It’s been three years since Inspirant Group set out to help clients by doing what it calls “Unconsulting.” After sitting on both sides of the table as Big 4 consultants and industry executives, the Unconsultants knew it was time to fix the client-consultant relationship.
From the start, Inspirant has been a different kind of consulting firm. Instead of using junior resources to implement projects sold by experienced pros, it only hires experienced pros. The average Unconsultant has over nine years of industry experience and more than eight years of consulting to go with it. This means that every solution is crafted and implemented by an expert.
All about the relationship
Of course, relationships aren’t just a matter of expertise –integrity is what counts. Inspirant has watched major consulting firms treat client budgets as bench funds, so the Unconsultants have pledged to never bill a client for unused resources. This means that each Unconsultant is trained to do what is best for the client, even if that means less revenue for the company.
As a result, Inspirant only takes on projects when they have the expertise required to deliver for clients. While this may sound like unprofitable madness, the firm believes that it is the only ethical way to do business. So far, their purpose of doing right by people has paid off.
“I sat on both sides of the desk long enough to know that things needed to change. Clients deserve better rates and quality of work from their consultant partners. Consultants deserve to feel part of a team and not just another warm body. Inspirant Group is striving to be different by inspiring people and organizations to seek their full potential and helping them to make it a reality.”
Amir Azarbad, Founder and CEO
By only partnering on projects when they have the skills to deliver value, the Unconsultants are free to follow through with clients to provide strategy, implementation, technology creation, and change management from beginning to end. This allows Inspirant to do away with bureaucracy and meld big firm expertise with small firm agility.
Making it easy for clients to relax
In 2019, Inspirant Group was named one of “Chicago’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.” Yet the most important praise the Unconsultants have received came from a client, who quipped that Inspirant delivered “the most uneventful go-live I ever experienced.” Ever since, Inspirant has said that its real product is boredom: a skillful team can deliver an exciting transformation without the drama that generally accompanies a transformation initiative. The company aims to keep adding value for clients while being innovative in its approach to consulting.
These early successes are fueling Inspirant’s drive into new sectors. So far, Unconsultants have helped Fortune 500 companies, including some of the biggest names in healthcare, utilities, and legal services, and financial services are next. By the time five years are up, the company hopes to have changed client expectations about consulting. After all, they started this venture to fix the client-consultant relationship.
Company: IInspirant Group
Industry: Management Consulting
Headquarters: Chicago, IL
Speciality: People, Process, and Technology Transformation
inspirantgrp.com
