An intentional next chapter for FTF

Over the past year, I’ve been asking myself a difficult question: What does Fifty Thousand Feet actually need next—not to scale faster, but to endure longer?

The answer wasn’t another service line or capability. It was people. And trust. And the kind of partnership that only comes from having built something real together before.

That’s what led us here.

I’m excited to share that Fifty Thousand Feet has acquired Tangible, a customer experience consultancy whose work, people, and values align deeply with our own. This decision was strategic—but it was also personal.

Years ago, while running the Washington, DC office at Huge, I hired Sarah Buckler, CEO of Tangible. We were building teams, earning credibility, and navigating complex client environments where rigor and execution mattered. Working together during that chapter shaped how I think about leadership and what it takes to build work that actually lasts.

When I later began searching for the right partner for Fifty Thousand Feet—one that could extend our impact without diluting who we are—I found myself thinking back to that experience. I paid attention to what Sarah was building and saw that she was now leading a world-class consultancy grounded in discipline, customer understanding, and long-term client trust. Tangible wasn’t just impressive. It fit.

I was equally struck by the vision of Tangible’s founder, James Young. Over more than two decades, he built something enduring—an agency defined by substance rather than hype. That kind of founder-led clarity resonated deeply with me. It mirrors the way Fifty Thousand Feet has grown over more than 25 years: deliberately, with craft, and with a long view.

That shared philosophy matters.

FTF has long helped complex organizations define who they are and how they evolve. Tangible brings deep expertise in understanding customer needs and designing experiences that move strategy into market with confidence and speed.

Together, we close a critical gap: from brand promise to lived experience.

What stood out immediately was Tangible’s discipline. Their work is grounded in research, shaped by real customer behavior, and executed with care. They operate with a senior-led, partnership-driven model that mirrors how we work at FTF—and they’ve built long-standing enterprise relationships that reflect both rigor and durability.

After 25 years of building and leading firms, I’ve learned that what actually makes agencies and consultancies like ours win isn’t the breadth of the offering—it’s the people doing the work. It’s talent and chemistry. Shared standards. Entrepreneurial energy. A belief in the craft and a genuine love of client success. And just as importantly, it’s earned credibility, low ego, and an absence of politics. I wanted to work with Sarah again for exactly these reasons. I’d seen how she builds teams—with clarity, rigor, and respect—and how that culture shows up in the work. Tangible’s team carries that same DNA. When you find that level of alignment across people, values, and ambition, you don’t optimize it away. You double down on it.

As part of this next chapter, Sarah will join Fifty Thousand Feet as Chief Operating Officer. She brings deep operational leadership and a thoughtful, client-centered approach to building teams and partnerships. Tangible’s team will integrate across our strategy, design, content, and client partnership practices—strengthening the connective tissue of the firm (and yes, while iterating on AI adoption).

This acquisition reflects a clear belief: brands don’t just need great ideas. They need systems and experiences that hold together over time. They need partners willing to stay long enough to make things better—not just louder.

I’m proud of what this combination makes possible, and excited about what we’ll build together next. We’ll be sharing more as the teams come together and the work takes shape.

—Kate