Client Testimonials
What Agency Leaders Say
From proposition through product, people and price — hear directly from the agency leaders who've worked with Lodestar.
Product · People · Price
Our client conversations now start with a scope of value — not just scopes of work and deliverables.
"We've always been strategic advisors. The truth is, our pricing and packaging didn't always reflect that. There was a gap between how we described our value and how clients actually experienced it. Tim and Brian helped us close that gap. Together, we built a cross-functional Value Council to bring more intention and consistency to how we commercialize our expertise across our global offices. It wasn't about changing who we are. It was about aligning our model with the impact we know we deliver. What's changed is real. Our teams are more confident talking about outcomes. They're more creative in how they structure value. Our client conversations now start with a scope of value — not just scopes of work and deliverables. And we're unlocking opportunities that simply weren't accessible before. The part I'm most proud of? We didn't blow up the model that built this company. We evolved it. Our solutions model now runs alongside our core business, giving clients more ways to engage us and giving us more ways to grow."
Dawn Beauparlant
Global President, We. Communications
1,758 employees
Product · People · Price
Scopes are faster to build, easier for clients to approve, and we're better able to hold boundaries.
"Before working with Lodestar, our offerings weren't consistently defined, which created friction in pricing, staffing, and scoping. Lodestar helped us bring clarity and structure to what we offer without losing flexibility. As a result, scopes are faster to build, easier for clients to approve, and we're better able to hold boundaries around what's included versus add-ons. The language and frameworks are still in use today and have become foundational to how we scope work and onboard new leaders."
The Variable
Agency Leadership
48 employees
Product · People · Price
We had our first product win one month after completing the program.
"We found Brian's approach to productization and guidance through the process to be very straightforward and pragmatic. He was able to focus us on what we do best as an agency and develop a portfolio of products that were far more than just a repackaging of our existing services. It was a whole new way to frame our value proposition that not only has immediate appeal to prospective clients, but also forces us to internally rethink how we solve our clients' business problems. We had our first product win one month after completing the program."
Paul Nelson
Managing Director, Method1
41 employees
People
85% of projects are moving faster than before.
"Lodestar introduced us to new ways of thinking about how we work and then helped us put that new mindset into action. Account managers have reported that 85% of their projects are moving faster than before, strategists say they're better able to help our teams, and creatives say our kick-offs today make them feel more informed and prepared to get to work than any previous kickoff meeting they've been in."
Amanda Hembree
VP, Organizational Design, Signal Theory
135 employees
Proposition
He pushed us to show how we're unique, what problem we solve, and why that's important.
"Lodestar's positioning methodology really helped us turn the microscope on ourselves and build a positioning we felt was true to who we are and truly differentiating. The process allowed us to be aspirational but confident in the promise of the problems we solve for our clients. Brian really challenged us to ensure we weren't talking to ourselves and building a positioning that sounded beautiful but said nothing."
Kelly McCoy, Managing Director
Eversana Intouch · 1,118 employees
People
Brian helped us reimagine how our business could work faster, better, and smarter.
"We've been fortunate to experience a significant increase in new business, but at a time when we were also shifting our service strategy from live events to virtual events. We brought on Lodestar to recommend an ideal organizational structure to support our growth and new direction. Brian's approach and thought leadership helped us reimagine how our business could work faster, better, and smarter."
TJ Martin, CEO
Cramer · 203 employees
Proposition · People
Working with Brian was a true awakening.
"He helped us align on problems and actions to create the right positioning strategy, team structure and a consistent process. Things we can put into practice or at least start establishing fluency on right away. Brian challenged us to think through and figure out which of the many issues are the right ones to unpack and helped us unlock the solutions from within ourselves."
Chris Geiser, CTO
Garrigan Lyman Group · 46 employees
Proposition
They were "speaking our language" — Brian seemed to know everything we were going through.
"When first exposed to one of Lodestar's webinars we felt right away that they were 'speaking our language.' Brian seemed to know everything we were going through at the time without us ever saying a word. Brian not only understood our Agency with ease, but also provided us various options with his recommendations that allow us to be flexible in how we approach our future."
Alexandra Walsh, VP Agency Services
Anderson Marketing · 340 employees
People
He evaluated the agency holistically and took the time to fully understand our business strategy.
"Lodestar advised and supported us at a pivotal time of growth in our agency. Brian was brought on to provide guidance restructuring one department, but he evaluated the agency holistically and took the time to fully understand our business strategy. The outcome made us rethink our agency structure and brought clarity to multi-departmental inefficiencies that had long plagued BBR."
Cathi Pavy, Former Chief Creative Officer
BBR · 40 employees
Product · People · Price
We won a new retainer client using our new product only weeks after the exercise.
"Lodestar was the push we needed to get leadership buy-in, understand the true value we offer, and strategize how we position the agency. Brian's expertise was a welcome voice in the room. He was structured, patient, and guided our leadership team to a place of alignment and understanding."
Managing Director
Academy · 35 employees
People
Now on the way to implementing changes that support our 3-year roadmap and growth trajectory.
"We hired Lodestar to assess key priorities to keep in focus as we stood up our organizational design practice. Leveraging Brian's proven model to assess our business from top to bottom helped us validate our suspicions around the necessary focus areas, engage our full team in the conversation, and report back our critical next steps."
Misty Dykema, CEO
Simantel · 159 employees
People
Helping guide us to positive, foundational change.
"Lodestar has been extremely valuable as an extension of our team here at SA and helping guide us to positive, foundational change. Brian's assistance kept us focused and on track through all phases of transition management from systematic situation analysis to communication and roll-out."
Bryce Thomson, VP Client Services
Strategic America · 149 employees
People
While the process can be humbling, we know we'll be better for our clients and teammates.
"Brian has great experience and is generous with his knowledge and insights. He has a really great presence as well, encouraging participants to share openly and candidly, pulling information from all, at every step along the way."
Ali Mahaffy, Co-CEO
Signal Theory · 135 employees
Speaking & Training
One of the highest-rated sessions of our 4As MPF 2025 conference.
"Brian's session — Model Before Message: The Value Framework For Pricing Your Impact — was one of the highest-rated sessions of our 4As MPF 2025 conference. He consistently delivers his content in a confident, approachable manner that is well-received by his audiences."
Matthew Kasindorf, Senior VP
4A's · Business Intelligence & Insight Group
Proposition · Speaking & Training
Forced me to really think about my current leadership style, with fresh ideas in bite-size pieces.
"I have been in the business world a long time and I like to think I can still learn and help other employees become good leaders themselves. Lodestar's training program forced me to really think about my current leadership style, with fresh ideas in bite-size pieces to help me improve. Brian's training made me want to be a better leader so my employees will work more independently and become great leaders too."
Lisa King, EVP & CFO
Spawn Ideas · 38 employees
Proposition · Speaking & Training
Lodestar found a way to share all the fundamental necessities to become a great leader.
"Agency leaders must build teams that perform at a level far greater than the sum of their parts. I've seen way too many talented people fail at successfully accomplishing this. Lodestar found a way to share all the fundamental necessities required to become this kind of great leader. They covered the most important and relevant topics for today's environment."
Steve Moran, Account Mgmt Consultant
Spawn Ideas · 38 employees
Speaking & Training
It's all very actionable stuff — we learned so much that will help us turn into rockstar leaders.
"One of the big aha's for me were the patterns that emerged from our leadership styles. I can map out the different styles across my teams so that we can begin to help develop their skills. But this also really crystallized what has been behind some of the reactions and feedback we've heard internally and how we should respond."
Chris Geiser, CTO
Garrigan Lyman Group · 46 employees
People
Instrumental in helping us identify and address key problems resulting from rapid growth.
"Lodestar was instrumental in helping H&L Partners identify and address key problems and opportunities resulting from rapid growth. We felt our situation was unique and we were cautious about engaging with a firm that may take a 'cookie cutter' approach. Brian's ability to customize guidance to fit our needs was invaluable, and he provided exactly what we needed. Our learnings have led to a clear strategic vision, and we now have a tactical execution plan in place."
Trey Curtola, Chairman
H&L Partners · 232 employees
Speaking & Training
It's rare to find someone who can challenge how agencies think about value and do so in a way that is immediately practical.
"For our agency conferences, we are exceptionally selective about who addresses our audience. It's rare to find someone operating at the forefront of the industry who can challenge how agencies think about value, pricing, and growth — and do so in a way that is immediately practical. Brian is one of those rare voices. His perspective on redesigning agency value models consistently leads to some of the highest-rated sessions at our events."
Brent Hodgins, Managing Director
Mirren
Speaking & Training
It's smart stuff, and Brian makes a difference.
"Brian has contributed generously to the thinking and adaptation that 4A's members need in order to thrive in the current environment. He provides a well informed, pragmatic approach to reshaping agency value models that align with changing client expectations, both in light of AI as well as other market forces. Bottom line — it's smart stuff, and Brian makes a difference."
Andy Goldsmith, SVP
Member Engagement & Development, 4A's
Speaking & Training
His strong reputation and ability to deliver high-value, actionable insights makes him an exceptional presenter.
"Brian's sessions regularly receive outstanding evaluations from attendees, and as a result, AMIN has asked him to speak at its National Conferences. His strong reputation, combined with his ability to deliver high-value, actionable insights, makes him an exceptional presenter and resource for agencies."
Bob Linden, Former SVP
Training & Development, 4A's · EVP, Highbar Training
Speaking & Training
One of our top-rated speakers for a number of years.
"Brian Kessman has been one of our top-rated speakers for a number of years. He always brings refreshing and valuable insights to agency leaders."
Pam Bloore, Founder & Co-Owner
Filament Inc.
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