Testimonials: Don’t just take our word for it.

Hear straight from some of the CEOs Dando has worked with over the past 20 years.

Learn more about CEO Coaching or read more testimonials:

Kirk is like the “company whisperer.” He interviewed me, our executive team, and many of our managers and directors, and quickly synthesized a key area we were under investing in. I was impressed to see him find a blind spot this quickly, and it became a rallying cry for our company. He definitely understands the key challenges you will face as you scale. I was so impressed with Kirk’s work that I asked him to join our Board of Advisors, which I’m glad he accepted.
Brett Hurt

Have we accomplished what we should have during our time working together?
Our business evolves and changes every day, but with Kirk’s guidance, our Leadership Team is aligned, committed and focused. We were very successful with our 2017 Strategic Initiatives and I believe we are well positioned to make 2018 a success as well.

Knowing what you know now, would you hire Dando again?
Without question. Kirk has an uncanny ability to provide thoughts, alternatives, and guidance at just the right time and in just the right way. He is able to deliver his message in a way that is easily understood and actionable.

He’s a cross between Yoda and the Horse Whisperer.
John Dempsey

There's so much marketing and PR around the world of startups that it's easy to assume everything is straight up and to the right. But, the first time you find yourself in the middle of the battle, it can be demoralizing if you don't understand it's one of the steps between here and success. Dando's depth and breadth experience, both their professional experience and working with high-growth companies, help me better understand I don't need to panic - this is actually part of what winning looks like ultimately.
Charles Thornburgh

Blake Garrett - CEO of Aceable
Knowing what you know now, would you hire Dando again? Yes. I like having my secret weapon coach that’s pushing me to really help me a) see around corners b) push my thinking/growth c) help me refine our winning strategy.
Blake Garrett
CEO, Aceable

Kirk was hired to be a coach to our CEO, to the executive team...and really for all our company. He has a knack for seeing company patterns that get them tripped up on their own successes. Knowing Kirk for years, he has the highest integrity and possesses a unique balance of emotional intelligence, strategic foresight, and detail-orientation.
Sam Decker

Kirk has been a tremendous asset to me and the entire organization. He’s atypical as a consultant as over time he tends to work himself out of a job. He works with you and your team to build the management muscle necessary and then slowly backs away to allow you to apply the knowledge gained. We engaged Kirk in the midst of some organizational challenges. The initial engagement was focused on team dynamics. As we worked together to isolate and address issues, subsequent engagements focused on strategic planning and leadership development to create depth in the organization. The results have been nothing short of amazing as we recorded our two best financial years in our history! Kirk focuses his energies on “working on the business” in everything he does. Whether it’s the team or strategies, everything is done in the context of how it drives business. Working with Kirk is not for the faint of heart. He will challenge you, your beliefs, your strategies, and your willingness to make the decisions necessary for the success of your business. Kirk will unlock the leader within you and your team.
Paul Trylko

A born skeptic, particularly of ‘management consultants,’ I have had to set my skepticism aside with respect to Kirk Dando and Dando Advisors. Completely unlike most consultants, it is Kirk that you get, and it is his ear and his insightfulness that you want. Without pretense or textbook processes, he very simply studies his clients inside and out and inevitably makes the distinction between how they say they do business and how they are really doing business. He has the very unique ability to see the difference between a firm’s stated organization and its real organization. It almost always comes down to understanding the sometimes-complex personal chemistries that interact within each firm.
Jim Susman

Kirk has a lot of the answers, but thankfully he won't give them to me. He believes that the best way to build leaders is to help them build the skills and experience they need to get to the answer on their own. One of the themes of our work together as I guide Monetate through incredible growth is the transition from problem solving to problem prediction. When I come to Kirk with a problem, he is focused on helping me be ready to predict that problem next time rather than diving into the weeds on a solution that only works today. I'm amazed at how often I walk away from our conversations having confidence in a plan of my own creation; I'm sure he appreciates the side effect of not having to talk about the same issue over and over again!
David Brussin
Founder, Monetate

We knew and understood the essence of where we wanted to be and what we wanted to be doing, but it took Kirk Dando to guide us through the process of creating and implementing the individual steps of how to get to that point. Kirk has been able to coach us on how to keep moving along that path, even when it may seem more comfortable to stick with the familiar. Kirk provides a fresh set of eyes and ears, and then lets you see the organization through those eyes so that the resolution seems obvious. I only wish we had invited Kirk to review our plans earlier.
Sandy Gottesman
The Gottesman Company

Over the years, Kirk has provided Applied Mechanical with valuable insights that have helped us avoid some of the pitfalls associated with both rapid growth and the ongoing evolution of our business.
Johannes Brinkmann

With growth in our company, we realized we needed a change in our management and organizational capabilities to reach the next level of success. We contacted Kirk Dando to assist us in evaluating the strategy we needed to pursue to reach the next level. Kirk’s open, approachable style made it comfortable for our employees to relate to him during the evaluation process. The results of this process allowed us to take positive steps to implement the changes necessary for our future growth and success. Kirk has helped us to remain focused on the proper course of action and to make sure that implementation is occurring. He has been persistent in following-up and in holding us accountable for the things we agreed to accomplish. Kirk’s coaching has had a tremendously positive impact on every aspect of our business. I can, without hesitation, recommend Dando Advisors, and I look forward to a long-term relationship with Kirk Dando.
Neel White

Growth and success often mask issues that rob an organization of it’s maximum potential. When we found that our morale was slipping and our structure ineffective, we turned to Dando for a diagnosis. Dando decoded the various complexities that we failed to address as we grew. Our governing body (elder board) is made up of people who have been successful in business, management, education and the high tech industry. Dando was able to relate to this diverse group on a professional level while remaining sensitive to the unique character of our church and the challenges we face. His straightforward honesty and clear thinking was universally embraced by the whole board. Our team also accepted the new direction Dando recommended and set out with a renewed energy that exists still. Our bottom line: Dando accomplished what we hired him to do – effect real change.
Tim Hawks

As a young and rapidly growing company with over 800 employees across the state, we relied on Kirk Dando to analyze the unique talents of our upper management, how we worked together, and where we wanted to go. Kirk has the innate ability to see the big picture and organize it in such a way that makes sense. After which, he supplied a no nonsense approach that fit comfortably with our group and produced the desired outcome. Kirk comes across as someone who not only communicates well but listens attentively and accurately. He clearly defined a strategy that allowed each team member to be themselves and at the same time form the cohesive unit needed to accomplish a common goal.
Bill Morrow
Executive Chairman & CEO, Quarri Technologies

We first began working with Kirk Dando at Dando Advisors in July of 1997. His coaching has had a tremendous positive impact on every aspect of our Company operations. Change is very painful; Kirk has helped us to prioritize so that the disruption has been minimal while the positive impacts have been remarkable. Other Consultants have helped to initiate change and then disappeared. One of the things I have appreciated most about our relationship has been his consistent follow-up. Kirk holds us accountable and we are a much better Company because of his guidance. I would recommend his services to anyone who is ready to take their Company to the next level.
Rocky Turner
Founder, LPR Construction

Dando Advisors and its founder, Kirk Dando, provide a truly unique offering. A no-nonsense group of proven executives who have cracked the code on how to assist and support organizations wanting to mature to their highest level of performance. They differentiate themselves by making sure their clients are focused on the ‘right things’ and implementation is occurring. Their strategy is simple, but it has achieved profound results. If you want help and not hype, check these guys out.
Lawrence A. Waks
Partner, Jackson Walker, LLP

They helped me be more productive in my interactions with our board, helped us develop a strategic plan that replaced our outdated original business plan and facilitated organizational and financial changes that improved every financial indicator within 6 months.
Royce Glader
Founder & CEO, Merit