The 2020 Fastest Growing Firms: Clerestory

Consulting: What were the main factors that contributed to your firm's exceptional growth?

Toops: Experts in Change Management and Business Operations Transformation, Clerestory offers a unique and powerful value proposition. The firm has been at the forefront of Change Management for 17 years as clients recognized its value in their organizations. We integrate high-impact tools and techniques in every aspect of our projects using our proprietary change management methodology, EMBED™. Collaboratively engaging our clients' staff produces measurable results and rapidly delivers client-specific goals and benefits. Our team is selectively comprised of 65 consultants with the right blend of experience, skill, and personality. We embrace a full-time employee model and see that our investment in our staff supports a culture of passion, commitment, and extraordinary results. We are not philosophical observers who chronical the difficulty of change. We are an implementation firm that leaves our clients with a greater sense of ownership and capacity for change. We are proud that client referrals and repeat business continue to fuel our growth.

Consulting: How is this year shaping up for your firm?

Toops: 2020 has had challenges unlike any that companies have faced before. Fortunately, our Fortune 100 clients are accustomed to working remotely. We have added new clients seeking help with streamlining business processes, converting ILT to eLearning, and reorganizing headquarters shared services to centrally manage a global workforce. We continue to invest in staff development through Clerestory University and are confident that we can meet the challenges ahead.

Consulting: How would you describe your firm's outlook for 2021? Where do you see the most opportunities?

Toops: Clerestory's projections for 2021 are consistent with our past performance. We now have consultants in three states and an expanded home office location. The New Year should bring a mix of ongoing client projects in addition to new opportunities. EMBED™, our change management methodology, produces impactful results at the intersection of people, process, and technology. With our help, our market-leading clients are working to gain and maintain competitive advantages by implementing solutions more quickly. Clerestory consultants are rewarded for exceeding the client's definition of success while delivering timely, fixed-fee projects. This approach is a striking contrast in a marketplace where large firms define and measure success by the size of their fees and consultants are rewarded for billing as many hours as possible.

Consulting: What would you say are your firm's biggest challenges in 2021?

Toops: Clerestory's biggest challenge continues to be hiring experienced consultants who are both strategic thinkers and passionate about leading the implementation of client solutions. Our team must have the interpersonal skills to persuade, encourage, and model the behaviors required in a transformed environment. Our proven methodologies allow us to train new consultants effectively. However, we are relentless about recruiting and retaining the best resources in the marketplace. Our consultants are our greatest differentiator. An Executive VP and COO of a $2B NA Insurance company recently remarked, "I have never met anyone from Clerestory who was not exceptional."

Consulting: What does being named a Fastest Growing Firm mean to your firm, employees and clients?

Toops: We are honored to once again receive the recognition of being named to Consulting's list of Fastest Growing Firms. However, our greatest achievements are the results that that we deliver to our clients every day. This honor validates that we are consistently delivering value and impactful solutions to our clients. Seventeen years ago, we founded Clerestory to offer a different consulting experience to clients. We have demonstrated success across industries and functional areas by delivering on our clients' most important projects. We use integrated change management to shorten the time it takes to achieve real, sustainable results. We believe being recognized as one of Consulting's Fastest Growing Firms in 2020 is an acknowledgement of our past accomplishments and a vote of confidence that our success will continue.