Affirmations from our Contract Partners - Accelerating Potential. Optimizing Impact.
What people have said about Where Are You Going, a growth company, and about Reach For Your Best, leadership coaching.
As the Secretary of the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, charged with raising the funds to build a new elementary school for the children of Robb Elementary, I look back on our campaign and know the key to our success has been the leadership and support of Ron Hadley and the team at Where Are You Going.
Ron and the team have provided insight, expert follow up and complete dedication to every detail necessary to reach our goal, especially through our most challenging moments. They led with ingenuity, compassion, empathy and warmth to play a critical role in the process, helping to heal a community struggling through the aftermath of an unspeakable tragedy.
I unreservedly recommend Ron Hadley and the Where Are You Going team to represent your organization with the same integrity and dedication to mission.
A couple years ago, Collegiate Edu-Nation (CEN) was a young, ambitious startup non-profit in the midst of a pandemic. When we were introduced to the leadership of Where Are You Going, it was an absolute lifesaver and a total game changer.
Under Ron’s leadership and direction, after only one year into a 3 year, $10M campaign, today CEN has already accomplished over half the goal. I will be eternally grateful to Ron and the team at WRUG & Co. for sharing expertise and insight to guide us through stormy seas and into daylight as a non-profit!
We partnered with whereRUgoing for the design and development of our To College To Career initiative, a project that would never have come to fruition without Ron’s expert guidance. The whereRUgoing.com Team has a unique ability to connect and engage seemingly disparate people, organizations, and ideas to shape successful strategy in order to drive greater impact. This is an integral part of the “secret sauce” that whereRUgoing brings to the table, along with stellar relationship management and highly effective strategic planning.
Rise Against Hunger faced a pivotal moment with a massive leadership transformation and reorganization initiative. Then COVID19 hit, disrupting our main source of revenue. We immediately called on Where Are You Going to ground us in the moment and guide us through prioritizing our future opportunities. Due to the Where Are You Going expert leadership, facilitation, and thoughtful guidance, this process resulted in a comprehensive strategic plan, unanimously approved by our Board of Directors, and a clarity of focus for our path forward. Big kudos to Ron and his team for helping us pivot under pressure!
I had the good fortune to work with Ron and Where Are You Going as Save the Children was establishing programs in Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Where Are You Going was an invaluable partner in opening doors and helping Save the Children connect with all of the right partners. Their style is thoughtful, strategic and collaborative and their ability to build relationships is unparalleled. With Where Are You Going‘s team support, Save the Children was able to address immediate needs and build a foundation for long-term programs in communities impacted by the storm.
Ron has been one of the most influential individuals in my professional career. I’ve consulted with him on numerous occasions as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Metro Chicago (BBBSMC) during the development of our transformational, strategic growth initiatives. Where Are You Going’s leadership helped me frame out our approach and strategy to impact & service expansion – developing marketing, communications, talent acquisition and new revenue growth approaches to support and sustain our bold vision. Ron is one of the most authentic human beings you’ll meet, balancing organizational goals rooted in beneficiary/customer focused approaches to achieving those goals. Ron is a true thought partner whose emotional and strategic intelligence is exactly what leaders need when going from ‘here-to-there’.
Ron is an effective thought partner and connector in several of the priority funding areas of the Rainwater Charitable Foundation. whereRUgoing.com’s experience with best practices, collaborative approach as well as focus on meaningful and measurable outcomes has helped many organizations to achieve their goals and expand their impact.
When I started working with the leadership of Where Are You Going and Reach For Your Best, Collegiate Edu-Nation was entering into a phase of rapid growth across the state of Texas. Ron’s non-profit expertise and coaching support were invaluable as we refined a multi-year strategic plan, developed non-profit best practices, and identified a future-focused leadership team. Ron’s commitment to CEN’s success was and continues to be remarkable. I rely on him as a thought partner and value his insight and direction into our strategic processes as CEN continues to grow across the state and nation.
Working with Ron and the team at Where Are You Going will positively transform your approach to doing business and unlock the full potential of your vision to create something powerful and good in the community. Ron has unique gifts and we have been blessed at Big Brothers Big Sisters to have these gifts used on behalf of our mission in both full time leadership capacities and part time, project oriented ways. Either way, having Where Are You Going onboard for a season or a project will take you to a level that is beyond your expectations. Our organization will always be better because of how Ron and his team have impacted us with leadership, thoughtfulness, connectivity, skills, and solid and consistent execution.
I have had the privilege of knowing Ron for many years. He is a highly regarded expert in helping organizations and key leaders reach their full potential. His team at Where Are You Going can provide a wide range of services. Ron will help you clarify and get to “where you are going” with excellence and efficiency. I highly recommend him.
Ron and I have collaborated on a multitude of education reform initiatives that have significantly contributed to the positive progress in the Dallas area. Over the years, I’ve appreciated Ron’s responsiveness, innovative ideas, and excellent experience that makes collaborating with Ron and Where Are You Going a true partnership.
I had the pleasure of working with Ron for a couple of years and very much appreciate his ability to look beyond the immediate to what is necessary for sustained success. Ron helped the organization through a strong growth phase – including a significant increase in our annual operating support. Without his leadership, we would not be where we are today.
I’ve had the good fortune to know Ron for over 15 years both as a colleague for nine and as a friend throughout. I have always been impressed by his ability to recognize unique opportunities in a cluttered business landscape and lead teams toward both short term solutions and long-term goals. He is passionate about his work and cares deeply about not just his clients, but the people he surrounds himself with every day.
Ron and the team at Where Are You Going took an idea of providing community mentors to students and communities with the greatest need into a specific and operational plan of action with United Way, Big Thought, Dallas ISD, and a number of other community partners..
Ron and his team at Where Are You Going have the unique ability to drive a group towards better defining their vision, all while creating a road map for success. I have known and worked closely with Ron for the past 12 years. His strength in strategic and operational planning has benefited many great organizations in our community. I recommend his leadership to any organization trying to break away from the status quo and is seeking truly impactful outcomes.
Ron and his team at Where Are You Going bring insightfulness, sincerity, and integrity to any project that they touch. Ron and his team are relationship specialists with the keen ability to understand client’s needs and bring achievable solutions to the table. The cornerstone of their work revolves around measuring impact and insuring the appropriate tactics are in place to best aggregate the best results. Ron brings pure passion and dedication to every project that he’s part of. His leadership style is contagious and brings people together for the greater good of the ultimate project at hand
Ron and Where Are You Going are the ultimate thought partners and connectors for any organization or initiative seeking to make impact. The introductions made by the Where Are You Going team have added capacity and new ideas to the possible solutions for the statewide group trying to streamline and improve enrollment and reporting for childcare businesses. I’ve enjoyed partnering with Ron on various projects and am not sure why I continue to be surprised by their, ‘How can I help you?’ regardless of the topic”.
Regen Horchow, Dallas Community Leader/Early Childhood Learning Advocate
Gerald B. Smith, Chairman & CEO, Smith Graham & Co. Investment Advisors – “I first became acquainted with Ron at Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS). During Ron’s tenure at BBBS, I worked with him on a variety of projects which included raising funds for the construction of BBBS’ newest building (in Houston) and developing strategies for diversity and inclusion initiatives. Ron was passionate about creating opportunities for Littles and committed to the expansion of the Bigs program by driving recruitment of people of color to help meet the demands in the community. In sum, Ron is a good guy. A great leader . . . and clearly created the foundation for the momentum that BBBS is experiencing here in Htown. Continued success in making a difference! I am glad to have worked with him in years past and be a witness to the great work he does in our community.
“The leadership at Where Are You Going has been a part of our organization since we began over 10 years ago. Ron has acted as an advisor for our yearly strategic planning/budgeting, provided HR consulting, and helped build our staff incentive plans. More recently he is serving as a consultant for our leadership development program. With Ron’s feedback and guidance we have sustained an average of 31% in annual growth since inception. Ron has an innate ability to quickly assess any situation of need within our company and help formulate a plan of action to reach our established goals. Where Are You Going has provided tremendous value to 3DPT, and we look forward to our continued work with them in the future.“
Grady Callaway, DPT, OCS, President/CEO, 3DPT
“When Dallas Afterschool had the opportunity to offer a new summer literacy program for at risk students with just six weeks of planning time, we knew that we needed help. Ron and the Where Are You Going team stepped in to project manage the entire project . . . As a result of their leadership and hard work, we were able to provide a guided literacy program for 1,400 children where 87% gained literacy skills”
Christina K. Hanger, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Board Member (former CEO, Dallas Afterschool, 2014-22)
T. Charles Pierson, Executive Director, Sumners Foundation – “Ron was one of my first hires when I served as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star. He was a key leadership team member for our ten years working together and as our team grew the organization into the largest BBBS agency in the nation – strategically expanding service impact, geographic coverage, partnership engagement and our donor base. Consistent with my experience with Ron, the team that he has pulled together at Where Are You Going is strategic, results-oriented and relationship-centric… an effective, dependable, resourceful partner to achieve your growth goals.”
Dr. Celina McEntire, Dual Language Facilitator, Grand Prairie ISD – “As a Project Facilitator, Ron was diligent and highly committed to providing opportunity for our District. Ron’s highly conscientious planning and organization resulted in a seamless reading program that provided opportunity for our students to gain the greatest benefits. Ron delivered proactive solutions in situations that involved student enrollment, parent communication, and on-site campus support. His positive energy, compassion, and commitment to helping others are invaluable . . . in working with Ron, his drive for helping others is not only inspiring, but has created a catalyst for continuing to work toward the greater good.”
Torrence Robinson, Senior Director, Global Community Affairs, Fluor – “I had the opportunity to work with Ron during different times of his career journey and have found him to be caring, passionate, thoughtful, strategic and genuinely committed to the betterment of our community.”
“Ron is a connector. He leverages his vast network of funders, social change-makers and other influential community leaders to support collective impact projects working to solve pressing problems. As the founding executive director of a collective impact program that is addressing youth homelessness, I valued Ron’s guidance and introduction to premier grant-makers that led to future investment in our start-up project.”
Hillary Evans, Founding Executive Director, After8toEducate, 2017-19 (current EVP, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas)