Stronger Managers. Better Onboarding.
We help growing companies build confident managers and onboarding experiences that drive performance and retention from day one.
That’s what works.
Our Services Work
We equip managers with the skills they need to lead effectively - without overloading them with theory.
Focus Areas:
Communication and feedback
Team leadership and accountability
Navigating common management challenges
We design onboarding experiences that create clarity, build connection, and accelerate impact.
Focus Areas:
Structured onboarding journeys
Manager involvement in onboarding
Scalable systems for growing teams
Ongoing support to strengthen leaders and refine your people practices.
Can Include:
1:1 or group coaching
Program design and iteration
Strategic advisory
Programs built to scale.
We partner with companies to:
Develop confident, capable managers
Design engaging onboarding experiences that set employees up for success
Strengthen the systems that support both
From startups ready for traction to enterprises seeking the next leap, we embed with your team, challenge assumptions, and deliver results that stick.
We’ve seen it all. And we know what works.
Forward Thinking Works was built around a simple observation: the moments that matter most in an employee’s experience - when they first join and how they’re managed, are often the least supported.
We’ve seen talented managers left to figure it out on their own, and onboarding experiences that leave new employees wondering where they fit.
But these moments shape everything - how people perform, how connected they feel, and whether they stay.
Our work is focused on helping organizations get those moments right.
About Us
We’ve spent over twenty years building learning programs within major organizations and for the clients and customers they support. Along the way, we’ve learned what works.
We combine learning strategy, design, and coaching to help teams make better decisions, apply learning in real work, and lead with confidence. Our solutions are clear, practical, easy to use and fully scalable.
We believe in simple ideas, strong relationships, and lasting impact. We’re proud of where we’ve been and even more excited for what’s ahead.
Our Superpowers Include:
Simplifying complexity into tools people actually use
Turning learning science into real behavior change
Building systems that scale across teams, locations and levels
Creating confidence and efficiency in fast-moving environments
Meet the Founder
Hi, I’m Emily. After more than 20 years in learning and people development, I started this business to focus on the part of the work I love most: solving meaningful problems, building smart solutions quickly, and helping organizations get the people stuff right.
I help companies scale people programs that make employees feel valued, equip managers to lead, and improve business performance. Because when people have a good start and a good manager, they stay. It sounds simple. It’s rarely done well.
I’ve experienced onboarding at both ends of the spectrum—from beautifully produced, well-executed programs to a first day that began with no chair and a dead orchid left behind by a predecessor who appeared to have fled in the night. I’ve learned from both.
Effective onboarding is not paperwork, swag, or a welcome-week performance. It’s culture design, speed to confidence, and the beginning of belonging.
Onboarding sets the tone, and managers shape what happens next. People don’t leave companies nearly as fast as they leave bad managers who don’t know how to support them. That’s why I’ve spent much of my career helping organizations develop more thoughtful, capable leaders.
I bring a mix of learning science, creativity, and practical execution to this work, informed by a Master’s in Adult Education and years spent building programs at scale, creating flagship onboarding experiences, and managing high-performing global teams in fast-moving organizations.
Clients tend to bring me in when something important feels messy. I help make it clearer, more engaging, and more useful. I’m known for out-of-the-box ideas, candor, and being the most real person in the room. A former colleague once told me working with me is like comfort food. I took that as a professional compliment.
In my free time, I love to treasure hunt. I thrift, collect beach glass, and find all the hidden gem coffee shops - the best things are often overlooked. That instinct shapes how I approach ideas, talent, and the work itself.
Experience Across Leading Organizations
Let’s Build Something that Works.
Whether you’re designing something new, solving something messy, or simply exploring what’s possible, we’d love to hear from you. Fill out the form let’s start a conversation.