An Epic Journey of Confidence & Automation Makes Haugen Stand Out Among the Best
After nearly two decades of entrepreneurial growth in healthcare education, auditing, and consulting, the team behind Haugen Consulting Group knew they had built something special. But like many successful founders, Mary Beth and Steve Haugen were also looking for something more: clarity, structure, and an experienced outside perspective to guide the next phase of the business.
That’s where LeadWell Advisory Partners came in.
This wasn’t Haugen’s first experience with coaching or outside advisors. But as Steve and Mary Beth describe it, working with LeadWell felt different. It wasn’t just about checklists and charts. It was about trust, transparency, and transformative impact—not only on their numbers but on the way they saw their business and their future.
A Trusted Start: Turning Longtime Connections Into Strategy
The relationship between Haugen Consulting Group and LeadWell began nearly 30 years ago. Mary Beth had known Torrey Barnhouse, LeadWell co-founder, throughout their careers. Their friendship helped build the foundation of trust that made it easy for the Haugens to be candid, vulnerable, and honest in ways that many business owners rarely are with advisors.
“We’ve been doing this for almost 18 years,” Mary Beth shared. “And the truth is, we were making a lot of it up as we went. We needed someone who could meet us where we were, see the full picture—even the messy parts—and help us get to the next step.”
For Steve, who had been serving as Haugen’s financial leader for years , bringing in LeadWell meant opening the books to a fresh set of eyes. “It was a little exposing at first,” he admitted. “But they’ve shown me new ways of looking at financials, validated what we were doing right, and gave us confidence that we’re moving forward the right way.”
Financial Education That Builds Confidence
One of the most immediate outcomes of working with LeadWell was the clarity it brought to Haugen’s financial operations. Steve, who had been managing the company’s finance and accounting structure, found new insights and educational depth in every meeting.
“I didn’t even know what EBITDA meant when we started,” he joked. “Now we talk about margins, cost of goods sold, all of it–and I understand how it fits together.”
Mary Beth echoed this shift. “We needed a deeper dive into our numbers—not just to validate where we are today, but to make sure we’re preparing the business for whatever comes next.”
LeadWell helped the Haugen team not just understand their numbers but use them to define goals, measure progress, and adapt more confidently. The trust and comfort they felt with LeadWell made those early conversations—even the uncomfortable ones—easier.
“If we were going to open up our business to someone, it had to be them,” Steve said. “They’re smart, they’re kind, and they’re incredibly patient.”
From Strategic Planning to Practical Tools
What started as a deep dive into financial strategy quickly expanded into broader strategic planning. And while the structure of those sessions continues to evolve, Mary Beth notes that LeadWell has been instrumental in helping Haugen gain clarity around goals and future direction.
“Every meeting, our needs shift,” she explained. “We’re in a period of rapid growth, and things are constantly changing. But we know we need a long-term strategic plan. LeadWell is helping us put the foundation in place, even when we get a little distracted chasing the next big thing.”
That balance—between structure and flexibility—has been a consistent strength of LeadWell’s approach.
Steve agreed. “We have agendas. We have follow-ups. And I feel genuinely accountable to them, just like I would with any member of our internal team. That level of buy-in is rare.”
Innovation That Saves Time—and Keeps Things Fun
Beyond financial and strategic guidance, LeadWell has introduced Haugen Consulting Group to tools and technologies that have saved meaningful time—sometimes in unexpected ways.
One example came from Haugen Academy, the company’s education platform that offers narrated online courses. Steve is one of the primary narrators, and recording audio used to be a time-consuming process, especially when edits were needed.
“LeadWell understands ways to help us be more efficient through new technology and skills we otherwise wouldn’t know about,” says Steve. As an example, he noted, “Now our team can edit my narration just by typing in a correction—no more re-recording entire sessions. It’s saved us hours!”
“Hours of time translate into unbelievable revenue and progress,” Steve concludes.
Mary Beth added that these moments of discovery—though not originally on the roadmap—have created huge efficiencies. “[Time] wasn’t even something we were measuring,” she said. “But it ended up being a major win. And it’s just one of many.”
The way these suggestions are delivered makes all the difference. “They’re geeky,” she laughed, “but in the best way. Their curiosity benefits all of us. The atmosphere of curiosity makes us feel like we can always be exploring, with them on our team.”
A Different Kind of Advisor
Mary Beth and Steve are no strangers to leadership groups or advisory relationships. But they both agree that LeadWell brings something unique to the table.
“Other groups helped me grow as a CEO,” Mary Beth said. “But LeadWell actually helps grow the business. They know healthcare. They know our industry. We didn’t have to start from scratch explaining our world to them—we just jumped right in.”
That industry fluency helped the Haugens move faster and get more out of the relationship from day one.
Steve added, “They’re not outsiders. They feel like part of our team. They’ve helped us be accountable. They’ve helped us stay focused. And they’ve shown up with the right combination of experience and humility.”
In short, LeadWell doesn’t only talk strategy—they show up, get involved, and help execute.
Making Room for Honest Feedback
When asked where LeadWell could improve, Mary Beth and Steve are thoughtful—and candid.
“We’re not the most organized team when it comes to follow-ups,” Mary Beth said. “We have a notetaker, but we’re not always going back to check the action items. Some things might get lost in the shuffle.”
Her suggestion? A bit more structure around accountability. “It’s something we could do better on our end too, but if they came in with a more formal system to track those things—we’d follow it.”
Steve added, “They’re not perfect, and they’d be the first to admit it. But I know how seriously they take their work. They’re constantly trying to improve. That’s part of why we trust them.”
And, of course, there’s one other improvement that gets mentioned with a smile: “They still haven’t come out to Denver to visit us,” Mary Beth said. “So maybe a little more face time—and definitely a happy hour.”[GU6] [EB7]
Measuring Success Differently — Together
One of the most meaningful realizations from this partnership has been the reframing of success.
For Haugen Consulting Group, success is no longer just about profit margins or exit planning—though those things matter. It’s also about clarity, confidence, and the ability to make faster, smarter decisions in the middle of growth.
“We’ve already gotten so much out of the relationship,” Steve said. “We’re better positioned to compete. We’re more confident in our financials. And we’re learning how to measure things that we weren’t even thinking about a year ago.”
That evolution is exactly what LeadWell aims to support. And as Emma Barnhouse—Director of Marketing and Communications at LeadWell—notes, that kind of feedback is exactly what makes these interviews so valuable.
“When we understand how each business defines success, we can measure our own success more accurately,” Emma said. “We’re not just here to hit revenue targets. We’re here to help people reclaim their time, make smarter decisions, and build something sustainable.”
What Comes Next: Structure, Strategy, and Shared Momentum
Looking ahead, the Haugens see LeadWell playing an even more central role in helping them define and measure long-term goals.
“There’s room to build more structure into our roadmap,” Mary Beth said. “We’re moving fast. But LeadWell brings a new layer of organization and impact tracking that I think will make a big difference.”
As Haugen Consulting Group continues to grow, innovate, and evolve, their partnership with LeadWell remains anchored in shared values: honesty, curiosity, consistency, and care.
“They’re just good people,” Steve said. “And when you find that in business—especially in advisory relationships—you hold on to it.”