Entrepreneur Jonny Goldstone knows about the highs and lows of running a business. His environmentally friendly taxi company, Green Tomato Cars, was on the brink of collapse. But with just hours to go until the company was taken into administration, Goldstone managed to pull off a dramatic rescue, steering it back to profitability and overseeing its successful sale to Addison Lee in 2023.
His secret weapon? The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), designed by Gino Wickman to help companies run and scale their businesses effectively. “I discovered EOS as part of the turnaround of Green Tomato Cars by reading Gino Wickman’s book Traction,” he says.
Jonny Goldstone reinvented himself as a professional implementer of (the) Entrepreneurial Operating System
“It outlines his set of simple and practical tools that entrepreneurs can use. I had no idea there was such an operating model but in hindsight, it makes perfect sense.” So convinced was he by the transformative power of the EOS method, Goldstone decided to leave GTC after its profitable sale to Addison Lee to reinvent himself as a professional EOS implementer. Today, he dedicates his time to helping businesses navigate their own challenges and unlock their full potential.
“My mission is to empower 1,000 business leaders to achieve their goals by 2035.” So what is EOS? “It’s like an instruction manual for your business,” says Goldstone, 48. “It is a set of simple tools and principles that help businesses get organised, set clear goals, and run more smoothly.”
It focuses on improving leadership, accountability and teamwork so that companies can grow and solve problems effectively. EOS has been adopted by more than 275,000 companies worldwide and more than two million entrepreneurs use resources from Wickman’s Traction Library, which offers guidance on implementing the principles. Goldstone notes that he’s not a consultant.
“It’s about coaching from the sidelines and empowering leadership teams to use the tools independently. I want to teach businesses to be self-reliant,” he says.
Goldstone, 48, works with privately-held businesses, typically with revenues between £1m and £200m, and also offers pro-bono coaching – such as for the leadership team at New North London Synagogue, where he is a member. “This is my way of giving back.”
Back to Goldstone’s journey. A Cambridge graduate, he launched Green Tomato Cars in 2006 as an eco-conscious alternative to traditional private hire services. The company quickly gained traction and was sold to multinational transport company Transdev in 2010. But the road ahead was far from smooth.
In 2013, Goldstone relocated to the United States with plans to expand GTC into Washington DC. The timing couldn’t have been worse. “Uber was growing and making a real stink in Washington specifically,” he recalls, referencing the controversial ‘Greyball’ incident where Uber allegedly used software to spy on senators. Goldstone’s plans to operate under the Green Tomato brand were blocked, and the expansion ended in failure. “In hindsight, it was the worst place possible to try to do it. It was an amazing experience as a family but a disaster as a business.”
After two years, Goldstone and his family returned to the UK and Goldstone founded Piccnicc, a Deliveroo-style service for people visiting large spaces – airports, sports stadiums, train stations, exhibition centres, hospitals and the like. Having successfully raised seed capital in 2016 and while he was preparing to partner with Gatwick Airport, the deal was pulled at the 11th hour. Goldstone, who had taken out a second mortgage, was able to return the majority of funds to investors in 2017.
In a twist of fate, the managing director of GTC contacted Goldstone a couple of weeks later, asking him to step in temporarily while the company was being prepared for sale. What started as a short-term commitment turned into a life-defining challenge.
Transdev, which owned GTC, had struggled to find a buyer, and the business teetered again on the brink of administration. Goldstone and business partner Joe Bitran took back control of the company from Transdev and had just three to four months of cash flow left to stabilise the business. “The market had shifted drastically, with Uber reshaping the private hire industry. We literally had hours before everyone lost their jobs and would not get paid. It was the worst position I’d ever been in.”
Recognising GTC’s unique value proposition – its focus on sustainability and personal service – Goldstone pivoted away from directly competing with Uber. “I streamlined operations, reducing head office costs by 60-70 percent, and implemented more efficient insurance and overhead strategies. “Having been blown away by Gino Wickman’s book around this time, I started to implement EOS in the business.”
Revenues started to grow and within two years GTC went from losing £2m annually to turning a £2m profit, with margins exceeding 20 percent, a rarity in the private hire industry. A breakthrough came during the pandemic when GTC, who had a contract with the NHS contract, provided transport for key healthcare workers at a time when many taxi companies, reliant on airport traffic, were struggling.
This was followed by a milestone moment in 2021 when GTC was appointed as the official government transport provider for the C26 climate summit in Glasgow, driving world leaders and their delegations around Scotland.
In 2023, Goldstone oversaw the sale of GTC to Addison Lee for an undisclosed sum. “I was losing my passion for the business and decided it was time to move on and use my experience to help others.”
This was when he trained to become a professional EOS implementer and today he has a growing roster of clients. “Even the toughest challenges can lead to extraordinary opportunities. Resilience, paired with the right tools, can drive lasting success,” he says.
