Sarah Burlew: Building the Table, Omlie, and a New Way to Work

For Sarah Burlew, entrepreneurship was never just a career path, it was a calling she felt from a young age.

“I’ve always thought entrepreneurs were rock stars,” she reflects. “People who had the guts and vision to create something from nothing.”

But it wasn’t just admiration that led her to found Omlie, it was experience. Over the course of her career, Sarah realized she was spending too much time “concealing and contorting” herself to fit into spaces that weren’t built for authenticity.

So instead of continuing to adapt, she made a bold decision: she would build something new.

“I could just build that table. A place where I could be my authentic self, and others could too.”

That idea became the foundation of Omlie: a consulting firm designed not just to deliver results, but to redefine how work feels.

Redefining Success On Their Own Terms

Since its founding, Omlie has achieved remarkable growth, reaching nearly $10 million in revenue in under five years and earning national recognition, including a spot on the Inc. 5000.

For Sarah, these milestones are deeply meaningful, but not for the reasons you might expect.

“Recognition like Inc. validates what we’re building,” she shares. “It shows that you can invest in people and still drive incredible business results.” Still, the numbers only tell part of the story.

Today, Omlie is a 22-person team, each individual representing trust placed in leadership.

“That’s 22 people who have trusted us with their livelihoods. That’s the heaviest responsibility, but also the greatest gift.”

Leading with Joy in a Traditional Industry

In an industry often defined by structure and rigidity, Omlie stands apart by embracing something unexpected: joy.

“I think a big part of our success is that we bring joy to work and it’s contagious,” Sarah says.

That mindset wasn’t always easy to embrace. Early in her career, she tried to mirror the traditional leadership mold she saw around her, often as the only woman in the room, but everything changed when she heard a quote from Sara Blakely:

“You don’t have to be serious to be taken seriously.”

“It was like the walls shattered,” Sarah recalls.

From that moment on, she leaned fully into a leadership style grounded in empathy, curiosity, humor, and authenticity, qualities that now define Omlie’s culture.

A Vision Bigger Than Omlie

At its core, Omlie isn’t just building a business, it’s building a movement.

The company’s 10-year goal is ambitious: to inspire 1,000 teams to work differently and achieve extraordinary results because for Sarah, the way we work today is outdated.

“It was built 175 years ago for factories,” she explains. “But we’re not machines, we’re creative professionals.”

That belief drives everything Omlie does, from strategy work with Fortune 100 clients to internal practices that prioritize humanity, connection, and trust.

Their philosophy is simple:

“Strategies work best when teams do too.”

Inspired by Pioneers, Past and Future

The name Omlie itself is rooted in purpose. It honors Phoebe Omlie, a trailblazer who broke barriers in aviation and created opportunities for women to follow.

One quote in particular sealed the connection for Sarah:

“Women have been teaching you how to walk your whole lives. They can teach you how to fly.”

“That was it,” Sarah says. “That was our energy.”

It’s a reminder that being a pioneer isn’t just about forging a path, it’s about leaving it open for others.

Challenging the Status Quo Every Day

Inside Omlie’s office, culture isn’t just written on the walls, it’s lived.

From values like embracing authenticity and cultivating joy to practices like “putting the skunk on the table” (a lighthearted way to address tough conversations), the team is committed to doing things differently.

Because, as Sarah puts it:

“What’s undiscussable limits what’s possible.”

Looking Ahead

As Omlie continues to grow, Sarah remains focused not on predicting the future, but on shaping it.

In a world rapidly evolving with AI and new technologies, her perspective is grounded and clear:

“It’s not about trying to predict everything that will change. It’s about asking, what’s not changing and what’s broken that we can fix?”

That mindset, paired with relentless determination and a deep commitment to people, is what continues to set Omlie apart.

How Sarah Burlew and Omlie Are Building What’s Next

From a bold idea to a thriving, award-winning firm, Omlie’s journey is proof that business can be both high-performing and deeply human.

And for Sarah Burlew, this is just the beginning because when you build your own table, you don’t just create a seat for yourself, you create space for others to rise, lead, and pioneer what comes next.