The 2022 Best Small Firms to Work For: Propeller

Client Industries Served: Consumer Products, Health Care, Energy & Utility, Education, Information Technology, Financial Services, Public Sector, and Manufacturing

CMAG: How would you say you've managed to stay among the industry's Best Small Firms to Work For amid these unprecedented times?

Propeller opened its doors ten years ago to build a company focused on people. After an especially tumultuous last two years—where constant change and uncertainty have become cornerstones of our personal and professional lives—we've doubled down on this commitment. When you put your people first, you create a culture of trust and transparency that enables each individual to thrive and in turn, your organization can thrive too.

CMAG: Were there any specific programs or initiatives (internal or external) that contributed to you being a Best Small Firm to Work For?

Propeller is in a period of accelerated growth. In 2021, we grew our consultants and staff by 44% and our annual revenue experienced a 57% growth rate. We're continuing this same growth in 2022 and expanding into two new markets. This growth wouldn't be possible if we weren't also growing our people. We've formalized new professional and leadership development opportunities, including new career paths. We're investing in our leadership team's capabilities and diversity, prioritizing the needs and development of our consultants, and maturing our internal teams and functions, all to support our vision for growth and dedication to exceptional service.

Strengthening diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Propeller is a key priority and an important component of our growth strategy. A diverse workforce and inclusive culture deliver creative and durable outcomes for our people and clients. We are working hard to diversify our leadership team and grow them as inclusive leaders. Our leadership team is 52% female and 47% of employees in our internal leadership development pipeline identify as BIPOC.

Growth is built into our DNA. As we continue to expand our footprint, we make sure the decisions we make align with our values.

CMAG: What's unique about your firm? What sets it apart?

From the start, we put an emphasis on building a strong culture. That culture is guided by our foundational ethos. We ensure that the decisions we're making as a firm and as individuals align with those core values. Our culture brings us together with a shared purpose.

Growth has always been a part of Propeller's vision. As an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program) company, we've created a culture of ownership where we're working towards the same goals together. We provide visibility of our progress to our employees and engage them in the journey. Our employees are essential to our growth and success.

Another unique part of Propeller is the community we foster—in our offices and our neighborhoods. Our community efforts, including volunteer, philanthropic, and pro-bono partnerships, are 100% employee-led and add a special dimension to the employee experience.

CMAG: What's the top priority over the next 6 to 12 months?

Our top priority for the next six months is to continue driving forward with the momentum we've been building. At the start of the year, we set five strategic goals centered around expanding our client experience and supporting our growth through investments in people and infrastructure. When I look ahead to the rest of the year, our goal is to continue to make progress against these goals while we and our clients navigate through uncertain economic times. For the remainder of this year and next, our focus will be on our fundamentals: delivering an exceptional client experience, setting the foundation for future growth (including continued expansion in our two newest markets in Dallas and Minneapolis), and staying committed to being an employer of choice.

CMAG: When you look at the remainder of this year and 2023, what excites you? What opportunities do you see in your future?

Coming out of the pandemic, the business environment continues to be volatile. With that constant need to change and react, comes a big opportunity for companies to rethink their approach. We have been partnering with clients in unique ways to help them navigate this time of significant change from rethinking their ways of working to developing new operating models to accelerating digital transformation efforts. The key here is to help our clients remain agile and responsive to the demands of their customers, employees, and shareholders.

As a company, I've been excited about the momentum that we have achieved around our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. These are not activities that can be simply checked off a to-do list, but a long-term journey that is personally and organizationally transformational. Our progress may be messy and non-linear, but I'm excited by the art of the possible and the opportunity to model the change that we want to see in society.

CMAG: What impact do you think being a Best Small Firm to Work For has on the firm? Employees? Clients?

Propeller is honored to be recognized as a Best Small Firm to Work for—it reaffirms that our people-first approach creates an environment that welcomes a diverse set of folks that look forward to coming to work each day and coming up with creative solutions for our clients. A big part of what earned us this award is the trust we've built with our employees. Our consultants are able to bring and develop that same trust with our clients—which creates better outcomes for everyone: our organization, our consultants, and our clients.

CMAG: Thank you, and congratulations.