Julie Smith: Performance Ally | PWV Podcast

From Minnesota to West Virginia: A Journey of Transformation

Julie’s story begins in Minnesota, where she dreamed of becoming an experimental psychologist. However, after applying to a competitive doctoral program at West Virginia University, she found herself on an unexpected path. Upon acceptance, she initially anticipated a career focused on teaching and lab research. But fate intervened when she was assigned to an applied internship at WVU’s Industrial Engineering Department.

Here, Julie’s journey took a pivotal turn when she worked with Jack Byrd at the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and Development. They helped local businesses implement work process improvements, and it was through this experience that Julie discovered the power of applying behavior analysis to large-scale organizational change.

Her career soared from there. Julie built a global consulting firm that worked with major companies like GE and Bell Atlantic, using behavior science to help organizations achieve effective strategy execution. This work, though impactful, could not be scaled quickly enough, which led her to pivot towards a technology-driven solution.

Performance Ally: Technology Meets Behavior Change

Julie’s SaaS company, Performance Ally, focuses on embedding mission-critical habits into organizations through technology. The company provides a platform that helps businesses align their people’s behaviors with strategic goals, ensuring lasting change and improved performance.

Julie’s company is driven by the belief that processes alone are not enough. People need to develop consistent habits to successfully carry out processes. This is where Performance Ally stands out, focusing on the human element of business performance, ensuring people can engage with processes effectively.

Along with Performance Ally, Julie recently co-authored a book titled The Vital Behavior Blueprint: Five Steps to Embed Mission-Critical Habits into Your Organization’s DNA. The book serves as the foundation for how Performance Ally’s software is structured and provides a clear guide for organizations to foster the habits that lead to high performance.

A Legacy of Change: From Consulting to SaaS

Julie’s transition from consulting to creating a SaaS company was motivated by the need for a more scalable solution. With the rise of mobile technology and the growing need for performance-based solutions, she saw the potential to take her consulting methods to a broader audience through a digital platform.

Her first consulting firm, CLG, has been in operation for over 30 years, continuing to serve global clients while achieving measurable success in organizational behavior change. Even after stepping away, the company remains one of the top consulting firms, an achievement Julie is proud of.

Her expertise, particularly in the healthcare sector, has been transformative. In the healthcare industry, where employee engagement directly impacts patient outcomes, Julie’s work is helping to embed habits that improve quality, safety, and the overall patient experience.

The Vital Behavior Blueprint and Its Impact

Julie’s book, The Vital Behavior Blueprint, was designed to address a critical problem: how to ensure that employees at all levels consistently follow processes that lead to positive results. By identifying “vital behaviors”—the key actions employees must take to achieve success—Julie’s methodology creates a framework for organizations to engage employees in the right behaviors, no matter the industry.

Through Performance Ally, organizations can use the principles outlined in the book to focus on high engagement, empowering employees to take ownership of their actions. The app, Ally Assist, was specifically designed to support healthcare organizations in embedding these vital behaviors into their daily operations.

Julie’s work has already proven successful in several organizations, including Nemours Children’s Hospital, where her approach achieved 90% patient engagement. As she continues to expand, Julie’s mission remains clear: to help organizations build a culture of continuous improvement by focusing on the behaviors that drive results.

A Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Julie is excited about the impact her work is having in the healthcare sector, particularly in improving patient care and outcomes. Her focus on high engagement in both the workplace and customer-facing environments is creating a ripple effect that is transforming how businesses think about behavior and performance.

Julie’s journey from consulting to technology has been one of innovation, adaptability, and a commitment to improving the way organizations operate. Her success is a testament to the power of combining human behavior science with modern technology to solve complex business challenges.

To learn more about Julie’s groundbreaking work, you can visit Performance Ally at Performance Ally and explore The Vital Behavior Blueprint at The Vital Behavior Blueprint.