Highline Partners
Client Success Story:
Client: Highline Partners
Karen’s Services: Business Coaching / 360 Reviews / Facilitation Support / Leadership Coaching
Highline Partners was founded by Todd Thesing and Rob McRae in 2007. The company was developed out of a strong working relationship, friendship, and shared values. Specializing in luxury design + build services and custom remodels shaped by the environment of Big Sky, Montana, the team strives to deliver more than exceptional construction — they facilitate mountain lifestyles. Highline's co-founders have always believed that a strong team is the true foundation of every successful build — a philosophy that sparked and fueled their ongoing work with K. Lum Consulting
"I can wholeheartedly say that she's reinvigorated how I feel about a company I cofounded 15 years ago… If I wasn't building things with my own hands, then what? She helped me find new ways to build — to build my team, to build our company's relationships, to build a culture that supports our people."
— Todd Theising, Highline Partners Cofounder
The Situation
Highline Partners began small, scaling intentionally for years to meet the demands of their growing book of thrilled clients. In the beginning, co-owners Todd Thesing and Rob McRae were swinging hammers alongside their team. As the company evolved, their responsibilities involved less craftsmanship and more management, with tools of the trade shifting from hammers to cell phones. Eventually, they found themselves spending much more time in the office than on the job site.
"We asked ourselves, how can we be of most value to this business — to our team? Now that things have evolved, and we have trusted superintendents as our boots on the ground, project managers in the office, and skilled, hardworking talent in every single role — what's our responsibility and opportunity?"
— Todd Theising, Highline Partners Cofounder
The Approach
K. Lum's Coaching & Consultation Approach for Highline Partners
Supported meaningful personal and professional growth with deep-dive business and leadership coaching
Trained the Highline leadership team to facilitate a self-guided team exercise in crafting core organizational values
Provided comprehensive awareness and accountability through 360 performance reviews
K. Lum Consulting supported the Highline team to dive in with a self-guided exercise in determining core organizational values — an investment in their team members and their company's future. Karen provided coaching for Rob and Todd on preparing their process and facilitation approach, and the two ran their own highly successful values workshop as a collaborative team effort.
Through business coaching with Karen, the company's co-founders continued their deep dive into their personal and professional philosophies and efficacy. Focused on expanding their skills and insights, they sought a comprehensive, transformative level of awareness and accountability that involved their team members in the evolution of their leadership approach. Todd and Rob determined it was time to conduct 360 performance reviews to fuel this next growth stage. K. Lum Consulting facilitated complete team reviews for both co-owners, gathering and analyzing detailed feedback from 15 employees.
"She brought questions and concepts to the table that created real shifts in our approach to leadership. The difference between instinct and insight. Being fascinated with your people instead of frustrated with them. Always digging deeper to understand where someone's coming from. She's been able to put things together and connect dots for us that were arguably inexplicable before, breaking them down into something simple to understand and practical to apply."
— Todd Theising, Highline Partners Cofounder
The Results
K. Lum's tangible guidance and subject-matter expertise supported the Highline co-founders through a new chapter in their leadership roles. She facilitated heightened self-awareness and insights, leading to more intentional actions on behalf of the co-founders and a stronger company as a whole.
The self-guided values exercise opened the door to strong team collaboration with tangible shared purpose. The 360 reviews provided an unflinching, powerful perspective into the company co-founders’ strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, allowing them to evolve as leaders and collaborators in meaningful, measurable ways.
Seeing great success in their leadership coaching work with K. Lum, the Highline team brought her in to support the entire top tier of leadership. Her continued work with them focuses on additional leadership and relational skills, heightened self-awareness, and overall professional development.
"Karen's approach, experience, and skills make her an exceptional guide through any process of business coaching, in any chapter of business growth. Her direct knowledge of HR, sales, marketing, finances, and human interactions makes her an asset for tangible decision-making and strategy work, but her no-BS chutzpah makes her relevant and relatable for anyone in business. The connectivity she brings between those threads is invaluable. She's a master weaver."
— Todd Theising, Highline Partners Cofounder
