The 2023 Best Small Firms to Work For: Two Roads Consulting

Client Industries Served: Transportation, Retail, health care, Finance, Manufacturing

Consulting Service Lines: Operations Management

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

Whether we're facing a global pandemic or not, Two Roads manages to maintain a strong culture built around a commitment to each other and our clients. We are very intentional in our hiring practices to not only recruit the brightest minds and problem solvers, but to also look for that likeminded spark of being truly invested in the people you work with and for. Our team balances professionalism and fun – it's one of our core values – and we never lose focus of the fact that we are all humans, not just employees. That perspective makes a huge impact.

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

In the last year, we really emphasized our recruiting and retention efforts on female consultants, which we're all aware is a smaller percentage of the industry. Our team is plugged in with local MBA programs and we hold regular events for women in these programs to come together, ask questions, discuss how we can support each other in the workplace, and network. We also ensure the women at Two Roads have a female mentor to advocate for their growth, hold annual retreats to discuss goals and opportunities, and recently addressed a major concern by improving our paid parental leave policy.

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

Two Roads was built to be unique. In 2015, six of the partners left big consulting firms to create something different: a place where we could still focus on solving complex business challenges, but without the insane travel schedule and competitive move-up-or-out culture. Instead, we created a business centered on doing right by our people and our clients. One with a local consulting model that allowed our team to have dinner with their families every night. I'm so proud that we have been able to develop a unique culture within the consulting industry and even the corporate world in general, and it is paying off. We have seen immense growth and success, and we're just getting started.

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

Though we have grown quickly and consistently since our inception, our sales have been organic and responsive to requests for growth within our current clients. As we continue to scale, we will be focused on building an internal sales engine to propel our firm into our next phase of operations. We want all employees to be empowered to contribute to our sales function, so establishing training and capabilities will be important as we laser focus on expanding the number of North Texas clients we serve.

CMAG: When you look at the remainder of this year and 2024, what excites you? What opportunities do you see in your markets?

Many of our employees have robust experience transforming businesses and operations across key health and wellness companies, and we see extensive opportunities to help tackle some of the tremendous problems within the health care industry. We are excited to be well-positioned to apply our thought leadership in these areas as the North Texas market continues to provide opportunities for health care companies to flourish.

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

Being named a Best Firm to Work For is validation of the investment we've made and continue to make in building an employee-focused culture. As a smaller, local firm, it also provides some credibility as we recruit both prospective talent and clients.