FC · Read the filing

fc-20240831x10k

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

__________________

Form 10-K

__________________

Franklin Covey Co.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

2200 West Parkway Boulevard

Salt Lake City, Utah84119-2331

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (801) 817-1776

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class TradingSymbol Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

Common Stock, $.05 Par Value FC New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes No 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

Large Accelerated Filer £ Accelerated Filer 

Non-accelerated Filer £ Smaller Reporting Company £

Emerging growth company £

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. £

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. 

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. £

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). £

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes £ No 

As of February 29, 2024, the aggregate market value of the Registrant's Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was approximately $430.2 million, which was based upon the closing price of $38.18 per share as reported by the New York Stock Exchange.

As of October 31, 2024, the Registrant had 13,184,271 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Parts of the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which is scheduled to be held on January 24, 2025, are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K.

‎

Franklin Covey Co.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I 4

Item 1 Business 4

Item 1A Risk Factors 12

Item 1B Unresolved Staff Comments 23

Item 1C Cybersecurity 23

Item 2 Properties 25

Item 3 Legal Proceedings 25

Item 4 Mine Safety Disclosures 25

Item 6 Reserved 27

Item 7A Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 44

Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 45

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm PCAOB ID No. 34 45

Item 9A Controls and Procedures 82

Item 9B Other Information 83

Item 9C Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 83

PART III 83

Item 10 Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 83

Item 11 Executive Compensation 84

Item 14 Principal Accountant Fees and Services 85

Item 15 Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 85

Signatures 88

Table of Contents

PART I

Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Statements about future sales, costs, margins, cost savings, foreign currency exchange rates, earnings, cash flows, initiatives, strategy, objectives, targets, expectations, growth, or profitability are forward-looking statements based on management’s estimates, assumptions, and projections. Words such as “could,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” and variations on such words, including similar expressions, are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are only predictions, subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this, and other reports, filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and elsewhere. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Risks, uncertainties, and other factors that might cause such differences, some of which could be material, include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under the section of this report entitled “Risk Factors.”

Forward-looking statements in this report are based on management’s current views and assumptions regarding future events and speak only as of the date when made. Franklin Covey Co. undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by federal securities laws.

In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless the context requires otherwise, the terms “the Company,” “Franklin Covey,” “FranklinCovey,” “us,” “we,” and “our” refer to Franklin Covey Co. and its subsidiaries.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

General Information

Franklin Covey is a global company focused on organizational performance improvement. Our mission is to “enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere,” and our global structure is designed to help individuals and organizations achieve results that require collective behavior change. From the foundational work of Dr. Stephen R. Covey in leadership and personal effectiveness, and Hyrum W. Smith in productivity and time management, we have developed deep expertise that extends to helping organizations and individuals achieve desired results through lasting behavioral change. We believe that our clients are able to utilize our content and offerings to create cultures which include high-performing, collaborative individuals, led by effective, trust building leaders who execute with excellence and deliver measurably improved results for all of their key stakeholders.

The Company was incorporated in 1983 under the laws of the state of Utah, and we merged with the Covey Leadership Center in 1997 to form Franklin Covey Co. Our consolidated net sales for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024 totaled $287.2 million and our shares of common stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol “FC.”

Our fiscal year ends on August 31 of each year. Unless otherwise noted, references to fiscal years apply to the 12 months ended August 31 of the specified year.

The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 2200 West Parkway Boulevard, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119-2331, and our telephone number is (801) 817-1776. Our website is www.franklincovey.com.

‎

Table of Contents

Franklin Covey Services and Offerings

Our mission is to “enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere,” and we believe that we are experts at solving certain pervasive, intractable problems, each of which requires a change in human behavior. Our services and products are designed to help our clients succeed in four key areas:

1.Develop exceptional leaders at every level.

2.Instill habits of effectiveness in every individual.

3.Build an inclusive, high-trust culture.

4.Use a common execution framework to pursue their most important goals.

We believe that when organizations partner with us, their people change behavior—both individually and collectively—in ways that help solve an organization’s most pressing problems and achieve breakthrough results. Lasting behavioral change begins with individuals from the inside out, with how people see themselves and the world around them. These insights translate into how individuals engage and lead others. Our content, which is based on timeless principles of human effectiveness, is designed to help people change both their mindset and behavior.

We seek to combine the best content, delivery and coaching experts, and technology to help our clients achieve results at scale—which may extend across an entire organization. We believe the combination of powerful content, teams of experts, a dynamic behavior change platform, and key metrics can guide leaders and teams through solutions that will deliver exceptional results again and again.

Our services and products are primarily delivered through our subscription offerings, which are comprised of the All Access Pass (AAP), which is primarily sold through our Enterprise Division, and the Leader in Me membership, which is designed specifically for our Education Division. We believe the AAP is a revolutionary and innovative way to deliver our content to clients of various sizes, including large, multinational organizations, in a flexible and cost-effective manner. Clients may utilize complete offerings such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Four Disciplines of Execution, The Speed of Trust, and Multipliers, or use individual concepts from any of our well-known offerings to create a custom solution to fit their organizational or individual training needs. Since the introduction of the All Access Pass, we have developed the role of the Implementation Strategist to provide our clients with the direction necessary to create meaningful impact journeys using our tools and content. An impact journey is a customized plan to utilize our content and offerings on the AAP to drive sustained behavioral change in a manner that achieves a client’s specific goals and provides them with the keys to obtain maximum value from the pass. We have also translated AAP materials into numerous additional languages, which allows the AAP to be used effectively by multinational entities and provides for greater international sales opportunities.

In our Education Division, we offer the Leader in Me membership, which provides access to the Leader in Me online service, and authorizes the use of Franklin Covey’s proprietary intellectual property. The Leader in Me online service provides access to digital versions of student leadership guides, leadership lessons, illustrated leadership stories, and a variety of other resources to enable an educational institution to effectively implement and utilize the Leader in Me program. Our offerings are delivered to educators and students through a network of experienced coaches and consultants who assist schools with the implementation of the Leader in Me program. The coaches and consultants who serve in the Education Division are primarily former educators, from teachers to principals, who have a deep understanding of the current challenges facing both educators and students and understand how the Leader in Me program can effectively address these challenges. We believe that the tools and resources available through the Leaderin Me membership provide measurable results that are designed to develop student leadership, improve school culture, and increase academic proficiency.

To deliver these services and products, we operate globally with one common brand and a business model designed to enable us to provide clients around the world with the same high level of service. To achieve this high level of service we have sales and support associates in various locations around the United States and Canada, and operate wholly owned subsidiaries that serve clients in Austria, Australia, China, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In foreign locations where we do not have a directly owned office, we may contract with independent

Table of Contents

licensee partners who deliver our content and provide services in approximately 150 other countries and territories around the world.

Further information about our content and services can be found on our website at www.franklincovey.com. However, the information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute any part of this Annual Report.

Business Development

Our business is currently structured around two divisions, the Enterprise Division and the Education Division. The Enterprise Division consists of our Direct Office and International Licensee segments and is focused on selling our offerings to corporations, governments, not-for-profits, and other related organizations. Franklin Covey offerings delivered through the Enterprise Division are designed to help organizations and individuals achieve their own great purposes through behavior changing content and coaching. Our Education Division is centered around the principles found in the Leader in Me and is dedicated to helping educational institutions build cultures that will produce great results, including increased student performance, improved school culture, and increased parental and teacher involvement.

Following the launch of our AAP subscription service and Leader in Me membership, we have consistently sought to improve the technology, content, and overall client experience with these offerings. Bob Whitman, our former Chief Executive Officer and current Chairman of our board of directors (Board of Directors) described our commitment to continued development as, “We don’t want to fall in love with our current solutions, we want to ‘fall in love with problems’ and keep working to find solutions that help people make real progress.” We believe that continued investments in technology, content, and personnel are key to subscription service renewals and the future growth of our offerings.

In addition to the internal development of our offerings, we have on occasion sought to grow our sales through acquisitions of businesses and content licenses, and opening new international offices. Over the past few years, our growth investment efforts have included the following:

Increased Investment in Content and Delivery Platforms – Over the past couple of years, we have significantly increased our investments in content and delivery platforms. In fiscal 2024 we invested in significant revisions to our flagship The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People offering, which launched in early fiscal 2025, on new Leader in Me content, and for enhancements to our Impact Platform. During fiscal 2024 we also acquired a license for The Teacher Believed in Me content, which is expected to provide new opportunities for growth in our Leader in Me membership and related offerings. We believe continuing investments in our content and offerings are critical to our growth and ability to attract and retain clients.

Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) – With the rapid rise of AI, we believe there will be an increasing premium on human leadership and interaction to leverage AI in the workplace. We believe these skills will include the ability to set vision, focus teams, serve customers, and communicate effectively with human co-workers and AI interfaces. We are strengthening our platforms and offerings to leverage the quickly changing capabilities and opportunities related to AI to improve and customize the learning experience for our clients. We believe that AI provides an opportunity for growth and improvement of the overall learning experience associated with our content and offerings.

New Direct Office in France – In early fiscal 2025, we opened a new direct office operation in France, which was previously served by a licensee partner. We believe converting our operations in France from a licensee partnership to direct ownership will provide additional growth in revenue and operating income in future periods.

Table of Contents

We seek to consistently deliver world-class content with the broadest and deepest distribution capabilities through the most flexible content delivery modalities and expect to make additional investments in technology, content, and personnel in fiscal 2025 and in future periods as market conditions allow. These investments may include hiring additional personnel, the acquisition of license rights, and business acquisitions. For further information regarding our business development, refer to the section entitled, “Key Strategic Objectives” in Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Associates

We have 1,084 associates worldwide, who are mostly full-time employees. We also utilize independent contractors and temporary personnel to supplement our workforce. None of our associates are represented by a union or collective bargaining agreement, and we have never experienced a material labor interruption due to labor disagreements. For more information regarding our associates refer to the Human Capital Resources disclosures found later in this section.

Our Industry and Competitors

According to the Training magazine 2024 U.S. Training Industry Survey, U.S. training expenditures are estimated to total $98 billion, which is a slight decrease from 2023’s estimate of $102 billion. As such, we believe there is ample room for revenue growth and increased market share within our industry. While the training industry is highly fragmented and includes a wide variety of training and service providers of varying sizes, we believe that our content and variety of available delivery methods are competitive advantages for us in the marketplace. According to the Training magazine 2024 U.S. Training Industry Survey, the number one training priority of respondents is to “increase effectiveness” of employees and a significant majority of companies in the survey reported that they used a blended approach to training delivery, combining online methods with classroom lectures, whether instructor-led or virtual. We believe our integrated principle-centered training offerings measurably improve effectiveness, and that the All Access Pass and Leader in Me membership allow for flexible delivery of training content to meet our client’s objectives.

The training industry is a highly competitive and rapidly changing global marketplace and we compete with a variety of organizations of assorted sizes that offer services comparable with ours. Based upon our annual revenue, we believe that we are a significant competitor in the performance skills and education market. Other significant comparative companies that compete with our Enterprise Division include: Development Dimension International, Crucial Learning, Korn Ferry, Udemy Business, GP Strategies, Cornerstone, and LinkedIn Learning, among others. Our Education Division competes with entities such as: 7 Mindsets, Capturing Kids Hearts, Second Step, Responsive Classroom, and Character Strong.

We believe that the principal competitive factors in the industry in which we compete include the following:

Quality of the content in our offerings, services, and solutions

Skills and capabilities of people who develop and deliver our content

Innovative training and consulting services combined with effective technology and products

Ability to add value to client operations

Reputation and client references

Pricing

Global reach and scale

Branding and name recognition in our marketplace

Given the relative ease of entry into the training market, the number of our competitors could increase, many of whom may imitate existing methods of distribution, or could offer similar content and programs at lower prices. However, we believe that we have several areas of competitive differentiation in our industry. We believe that our competitive advantages include: (1) the quality of our content; (2) the breadth of our delivery options, including the AAP and Leader in Me membership; (3) our global reach, which allows truly multinational clients to scale our content uniformly across the globe; and (4) the significant impact which our offerings can have on our clients’ organization and results.

Table of Contents

We have a relatively broad base of clients, which includes thousands of organizational, governmental, educational, and individual clients in both the United States and in other countries that are served through our directly owned operations. We have thousands of additional organizational clients throughout the world which are served through our global licensee partner network, and we believe that our content, in all its forms, delivers results that encourage strong client loyalty. Our clients are in a broad array of industries, and we are not dependent on a single client or industry group. During the periods presented in this report, none of our clients were responsible for more than 10% of our consolidated revenues.

Our Intellectual Property

Our success has resulted in part from our proprietary content, methodologies, and other intellectual property rights. We seek to protect our intellectual property through a combination of trademarks, copyrights, and confidentiality agreements. We claim rights for 744 trademarks in the United States and foreign countries, and we have obtained registration in the United States and numerous foreign countries for many of our trademarks including FranklinCovey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and The 7 Habits. We consider our trademarks and other proprietary rights to be important and material to our business and we regularly review the status of our trademarks and renew them to prevent the trademark protection from lapsing.

We claim 265 registered copyrights, and own sole or joint copyrights on our books, manuals, text and other printed information provided in our training programs, and other electronic media products, including audio and video media. We may license, rather than sell, facilitator workbooks and other seminar and training materials in order to protect our intellectual property rights therein. We place trademark and copyright notices on our instructional, marketing, and advertising materials. In order to maintain the proprietary nature of our product information, we enter into written confidentiality agreements with certain executives, product developers, sales professionals, training consultants, other employees, and licensees. Additionally, we actively monitor and seek to eliminate unauthorized use of our intellectual property.

Our Products and Sustainability

We offer nearly all of our training materials and related accessories in digital format. If a client chooses to use paper-based materials in their training programs, we also offer printed materials. Our printed training materials are primarily comprised of paper, which we believe is a renewable and sustainable resource and all of our primary printer’s paper suppliers are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. We purchase our training materials and related products from vendors and suppliers located both domestically and internationally, and we are not dependent upon any one vendor for the production of our training and related materials as the raw materials for these products are readily available. Our training materials are primarily warehoused and distributed from an independent warehouse facility located in Des Moines, Iowa.

Seasonality

Our fourth quarter of each fiscal year may have higher sales and operating income than other fiscal quarters primarily due to increased revenues in our Education Division (when school administrators and faculty have professional development days) and to increased sales that typically occur during that quarter from year-end incentive programs. Overall, training sales are moderately seasonal because of the timing of corporate training, which is not typically scheduled as heavily during holiday and certain vacation periods.

Human Capital Resources

Our mission is to “enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere,” which is also the cornerstone of our culture. We aim to “win” with our associates by realizing the greatness within our FranklinCovey team members through two key strategies: First, strengthening our winning culture by building a brand to attract and retain achievers with heart and creating a more robust and intentional plan to engage our employees in the new world of work. Second, enhance our talent management and build an even higher-performing organization by recruiting and developing associates’ current and future skills and refining our leadership pipeline. Our mission is what guides us in our endeavors.

Table of Contents

We have historically attracted “mission-driven” people who care deeply about making a difference in the world. Our approach is to ensure accountability for each of us to take responsibility for our mission and culture. Accountability and responsibility are also reinforced through the roles of the Chief People Officer, the Director of Learning, Development, and Inclusion, and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council.

A Culture of Belonging at Franklin Covey

To fulfill our mission and the goal of winning with associates, we must attract, develop, and retain highly qualified associates for each role in the organization. We currently have 1,084 associates worldwide dedicated to providing the best service possible for our clients and for each other. Our goal is to have every associate feel they are a valued member of a winning team doing meaningful work in an environment of trust, where their contributions are recognized and appreciated. To accomplish this ideal outcome, we continuously focus on attracting, developing, and retaining talent while looking through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion in each area.

Talent Management, Development, and Retention

The Chief People Officer strengthens the connection between our strategic intent and tactical systems and processes needed to grow our talent and organization globally. The Chief People Officer oversees the HR Operations, Talent Management, Learning, Development, & Inclusion functions. Our People Strategy envisions our intent to be the workplace of choice for achievers with heart, bookended by business strategy and business results. Our Talent Management Ecosystem framework clarifies the cyclical activities to align annual planning, merit, and performance management.

Our recruiting and hiring efforts cast a wide net when looking for candidates by partnering with many groups and agencies, including alumni organizations, multiple diversity job boards, career fairs, and conferences. We also have a comprehensive onboarding process, where during an associate’s first 90 days, they complete a three-part Company orientation, which includes The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the operating system of our culture.

Our associates have unlimited access to our content and training through the AAP, where they can experience the same high-quality solutions available to our clients. Professional and personal development is an essential need for employees, so Learning Development and Inclusion ensures multiple ways for individual contributors and managers to engage with our content, just as our clients do. Our AAP content is organized into high-value asynchronous on-demand micro-courses and facilitator-led courses across four categories — Developing Leaders, Improving Individual Effectiveness, Building a Winning Culture, and Achieving Breakthrough Results. Internally, our associates have completed 5,714 hours in our All-Access Pass, including 2,800 hours of Microlearning, 420 hours of Application Challenges, and 454 hours of video lessons. Our consultants delivered 126 courses for our associates, which total 1,008 facilitated learning hours.

Building an environment that encourages lifelong learning and development is essential for us to maintain a high level of service and to achieve our goal of having every associate feel they can bring their whole selves to work. We believe Franklin Covey is one of the world’s premier training and consulting organizations. Throughout our annual planning and review, our associates, in partnership with their managers, complete the Win-Win Performance Agreement to set achievement goals that guide regular performance conversations. By completing a Talent Profile, we know the developmental interest areas of our associates as we engage in succession planning at all levels of the organization.

Talented people are always in high demand, even more so in an environment where employees are reconsidering whether an employer suits their values, not just their financial concerns. As a remote-first employer, we are hyper-focused on relationship-building as a critical driver of engagement. To engage and retain our associates, it is crucial to continually focus on making sure our associates are highly engaged and feel valued. Our leaders highlight, acknowledge, and celebrate associate accomplishments–personal and professional–while ensuring employees understand that they have easy access to each of their leaders. We are committed to this engagement and will continue to prioritize it in the future.

‎

Table of Contents

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The DEI Council demonstrates our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing input, insight, feedback, and guidance on our DEI initiatives. This multidisciplinary council is comprised of approximately 35 associates from across our organization, ensuring a wide range of perspectives. The DEI Council sponsors our Mentorship and Contribution Conversations programs, as well as a growing number of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

Our ERGs are employee-led networks serving historically underinvested and underrepresented associates and allies. They offer safe spaces for people to come together based on a shared interest in a specific dimension of equity and inclusion while actively working to enhance career opportunities, build cultural competence, and foster community within the organization. Our ERGs represent and support our diverse workforce, facilitate networking, and foster connections and engagement within the organization. All associates are welcome to join any ERG, regardless of how they self-identify. Franklin Covey currently supports eight ERGs.

Total Rewards

The first step in accountability for our people strategy comes from the Organization and Compensation Committee (the Compensation Committee) of the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee has made talent stewardship a standing agenda item at Board committee meetings, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to nurturing and retaining top talent. The Compensation Committee is actively involved in determining best practices and implementing new and innovative ways to help us continually improve in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent for Franklin Covey. The Compensation Committee’s efforts include the following:

Our compensation plans are audited periodically to assess ongoing pay equity.

We provide a generous personal time off benefit and a flexible and inclusive holiday schedule, reflecting the diversity of our workforce and the celebration of various cultural and religious affiliations.

We offer 100% salary continuance for up to 12 weeks in a rolling 12-month period for qualifying medical leave and provide many other employee-minded benefits.

Through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), we provide U.S. employees and their families with free and confidential support for mental health, legal, and financial concerns.

Our focus on people, not just as human capital assets but as whole persons, has been a hallmark of Franklin Covey for decades, understanding that people are a company’s most valuable investment and that culture is an organization’s ultimate competitive advantage.

Our Winning Culture strategic pillar is both a cultural value and a business approach. Its primary three elements are: The Whole Person, Trust, and Inclusion. Our associates operate from the knowledge that they are partners in creating a balanced and beneficial work environment because they are seen as whole people who offer their best efforts and ideas for our most important goals in ways that bring out the best in themselves and others.

Government Contracts

Our U.S. government contracts are subject to the approval of appropriations by the U.S. Congress to the fund the agencies contracting for our offerings and products. Additionally, our contracts at the state and local levels, including contracts with school districts and other public educational institutions, are subject to various governmental authorizations and funding approvals and mechanisms. Certain of these contracts may be terminated at any time by the government entity without cause or penalty.

Information About Our Executive Officers

Effective September 1, 2023, Robert A. Whitman transitioned from his roles as both Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors to serve solely as our Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Whitman held the role of

Table of Contents

Executive Chairman from September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2023. On September 1, 2021, Paul S. Walker was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin Covey as Robert A. Whitman transitioned from his role as Chief Executive Officer to Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors as described above. Unless noted in the biographical information, the remaining executives served in their described roles throughout the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024.

M. Sean Covey, 60, currently serves as President of the Franklin Covey Education Division, and has led the growth of this division from its infancy to its status today. The Education Division works with thousands of education entities throughout the world in the K-12 and Higher Education markets. Mr. Covey previously ran the Franklin Covey international licensee network and has been an executive officer since September 2008. Sean also served as the Executive Vice-President of Innovations from 2003 to 2018, where he led the development of many of our offerings, including the The 4 Disciplines of Execution and The Leader in Me. Prior to 2006, Sean ran the Franklin Covey retail chain of stores. Previous to Franklin Covey, Mr. Covey worked for the Walt Disney Company, Trammel Crow Ventures, and Deloitte & Touche Consulting. Mr. Covey is also a New York Times best-selling author and has authored or coauthored several books, including The 4 Disciplines of Execution, The Leader in Me, and the international bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Mr. Covey graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a Bachelor’s degree in English and later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. While at BYU, Sean was the quarterback for the football team where he earned several honors and led his team to two bowl games. Sean is also the founder and chairman of “Bridle Up Hope,” a global non-profit organization with a mission to inspire hope, confidence, and resilience in young women through equestrian training, life skills development, and service.

Jennifer C. Colosimo, 55, has served as the President of the Enterprise Division since September 2020 and was appointed an executive officer in January 2021. Ms. Colosimo began her career with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in 1991 and joined Franklin Covey in 1996 and served in various roles including Client Partner, Delivery Consultant, Chief Operations Officer, and head of the Leadership Practice until 2011. During this time, Ms. Colosimo coauthored the book, Great Work, Great Career with Dr. Stephen R. Covey. From May 2011 through April 2016, Ms. Colosimo led teams responsible for culture, learning, and corporate social responsibility with DaVita and several private equity-backed organizations. Ms. Colosimo returned to Franklin Covey in April 2016 as the Senior Vice-President of Sales and Operations in the United States and Canada. Jennifer sits on the Audit and Finance Committee of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado and was a board member of the Girl Scouts of Colorado for 10 years. Ms. Colosimo completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Utah and received a Master of Science from Purdue University. Ms. Colosimo has also completed post-graduate work on Authentic Leadership and Executive Coaching through the Harvard Business School and Columbia University, respectively.

Colleen Dom, 62, was appointed the Executive Vice-President of Operations in September 2013. Ms. Dom began her career with the Company in 1985 and served as the first Client Service Coordinator, providing service and seminar support for some of the Company’s very first clients. Prior to her appointment as an Executive Vice-President, Ms. Dom served as Vice-President of Domestic Operations since 1997 where she had responsibility for the Company’s North American operations, including client support, supply chain, and feedback operations. During her time at Franklin Covey Co., Colleen has been instrumental in creating and implementing systems and processes that have supported the Company’s strategic objectives and has more than 35 years of experience in client services, sales support, operations, management, and supply chain. Due to her valuable understanding of the Company’s global operations, Ms. Dom has been responsible for numerous key assignments that have enhanced client support, optimized operations, and built capabilities for future growth. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Dom worked in retail management and in the financial investment industry.

Meisha R. Sherman, 54, was appointed as an Executive Vice-President and our Chief People Officer on February 14, 2023. Ms. Sherman has over 30 years in human resources with a focus on creating high-trust, high-performing cultures. Her career spans many industries, including wellness, dental, technology, government aerospace defense, consulting, and banking and finance. Ms. Sherman has led in Fortune 10 to Fortune 1000 companies including Mindbody, Envista Corporation, Danaher Corporation, Hewlett Packard, Raytheon Technologies, Alert Staffing, Remedy, and Bank of America. During her career, Ms. Sherman has held executive leadership roles such as Chief People Officer; Vice-President, Global Human Resources; and Global Director, Executive Leadership and Organizational Development. Meisha served in the United States Army for

Table of Contents

six years and was responsible for the recruitment, development, and retention of soldiers. Today, she continues to serve those in military service and veterans in partnership with the USO, San Diego. She also serves as immediate past Board Chair of California Coast Credit Union and is Chairwoman of the Board of Neighborhood House Association (NHA). Ms. Sherman earned an MBA from Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from California State University Dominguez Hills, graduating magna cum laude.

Paul S. Walker, 49, currently serves as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and was appointed to our Board of Directors effective July 1, 2023. Mr. Walker began his career with the Company in 2000 in the role of business developer, and quickly moved to become a Client Partner and then an Area Director. In 2007, Mr. Walker became General Manager of the North America Central Region. In 2014, Paul assumed responsibility for the Company’s United Kingdom operations in addition to his role as General Manager of the Central Region. In 2016, Mr. Walker relocated to the Company’s Salt Lake City, Utah headquarters where he served as Executive Vice-President of Global Sales and Delivery and as President of the Company’s Enterprise Division until November 2019 when Paul was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer. During his time at Franklin Covey, Mr. Walker has led many digital transformation projects, including the transition to the All Access Pass. Mr. Walker graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.

Stephen D. Young, 71, joined Franklin Covey as Executive Vice-President of Finance, was appointed Chief Accounting Officer and Controller in January 2001, Chief Financial Officer in November 2002, and Corporate Secretary in March 2005. Prior to joining us, he served as Senior Vice-President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and director of international operations for Weider Nutrition for seven years; as Vice-President of Finance at First Health for ten years; and as an auditor at Fox and Company, a public accounting firm, for four years. Mr. Young has more than 40 years of accounting and management experience and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Young was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Brigham Young University.

Available Information

We regularly file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). These reports include, but are not limited to, Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and security transaction reports on Forms 3, 4, or 5. The SEC also maintains electronic versions of the Company’s reports, proxy and information statements, and other information that the Company files with the SEC on its website at www.sec.gov.

The Company makes our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other reports filed or furnished with the SEC available to the public, free of charge, through our website at www.franklincovey.com. These reports are provided through our website as soon as is reasonably practicable after we file or furnish these reports with the SEC. Unless expressly noted, the information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any other filing we make with the SEC.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Our industry and business environment, domestic and international economic conditions, geopolitical circumstances, changing social standards, cybersecurity, and other specific risks may affect our future business decisions and financial performance. The matters discussed below may cause our future results to differ from past results or those described in forward-looking statements and could have a material effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, and stock price, and should be considered in evaluating Franklin Covey Co.

The risks included here are not exhaustive. Other sections of this report may include additional risk factors which could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing global environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements

Table of Contents

as a prediction of actual results. Further, the disclosure of risks identified below does not imply that the risk has already materialized.

Training Industry and Strategic Risks

We operate in an intensely competitive industry and our competitors may develop programs, services, or courses that adversely affect our ability to sell our offerings.

The training and consulting services industry is intensely competitive with relatively easy entry. Competitors continually introduce new programs, services, and delivery methods that may compete directly with our offerings, or that may make our offerings uncompetitive or obsolete. Larger competitors may have superior abilities to compete for clients and skilled professionals, reducing our ability to deliver quality work to our clients. Some of our competitors may have greater financial and other resources than we do. In addition, one or more of our competitors may develop and implement training courses or methodologies that may adversely affect our ability to sell our offerings and products to new clients. Any one of these circumstances could have an adverse effect on our ability to obtain new business and successfully deliver our services.

Our business depends on renewals of subscription-based offerings and sales of new subscription-based services for a significant portion of our revenue, and our failure to renew at historical rates or generate new sales of such offerings will lead to a decrease in our revenues.

A large portion of our success depends on our ability to generate renewals of our subscription-based offerings, which primarily consist of the AAP and Leader in Me membership, and produce new sales of our offerings and products to both new and existing clients. Currently, the majority of our revenue is generated from subscription-based offerings and related materials sales. Generating new sales of our subscription-based offerings and products, both to new and existing clients, is a challenging, costly, and often time-consuming process. If we are unable to generate new sales, due to competition or other factors, our revenues will be adversely affected.

Our subscription contracts are typically for periods of 12 months or longer. Our ability to maintain contract renewals is subject to numerous factors, including:

delivering high-quality content, solutions, and coaching to our clients;

understanding and anticipating market and technology trends and the changing needs of our clients; and

providing offerings and products of the quality and timeliness necessary to withstand competition.

Additionally, as we continue to adjust our offerings and products to meet our clients’ needs, we may shift the type and pricing of our offerings, which may adversely impact client renewal rates. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to maintain consistent customer renewals in future periods. If we are not able to generate new sales and maintain contract renewals, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Failure to maintain our reputation, brand image, and culture could negatively impact our business.

Our success depends on our ability to maintain and enhance our brand image and reputation. Maintaining, promoting, and growing our brands will depend on our design and marketing efforts, including advertising and consumer campaigns, content and platform innovation and quality, and our efforts in these respects may not have the desired impact on our brand image and reputation. In addition, our success in maintaining, extending, and expanding our brand image depends on our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing media environment, including our increasing reliance on social media and digital dissemination of advertising campaigns on our digital platforms and through our digital experiences. We could be adversely impacted if we fail to achieve any of these objectives.

Our brand value also depends on our ability to maintain a positive consumer perception of our corporate integrity, purpose, and brand culture. Negative claims or publicity involving us, our culture and values, our products, services and

Table of Contents

experiences, consumer data, or any of our affiliates could seriously damage our reputation and brand image, regardless of whether such claims are accurate. Further, our reputation and brand image could be damaged as a result of our support of, association with or lack of support or disapproval of certain social causes, as well as any decisions we make to continue to conduct, or change, certain of our activities in response to such considerations. Social media, which accelerates and potentially amplifies the scope of negative publicity, can increase the challenges of responding to negative claims. Adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against us, or by us, could also damage our reputation and brand image, undermine consumer confidence in us, and reduce long-term demand for our products, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to our operations. If the reputation, perception, or image of any of our brands is tarnished or if we receive negative publicity, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Some terminology, language, or content in our offerings may be deemed offensive by certain individuals due to rapidly changing societal norms, which may cause damage to our brand or reputation.

Our mission is to enable greatness in individuals and organizations everywhere regardless of race, religion, gender, or other individual characteristics. We write and design our content and materials to accomplish this mission and believe that the principles we teach improve lives. Through our directly owned offices and international licensees, our content is delivered in numerous countries around the world in different languages and in different cultures. The language, graphics, and examples used in our content and materials may be understood and interpreted differently by individuals based on culture, experience, societal norms, and other factors. As a result, some individuals may find some of the content in our materials offensive. While we have developed an ongoing review process to remove potentially offensive terms or images from our materials, a rapidly changing cultural and social environment may create unfavorable interpretations of language or images faster than we can identify and remediate them. Although our intent is to educate and improve individual lives and organizational cultures without offense, an unfavorable interpretation by an individual or organization of the language, concepts, or images used in our content or materials may harm our reputation and brand, cause us to lose business, and adversely affect our results of operations.

We have only a limited ability to protect our intellectual property rights, which are important to our success.

Our financial success is partially dependent on our ability to protect our proprietary offerings and other intellectual property. The existing laws of some countries in which we provide services might offer only limited protection of our intellectual property rights. To protect our intellectual property, we rely upon a combination of confidentiality policies, nondisclosure and other contractual arrangements, as well as copyright and trademark laws. The steps we take in this regard may not be adequate to prevent or deter infringement or other misappropriation of our intellectual property, and we might not be able to detect unauthorized use of, or take appropriate and timely steps to enforce, our intellectual property rights, especially in foreign jurisdictions.

The loss of proprietary content or the unauthorized use of our intellectual property may create greater competition, loss of revenue, and adverse publicity, and may also limit our ability to reuse that intellectual property with other clients. Any limitation on our ability to provide a service or solution could cause us to lose revenue-generating opportunities and require us to incur additional expenses to develop new or modified solutions for future engagements.

The loss of governmental funding and contributions from charitable organizations could harm our Education Division’s ability to grow and expand into new schools in the future.

Schools in the United States benefit from governmental funding initiatives, such as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program, which provide additional funding for schools to pursue improvement programs such as our Leader in Me offering. In addition, we partner with charitable organizations to fund Leader in Me programs in many schools across the country. Supported by numerous studies and endorsements, we believe the Leader in Me program provides meaningful and measurable improvement to the academic environment of schools, which enable the educational institutions to utilize governmental funding and attract additional support from charitable organizations to implement our Leader in Me offering. If governmental funding for school improvement expires or is reduced, or

Table of Contents

charitable organizations decide not to continue to support Leader in Me schools, our results of operations, cash flows, and financial position may be adversely impacted.

We depend on key personnel, the loss of whom could harm our business.

Our future success will depend, in part, on the continued service of key executive officers and personnel. The loss of the services of any key individuals could harm our business. Our future success also depends on our ability to identify, attract, and retain additional qualified senior personnel. Competition for such individuals in the current labor market and in our industry is intense, and we may not be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel.

If we are unable to attract, retain, and motivate high-quality employees, including sales personnel and training consultants, we may not be able to grow our business as projected or may not be able to compete effectively.

Our success and ability to grow are partially dependent on our ability to hire, retain, and motivate sufficient numbers of talented people with the increasingly diverse skills needed to serve our clients and grow our business. Competition for skilled personnel is intense at all levels of experience and seniority. There is a risk that we will be unable to hire and retain a sufficient number of employees with the skills or backgrounds we require, or that it will prove difficult to retain them in a competitive and inflationary labor market. If we are unable to hire and retain talented sales and delivery employees with the skills, and in the locations, we require, we might not be able to grow our business at projected levels or may not be able to effectively deliver our content and services. If we need to hire additional personnel to maintain a specified number of sales personnel or are required to re-assign personnel from other geographic areas, it could increase our costs and adversely affect our profit margins. In addition, the inability of newly hired sales personnel to achieve increased sales metrics as they progress may inhibit our ability to attain anticipated sales growth.

Our work with governmental clients exposes us to additional risks that are inherent in the government contracting process.

Our clients include national, state, provincial, and local governmental entities, and our work with these governmental entities has various risks inherent in the governmental contracting process. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

Governmental entities typically fund projects through appropriated monies. While these projects are often planned and executed as multi-year projects, the governmental entities usually reserve the right to change the scope of, or terminate, these projects for lack of approved funding, budgetary changes, and other discretionary reasons. Changes in governmental priorities or other political developments, including disruptions in governmental operations, could result in reductions in the scope of, or in termination of, our existing contracts.

Governmental entities often reserve the right to audit our contract costs, including allocated indirect costs, and conduct inquiries and investigations of our business practices with respect to our government contracts. Findings from an audit may result in our being required to prospectively adjust previously agreed upon rates for our work, which may adversely affect our future margins.

If a governmental client discovers improper activities in the course of audits or investigations, we may become subject to various civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, which may include termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, fines and suspensions, or debarment from doing business with other agencies of that government.

Political and economic factors such as pending elections, the outcome of elections, revisions to governmental tax policies, sequestration, debt ceiling negotiations, and reduced tax revenues can affect the number and terms of new governmental contracts signed.

The occurrences or conditions described above could affect not only our business with the particular governmental agency involved, but also our business with other agencies of the same or other governmental entities. Additionally, because of their visibility and political nature, governmental contracts may present a heightened risk to our reputation. Any of these factors could have an adverse effect on our business or our results of operations.

Table of Contents

Cybersecurity and Information Technology Risks

The All Access Pass and Leader in Me subscription services are internet-based platforms, and as such we are subject to increased risks of cyber-attacks and other security breaches that could have a material adverse effect on our business.

As part of selling subscription-based services, we collect, process, and retain a limited amount of sensitive and confidential information regarding our customers. Because our subscription services are internet-based platforms, our facilities and systems may be vulnerable to external or internal security breaches, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced or lost data, stolen intellectual property, programming or human errors, or other similar events.

The access by unauthorized persons to, or the improper disclosure by us of, confidential information regarding our customers or our own proprietary information, software, methodologies, and business secrets could result in significant legal and financial exposure, damage to our reputation, or a loss of confidence in the security of our systems, products, and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. To the extent we are involved in any future cyber-attacks or other security incidents, our brand and reputation could be affected, and these conditions could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

For further information on our cybersecurity efforts and Board of Directors oversight, please refer to Item 1C Cybersecurity as found in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We could incur additional liabilities and our reputation could be damaged if we do not protect client data or if our information systems are breached.

We are dependent on information technology networks and systems to process, transmit, and store electronic information and to communicate between our locations around the world and with our clients. Security breaches of this infrastructure could lead to shutdowns or disruptions of our systems and potential unauthorized disclosure of personal and confidential data. We are also required at times to manage, utilize, and store personal data, including sensitive or confidential client or employee data. As a result, we are subject to numerous U.S. and foreign jurisdiction laws and regulations designed to protect this information, such as the various U.S. federal and state laws governing the protection of personal data. If we, our associates, business partners, or our service providers negligently disregard or intentionally breach our established controls with respect to such data or otherwise mismanages or misappropriates that data, we could be subject to notification requirements, monetary damages, fines, and/or criminal prosecution, as well as litigation from parties impacted by a breach of their data or harm to their systems as a result of malware or other security incidents within our own networks or systems. Unauthorized disclosure, loss or alteration of personal, sensitive, or confidential client or employee data or client or end-user systems, whether through systems failure, employee negligence, fraud, or misappropriation could damage our reputation and cause us to lose clients.

Legal requirements relating to the collection, storage, handling, and transfer of personal data continue to evolve. For example, in May 2018 the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became effective in the European Union (EU) and other countries within the European Economic Area. The GDPR imposes strict requirements on the collection, use, security, and transfer of personal data in and from applicable countries. Under GDPR, fines of up to 20 million Euros or up to 4% of the annual global revenues of the infringer, whichever is greater, could be imposed. Although GDPR applies across the European Economic Area, local data protection authorities still have the ability to interpret GDPR, and in some areas to legislate requirements even more stringent than those in the GDPR, which occasionally creates inconsistencies in application on a country-by-country basis. Furthermore, with the United Kingdom’s (UK) transition out of the EU as of January 1, 2021, we may encounter additional complexity with respect to data privacy and data transfers to and from the UK under the UK GDPR. Other countries, such as Brazil, Australia, Canada, Japan, and South Africa, have also enacted data protection laws, some of which are analogous to GDPR and others which have different and additional requirements, which may include data localization. We have implemented policies, controls, and procedures, including a team dedicated to data protection, to comply with the requirements of GDPR/UK GDPR and analogous laws. However, these new procedures and controls may not be completely effective in preventing breaches or unauthorized processing of personal data. In addition, as the laws in certain countries are fairly new, there may not always be sufficient guidance

Table of Contents

from the applicable regulators, or case law interpreting the laws. Accordingly, we will need to continue evolving our compliance measures over time, and there is some risk that common interpretations of the requirements in such laws may not necessarily align with opinions of applicable regulators or potential litigants, such that the risk of fines and litigation may be increased in countries with newer laws.

In addition, on July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) invalidated the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, a framework that had enabled companies to transfer data from EU member states to the U.S. On September 8, 2020, the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner followed suit, and announced that the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework was inadequate for personal data transfers from Switzerland to the U.S.

The Privacy Shield Framework has now been replaced by the new Data Privacy Framework (DPF) together with a UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF and the Swiss-U.S. DPF. The DPF was developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the European Commission, UK Government, and Swiss Federal Administration, to provide U.S. organizations with reliable mechanisms for personal data transfers to the U.S. from the EU, UK and Switzerland. The European Commission adopted an adequacy decision for the EU-U.S. DPF on July 10, 2023. We have postponed our efforts to become certified under the DPF as several parties have indicated that they will be filing legal challenges to the DPF, so the continued viability of this transfer mechanism remains in some doubt.

Due to the invalidation of the Privacy Shield and the current and likely future additional challenges to the DPF, we will continue to utilize the newer Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), adopted by the European Commission on June 4, 2021, as a GDPR-compliant mechanism for the transfer of personal data from the EU, UK and Switzerland to the U.S., in addition to the DPF. The new SCCs imposed additional obligations relating to data transfers, including the obligation to conduct a transfer impact assessment and, depending on a party’s role in the transfer and the laws and practices of the destination country, to implement additional security measures, and to update internal privacy practices. Regulatory guidance suggests that certain transfers of personal data to the U.S. could be compliant only if the recipient is able to implement specific technical and procedural security controls to protect that personal data, and such controls may not be practical for certain service delivery models, in particular those reliant on cloud services. To the extent we rely on the SCCs for data transfers, we may be required to incur significant time and resources to update our contractual arrangements and implement the supplementary security measures necessary to comply with new requirements. Compliance may also require changes in services, business practices, or internal systems that may result in increased costs, lower revenue, reduced efficiency, or greater difficulty in competing with foreign-based firms. Failure to comply with existing or new rules may result in significant penalties or orders to stop the alleged noncompliant activity. The inability to import personal data from Europe to the United States or other countries may decrease demand for our products and services as our customers that are subject to such laws may seek alternatives that do not involve personal data transfers out of Europe. Our inability to transfer personal data to the United States and other countries may decrease the functionality or effectiveness of our products and services, increase costs, and adversely impact our marketing efforts, plans, and activities.

Further, in 2021, China adopted the PRC Personal Information Protection Law, or PIPL, and the Data Security Law, or DSL. The PIPL took effect on November 1, 2021 and the DSL took effect on September 1, 2021. The PIPL and DSL in combination establish comprehensive requirements relating to the collection, use, transfer, security, and other processing of personal information in or from China. The PIPL and DSL together incorporate many requirements common to international privacy and security laws, such as GDPR, and adds unique regulatory requirements relating to data localization, international data transfers, consumer consent, the processing of “sensitive personal information,” and the operations of certain “internet platform services.” Fines and penalties under the PIPL range from fines up to RMB 50,000,000 or 5% of global annual turnover, and fines under the DSL related to data transfer violations may range up to RMB 10,000,000 and data transfers may be suspended as a result of violations. Violations of these laws may also result in the cancellation of business authorizations, personal liability or professional restrictions for responsible company officers, as well as criminal and civil liability. Early enforcement actions under PIPL have included civil actions against companies that fail to obtain proper consent for processing sensitive personal information or other unlawful data collection. Recent regulatory actions have centered on ineffective channels for data subjects to exercise rights, the over-collection of personal information, and deceptive practices. As we observe China’s enforcement of the PIPL, DSL and associated laws and regulations over time, we may need to adjust our compliance activities, and we may experience

Table of Contents

increased costs, business inefficiencies, lost sales, decreased demand, and decreased competitiveness, as we may be unable to provide our services or certain features, or provide them in an efficient or centralized manner. Additionally, local companies may be favored by customers who will not consent to or accept transfer of their data out of China. Fines, corrective actions, or other penalties asserted due to alleged noncompliance may impose additional financial or operational costs, limit our ability to attract and retain local talent, or limit our ability to do business in China. These risks may be magnified due to regulatory uncertainty and selective enforcement based on geopolitical motives. Additionally, under the PIPL or DSL, we may be subject to additional liabilities, claims, penalties, or causes of action in the event of a breach or various security violations of customer personal information.

Other governmental authorities throughout the U.S. and around the world are considering or have adopted similar types of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection. For example, in June 2018, the State of California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the CCPA), which took effect on January 1, 2020, and which has subsequently been amended to add new requirements. The CCPA requires companies that process information on California residents to make new disclosures to consumers about their data collection, use and sharing practices, and allows consumers to opt out of data sales, as well as certain data sharing with third parties and provides a new private cause of action for data breaches. Additionally, the California Privacy Rights Act (the CPRA) amendments expanded consumer rights related to sharing of personal data, granted additional personal-data rights to consumers, removed the exceptions for business-to-business and employment data, and removed the 30-day window to cure alleged noncompliance before being subject to administrative enforcement. Nineteen other states have also passed comprehensive consumer privacy laws that are now in effect or will come into effect in the near future. Numerous other states have seriously considered passing consumer privacy laws, and a significant number of additional states are expected to adopt such laws in the future, especially if Congress persists in failing to pass a federal privacy law, as discussed below. Many of these state consumer privacy laws, like the CCPA, impose heightened privacy disclosure requirements, provide consumers with rights relating to their personal data, and impose security requirements relating to consumers’ personal data. Several states have also adopted specialized privacy laws to protect individuals’ biometric data and health data and some of these laws may create new compliance risks relating to our processing of these kinds of data. Furthermore, various drafts of a comprehensive federal privacy bill have been introduced to Congress, and more will likely be introduced in the coming legislative terms. Some of the proposed bills, including the recent American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 would reduce compliance risks and costs by either setting a consistent, nationwide federal minimum standard for consumer privacy or by preempting some aspects of state privacy legislation. However, the scope of preemption and enforcement-related matters remains contentious in Congress. Moreover, although these proposed bills have drawn bipartisan support, the failure of Congress to pass any of the proposed bills calls into question Congress’s ability to find a workable compromise that would enable Congress to pass a federal consumer privacy law. The Federal Trade Commission and many state attorneys general are interpreting federal and state consumer protection laws to impose standards for the online collection, use, dissemination, and security of data. These privacy, security, and data protection laws and regulations continue to evolve and enforcement in the U.S. and internationally continues to increase. These developments could impose significant limitations on or require changes to our business, restrict our use or storage of personal data, and increase risks of legal liability, which may in turn increase our compliance risk and expenses, and make our business more costly or less efficient to conduct. To the extent any of these laws include a private right of action, we may also face increased risk of litigation.

We strive to employ global best practices in securing and monitoring code, applications, systems, processes, and data, and our data protection practices are regularly reviewed and validated by an external auditing firm. However, no information security program is perfect, and these efforts may be insufficient to protect sensitive information against illegal activities. We are exposed to additional liabilities from the various data protection laws enacted within the jurisdictions where we operate, as well as a risk of litigation in jurisdictions where there is a private right of action related to violations.

Technology is rapidly evolving, and if we do not continue to develop and improve our offerings and technology platforms, in response to these changes, our business could suffer.

Since the introduction of our online subscription services, our dependence on the use of sophisticated technologies and information systems, particularly including technologies and information systems provided by third parties, has increased. Moreover, our technology platforms will require us to continue cash investments (including business acquisitions) to

Table of Contents

expand existing offerings, improve the client experience, and develop complementary offerings. Our future success depends in part on our ability to adapt our services and infrastructure while maintaining and continuing to improve the performance, features, security, and reliability of our services in response to the evolving demands of the marketplace. Failure to adapt and improve these areas could have an adverse effect on our business, including our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.

Our use of artificial intelligence technologies may not be successful and may present business, compliance, and reputational risks.

We are working to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in some of our products and processes. If we fail to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technological developments, our competitive position and business results may be negatively impacted. Our use of AI technologies will require resources to develop, test, and maintain such products, which could be costly. Third parties may be able to use AI to create technology that could reduce demand for our products. In addition, the introduction of AI technologies, particularly generative AI, into new or existing offerings may result in new or expanded risks and liabilities, due to enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny, litigation, compliance issues, ethical concerns, confidentiality, data privacy or security risks, as well as other factors that could adversely affect our business, reputation, and financial results. For example, the use of AI technologies could lead to unintended consequences, such as accuracy issues, cybersecurity risks, unintended biases, and discriminatory outputs, which could impact our ability to protect our data, intellectual property, and client information, or could expose us to intellectual property infringement claims.

Public Company Risks

We may fail to meet analyst expectations, which could cause the price of our stock to decline.

Our common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE, and at any given time various securities analysts follow our financial results and issue reports on us. These periodic reports include information about our historical financial results as well as the analysts’ estimates of our future performance. The analysts’ estimates are based on their own opinions and are often different from our estimates or expectations. The price of our common stock could, however, decline if an analyst downgrades our common stock or if those analysts issue other unfavorable commentary or cease publishing reports about us or our business. If analysts do not continue to follow us or if our operating results are below the estimates or expectations of public market analysts and investors, our stock price could decline. If our stock price is volatile, we may become involved in securities litigation following a decline in price. Any litigation could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources that are needed to successfully run our business.

Our business performance may not be sufficient for us to meet the financial guidance that we provide publicly.

We may provide financial guidance to the public based upon expectations regarding our financial performance. Such financial guidance is based on assumptions that may not always prove to be accurate and may vary from actual results. If we fail to meet the financial guidance that we provide, or if we find it necessary to revise such guidance during the year, the market value of our common stock could be adversely affected.

Our future quarterly operating results are subject to factors that can cause fluctuations in our stock price.

Historically, our stock price has experienced significant volatility. We expect that our stock price may continue to experience volatility in the future due to a variety of potential factors that may include the following:

 Fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and cash flows

 Overall market volatility

 Variations between our actual financial results and market expectations

 Changes in key balances, such as cash and deferred revenues

 Currency exchange rate fluctuations

 Unexpected asset impairment charges

Table of Contents

These factors, among others, may have an adverse effect upon our stock price in the future.

Liquidity and Capital Resource Risks

We may need additional capital in the future, and this capital may not be available to us on favorable terms or at all.

We may need to raise additional funds through public or private debt offerings or equity financings in order to:

Develop new services, programs, or offerings

Take advantage of opportunities, including business acquisitions

Respond to competitive pressures

Going forward, we will continue to incur costs necessary for the day-to-day operation and potential growth of the business and may use our available revolving line of credit facility and other financing alternatives, if necessary, for these expenditures. We obtained a new credit agreement in March 2023 (the 2023 Credit Agreement) with a new lender that expires in March 2028. We expect to regularly renew or amend our lending agreement in the future to maintain the availability of this credit facility. Additional potential sources of liquidity available to us include factoring receivables, issuance of additional equity, or issuance of debt from public or private sources. If necessary, we will evaluate all of these options and select one or more of them depending on overall capital needs and the associated cost of capital.

Any additional capital raised through the sale of equity could dilute current shareholders’ ownership percentage in us. Furthermore, we may be unable to obtain the necessary capital on terms or conditions that are favorable to us, or at all.

Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of our credit facility may have an adverse effect upon our business and operations.

Our 2023 Credit Agreement requires us to comply with customary non-financial terms and conditions as well as specified financial ratios. Failure to comply with these terms and conditions or maintain adequate financial performance to comply with specific financial ratios entitles the lender to certain remedies, including the right to immediately call due any amounts owed on the credit agreement. Such events would have an adverse effect upon our business and operations as there can be no assurance that we may be able to obtain other forms of financing or raise additional capital on terms that would be acceptable to us.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service our indebtedness, and we may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our payment obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful.

Our ability to make scheduled payments on or to refinance our indebtedness depends on our future performance, including the performance of our subsidiaries, which will be affected by financial, business and economic conditions, competition, and other factors. We are unable to control many of these factors, such as the general economy, economic conditions in the industries in which we operate, and competitive pressures. Our cash flows may be insufficient to allow us to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness and to meet our other obligations. If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures or to sell assets, seek additional capital, or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. These alternative measures may be unsuccessful, and we may not meet our scheduled debt service obligations. In addition, the terms of existing or future debt agreements, including our 2023 Credit Agreement and subsequent modifications, may restrict us from pursuing any of these alternatives.

In the event that we need to refinance all or a portion of our outstanding indebtedness before maturity or as it matures, we may not be able to obtain terms as favorable as the terms of our existing indebtedness or refinance our existing indebtedness at all. If interest rates or other factors existing at the time of refinancing result in higher interest rates upon refinancing, we will incur higher interest expense. Furthermore, if any rating agency changes our credit rating or outlook,

Table of Contents

our debt and equity securities could be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our financial condition and financial results.

General Business Risks

Unstable market and economic conditions may have serious adverse consequences on our business, financial condition, and operations.

The global credit and financial markets have from time to time experienced extreme volatility and disruptions, including severely diminished liquidity and credit availability, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in unemployment rates, and uncertainty about economic stability. The financial markets and the global economy may also be adversely affected by the current or anticipated impact of military conflict, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, terrorism, or other geopolitical events. Sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries in response to such conflicts, including the one in Ukraine, may also adversely impact the financial markets and the global economy, and any economic countermeasures by the affected countries or others could exacerbate market and economic instability. There can be no assurance that a deterioration in markets and confidence in economic conditions will not occur. Our general business strategy may be adversely affected by any such economic downturn, volatile business environment, or continued unpredictable and unstable market conditions.

Our results of operations may be adversely impacted by the costs of persistent and rising inflation if we are unable to pass these costs on to our clients.

In recent years, inflation has increased significantly in the United States and in many of the countries where we conduct business. Inflation increases the cost of many aspects of our business, including the cost of our products sold, benefit costs, travel expenses, and associate salaries since we must increase our compensation to retain key personnel. If we are unable to increase our prices to sufficiently offset the increased costs of doing business, our results of operations and profitability may be adversely impacted.

Our global operations pose complex management, foreign currency, legal, tax, and economic risks, which we may not adequately address.

We have directly owned offices that serve clients in Austria, Australia, China, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. We also have licensed operations in numerous other foreign countries. As a result of these foreign operations and their impact upon our financial statements, we are subject to a number of risks, including, but not limited to:

Restrictions on the movement of cash

The absence in some jurisdictions of effective laws to protect our intellectual property rights

Political instability

Compliance with extensive and evolving laws and regulations that are often ambiguous or inconsistently enforced

Currency exchange rate fluctuations

These and other related risks could adversely affect our ability to access sources of liquidity, increase costs related to regulatory compliance, and adversely affect our results of operations.

Our global operations expose us to numerous and sometimes conflicting legal and regulatory requirements, and violation of these regulations could harm our business.

Because we provide services to clients in many countries, we are subject to numerous, and sometimes conflicting, regulations on matters as diverse as import/export controls, content requirements, trade restrictions, tariffs, taxation, sanctions, government affairs, internal and disclosure control obligations, data privacy, and labor relations. Violations of these regulations in the conduct of our business could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us or our officers,

Table of Contents

prohibitions on doing business, and damage to our reputation. Violations of these regulations in connection with the performance of our obligations to our clients also could result in liability for monetary damages, fines, unfavorable publicity, and allegations by our clients that we have not performed our contractual obligations. Due to the varying degrees of development of the legal systems of the countries in which we operate, local laws may be insufficient to protect our rights.

In many parts of the world, including countries in which we operate, practices in the local business community might not conform to international business standards and could violate anticorruption regulations, including the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits giving anything of value intended to influence the awarding of government contracts. Although we have policies and procedures to ensure legal and regulatory compliance, our employees, licensee operators, and agents could take actions that violate these requirements. Violations of these regulations could subject us to criminal or civil enforcement actions, including fines and suspension or disqualification from United States federal procurement contracting, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business.

We have operations in China, which exposes us to risks inherent in doing business in that country.

Operating in China exposes us to political, legal, and economic risks. In particular, the political, legal, and economic climate in China, both nationally and regionally, is fluid and unpredictable. Our ability to operate in China may be adversely affected by changes in U.S. and Chinese laws and regulations such as those related to, among other things, taxation, import and export tariffs, intellectual property, currency controls, network security, employee benefits, and other matters. In addition, we or third parties with whom we contract, may not obtain or retain the requisite legal permits to continue to operate in China, and costs or operational limitations may be imposed in connection with obtaining and complying with such permits. In other cases, we may be forced to expend a significant amount of resources to obtain the requisite legal permits or otherwise be required to forfeit such permits. Moreover, the Chinese government may impose additional regulations regarding our business. The government may regulate or apply a substantially different set of requirements to our business than anticipated, in which case we may need to invest a significant amount of resources and time before we can operate in the country. Any of these events may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, Chinese trade regulations are in a state of flux, and we may become subject to other forms of taxation, tariffs, and duties in China. Furthermore, third parties that we rely on in China may disclose our confidential information or intellectual property to competitors or third parties, which could result in the illegal distribution and sale of counterfeit versions of our products. If any of these events occur, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

The Company’s use of accounting estimates involves judgment and could impact our financial results.

Our most critical accounting estimates are described in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations found in Item 7 of this report under the section entitled, Use of Estimates and Critical Accounting Policies. In addition, as discussed in various footnotes to our financial statements as found in Item 8, we make certain estimates for loss contingencies, including decisions related to legal proceedings and reserves. Because, by definition, these estimates and assumptions involve the use of judgment, our actual financial results may differ from these estimates. If our estimates or assumptions underlying such contingencies and reserves prove incorrect, we may be required to record additional adjustments or losses relating to such matters, which would negatively affect our financial results.

Ineffective internal controls could impact our business and operating results.

Our internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements because of its inherent limitations, including the possibility of human error, the circumvention or overriding of controls, or fraud. Even effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, including any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or if we experience difficulties in their implementation, our business and operating results may be harmed and we could fail to meet our financial reporting obligations.

Table of Contents

Extreme weather conditions and natural disasters could negatively impact our operating results and financial condition.

Extreme weather conditions in the areas in which our suppliers, customers, distribution facilities, offices, and headquarters are located could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. Moreover, natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, and tsunamis, whether occurring in the United States or abroad, and their related consequences and effects, including energy shortages and public health issues, have in the past temporarily disrupted, and could in the future disrupt, our operations, the operations of our customers, vendors, and suppliers or have in the past resulted in, and in the future could result in, economic instability that may negatively impact our operating results and financial condition. In particular, if a natural disaster or severe weather event were to occur in an area in which we or our suppliers, customers, distribution facilities, and vendors are located, our continued success would depend, in part, on the safety and availability of the relevant personnel and facilities and proper functioning of our or third parties’ computer, network, telecommunication, and other systems and operations. If we were to experience a local or regional disaster or other business continuity event or concurrent events, we could experience operational challenges, in particular depending upon how a local or regional event may affect our human capital across our operations or with regard to particular aspects of our operations, such as key executive officers or personnel. Further, if we are unable to find alternative suppliers, replace capacity at key distribution locations, or quickly repair damage to our information technology systems, our ability to serve our customers could be adversely affected. These events could result in reputational damage, lost sales, cancellation charges, or markdowns, all of which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

The impacts of climate change and related regulatory responses could adversely affect our business.

Sustainability and protecting our natural environment are significant priorities at Franklin Covey and we strive to implement practices and policies that support this concern. We recognize that there are inherent climate-related risks wherever business is conducted; however, we cannot predict the long-term impacts on us from climate change or related regulatory responses. We expect to face increasing regulations relating to climate change, including, for example, disclosure of the impacts of climate change on our business. A failure to uphold or make strides toward achieving publicly stated climate goals may harm the Company’s reputation with customers, suppliers, and employees. This increased scrutiny will likely require us to expend significant resources and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, we expect that the complexity of compliance with climate disclosure regulations will increase as various countries take different approaches to such regulation. We will continue to monitor the impacts of these issues on our business and consider responsive action as needed.

Further, climate change may increase both the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters, which may affect our business operations, either in a particular region or globally, as well as the activities of our vendors, suppliers, and customers. For example, the delivery of our services is dependent on reliable and relatively inexpensive electricity. If electricity is not readily available or affordable, we may not be able to deliver our products and services and our operating results may be adversely impacted. In addition, the physical changes prompted by climate change could result in changes in regulations or consumer preferences, which could in turn affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity risk management is a key component of our overall risk management efforts at Franklin Covey. We have implemented a layered cybersecurity program to assess, identify, and manage risks from cybersecurity threats that may have material effects on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our information systems, networks, and offerings. Cybersecurity risk is addressed at both management and Board of Director levels as described below.

Management’s Role in Assessing Cybersecurity Risk and Directing Strategy

Table of Contents

At the management level, primary responsibility for assessing and managing cybersecurity threats and material risks rests with our Chief Information Officer (CIO), who reports directly to our Executive Vice-President of Operations. Our CIO has over two decades of experience in information technology and cybersecurity and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). The CIO leads a team of five other information system professionals, three of whom also have CISSP credentials. Our CIO and cybersecurity team are responsible for understanding, managing, and communicating cybersecurity risk to our management and works with our legal department to oversee compliance with various legal, regulatory, and contractual cybersecurity requirements.

Our cybersecurity program is aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800 Cybersecurity Framework and uses a layered strategy, relying on technology and human processes to safeguard our systems and client data. Our cybersecurity strategy utilizes numerous layers of security controls, processes, and procedures across our information systems and networks, including but not limited to, multi-factor authentication, identity access management, endpoint security, mobile security, application security, network security, web security, and encryption. We also use systems and processes designed to reduce the impact of a security incident at a third-party vendor or customer. Additionally, we use processes to oversee and identify material risks from cybersecurity threats associated with our use of third-party technology and systems, including technology and systems we use for encryption and authentication; employee email; content delivery to customers; back-office support and operations; and other functions. The Company provides ongoing mandatory cybersecurity training for associates that is intended to help them understand cybersecurity risks and comply with our cybersecurity policies.

We engage third party professionals to assess our cybersecurity program and to perform audits of portions of our cybersecurity control environment based on risk or where necessary to ensure regulatory compliance. In addition, our internal audit function regularly meets with the cybersecurity team and is implementing a program to periodically test the control framework and operation of our cybersecurity incident response plan. The results of these tests will be presented directly to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

The cybersecurity team meets frequently to monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation, and remediation of cybersecurity threats and incidents. In the event of a cybersecurity incident, we have developed an incident response plan which is designed to “respond, restore, and resume” operation of our information systems and platforms. Our incident response plan also governs our immediate response to attacks, including detection, notification, escalation, assessment, and remediation efforts. The cybersecurity team routinely tests the incident response plan across the organization to validate the procedures for appropriately assessing and escalating risks and incidents. Our cybersecurity team may also coordinate its incident response efforts with external advisors and key stakeholders if necessary.

Board of Director Oversight

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has the primary responsibility for cybersecurity risk oversight, including risk priorities, resource allocation, and oversight structures. The Audit Committee and Board of Directors receive regular reports from the CIO on a variety of topics including cybersecurity strategy, the threat landscape, recent developments and trends, and key initiatives. Our incident response plan includes documented protocols which govern established reporting thresholds for escalating cybersecurity incidents within the Company and where appropriate, to the Audit Committee or full Board of Directors.

Cybersecurity Risks, Threats, and Incidents

While we have not experienced any material cybersecurity incidents, there can be no guarantee that we, or any third parties with which we interact, will not be the subject of future successful attacks, threats, or incidents. We rely significantly on information technology for the operation of our business, including our All Access Pass and Leader in Me portals. For more information on cybersecurity risks we face, refer to Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors under the section entitled Cybersecurity and Information Technology Risks, which should be read in conjunction with the information presented in this Item 1C.

Table of Contents

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

As of August 31, 2024, our principal executive offices in Salt Lake City, Utah occupy approximately 54,000 square feet of leased office space that is accounted for as a financing obligation, which expires in June 2025. This facility accommodates our executive team and corporate administration, as well as other professionals. The corporate headquarters is utilized by personnel in both our Enterprise and Education Divisions. The master lease agreement on our principal executive offices contains six five-year renewal options that may be exercised at our discretion. Additionally, we occupy leased sales and administrative offices both in the United States and various countries around the world as shown below. These additional facilities are accounted for as operating leases.

We consider our existing facilities to be in good condition and suitable for our current and expected level of operations in the upcoming fiscal year and in future periods. Our international sales offices are in the following locations:

Banbury, England

Tokyo, Japan

China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, we are the subject of certain legal actions, which we consider routine to our business activities. At August 31, 2024, we were not party to any litigation or legal proceeding that, in the current opinion of management, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, liquidity, or results of operations. However, due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in legal proceedings, actual results could differ from current expectations.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

‎

Table of Contents

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our common stock is listed and traded on the NYSE under the symbol “FC.”

We did not pay or declare dividends on our common stock during the fiscal years ended August 31, 2024 or 2023. Any determination to pay cash dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will be dependent upon our results of operations, financial condition, terms of our financing arrangements, and such other factors as the Board of Directors deems relevant. We currently anticipate that we will retain all available funds to finance future growth and business opportunities, repay our debt obligations, and to repurchase outstanding shares of our common stock.

As of October 31, 2024, we had 13,184,271 shares of common stock outstanding, which were held by 438 shareholders of record. A number of our shareholders hold their shares in street name; therefore, we believe that there are substantially more beneficial owners of our common stock.

Purchases of Common Stock

The following table summarizes the purchases of our common stock during our fourth fiscal quarter, which ended August 31, 2024:

(1)On April 18, 2024, our Board of Directors approved a new plan to purchase up to $50.0 million of our outstanding common stock. The previously existing common stock purchase plan, which was nearly fully utilized, was canceled, and the new common share purchase plan does not have an expiration date. The actual timing, number, and value of common shares purchased under our board-approved plan will be determined at our discretion and will depend on a number of factors, including, among others, general market and business conditions, the trading price of common shares, and applicable legal requirements. We have no obligation to purchase any common shares under the authorization, and the purchase plan may be suspended, discontinued, or modified at any time for any reason. Amounts shown in the table include the applicable 1% excise tax on our purchases of common stock for treasury.

Performance Graph

The following graph demonstrates a five-year comparison of cumulative total returns for Franklin Covey Co. common stock, the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, and the S&P 600 Commercial & Professional Services Index. The graph assumes an investment of $100 on August 31, 2019 in each of our common stock, the stocks comprising the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, and the stocks comprising the S&P 600 Commercial & Professional Services Index. Each of the indices assumes that all dividends were reinvested.

Table of Contents

The stock performance shown on the performance graph above is not necessarily indicative of future performance. The Company will not make or endorse any predictions as to our future stock performance.

The performance graph above is being furnished solely to accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K pursuant to Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K, and is not being filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, as amended, and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.

ITEM 6.

Reserved.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Management’s Discussion and Analysis) is intended to provide a summary of the principal factors affecting the results of operations, liquidity and capital resources, and the critical accounting estimates of Franklin Covey Co. (also referred to as we, us, our, the Company, FranklinCovey, and Franklin Covey) and subsidiaries. This discussion and analysis should be read together with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Risk Factors discussed in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Forward-looking statements in this discussion are qualified by the cautionary statement under the heading “Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act Of 1995” contained later in Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Non-GAAP Measures

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis includes the concepts of adjusted earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA) and “constant currency,” which are non-GAAP measures. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income or loss excluding the impact of interest, income taxes, intangible asset amortization, depreciation, stock-based compensation expense, and certain other items such as restructuring costs and impaired asset charges. Constant currency is a non-GAAP financial measure that removes the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency

Table of Contents

exchange rates and is calculated by translating the current period’s financial results at the same average exchange rates in effect during the prior year and then comparing this amount to the prior year.

We reference these non-GAAP financial measures in our decision making because they provide supplemental information that facilitates consistent internal comparisons to the historical operating performance of prior periods and we believe it provides investors with greater transparency to evaluate operational activities and financial results. For a reconciliation of our segment Adjusted EBITDA to net income, a related GAAP measure, please refer to Note 16 Segment Information to our consolidated financial statements as presented in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

General Overview

Franklin Covey Co. is a global company focused on individual and organizational performance improvement. Our mission is to “enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere,” and our worldwide resources are organized to help individuals and organizations achieve sustained superior performance at scale through changes in human behavior. We believe that our content and services create the connection between capabilities and results. In the training and consulting marketplace, we believe there are three important characteristics that distinguish us from our competitors.

1.World Class Content – Our content is based on timeless principles of human effectiveness and is designed to help people change both their mindset and behavior. When our content is applied consistently in an organization, we believe the culture of that organization will change and improve to enable the organization to get desired results and achieve its own great purposes.

2.Breadth and Scalability of Delivery Options – We have a wide range of content delivery options, including: the All Access Pass and Leader in Me membership subscriptions, intellectual property licenses, digital online learning, on-site training, training led through certified facilitators, blended learning, and organization-wide transformational processes, including consulting and coaching. We believe our investments in digital delivery modalities over the past few years have enabled us to deliver our content to clients in a high-quality learning environment whether those clients are working remotely or in a centralized location.

3.Global Capability– We have sales professionals in the United States and Canada who serve clients in the private sector, in government, and in educational institutions; wholly owned subsidiaries that serve clients in Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria; and we contract with independent licensee partners who deliver our content and provide services in approximately 150 countries and territories around the world. Our capabilities allow us to serve a wide range of clients from small locally owned entities to large multinational enterprises.

We have some of the best-known offerings in the training industry, including a suite of individual-effectiveness and leadership-development training content based on the best-selling books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Speed of Trust, Multipliers, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and Trust & Inspire, and proprietary content in the areas of Execution, Sales Performance, Productivity, Customer Loyalty, Leadership, and Education. We believe that our offerings help individuals, teams, and entire organizations transform their results through achieving systematic, sustainable, and measurable changes in human behavior. Our offerings are described in further detail at www.franklincovey.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the descriptions found therein should not be viewed as a warranty or guarantee of results.

Our fiscal year ends on August 31, and unless otherwise indicated, fiscal 2024, fiscal 2023, and fiscal 2022 refer to the twelve-month periods ended August 31, 2024, 2023, 2022, and so forth.

Table of Contents

Key Strategic Objectives

The theme of our fiscal 2025 Company kickoff was, “Honoring Our Legacy, Creating Our Future.” This phrase provides the framework for our overall strategy and key objectives as we seek to leverage our time-tested, principle-based content which has been developed and refined over many years while accelerating the growth of our business in the future to impact more people and organizations throughout the world. Building on the success of our subscription-based business model, we believe there are four key priorities in fiscal 2025 that will drive our strategic initiatives, impact our investment decisions, and provide a foundation for accelerated growth in the future. These strategic objectives consist of the following:

TransformHow We Go to Market –In order to reach more individuals and organizations, we seek to become more effective in getting our solutions into the world. The way we market and sell is expected to support landing new clients and expanding existing clients at higher rates than ever before. Starting in fiscal 2024, we launched a series of initiatives designed to reinvent how we market and sell our offerings. This process started with the hiring of a new Chief Revenue Officer, who is in the process of reorganizing our domestic sales force to reach and obtain more clients faster and more efficiently than ever before. We intend to invest approximately $16 million in fiscal 2025 to reorganize our sales force, hire new sales and marketing associates, and implement the new selling strategy. These efforts may have a short-term adverse impact to our financial results in fiscal 2025 as we invest and the initiatives are implemented, but the new selling strategy is expected to create the foundation for sustainable accelerated revenue and earnings growth in future periods.

Be the Partner of Choice to Leaders – We intend to focus more intensely on being the partner of choice to leaders who need collective action to achieve their most important outcomes. High-trust cultures are built on the foundation of impactful leaders and effective individuals who use a common language, or rigorous execution system to achieve their most important goals. Our time-tested principle-based leadership and effectiveness content provides the foundation for leaders to develop their leadership abilities and to improve the effectiveness of their associates, which leads to an entity that achieves results. We seek to be the trusted partner of choice to leaders regardless of their industry, market, or company size.

Build Best-in-Class Solutions – We are fortunate to have durable principle-based content as the foundation of our offerings. In fiscal 2025 and in the future, we will seek to create blockbuster solutions to address our clients’ most important challenges, while combining content, people, and technology to drive meaningful results. Over the years we have invested millions of dollars in people, content, and technology to build the capabilities to dramatically increase the impact and scale of our solutions. In fiscal 2025 and future periods, we expect to offer new and refreshed content and solutions, including a significantly refreshed The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People offering (early fiscal 2025) and new material for our Leader in Me program; make continued investments in our Impact Platform to continuously improve the user experience and to build-in new technology; and work to integrate content, client personnel, and technology in a manner that will help our clients build winning cultures. We consistently seek to provide our clients world-class solutions, using the best technology, that will allow them to transform their organizations into high-performing entities.

Enable High Performance – We seek to enable each associate to be a high-performing achiever with heart, equipped with the right knowledge, skills, and tools. We also seek to establish a high bar for performance combined with the resources and leadership to help associates succeed in their role. We strive to maintain a culture that provides a great place to work and allows individuals to contribute their best talents and abilities while requiring a high level of performance. We believe a high-performance, people-friendly atmosphere produces better solutions for our clients and feelings of well-being and satisfaction for our associates.

We believe the pursuit of these strategic priorities will enable us to make more progress toward our mission of enabling greatness in both people and organizations and our vision to impact billions. In addition, we believe that successful implementation of these objectives will provide our associates with additional resources and opportunities for growth and impact in the future and will drive results that will provide return to our shareholders.

Table of Contents

Other key factors that influence our operating results include: the number of organizations that are active customers; the number of people trained within those organizations; the continuation or renewal of existing services contracts, especially subscription renewals; the availability of budgeted training spending at our clients and prospective clients, which, in certain content categories, can be significantly influenced by general economic conditions; client satisfaction with our offerings and services; the number and productivity of our international licensee operations; and our ability to manage operating costs necessary to develop and provide meaningful offerings and related products to our clients.

Fiscal 2024 Financial Overview

Our fiscal 2024 results were strong and featured increased revenues, improved operating and net income, increased Adjusted EBITDA, and increased cash flows from operating activities. We believe that our financial results in fiscal 2024 reflect the strength and durability of our subscription-based business model which is driven by 1) our clients’ mission critical challenges, which are typically more intense during periods of economic uncertainty; 2) our effective solutions for helping clients successfully address these challenges, which can be flexibly utilized to meet each organization’s needs; and 3) our strength in acquiring, retaining, and expanding meaningful client relationships.

Our consolidated revenue for fiscal 2024 increased $6.7 million to a new annual sales record of $287.2 million compared with $280.5 million in fiscal 2023. In constant currency, our consolidated sales grew to $288.2 million for fiscal 2024. Revenue growth in fiscal 2024 was primarily attributable to increased subscription and subscription services in both of our Enterprise and Education Divisions and increased classroom materials sales in our Education Division. Revenue growth in fiscal 2024 was the result of a combination of contract renewals, expansions, new customers, and price increases. Other revenue information for fiscal 2024 includes the following:

Enterprise Division revenue in fiscal 2024 grew 2% to $208.8 million compared with $205.7 million in fiscal 2023. Increased AAP subscription and subscription services revenues through our direct offices were partially offset by decreased revenue at our China office and decreased international licensee royalties. All Access Pass plus subscription services grew 4% to $164.8 million in fiscal 2024 compared with $158.0 million in the prior year. In constant currency, Enterprise Division sales were $209.8 million in fiscal 2024.

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024, Education Division revenue increased 5% to $73.5 million compared with $69.7 million in fiscal 2023. Education Division revenue growth for the year was driven by increased revenues from classroom and training materials, membership subscriptions, and coaching and consulting. Delivery of training and coaching days remained strong during fiscal 2024, as the Education Division delivered nearly 400 more training and coaching days than the prior year. In fiscal 2024, the Education Division added 728 new Leader in Me schools in the United States and Canada. Year-over-year Leader in Me school retention remained high during fiscal 2024 at approximately 84%.

At August 31, 2024, we had $107.9 million of deferred subscription revenue compared with $99.0 million at August 31, 2023. Our deferred subscription revenue noted above at August 31, 2024 and August 31, 2023 includes $6.7 million and $3.7 million, respectively, of deferred subscription revenue that was classified as long-term based on expected recognition. Our unbilled deferred revenue at August 31, 2024 was $75.2 million compared with $87.4 million at the end of fiscal 2023. Unbilled deferred revenue represents business that is contracted, but unbilled and therefore excluded from our balance sheet.

‎

Table of Contents

The following table sets forth our consolidated revenue by division and by reportable segment for the fiscal years indicated (in thousands):

YEAR ENDED % %

Enterprise Division:

Gross profit consists of net revenue less the cost of services provided or the cost of goods sold. Our cost of revenue includes the direct costs of delivering content onsite at client locations, including presenter costs; amortization of previously capitalized curriculum development costs; content royalties; materials used in the production of training products and related assessments; manufacturing labor costs; and freight. Gross profit may be affected by, among other things, the mix of services sold to clients, prices of materials, travel, labor rates, changes in product discount levels, and freight costs. Our consolidated cost of revenue in fiscal 2024 totaled $66.2 million compared with $67.0 million in fiscal 2023. Consolidated gross profit for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024 increased $7.6 million to $221.1 million, compared with $213.5 million in fiscal 2023, and increased primarily due to higher revenue as described above. Our gross margin in fiscal 2024 remained strong and increased to 77.0% compared with 76.1% in the prior year.

Our operating expenses in fiscal 2024 increased $0.9 million compared with the prior year due to $3.0 million of restructuring costs and a $0.9 million impaired asset charge. These increases were partially offset by decreased selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses, reduced depreciation expense, and decreased amortization expense. As a percentage of revenue, our SG&A expenses decreased to 61.3% in fiscal 2024 compared with 63.4% in fiscal 2023. During fiscal 2024, we restructured various areas of our operations, including our sales force, and incurred $3.0 million of expense, primarily from severance benefits for associates who were impacted by the restructuring initiatives. We also impaired a student leadership assessment which was being developed for our Education Division. Due to societal changes in perception regarding the collection of student information and potential legal challenges, we determined that it was in the best interest of the Company to suspend further development of the student leadership assessment and impair the associated asset. Decreased SG&A expenses were primarily due to reduced headcount from restructuring activities initiated in fiscal 2024 and various cost cutting measures introduced during the fiscal year.

Despite the impact of restructuring and impaired asset costs, our fiscal 2024 income from operations improved 25% to $33.0 million compared with $26.4 million in fiscal 2023. Fiscal 2024 pre-tax income increased 28%, or $7.2 million, to $33.0 million compared with $25.9 million in the prior year, reflecting less interest expense and the other financial metrics noted above.

Our effective income tax rate for fiscal 2024 was approximately 29% compared with an effective income tax rate of approximately 31% in fiscal 2023. Our effective tax rate for fiscal 2024 was higher than the statutory tax rate primarily due to non-deductible executive compensation and an increase in the valuation allowance against our deferred income tax assets, which were partially offset by benefits for share-based compensation deductions in excess of the corresponding book expense and the tax differential on income subject to both U.S. and foreign taxes. Our effective rate in fiscal 2023 was higher than statutory rates primarily due to tax expense from non-deductible executive compensation.

Net income for the year ended August 31, 2024 was $23.4 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, compared with $17.8 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, for fiscal 2023. Our Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2024 increased 15% to $55.3 million compared with $48.1 million in the prior year, reflecting the above-noted factors. In constant currency, our Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2024 was $55.8 million.

Table of Contents

Further details regarding these items can be found in the comparative analysis of fiscal 2024 with fiscal 2023 as discussed within this Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

Our liquidity, financial position, and capital resources remained strong throughout fiscal 2024. At August 31, 2024, we had $48.7 million of cash, with no borrowings on our $62.5 million revolving credit facility, even after spending $30.7 million on purchases of our common stock during fiscal 2024. At August 31, 2023 we had $38.2 million of cash, and no borrowings on our revolving credit facility. Cash flows from operating activities remained strong and increased 69% to $60.3 million in fiscal 2024 compared with $35.7 million in fiscal 2023. For further information regarding our liquidity and cash flows, refer to the Liquidity and Capital Resources discussion found within this Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

For a discussion of the results of operations and changes in financial condition for fiscal 2023 compared with fiscal 2022, refer to Part II, Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our fiscal 2023 Form 10-K, which was filed with the SEC on November 13, 2023.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth, for the fiscal years indicated, the percentage of total sales represented by the line items through income before income taxes in our consolidated income statements. This table should be read in conjunction with the accompanying discussion and analysis, the consolidated financial statements, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements (amounts in percentages).

YEAR ENDED

Selling, general, and administrative 61.3 63.4 64.0

Restructuring costs 1.0 0.2 -

Impaired asset 0.3 - -

Interest income 0.4 0.4 -

Interest expense (0.4) (0.6) (0.6)

Income before income taxes 11.5 9.2 8.4

FISCAL 2024 COMPARED WITH FISCAL 2023 RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Enterprise Division

Direct Offices Segment

The Direct Office segment includes our sales personnel that serve clients in the United States and Canada; our directly owned international offices that serve clients in Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria; and other groups such as our government services office and books and audio sales. The following comparative information is for our Direct Offices segment for the periods indicated (in thousands):

‎

Table of Contents

Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, % of August 31, % of

For fiscal 2024, our Direct Office segment revenue grew 2% to $197.6 million compared with $194.0 million in fiscal 2023. During fiscal 2024, our AAP subscription revenue grew 7% to $106.3 million and our AAP subscription plus subscription services revenues grew 4% to $164.8 million compared with the prior year. During fiscal 2024, AAP subscription revenue retention levels remained strong and were greater than 90%. Increased subscription revenue growth in our Direct Offices during fiscal 2024 was partially offset by decreased legacy onsite presentation and add-on subscription services revenue in both the Company’s domestic and international offices. However, the booking pace for subscription services strengthened in the second half of fiscal 2024 and we are confident that subscription service sales will improve in fiscal 2025. Foreign direct office sales in fiscal 2024 were adversely impacted by decreased revenue in our China operations and by weak economic conditions in many of the countries in which we operate. Fiscal 2024 revenue from our China office decreased by 24% compared with the prior year while the other international direct offices improved slightly compared with fiscal 2023. The fluctuation of foreign exchange rates had a $0.8 million adverse impact on our Direct Office revenue and a $0.4 million unfavorable impact on our Direct Office operating results in fiscal 2024.

Gross Profit. Gross profit increased primarily due to sales performance as previously described. Direct Office gross margin remained strong and increased to 82.2% of sales compared with 80.9% in the prior year. Our Direct Office gross margin improved primarily due to the mix of services and products sold to clients compared with the prior year.

SG&A Expense. Direct Office SG&A expense decreased primarily due to reduced associate costs resulting from decreased headcount compared with the prior year.

International Licensees Segment

In foreign locations where we do not have a directly owned office, our training and consulting services are delivered through independent licensees. The following comparative information is for our international licensee operations in the periods indicated (in thousands):

Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, % of August 31, % of

Sales. International licensee revenue is primarily comprised of royalties on sales of our content by the licensees. In fiscal 2024, our international licensees’ revenue decreased by 4%, or $0.4 million, which was primarily due to a $0.3 million decrease in royalty revenues and a $0.1 million decrease in our share of AAP revenue. Licensee royalty revenue declined primarily due to economic challenges in many of the countries in which our licensees operate and staffing issues at some of the licensee operations. While we remain optimistic that our licensees’ sales and our corresponding royalty revenues will grow in future periods, difficult macroeconomic conditions, such as slowing economic growth and regional conflicts may negatively impact our licensees’ operations and reduce growth compared with our expectations. Foreign exchange rates had a $0.2 million adverse impact on international licensee revenues and operating results during fiscal 2024.

Gross Profit. Gross profit decreased primarily due to decreased revenue as previously described. Gross margin remained strong at 88.8% compared with 90.2% in the prior year and declined due to decreased royalty revenue compared with the prior year.

Table of Contents

SG&A Expense. International licensee SG&A expenses decreased by $0.3 million compared with fiscal 2023 primarily due to reduced variable compensation on lower revenue and operating results, and efforts to reduce operating expenses in the international licensee segment that were initiated during fiscal 2024.

Education Division

Our Education Division is comprised of our domestic and international Education practice operations (focused on sales to educational institutions) and includes our widely acclaimed Leader in Me program. The following comparative information is for our Education Division in the periods indicated (in thousands):

Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, % of August 31, % of

Sales. Education Division revenue for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024, increased 5%, or $3.8 million, compared with fiscal 2023. Fiscal 2024 growth was primarily driven by increased revenues from classroom and training materials, membership subscriptions, and coaching and consulting. Our classroom and training materials revenue increased due in part to a new initiative with a state that began in the third quarter, and which favorably impacted the second half of fiscal 2024. During fiscal 2024, we invoiced $9.5 million related to this new state-wide initiative, which included $2.2 million of classroom and other training materials. Training materials are recognized in revenue upon shipment of the product and total materials revenue increased 13% over fiscal 2023. Education subscription and subscription services revenues in fiscal 2024 increased 3% compared with fiscal 2023, and coaching and consulting revenue increased 2% compared with the prior year. The delivery of training and coaching days remained strong in fiscal 2024 as the Education Division delivered nearly 400 more training and coaching days than the prior year, which are recognized as revenue when they are delivered. We continue to be generally pleased with the strength and momentum of our Education Division, which added 728 new Leader in Me schools during fiscal 2024. As of August 31, 2024, the Leader in Me program is used in over 3,700 schools in the United States and Canada, compared with over 3,500 schools at the end of fiscal 2023.

Gross Profit. Education Division gross profit increased primarily due to increased revenue as previously described. Education segment gross margin remained strong and increased to 64.1% compared with 63.7% in the prior year and improved primarily due to increased margin on materials sold, decreased product amortization costs, and improved Symposium event margins during fiscal 2024.

SG&A Expenses. Education SG&A expenses increased primarily due to increased associate expenses from new personnel, changes to compensation plans, and increased commissions on higher revenue.

Other Operating Expense Items

Depreciation – Depreciation expense decreased $0.4 million compared with the prior year primarily due to the full depreciation of certain assets during the fiscal year. We currently expect depreciation expense will total approximately $3.5 million in fiscal 2025.

Amortization – Amortization expense decreased $0.1 million compared with fiscal 2023 due to the full amortization of certain intangible assets from previous business acquisitions. We currently expect intangible asset amortization expense will total $4.2 million during fiscal 2025.

Interest Expense – Our interest expense for fiscal 2024 decreased $0.5 million primarily due to reduced term loan debt and a reduced principal balance on our financing obligation (long-term lease on our corporate campus) compared with the prior year.

Table of Contents

Income Taxes

Our effective income tax expense rate for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024 was approximately 29%, compared with an income tax expense rate of approximately 31% in fiscal 2023. Our effective income tax rate for fiscal 2024 was higher than the statutory tax rate primarily due to tax expense of $3.2 million for non-deductible executive compensation and a $1.2 million increase in the valuation allowance against our deferred income tax assets, which were partially offset by a $2.6 million benefit for share-based compensation deductions in excess of the corresponding book expense and a $0.5 million benefit in tax differential on income subject to both U.S. and foreign taxes. Our effective income tax rate for fiscal 2023 was higher than the statutory tax rate primarily due to tax expense of $0.9 million for non-deductible executive compensation and $0.4 million in tax differential on income subject to both U.S. and foreign taxes, which were partially offset by a $0.4 million decrease in the valuation allowance against our deferred income tax assets.

We paid $4.2 million in cash for income taxes during fiscal 2024. As of August 31, 2024, we have utilized all of our foreign tax credit forwards and nearly all of our net operating loss carryforwards. We anticipate our total cash paid for income taxes over the coming years to approximate our total income tax provision.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Introduction

Our cash at August 31, 2024 totaled $48.7 million, with no borrowings on our $62.5 million revolving credit facility. Of our $48.7 million of cash at August 31, 2024, $13.9 million was held outside the U.S. by our foreign subsidiaries. We routinely repatriate cash from our foreign subsidiaries and consider cash generated from foreign activities a key component of our overall liquidity position. Our primary sources of liquidity are cash flows from the sale of services and products in the normal course of business and available proceeds from our credit facility. Our primary uses of liquidity include payments for operating activities, purchases of our common stock, working capital expansion, capital expenditures (including curriculum development), debt payments, business acquisitions, and contingent payments from previous business acquisitions.

The following table summarizes our cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities for the past three years (in thousands):

YEAR ENDED

Total cash provided by (used for):

Increase (decrease) in cash and

Our Current Credit Agreement

On March 27, 2023, we entered into a new credit agreement (the 2023 Credit Agreement) with KeyBank National Association (KeyBank) leading a group of financial institutions (collectively, the Lenders), which replaced our previous credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the 2019 Credit Agreement). The 2023 Credit Agreement provides up to $70.0 million in total credit, of which $7.5 million was used to replace the outstanding term loan balance from the 2019 Credit Agreement. The remaining $62.5 million is available as a revolving line of credit or for future term loans. Principal payments on the term loans consisted of quarterly payments totaling $1.25 million that were due and payable on the last business day of each March, June, September, and December until the term loan obligation was repaid in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024. We believe the 2023 Credit Agreement provides significant flexibility and financial resources to allow us to grow the business in future periods.

Table of Contents

The 2023 Credit Agreement matures on March 27, 2028, and interest on term loan borrowings under the 2023 Credit Agreement was due and payable when the term loan principal payments were due and payable. Interest on all other borrowings is due and payable on the last day of each month. The interest rate for borrowings on the 2023 Credit Agreement is based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) and is a tiered structure that varies according to the Leverage Ratio as defined 2023 Credit Agreement (refer to Note 5, Secured Credit Agreement to our consolidated financial statements for the interest rate structure).

As defined in the 2023 Credit Agreement, we are (i) required to maintain a Leverage Ratio of less than 3.00 to 1.00 and a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio greater than 1.15 to 1.00; and (ii) we are restricted from making certain distributions to stockholders, including repurchases of common stock. However, we are permitted to make distributions, including through purchases of outstanding common stock, provided that we are in compliance with the Leverage Ratio and Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio financial covenants before and after such distribution. At August 31, 2024, we believe that we were in compliance with the terms and covenants contained in the 2023 Credit Agreement.

At August 31, 2024 our debt structure was relatively simple and consisted of notes payable to the former owners of Strive Talent, Inc., and a long-term lease on our corporate campus that is accounted for as a financing obligation. For further information on our notes payable and leasing obligations, refer to the notes to our consolidated financial statements as presented in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following discussion is a description of the primary factors affecting our cash flows and their effects upon our liquidity and capital resources during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Our primary source of cash from operating activities was the sale of services and products to our customers in the normal course of business. Our primary uses of cash for operating activities were payments for SG&A expenses, payments for direct costs necessary to conduct training programs, to fund changes in working capital, and payments to suppliers for materials used in training manuals sold. Our cash provided by operating activities during fiscal 2024 increased significantly to $60.3 million compared with $35.7 million in fiscal 2023. The difference was primarily attributable to increased operating income and favorable changes in working capital during the year. During fiscal 2024 our collection of accounts receivable remained strong and provided the necessary cash to support our operations, pay our obligations, and make critical investments.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities and Capital Expenditures

During fiscal 2024 our cash used for investing activities totaled $11.3 million. Our primary uses of cash for investing activities consisted of additional investments in the development of our offerings and purchases of property and equipment in the normal course of business.

We spent $6.9 million on the development of our various offerings and related content in fiscal 2024. We are expecting to launch new and significantly refurbished offerings in future periods, including a significantly refreshed version of our The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People offering in early fiscal 2025, and we believe continued investment in our offerings and content is key to future growth and the development of our subscription offerings. We currently expect that our capital spending for curriculum development will total $9.3 million in fiscal 2025.

Our purchases of property and equipment in fiscal 2024 totaled $3.7 million and consisted primarily of computer software and hardware, and leasehold improvements on our corporate campus. We currently anticipate that our purchases of property and equipment will total $5.3 million in fiscal 2025.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2024, we purchased the content rights for The Teacher Believed in Me (TBIM) for $1.5 million in cash. We believe the content in TBIM is compelling and fits well in our Leader in Me offering. While the author retains the copyright to TBIM, the agreement grants us broad rights for the development and use of TBIM content. The content license was payable in two $0.8 million payments with the final payment due in January 2025.

Table of Contents

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Our net cash used for financing activities in fiscal 2024 totaled $38.7 million. Our primary use of financing cash was $30.7 million used to purchase shares of our common stock, including $10.3 million used for shares withheld for income taxes on stock-based compensation awards distributed during fiscal 2024 (refer to Note 10, Shareholders’ Equity, to our consolidated financial statements). We also used $9.4 million of cash for principal payments on our notes payable and financing obligation during the fiscal year. Partially offsetting these uses of cash were $1.5 million of proceeds from our Employee Stock Purchase Plan participants to purchase shares of common stock during fiscal 2024.

On April 18, 2024, our Board of Directors approved a new plan to purchase up to $50.0 million of our outstanding common stock. The previously existing common stock purchase plan was canceled, and the new common share purchase plan does not have an expiration date.

Our uses of financing cash during fiscal 2025 are currently expected to include required payments on our notes payable and financing obligation and may include purchases of our common stock. However, the timing and amount of common stock purchases is dependent on a number of factors, including available resources, and we are not obligated to make purchases of our common stock during any future period.

Sources of Cash and Liquidity

We expect to meet the obligations on our notes payable, service our existing financing obligation, pay for projected capital expenditures, and meet other obligations in fiscal 2025 and beyond from current cash balances and future cash flows from operating activities. Going forward, we will continue to incur costs necessary for the day-to-day operation of the business and may use additional credit and other financing alternatives, if necessary, for these expenditures. During fiscal 2023 we entered into a new five-year credit agreement which we expect to renew and amend on a regular basis to maintain the long-term borrowing capacity of this credit facility. Additional potential sources of liquidity available to us include factoring receivables, issuance of additional equity, or issuance of debt to public or private sources. If necessary, we will evaluate all of these options and select one or more of them depending on overall capital needs and the associated cost of capital.

We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, cash generated by operating activities, and the availability of external funds as described above, will be sufficient for us to maintain our operations for at least the upcoming 12 months. However, our ability to maintain adequate capital for our operations in the future is dependent upon a number of factors, including sales trends, macroeconomic activity, our ability to contain costs, levels of capital expenditures, collection of accounts receivable, and other factors. Some of the factors that influence our operations are not within our control, such as general economic conditions and the introduction of new offerings or technology by our competitors. We will continue to monitor our liquidity position and may pursue additional financing alternatives, as described above, to maintain sufficient resources for future growth and capital requirements. However, there can be no assurance such financing alternatives will be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.

Material Cash Requirements

We do not operate any manufacturing, mining, or other capital-intensive facilities, and we have not structured any special purpose entities, or participated in any commodity trading activities, which would expose us to potential undisclosed liabilities or create adverse consequences to our liquidity. However, we have cash expenditures and are subject to various contractual obligations that are required to run our business. Our material cash requirements include the following:

Associate and Consultant Compensation – Associate and consultant compensation is our largest recurring use of cash. Our compensation plans for associates and delivery consultants include fixed (salaried) and variable elements as well as the cost of benefits, and may fluctuate with sales, financial results, and hiring/retention activity. During fiscal 2024, we expensed approximately $169 million for associate and delivery consultant cash compensation. Associate compensation expense is included in SG&A expense and consultant compensation is

Table of Contents

included in our cost of revenue. Our associate costs include variable compensation such as commissions, incentives, and bonuses, and may fluctuate from year-to-year.

Information Technology – Our business is reliant on computer software and hardware. Our subscription service portals require ongoing development, recurring maintenance, security upgrades, and utilize various software applications. In addition, we utilize various software programs to run our business, including applications for customer resource management, general ledger, cybersecurity, spreadsheets, word processing, e-mail, etc. Including capitalized hardware and software, we spent approximately $10 million for information technology software and hardware during fiscal 2024.

Content Development – We believe that ongoing investment in our content and offerings is key to our future success. Our innovations group is responsible for the development of new content as well as refreshing and maintaining our existing content. Including capitalized development, we spent approximately $9 million (excluding innovation associate compensation discussed above) for the development and maintenance of our offerings and content in fiscal 2024.

Income Taxes – We are required to pay income taxes in the various jurisdictions where we operate. During fiscal 2024, we paid $4.2 million in cash for income taxes. We believe our use of cash for income taxes in future periods will more closely resemble our income tax provision and will fluctuate based on profitability as we have utilized most of our deferred tax assets as of August 31, 2024.

Contractual Obligations – In addition to the expenses described above, which we believe are required to successfully run our business, we have other longer-term contractual obligations, which require additional cash payments. We have summarized our significant contractual obligations at August 31, 2024 in the following table (in thousands):

Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal

Required lease payments on

corporate campus $ 3,301 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 3,301

Strive contingent

Purchase obligations 4,169 - - - - - 4,169

Minimum operating lease

(1)The payment of contingent consideration resulting from prior business acquisitions is based on current estimates and projections. We reassess the fair value of estimated contingent consideration payments each quarter based on available information. The actual payment of contingent consideration amounts may differ in amount and timing from those shown in the table.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

FC US Equity

FC · 10-K · period ended 2024-08-31

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

ITEM 6.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

FC US Equity☆

FC · 10-K · period ended 2024-08-31

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

ITEM 6.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

FC US Equity