Today we’d like to introduce you to Bart Wilbanks.
Hi Bart, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up about 90 east of Memphis in North Mississippi. After graduating from Ole Miss, life took me all over the country — Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama, North Carolina — but in 2012 I finally found my way back home to the Mid-South. Today, my wife Amanda and I raise our blended family here and attend The Life Church. This is where our roots are, and where our story truly began.
But the journey here wasn’t simple.
Years ago, I went through a painful divorce that shook every part of my life — spiritually, emotionally, financially. I drifted from my faith, buried myself in work, and convinced myself I was “fine” even as I was falling apart inside. I survived, but I wasn’t living.
Then, in 2025, something unexpected happened. I traveled to Africa to attempt a summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, and everything changed. A violent storm hit our camp at 15,000 feet and nearly swept our tent — and our lives — off the mountain. That near-death moment stripped me down to the core and forced me to confront who I had become.
God woke me up on that mountain.
What followed was a spiritual, emotional, and leadership transformation that reshaped my life and ultimately inspired my upcoming book, Summit After the Storm. It’s the story of how the biggest storm of my life became the start of my climb back to faith, purpose, and meaning.
When I got back, I formed Stratalution LLC to serve businesses across the Memphis region and beyond. What started as a consulting practice focused on supply chain and transformation has grown into something deeper: helping leaders and organizations navigate complexity with clarity, humility, and purpose. I believe companies don’t just need strategies — they need heart, alignment, and leaders who are willing to grow. My work today is about serving that mission, not just building a business. My mission is to share a message that came into focus on that mountain: storms don’t end us — they reveal us and rebuild us.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are many challenges to starting a new business, but for me, the challenges is what led me to start this business. My business was born out of doing what I believe I’m good at, while working for myself and my clients. In corporate career, I faced the aftermath of literal hurricanes, supply security, keeping plants running, but honestly the biggest challenges I’ve faced have been internal.
The time during and after my divorce felt like a long wilderness. I had drifted so far from the man I wanted to be. I stopped praying, stopped reading Scripture, and carried guilt I didn’t know how to let go of. Even after my life looked stable on the outside, I was spiritually empty.
Then came Kilimanjaro.
On the eve before our summit push, a hurricane-force gust ripped our tent loose. Within seconds I was clinging to a boulder while my wife Amanda was above me in the air. Our porters arrived just in time. A minute later, and we wouldn’t be here.
That moment — staring into the blackness below us — confronted me with every mistake, every regret, every wasted year. Yet it also revealed God’s mercy. I shouldn’t have survived, but I did. And I knew: I wasn’t going back to the man I used to be.
My greatest challenge became my turning point.
We’ve been impressed with Stratalution LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
About my organization: Stratalution LLC is a consulting firm I founded to help companies navigate complex supply chain, procurement, and operational challenges with clarity, confidence, and purpose. After spending more than 20 years leading billion-dollar sourcing and supply chain transformations for large corporations, I realized something important: businesses don’t just struggle with processes — they struggle with people, alignment, culture, and leadership.
Stratalution was created to bridge that gap.
What you should know:
Stratalution is based on two key words to a business’s success: Strategy and Solution. My motto is “Where Strategy meets Solution” and my logo is a box with a green leaf “outside the box” it to represent my focus on the environment and strategically thinking “outside the box”.
What we specialize in / known for:
Supply Chain Transformation
Procurement Strategy & Cost Reduction
Supplier Risk & ESG Management
Leadership Alignment
Operational Clarity and Roadmaps for Growth
What sets us apart isn’t just the technical expertise — it’s the heart behind it. My near-death experience on Kilimanjaro reshaped the mission of the company. I still deliver savings and reports, but now it’s bigger than that. I wanted to help leaders transform the way they think, operate, and show up for the people who depend on them.
I’m proud of the brand because of the kind words and feedback I get from my weekly LinkedIn posts, The questions I get about my upcoming book, “Summit After the Storm”,
The mission of Stratalution is simple:
Help leaders turn their storms into summits.
Whether it’s a supply chain crisis, an operational breakdown, or a leadership challenge, I help organizations steady the ground beneath their feet so they can climb again.
I take a relationship-driven approach that blends:
deep industry expertise,
practical, hands-on support,
and purpose-driven leadership principles.
Clients often tell me they appreciate the way I can take extremely complex problems and make them simple, actionable, and achievable. I’m known for helping organizations create momentum quickly — not through theory, but through clarity, alignment, and disciplined execution.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that Stratalution reflects who I’ve become after my own storm. It’s a company built on integrity, service, transparency, and faith in action. I don’t just help companies save money — I help them build healthier, more resilient organizations.
What I want readers to know is this:
Your business challenges don’t have to break you. With the right guidance, they can become the turning point that strengthens your team and propels you forward. That’s what Stratalution was built to do.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The supply chain and procurement world is heading into the most dramatic decade of transformation I’ve seen in my entire career. Over the next 5–10 years, I believe several major shifts will fundamentally reshape how organizations operate, compete, and grow.
1. Supply chain resilience will become essential.
After years of global instability, companies are realizing they can’t build strategy on fragile systems. Nearshoring, multi-sourcing, and supplier diversification will become the new standard — not the exception. The companies who win will be the ones who build flexibility into every part of their value chain.
2. Technology will accelerate — but human leadership will matter even more.
AI, automation, and predictive analytics will transform how decisions are made. But technology can’t replace judgment, culture, or integrity. The next generation of successful organizations will blend smart systems with strong, purpose-driven leadership.
3. Sustainability will become a competitive requirement.
ESG, carbon transparency, and circular sourcing aren’t “nice to have” anymore. Consumers, investors, and regulators all expect responsible supply chains. Companies that adapt quickly will gain trust and long-term advantage.
4. The talent landscape will evolve rapidly.
The days of transactional leadership are ending. Next-generation leaders crave mentorship, purpose, and organizations that invest in them. Companies that fail to develop their people will struggle to compete.
5. Purpose-driven leadership will become a strategic differentiator.
This is the shift I’m most passionate about. Culture, clarity, and values aren’t soft skills — they are survival skills. Organizations that thrive over the next decade will be those who lead with humility, alignment, and mission.
This vision is exactly why I built Stratalution LLC — to help companies navigate supply chain complexity with clarity and to develop leaders who can weather storms, not just manage processes. It’s also why my book, Summit After the Storm (coming in 2026), is being published through both my personal brand and Stratalution. The story is more than a memoir; it reflects the core belief behind the company:
Storms don’t break you — they shape you.
And with the right strategy and leadership, every storm can become a summit.
The next decade in our industry will belong to organizations that embrace resilience, innovation, and purpose. That’s the future I’m preparing leaders for through both my consulting and my writing.
Pricing:
- Advisory Call: $400 – $600/hour
- Speaking Engagement: $4,500 for regional / smaller events. Request Quote (plus travel cost/expenses for either)for national or larger conferences.
- Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 consultations priced per my website: www.stratalution.com
- See site for details for what each tier represents
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stratalution.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bartwilbanks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bawilbanks
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartwilbanks/
- Twitter: https://x.com/saveolemiss
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StormSummit
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stratalution-collierville-2
- Other: https://summitafterstorm.com/
