Bourbon and Big Ideas - Welcome to Bourbon Fat

It started at the most cherished of work pastimes - happy hour. Over the course of a deep discussion and a few old fashioned cocktails (which often go together, eh?), two friends realized it was time we start listening to those irrational voices inside and finally act on our ideas.

Through our careers as executive coaches, consultants, and designers, we saw firsthand the power that design and creativity had to unlock the potential of people at work. As teams became more distant, more complex, and technology more distracting, it seemed essential to try and bring meaning back to organizations who were feeling increasingly disconnected. We thought about our own frustrations in Fortune companies. We thought about the countless missteps we'd been a part of, some of which came by our own hands, and how when looking back, failure often came down to a simple truth - we were unaware of, or ignoring completely, the real human needs of the people who mattered most.

Our goal is to help companies create the most meaningful and fulfilling workplaces possible. We believe the employee experience could use a little more happy hour and a lot less process. After years of fervent professionalism we’re now unapologetically incapable of bullshit. We've learned that the first step in solving most culture problems is to pull back the rug and see what’s really under it. Change is hard enough. It’s even harder when you’re solving for the wrong problems and dancing around issues.

In our experience, human-centered design is the most useful process we have encountered for making things humans have to deal with. Whether it’s a widget or a new performance management system, relentless and honest focus on the user is the best way we know to make your new thing successful. 

We’re experienced consultants and designers. We practice what we preach. If you’re thinking about changes you want to make, we want to help. We will approach this work differently than any other firm. We start by leaving the confines of the office and getting to know frontline employees. It's this step, which others often save for after something is rolled out, that we view as the most essential to your success.

Bourbon Fat is the manifestation of our desire to form a new kind of consulting firm. One that values authenticity, creativity, human connection, humor, irreverence, and of course, bourbon.

If that sounds like your bag, you can find us here or at the various social sites. Either way, thanks for reading. We're excited about the future and look forward to connecting with you. This will be one of the places we share updates and thoughts on our journey. We hope you'll subscribe and join us in making work meaningful.

Cheers,

Adam Allred + Allen Weaver

Founders, Bourbon Fat