About Us
Definition
discern | di-ˈsərn
verb
- to carefully parse between truth and error or between several good options in order to decipher the ideal contextual course of action
- to skillfully apply wisdom to real-life situations
noun
- advisory firm serving organizations by helping them ask the right questions in order to reach the right conclusions
The Discern Way
To discern is more than knowing what to think—it is becoming the kind of person who knows how to think, how to lead, and how to live in alignment with what matters most. At Discern, it is our mission to help you…
See Clearly.
Think Deeply.
Act Wisely.
Thrive Fully.
See Clearly
Clarity is the first step toward wisdom.
In today’s world, noise is constant, and distractions are many. We help you cut through the clutter to see what really matters. Whether it’s a strategic crossroads, a cultural shift, or an identity crisis, clarity enables honest assessment and focused attention.
At Discern, we help you:
- Reveal the true dynamics beneath the surface
- Distill complex realities into coherent insight
- Understand not just what’s happening—but why it matters
Seeing clearly isn’t just about vision. It’s about perspective. And it’s the foundation of every wise decision that follows.
Think Deeply
Shallow thinking leads to shallow results.
We invite our clients to pause, reflect, and consider the deeper patterns shaping their organization. Quick fixes and off-the-shelf solutions may feel productive—but often miss the point.
We help you:
- Ask better, bolder, though often difficult questions
- Explore root causes, not just surface symptoms
- Engage tensions with courage and curiosity
- Integrate values, strategy, and culture
Deep thinking doesn’t slow you down—it anchors you. So when the time comes to move, you’re not just reacting. You’re responding from a place of depth.
Act Wisely
Action without wisdom is noise.
Wisdom without action is wasted.
Clarity and insight must lead to action—but not all action is equal. We guide leaders and teams to act in ways that are not only effective, but thoughtful, principled, and aligned with their mission.
Wise action means:
- Prioritizing what truly matters
- Choosing long-term integrity over short-term gain
- Leading with boldness and humility
We walk alongside you to ensure that execution reflects your highest values—not just your immediate goals.
Thrive Fully
Flourishing is more than hitting your targets.
To thrive fully is to be whole, purpose-driven, and resilient—able not just to perform, but to endure and grow. It’s about cultivating organizations where people, purpose, and impact can flourish together.
We help you:
- Align your mission with your methods
- Build cultures of trust, accountability, and growth
- Stay grounded in your identity, even amid change
- Measure success in meaningful, mission-driven ways
When you see clearly, think deeply, and act wisely—you’re positioned to thrive fully, no matter the challenges you face.
Approach
Companies are enamored with finding the right answers, but too frequently fail to ask the right questions. Businesses thrive when leaders challenge assumptions, dig deeper into customer behavior, and align their inquiries with strategic outcomes. Asking the right questions is not just about solving problems—it’s a key to uncovering hidden opportunities and staying ahead of change. At Discern, we help leaders focus on asking the right questions. Our approach is three-fold yet quite simple:
Analogic
Parabolic
Mission-centric
Analogic
At Discern, we believe the best insights often come from the most unexpected places. In a world saturated with benchmarking, case studies, and best practices, it’s easy to fall into the trap of only learning from peers. But real breakthroughs rarely come from following the crowd. That’s why we take a different path—helping organizations learn from those unlike them through the power of analogic reasoning.
Analogic reasoning is the disciplined practice of drawing insight from one context and applying it meaningfully to another. Rather than just asking, “What are others in our industry doing?” we ask, “Who has solved a similar problem in a very different environment—and what can we learn from them?”
Whether it’s a nonprofit learning from a high-performance sports team, a hospital inspired by the customer experience of a luxury hotel, or a tech start-up gaining perspective from a centuries-old institution—we help clients step outside their echo chamber and into new arenas of insight.
Learning from similar organizations can be helpful—but it’s also limiting. Peer organizations often:
- Share the same blind spots
- Are subject to the same market dynamics
- Reinforce status quo thinking
By contrast, analogic learning helps you:
- See an opportunity or challenge through a fresh lens
- Identify unseen assumptions
- Spot patterns and principles that are transferable across boundaries
We don’t chase superficial comparisons. We pursue deep parallels—the kind that spark innovation, shift paradigms, and unlock new ways forward.
Our advisory method blends strategic analysis, cross-sector research, and facilitated reflection. We help you move from stuck to strategic through a guided process:
- Clarify the Core Challenge
We define the essence of what you’re facing—not just the symptoms but the underlying structure. - Identify Distant Parallels
We surface examples from outside your field where similar dynamics exist—and where creative solutions have emerged. - Translate and Test
Together, we map the insights across domains, adapting—not copying—what works in new contexts. - Apply with Integrity
Finally, we help you apply the analogies in ways that honor your mission, context, and constraints.
This translates into real-world wisdom, discernment, and understanding—not copy-paste solutions. We don’t believe in importing someone else’s playbook wholesale. We believe in discerning what’s essential and creatively reimagining it in your own setting. Our clients often tell us they come away seeing their organization—and their possibilities—with new clarity. That’s the value of analogic thinking: it reframes problems, refracts insight, and reinvigorates decision-making.
You don’t have to follow the same well-worn paths. The solutions to your biggest challenges may be waiting in a place you’ve never looked. At Discern, we’re here to help you find them.
Parabolic
Organizations often come to us seeking clarity. They’re navigating complexity, uncertainty, or transition. And while data, models, and frameworks are essential tools, they’re not always enough. That’s why, at Discern, we draw from an ancient yet profoundly effective approach: parabolic communication—storytelling designed to reveal, provoke, and guide.
Stories do more than inform. They invite reflection, spark connection, and illuminate truth that direct answers often obscure. Parables—a form of layered, metaphorical storytelling—don’t hand you conclusions. They awaken curiosity. They expose assumptions. And they help leaders and teams see clearly so they can act wisely.
In a world obsessed with quick fixes and ready-made solutions, parabolic communication slows things down just enough to ask:
- Are we solving the right problem?
- What story are we telling ourselves—and is it true?
- What are we becoming, and why?
We use parables and storytelling in our advisory process to:
- Clarify your current narrative—the story you’re living, whether you know it or not
- Reveal blind spots and tensions that hide beneath surface-level thinking
- Facilitate meaningful dialogue across teams, cultures, and perspectives
- Anchor strategic direction in identity, purpose, and values
Stories shape culture. They influence behavior. And the right story, at the right moment, can shift everything. In summary, here is our parabolic approach:
- Contextual Reflection
We begin by listening: What’s the story your organization is telling today—about itself, about its future, about its challenges? We help surface the implicit narratives that drive decision-making. - Curated Parables and Metaphors
We introduce carefully chosen stories, metaphors, and illustrations that resonate with your situation. These aren’t off-the-shelf tales—they’re tailored reflections meant to provoke insight, not prescribe action. - Facilitated Dialogue
We use storytelling to guide conversations—not toward quick consensus, but toward deeper discernment. The goal isn’t just clarity. It’s wisdom. - A New Narrative
Ultimately, we help you craft a more honest, compelling, and actionable story about where you are—and where you’re going.
Data may tell you what’s happening. Stories help you understand why it matters. And parables? They help you discover what questions you haven’t yet thought to ask.
This dovetails superbly with analogic reasoning to produce simple and impactful solutions ideally suited to today’s organizational landscape. This fits us well since engaging listeners, provoking thought, and delivering solutions with simplicity is our goal. At Discern, we don’t hand you all the answers. We walk with you until the right questions emerge. Questions that are big enough to carry your mission and bold enough to frame your future.
Are you ready to rethink the way you communicate, reflect, and lead? If you’re facing uncertainty, transition, or transformation, let’s talk. Let us help you tell a better story—and learn to see your work through a wiser lens.
Mission-Centric
At Discern, we believe the true measure of success isn’t found solely in profit margins or shareholder returns—but in purpose fulfilled. We are a mission-centric firm, built around a simple yet powerful idea: our mission only matters if it helps you accomplish yours. While many advisory firms focus on efficiencies, profits, or transactional wins, we go deeper—partnering with organizations to align strategy, structure, and operations with their core purpose.
In today’s noisy business landscape, it’s easy to drift—chasing short-term gains, market trends, or vanity metrics. But organizations that stay rooted in their mission stand apart. They inspire teams, build trust, and create lasting impact. Discern can help you stay rooted.
Whether you’re leading a nonprofit, a public agency, or a purpose-driven enterprise, our approach centers on understanding your “why”—and helping you translate it into everything you do. And focusing on mission doesn’t mean ignoring profit. It means putting profit in its place—as a tool, not the goal. Because, when organizations prioritize purpose, people are more engaged and motivated, customers and stakeholders trust more deeply, and decisions reflect long-term value.
You want to make a difference. And that’s exactly what we’re here to help you do, to champion what matters most to you. If your organization is ready to thrive fully—let’s talk.
Together, let’s build something that matters.