34 Strong: Personalized Coaching & Data-Driven Analytics for Employee Engagement
The contemporary workplace is undergoing a transformation. Organizations that excel are those investing in employee development, mental wellness, and a strengths-based culture—recognizing that an engaged, purpose-driven workforce drives innovation, productivity, and resilience. Amid this shift stands 34 Strong, a workplace consultancy founded in 2013 in Elk Grove, California. With its confidence in strengths-based development, the firm specializes in helping public and private sector teams unlock their potential. Their approach centers on personalized coaching, data-driven analytics, and a commitment to elevating workplace performance.
From the beginning, 34 Strong has focused on building strong, positive cultures. As a Gallup-certified partner guiding organizations through Clifton Strengths assessments, workshops, and leadership development, they foster environments where every individual feels valued for their unique talents. The company’s ethos—“strong spirit, grateful attitude, courageous heart”—is more than a motto; it’s a daily operating principle that shapes internal collaboration and client outcomes. Such philosophy helped 34 Strong earn top scores in Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces lists in 2021 and again in 2024, reflecting a genuine employee-centered ethos.
Their services cover a full spectrum: executive coaching, manager training, employee engagement surveys, wellbeing webinars, team retreats, and ongoing consulting. In the public sector, 34 Strong has partnered with state and federal agencies—from FDA to higher education institutions—supporting leadership alignment, crisis response, talent retention, and burnout prevention. They leverage Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model, ISO-certified project delivery, and a rigorous focus on measurable outcomes to ensure transformation sticks.
Distinctly, 34 Strong crafts client experiences that begin with data. Their engagement surveys pinpoint strengths and opportunities. Client organizations then receive customized plans—“tailored roadmaps”—to drive operational efficiency, engagement spikes, and wellbeing gains. Their approach leads to boosted staff productivity, lowered turnover, improved financial efficiency, and reduced absenteeism—all tied directly to strengths-based interventions.
One hallmark is 34 Strong’s dedication to follow-through. Their coaches don’t just deliver training—they embed with teams over time. A case in point is how they support game-changing coaching sessions for managers that shift culture from the top down. Sue Schoneman, working with FDA’s Division of Drug Information, reported: “Through our homework and one-on-one sessions… I began to coach my team more effectively knowing… my coworkers’ strengths.” This focus on sustained culture change sets them apart from consultants who provide one-off engagements. Their impact shines particularly in government environments. Agencies often struggle with lagging morale, burnout, and turnover. 34 Strong’s strengths framework helps re-energize staff by recognizing individual contributions while scaling organizational trust. Customer stories underscore dramatic results: teams transformed from crisis-ridden, disengaged groups into cohesive, purpose-driven units. A higher-ed client shared that staff “embrace a strengths based approach… build a cohesive and high performing team.”
The company’s internal growth mirrors its external success. In 2021, the Sacramento Business Journal ranked 34 Strong among the fastest-growing companies in the region, highlighting over 100 percent growth within a two-year span. By 2025, with 21 to 50 employees, it earned recognitions in Inc.’s Pacific region, illustrating sustained expansion fueled by demand for organizational culture transformation. Beyond accolades, 34 Strong invests in innovation. In April 2025, the company acquired Churchill Leadership Group, expanding its executive portfolio and capabilities. Their growth strategy demonstrates adaptive evolution to meet client needs and scale impact.
Talking about why clients trust them, President Anthony Kavouras explains: “If you LOVE your people, we can do the rest.” Although full quotes from Kavouras remain rare in public domains, this rallying statement encapsulates their philosophy: genuine care for the workforce, combined with rigorous coaching and analytics, yields transformational results. It isn’t a superficial service; 34 Strong builds partnerships that stick. Employee experience at 34 Strong mirrors their consulting ethos. Company culture reviews emphasize that “they walk the talk,” with praise for leadership transparency, purposeful work, and developmental opportunities. Their own team lives the strengths-based model: meetings open with values reminders, work is purposefully allocated to align with individual talents, and growth is continuously encouraged.
A powerful example of their work: a federal agency engaged 34 Strong for leadership alignment. Over six months of surveys and workshops, an executive team adopted strengths coaching practices, reinforcing mutual recognition and psychological safety. Month-over-month engagement scores climbed steadily—reporting fewer missed deadlines, better cross-team collaboration, and reduced conflict. Although specific metrics aren’t public, the client’s retained partnership and willingness to renew reflect sustained impact.
Looking ahead, 34 Strong is positioning itself for broader reach without losing bespoke quality. Their selective vertical focus—government, healthcare, private enterprise—allows them to remain specialists, not generalists. New sales hires will further their agenda of outward expansion beyond organic referrals. Their goal? To keep scaling while preserving deep, bespoke coach client relationships. They combine state-of-the-art tools—CliftonStrengths data, Kirkpatrick analytics—with human-centered coaching and a servant-leadership culture. The result is workplaces powered by engagement, resilience, and performance. Now ranked among the nation’s Best Workplaces, with a sustained record of growth, 34 Strong isn’t just consulting—they’re building a movement toward strengths-driven organizational excellence.