December 2nd, 2008
Cruxpoint Sweats Small Details To Help Corporations Flourish
By Susan K. Heglin, Boulder County Business Report

BOULDER - A small company in Boulder is having a large impact on big companies through its series of seminars designed to help employees see their employer's vision.

The target audience is clear: every business in the world. The pitch is less clear.

"What's hard to sell is the fact that we don't have a widget," said Jim Lincoln, executive vice president of Cruxpoint Consulting Inc. The product, according to Cruxpoint, is somewhat amorphous in description, but transforming in effect.

Amy Patrick, director of design and technology, tries to explain it: "We do business-to-business consulting, large-scale transformation. When you're sitting in our seminars you're wowed, and yet you can't talk about it because it's too complex."

The seminars for their breakthrough product are voluminous, if not thorough. The company's most recent client was Safeco Insurance based in Seattle. Cruxpoint conducted seminars two times per month, four days each with 50 to 100 people attending. Cruxpoint expects a lot of work on the part of the attendees, and a lot is supposed to change in the attendees from all the work it does. "There's definitely a lot of psychology in the work we do," Lincoln said. But it's not about psychotherapy. "It's more about gaining clarity, what's at the bottom of things."

Lincoln believes that most people sit at their desks and have only a vague idea about what the future holds for them. The Cruxpoint seminars focus on the participant's future and drives them toward it. "We make it personal," Lincoln said. But, again, it's not about psychotherapy, it's about business. "When everybody is driving for their own reasons but benefiting the company, the company is really successful." Lincoln believes everyone in a company must be on board 100 percent for that company to succeed.

Similarly a negative chain of events can bring a company down; an employee who becomes disgruntled could cost the company time, then employee moral, then customers, then money. Lincoln saw some chains of events at Delta Airlines, one of their customers. One loader, out of anger at the company, put the bags in the baggage compartment with the handles in instead of out. It took the unloaders much more time to do their job on the other end without the handles to pull the bags out quickly. Lincoln pointed out the damage 10 minutes can do in a time-based service industry.

Cruxpoint was hired to conduct the Delta Breakthrough to Success seminars two weeks before Delta filed bankruptcy. "People were very angry and upset with Delta. That's one of the things we were brought in to help with," Lincoln said. Delta was ready to do what it took to become successful again, and bringing in Cruxpoint was part of its plan. Two years later, Delta is buying Northwest Airlines. And it recently gave each of its employees a $6,000 stock bonus. "You make that company successful, you have a whole lot of successful people behind it," Lincoln said.

Cruxpoint claims similar success with Safeco. The insurance company was not in trouble, but the chief executive saw greater potential than the company was realizing. Safeco's Eric Martinez, executive vice president of fulfillment, claims, customer care and business operations, brought Cruxpoint in to help create a customer focus and empower the employees. Among several results from Cruxpoint was Safeco's speed of delivery on a claim decreased from eight days to four. In the end, Liberty Mutual bought Safeco for a huge amount of money. "We were one piece of a very big puzzle," Lincoln said.

Cruxpoint was started in 1989 by Gary Koyen and Becca O'Connor under the name of "the Meridian Institute." At that point it was just the two of them, and the company hired outside contractors to do the seminars. Lincoln, who is Koyen and O'Connor's son, was not involved with the institute. "Five years ago I ended up in a program our company was running, and when I saw it I said, 'Oh, this is a great company.' I saw a huge opportunity."

Lincoln felt every company he'd ever worked in could use it. He felt it was applicable to every company, every industry. He began working with Koyen and O'Connor and when they talked of retirement he thought, "Boy, it would be a real shame if this got lost." So Lincoln took over. Koyen and O'Connor continue to be involved, but, as Lincoln puts it, they are transitioning onto the golf course.

In January 2007, the Meridian Institute became Cruxpoint Consulting. "We're just bringing it into the future instead of letting it go away," Patrick said. "It's been morphed."

At this time the company has six people in a core office with approximately 12 trainers. "We have seen some growth," Lincoln said, "but not what I hoped it would be." He would like to have 10 to 15 core people. But the organization still has gained some recognition for its success. It made the Mercury 100 list at number 59. "Last year we went from basically zero income to $2 million," Lincoln said. That's with only one or two clients a year.

"If we do two a year that's a lot, two is hard," Lincoln said. "If we got the three or four, we're gonna need a lot more people." That could happen in the coming year. The company had three or four potential clients waiting for the results of the election.

Cruxpoint is designing a program that's easier to sell, called Reality School.

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August 27th 2008
Cruxpoint Consulting Hires EVP Of Marketing And Business Development

Cruxpoint Consulting, a Boulder, CO business-consulting firm, is proud to announce the recent appointment of Robert Simpson as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development.

Robert has a strong sales and marketing background performed in the high tech businesses of Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies, where he served as Worldwide Sales & Marketing Manager and as Human Resources Manager.

Robert is also an accomplished organizational development consultant with a proven track record for supporting individuals and organizations toward achieving meaningful, lasting change.

In his position at Cruxpoint, Simpson will structure and drive the sales and marketing engine to accelerate Cruxpoint’s business development initiatives.

Simpson has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University, and a Masters of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology.

November 5th 2008
James Lincoln Has Been Named An Honored Member In Business By Princeton Premier

James Lincoln, executive vice president of product design and delivery for Cruxpoint Consulting, has been chosen for inclusion in the 2008-2009 Princeton Premier Registry.

James Lincoln is the executive vice president of product design and delivery for Cruxpoint Consulting, “the ultimate force multiplier of human capability.”

Through an innovative consulting process that leverages the inherent capabilities of employees, Cruxpoint greatly multiplies the effectiveness and impact of the company’s resources.

James joined Cruxpoint in 2006 and was appointed to his present role in 2008. He is an expert on delivering large scale, transformative training experiences to large corporations and has provided consulting expertise in both the airline and utilities industries. Additionally, James’ analytical skills have proven invaluable in the development of business strategies.

Prior to joining Cruxpoint Consulting, James was the vice president of Nebraska Wildlife Ranch Company, where he was in charge of all business operations, accounting and marketing. James also worked as a scientist for the University of Texas’ medical branch in Galveston. He graduated from the University of Houston with an M.B.A. and holds bachelor’s degrees in microbiology and medical technology from the University of Montana. During his academic career, James remained on the Dean’s List, was an esteemed scholar of the College of Arts and Science, and was named Premedical Sciences Student of the Year.

Presently, James lives in Boulder, Colorado, where he is active within the community, is an avid sportsman and enjoys hiking, mountain biking, downhill skiing, weight lifting, snowboarding, hunting, and shooting

In recognition of an exceptional career as executive vice president of product design and delivery for Cruxpoint Consulting, James Lincoln is being included in the 2008/2009 Princeton Premier Registry alongside the most prominent business leaders and professionals of every industry, from around the globe.

August 1st 2008
James Lincoln Honored By Cambridge Who's Who For Excellence In Business Consulting

James Lincoln, Vice President of Cruxpoint Consulting, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in all aspects of business management and consulting.

Mr. Lincoln has an impressive background in his field and for three years has worked as the Vice President of Cruxpoint Consulting, a firm that provides services to businesses and assists with the development and execution of business strategies. Jim conducts leadership training and team development seminars and manages strategic consulting and leadership consulting services. Jim also delivers keynote addresses. Prior to joining Cruxpoint Consulting, Mr. Lincoln was the Vice President of the Nebraska Wildlife Ranch and worked as a scientist at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Mr. Lincoln received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston at Clear Lake in 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from The University of Montana and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from The University of Montana. For more information on Cruxpoint Consulting, visit http://www.cruxpoint.com.

The Cambridge Who's Who Mission The mission of Cambridge Who's Who is to ensure that Cambridge members receive recognition, support and credibility to advance their careers. Cambridge Who's Who is also committed to delivering the highest quality networking resource for job recruitment, career enhancement and new business development. See who's making news at the Cambridge Who's Who News Blog.

Cambridge Who's Who members have exclusive access to the biographical information of more than 200,000 successful executives, professionals and entrepreneurs at www.cambridgewhoswho.com, where they use the database to share information, knowledge and services. Communication via the Cambridge Who's Who registry travels in two directions, enabling Cambridge Who's Who members to reach out when they have a business need or opportunity as well as receive information on exciting new ventures.

September 28th 2007
Cruxpoint Consulting Gets An Upgrade

Cruxpoint Consulting, Inc. (www.cruxpoint.com), a consulting firm that specializes in large-scale business transformation, is pleased to announce it’s new location in downtown Boulder, Colorado.

The anticipated increase in demand for Cruxpoint’s services over the next several years necessitated a move to a new facility, better suited for general operations. “We’ve experienced considerable growth over the last two years and this is a natural progression for the company,” said James Lincoln, Vice President of Operations.

Cruxpoint was recently recognized by the Boulder County Business Report and the Mercury 100 as one of the fastest growing private companies in the area. The Mercury 100 measures revenue growth from 2004 to 2006.

Cruxpoint’s new office is located at 2595 Canyon Boulevard, Suite 120, Boulder, CO 80302.

The primary mailing address will continue to be P.O. Box 4129, Boulder, CO 80306. The main phone and fax numbers will also remain the same at 303-530-1605 and 303-530-1789 respectively.

February 12th 2007
Transformation Consultants Undergo Change Themselves
The Meridian Institute, Inc. Becomes Cruxpoint Consulting, Inc.

The Meridian Institute, Inc., a boutique consulting firm that specializes in large-scale business transformation is undergoing its own change process. After fifteen years in Crested Butte, Colorado, the company has moved to Boulder, launched itself under a new name, Cruxpoint Consulting, Inc., and positioned itself for rapid growth.

Gary Koyen began his consulting business as Koyen & Associates, Inc., an Oregon corporation, in Eugene, Oregon, in 1979, while a professor at the University of Oregon. It became the Meridian Institute, Inc., a Colorado corporation, when he moved to Crested Butte in 1989. The company has a long history as a highly specialized consulting firm that serves Fortune 1000-size companies in need of rapid transformation in direction, strategy, and culture.

Gary Koyen and his wife and business partner, Becca O’Connor, have enjoyed great success providing customized, intensive breakthrough consulting and training processes to large national and international corporations, usually working with only one or two companies at a time. They have worked with various divisions of AT&T, Duke Power Company, PRD-Australia, American Express-Asia, Chase-Manhattan Bank, Greyhound, AGL Resources, Prudential Insurance Company, Cisco Systems, Sierra-Pacific Power, Delta Air Lines, and SAFECO Insurance Company.

Early in 2005, Gary and Becca committed to expanding the business into a larger, yet still specialized firm capable of working with 4-6 clients at a time and assuring the continuity of the firm beyond their retirements. The Meridian Institute expanded, adding nearly twenty professionals in the last two years, and has combined the wisdom and expertise of a thirty-year history with the drive and idealism of a younger generation, positioning the company for future growth and success.

Because the name, Meridian Institute, is unavailable in most states and is owned by others in various forms on the Internet, they decided to re-launch the company with a new name. On January 1, 2007, the Meridian Institute, Inc., became Cruxpoint Consulting, Inc.

For additional information about Cruxpoint Consulting, Inc., please see our web site at www.cruxpoint.com or contact us at Cruxpoint Consulting, Inc., P.O. Box 4129, Boulder, CO, 80306; 303-530-1605; or info@cruxpoint.com.