Decision Intelligence — Merconsults

Most organizations don't have
an execution problem. They have
a decision problem.

When you commit capital, talent, and time to executing the wrong thing, excellence makes the mistake more expensive — not less. Merconsults helps organizations frame the right problem and make the right decision before execution begins.

Work With Me Read My Insights

Brands I've driven strategy for

AT&T Best Buy Bristol Myers Squibb Columbia University CVS ExxonMobil Google Hulu L'Oréal TikTok University of Maryland American Express P&G USPS

The Merconsults Thesis

Three convictions
we are willing to defend.

01

Organizations don't have an execution problem. They have a decision-quality problem.

Most execution failures trace back to a moment upstream — a problem poorly framed, an assumption never tested, a question no one thought to ask. Fix the decision, and execution becomes straightforward.

02

AI has made intelligence abundant. Judgment is becoming scarce.

When organizations can generate answers and analysis instantly, the advantage shifts to knowing which questions to ask, what information to trust, and what decision to make. That is a human discipline — and an increasingly rare one.

03

More activity does not create more value. Better choices do.

Strategy is not a plan. It is the discipline of choosing what deserves to be done — and what does not. The organizations that win are not executing the most. They are executing the right things.

The research agrees

95%
correlation between decision effectiveness and financial performance — Bain
20%
of organizations say they excel at decision-making — McKinsey
3×
more likely to report improved decision-making in data-driven organizations — PwC
$12.9M
average annual cost of poor data quality per organization — Gartner

As Featured In

Founders Mag
Business Strategies

"AI Success Depends Less on Speed Than on Strategic Decision Making"

"AI is an accelerator. When an organization understands its priorities, its customers, and the decisions it needs to make, technology can amplify those strengths. When those elements remain unclear, AI often makes those gaps even more visible."

August 5, 2026 Read the article →
Valiant CEO
Leadership & Strategy

"Better Decision-Making Will Define the Next Phase of AI Adoption"

"The organizations that will lead the next phase of AI aren't necessarily the fastest adopters — they're the ones that bring strategic discipline to how they frame problems and evaluate decisions before implementation begins."

2026 Read the article →

What We Do

We Help Organizations See Clearly —
and Act on What They See

From Fortune 500 enterprises to growth-stage companies, we bring the same discipline: identify the real problem, challenge the assumptions beneath it, and design the direction most likely to produce the outcome that actually matters. Our work spans Decision Intelligence, AI strategy, brand architecture, and marketing.

01

Decision Intelligence

Before a move, an investment, or a restructure — you need to see the situation clearly. We analyze what others overlook, frame the decision, and show you where to move and why. Clarity is the work.

02

AI Strategy & Integration

AI is not a technology challenge. It's a leadership and prioritization challenge. We help organizations identify where AI creates real value, govern it well, and build the operating model that makes it stick.

03

Brand & Messaging Architecture

Your brand is how people decide whether to trust you before they've spoken to you. We build the positioning, voice, and narrative that make that decision easy — and a message that travels consistently across every channel.

04

Growth & Marketing Strategy

Revenue-focused strategy that connects audience insights, channel decisions, and messaging into a coherent direction your team can execute. Not a deck full of recommendations — a plan built to move.

05

Executive Advisory

For leaders who need a clear thinking partner for the decisions that have long consequences — communications, direction, organizational structure, board presentations, and the calls that shape where you go next.

Decision Clarity Diagnostic

A self-audit for anyone standing at a crossroads.

This is a structured diagnostic — not a consulting engagement. Work through it on your own, or sit down with Myrlene and do it together. Either way, you leave knowing what you actually know, what you're assuming, and what your decision is really costing you.

Who it's for

Self-Guided · Do It On Your Own

Decision Clarity Diagnostic

Work through the audit on your own time, on your own terms. Built so the framework does the heavy lifting — you bring the decision.

$149

One-time · instant digital download

What you get

  • ✓8-page structured audit — applies to any decision, any scale
  • ✓Evidence vs. Assumption Audit: know exactly what you actually know
  • ✓Four-bucket ROI model: calculate the real cost of getting this wrong
  • ✓Reusable — return to it for every high-stakes decision you face

Most leaders recoup this investment in the first decision they don't make the wrong way.

Get the Diagnostic →

Guided · Done With Myrlene

Decision Clarity Session

We work through the audit together in a live 1:1 session. You bring the decision — Myrlene brings the framework, the challenge, and a second mind in the room.

$1,750

Up to 2 hours · written deliverable included

What you get

  • ✓No pre-work required — we frame the real problem together from the start
  • ✓Live decision-quality assessment: evidence gaps, faulty assumptions, cost of being wrong
  • ✓Written deliverable: real problem identified, evidence map, recommended next decision
  • ✓Ideal for decisions with $50K+ in financial, time, or organizational exposure

One session has redirected multi-million-dollar investments. The cost of getting this wrong almost always exceeds the cost of the session.

Book a Session →

Neither option requires a full Merconsults engagement — and neither commits you to one. This is a standalone tool. Use it once, or return to it every time a major decision is in front of you.

Execution multiplies the quality of the decision that came before it. If the decision is right, excellent execution compounds the value. If the decision is wrong, excellent execution makes the mistake more expensive — and faster. That is why Merconsults works upstream.

How We Work

Five engagements.
One direction.

Each is designed to move you from complexity to clarity — and from clarity to action. Most clients begin with the Audit. Some are ready to go further. The path is yours to choose.

01

The Clarity Audit

One session. One deliverable. You walk out knowing exactly where to move — and why.

Executive Brief  ·  Priority Map  ·  Action Roadmap

Starting at $6,500 Begin Here →
↓ The Audit often reveals the work that becomes the Sprint.
02

The Strategy Sprint

Two to four weeks. One high-stakes problem. Research, analysis, and a recommendation your team can act on.

Stakeholder Interviews  ·  Research & Analysis  ·  Strategic Framework  ·  Executive Presentation

Starting at $17,500 Let's Sprint →
↓ Clients who complete the Sprint often see the fuller picture the Method can unlock.
03

The Merconsults Method

Our flagship. Eight to twelve weeks of end-to-end strategic work — the same discipline brought to Fortune 500 brands, built for your organization.

Business Audit  ·  Customer Insights  ·  AI Opportunity Assessment  ·  Decision Framework  ·  Messaging Architecture  ·  90-Day Execution Plan

Starting at $55,000 Tell Me More →
↓ Method clients often move into ongoing advisory.
04

Strategic Advisor

Monthly strategy partnership. A trusted voice in the room for every decision that matters — no implementation, no overhead. Pure thinking.

Monthly Strategy Calls  ·  Decision Reviews  ·  AI Guidance  ·  Executive Prep  ·  Board Support

Starting at $14,000/mo Let's Talk →
↓ For enterprise-scale challenges that require organization-wide change.
05

Enterprise Transformation

Advisory for organization-wide change. AI adoption, marketing reinvention, executive alignment — we guide the thinking and the strategy. Implementation stays with your team.

AI Transformation Advisory  ·  Marketing Reinvention Strategy  ·  Executive Alignment  ·  Change Leadership  ·  No Implementation

Starting at $100,000 Start a Conversation →

How We Measure Value

Every Merconsults engagement is accountable to four dimensions of return — because better decisions pay off in more ways than one.

Cost Avoided

Investment that would have gone toward solving the wrong problem — redirected before it compounds.

Time Recovered

Weeks — sometimes months — not spent executing a flawed direction, freed up for what actually moves the needle.

Value Created

The incremental opportunity that better problem framing unlocks — revenue, positioning, or competitive clarity that wasn't visible before.

Risk Reduced

Strategic mistakes made less likely before they become expensive. Prevention is always cheaper than correction.

Small Business
Growing a small business? We work with you too.

We know small businesses have big goals and real constraints. Toolkits, strategy sessions, and 1:1 advisory — built for where you are right now.

Book a Session → See What We Offer → Email Us →

Work With Myrlene

Not sure where to begin?

Every engagement starts with a conversation. Bring your challenge, your question, or just a sense that something needs to change — and we'll figure out the right fit together.

Start the Conversation →
Myrlene Laroche
10+
Years in Strategy
F500
Client Experience
2x
University Professor
MS
Columbia University

About Myrlene

The Strategist Behind Merconsults

I'm Myrlene Laroche — a high-impact strategist, educator, and agency leader who has spent over a decade helping Fortune 500 brands navigate complexity with clarity, creativity, and care.

My career has been built inside the world's leading global agencies — Accenture Song, Le Truc (Publicis Groupe), FCB, and TBWA — where I've led multimillion-dollar engagements and delivered strategy for some of the most recognized brands on the planet: Google, American Express, ExxonMobil, USPS, L'Oréal, and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Today, I bring that same caliber of thinking directly to organizations and leadership teams — without the agency overhead. I also serve as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and Queens College, judge the Effie Awards, and write about AI, strategy, and the future of work.

Education & Recognition

M.S. Information & Knowledge Strategy Columbia University
Certificate in Entrepreneurship Cornell University
B.S. Business Management St. John's University
Effie Awards Judge Marketing Effectiveness Recognition
Adjunct Professor Columbia University & Queens College
Work With Me →

The People Behind the Work

Meet the Team

Small team. Sharp focus. Every person here is hands-on in the work.

Myrlene Laroche
Myrlene Laroche
Founder & Lead Strategist

Strategy, AI advisory, brand direction, and every decision that shapes how Merconsults shows up for clients.

Sara Blue
Sara Blue
Creative Content Assistant

Sara brings warmth and precision to everything she touches — supporting creative and digital content execution across social and marketing touchpoints.

Valerie Laroche
Valerie LaRoche
Executive Assistant

Valerie keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes — bringing care, organization, and a steady hand to the day-to-day operations that keep the team moving forward.

Mentoring Program

Beyond
the Title

A mentoring program for ambitious women in the first 1–7 years of their careers — building careers they're proud of without losing themselves in the process.

Explore the Program →
🧭

Career Strategy

Navigate promotions, pivots, and career decisions with a clear framework — not just instinct.

✦

Identity Beyond Work

Stay grounded in who you are outside your role — your values, your voice, and what you're building toward.

🔭

Future Options

Explore what's next — whether that's a seat at the table, a side venture, or a full pivot — with real strategic support.

We believe: Your title is not your ceiling. The most effective women in business know the difference between climbing someone else's ladder and building a career — and a life — on their own terms. That's what Beyond the Title is for.

Insights & Ideas

Thinking Out Loud on Substack

I write about AI, strategy, and the future of work for leaders and organizations who want to stay ahead.

AI & Work

Drawing Back the Curtain: AI Work

A candid look at how AI is actually changing the way we work — beyond the hype, into the real shifts happening in strategy, creativity, and everyday business operations.

Published on Substack Read Article →
Strategy & Craft

The Lost Art of the Brief

AI didn't replace strategy. It exposed bad briefs. A sharp look at why the brief is the most overlooked strategic tool in business — and what it costs you when it's missing.

Published on Substack Read Article →
Strategy & Leadership

The Question You Forgot to Ask

And why not asking is derailing your work. The questions leaders skip — and the real cost of leaving them unasked when clarity, alignment, and progress are on the line.

Jun 05, 2026 Read Article →
Decision Intelligence

Decision Intelligence: The Missing Discipline in Modern Business

Why organizations that think better will outperform organizations that simply execute faster — and what it costs when leaders commit before they've achieved real clarity.

Aug 03, 2026 Read Article →
Read all insights on Substack

Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions we hear most — from organizations ready to move, and leaders trying to figure out where to start.

General

Who does Merconsults work with?

Organizations and leaders facing high-stakes decisions who need strategic clarity. We work with enterprises, growth-stage companies, and small businesses. The common thread is leaders who take their decisions seriously — and know that the quality of their thinking determines where they go next.

General

Where do I start if I'm not sure which engagement is right?

The Clarity Audit is designed for exactly that moment. In one session, we identify what's actually going on, where the leverage is, and what to address first. Most clients find the Audit tells them everything they need to know about which path to take next. Email assistant@merconsults.com to start the conversation.

The Clarity Audit

What actually happens in the Audit?

We spend one focused session going deep on your business, your decisions, and your biggest points of friction. You walk out with an Executive Brief summarizing what we found, a Priority Map showing where to focus, and an Action Roadmap for what to do next. It's a single, high-value engagement — not a commitment to more.

The Strategy Sprint

What kinds of problems does the Sprint tackle?

Any high-stakes, time-sensitive problem where your organization needs to move from ambiguity to a clear recommendation. Common Sprint topics: AI adoption strategy, marketing performance, organizational alignment, launch planning, messaging architecture, and team restructuring. If a decision is worth getting right, it's worth a Sprint.

The Merconsults Method

How is the Method different from a traditional consulting firm?

Traditional consulting firms deliver complexity back to you in the form of long decks built on interviews you weren't part of. The Merconsults Method is built around your leaders, your context, and decisions you can actually execute. Every deliverable is designed to be used — not filed.

Strategic Advisor

What does a monthly advisor engagement actually look like?

Each month, we work through what's in front of you — decisions in progress, communications strategy, AI questions, board preparation, team dynamics, or whatever is most urgent. Some months are heavier than others. That's the point. You get a thinking partner who knows your business and can move fast when it matters.

Enterprise Transformation

What does an enterprise engagement involve?

Enterprise engagements are advisory — we guide the strategy, the decisions, and the direction. We do not manage implementation. Your team executes; we make sure they're executing the right thing, in the right order, for the right reasons. We start with a conversation to understand scope, stakeholders, and timeline, then build the engagement to match. Email assistant@merconsults.com to begin.

Small Business

Do you work with small businesses?

Yes. We work with small businesses that are ready to think strategically about their growth. Our work is scoped to fit your stage and goals — the entry point is a conversation. Email assistant@merconsults.com with a bit of context and we'll figure out the right fit together.

Return on Investment

How do you define the return on a Merconsults engagement?

We measure value across four dimensions: Cost Avoided — investment that would have gone toward the wrong problem; Time Recovered — weeks not spent executing a flawed direction; Value Created — the incremental opportunity better framing unlocks; and Risk Reduced — strategic mistakes made less likely before they become expensive. Bain found a 95% correlation between decision effectiveness and financial performance. Our job is to make sure decision quality is working for your organization.

Booking Policy

Cancellation & Refund Policy

This policy applies to all paid Decision Clarity Sessions. We reserve your time exclusively for you — and prepare in advance. We appreciate your understanding.

48+ Hours Notice

Full Refund

Cancellations received at least 48 hours before the scheduled start time are eligible for a full refund, processed within 5–7 business days to the original payment method.

36–48 Hours Notice

50% Refund

A 50% refund will be issued. The remaining 50% may be applied as a credit toward a future Merconsults session, valid for 60 days from the original session date.

Same Day

Credit Only

No refund is issued for same-day cancellations. A session credit equal to the full session value will be issued, valid for 60 days. Credits are non-transferable.

No Show

No Refund. No Credit.

Clients who do not attend and do not cancel in advance forfeit the session fee in full. No refund or credit will be issued.

Rescheduling

You may reschedule your session at no charge with at least 36 hours' notice. Rescheduling requests received with less than 36 hours' notice are treated as same-day cancellations and the credit policy applies. To cancel or reschedule, use the link in your Calendly confirmation email or contact us at assistant@merconsults.com.

Let's Talk

Ready to Think Differently?

The most expensive mistake an organization makes happens long before execution begins — when the wrong problem gets defined, the wrong assumptions go unchallenged, or resources get committed before real clarity is achieved. If you're at that moment, that's exactly where we start.

Start the Conversation