Our team of experts will help you overcome your biggest business challenges.
What we do:
Our team of business experts clarifies your step-by-step roadmap to help deliver your vision and reach your goals.
Vision
• Clarify vision
• Articulate mission
• Identify goals
• Embody values
• Define culture
Plan
• Research and apply data
• Formulate strategic plan
• Develop marketing strategy
• Design implementation plan
Execution
• Foster leadership/EQ
• Implement organizational alignment
• Establish performance metrics
• Develop HR
• Design operations, systems, & processes
Growth
• Measure sales & customer engagement
• Institute innovation & proactive mindset
• Increase revenue
• Optimize profit
Intake phase: we assess your company, run interviews, and define the diagnosis.
Plan phase: we support CEOs/leadership to deliver the strategy and execution plan.
Implementation phase: we deploy our team of experts to coach leaders and cascade the plan through your organization.
Growth phase: we train your team to focus on execution and continuous improvement.
Who we are:
Each member of our team:
- Is an expert in vision, mission, values, and culture. We help define your 'why'.
- Has first hand experience with business ownership and/or C-suite level positions. We are on your side.
- Focuses on execution and is an implementation expert; we know how to make things happen. We will walk the path with you.
As the founder of ABCD consulting, and a growth strategy consultant, Alex’s role is to serve as your company’s primary care provider: he diagnoses organizations, and helps them find the path to healthier dynamics and growth-oriented models. He sees people, systems, and organizations for their potential rather than focusing on where they are currently stuck.
Throughout his career, he has focused on three distinct areas of expertise: business management, project management, and psychology. Combining these
experiences with best practices learning, Alex has designed a unique consulting approach that focuses on vision and execution, while coaching
clients along the way. “We never drop knowledge and leave. We walk the path with our clients, to train them and their teams to become execution experts.”
Alex’s vision for ABCD is to gather a team of subject matter experts with extraordinary skills that will serve leaders and ‘change the game of any organization.
Alex was recently invited to join the Coaching Bureau at Gonzaga’s University’s Leadership Training and Development department.
- Diagnosing organizations; creating a path for success.
- Shifting paradigms and managing change.
- Identifying untapped potential in people, systems, & organizations.
William Hockett
- Marketing
- Strategic Planning
- Qualitative Market Research
- Business Development
- Business Crisis Intervention
Will serves as founder and president of Critical Data, Inc. – a thirty three year old specialized marketing, business development, change management, and strategic market research firm headquartered in Spokane, Washington. His clients include Fortune 100 firms such as General Motors and Procter & Gamble, regional and local companies, and non-profit organizations. Critical Data has developed a national reputation for innovatively solving problems for clients and implementing growth. In 1996, Will was featured on the front cover of INC Magazine as an innovator who significantly impacts companies and helps them
to grow.
He is a frequent keynote speaker for corporations across the U.S. and has been featured and quoted in national publications and periodicals. Will is a popular lecturer and guest instructor at colleges and universities, as well as a consultant to multinational firms.
Will also serves on numerous boards for civic and non-profit organizations and teaches business and organizational development classes at North Idaho College’s Workforce Training Center.
– Obtaining in-depth qualitative findings through innovative market research.
– Developing innovative marketing and growth solutions.
– Communicating and implementing tangible change initiatives.
Deanna Davis
- Executive Coaching
- Leadership
- Culture
- Strategic Planning
Deanna Davis, PhD, MPH serves as CEO of Applied Insight, LLC, where she helps individuals thrive and businesses create results that matter. She has 25 years’ experience as an executive, leadership coach, strategic consultant, and leader in both corporate and nonprofit settings. She is the author of three books and speaks internationally on leadership, business success, and how Positive Psychology principles lead to radical resilience in work and life. Dr. Davis holds a PhD in Leadership from Gonzaga University and a Master of Public Health Degree from the University of Washington.
Dr. Davis is the author of three best-selling books, is an accomplished professional speaker, entertainer, and comedienne. Known for her characteristic blend of humor and how-to, she shares cutting-edge research and practical strategies for creating extraordinary success and satisfaction in work and in life. She helps clients focus on what matters most and what works best so they can love their life and live their purpose with more ease and less stress.
Dr. Davis has spoken and consulted for companies as diverse as Microsoft, Baird Financial, The National Association of Women Business Owners, The American Heart Association, Farmers Insurance, Salon Services, the Small Business Administration, and the US Forest Service, and more. Deanna advocates personal, professional, and organizational change using “the big power of small,” since small changes, small steps, and small investments lead to big—and lasting—results over time.
Daniel Mahoney
- Executive Coaching and Development
- Organizational Alignment
- Performance optimization
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Finance
Dan Mahoney is a seasoned executive and CEO with over 30 years of experience in the semiconductor and solid-state storage industries. He led companies such as Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electronics, Renesas, NEC Electronics in important market repositioning strategies and aggressive growth strategies. Since 2019, Dan has been a CEO/Owner Peer Group Chair with CEO Focus in Spokane.
In addition to his executive career, Dan has been serving as an advisory board member for several companies and organizations such as Gonzaga University’s School of Leadership Studies in Spokane, WA.
For five years Dan has been an annually-featured speaker in Gonzaga University’s Emerging Leaders’ Program for high potential mid-career business, government and nonprofit leaders.
Since 2016 he has been an Adjunct Professor in Whitworth University’s Graduate School of Business, is a Member of Whitworth University’s Business advisory Board, and has served as an executive coach. He is a member of the Spokane Angel Alliance. Dan has been actively involved as a participant and leader in Kairos Prison Ministry International, a Christian ministry to the incarcerated that has also been shown to significantly reduce recidivism.
He is a member of the United States Military Academy Association of Graduates, has completed the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation, and the University of Chicago’s Finance for Executives Course. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army and Washington National Guard for a total of eight years. He is also part of the diverse team of business champions at ABCD Consulting.
– Organizational alignment & goals achievement strategy.
– Leadership development & executive coaching.
– Design thinking to address adaptive challenges to the organization.
LacreciaHill
- Strategic Planning
- Execution
- Change Management
- Organizational Design
- Systems/Processes
- Human Resources
Lacrecia “Lu” Hill (she/her/hers) has over ten years of executive-level experience, and a drive to ensure people and systems work together to meet objectives. She has modeled her career around the philosophy that supporting personal and professional growth leads to the most effective working environment. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MBA.
Lu spent most of her career in the non-profit and philanthropic sector, leaving to take over the family business. Lu started her career with the Boys & Girls Club, working in Las Vegas, NV and Sweet Home/Lebanon, OR chapters, before coming home to the Spokane club in 2011. She also worked as a Senior Program Associate with the Empire Health Foundation. Since 2015, she has been in the cannabis industry building out cannabis production, extraction, packaging, sales, and distribution facilities, implementing best practices in management, finance, and manufacturing.
Lu owns her own consulting business, Wake the Culture, and is a yoga teacher at The Wake Yoga. Lu currently serves as board president of Spectrum LGBTQIA2+ Center, and serves on the Inland Northwest Business Alliance (INBA) board, as well as the WA State LGBTQ+ Commission’s economic development committee. Most recently, she is working with a group in eastern Washington to establish a BIPOC chamber of commerce.
Dr. KelliPearson
- Immunity To Change (ITC)*
- Wellness/Anti-Inflammatory
- Collaborative Back Care (CBC)
Dr. Kelli Pearson is a certified trainer in The Immunity to Change, the program associated with Minds at Work. This organization stems from Drs. Lahey and Kagan, both professors, researchers, and clinicians specializing in adult learning and developing mental complexity. This work results in people being able to visualize commonly invisible mindsets that result in limited behaviors. This methodology helps step to step to help people identify the narrowed or even false mindsets that keep them stuck in behaviors, ultimately ensuring their personal (or business) goals are not achieved. It allows people to overcome their age-old limitations and blind spots, increasing the “newly sought after incomes” of more meaningful work, satisfaction, and internal happiness. We refer to this training as a building block towards human flourishing.
Dr. Pearson has been in practice since 1982, and in Spokane since 1984. She has been co-owner of Pearson & Weary Clinics with her husband, Dr. Weary, since 1989. Beginning in 1986, Kelli joined Group Health Northwest as a clinician and director of chiropractic services, a position which continued for 14 years, before joining Dr. Weary full time. She has Diplomate certification in Chiropractic Orthopedics and is currently completing her certification in Chiropractic Occupational Health. She is full-body certified in Active Release Technique as well as Graston Technique, two of the most effective soft tissue treatment strategies utilized in sports medicine today. Dr. Pearson has also enjoyed working with the Gonzaga Bulldogs from 1997 through the present, as well as the Spokane Shock, our local arena football team since their inception in 2006.
Dr. Pearson was recently elected as the District 1 Governor for the American Chiropractic Association, making her a member of the Board of Governors of the premier national association of our profession. She has served two years as president of the Washington Chiropractic Association as well and has taught postgraduate neurology to chiropractors for over two decades. Dr. Pearson is passionate about helping people find their way back to health and raising the standards of care for patients in pain. She tries hard to embody the lifestyle and belief systems she teaches to others.
*About Immunity To Change:
Immunity to Change (ITC) is a learning process developed by Harvard University faculty Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey, informed by 30 years of research on adult development and used in organizations throughout the world, it offers an actionable model for transforming our lives and our organizations.
JaniceMiller
- Communications Strategy
- Digital Content Creation
- Corporate Meeting Mediation and Facilitation
- Community Outreach
- Client Relations
- Diversity & Inclusion
Janice was raised in Bovill, Idaho and is proud to be the 2nd of three siblings to become a first generation college graduate.
She has degrees in Culinary Arts and Paralegal Studies, as well as certifications in Office Administration and Management, and Diversity and Inclusion.
Janice has 20 years of employment experience centered around her passion to serve others. She has volunteered hundreds of hours and supported numerous non-profits and charities, her favorite is Spokane Fantasy Flight and the opportunity to bring the spirit of belonging and hope to children who are in the foster system, houseless, and in need of love.
She recently served as the Executive Director for the Inland Northwest Business Alliance, creating a collaborative atmosphere with local LGBTQIA2+ nonprofits and business chambers in Spokane, Idaho, and Seattle. In 2020, she created and managed a Business Resiliency Assistance program, in contract with the Washington Department of Commerce, to help underserved and minority owned businesses find, understand eligibility, and apply for COVID-19 relief funds and grant opportunities.
She served as the Director of Communications for the Live Local campaign, helping create the narrative and generate interest in Live Local Business Coaching and Online Marketplace.
She helped create, oversee, and score various grants that were rewarded to locally owned, primarily underserved, and/or minority owned businesses.
Her talents include: organizational and servant leadership, turning a brand concept into a consumer facing story, systems and processes with a foundation of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and unrelenting spicy wit.
She is currently serving as the Communications and Social Media Manager for the Campaign to Elect Gloria Ochoa Bruck for Spokane Municipal Court position 3, and as a Communications Strategist and Social Media Manager for Aim & Build Consulting & Development.
The three things Janice is best at:
– Taking high level, detailed information and creating consumer friendly content to educate and promote.
– Creating clear systems and processes with a focus on
– Diversity and Inclusion Helping organizations tackle and overcome difficult situations
KevinParker
- Executive Coaching
- Leadership
- Culture
- Teams
- Organizational Development
- Customer Service
Kevin is the owner of Dutch Bros. Coffee in the Spokane region, overseeing 230 employees and ten locations. He is a former Washington State politician, and a former advisor to a senior member of the United States Congress. Kevin spent his career developing expertise in servant leadership, fiscal sustainability, and building a strong company culture. He is a Fellow at the Aspen Institute and served as a facilitator at Harvard University.
Kevin was named one of Spokane’s most influential business leaders multiple times and received over 30 awards for his leadership efforts in business and the community, including: Spokane Citizen of the Year, Washington State Citizen of the Year, the Community Trustee Award, Philanthropist of the Year for Mid-Size Businesses at the Spokane Philanthropy Awards, and received accommodation from the United States Congress.
Concurrent with his work at Dutch Bros., Kevin teaches organizational behavior, leadership, and entrepreneurship at Whitworth University, and formerly at Gonzaga University. He created the Executive Leadership concentration for the Whitworth MBA program, which is credited in helping MBA enrollment soar. He sits on the board for both Gonzaga’s School of Leadership Studies and the Regional Health Partnership between Gonzaga and the University of Washington. He is currently studying in Gonzaga’s Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies.
Jennifer Cumbie
- Project Coordination
- Facilitation
- Community Engagement
- Small Business Recruitment
Jennifer was raised in Spokane and her family operates a third generation independent business here in Eastern Washington. Jennifer started her education at the Community Colleges of Spokane, dually enrolled at both local campuses. She completed her degree in Oakland, CA with a BA in Biology, focusing on Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution.
Upon the completion of a fellowship in Genetics, she returned to Spokane as a department lead for a major biotech company. She was also elected as the Safety Committee Chairwoman, and safety committee meeting facilitator.
She has over 20 years of multi-industry management experience, including retail, healthcare, and biotechnology. Although her educational background is focused in science, she carries her systems and processes skills and applies them to various industries in the world of small, independent businesses.
As a community outreach specialist for SIMBA (Spokane Independant Metro Business Alliance), her responsibilities included engaging with local independent businesses and connecting them with resources to support their needs during the dual health and economic crises driven by COVID.
Jennifer was also the Assistant Field Director of the Live Local Campaign, managing a field team aiming to enroll local businesses, facilitating team meetings, onboarding onto the website, and distributing campaign materials across the city. In addition, she assisted in the distribution of micro grants to support our local businesses in concert with solving a community issue.
Jennifer’s role within ABCD is project coordination, facilitation, community engagement and small business recruitment.
The three things Jenn is best at:
– Communicating with a diverse group of individuals and conflict resolution
– Networking and connecting small businesses with their specialized consultants
– Engaging with the community, making people feel heard
Case Studies
Client: Fast-growing medical office
Mission:
Define and implement the strategic vision/culture and processes to support and sustain the practice’s growth
Outcome:
Our work contributed to a 25% increase in operating income
Client:
Fast-growing medical office
Mission:
Define and implement the strategic vision/culture and processes to support and sustain the practice’s growth.
Implementation:
- Strategic planning and execution plan
- Developed leaders and a path to leadership, and trained leads in strategy and execution
- Created and implemented a comprehensive HR system
- Audited IT support, sourced and vetted the appropriate partner, implemented a new comprehensive IT system
Outcome:
Our work contributed to a 25% increase in operating income
Term:
4 quarters
Client: Multi-State power distribution company
Mission:
Improve the efficiency of the temporary power installation crews
Outcome:
Increased jobs completed per installer pair by 25%, decreased worksite accidents by 87%, and developed workflow processes that enabled a centralized dispatch system, reducing costs by over $125,000 annually
Client:
Multi-State power distribution company
Mission:
Improve the efficiency of the temporary power installation crews
Implementation:
- Develop behavior-based training and skills assessments for each job function
- Conduct time and safety studies for each task to establish reasonable expectations of work completions
- Redesigned work flow processes to reduce repeat trips, improve safety, and ensure more jobs were completed per installer pair per day
Outcome:
Increased jobs completed per installer pair by 25%, decreased worksite accidents by 87%, and developed workflow processes that enabled a centralized dispatch system, reducing costs by over $125,000 annually.
Term:
6 quarters
Client: Menswear Retail Chain
Mission:
Increase profitability of transactions
Outcome:
Increased units per transaction by 47%, and increased bottom line profitability by 15%.
Client:
Menswear Retail Chain
Mission:
Increase profitability of transactions
Implementation:
- Conducted a workflow analysis to determine points in the sale that could be improved
- Created complete customer service training for retail associates and managers
- Implemented tracking and feedback systems, including mystery shopper program
Outcome:
Increased units per transaction by 47%, and increased bottom line profitability by 15%.
Term:
6 quarters
Client: US leader in high-end construction material
Mission:
Audit logistics, find areas to increase profitability
Outcome:
Through disciplined auditing, negotiation and internal systems, reduced overhead expenses resulting in a savings of $160,000/fiscal year
Client:
US leader in high-end construction material
Mission:
Audit logistics, find areas to increase profitability
Implementation:
- Auditing of costs and internal systems
- Market study, negotiation with vendors
- Trained client in maintaining new systems to sustain newly gained profitability
Outcome:
Through disciplined auditing, negotiation and internal systems, reduced overhead expenses resulting in a savings of $160,000/fiscal year
Term:
2 quarters
Client: 40+ year-old national skin care company
Mission:
Turn-around five years of steadily declining sales
Outcome:
At the end of year one, the company earned its first profit in seven years. Since that time the company has earned steady and impressive growth and market share.
Client:
40+ year-old national skin care company
Mission:
Turn-around five years of steadily declining sales
Implementation:
- Performed national market research and due diligence with lost retailers, buyers, and customers.
- Completed qualitative competitive intelligence with four primary direct competitors
- Evaluated internal team and oversaw exit of owner as active in the business and CEO
- Re-staffed based upon future market demands and needs
- Re-branded, repackaged, and re-emerged with a vibrant focus on a younger age group
- Developed a robust on-line shopping cart website and sales process
- Transitioned focus of the company to online with retail support
- Developed new wholesale and representative relationships to target retail marketplace
Outcome:
At the end of year one, the company earned its first profit in seven years. Since that time the company has earned steady and impressive growth and market share.
Term:
7 quarters
Client: Regional furniture retailer
Mission:
Address stagnant gross sales combined with steadily increasing advertising expenditures
Outcome:
Reduced all marketing costs overall by 44% while boosting sales 36% within first year of plan implementation
Client:
Regional furniture retailer
Mission:
Address stagnant gross sales combined with steadily increasing advertising expenditures
Implementation:
- Performed in-depth market research with target customers.
- Performed a comprehensive marketing audit
- Terminated long-time advertising agency and brought in-house
- Developed new branding to include external building upgrades
- Hired and trained younger sales representatives in harmony with refined market approach
- Implemented customer service and sales training with new and existing team members
- Relocated departments within the stores based upon consumer input from market study
Outcome:
Reduced all marketing costs overall by 44% while boosting sales 36% within first year of plan implementation.
Term:
3 quarters
Success Stories
