What Happens When The Consultants Own The Business

Hiring a consultant: It’s a decision that many growing businesses make at some point in their history. Whether it’s to tackle thorny challenges or to develop plans to chase new opportunities, getting the advice from a trusted advisor can be a godsend for a fast-growth company.

But what happens when the consultants get the chance to focus their expertise inward on growing their own business? That’s the case at Point B, 22-year-old consulting firm that started in Seattle and has since expanded around the country. Point B’s three founders made the decision to become 100% employee owned in 2014 and the business, which now has some 630 employee owners, has expanded by leaps and bounds since then. Point B has also garnered multiple industry awards along the way, including being named a best place to work by a variety of national and regional publications.

To learn more about the impact that being employee-owned has had on Point B, I spoke with Mike Pongon, the company’s CEO. What follows is a condensed and edited version of our conversation.