“What made you start your own consulting firm?”
I’ve been asked that question many times. And the honest answer has less to do with ambition and more to do with conviction and philosophy.
By 2011 and after almost 20 years in consulting—across different firms, industries, cities, and clients—I had developed a strong point of view on what “good” looked like in the business—in terms of not only how to engage with clients and deliver real and meaningful outcomes, but also how to build, support, and treat a consulting team. I saw how impactful consulting could be when done right. I also saw how easily it could lose its way.
But it wasn’t just about the work itself, it was also personal. It was also about the toll I saw consulting could take on people’s personal lives: the constant travel, the long hours, the relentless pressure. As a parent with young kids at the time, starting The Gunter Group was also about building a life for my family and me that reflected our values.
Starting The Gunter Group was a professional decision, yes. But it was also a deeply personal one. I wasn’t just trying to create a better consulting firm—I was trying to build a better way to live and lead.
I wanted to create a firm that brought forward the best of what I had experienced in consulting—deep, long-term relationships with clients that were built on trust, a culture of mentoring and professional growth, the chance to work with incredibly smart and talented people, and the energy that comes from being part of a team tackling complex problems and pursuing something meaningful together. Those were the times in my career that made the biggest impact on me, and I wanted to build a firm that prioritized creating moments like that.
What I Believed Could Be Better
I believed that consulting could be both people-first and high-impact. That long-term partnerships mattered more than short-term wins. That values shouldn’t be a marketing message—they should be a business model.
I believed you could build an organization where people were valued, empowered, and given room to grow. That you could build a consulting firm that treated clients with respect and as true partners—not transactions. That you could be deeply aligned with your clients’ objectives and focused on helping them achieve their goals.
And I believed that if you built that kind of firm, clients would feel the difference. And they’d come back. And they’d tell others.
What We Chose to Build
From the start, we made intentional choices about how we wanted The Gunter Group to operate and feel—both for our clients and for our team.
- We built the firm around relationships, not transactions—because trust and continuity create the conditions for lasting impact.
- We prioritized thoughtful, sustainable growth—not growth for its own sake.
- We stayed curious, stayed humble, and always focused on doing what was best for the client—even when that meant walking away from opportunities that didn’t align.
- We built a team of people we trust, respect, and genuinely enjoy being around—people who challenge each other, support one another, and bring both professionalism and personality to everything they do.
- We celebrated that we believe in mixing the professional and the personal—because real relationships don’t fit neatly into categories.
These weren’t one-time decisions. They were patterns we committed to, and they still shape how we lead and serve today.
Why It Still Matters
Now, more than a decade in, those early decisions still shape how we lead, how we grow, and how we show up.
I’m proud of what we’ve built—especially the people, the culture, and the relationships that make our work meaningful. The choices we made early on weren’t just the right ones for that moment—they’ve proven to be the right foundation for the future we’re continuing to build.
The work ahead excites me. Because we’re still learning, still evolving, and still committed to doing this the right way.
That’s why I started The Gunter Group. And that’s why I’m still here.
—Mike
