Fractional COO & Blue Ocean Strategist | Turning 8-Figure Chaos into Scalable Systems | 30 Years of Operator Experience from Local Brands to Louis Vuitton.
Most entrepreneurs spend their lives running away from the “messy middle”—that chaotic space where margins thin, systems break, and the founder becomes the bottleneck. Tarkan Salar didn’t just run toward it; he lived in it for 30 years, built an empire within it, lost it all, and emerged with a blueprint for something better. Today, as a Fractional COO and Blue Ocean Strategist, Tarkan doesn’t just consult; he operates. He is the person he wishes he had when he was producing 50 million units for the likes of Zara and Louis Vuitton: a seasoned warrior who understands that while a bestseller can build you, only a system can carry you.
A Warrior Forged in the Lights
Tarkan’s journey did not begin in a boardroom, but under the headlights of a city bus. At eight years old, a catastrophic accident nearly cost him his life and his leg. While doctors reached for amputation papers, Tarkan’s father refused to sign. What followed was a year and a half of grueling recovery—a period that didn’t just heal a limb, but forged an unshakable resilience. “That moment forged something in me: resilience, urgency, and an unshakable belief that if I survived that, I could survive anything.” This urgency defined his early career. By 17, he was working at a Diesel store; by 18, he had founded his first company. He describes a “loneliness of speed”—a sense of moving faster than those around him, a trait that made him a natural entrepreneur but a solitary figure. His real education came not from textbooks, but from the high streets of Europe and a mentor named Halit, who taught him the “Bestseller DNA”—a philosophy of ruthless focus, speed over perfection, and the power of the 80/20 rule.
Inventing What Should Exist
Tarkan didn’t just participate in the fashion industry; he disrupted its chemistry. He built One Green Elephant, an 8-figure brand known for world-first inventions like triple-dye denim. At its peak, his products were so coveted that Galeries Lafayette in Paris recorded them as the best-selling items in the store’s history. His success was rooted in a unique ability to master the entire value chain. He wasn’t just a designer; he owned the factory in China, managed 15 retail stores, and navigated the complex B2B world of global giants like H&M and Armani. He was a builder who looked for the restriction in any system and solved it faster than anyone else. “Don’t ask what exists. Ask what should exist. Then build it.”
However, at the height of a $50 million revenue run, the cracks began to show. Tarkan realized that success without alignment is a gilded cage. He had built a massive structure filled with complexity, family, and friends, but he was emotionally drained. In 2017, he made the radical choice to sell everything and walk away. He moved to Bali, seeking rest, only to be met by a global pandemic that stripped away the remnants of his old life.
From Chaos to Clarity
Loss became Tarkan’s greatest teacher. During the pandemic, he committed to a “12,000-hour transformation,” devouring over 350 books and writing his own: Can’t Stop Me! Manifest Success and Happiness. This wasn’t just self-help; it was an audit of three decades of high-stakes business through the lens of emotional mastery. He realized that the “hustle” wasn’t what was painful—it was the unresolved emotional baggage. Today, he uses this synthesis of practical experience and theoretical mastery to help 7- and 8-figure DTC brands escape the “Red Ocean” of price wars and competition.
Through his Blue Ocean Consultancy, Tarkan steps in as a temporary operator for eight weeks. He identifies margin leaks, fixes broken supply chains, and installs the “Bestseller DNA Framework.” His results speak for themselves: taking a yoga brand from a 25% loss to an 81.6% profit in six months, and launching a D2C brand from zero to $4 million in just over a year. “Working with Tarkan has been an absolute game-changer. What sets him apart is his incredible thoroughness—he doesn’t just scratch the surface. Tarkan has a rare ability to go deep, ask the right questions, and uncover insights that most people miss.” — Alexis Zen, Founder @Mindbodism
Lifting Others to Scale
Tarkan’s mission is no longer measured in units produced, but in lives impacted. With a goal to touch 500 million lives, he is building AI tools to help companies apply his predictive frameworks, ensuring they are structured for growth from day one. He remains a staunch advocate for the “Bezos Question”: What will not change in the next 10 years? For Tarkan, the answer is the need for speed, simplicity, and genuine value. He is no longer the lonely boy stepping into the lights; he is the lighthouse for founders stuck in the fog of scale. “We grow by lifting others. If you focus on what will not change in the next 10 years, and you commit to lifting others, you will build the most profitable, fastest-growing, and most impactful company in your industry.”
Editorial Note: The Call to Excellence
Tarkan Salar’s journey is a testament to the fact that the most powerful business tool isn’t a spreadsheet—it’s the clarity of the person behind it. If your brand is stuck in the “messy middle,” the solution isn’t more noise; it’s a Blue Ocean.
