From Fired to Founder
Craig Almon built ProConsulting, LLC in 1998 out of necessity. After a clash with a new boss led to an abrupt firing—despite running the top region at a national insurance corporation—he had no fallback. With a young family and bills to pay, Craig needed to act fast.
He launched ProConsulting to help auto dealerships across the Pacific Northwest improve their sales and finance departments. But while his early success was built on grit and intensity, that same intensity eventually became a liability.
When two key employees walked out within 24 hours of each other, Craig realized the problem wasn’t just market conditions—it was internal. “I am the project,” he said. That moment led him to Deliberate Directions.
Outgrowing the Old Playbook
Craig had grown up in a culture of extreme accountability. “Nobody was ever better than me, and none of you are as good as me,” was how he once described his mindset. While that attitude had driven performance early on, it also created resentment and high turnover.
He heard Allison Dunn speak on the Deliberate Leaders Podcast and flew to Boise to meet with her. After just one strategy session, he signed on for executive coaching. What followed was a transformation—not just of his leadership style, but of his entire way of thinking.
Leading by Discovery, Not Directives
With coaching, Craig began shifting from barking orders to using “guided discovery”—a concept he often taught clients but hadn’t fully practiced himself.
Instead of saying, “Here’s what to do,” he started asking:
- “What would have to happen?”
- “Do they know that’s what they need to do?”
- “How could you say that differently?”
He learned to set clear objectives and reverse-engineer them into daily plans. The result: a more empowered team and a healthier company culture. “I am not nearly that person anymore, and my people have acknowledged that,” Craig said.
Facing the Hard Truths
Coaching wasn’t always easy. Allison pushed Craig to confront his blind spots—the same way he pushes clients to perform. “It was a taste of my own medicine,” he admitted. But it worked.
Instead of fixating on competition or chasing success through intensity, Craig learned to build trust, slow down, and lead through clarity. “I was focusing on a result instead of a process,” he said.
When frustration still creeps in, Allison helps him reframe, offering guidance grounded in emotional intelligence, strategy, and accountability.
From Intensity to Impact
Today, Craig describes Allison as “professional, mature, and strong”—a coach he calls “the velvet hammer.” Under her guidance, he’s rebuilding his culture, reshaping how he leads, and staying grounded in the kind of company he actually wants to run.
“That’s not the guy I want to be,” Craig said. “And thank God that’s not the guy I am anymore.”
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