Culture
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Chad Wekelo, our founding partner, started Actualize Consulting in 2003. With a vision shaped by his previous Big Four accounting firm experience, Chad set out to create a niche firm that allowed everyone to participate as a teammate instead of an employee. His plan for success was dependent on specialized skills, a keen focus on customer satisfaction, and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Matt Seu joined the firm in 2006, bringing with him Mortgage and Fixed Income expertise. Committed to the same ideals, he later became a partner.
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Many people say that business shouldn’t be personal, but we disagree. Actualize Consulting puts people first while honoring our mission to be an industry leader in managing and automating financial functions and corporate financial events. Our smaller size lends itself to an environment of cross-collaboration, a foundation of mutual respect as we practice dual accountability, and a passion-focused project portfolio due to our niche skillsets and expertise. We strive for balance and invest in our teams by aligning individual goals and strengths with company initiatives. One of our core principles is gratitude, and in every relationship we build, there is an underpinning of care and trust. Our tagline stands true, “Our expertise and commitment -- driving your success.”
Awards
We are proud of our award-winning culture. Actualize Consulting has been named Top Company Culture by Entrepreneur Magazine, a Top Workplace by The Washington Post (4 years), Great Place to Work (3 years,) FORTUNE Best Small & Medium Workplaces™, and Best and Brightest ELITE National Winner in Strategic Company Performance category and Top 101 in the Nation.
We are proud of our award-winning culture. Actualize Consulting has been named Top Company Culture by Entrepreneur Magazine, a Top Workplace by The Washington Post (4 years), Great Place to Work (3 years,) FORTUNE Best Small & Medium Workplaces™, and Best and Brightest ELITE National Winner in Strategic Company Performance category and Top 101 in the Nation.
Leadership
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Our partners are active participants in the operations of the firm and even the projects – they are some of our most billable consultants. Involved in every decision, they hand-pick every team member who comes on board. From project assignments to teambuilding activities, Matt and Chad are involved in the day-to-day processes, not just the big picture.
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Atmosphere
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Team members frequently describe our firm as entrepreneurial in spirit. Our leaders strive to be more than managers; they are guides and mentors. Our employees enjoy flexibility in their schedules to give them room to do what they do best. We have found that providing free reign with accountability clears space for innovation, efficiency, and personal and professional growth. Micromanagement only limits motivation and workplace satisfaction. Instead, we allow each member to set personal goals, take full ownership of initiatives, and forge their path towards success.
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Cultural Shift and Gratitude Infusion
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After implementing a cultural shift, Actualize Consulting won multiple culture awards – Top Company Culture by Entrepreneur Magazine, Top Workplace by the Washington Post, Best and Brightest Company ELITE Winner, and Great Place to Work-Certification. After feeling burnt out in her personal life and career, our COO Kerry Wekelo recognized that it is impossible to compartmentalize work and home life. Instead, Kerry realized that she could incorporate the wellness principles she utilized at home into her leadership with small, manageable infusions.
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Focusing on gratitude, mutual respect, mindfulness, communication strategies, and intentional leadership strengthened the culture of our organization. It also transformed our attrition rates, taking it from 33% to nearly 4% for the last five years.
Kerry wrote two leadership books using Actualize Consulting as a case study. Her first title, Culture Infusion: 9 Principles to Create and Maintain a Thriving Organizational Culture, explores the essential components of a supportive and thriving culture. Her second book, Gratitude Infusion: Workplace Strategies for a Thriving Organizational Culture, was written as an ode to her gratitude practice and shares examples of how we infuse gratitude throughout our organization.
Kerry wrote two leadership books using Actualize Consulting as a case study. Her first title, Culture Infusion: 9 Principles to Create and Maintain a Thriving Organizational Culture, explores the essential components of a supportive and thriving culture. Her second book, Gratitude Infusion: Workplace Strategies for a Thriving Organizational Culture, was written as an ode to her gratitude practice and shares examples of how we infuse gratitude throughout our organization.
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Annual Retreat
Our remote and hybrid work models may give us autonomy, but we do not let distance affect our team connection. Since we are a people-centric organization, we dedicate time to bonding as a team, a community, and individually with virtual luncheons, wellness challenges, social hours, check-in calls, and our annual retreat. Meaningful relationships develop even further when we bring all our offices together for our fun-packed retreat.
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When the pandemic derailed our 2020 retreat, our COO still wanted to find a way to give back to our employees, so she created a series of gratitude videos to thank everyone on the team. Whether in person or apart, team connection is essential to our operations.
