.
Sue Hamilton
With more than 35 years of experience, Dan Levy has worked directly with more than 500 businesses — from Nothing Bundt Cakes to T-Mobile, Ace Hardware to Häagen-Dazs. Dan's expertise is helping determine and distill what makes a business work, developing systems and tools that ensure consistency, and creating training that explains the how's and why's behind each process. He also served as Regional Director with Auntie Anne's, Inc. (1,000+ units). He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois.
Dan Levy
Bev Descoteaux has spent nearly two decades doing work that most people don't fully appreciate until they desperately need it. With 19 years of experience and more than 400 operations manuals under her belt, she knows how to take the way a business actually runs and turn it into something a team can learn from. Her client list spans Dave & Buster's, Fogo de Chão, Buona Beef, Rainbow Cone, Clean Juice, Capriotti's, and more. Before ManualShift, Bev worked as a Project Manager at a global integrated communications firm.
Bev Descoteaux
Free Operations Review
Not sure where to start?
Send us your info and we'll reach out to schedule a free, no-pressure review of your current documentation — and show you exactly where to begin.