What Red Barn Consulting does

Red Barn Consulting LLC is a privately-held strategic consulting firm founded in 2013 and led by Founder & CEO Cindy Donaldson, operating out of Goshen, Connecticut with additional presence in Florida. The firm provides marketing, sales, and operations advisory services to middle-market companies, embedding with client leadership teams in a fractional CMO/COO capacity. Its deepest vertical specialization is community banking and financial institutions through a dedicated offering called BankElevate, which integrates banking-domain expertise with compliant marketing and leadership frameworks; additional verticals include healthcare, insurance, and non-profits.

The service portfolio spans four revenue streams: (1) Strategic Growth Partnerships (fractional executive consulting engagements, retainer or project-based), (2) Training & Speaking (paid keynotes and workshops delivered by the founder at corporate and association events), (3) Coaching Programs (life and leadership coaching delivered under the Courage Formula Foundations brand via a separate coaching site), and (4) Branded Solutions (a promotional merchandise e-commerce storefront at promo.redbarnconsultingllc.com). There is no proprietary software platform; the underlying "technology" consists of branded methodologies (BankElevate, The Courage Formula) and a content/community engine anchored by an active blog and the Thursday Club email membership.

Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, with lead conversion through Calendly discovery calls, organic social (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest), and association-channel relationships — most notably a strategic partnership with the Connecticut Bankers Association where the founder serves as a trainer, speaker, and sponsor. Pricing is custom and quote-based across all service lines; discovery calls are the only publicly disclosed free entry point. The firm employs 1–10 people and is bootstrapped/founder-owned with no institutional funding, acquisitions, or parent company.

Name

Red Barn Consulting

Legal name

Red Barn Consulting LLC

Website

https://redbarnconsultingllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Red Barn Consulting LLC is a privately-held fractional CMO/COO and strategic marketing consulting firm serving middle-market companies, with vertical specialization in community banking via its BankElevate program, plus healthcare, insurance, and non-profits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Management & Performance Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAF), Human Capital & Workforce Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAE), Culture, Engagement & Employee Experience (EX) Consulting (BPAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Marketing consulting
• Strategic business advisory
• Banking consulting services
• Brand development
• Fractional CMO services

Headquarters

HQ city

Goshen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Consulting Engagements: Red Barn embeds with client leadership teams as fractional CMO/COO providing executive-level strategy, marketing and sales alignment, brand development, and ongoing implementation. Revenue is generated through ongoing consulting retainer or project-based engagements with middle-market companies.
2. Speaking & Training: Cindy Donaldson delivers high-energy workshops, keynotes, and executive intensives at industry events and corporate all-hands meetings. Fee-based engagements booked through direct inquiry.
3. Coaching Programs: Life coaching, team building, and entrepreneurial mentorship delivered through Cindy Donaldson's separate coaching practice (cindy-donaldson.com), including the Courage Formula Foundations group coaching program.
4. Promotional Products / Branded Merchandise: Branded merchandise division (promo.redbarnconsultingllc.com) provides curated promotional items, corporate gifts, and event kits with full-service design and sourcing — generating revenue through product sales and sourcing fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Red Barn Consulting provides strategic business, marketing, sales, and operations consulting for middle-market companies in the banking, insurance, healthcare, and non-profit sectors. Core offerings include Strategic Growth Partnerships (embedded fractional CMO/COO engagements), Training & Speaking (workshops and keynotes), BankElevate (specialized banking program), Branded Solutions (promotional merchandise), and Courage Formula Foundations coaching. The firm sells its services directly to client leadership teams rather than offering a software product or marketplace.

Product overview

Red Barn Consulting is a strategic business consulting firm offering a portfolio of services organized around three core pillars: Strategic Growth Partnerships (fractional CMO/COO, marketing, sales, and operations consulting), Training & Speaking (keynotes and workshops), and Branded Solutions (promotional merchandise). The firm specializes in financial institutions through its BankElevate program and offers personal development through its Courage Formula Foundations coaching program. A community program called ThursdayClub delivers monthly email challenges to subscribers. The overall offering is a service-based consulting model rather than a software product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BankElevate: Specialized banking growth program designed exclusively for financial institutions, integrating banking expertise with consulting, marketing, and leadership frameworks.
• Courage Formula Foundations

Products and services

• Strategic Growth Partnerships Strategic consulting service in which Red Barn embeds with client leadership teams to uncover barriers, align strategy, and deliver brand clarity, operational efficiency, and measurable growth. Includes fractional CMO/COO, marketing and sales alignment, brand development, and ongoing implementation. Targeted at mid-market companies and financial institutions.
• Training & Speaking High-energy workshops, keynotes, and executive intensives delivered by Cindy Donaldson covering leadership, marketing, culture, and personal development topics such as Leading from the Inside Out, Radical Self-Leadership, Marketing with Purpose, Culture After Chaos, and The Courage Formula. Sessions are booked for corporate team-wide training, executive intensives, and industry events.
• BankElevate Specialized consulting approach designed exclusively for financial institutions that integrates decades of banking expertise with consulting, marketing, and leadership frameworks. It strengthens strategic plans, amplifies brand with compliant marketing, builds confident leaders and cohesive teams, and creates branded experiences to drive loyalty and referrals.
• Branded Solutions Promotional merchandise and branded items division offering curated on-brand promotional items, event-ready kits, corporate gifts, eco-conscious and American-made options, and full-service design and sourcing. Sells through a dedicated e-commerce storefront serving corporate clients needing client gifts, event giveaways, and employee appreciation items.
• Coaching Services Life coaching, team building, and entrepreneurial mentorship services provided by Cindy Donaldson through a separate coaching practice at cindy-donaldson.com. Focuses on personal development, self-discovery, work-life balance, and leadership growth for executives and entrepreneurs.
• Websites Standalone website consulting services including ADA website accessibility compliance work, supporting clients such as Litchfield Bancorp and Collinsville Savings Society with website accessibility requirements under DOJ guidelines.

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Connecticut Bankers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Red Barn Consulting has an ongoing strategic partnership with the Connecticut Bankers Association. Cindy Donaldson serves as a trainer for CT School of Finance & Management Programs and the Aspire Leadership Program, a keynote speaker at association events, and sponsor/attendee at the Women in Banking annual event. She has authored featured articles published through the association.
• Chelsea Groton BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Chelsea Groton Bank has engaged Cindy Donaldson for an All Team Meeting keynote on March 24, 2026. The engagement represents a direct consulting/speaking relationship with a regional financial institution.
• Litchfield BancorpminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRed Barn Consulting assisted Litchfield Bancorp with achieving ADA website compliance, providing consulting services related to website accessibility requirements under DOJ guidelines.
• Collinsville Savings SocietyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRed Barn Consulting assisted Collinsville Savings Society with achieving ADA website compliance, providing consulting services related to website accessibility requirements under DOJ guidelines.
• ICF Connecticut (International Coaching Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCindy Donaldson is scheduled to speak at the 2026 ICF Connecticut Inaugural Conference on the topic 'Who YOU Are IS the Strategy: Building a Coaching Practice That Supports Your Life, Not Drains It'.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• EOS Worldwide: Provider of the Entrepreneurial Operating System framework with a global implementer network helping small and mid-market companies with operations, accountability, and leadership. Comparable in operating-model and small-business consulting approach.
• ActionCOACH: Global coaching and business consulting franchise focused on small and mid-sized companies across sales, marketing, and operations. Comparable to Red Barn in middle-market consulting scope and founder-led/coaching-led delivery model.
• Cultivate Advisors: Fractional CMO and advisory firm for mid-market companies, offering executive-level marketing leadership on a part-time basis. Closely parallels Red Barn's fractional CMO/COO strategic growth partnerships delivery model.
• Bank Marketing Center: Marketing services provider dedicated to community banks and credit unions offering branding, content, and campaign execution. Comparable to Red Barn's marketing and brand development services targeted at financial institutions.

Direct peers

• Cornerstone Advisors: Independent consulting firm serving community banks and credit unions on strategy, performance improvement, and technology selection. Directly comparable to Red Barn's BankElevate program given the same regulated-banking client base and strategic advisory scope.
• Performance Trust Capital Partners: Independent advisory firm serving banks and financial institutions on balance sheet strategy, investment, and risk — a banking-vertical consulting peer overlapping with Red Barn's strategic planning and BankElevate work.
• The Kafafian Group: Banking-focused management consulting firm specializing in strategy, growth, and leadership for community banks. Closely mirrors Red Barn's BankElevate positioning and middle-market banking client profile.
• Bancography: Bank marketing strategy and analytics firm serving community banks with branding, customer research, and growth marketing — a direct peer in the niche of banking-specific marketing consulting that Red Barn targets with BankElevate.
• Capital Performance Group: Consulting firm serving banks and credit unions on performance improvement, strategic planning, and operational effectiveness. Comparable in scope to Red Barn's strategic growth partnerships within financial institutions.

Broad incumbents

• SBI Growth: Management consulting firm specializing in growth strategy, go-to-market, and revenue transformation for B2B and mid-market companies. Comparable to Red Barn's strategic growth partnerships offering at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RedBarnConsulting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/red-barn-consulting-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/redbarnct/?hl=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/rconsultingllc
• Xx.com/redbarnct

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Red Barn Consulting