Growth stories often follow a familiar arc: more clients, bigger teams, rising revenue. And at Lodestone, we’ve experienced all of that. Last year, we nearly doubled revenue. This year, let’s just say we’re on pace to meet the criteria for some very exclusive “fastest-growing companies in America” lists—you might hear more about that later this summer.
But for us, growth has never been about chasing more. It’s been about choosing better.
Early on, we learned this the hard way. We said yes to a project with a founder who talked the talk about valuing people and culture, but whose actions didn’t quite align. It was only our second engagement, and while the misalignment was clear, the temptation to say yes was stronger.
Midway through, the friction hit. “Why do they need to know our culture to write job descriptions?” he asked, frustrated that we weren’t just typing up tasks. What he saw as transactional, we saw as transformational—getting the right people in the right roles only works when you understand the environment they’ll be in. We finished the work, but we knew no true impact would be made. And in that moment, we drew a line: never again.
That’s when our “No BS” value came to life. It reminds us to be honest—with ourselves and with our clients—about whether the conditions exist to do meaningful work. And it gave us the clarity to say no when the fit isn’t right, even if the revenue is.
But the power of selective growth isn’t just about clients. It’s about how we’ve built Lodestone.
We’re deliberate about who we bring into our team—whether full-time or part-time. We look for deep expertise, yes. But we also look for something harder to define: alignment. People who live our values—credibility, humility, no BS, a-ha moments, and enjoyment. People who show up for our clients with integrity, and for each other with generosity.
Because our work is high-trust and high-impact. There’s no room for ego, fluff, or checking boxes. Every person we add shifts our chemistry, so we guard that culture with care.
The result? A team that consistently punches above its weight. Clients who come back again and again—not just because of what we do, but how we do it. And growth that’s not just fast, but sustainable.
We’re not trying to become the biggest firm in our space. We’re building something different—an intentional, values-driven business where excellence isn’t optional and integrity isn’t negotiable.
So yes, we say yes. But only when it’s a full-bodied, values-aligned, mission-forward yes.
And that’s made all the difference.
