Dallas-based Embark declares 'consulting is dead' and plans to send mini coffins to CFOs across the country » Dallas innovates

CEO Clancy Fossum will run an ad for his company in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal. [Images: Embark]

Dallas-based Embark is literally crushing it. This is meant figuratively.

The business consulting firm aims to disrupt the “battered” $300 billion industry by looking at companies “in a fundamentally different way than the rising and abrasive culture that has long been the hallmark of consulting.” It states that

Rather than telling companies to hone their teams even harder, Embark is focusing on “happiness” from its 17 offices across the U.S., which bring “deep expertise” in accounting and finance, technology, M&A, and more. says it is setting a new standard for growth. IPO, HR, and operations for clients nationwide.

But first, the company is ditching its old consulting model for good by launching a rebranding and marketing campaign called “Consulting Is Dead.”

Embark took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, aiming to “capture the attention of both clients and consultants” by proclaiming the end of the traditional consulting model.

LA-based creative agency Angry Gods posted a series of Embark ad images on Instagram. [Images: Angry Gods/Instagram]

CFOs, take note: Your coffin is near.

A “cynical” national marketing campaign by Los Angeles-based creative agency Angry Gods will send “physical coffin-shaped boxes containing copies of the issue” to CFOs across the U.S. to make the idea stick. .

Embark says he will end the situation by holding a “funeral procession.” new york cityThe hearse is decorated with gorgeous flower arrangements and has the words “RIP Consulting” spelled out on it. ”

The social media takeover, “carried out in partnership with key industry influencers,” will further spread the word about the end of traditional consulting.

Focus on “happiness” in work culture

paul allen

So if the old way is dead, what's the new way? Embark says it can be as simple as making sure your brand's team is happy.

“Embark was founded on our fundamental belief that happiness is good for business and that people do their best work when they are happy,” said Embark CEO. Clancy Fossum said in a statement. “It may sound obvious, but in an industry that typifies bad work culture, this is quite revolutionary. It sets us apart from other companies in this space. The health and well-being of our employees is our top priority and we do more than just pay lip service.”

embark on founder Paul Allen is no stranger to taking risks when it comes to company culture. He proved that in 2022 by offering his then-more than 300 employees $10,000 each in severance packages. (According to the Dallas Morning News, only four people took the $10,000 and walked away.) His goal then was to make sure all staff members bought into Embark's cause. Was that.

What is his goal now?

“It's time to tell the world about Embark,” Allen said in a statement. “Our goal is nothing short of building the most iconic brand in the industry, based on the belief that happiness is good for business.”

“The consulting industry is not going away, but the old ways of consulting are long overdue for change,” he added. “Embark is ushering in a new era of consulting, where we do our best work to keep people happy.”

On LinkedIn, Allen shared his vision when he launched Embark in 2010:

“Before founding Embark, I spent five years in recruiting for a large consulting firm. I personally spoke with thousands of consultants, and what I witnessed was… They were bright young people with great thoughts.”

“We wanted to create a next-generation company where the health and well-being of our employees is a top priority, not just lip service,” he added. “My thinking was that happy consultants would do better work, which would make clients happier and drive business growth. This is why I called his company, Embark. I knew it was the beginning of a long and difficult journey.”

“It took five years to reach just $1 million in revenue,” Allen wrote. “We learned the formula and repeated it.”

Revenue soared from $4 million to $149 million in 7 years

Fast forward to today and things are clearly paying off. Embark said that in 2023, he recorded record corporate revenue of $149 million, a “40.8% year-over-year growth.” This marks Embark's sixth consecutive year of revenue growth, with four of those years posting triple-digit growth, the company said. The company was named to his Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list in 2023, and its employee count increased by more than 20% that year.

“At a time when the entire industry is mired in cultural stagnation and plummeting public opinion, Embark is seeing annual revenue soar. 4 million dollars to $149 million Our growth rate over the past seven years has been 20 times the industry average,” the company said. The company's NPS score (a widely used measure of customer satisfaction) is 70% higher than the industry average and comparable to NPS heavyweights such as Apple, Ritz-Carlton, and Chick-fil-A. and said it was the highest score of any industry. Similarly, the company's employee satisfaction rate consistently stands at an impressive 90%. ”

Embark said in January that it “aims to expand into additional markets in 2024, including New York City and other Northeast regions.” wall street journal This ad and the planned “funeral consulting” stunt in New York make even more sense.

The company said CFOs across the U.S. will “receive their caskets next week.”