Climb In Consulting: Recent Episodes
Nick Synnott
As a management consultant myself I’ve always been lucky to have mentors who have guided me through my career.
When I was in house I regularly had quality time with Senior Partners that helped me rapidly accelerate my career and has continued to help since I’ve gone out on my own.
While I had this great resource and knowledge bank to draw on I know many friends in Consulting aren’t as lucky with some only speaking with senior partners on a monthly or quarterly basis.
That’s why I created this podcast.
I wanted to help people like you who want to accelerate their careers in consulting by interviewing leaders in the field to share the advice, tips and strategies that they used to get to the top so that you can to so that you can too.
In each Episode I’ll be interviewing a senior figure in the industry so that you can learn from them. We’ll be going deep in to their background, how they succeeded and what their advice would be for you.
This podcast is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Digital Marketing has moved forward, but most consulting firms haven’t. Many Consulting firms still see their corporate blog as their sole Digital Marketing channel and find themselves frustrated when these blogs yield little if any results.
To help those of you who want to harness the power of Digital Marketing to grow your Consulting Business but don’t have the knowledge, capacity or in-house capability to do so I launched Create Engage, the first Digital Marketing agency for the Management Consulting Industry.
If you’d like to find out more about how Create Engage can help you use Digital Marketing to take your business to the next level then drop me an email at Nick@CreateEngage.co.uk or go to our website
www.createengage.co.uk where you can download our free case study that breaks down down the Digital Marketing strategies used by one successful Consulting firm to help them grow over 400% in just 3 years and gives you the secrets they used, so that you can apply them in your own firm.
Most consultancies don’t lack expertise, they lack visible proof. Join Nick Synnott and Susannah Clarke from PMI to learn how PMI build a content-led marketing engine that grows awareness, generates leads and strengthens bids, proposals, and buyer confidence.This session gives you the secrets to creating real business growth through an effective growth marketing engine. If you run a £4m - £20m consultancy, this is for you.Consultancies do not stall because they lack expertise. They stall because the market does not recognise their value quickly enough, and buyers do not see proof fast enough to choose them.Process Management International (PMI) used to do a bit of advertising and sponsorship, but they did not have a joined-up, strategic approach to growth marketing. Then they went all-in. They built an engine at a scale most firms never reach: weekly webinars, multiple podcasts, email campaigns, whitepapers, and now their own conference. The output is only part of the story. The real shift is how it all connects to build reputation, authority, and commercial momentum.In this episode, Nick Synnott is joined by Susannah Clarke (Managing Partner, PMI) to unpack how PMI embraced marketing as a growth lever, differentiated from lookalike competitors, and turned thought leadership into measurable outcomes: stronger visibility in their market, increased credibility in competitive processes, winning new clients, awards momentum, and accelerating their growth journey from approaching £2m to charging towards their £10m goal, in under five years.You will learn:- How PMI built a strategic marketing engine that drives both visibility and revenue growth- How they translate authority into ROI: creating demand, supporting bids, and improving win rates- How their “library of proof” strengthens buyer confidence, fuels award submissions, and shortens time-to-trust- How PMI operationalised cadence, workflow, and governance to sustain quality and consistency at scale- How they use audience signals and feedback loops to refine what they produce and compound results over timeYou’ll leave with a practical blueprint for creating differentiation that’s visible, reusable, and commercially valuable.
If you’re looking to understand what it really takes to grow and successfully exit a consultancy, this webinar shares how one firm built the marketing engine that helped support that journey.PEN had grown in its first partner networking-led phase to a 50-person, sub-£10m FS and Pharma consultancy - ambitious, capable, but relatively unknown outside their core client base.Over the next five years, they grew into a 100-person+ firm. Supporting that significant growth was a repeatable marketing engine that drove leads, increased visibility, supported recruitment, and helped strengthen the story behind their exit to Wavestone.Former PEN partner Neil Sharp and Create Engage Director Nick Synnott break down the structural, operational, and commercial elements that made it work and how you can apply the same approach in your consultancy.They go beyond the content, campaigns and tactics to show you the strategic elements that made it work; from the hub-and-spoke model that gathered inputs from across the firm, to the campaign-led approach that delivered real business results, to the reporting that kept partners bought in.This episode will give you actionable insights into building a marketing engine that works and lasts.You’ll learn how to:Keep marketing moving with a model that works across multiple practices with over 100 consultantsBuild consistent visibility without sapping consultant timeRun campaigns that generate leads, not just impressionsWin partner buy-in with a scorecard they actually care aboutEnjoy the show!
You’re committing time, budget, and attention with a clear expectation. Marketing should create leads and help you open up the right client conversations.Many consultancies are busy doing lots, but struggle to turn that activity into consistent conversations. Momentum comes in waves. Results feel hard to predict. Confidence in the plan starts to wobble.If this sounds familiar, then this episode is for you.In this episode, Nick Synnott walks you through our 12-part marketing framework, built around the four core drivers of effective consultancy marketing. Our framework will give you a clear, end-to-end view of how marketing needs to work to deliver for your firm in 2026.In this episode, you’ll learn:Where marketing typically breaks down before a lead ever appearsWhy activity often fails to convert into conversations, even with good intentThe simple but often overlooked elements of your marketing setup that can have a huge impact on your results.You’ll know exactly where you stand and what you need to fix to set your firm up for the rest of the year.Enjoy the show!
How do you build a consultancy where people love to work, grow and stay while scaling fast and staying focused?The PSC team share the decisions that made it possible.In this episode, Nick sits down with Catherine Mulcahy and Dr. Antonio Weiss from The PSC, the consultancy on a mission to make public services brilliant and one that’s built a reputation as one of the UK’s most respected specialists in the space.They share the inside story of that journey - the real decisions that fuelled their growth, why operations mattered from day one, and how they’ve built a culture that people genuinely want to stick around for.We get into:- Why hiring an ops lead at 8 people was the smartest move they made- The internal battles behind building structure (and what finally worked)- How to embrace AI without losing the human touchIt’s a masterclass in thoughtful consulting growth, grounded in real-world decisions, not just buzzwords. If you're leading, scaling or thinking about the future of your consultancy, this one’s a must-listen.Enjoy the show!
What drives real people to make real decisions in the real world?That’s the question Paul Craven has been answering for decades.Throughout his senior roles at some of the biggest names in finance, including Goldman Sachs, Paul used behavioural science to understand how clients think, how relationships are built, and how decisions are really made. Today, he’s a global expert in the field. A keynote speaker, founding partner of the Cialdini Institute, and trusted coach to organisations around the world, he teaches others how to use the psychology of persuasion to drive real results.In this episode, Paul joins Nick to explore the world of behavioural science and how understanding human decision-making can transform how we lead, sell, and work.You’ll discover the practical behavioural science approaches you can use in your consultancy to help you build stronger relationships, sell more effectively and influence decisions in a way that lands well.They dive into:✅ Paul’s journey from Goldman Sachs to founding his own business✅ Dr Robert Cialdini’s seven scientifically-proven techniques of ethical persuasion and how to use them✅ Why your brain is tricking you and what to do about it✅ How magic reveals the surprising shortcuts our minds takeWhether you’re running a consultancy, leading a team, or just curious about what makes people tick, this episode will shift how you see the world.Enjoy the show!
What does it take to build and sell two consulting firms and scale faster the second time around?In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick speaks with Sue Lohr, a leader who’s done just that. Sue played a pivotal role in building Synergy and Cormis into high-performing consultancies, both of which went on to successful exits. (Oh, and she sold a product business along the way too.)Sue’s story is about building businesses that people genuinely want to buy, shaped by a clear proposition, confident pricing, and with culture at the core.Sue shares how she:✅ Took the lessons from Synergy to supercharge growth at Cormis✅ Created strong cultures that scaled✅ Developed clear value and confident pricing to drive sustainable growth✅ Now shares these lessons with consulting founders and leaders via The Vibrant Company and The Consultancy Growth NetworkIf you’re building a firm, leading a team, or plotting your next move, this episode gives you a rare inside look at the mindset, strategy and leadership behind two successful consulting exits from someone who’s lived them.Enjoy the show!
What if your consultancy didn’t look like everyone else’s? What if it was built on values from day one, hired people most firms overlooked, and kept culture at the core as it grew?This month’s guest has done precisely that, and then some.Gita Singham-Willis is one of the three co-founders of Cadence Innova, a multi-award-winning transformation consultancy. From her early days running textile factories in Portugal to reshaping how consulting firms think about people, culture, and growth, Gita’s journey is anything but ordinary.In this episode, she sits down with Nick Synnott to share the entire story, from founding Cadence Innova with a mission to be different, to building a consultancy that said no thanks to traditional hierarchies and yes, please, to working parents, diverse teams, and radical inclusion. She also shares the thinking behind Cadence’s eventual sale, how they maintained their culture throughout the process, and what she has learned about leadership, DEI, and what truly matters in consulting.If you’re building a consultancy, scaling a team, or wondering how to keep your values alive as you grow, this one’s packed with practical insight and plenty of inspiration.We cover:✅ Why Cadence started by hiring women returning to work and why it worked✅ The “family model” that replaced traditional line management✅ How to spot consulting potential outside of traditional CVs✅ The truth about selling your firm and how to protect your culture in the process✅ Why DEI isn’t a ‘nice to have’ it’s a business necessity✅ The advice Gita would give to junior, mid-career, and aspiring partner consultantsEnjoy the show!
Struggling to crack senior hiring in your consultancy?You’re not alone, and this episode’s guest has seen it all. Richard Longstreet is the founder of Tarka Talent, a recruitment consultancy focused on management consulting, and he’s helped firms of all shapes and sizes find (and sometimes fix) their senior hiring strategies.In this episode, Richard joins Nick Synnott to share his refreshingly honest take on what actually makes a successful senior hire, why partner-level recruitment so often fails, and how boutique firms can set themselves up for success.From salary trends to career progression, partner expectations to promotion timelines, Richard lifts the lid on the latest insights from Tarka Talent’s industry-leading salary survey and explains how firms can take a smarter approach to recruitment in a challenging market.If you’re hiring, thinking of hiring, or just wondering why your last senior hire didn’t quite land, this one’s for you.We cover:✅ Why partner-level recruitment has a 40% success rate, and what to do about it✅ How boutiques can attract senior talent without overpromising✅ Salary trends, bonus data, and promotion patterns from Tarka’s annual report✅ What separates great senior hires from those who never quite deliver✅ Alternatives to hiring when capacity is tightEnjoy the show!
What does it take to lead transformation in today’s fast-moving, tech-fuelled world?In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick chats with Chris Tomlinson - or ‘Tommo’, as most people know him - a seasoned transformation leader and Managing Director of Muuto Consulting. With two decades of experience navigating complex change and helping organisations evolve, Tommo brings a refreshing, no-nonsense take on what real transformation looks like.They dive deep into everything from starting Muuto and scaling it through different growth stages, to the future of consulting and how AI is rewriting the rules. Tommo also shares insights from his current Master’s in AI at Oxford and how it has shaped the way he thinks about everything, from business models to ethics.Whether you're curious about AI in consulting or building a boutique firm of your own, this one’s packed with fresh thinking and hard-earned lessons.This episode covers:✅ What scaling a boutique consultancy really feels like✅ The evolving consulting model from traditional hierarchies to consortium-style collaboration✅ AI as an enterprise re-engineering tool, not just another tech fad✅ How small firms can experiment and lead the way with AI adoption✅ The human side of AI, where consultants still shineEnjoy the show!
What separates consultancies that tick along from those that thrive? According to this episode’s guest, it’s all about one thing: profit on purpose.In this episode, Nick sits down with Peter Czapp - Co-Founder of the Wow Company, The Consultancy Growth Network and the brains behind BenchPress, the consultancy benchmark report - to dig into the financial side of consulting that too many firms overlook. Peter shares the seven profitability levers that top-performing firms use to boost their margins, stand out in the market, and build businesses that are both sustainable and saleable. From smart pricing and niche positioning to real-time metrics and resource management, this episode is packed with takeaways you can put into action straight away.We cover:✅ Why only 37% of consultancies hit 50% gross margin, and how to make sure you're one of them✅ The power of positioning and why niche isn’t a dirty word✅ Pricing strategies that reflect value, not just time✅ How to build a culture that embraces profitability without killing your vibe✅ The reporting metrics that actually matter and the one predictive stat Peter swears by✅ Why real growth starts with intentionalityWhether you’re leading a consultancy, thinking about profitability, or just tired of vague advice and want practical tools, this one’s for you.Enjoy the show!
What happens when you step into the CEO seat of a small consultancy in a niche market, with big ambitions, PE backing, and a bold growth target?In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick Synnott chats to Stu Packham, Group CEO of Alchemist, about how he led the business from a modest $2M learning consultancy to a $20M global challenger brand.Before stepping into consulting, Stu spent years in the world of recruitment - building teams, scaling businesses, and getting under the skin of what makes people tick. It was that deep experience, paired with a well-timed chat with a close friend, that led to him being put forward for the CEO role at Alchemist in 2019.What followed was nothing short of a whirlwind. Stu stepped into a six-person business without meeting any of the team beforehand, not exactly your textbook onboarding. From that uncertain start came a high-speed journey of transformation: expanding into the US, building out UK operations, and laying the groundwork for a global presence. Stu didn’t just steer the ship, he helped it grow new engines mid-flight.This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to lead a PE-backed consultancy through rapid growth. Stu shares:- How fractional leadership became a secret weapon for scale- What a People function looks like when growth is the goal- How to prepare (mentally and practically) for due diligence- The biggest lessons he’s taking into Alchemist’s next chapterWhether you're running a consultancy, thinking about working with private equity, or just love a gritty transformation story, this one’s worth your time.Enjoy the show!
What does it take to scale a consultancy fourfold, while keeping culture, autonomy, and team spirit at the centre?In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick Synnott sits down with Tobias Robinson, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Cross 8, to explore exactly that.Tobias’ story is anything but typical. From starting as a contractor to co-founding a consultancy that’s grown from £2M to £8M in just three years, he shares his unfiltered take on entrepreneurship, leadership, and how to grow a values-driven business that still delivers commercially.This episode covers:- Why Tobias believes schools need to teach entrepreneurship early- Cross 8’s journey to £8M and the systems that made it happen- Why Toby prioritised hiring experienced consultants over the traditional pyramid- Cross 8’s global fire engine expedition and why it says everything about their culture- The power of practical skills, risk appetite, and building a business that works for life, not just the exit- How Tobias manages multiple ventures without burning out, and why Oliver Burkman’s philosophy changed how he worksWhether you’re growing your consulting firm, thinking about your next move, or just love a good entrepreneurial story, this episode is packed with lessons.Enjoy the show!
How do you turn a good consulting firm into a great one - and what role does Private Equity really play in that journey?In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick Synnott sits down with Alex Thomson, Partner at Growth Capital Partners (GCP), to unpack everything you need to know as a consulting leader about scaling, selling, and thriving in today’s market.With nearly 20 years of experience supporting high-growth consulting and tech firms - including Hippo Digital, Infinity Works, and Chaucer - Alex brings a rare investor's perspective on what it takes to build a firm that truly stands out.In this conversation, they explore: The real reasons consulting firms stall their growth - and how to break through those barriers The essential leadership and hiring moves for scaling firms How firms should approach Private Equity - and what investors like Alex look for in a partner Why expanding to the U.S. might not be the silver bullet for value creation - and what to consider before you do it* Lessons from firms that tripled EBITDA and created transformational growthIf you’re a consulting leader thinking about scaling, selling, or simply building a better business - this is one not to miss.We hope you enjoy the show!
James Constable, CEO of Albany Beck returns to Climb in Consulting to share insights on leadership, scaling a consulting firm, and international expansion. Tune in for real-world lessons on growth, strategy, and building a winning team.
Scaling up in a competitive sector, integrating new tech capabilities and responding to the continual push on fees, are all challenges that you’re probably wrestling with for your consultancy right now.And that’s why we invited today’s guest on to share his insights on how to solve these problems, having faced these challenges head on for both his own business and his clients.Jonathan Corrie has helped numerous consultancy firms navigate their way through these tricky waters and seize revenue-growing opportunities as CEO of Precursive, a professional services automation platform that helps turn services into repeatable products. In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick and Jonathan dive into the nitty gritty of productisation, discussing how consulting firms can make the leap from delivering one-off projects to providing a subscription-based service that drives up the value of your business. Nick and Jonathan explore the key elements to successfully productising all or part of your service, and some pitfalls to watch out for, including: - How to move from time and materials (TNM) to re-occurring to recurring revenue. - Why providing a repeatable service doesn’t mean you can’t charge premium fees. - How to design a product that harnesses the power of AI to accelerate and scale your service but doesn’t decimate the fees you can charge. - And why it’s so important that consultants stop talking like consultants. If you’re looking for new ways to grow your consultancy and want to harness the power of technology, Jonathan is the person to listen to. We hope you enjoy the show! Reach out to Jonathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfcorrie/ Learn more about Precursive: https://www.precursive.com/
For our milestone 150th episode of Climb in Consulting, we’re bringing back some of our top all-time guests—the individuals whose insights have resonated most with our listeners. Here’s who you’ll be hearing from in alphabetical order:- Adrian Bettridge- Keith Burgess - Mark Campbell- John HowardThey’ll be answering five carefully chosen questions that dive deep into leadership, overcoming failure, setting goals, and personal growth. Here's a sneak peek at what they'll be sharing:1. A Career-Defining Moment: What was the pivotal moment that shaped their leadership approach, and what did they learn from it?2. Lessons from Failure: They'll reflect on how a failure—or what seemed like one—ultimately set them up for success. Expect some real-life “favorite failures” and the key lessons that came from them.3. Evolving Goal Setting: From their early career days to now, how has their approach to setting and achieving goals changed? We’ll get the inside scoop on big goals and how they made them happen.4. What Sets the Best Apart: After working with countless consultants, our guests share the traits that separate the best from the rest. What behaviors and mindsets consistently lead to success?5. Books That Made an Impact: Since their last appearance, what books have influenced their thinking or leadership style? And how have they applied those insights in their work?Packed with the wisdom and practical advice that’s made these guests listener favorites, this episode is full of golden insights. Whether you’re new to consulting or a seasoned pro, there’s something for everyone. You won’t want to miss it!
How do you take a boutique doing a healthy $2m a year and transform it into an industry leader at $40m. In this episode of Climb In Consulting, Nick is joined by Mark Palmer, former Managing Director of OEE Consulting, to share his story of having done just that.Mark’s journey is a fascinating one, but also one that nearly didn’t happen. Had it not been for a chance meeting at a dinner party, Mark would have been on his way to McKinsey, and his story with OEE would never have begun.Fortunately for Mark, and for you listening, that chance meeting did happen and it led him on a journey to building OEE. A journey that he shares all of his advice, lessons, and learnings from in today’s episode.This conversation is packed with value, from the importance of client focus and collaboration to fostering a culture where successes and failures are shared by the whole team. Get ready to unlock the secrets to building – and scaling - a client-centric boutique consultancy, as we explore:How Mark's unique background equipped him for success in consulting.The strategies Mark and his team used to achieve phenomenal growth. Mark's approach to building a thriving team environment as well as strong client connections.This episode has so much in it to equip you to build a thriving consulting career - be that within a consultancy or leading your own.Reach out to Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpalmeroee/Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Create Space: How to Manage Time and Find Focus, Productivity and Success by Derek DraperI'm Ok, You're Ok: A Practical Approach to Human Psychology, by Thomas HarrisThe Strategy of the Dolphin: Winning Elegantly by Coping Powerfully in a World of Turbulent Change, by Dudley Lynch and Paul L. Kordis Blackbox Thinking by Matthew Syed
Imagine building a high-performing consulting team of 40, brick by brick, from the ground up. That's the remarkable journey of Alan Frost, Partner at Forvis Mazars.In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Alan shares his inspiring story, and offers expert insights on cultivating a collaborative and empowering environment for consultants of all levels.Get ready to explore:- The unexpected benefits of an accounting background: Discover how Alan's experience as a chartered accountant provided a solid foundation for building a successful consulting team.- The pandemic's surprising silver lining: Explore how Alan's team leveraged remote work to strengthen collaboration, upskill, and build a deeper bond.- Why graduates are your secret weapon: Challenge the conventional wisdom about experience in consulting. Alan shares his philosophy on integrating graduates and creating a learning environment where they can flourish.- The team effort behind building trust: Learn why Alan prioritises a team-centric approach to client relationships, fostering trust and confidence across the entire consulting team.This episode is packed with insights for aspiring and seasoned consultants alike. Tune in and discover how Alan navigated an unconventional path to leadership, building a thriving team that delivers exceptional value to clients. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-frost/Learn more about Forvis Mazars: https://www.forvismazars.com/uk/enBooks, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: - What Got You Here Won't Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith: https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Got-Here-Wont-There/dp/1846681375 - Will It Make The Boat Go Faster? by Harriet Beveridge: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Will-Make-Boat-Faster-Olympic-winning/dp/1838592962/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GTLPAR2S16MP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.A1QCCDHoKTiMOf__m-O3ZNlv96CzQKcjWmx6KbbNCYEfmEl6IvlH4WjkYJEAn68_3khQh1OGDFZX7jvcpar3Q_K3_iuyjgTohSEU37lq3X0xv2FidLwzVLmhi3_dlJ5l.PtxYAz3cxK6YcHY6OFVJyBJgSCs2XRZdjS3RLJnUbmY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Will+it+make+the+boat+go+faster%3F&qid=1719320593&s=books&sprefix=will+it+make+the+boat+go+faster+%2Cstripbooks%2C88&sr=1-1
Is your firm relying on the same handful of ‘rainmakers’ to bring in business?The latest episode of Climb in Consulting looks at the practical steps consultancies need to take to build a scalable sales engine that fuels growth and removes risk.Nick was joined by Alan Morton, Managing Director of SBR Consulting, a specialist global consultancy that focuses on growth and revenue acceleration. On the day SBR Consulting hit its 1000th client milestone, Alan shared his insights on:- The dangers of client concentration: Discover how to avoid over-dependence on one key client or contact.- Demystifying (and democratising) sales: Remove the stigma around sales and create a culture where everyone embraces it as a way to add value and build trust.- The power of "coffee conversations": Turn casual chats into opportunities by using curiosity-driven questions to uncover challenges and potential solutions.- Moving beyond a hope-based strategy: Develop a systematic approach to winning business through active listening and asking the right questions.- Metrics that matter: Learn the key sales pipeline metrics you should be tracking to gain predictability and optimise your sales process.- Building a coaching culture: Discover how data-driven insights can be used to identify development needs and fuel a strong coaching culture within your consultancy.- CRM done right: Avoid the "garbage in, garbage out" trap and learn how to leverage a CRM system to gain valuable insights and improve your sales effectiveness.This episode is packed with practical takeaways that will help you transform your consultancy from a reactive business to a proactive growth machine.We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanmorton/ Learn more about SBR Consulting: https://sbrconsulting.comBooks, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Screw It, Let’s Do It by Sir Richard Branson
Ready to supercharge your consulting career? Packed with insights, this episode of Climb In Consulting brings you a whole host of valuable advice from some of the industry’s leading figures. Regular listeners will know that we occasionally change gears to bring you special round-up episodes. And if you’re new to the show, sit back and enjoy, you’re in for a real treat!In every interview, we ask our guests one key question: "What's your single best piece of advice for aspiring consultants, managers, and those aiming for partner?"Since our guests represent diverse backgrounds and career paths, their answers are as unique as they are insightful. Many of you have told us these pieces of advice are like gold, so we compile them into special episodes – just like this one.This time around, get ready to hear from a fantastic selection of guests featured over the past eight months on Climb In Consulting. Our experts include:- Graeme Curwen, Co-Founder and CEO of Enfuse Group- Assad Ahmed, CEO of Phase 3 - Simon Dixon, CEO of Hatmill - Marc Jantzen, Founder of The Consultancy Growth Network- David Bailey, Strategic M&A Advisor- Graeme Freeman, Co-founder of Freeman Clarke - Mark Grice, Co-founder of Total Negotiation Group - Sarah Matthew, Founder of The Vibrant CompanyThese thought leaders share practical strategies for navigating every phase of your consulting career, so whether you're just starting out or seeking that push to the pinnacle, this episode delivers actionable guidance and inspiration.Ready to climb to new heights? Tune in to the new Climb In Consulting episode and unlock your full potential.Enjoy the show!
Are you ready to take your consultancy to the next level? Then you’re in the right place!In the latest episode of Climb In Consulting, we delve deep into the world of consultancy marketing with Joe O'Mahoney, Professor of Consulting at Cardiff University and strategic advisor to consulting and tech leaders across the globe.This fantastic interview originally appeared in our brand new marketing podcast, Brand and Deliver, but it was packed full of so many gems, that we knew it was an episode that our Climb in Consulting audience wouldn’t want to miss.Tune in as Joe shares his unparalleled experience and sheds light on the crucial role marketing plays in propelling your firm to new heights.Here are some of the invaluable insights covered in this episode:- Craft a crystal-clear value proposition: Many consultancies struggle to define what will distinguish them from the masses and communicate it effectively. Learn how to develop a compelling value proposition that resonates with your ideal clients.- The power of "no": It's tempting to offer every service imaginable. However, strategically declining irrelevant projects allows you to develop deeper expertise in your niche, ultimately strengthening your proposition.- Pick up the phone: In today's noisy digital landscape, picking up the phone and fostering connections with existing and past clients is more important than ever.- Thought leadership: Discover how to create high-quality, reusable thought leadership content that positions you as a trusted advisor.- AI in marketing: The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, but what does AI mean for the future of consulting?This episode is a treasure trove of insights for any consultancy owner or marketer looking to harness the power of marketing to fuel growth. Tune in and gain the seasoned perspective you need to take your marketing efforts to the next level!
Forget climbing the corporate ladder. Today's Climb In Consulting dives into building your own. We welcome Sarah Matthew, founder of The Vibrant Company, as she shares her journey from bootstrapped startups to industry leader. Sarah's career is a masterclass in consultancy leadership. After moving from the corporate world of pharma marketing, she played a leading role in turning around the fortunes of an ailing marketing consultancy, before co-founding and selling her own successful consultancy, Virgo. In this fantastic episode, you'll learn the secrets to:- Avoiding the growth trap: How to build a sustainable consultancy that scales, without sacrificing your team.- Laying the groundwork for success: Ensure your consultancy is built on a rock-solid foundation before scaling.- Delivering client nirvana: Discover the three things clients crave most from their consultants (and how to provide them exceptionally).- Crafting your winning narrative: Develop a clear strategy and build a brand that resonates with your ideal clients.You’ll even learn why consultancies need to stop being jellyfish and instead embrace their inner swordfish! This episode is packed with hard-earned wisdom and valuable takeaways to take your career and consultancy to the next level, not one to be missed!Listen to the full episode now!Reach out to Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmatthew/?originalSubdomain=ukLearn more about The Vibrant Company: https://thevibrantcompany.com/
The global pandemic threw a huge curveball at most businesses.Face-to-face interactions became a thing of the past, and consultancies offering in-person services found themselves struggling to adapt.But for Total Negotiation Group (TNG), strong leadership and a willingness to diversify helped turn the global crisis into a huge opportunity.In the latest episode of Climb In Consulting, Nick caught up with Mark Grice, Co-founder of Total Negotiation Group (TNG), a successful global consultancy that helps its clients to build more sustainable and valuable commercial partnerships.Nick and Mark explore how a clever pandemic pivot, along with a strong focus on asking the right questions, not only ensured the firm’s survival, but actually fueled phenomenal growth, helping them accelerate from £5m to £10m revenue during that time.They also dive into a huge number of topics, including:- The fascinating career journey that’s taken Mark from accounting to negotiating, via global stints at Guinness and Disney.- Why commercial negotiation has little in common with talking down hostages - despite what the movies would have you believe! - How TNG knew the time was right for them to expand into Australia – even though they were only in their second year of business.- Why finding the right business partner offers far more benefits than simply having two heads rather than one.- Why asking the right questions – and really listening to the answers – is the one crucial skill all business owners need to learn.…and much more besides!Mark’s story is fascinating and this episode is jam-packed with practical advice and insights for you to take away.Reach out to Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgrice1/ Learn more about Total Negotiation Group: https://www.totalnegotiation.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures by Richard D. LewisGetting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury
In this episode of Climb in Consulting, we're bringing you something a little out of the ordinary, as we turn the tables and put our very own Nick Synnott under the spotlight!Nick recently delivered an insightful and highly practical webinar, all about boosting ROI through effective content marketing. We had so much great feedback on it that we decided to launch it for the podcast, so that you could benefit from what was shared as well.In ‘Maximise Your ROI: 4 Secrets To Drive Your Marketing Success’, Nick explained the strategies and tactics that you can use to achieve outstanding results from your marketing.Whether you're struggling to build brand awareness, generate leads or turn those leads into conversations, this episode is packed with actionable insights for you to take away and apply in your consultancy today.Here's a taste of what you'll learn:- The 4 secrets to successful consultancy marketing: Discover the fundamental elements that every successful marketing approach is built upon.- How to put them into practice: The practical steps you can take to implement these secrets within your own consultancy.- How to ensure ROI: How to leverage cost-effective tactics like webinars and whitepapers to generate the results you want to see.If you’re leading a boutique consultancy and frustrated with your lack of marketing results, or you’re running marketing for your firm and want a framework to help you turn your activity into tangible ROI, then this episode is a must-listen.Ready to unlock the secrets to marketing success? Tune in now.We hope you enjoy the show!
In the consulting industry, we talk a lot about exits, most founders will have had the thought about selling their business and sailing off into the sunset, and many do! But there’s another side that’s often less considered, the acquisition side and who buys those businesses, focussing on scaling their firms to be bigger and better. So, to take a deep dive on the less explored buy-side, David Bailey, seasoned advisor, lets us in on his expansive expertise and knowledge. This episode is packed with knowledge to help buyers understand what to look out for when acquiring a firm, and in turn, how to set your business up for sale. David joins Nick to discuss a diverse career path that’s taken him from consulting entrepreneur to seasoned M&A advisor. Along the way, he's built, sold, and advised multiple consulting firms, accumulating a wealth of wisdom on specialisation, strategic positioning, and navigating the complex world of acquisitions. In this episode, David and Nick cover a wide range of topics, including: - Why being a generalist is the quickest way for consultancies to repel potential buyers, and why offering 30 different services is probably 29 too many. - How to navigate the M&A maze, from maximising your firm's value and finding the right buyer, to making the right exit for you. - What your employees’ LinkedIn profiles could be revealing to would-be buyers- How David crafted a successful advisory career – and why building credibility and defining your unique value proposition are essential steps if you aspire to follow in his footsteps.Whether you're a firm owner contemplating an exit strategy, an aspiring buyer seeking growth opportunities, or simply fascinated by the dynamics of deal-making, this episode is packed with invaluable insights. Whether you're a consultancy owner contemplating an exit strategy, n aspiring buyer seeking growth opportunities or wanting to expand your knowledge on the art of deal-making, this episode is packed with invaluable insights.We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbailey47/
We’re all told that ‘land and expand’ is the only way to grow a consultancy. But what if we told you that you could grow a successful firm by doing the opposite, by providing fractional support to clients that will never need a huge team to help them deliver their goals.Today’s guest has proven that it can be done, and in this episode we dive into how you can grow a substantial advisory business doing just that.Graeme Freeman is Co-founder of Freeman Clarke, the largest & most experienced team of fractional IT leaders for the mid-market.Having run IT services businesses, built commercial software products, and been a corporate CIO and non-executive director, Graeme had deep experience in IT. But stepping out into his own portfolio career, he saw the opportunity for something more. After considering various options and ideas, it was the chance meeting with Steve Clarke that led to launching Freeman Clarke. And the rest, as they say, is history.By focusing on a niche market, fostering genuine client relationships, and taking a hands-on approach to delivery, Freeman Clarke has carved their own path to success that’s helped the business to scale, on both sides of the pond.In this episode, Graeme and Nick dive in to the unorthodox path that Freeman Clarke has taken, and share many of the foundations that have led to their success, including: - Why Freeman Clarke focuses on the mid-market and the benefits to working with clients of this size.- How Freeman Clarke have built their marketing machine and the long term view they take that’s helped them turn trickles of leads into a volcano of new business.- And how Freeman Clarke have been able to grow their business so successfully, by being laser focused on client satisfaction and staying true to their core service proposition.This interview is a fantastic reminder that there’s always ways to do things differently in consulting and that there’s often hidden benefits from taking the path less travelled. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Graeme: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freemangraeme?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BKM8CblTiSZubazXv%2Bl36sw%3D%3D Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo IshiguroEdward de Bono's series of books on thinking
There are countless paths to achieving a successful consulting career, and on Climb In Consulting, we thought we’d heard them all. But who knew the secrets to scaling successful consulting firms could be learned while managing a fast-food franchise? Marc Jantzen’s unique journey to becoming the consulting expert he is today, is a masterclass in reinvention and resilience. Get ready to dig your teeth into Marc’s story, which proves that sometimes, it’s the most unexpected paths that can lead to the most exciting careers.After deciding the world of bean-counting wasn't his cup of tea, Chartered Accountant Marc took a radical leap into hospitality, taking on the role of managing a whole region of restaurants. Having gained extensive management experience in that role, Marc joined his sister's firm, Blue Sky, and together they navigated the ever-changing landscape of the consulting industry for 17 years. Their journey culminated in a major coup – selling the firm to Capita, a testament to their strategic savvy and entrepreneurial spirit.But instead of relaxing on a beach with a piña colada, as many others might have done, Marc embarked on the next stage of his adventure, advising other consulting firms on how they could achieve the growth that he and Blue Sky had. That’s when he noticed a recurring pattern – common business challenges that were specific to the consulting world. And thus, The Consultancy Growth Network was born. Something Marc and Nick talk all about in this episode.In this wisdom-packed interview, Marc shares his decades of knowledge on how to build a successful consulting firm, including:Why working for KFC head office inspired him to pursue his own consultancy. - The common challenges he sees consulting firms facing, time and time again – and how to overcome them - Why defining, and refining, your value proposition might be the most important thing you do - And how Blue Sky went from £30,000 profit one year to over £800,000 the next, and the lessons you can apply to enable your firm to do the sameIf you’re currently planning how to scale your consultancy over 2024 and want to know the critical steps you can take to rapidly grow your firm, then this interview is a must listen.We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebusinessgrowthspecialist/Learn more about The Consultancy Growth Network: https://hubs.la/Q02kQTTc0Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Beyond Performance by Scott Keller and Colin PriceSuperCoach by Michael Neal Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
There are countless organisations out there claiming to do business differently. So much so, that ‘disruptive’ has become a permanent fixture in games of buzzword bingo. But very few organisations are actually breaking the mould, and only the rarest exceptions can truly back up their claim of disrupting the way traditional business is done.Our guest on the latest episode of Climb in Consulting is one such exception. Simon Dixon is Founder and CEO of Hatmill, the UK’s largest logistics consultancy, and no.1 in the Great Place To Work® list of the UK’s best small workplaces.The 60-strong consultancy, established in 2009, delivers end-to-end supply chain and logistics support to deliver improvements across warehousing, transport, forecasting and inventory.Hatmill was always going to be different. It arose from Simon’s dissatisfaction with the employee experience in conventional consultancies – the hierarchical structures, grades, pressure to achieve KPIs and targets, and the assumption that everyone wants to climb the greasy ladder to make partner.With Hatmill, Simon stripped all of that away. There are no grades, no managers, no sales targets and no KPIs. And while this approach may sound counterintuitive, it’s helped them build a successful consultancy that’s also recognised as one of the best places to work in Europe. In fact, in its 2023 survey, 100% of its employees said it was a great place to work. In this episode, Nick and Simon cover a lot of ground, delving into the details of how Hatmill has grown, and how it’s managed (or rather, self-managed) on a day-to-day basis. You’ll find out:- How Hatmill have built a self managed team and the key tenets that underpin their unique business model.- The reason Hatmill doesn’t have grades or promotions, and why this has been a huge contributor to their success.- Why Hatmill eschews the traditional, corporate appraisal model – and why their only measures are whether employees are living Hatmill’s values, and performance against other people’s expectations- The reason Hatmill doesn’t have traditional HR policies, and why, in an ideal world, Simon would prefer there to be no CEO at all.If you’re looking for a fresh approach to running your consultancy, this could be just what you need!We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Simon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-dixon-hatmill/?originalSubdomain=ukLearn more about Hatmill: https://hatmill.com/Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness, by Frédéric Laloux The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It, by Michael E. GerberNever Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, by Chris Voss
In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, we welcomed Assad Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Phase 3, the Manchester-based consultancy that provides professional and managed services across HR, payroll, and finance. As a born entrepreneur, Assad started Phase 3 at a young age, and with a self-confessed aversion to planning, he was able to grow the business through his aptitude for building relationships and a healthy dose of ‘winging it’!Since then, Phase 3 has grown to over 100 employees spread across the UK, with many of Assad’s early recruits now in management positions, including COO James Proctor, who started as one of Phase 3’s first consultants.In this episode, Nick and Assad enjoy an in-depth chat about the trajectory of Phase 3, and delve into the detail of how it evolved from Phase 3 v.1 to v.2 and beyond.They cover a whole host of fascinating topics, including:- Why getting out and doing it is the most important step an entrepreneur can take- How landing a hugely profitable client actually set the growth of the business back- How Phase 3 thrived during the 2008-9 credit crunch by focusing on the value they offered to customers - Why Assad now embraces planning – and why 90-day plans are his preferred duration- The importance of culture in Phase 3, and why Assad is a big believer in putting people first-Whether you’re at the early stages of your consulting career, a seasoned pro, or you’re planning to start your own firm, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting.We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Assad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/assadahmedp3c/ Learn more about Phase 3: https://phase3.co.uk/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: - How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - Growth: Building a Successful Consultancy in the Digital Age by Joe O’Mahoney
In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, we had the huge pleasure of talking to Graeme Curwen, Co-Founder and CEO of Enfuse Group, an award-winning Digital Transformation consultancy that delivers high-performance transformations and solutions, through a deep understanding of people and technology.As an experienced career consultant, Graeme always had an aspirations to forge his own path. This journey began when he stepped out into the world of contracting, a move that set the stage for his entrepreneurial venture. But his pivotal moment came when he reconnected with a former colleague, Harry Vazanias. This reunion was the catalyst that ultimately led them to establish Enfuse Group.The partners spent the first 3 years learning the ropes, and then one New Year’s Eve, they met to discuss their vision for the future – a 150-strong consultancy within 10 years. Fast forward 5 years and Enfuse Group are well on their way to achieving that target. They are now a firm of over 50 consultants, and they’ve recently been recognised by Best Companies as the No. 2 Best Consultancy to work for in the UK and No. 3 Best Small Company. In this episode, Nick and Graeme have an in-depth conversation about the phenomenal growth of Enfuse Group, and the shared vision and values that have driven the firm’s success.They discuss a huge range of topics, including:- The three core principles Enfuse Group was founded upon- How Graeme and Harry built a roadmap to help them achieve their ten-year plan - Why business development is a lot like managing a football team – and why everyone has their own position to play- Why doubling the firm’s monthly revenue in the space of 3 months ended up being one of the most stressful times at Enfuse Group- And the 5 key growth areas Enfuse Group are focusing on to get to the next levelIf you’re looking to start 2024 off on the right foot and get your consultancy set up for success, then this is a must listen! Whether you’re just starting out, already established in your consulting career, or you’re planning to start your own firm, this interview is packed full of valuable advice and insights that will help you along the way.We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Graeme: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemecurwen/ Learn more about Enfuse Group: https://www.enfusegroup.com/Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Growth-Building-Successful-Consultancy-Digital/dp/0367710846/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=R4ULS&content-id=amzn1.sym.3413293e-3815-4359-96ba-1ec5110e0b30&pf_rd_p=3413293e-3815-4359-96ba-1ec5110e0b30&pf_rd_r=262-1895527-3140948&pd_rd_wg=6M5ng&pd_rd_r=70608808-7a2e-46fb-a383-9740bc6e1de0&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk
In this episode of Climb in Consulting, we’re bringing you something a little out of the ordinary, as we feature not one, but four industry titans sharing their consulting growth strategies.Nick and Frankie recently attended The Consultancy Growth Network’s (TCGN) annual summit, for a day of hugely insightful talks from leaders from across the industry. Knowing what our audience likes to learn about, we thought that this talk would make a great episode of Climb In Consulting, and are very pleased that TCGN agreed.This was a panel session focused on different strategies for growing your consultancy. The panel session, which was led by Marc Jantzen, Founder of TCGN and seasoned consulting entrepreneur, featured a heavy-weight panel of experts:- Paul Collins - Founder and Chairman of Equiteq, the advisory house specialising in global mergers and acquisitions in the consulting space.- Susan Lohr – Founder of four global businesses during her 30-year career, and currently a Partner in The Vibrant Company, a professional development consultancy.- Fred Akuffo - a renowned supply chain expert, and Founder of Olive Horse, a supply chain management consultancy that was recently acquired by PWC. In this insightful discussion, the panellists share their journeys to success and the growth strategies that worked for them. In a session packed with practical and actionable advice, here are just a few of the highlights:- The importance of making it as straightforward and easy as possible for customers to buy from you - How packaging up your services and productising your consultancy can unlock huge growth- The key questions you need to ask before moving into a new geographical market- The pros and cons of using channel partnerships as a primary growth strategy - Why the partnership model doesn’t work for every firmThe panellists also offer advice and insights on a wide range of topics from raising finance, maintaining healthy margins and scaling through acquisitions, to building a strong culture and the challenges involved in setting up overseas. If you’re looking for something to help you start 2024 in the best way possible, then this episode is a must-listen!Reach out to the panel:Marc Jantzen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebusinessgrowthspecialist/?originalSubdomain=uk Paul Collins - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pecollins/ Susan Lohr - https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lohr-12146a/ Fred Akuffo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-akuffo-6a3953/You can Learn more about The Consultancy Growth Network - https://www.consultancygrowthnetwork.com/
Welcome to the latest episode of Climb In Consulting!This time around, we were delighted to welcome Chris Southwell, Partner at The Berkeley Partnership, the consultancy that helps organisations transform under the most complex, challenging, and high-stakes circumstances to achieve their ambitions.This thought-provoking episode of Climb in Consulting focuses primarily on a topic that’s incredibly close to Chris’s heart – mental health and wellbeing.In this one, Chris talks openly and honestly about his struggles with mental health, and how his difficult upbringing led to a hugely challenging period in his life, when he first became a father.It was this that led him to seek professional help and focus on getting himself mentally well. Chris worked hard to overcome his challenges and return to health, although as he points out himself, we are all a work in progress.After returning to work, Chris went on to make Partner (with a small detour along the way), and has since seen Berkeley go from strength-to-strength. As well as talking candidly about his own mental health struggles, Chris and Nick cover a host of fascinating topics in this episode, including:- Chris’s challenging start in life, and how he came to see his upbringing as a strength and motivating force- The three things Chris swears by to protect his mental and physical health- Why Chris recommends talking therapies for everyone- Why it’s vital to normalise and remove the taboo around mental health…and much more!If you’re currently wrestling with your own mental health challenges, or maybe you just want to keep your mental health as good as it can be, you’re going to find this episode invaluable.We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-southwell/ Learn more about The Berkeley Partnership: https://www.berkeleypartnership.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Atomic Habits by James Clearhttps://www.helloself.com/https://www.createengage.co.uk/podcasts/michael-mahony-the-berkeley-partnership/
Our guest on the latest episode of Climb in Consulting has an incredibly inspiring – and cinematic - story to tell. Since 2022, Paul Pugh has been CEO at Mason Advisory, an award-winning digital and technology consultancy that solves complex business challenges through intelligent use of IT.Skipping back a few years, Paul had been firmly on the partner track at KPMG when he found himself boarding a train he was never supposed to take. On board, a chance meeting led to an offer that would go on to change the course of his career. It was thanks to this ‘sliding doors moment’, that he ended up taking a director role at Mason Advisory, which back in 2016 was still a fledgling firm. In this episode, Nick and Paul have an in-depth chat about his career, how Mason Advisory has scaled, and of course that train encounter. As well as all that, they also cover a whole host of fascinating topics, including:- What led to Paul’s decision to jump off the partner track at KPMG and take a leap into the unknown- The importance of finding a role that allows you to stay true to your values- How the team at Mason Advisory scaled the business, despite the challenging times- Why he’s a big believer in giving people opportunities to flourish – and why we tend to learn the most during times of crisisWhether you’re just starting out in your consulting career, planning to start a new firm, or thinking of switching tracks in your career, this episode is a must listen. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-pugh-4823a713/ Learn more about Mason Advisory: https://www.masonadvisory.com Books mentioned in the show: Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't, by Jim Collins
In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Matt Cheung, CEO at Clarasys, the international business consulting firm, focused on delivering the best possible experiences for their clients and their people.Regular listeners may recognise Matt’s name, and that’s because Matt was the very first guest on Climb In Consulting. Having previously talked about the origins of Clarasys and Matt’s journey to founding the business in that episode, Nick and Matt wanted to do something a little different with this one, and use it as a chance to go into detail on many of the principles behind Claraysis’s success.In this Conversation Nick and Matt talk about a range of topics that challenge the common orthodoxy in consulting, as Matt shares his perspective on why these widely held beliefs are actually holding people and consultancies back. They cover some fascinating areas, including:- Why Matt believes the traditional hierarchical approach to running organisations has had its day- The importance of being open and honest with your people, even in difficult times- Why Matt thinks many Consultants are unhappy – and the ingredients we all need to find happiness at work- How and why Matt took the decision to turn Clarasys into an Employee Ownership Trust…and much more besides, including a chat about Matt’s fascinating book ‘Trust and Patience’ – the story of how he built Clarasys. So if you’re just starting out on your consulting journey, thinking of making the leap from firm to founder, or simply enjoy listening to values-driven success stories, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcheungclarasys/ Learn more about Clarasys: https://www.clarasys.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Trust and Patience, by Matt Cheung and Samantha RobertsReinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness, by Frédéric Laloux Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel PinkCorporate Rebels: Make work more fun by Joost Minnaar, Pim de MorreeThe Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, by Amy C. Edmondson
In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Anush Newman, Managing Director at JMAN Group, the global data consultancy specialising in the private equity market.Anush’s story makes for a fascinating listen. He cut his consulting teeth in the oil and gas industry, working in roles that took him all over the world, to locales as exotic as Kazakhstan, Sellafield and Northern Scotland! After tiring of all the travel, Anush embarked on a successful contracting career which eventually led (by way of a broken spreadsheet!) to the creation of JMAN, the global data consultancy Anush founded with his cousin Leo. Fast forward to today, and JMAN now a team of over 200 consultants working across London and Chenai with plans for further global expansion. Earlier this year, they were recognised as one of the Times ‘Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies’ with an annual growth rate of over 80%. But Anush and JMAN’s journey hasn’t been without its hiccups, and in this episode Anush shares openly the challenges they faced and how they managed to turn them around to go from almost going under to becoming one of the UK’s fastest growing firms.If that wasn’t enough, there’s a whole host of other fascinating topics that Nick and Anush discuss in this one, including…- Anush’s decision to move from the stress-free world of contracting to running his own firm- How breaking a client’s Excel spreadsheet led to the lightbulb moment behind JMAN - The single-minded approach that led to JMAN breaking into the private equity market- Creating a ‘one-team’ culture in an organisation that spans the globeIf you want to learn the secrets of someone who’s gone from contractor to successful consulting leader, then this episode is a must listen. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Anush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anush-newman-b314476/ Learn more about JMAN: https://jmangroup.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life, by James Kerr The Captain Class: The Hidden Force Behind the World’s Greatest Teams, by Sam WalkerThe Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking, by Barbara Minto
In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Simon Clark, a consulting industry veteran who’s done everything from founding and exiting his own successful consultancy CVL, to launching his own tech platform, to advising a whole host of boutique consultancies and marcoms businesses on their growth journeys. Simon’s story is a great example of how diverse consulting careers can be. He hit the ground running, having started his own digital and e-commerce consultancy back when the internet was in its infancy – and when Simon wasn’t much older! At the tender age of 25, with his first major client already secured, he launched CVL, a firm that he went on to sell after 14 successful years. After an extended travel adventure that involved living alongside locals in Lima and even doing an internship in a media startup, Simon returned to UK shores and founded Metis, a new tech start-up in the professional services automation space. Having built a great platform and learnt a ton about the boutique end of the consulting space, Simon and his co-founder called time on Metis, and Simon went on to the next stage of his career advising boutiques big and small as they navigated the challenges of growing a consulting firm. Nick caught up with Simon, who is currently enjoying a well-earned career break, to find out more about his career so far, and what he’s learned from his varied experiences. Nick and Simon discuss some fascinating topics in this episode, including:- Why sales training is the best possible grounding for anyone who aspires to run their own consultancy.- The associate focused strategy that led to CVL becoming a huge industry success – and why Simon stuck with that model for the life of the business.- How to diversify and explore new avenues to boost your bottom line without alienating your core client base- Why Simon recommends taking time out to travel early in life, to gain experiences that will benefit you throughout your careerAll this, plus fishing, football and rugby metaphors aplenty! Whether you’re just starting out in your consulting career, planning to start a new firm, or simply enjoy listening to brilliant interviews, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Simon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clark/Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by Bill PerkinsWho Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer JohnsonTraction - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837/ref=asc_df_1936661837/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310623486223&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8979635967067327876&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-404289645110&psc=1&th=1&psc=1Get a Grip - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Get-Grip-Everything-Entrepreneurial-Business/dp/1939529824/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_2/260-6024775-4577939?pd_rd_w=x76lz&content-id=amzn1.sym.40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_p=40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_r=CQVFHXGH785W5J0S0RNT&pd_rd_wg=sSkks&pd_rd_r=fcb004fe-8126-432d-9c47-785bb011c6bf&pd_rd_i=1939529824&psc=1
In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Tony Clark, Founder of NextWave.Regular listeners to this podcast will know that we centre the discussion on the various routes our guests’ careers have taken, in order to highlight the endless possibilities offered by a career in consulting. Tony’s journey is a fascinating one. After spending nine years at Accenture, he was on course to make Associate Partner, but instead changed track and helped to scale two successful boutique consultancies, MA Partners and Crossbridge Consulting – both of which grew and eventually went on to be acquired by larger groups. During his time leading those firms, Tony honed his consulting and business growth skills, delivering complex technology solutions for clients in financial services, and this led to an idea for his own venture. NextWave launched in 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but despite the difficult start, the firm has already grown into a £6m+, 60-strong digital acceleration consultancy. Recently recognised as the UK’s fastest growing consultancy and 13th fastest growing business in the UK as a whole, with an annual compound growth rate of almost 200%.Nick and Tony dive into some fascinating topics in this episode, including…- Tony’s decision to start the firm and the signs that he saw in the industry that helped him set the course for NextWave- How Covid-19 almost derailed NextWave before it even got started – and how the firm not only bounced back but went on to achieve phenomenal growth in just three short years- Why not being ‘billable’ ended up being one of Tony’s best business decisions in founding Nextwave- How living the company values has resulted in a culture that people want to be a part of…and much more. In fact, there’s so much in this episode, it’s almost impossible to summarise! Suffice to say, if you’re thinking of making the leap from Big 4 to boutique, planning to start up your own firm, or simply enjoy listening to epic success stories, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Tony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-clark-07160b/ Learn more about NextWave: https://www.nxwave.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Persuading, Convincing, and Influencing Others by Daniel H. Pink 24 Assets: Create a digital, scalable, valuable and fun business that will thrive in a fast changing world by Daniel PriestleyNextWave Perspectives: The Sunday Times Best Places to Work Award 2023
For this episode of Climb in Consulting, we’re shaking the format up a little.Yes, we’re turning the tables, as our very own Nick Synnott joins Neil Sharp CCXP, PEN’s Marketing & Proposition Director, and Ben Edwards, Head of Partnerships at CMap, to explore the remarkable 4-year marketing journey that PEN has been on with Create Engage.Having started with a limited brand presence and minimal content, PEN has steadily built their brand and marketing presence over the last four years, and now boast a sophisticated marketing function rivalling the Big Four. We’re proud to say that Create Engage have been there for every step of the journey, helping PEN to build their marketing strategy from the ground up and continuing to support the team today.In this in-depth discussion, Neil, Nick and Ben discuss the journey that PEN’s marketing has been on and offer practical advice on how to build an effective brand and marketing strategy that will support your consulting firm's growth or acquisition goals.This frank and fascinating conversation covers an awful lot of ground, including:- Why brand should be a significant lever in differentiating your consulting firm’s proposition- How you can build an effective marketing strategy that gives you the ROI you want without breaking the bank- Why empowering staff to take ownership of marketing can reap huge rewards- Where you should focus your efforts when building your marketing operating model- The reason PEN did all of this with an outsourced marketing partner, rather than hiring an in-house marketing team.Whether you’re looking to scale your consulting firm, plan your exit, or simply want to ramp up your marketing, this episode will give you the insights you need to build an effective brand and marketing approach that will support your goals.We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Neil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-sharp-ccxp-331b89/Reach out to Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/Learn more about PEN: https://penpartnership.com/
In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Augusto Negrillo, Managing Director at Vivero.Having started out as a software developer, Augusto quickly realised that the behind-the-scenes coding life wasn’t for him, instead preferring to be out in the field working with customers, helping them to ‘decode’ and transform their businesses.His consulting career took him to the other side of the world and back again, taking leadership roles in a range of boutiques with a focus on growth; from sales, to operations to M&A.Having been involved in multiple transactions and seen both the good and the bad, Augusto decided to launch Vivero - an advisory firm specialising in business growth, mergers and acquisitions for boutique consultancies. With Augusto’s fantastic track record in consulting and his experience working day in day out on M&A deals with Vivero, he has a ton of great insights on what it takes to build, and sell, a boutique consultancy.To share all of these great learnings, Nick caught up with Augusto to find out more about his career so far, including his successes and failures, and why, over the years, he’s learned much more from the latter.Nick and Augusto discuss some fascinating topics in this episode, including:· The key drivers to growing the value of your consultancy, and why revenue growth doesn’t always equal value growth.· The importance of building a great business, not just a business to sell, and the three key groups you need to consider when thinking about any major strategic decision.· And Augusto’s approach to business growth and acquisitions – which involves far more talk of wine, snacks and exotic fish than you might expect!Whether you’re at the start of your journey and looking to set your consultancy up for success, or you're further down the road, and starting to plan for your own expansion or exit, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Augusto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augustonegrillo/Learn more about Vivero Ltd - http://www.viveroltd.comBooks mentioned in the show: Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Clare Hill, CEO at Sysdoc.If you’re a regular listener to this podcast, you’ll know by now that we love taking a deep dive into the different routes our guests’ careers have taken.Clare’s story is a fascinating one and shows that you don’t need to start your career in the industry to reach the top.Having spent the first 15 years of her career working in advertising, Clare decided that she needed a career that worked better for her homelife. With two young children at home, the socialising and client events that were commonplace in advertising at the time wasn’t sustainableThrough a chance conversation with a friend she learnt about Sysdoc, and decided to make the bold leap into consulting.Over the last 25 years, Clare’s been on a hugely exciting roller coaster ride that’s seen her help navigate Sysdoc through the telco boom and bust of the early 2001s, the financial crash of the mid-2000s and the recent global pandemic. At the same time she’s seen her career skyrocket, going from a brand new consultant to becoming CEO of the UK business, a role that she’s now held since 2010.With so much experience under her belt and a fantastic journey through the ups and downs of building a consulting firm, Nick knew they would have a ton to speak about and Clare shares tons of great advice for you in this episode.We dive into some fascinating topics, including:· Making the move from industry into consulting, how Clare found it and why Sysdoc are just as willing to hire industry professionals as they are experienced consultants.· Sysdoc’s growth journey and how they’ve been able to retain their entrepreneurial spirit, even after 35 years.· And the founding principles of Sysdoc and why aviation thinking is at the heart of everything they do.This fantastic episode covers so much ground. If you’re starting out on your own consultancy journey, thinking of making the leap from industry to consulting, or simply want to find out more about how Clare’s consulting career took flight, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Clare: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarehillsysdoc/Learn more about Sysdoc: https://www.sysdoc.com/Books mentioned in the show: Winning! The path to Rugby World Cup glory, by Clive Woodward
In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Phil Rolfe, UK Managing Partner of Valcon.Regular listeners to this podcast will know that we centre the discussion on the various routes our guests’ careers have taken, in order to highlight the endless possibilities and permutations offered by a career in consulting.Phil’s journey is a really interesting one. It starts, as so many consultants’ journeys do, with a post-uni graduate trainee scheme. Working with Eagle Star, (subsequently Zurich), Phil qualified as an accountant and got plenty of experience under his belt before moving on to boutique consultancy, Tillinghast.He then moved to London (and back to Eagle Star) to set up accountancy services for a new life and pensions business, which grew from nothing to 200 to 300 people.A chance meeting resulted in a role with KPMG, where he worked for the next 5 years, including a stint on the NatWest/RBS integration. This led to RBS offering him a job managing major projects. He stayed for 11 years, through to the 2008 crash, when the NatWest Group was taken over by ABN AMRO.Phil then moved to the Netherlands with his family, working with the ABN AMRO team in financial crime. He took their best practices around the world, building financial crime teams for RBS in Poland, Singapore, India and The United States .Ready for his next adventure, Phil left RBS to set up his own financial crime company. Before long, he was approached by P2 Consulting who bought part of the company, before making him CEO of the whole firm. In December 2021, they joined forces with Valcon, with Phil as UK Managing Partner.Nick caught up with Phil to find out more about his amazing journey, and how being open to new opportunities has given him a more diverse and interesting career than he could have imagined.Nick and Phil dive into some fascinating topics in this episode, including…· The decision to move from consulting to an industry role – and how progressing in a consultancy role can be a lot like a Christmas tree· The importance of recognising when you’re not the smartest person in the room - and knowing when to rely on the expertise of the people around you· How scaling a team to 500 (and then 2000!) people informed Phil’s leadership style and approach · The value of being open to opportunities and saying yes to new experiences…and much more besides.In fact, there’s so much content in this episode, it’s almost impossible to summarise! Suffice to say, if you’re starting out on your own consultancy career, thinking of making the leap from consulting to industry, or simply enjoy listening to epic success stories, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philrolfe1/?originalSubdomain=ukLearn more about Valcon: https://valcon.com/en/Book mentioned in the show: What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful, by Marshall Goldsmith
In this week’s episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick catches up with Peter Reid, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at MSQ.Peter’s early career path took him from entrepreneurial beginnings at US-based start-up Simpsons, to a successful four years with McKinsey and Company. Peter then changed direction, taking on a senior development role at Media Square, which saw him cutting his teeth in what was then the relatively new world of digital marketing. In 2011, he co-founded MSQ, seeing a gap in the market and a need from brands for smarter and simpler agency relationships. Fast forward to today and he’s now Global CEO, overseeing the UK’s fastest growing marketing network, with 1200 employees working across 13 global offices.Nick and Peter discuss some fascinating topics in this episode, including:- Peter’s early career and the key lessons he learnt from his time at McKinsey.- What led Peter to co-found MSQ and how MSQ’s acquisition strategy has turbocharged its growth in the UK and overseas.- The importance of culture, and how to build a culture that works at both a group and individual agency level.- And the importance of sustainability, diversity and inclusion and Peter’s advice for how to approach these to deliver real change in your organisation. - This wide ranging conversation had something in it for everyone. Whether you’re just starting out on your own consultancy journey or perhaps you’re looking at how to grow your business and are considering venturing into the world of M&A, you’re going to get so much from Peter’s advice in this episode.Enjoy the show!Reach out to Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-reid1/Learn more about MSQ Partners Ltd: https://www.msqpartners.com/Books mentioned in the show: The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking by Barbara MintoThe Uninhabitable Earth: A Story of the Future by David Wallace-Wells
In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Stefan Aichbauer, Managing Partner at H&Z.If you’re a regular listener to this podcast, you’ll know that we like to chat with our guests about the various routes their careers have taken, and how their individual journeys have helped to shape their outlook. Having started his career at Siemens, it wasn’t long before Stefan realised that life in a multinational corporation wasn’t for him, and at the age of 24, he made the leap to what was then a small, boutique consulting firm with just eight other people, but which has since grown into H&Z Group, now one of the 100 best employers in Germany.At H&Z, Stefan’s career took a rapid, upward trajectory. He rose through the ranks from Analyst, through to Partner, before being made Managing Partner in 2008. That was fifteen years ago, and since then, the firm has enjoyed phenomenal success, growing significantly since them and forming the leading European wide consulting group, the Transformation Alliance, something Nick and Stefan explore in today’s episode. Nick and Stefan delve into some fascinating areas in this episode, including:-Stefan’s head, heart, hand approach to consulting-What great consulting leaders have in common with movie directors-The importance of knowing when to step back and ‘give up the sugar’ as you progress in to senior leadership-And why passion for the job is the one non-negotiable if you want to build an awesome consulting careerIf you’re starting out on your own consultancy journey, thinking of making the leap from a big multi-national to a boutique firm, or simply want to learn from someone at the top of our field, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Stefan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanaichbauer/Learn more about H&Z Management Consulting: https://hz.group/Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey
For this week’s episode of Climb in Consulting, We’re bringing you something a little different to the norm. For one week only, we’re turning the tables, as Nick joins Professor Joe O’Mahoney for a chat on his fantastic podcast, Growth for Consultancies.Joe is a leading authority on consulting and a trusted advisor to many boutique consulting firms. His research on the profession has won several prestigious awards and publications. His textbook on Management Consulting was the best-selling in Europe and his academic research has been published in top international journals. As a previous guest on this show, Nick was honoured when Joe asked him to come on Growth for Consultancies and join an enviable list of former guests, including the likes of Adrian Bettridge, Stephen Newton and Rob Garner to name but a few.In this conversation, Joe grills Nick on what effective marketing for boutique consultancies should really look like, what firms like yours should be focusing on in 2023 and challenges Nick to prove the ROI of marketing - a question we often get when speaking to consultancies out in the market.If you’re a consultancy leader and you want to find out how effective digital marketing can turbocharge your growth, you won’t want to miss this episode of Climb in Consulting.We hope you enjoy it!You can listen to Nick's interview with Joe for Climb in Consulting here: joeomahoney.com/podcast/
In this week’s episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick chats to Stephen Aldridge, Managing Director at financial modelling consultancy, Numeritas.If you’re a regular listener of the podcast, you’ll know that we often explore the different routes to success that many of our guests have followed. Stephen’s journey has been one of the most interesting we’ve encountered, taking him from factory-based engineering to running his own successful boutique consultancy – with a stint as a painter and decorator thrown in for good measure! During his time as an engineer, Stephen got to know his products inside out, but he soon began to crave a more commercial role. He moved into sales and marketing, before discovering his true passion – financial modelling. He then spent several successful years at KPMG and Deloitte – where the prospect of making Partner was dangled in front of him more than once – before making the leap into running Numeritas with his business partner, Denver McCann.That was almost 20 years ago. Now, as Numeritas approaches two successful decades in business, Nick catches up with Stephen to find out more about his journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way, including:- What makes a successful partnership and his advice for anyone building a consultancy with a co-founder or founders- Stephen’s lessons from 20 years in business, what’s helped Numeritas accelerate their success and what pitfalls you should watch out for if you’re at the start of building your own consultancy- How taking a structured approach to marketing led to a 40% increase in sales and why Stephen sees marketing as a critical part of their business.- And why Numertias choose to outsource all but core consulting functions and the lessons you can learn to help you improve your own consultancy.Whether you’re interested in starting your own consultancy, thinking of making the leap from the ‘Big Four’ to a boutique, or simply enjoy a cracking interview, you’ll love listening to this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show!Books mentioned in the show:The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals – Sean Covey and Chris McChesney: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disciplines-Execution-Revised-Achieving-Important/dp/1398506664/ref=asc_df_1398506664/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=500798696358&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9077352115313573375&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-1185258338109&psc=1&th=1&psc=1Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0141033576/ref=sr_1_1?crid=34CEMRJV2OYUJ&keywords=Thinking+Fast+and+Slow+%E2%80%93+Daniel+Kahneman&qid=1678380546&s=books&sprefix=thinking+fast+and+slow+daniel+kahneman%2Cstripbooks%2C91&sr=1-1Noise – Daniel Kahneman: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Noise-book-authors-Thinking-Nudge/dp/0008309035/ref=sr_1_7_sspa?crid=UD0H3VZZ7PKN&keywords=Noise+%E2%80%93+Daniel+Kahneman&qid=1678380565&s=books&sprefix=noise+daniel+kahneman%2Cstripbooks%2C86&sr=1-7-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1Stephen’s Recommended Reads:Thinking and forecasting:Superforecasting - Philip Tetlock & Dan Gardner The Signal and the Noise - Nate Silver Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness - Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. SunsteinHow To Make The World Add Up - Tim Harford The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme - Prof Steve PetersTime to think - Nancy KlineInfluence and negotiating:Never Split The Difference - Chris Voss Influence - Robert Cialdini Pre-suasion - Robert Cialdini How To Fail At Almost Everything And Still Win Big - Scott Adams Loserthink - Scott Adams Win Bigly - Scott AdamsOther favourites: Rebel Ideas - Matthew Syed Black Box Thinking - Matthew Syed Messy - Tim Harford The Undercover Economist - Tim Harford
If you’re a regular listener to the Climb in Consulting podcast, you’ll know that every few months we like to switch things up, deviating from our usual interview format to bring you something a little different - and this episode is exactly that!New to Climb In Consulting? Then let us explain. Every episode, our guests offer fantastic insights and advice, particularly when they’re answering one very important question that we ask everyone who comes on the show: ‘What one piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in consulting, someone at Manager level and someone approaching Partner?’Because our guests come from such a wide range of backgrounds, and have followed many different consulting career paths, they all have their own unique perspective on this question, and always provide varied and insightful responses. Many of our listeners have told us that they love listening to these answers, which is why we put them all together in our special round-up shows.In today’s episode, you’ll hear from a selection of guests from the past eight months of Climb In Consulting, as they all draw on their individual experiences to bring you valuable insights on how to build a successful consulting career.In this episode, you’ll be hearing from:Keith Burgess - Head of Management Consulting Development Curriculum EMEA at IBMMichael Simmonds & Manfred Abraham – Co-CEOs at Yonder Consulting Andrew Zimmerman – CEO at JourneyCatherine Crump - Managing Director at Wired ConsultingHeather Townsend – Best Selling Author & Global Expert on Making PartnerAshley Chapman – CEO at inlumi James O'Sullivan - CEO at Project One Consulting Chris Gant - Managing Partner at Wunderman Thompson Consulting There’s so much great advice featured in this episode, and we’re sure you’ll get a lot out of it, no matter what stage you’re at in your career.
In today’s episode of Climb in Consulting Nick is joined by Nick Kent, Founder of Alpha FMC, the global financial services consultancy with over 900 consultants supporting clients across 16 offices spanning the UK, Europe, North America and APAC.While Nick’s story with Alpha ended very successfully, that’s not how it started. And it was actually a shock redundancy from Accenture that led him to launch the business. Something Nick shares in detail in today’s conversation.As the saying goes, when one door closes another opens, and in Nick’s case this was the catalyst that led to him launching Alpha. Fast forward and the firm’s grown massively, been through not one, but two PE investment rounds, and in 2017 it IPO’d on London’s aim market.With so much experience in the industry and a phenomenal journey building Alpha, there was so much to unpack in this conversation, including:- Nick’s shock redundancy and how this difficult time led him to launch Alpha FMC- The fundamental principles that Alpha was built on and how these led Nick and the team to have the success that they have as a business- And the journey from a private business, to private equity to IPO, the ups, the downs and everything in between.Whether you’re thinking of launching your own consultancy, or you’re running a firm or practice area right now and want to learn from one of the best in the industry, you’re going to get so much from this conversation.We hope you enjoy the show!Get to know Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-kent-518512/Find out more about Alpha FMC: https://alphafmc.com/Books mentioned in the show: The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson: https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-One-Minute-Manager/dp/0008128049
In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Chris Gant, Managing Partner at Wunderman Thompson Consulting.As successful consultancy careers go, Chris’s is up there with the very best of them!Having spent eighteen fast-paced years at KPMG, Chris decided he wanted to take some time out and in 2004, he left to go back to school, joining the Sloan programme at London Business School.It was his time at LBS that led him to joining EY as a senior partner in their Middle East and Africa business where he spent the best part of the next decade. Returning to the UK in 2020 to take on an EMEIA leadership role.Having retired from EY and after a short break, Chris decided to jump back into a new and exciting role - still in consulting, but this time with a difference. Joining Wunderman Thompson (part of the WPP marketing and communications group) to build their transformation consulting business. A relative start-up within the huge global brand that is Wunderman Thompson.Nick and Chris cover some fascinating areas in this conversation, including:- Why taking time out of the industry was one of the best career decisions he made.- Consulting in the Middle East and his advice if you’re thinking of making the move.- How Chris successfully managed to jump from a “big four” environment to a creative agency, and the biggest things he learnt along the way.If you’re looking to make a new career move in 2023, Chris’s advice will be hugely valuable to you.We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cgant/Learn more about Wunderman Thompson: https://www.wundermanthompson.com/expertise/consultingBooks mentioned in the show: How to Cheat at Chess by William R. Hartson https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Cheat-Chess-William-Hartston/dp/0091261112
At Create Engage, we like to share as much information as we can to help you get the most out of your marketing. So with that in mind, this week’s episode of Climb In Consulting is a little different!Instead of the usual conversation with an industry-leading guest, Nick’s on hand to give you everything you need to set your 2023 marketing strategy up for success.Today’s episode is taken from a webinar we ran for over 90 consulting firms who wanted to learn how they could improve their marketing. Nick walks you through our tried and tested marketing framework. The same framework we’re using with our clients to help them create effective marketing strategies that generate ROI.As a taster for what’s to come, in this episode we willI explain some of the critical components you need for an effective marketing strategy, including:- How to define your niche and what makes your consultancy truly unique.- Why targeting ‘CxOs' is killing your ROI, the importance of understanding your audience and how to market to them.- How to generate and amplify high-quality content using the digital marketing channels that are working for your competitors right now.Whether you’re creating your digital marketing strategy from scratch or trying to improve the framework you already have, there are plenty of tricks and tips that you definitely won’t want to miss!Enjoy the show.
In the latest episode of Climb into Consulting, Nick is joined by James O’Sullivan, CEO of Project One.James' career demonstrates that you don't have to follow a traditional career path to succeed in our industry.After sending letters to all of the FTSE 100 and being rejected by 99 of them, James began his project management career at Tate and Lyle.After this, he developed his passion for change management and continued on to lead major change programmes for Lloyds Banking Group and NAB for the next 25 years. But, there is more to James' story than just contracting success.Since joining Project One in 2014, James has risen through the ranks to become CEO. With such a wealth of experience and a passion for doing things differently, Nick and James discuss a wide range of topics, including:- James' early career and how his time in ‘in house roles’ set him up for success leading Project One.- Project One’s unique approach and why they ignore many of the industry norms when it comes to running their business.- And, James’ transition to becoming CEO and his advice if you’re about to undertake a leadership change in your own firm.It doesn't matter whether you're on the path to becoming CEO or already there, James has some insider advice you'll benefit from.We hope you enjoy the show!Find out more about James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-o-sullivan-3a2596/Learn more about Project One: https://projectone.com/ Books and podcasts mentioned by James:Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions by John Kotter https://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Iceberg-Melting-Succeeding-Conditions/dp/0230014208The High Performing Podcast:https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/
In this episode, Nick chats with Ash Chapman, CEO at Inlumi, the rapidly growing consultancy focused on large-scale, technology enabled transformation for the Office of the CFO. Ash has had a hugely successful and diverse career and one which shows that you don’t have to follow a set path to achieve success. Having started out working for a software vendor, Ash moved on to join boutique consultancy, Paragon Consulting, where he spent eight successful years before they were acquired by PwC.That jump from small to big gave Ash exposure to a whole world of opportunity and mentorship that helped him accelerate his career. Something we go into detail on in today’s conversation.After almost a decade at PWC, Ash started thinking about his next challenge, and called on his extensive network to test the waters. Before long, the opportunity to set up Inlumi’s UK business came up. This was the challenge Ash had been looking for and he set off to help them launch. Fast forward and Ash is now the CEO of Inlumi, a business with over 250 employees spanning Europe, the Middle East and Africa.In this conversation, Ash and Nick talk through the various stages of his career and how they combined to put him at exactly the right place, at the right time, and with the right skills and experience to enable him to make the jump to CEO. They cover:The key differences between boutique consultancies and big firms, and why both have a lot to offer.Why when it comes to consulting careers, one size doesn’t fit all, and like Ash, you don’t have to follow a set path to success.How to harness the power of your network and Ash’s advice if you’re thinking of making a career move.And the Inlumi journey so far, the challenges of starting a business from scratch and the value they’ve seen of investing in building the right culture from the start.If you’re at a career crossroads and looking at which road to take next, Ash’s advice is going to really help you.We hope you enjoy it!Reach out to Ash - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmanash/Find out more about Inlumi - https://www.Inlumi.com/Specific Things Discussed in the Episodes: Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinardhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessman-Including/dp/0143109677/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25Q8TIR0L7ID&keywords=Let+my+people+go+surfing&qid=1668775871&sprefix=let+my+people+go+surfing%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life by Rory Sutherlandhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Alchemy-Curious-Science-Creating-Business/dp/0062388428/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3MSZUJXU2HR7T&keywords=alchemy+by+Rory+Sutherland.&qid=1668776021&sprefix=alchemy+by+rory+sutherland.%2Caps%2C53&sr=8-2The Art of Resilience: Strategies for an Unbreakable Mine and Body by Ross Edgleyhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Resilience-Ross-Edgley/dp/0008356955/ref=sr_1_2?crid=KHPTK1YKQ4A7&keywords=The+Art+of+resilience+ross+edgley+paperback&qid=1668776131&sprefix=the+art+of+resilience+ross+edgley+paperback%2Caps%2C67&sr=8-2
This week Nick is joined by Heather Townsend, award- winning author and expert on what it takes to make partner in a professional services firm.The #ClimbInConsulting podcast is all about helping you to climb up the consulting ladder and who better to help you with that than someone who spends their days advising consultants on how to do just that!Making partner can often seem like a dark art and it’s something that many people chase for years, but never successfully reach. In Heather’s latest book, ‘Poised for Partnership’ she outlines a holistic 12 step approach that gives you the secrets you need to succeed and in this episode we dive deep into some of the key areas for you to think about, including: - What those 12 steps are and why you need to be deliberate in the order in which you approach them if you want to succeed.- Why most people get their Partner business case wrong and what you need to be doing in the run up to promotion to give you the best chance of success.- And what you should be thinking about when developing your Partner progression process in your firm and how to avoid the biggest mistake that boutiques make when it comes to partner promotion.Whether you’re on the cusp of partnership, or you’re earlier in your career and want to lay the foundations for success, Heather shares some fantastic insights in this one that you won’t want to miss.Enjoy the show!Reach out to Heather: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathertownsend/The Partner Readiness Assessment: https://careerprogressionreadiness.scoreapp.com/Books mentioned by Heather:Switch: How to Change Things When Things Are Hard by Dan and Chip Heathhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Switch-change-things-when-hard/dp/1847940323Heather’s own books:How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: The Smart Way to Get to and Stay at the Top https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Partner-Still-Have-Life/dp/0749498366/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Poised for Partnership: How to Successfully Move from Senior Associate and Senior Manager to Partner by Building a Cast-Iron Personal and Business Case for Partnership https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poised-Partnership-successfully-associate-partnership/dp/1913037088/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=poised+for+partnership&qid=1668698231&sr=8-1The Accountant’s Millionaire Club: How to Build a Highly Profitable £1 Million Pound Practice While Working Fewer Hours With Less Stresshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082XG7LNZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0The Financial Times Guide to Business Networking ePub: How to use the power of online and offline networking for business successhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00M81LDJG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1The Go-To Expert: How to Grow Your Reputation, Differentiate Yourself From the Competition and Win New Businesshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JDDHZIK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2
In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick chats with Catherine Crump, Managing Director at Wired Consulting.Catherine’s had a hugely successful career and one that shows what you can achieve if you put in the work.Having joined Freshminds as one of the most junior members of the team, she worked her way up, becoming CEO of the spin out Decidedly, just a decade later.After 15 years there, she decided the time was right to think about her next challenge, and that’s when the role with Wired Consulting came up. The opportunity to launch a brand new consulting business doesn’t come up often, and to do that within an already hugely well regarded brand like Wired is something rarer still. For Catherine, it was an opportunity she couldn’t turn down and in 2019 she made the move to join Wired Consulting as their Managing Director.But her success hasn’t come without sacrifice. A topic that we dive deep into in today’s episode as Catherine shares her candid and refreshing perspective on the challenges of building a career while raising a family at the same time.In this conversation Nick and Catherine go deep in to some fascinating, and hugely important topics for anyone looking to climb in consulting, including:- The pros and cons of big firms and boutiques, and how these can vary depending where you are in your life and your career.- Catherine’s approach to balancing her work and family life, and her advice for others grappling with how to have a career and a family at the same time.- And her journey with Wired Consulting so far and how she’s successfully managed to build a consultancy from the ground up, in spite of the pandemic.Nick and Catherine cover so much ground in this episode that there really is something for everyone! Whether you’re a senior partner or an ambitious graduate, Catherine shares some fantastic insights and experiences that you’ll definitely find useful in your own career journey.Enjoy the show.Reach out to Catherine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-crump-4a50b51/Find out more about Wired: https://www.wired.co.ukSpecific Things Discussed in the Episode: The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Anniversary/dp/1471195201/ref=asc_df_1471195201/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=430989470045&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17193296444736582447&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-911500871715&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=97419294862&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=430989470045&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17193296444736582447&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-911500871715Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 tales of Extraordinary Women: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Night-Stories-Rebel-Girls/dp/014198600X/ref=asc_df_014198600X/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311004790924&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17892768586249841390&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-364195443484&psc=1
In the latest episode of Climb into Consulting, Nick is joined by Andrew Zimmerman, CEO of Journey.It’s safe to say that Andrew’s had a fascinating career at the cutting edge of consulting. He was responsible for launching Accenture’s new business division, better known today as Accenture Interactive, he turned around the leading global design agency Frog, not once, but twice, and he’s now running one of the world’s first consultancies focused on tackling the challenges of customer experience in Web 3.0, Journey.But Andrew’s story isn’t just one of hard charging corporate success. It’s a journey of self reflection and self discovery that’s lead him to places that he never thought he’d go and shows the power of understanding who you are and bringing your true self to your professional as well as your personal life.In this compelling conversation, Nick and Andrew explore this fascinating career journey so far. They focus on the key lessons he’s learnt along the way, including:- The personal journey he’s been on over the last 10 years and how a trip to Glastonbury changed his life.- How he successfully led Frog not once, but twice, and the secrets to his success in turning the business around both times.- Why his early start up experience was critical to his success with Accenture New Business and what consultancies can learn from the start up mentality.- And we talk about his latest venture, Journey, why he launched the business and how they’re helping global brands to navigate the metaverse.Whether you’re early in your career and looking for the confidence to bring your true self to work, or maybe you’re at the top of your firm, but you’re still not feeling fulfilled. Andrew’s advice in this episode is going to really help you.We hope you enjoy the show!Reach out to Andrew:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewzimmerman1/Learn more about Journey: https://journey.world/
In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick is joined by Michael Simmonds and Manfred Abraham, who are both Co-CEOs at Yonder Consulting.We don’t often have two guests appearing at once, but this episode really does demand it!Their story, and that of Yonder, makes for a fascinating case study in how, by combining complementary skill sets and businesses with shared values, you're able to create something that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.Having worked closely together in their previous businesses, Michael at Populus and Manfred at BrandCap, they decided to join forces to form Yonder back in 2020.Fast forward to 2022, and Yonder is thriving. Despite the challenges of bringing their businesses together during the pandemic, they’re now a growing firm of over 150 people, with offices across London, New York and Hong Kong.In this conversation, Nick chats with Michael and Manfred as they explore their journey to co-running Yonder. They discuss the lessons they’ve learnt along the way, including:- How they successfully merged their businesses and launched Yonder during the pandemic, the challenges both of these things caused for them and how they overcame them.- How Michael and Manfred are able to make co-running the business work, the structures they use, and their advice to others thinking of following a similar approach.- And how they’ve approached diversity and inclusion at Yonder. The practical steps they’ve taken and advice for others looking to create more of an open conversation about diversity and inclusion in their firm.If you want to understand how you can make a merger work - whether you’re merging firm, practice or team - the advice that Michael and Manfred share in this one will give you a lots to think about.Enjoy the show!Reach out to Michael: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simmondsmichael/LinkedIn: michael.simmonds@yonderconsulting.comReach out to Manfred: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manfredbrandcap/Email: manfred.abraham@yonderconsulting.comLearn more about Yonder: https://yonderconsulting.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwm8WZBhBUEiwA178UnKZqrA0l7dGAX9vp1jwsR8ZFM_4GRqSrDy11rXHwXbj3zIk7UpATsxoCbxEQAvD_BwESpecific things discussed in the episode: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcom Gladwell https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blink-Power-Thinking-Without/dp/0141014598Stolen Children by Michael Wood https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stolen-Children-gripping-addictive-thriller-ebook/dp/B084ZB444LGreat Circle by Maggie Shipstead https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Circle-Maggie-Shipstead-ebook/dp/B08CMLCFWM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=IOXAFVFB8N6Q&keywords=the+great+circle+by+maggie+shipstead&qid=1665066034&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjMyIiwicXNhIjoiMi4xMiIsInFzcCI6IjIuMTYifQ%3D%3D&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+great+circle+by+Maggie%2Cdigital-text%2C59&sr=1-1
In the latest episode of Climb into Consulting, Nick is joined by Keith Burgess, Head of Management Consulting Development Curriculum at IBM consulting EMEA.
Having spent the best part of two decades as a consultant himself, Keith moved into training and over the last 10 years has helped shape and deliver the full gamut of training for IBM - from basic consulting skills through to Partner level development.
As someone who’s played a leading role in shaping the training for 1,000s of consultants across the globe, both internally at IBM and externally with the Chartered Management Consulting award, it’s fair to say Keith knows what it is that people like you need to focus on if they want to reach the top.
In this conversation, Nick and Keith discuss a whole range of topics that will help you in your journey to Partner and beyond, including:
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The important skills that consultants need to learn to set themselves on the path to success.
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How to make the leap to Partner and what holds people back from getting there.
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Why the industry has developed the The Chartered Management Consultant Award and how it could help you advance your career.
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And why you need to be thinking about work-life balance if you want a long and successful career in consulting.
Whether you’ve just started in consulting, or looking to make the step up to Partner, this episode offers tons of advice and insights to help you on your way.
We hope you enjoy the show!
Find out more about Keith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-burgess-22529a1/details/experience/
Specific things discussed in this episode:
Heather Townsend: https://www.howtomakepartner.com/author/heather-townsend/
Arbinger Institute: https://arbinger.com/Landing/books.html
Perry Holley: https://www.remarkablemanager.com/
Paul Maltby: https://www.paulmaltby.com/
Graham Allcott: https://www.grahamallcott.com/
Paul Crick: https://theelevatepartnership.com/team/
ChMC Framework: https://www.managers.org.uk/~/media/Files/Chartered-Management-Consultant/Competence-Framework.pdf
Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument: https://www.thinkherrmann.com/hbdi
“The New Leaders” by Daniel Goleman: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-new-leaders/daniel-goleman/richard-e-boyatzis/9780751533811
At Create Engage, we like to help share all of the great advice and expertise that consulting leaders have, but that so rarely sees the light of day outside their own firm.
We are big believers in sharing anything that helps consultants climb in their careers and so when we heard this interview we had to share it with you on Climb In Consulting.
In this week’s episode, you won’t be hearing from our host Nick Synnott. Instead you will be hearing from Prof. Joe O’Mahoney, Professor of Consulting at Cardiff University and CEO of Consulting Mastered, and Rob Garner, Partner at Garwood Solutions, two former guests of the podcast.
This episode is from Joe’s brilliant Growth For Consultancies podcast series which comes of the back of his new book Growth: Building a Successful Consultancy in the Digital Age. The reason we are sharing this particular conversation, is because it talks about many topics that you ae interested in hearing about.
So, what will they be talking about?
In this conversation, Joe and Rob go deep in to the inner workings of consulting M&A and many of the elements that you need to think about when building, buying and selling a consulting firm, including:
• What decided the value of a consulting business and how buyers and sellers think about the M&A process
• Common areas that Rob and his team at Garwood Solutions look for when assessing deals for clients and how to pre-empt these if you’re considering selling your firm.
• And the hidden benefits of automation for consultancies and why investing in a PSA solution maybe just what your firm needs to help you get to the next level.
Whether you’re building out a business plan for your new consultancy, or you are already on the journey towards scale and a possible exit, you’ll find plenty of tips in today’s conversation.
Enjoy the show.
Reach out to Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeomahoney/
Find out more about Consulting Mastered: https://consultingmastered.com/
Get in touch with Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garnerrobert/
Learn more about Garwood Solutions: https://garwoodsolutions.com/
If you’re a regular listener, you’ll already know what this episode is about. But for those of you that are new or have only started listening recently, you might need a few more details.
Now and again, we like to switch things up from our usual format to give you something a little different, and this episode is precisely that!
Our guests provide so much great advice and nowhere is this truer than in their answers to one very important question.
“What one piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in consulting, someone at Manager level and someone approaching Partner?”
We love hearing the varied and insightful responses from our guests, and we know you do too. That’s why we’ve put them all in one place in a useful round-up episode!
Today you’ll hear from some fantastic guests from the past eight months of Climb In Consulting. These guests come from a huge variety of backgrounds and a range of different consultancies, and they all have unique perspectives on what you can do to accelerate your career.
In this episode, you’ll hear from:
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Rob Chapman, CEO and Partner at Founders Intelligence
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Hugo Walkinshaw, Business Transformation Leader and Client Partner
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Alison Esse, Co-Founder and Director of The Storytellers
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David Liddle, CEO of The TCM Group
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Mark Campbell, Chair at Wondrous People and Business advisor at Winfo Solutions
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Remco op den Kelder, CEO of Putnam Associates
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John Howard, CEO of Channel 3 Consulting
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Lawrence Hutter, Chairman of The Brand Experience Group and Senior Advisor for QR and A&M
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Miriam Hall, Partner at Chartwell Consulting
We really enjoyed listening back to these episodes as they remind us of just how much advice is on offer.
We hope you find it as useful as we do!
In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick catches up with Miriam Hall, Partner at Chartwell Consulting.
From an early age, Miriam knew she wanted to make an impact, and it was her early entrepreneurial venture – Awesome Storage – that gave her a taste of both the business world and the importance of process and efficiency. This is something that would go on to be a key theme throughout her career.
Fast forward and having, in her words, ‘been made available to the job market’, Miriam took the opportunity to do something very few early-twenties consultants would do. She launched her own operational improvement consulting firm – a business that would see her packing up her life in the UK to take on a project at a laser manufacturing company in Estonia. While that may sound a little crazy, it was a period that was the making of Miriam’s early consulting career.
It was her work with her own business that led to a friend introducing her to the founding team of Chartwell Consulting, which she joined as one of the most junior members of the team in 2014. Since then, Miriam has gone from strength to strength, climbing rapidly and becoming a Partner in 2020.
In this conversation, Nick and Miriam explore her fascinating journey and talk about the many inflection points and crucial steps that have helped her get to where she is today, including:
• Her decision to start her own consultancy, what she learnt from the experience, and her advice for others thinking of launching their own businesses
• The secret sauce that Miriam uses with her clients to help them achieve productivity gains of up to 50% in less than 6 months, as well as the common issues she sees and how you can fix these in your own firm
• Her candid take on the challenges that she faced being a new Partner during the pandemic, how she was able to overcome them, and her advice to other new Partners who may be struggling to fill their sales pipeline
Nick and Miriam cover so much ground in this episode, and there really is something for everyone. Whether you’re still at university and considering your options, or you’re running your own consulting firm and want to know how you can make your operation more efficient, there’s tonnes of advice in this interview that you’ll be able to learn from.
We hope you enjoy the show!
Get in touch with Miriam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-hall-2930165a/
Learn more about Chartwell Consulting at: https://www.chartwell-consulting.com/en/
In the latest episode of Climb into Consulting, Nick is joined by Lawrence Hutter, Senior Advisor to Quick Release and Alvarez & Marsal, and Chairman of the Brand Experience Group.
You don’t often meet many people who have ‘done it all’, but Lawrence certainly has!
Lawrence has spent his career building successful consulting businesses in the fast-paced consumer goods industry. From building his own consultancy, The Customer Group, to running Deloitte's $6 billion dollar global consumer practice, which he grew threefold during his time at the helm.
After retiring for only four days, Lawrence was contacted by Alvarez & Marsal, a conversation which led to him launching their European corporate transformation practice. A practice that Lawrence and the team grew into a €100m business.
Having since moved into a portfolio career, Lawrence now splits his focus between his main passions of tackling the climate change crisis and working alongside organisations to help them build and externalise their organisational narratives.
During this fascinating conversation, Nick and Lawrence explore many of the secrets to his impressive career so far. They discuss the key lessons he’s learnt from launching and growing multiple consultancies, including:
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How Lawrence was able to get his own consulting business off the ground at a time when boutique consultancies were anything but the norm.
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How Lawrence was able to grow Deloitte’s global consumer practice so quickly and the key strategies that helped him, that you can use to scale your own business.
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And the importance of narrative, what it is, why it’s so powerful and how it can be used effectively to help you grow your consultancy.
Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur building the business plan for your consultancy, or the leader of a global business, looking for advice on how to take your practice to the next level, this conversation is one you’ll find extremely valuable.
Enjoy!
Reach out to Lawrence: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-hutter-7078b61/
Learn more about Quick Release: https://www.quickrelease.co.uk/
Check out the Brand Experience Group: https://brandexperience-group.com/
In this episode, John Howard, CEO of Channel 3 Consulting, joins Nick to share his journey from junior IT project manager to the CEO of a rapidly growing boutique consultancy.
After starting out in teaching, John moved in to sales, where a chance encounter with consultants that were working with his business exposed him to the industry he’d go on to work in for over two decades.
With over 25 years’ experience that’s spanned Big 4, boutique firms and a few industry roles in between, John’s journey is packed full of lessons and advice to help you if you’re looking to climb in consulting.
In his current role as CEO of Channel 3 he’s led the management buyout from the firm’s founders and is now leading the team through a period of rapid growth, a journey that that John and Nick go into detail on in today’s episode.
In this wide ranging conversation John shares many of the lessons and pivot points that have helped him get to where he is today, including:
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How John got his start in the industry and his advice to others looking to break into consulting.
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The invaluable lessons John learnt as a salesman, and his advice on how to overcome many of the barriers that hold consultants back when it comes to selling.
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And the vital piece of career advice that ultimately led to John becoming the CEO of Channel 3.
Regardless of where you are in your consulting career, John’s advice will help you take your career to the next level.
We hope you enjoy the show!
Find out more about John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-howard-b7b11215/
Get to know Channel 3: https://channel3consulting.co.uk/
In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick is joined by Remco op den Kelder, CEO at Putnam Associates.
Remco’s journey in consulting started with a temporary relocation to America, with a view to staying for 3 or 4 years, and over 20 years later, he’s still there, now as CEO of the firm he joined as a graduate.
In a world where people move firm every few years, Remco’s story is something of a rarity.
Even though he’s stayed at one firm his whole career, his journey from Analyst to CEO has been a rich, rewarding, and varied one. And proof that there’s many different ways to climb to the top in our industry.
Over the time Remco’s been at Putnam, it’s seen significant growth, particularly over the few years, scaling from just over 100 consultants to over 400, in less than 36 months.
During this conversation, Nick and Remco discuss his fascinating career journey, and talk about many of the challenges that come with scaling a rapidly growing consultancy including:
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How to manage growth at the Partner level, and the important change to their leadership approach that has helped Putnam scale as fast as they have.
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The challenges of recruiting into a growing business, and why growing talent within your firm is crucial to your success.
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And the role of the office in the post-Covid world, how Putnam are changing their physical environment to respond, and what you should be thinking about for your own consultancy to ensure your office gives your team what they need to be effective.
When you’re mapping out your career in consulting, the idea of staying with one organisation doesn’t always appeal to many. But Remco is proof that you don’t need to hop from one firm to another to achieve career success.
Whether you’re on the path to CEO and what to learn the secrets to reaching the top, or you’re already there and want to hear the advice of a peer who’s achieved the growth that many firms are looking for, this conversation is going to be one that you’ll really enjoy.
We hope you enjoy the show!
Find out more about Remco here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/remco-op-den-kelder-a7341b/
And discover more about Putnam Associates here: https://www.putassoc.com
Specific things discussed in the show:
Gorillas Can Dance by Shameen Prashantham: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorillas-Can-Dance-Corporations-Partnering/dp/1119823587
The latest episode of Climb In Consulting is taken from our very first Bristol and Bath Marketing Mixer, where Kevin Matthews, global head of marketing at Deminor, topped the bill.
What should you do now that in person events are an option? Should you run them, should you not, and if you do, how can you make the most of them?
Now you may not expect this as a digital marketing agency, but we are big fans of in-person events. When they’re done properly.
Sadly, too often they’re treated as a one off and not considered as part of a consultancy’s broader marketing strategy. If you take this approach they become hugely expensive and ultimately limit the ROI that you can generate.
So what should you do instead? Well this episode is an example of exactly what you should be doing if you are choosing to run in person events and how you can repurpose these events as part of your broader digital marketing activity.
This presentation was recorded at our recent Bristol and Bath marketing mixer, and we’re bringing it to you here as a podcast.
With decades of experience building marketing functions for boutique professional services business with global ambitions, Kevin knows exactly what to focus on to deliver maximum return for investment.
In this conversation you’ll hear Kevin’s brilliant step by step guide to building the marketing function for your consultancy, what you should be focusing on, and the pitfalls to look out for on that journey, including:
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Where to start and the common mistakes that new Heads of Marketing make when they go in to a professional services business
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How he engages colleagues internally to help drive his firm’s marketing and generate the great content he needs to grow their reach.
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And why CSR is a key focus for him and how he’s been able to maximise its marketing benefits for both the firms he’s worked for and the communities he’s worked in.
Whether you’re a Head of Marketing who needs to create an impact on a limited budget, or you’re a partner, responsible for marketing in your firm, Kevin’s talk will give you plenty of food for thought.
Get to know Kevin a little better: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinrmatthews/
Find out more about Deminor: www.deminor.com/en
Mic for reference: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B093L9GJG8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick talks to senior consulting leader and business advisor Mark Campbell.
Over the course of his career Mark has ticked pretty much every consulting box. Becoming a Partner at KPMG, leading the boutique consulting firm, Hedra, through their growth journey and navigating the complex world of M&A to achieve a successful sale of the firm to Mouchel. If that wasn’t enough he’s also held senior leadership roles at industry stalwarts Hitatchi consulting and RGP, and since 2019 has moved into a portfolio career, working with a range of consulting firms as a board member and advisor.
With so much experience, and his unique perspective having held leadership roles across a range of different sized firms, he seemed like the ideal guest for the show and we’re so pleased he said yes.
In this conversation Mark and Nick discuss a range of topics that have been critical to Mark’s career success, and talk about how you can apply them to your own career or business to help you achieve your goals, including:
• Why Mark decide to leave his role as a Partner at the global player KPMG to join the leadership team of boutique firm, Hedra, and the importance happiness played in his decision making.
• Why culture is critical to any consultancy’s success and what you need to think about to ensure that the values on the wall of your office match the behaviours your team live day to day.
• And the importance of brand when working for a boutique consultancy, and how being small can actually be an advantage when competing against the bigger players.
Whether you’re just starting out, have recently made partner or you’re leading your firm. Mark’s advice is going to help you accelerate what you’re doing and avoid the pitfalls that you can only see with hindsight.
It's a brilliant conversation, which we’re sure you’ll find really useful. So enjoy the show!
Get in touch with Mark at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-campbell-61b7462b/
Find out more about Wondrous at: https://www.wondrouspeople.com/
And check out Winfo Solutions at: https://winfosolutions.com/
Specific things discussed in the show:
Matthew Walker - Why We Sleep https://www.waterstones.com/book/why-we-sleep/matthew-walker/9780141983769
Spencer Johnson - Who Moved My Cheese https://www.waterstones.com/book/who-moved-my-cheese/dr-spencer-johnson/9780091816971
Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman https://www.waterstones.com/book/thinking-fast-and-slow/daniel-kahneman/9780141033570
Beginners: The Joy And Transformative Power Of Lifelong Learning - Tom Vanderbilt https://www.waterstones.com/book/beginners/tom-vanderbilt/9781786493118
The Score Takes Care of Itself – Bill Walsh https://www.waterstones.com/book/score-takes-care-of-itself/bill-walsh/steve-jamison/9781591843474
In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick talks to David Liddle - the founder and CEO of The TCM Group. An award-winning provider of mediation, investigation, culture change and leadership development services to companies around the world.
David has always been driven by the power of dialogue to bring people together. An award-winning mediation, investigation, culture change and leadership development consultancy. It was a huge success attracting Lottery funding and national media coverage.
This eye-opening experience proved to him that people from all backgrounds, with competing goals, have the capacity to come together and create something positive. He has taken this approach into the corporate world with The TCM Group to support companies in achieving change compassionately and fairly.
During their discussion Nick and David explore his fascinating career and the numerous insights he has learned along the way, including:
• The power of restorative justice and how it can be used in the workplace to unlock benefits for businesses and individuals.
• How listening to and understanding opposing views is the key to effective leadership and collaborative working.
• And his journey building the TCM Group over the last 20 years. The ups, the downs and his advice for anyone thinking of following a similar path.
At every stage of your consulting career, dispute resolution and overcoming disagreements is a crucial part of the job. David shares knowledge, insights and inspiring experiences that will strike a chord with everyone who is eager to turn these potentially challenging situations into positive moments.
We hope you enjoy the show!
Get in touch with David at: david.liddle@thetcmgroup.com Find out more about The TCM Group at: https://thetcmgroup.com/
Specific things discussed in the show: David Liddle’s books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Liddle/e/B076QC7YBT%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Amy Edmondson – The Fearless Organization https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fearless-Organization-Psychological-Workplace-Innovation/dp/1119477247
Roger Fisher – Getting to Yes https://www.waterstones.com/book/getting-to-yes/roger-fisher/william-ury/9781847940933
Intercom - https://www.intercom.com/
In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick talks to Alison Esse, the Co-founder and Director of business transformation specialists The Storytellers.
Having begun her career in communications, and later in big show production, Alison has been no stranger to captivating people through the power of storytelling.
But when the events industry went into freefall in the early 2000s, she decided to switch focus from telling stories on stages, and into helping businesses create emotionally-compelling narratives that allow leaders to navigate their people through periods of change.
19 years later, and The Storytellers have worked with over 200 of the world’s biggest brands, including HSBC, Coca-Cola, Deloitte and BP.
In this conversation Alison and Nick discuss a range of fascinating topics around storytelling, including:
• Why stories cut through the noise to help make dense and complex information much more digestible.
• How to use the traditional Hero’s Journey framework to tell an engaging story for your own firm that your team will buy into.
• And the origins of The Storytellers, the challenges they’ve faced on their own Hero’s journey, and how Alison and her fellow co-founders turned something often considered fluffy and intangible into a toolkit to inspire people, shift mindsets, and build trust that even the most sceptical CEOs buy in to.
Wherever you are in your career, Alison shares some brilliant advice on how to be a good listener, how to take knocks and learn from them, the importance of always staying in tune with what your customers actually want, and why it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to take the back seat from time to time.
You’ll get so much from this conversation, and we hope you enjoy the show!
Get in touch with Alison at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-esse-ab2bb91
Find out more about The Storytellers at: https://thestorytellers.com/
Specific things discussed in the show:
Dan and Chip Heath – Switch https://www.waterstones.com/book/switch/dan-heath/chip-heath/9781847940322
Will Storr – The Science of Storytelling https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-science-of-storytelling/will-storr/9780008276973
Today’s episode sees two big milestones for the show.
Firstly it is episode 100 of Climb In Consulting. A massive milestone and something that’s crazy to think given Climb In Consulting started just four years ago.
This wouldn’t have been possible without all of our fantastic guests we have had along the way and you, the listeners, without whom, there would be no Climb In Consulting.
A big thank you to you - we are looking forward to bringing you the next 100 episodes.
And what’s the second big milestone? We are joined by our first OBE as Nick talks to Hugo Walkinshaw, OBE, about the ups and downs of his long and eventful consulting career.
During his career in consulting Hugo has held senior roles in several of the biggest names in the business, including PWC, Deloitte and EY. Helping them to build and grow their businesses in Singapore and across Asia.
As well as his consulting roles, Hugo’s a big believer in the importance of giving back outside of work. He has spent much of his later career focused on giving back to a range of charities and social enterprises. In fact, it was his work with the British Chambers of Commerce in Singapore that led to him receiving his OBE.
During their conversation Nick and Hugo covered a lot of ground, including:
• Why Hugo decided to move to Asia in the first place, what kept him there for so long, and his advice to others on how to make the move a success.
• The tragic events that completely reshaped his perspective on life, and his advice to others on how they can learn the same lessons without having to go through the same pain themselves.
• And how he was able to balance his roles outside of consulting with his role as a senior Big 4 partner, his work with the British Chambers of Commerce in Singapore and why supporting charities and social enterprises is a big focus for him today.
Perhaps you’re at the beginning of your career and considering a move to Asia, or maybe you’re more senior and struggling to find the time for all of the passions and projects that you want to do. If you’re in either of these camps, or simply want to know how to accelerate your consulting career from where you are now, this conversation will give you the motivation and practical advice you need to make it happen.
We hope you enjoy the show!
Get in touch with Hugo at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-walkinshaw-obe-aa078baa/
Specific things discussed in the show:
Jared Diamond – Guns, Germs and Steel
https://www.waterstones.com/book/guns-germs-and-steel/jared-diamond/9780099302780
The Author - Yuval Noah Harari
https://www.waterstones.com/author/yuval-noah-harari/677897
99% Invisible podcast
https://99percentinvisible.org/
Climb In Consulting is all about sharing the best insights and advice from the leaders in our field, to help you get to the top. Time and time again, our podcast guests have demonstrated that regardless of your background, gender or race, you can climb in consulting.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, today’s episode shares some of the inspirational advice and insights from a selection of the female consulting leaders that we’ve had on the series so far. Women who have built fantastic careers in the consulting industry and who serve as great role models, both to other women looking to build their careers, as well as leadership teams looking at what they can do to improve gender diversity in their firms.
In this episode, you’ll hear from female leaders from across the consulting spectrum, from boutique consulting founders to big four partners, including Irene Molodstov formally CEO of SIA Partners, Hannah Farrar Chief Executive of CF, Tricia Nelson from EY, Tara Lajumoke MD of FT Strategies, and Jess Frame MD and Partner at BCG.
They share their poignant perspectives on how women can build successful careers in consulting, including:
• The real-life examples of gender bias that they’ve faced as women in the consulting industry, and their advice to senior leaders on what needs to change to improve gender equality. • The importance of supporting women in your firm before, during, and after maternity leave and what you can do as a senior leader, whether male or female, to help set both expectant and returning mothers up for success. • And advice for women working in consulting on what you can do to climb to the top and emulate the success of today’s guests.
Whether you’re a woman building a career in consulting, or a senior leader, who wants to do more to level the playing field, we know you’re going to get a ton from this episode.
We hope you enjoy the show!
To find out more about the guests featured in the episode, visit their LinkedIn pages below: Irene Molodstov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenemolodtsov/ Hannah Farrar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-farrar/ Tricia Nelson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-nelson-826a8212/ Tara Lajumoke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-lajumoke-40aa29/ Jess Frame: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaframeceo/
At Create Engage we’re big believers that your marketing should revolve around two things, sharing your expertise and showcasing your team’s experience. So to practice what we preach – and give you some hugely valuable insights into what’s working for consultancies like you, right now – we recorded this episode. In this conversation Nick is joined by Dan Gibson, Account Director at Create Engage, to share the big questions that clients are asking us right now when it comes to marketing. In this conversation, Dan and Nick touch on a range of topics that are top of the list for firms like yours including: • Whether you should still be doing webinars for your consultancy, and the secrets to success for getting the attendees you want to the sessions you're running.
• How to make the most of your live events and what you can do to turn a one-off event into months of content.
• And how to bring all of your marketing activity together to ensure you’re achieving the results that you want and making the most of your team’s time and resources.
If you’re anything like our clients, we expect that you’ll be wanting the answers to these questions too. And if so, you’re going to love this episode!
You can get in touch with Dan at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-gibson-b5269a5b/
Find out more about Create Engage at: https://www.createengage.co.uk/
In the final episode of our three-part series exploring how your consultancy can thrive in the hybrid world. The pandemic may be subsiding, but your clients aren’t heading back to the office in a hurry. If your marketing hasn’t adapted to this reality, you risk losing out to competitors who have been swifter to evolve with the times.
In this episode Nick Synnott leads the discussion, with Rob Garner of Garwood Solutions and Deri Hughes of Explore Consulting providing a client-side perspective.
Nick explains how to create an effective marketing strategy that cuts through the noise and helps you reach your target clients however and wherever they are working.
We cover a number of key topics during the conversation, including:
• Why it’s time to start thinking differently about your marketing.
• How to effectively engage potential new clients in this hybrid world.
• And practical examples of tools and approaches you can use to improve your marketing straight away.
You may have grown in the past couple of years, but to keep progressing in 2022 and beyond winning new business is vital. If you want to make sure you’re reaching your target audience with your marketing, this episode is well worth tuning in for.
We hope you’ve enjoyed the series and it’s given you some interesting food for thought. You can find the first two episodes here:
https://soundcloud.com/climb-in-consulting/episode-95-hybrid-operations-how-to-sustain-growth-in-2022/s-pGlJVKCj9OY?si=fa59cc955e1f4696b2cf39ddb20106d6&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
https://soundcloud.com/climb-in-consulting/episode-96-hybrid-talent-how-to-sustain-growth-in-2022
And if you’d like to contact Rob, Deri or Nick get in touch here:
Rob Garner - www.linkedin.com/in/garnerrobert
Deri Hughes - www.linkedin.com/in/derihughes
Nick Synnott - www.linkedin.com/in/nicksynnott
In the second of our series examining how your consultancy can thrive in the hybrid world, we take a closer look at the critical issue of attracting and retaining talent that will drive your business forward.
It won’t have escaped your notice that we’re in the middle of a talent crunch at the moment. Competition for the best is fierce, which makes meeting the expectations of potential new recruits, and motivating them when they become your employees, vital.
In this episode Deri Hughes, founder of recruiting firm Explore Consulting, leads the discussion with Rob Garner of Garwood Solutions and our very own Nick Synnott. They look at how you can build productive teams in this environment and keep hold of the talent your competitors are keen to tempt away.
Deri uses his real-world experience recruiting for consultancies, alongside insights from Explore’s clients and candidates, to provide insider knowledge on several key challenges this raises, including:
• What makes a good hybrid working candidate and how to adapt your recruitment approach to build hybrid-ready teams.
• How to balance home and office work in a sustainable way that keeps people engaged and motivated.
If you’re struggling to build your teams, perhaps even turning down work because you haven’t got enough people to do it, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Get in touch with Deri, Robert or Nick here:
Rob Garner - www.linkedin.com/in/garnerrobert
Deri Hughes - www.linkedin.com/in/derihughes
Nick Synnott - www.linkedin.com/in/nicksynnott
And to listen to the first episode of the series about sustaining growth through hybrid operations, click on the link below.
https://soundcloud.com/climb-in-consulting/episode-95-hybrid-operations-how-to-sustain-growth-in-2022/s-pGlJVKCj9OY?si=2bd386f9f01943c5baff54bf8db52ce1&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Recently we took part in a webinar series exploring how your consultancy can thrive in a hybrid world. This episode of Climb In Consulting is the first of that three-part series.
Each episode will step away from our usual interview format, bringing together our regular host, Nick, and industry experts Rob Garner of Garwood Solutions and Deri Hughes of Explore Consulting. They’ll use their expertise to discuss the three issues that are causing consulting firms the most pain right now – Operations, Recruitment and Marketing.
Across the series they explore the challenges and opportunities that are emerging. And answer some perceptive questions from the audience. To kick off, Rob leads a discussion about how your consultancy can continue to growing in 2022.
How we live and work has shifted dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic and many of those changes are here to stay. A vital element of success is making sure your operations are fit for this altered economic landscape.
During this episode we’ll dig into how the past two years have accelerated change for your clients and what this means for your consultancy and the services it provides. We’ll cover key themes, including:
• How the pandemic has shifted the operational paradigm and what your consultancy needs to do to respond.
• What the fundamentals of consultancy growth are in a hybrid world.
• And how you can lay the foundations that will sustain growth over the coming years.
With decades of experience building and advising consultancies like yours, Rob will share the real-world insights you need to navigate your firm through this time.
We think it’s a conversation you’ll want to hear so please do take a moment to listen.
Get in touch with Rob, Deri or Nick here:
Rob Garner - www.linkedin.com/in/garnerrobert
Deri Hughes - www.linkedin.com/in/derihughes
Nick Synnott - www.linkedin.com/in/nicksynnott
In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting Nick talks to the founder and CEO of Founders Intelligence, Rob Chapman. The entrepreneur powered consultancy that helps clients to identify and seize the next billion-pound opportunities that are emerging in their industries.
Having begun his career in the start-up world, Rob moved in to consulting with PwC, wanting to build those core consulting skills that many young professionals want to learn.
But his early days in start-ups had ignited a passion in him, and it was a chance introduction to one of his now longstanding mentors that led to the idea of a consultancy that helped large corporates grow through entrepreneurial growth.
It was this idea that led to Founders intelligence, and at the age of just 26 he launched the business with his co-founders, Brent Hoberman and Henry Lane-Fox, on a mission to help companies unlock their potential by thinking and acting like entrepreneurs.
In this conversation Rob and Nick explore a range of fascinating topics critical to the Founders Intelligence Journey, including:
• Why mentorship is critical to career success and how mentors have played a vital role in Rob’s journey, from the decision to launch Founders Intelligence to how he and the team have evolved the business over the last 8 years.
• The powerful career advice that helped Rob and his leadership team take Founders Intelligence from a start up to a global team approaching 50 people and how you can use it to accelerate your own career.
• And how partnering with Accenture will help Founders Intelligence to accelerate its mission and help more corporates grow through entrepreneurial growth.
Whether you’re looking to grow your own career through the power of mentorship, or you want to know how you can build your consultancy through entrepreneurial growth, you’ll get so much from this conversation.
We hope you enjoy the show!
Get in touch with Rob at: www.linkedin.com/in/robertianchapman
Find out more about Founders Intelligence at: www.foundersintelligence.com
Specific things discussed in the show:
Wendell Berry – The Peace Of Wild Things www.waterstones.com/book/the-peace-of-wild-things/wendell-berry/9780141987125
John Berger – A Fortunate Man www.waterstones.com/book/a-fortunate-man/john-berger/gavin-francis/9781782115038
Regular listeners will know what this episode is all about. But for those of you who are new to the show or have only started listening recently, you might need a little more explanation.
Every few months we like to take a break from our usual interview format to give you something slightly different. Which is where this episode comes in.
Our guests give so much great advice and nowhere is this truer than in their answers to the round up question in each episode:
“What one piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in consulting, someone at Manager level and someone approaching Partner.”
We love listening to their varied but always insightful answers and we know you do too. That’s why we like to put them all in one place in these career advice round-up episodes, so you’re not left scrolling through multiple episodes to find them.
Today you’ll hear from a host of guests from the past six months of Climb In Consulting. They’ve come from a range of backgrounds, a range of different consultancies and all have unique perspectives to share about how to succeed in the sector.
In this episode we bring together:
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James Constable, CEO of Albany Beck
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Tom Hewson, Senior Partner at RedCompass Labs
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Angus Ridgeway, formerly of McKinsey, now leading Potentialife
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Kevin Ellis, Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC UK
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Ben Rudman, Co-Founder and CEO of MMT Digital
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Richard Fenning, formerly of Control Risks, now partner at Manchester Square Partners
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Jonathan Davis, Managing Director of Avaloq
We love listening back to these guests. It reminds us just how much great advice they share, and we hope you find it just as enlightening as we do.
In episode 92 of Climb In Consulting Nick speaks with Jonathan Davis, managing director at Avaloq.
Jonathan started his career at Anderson Consulting in the late 1980s where he managed to get his foot in the door despite not having the educational success of many of his peers. That didn’t stop him working his way up from the unloved outsourcing department to become an equity partner at the time of its IPO.
Since then, he’s taken on a number of varied and challenging roles ranging from attempting to buy a small car manufacturer to helping turn around Capco, to leading FIS’s £400m Middle East and African business.
As you can imagine, he’s learned a huge amount along the way about what makes good teams tick and how to build colleague and client relationships that really work.
As well as the ups and downs of his career, Nick and Jonathan delve deeper into the human side of consulting, including:
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How Jonathan overcame his own insecurities to have the successful career he has
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The secrets to motivating your team and how to get everyone on the same page to achieve a common goal
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And why getting your top table right is critical to your consultancy’s success
Few people in our industry can match Jonathan’s breadth of experience and he brings a huge number of valuable insights to this conversation.
Whatever stage of your career you are at, whether you’re attempting to break into the consulting business, refine your leadership skills or try something a little different, this is a conversation well worth listening to.
Get in touch with Jonathan at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-davis-a56a5/
Or through – jonathan.davis@avaloq.com
Find out more about Avaloq at – https://www.avaloq.com/
Specific things discussed in the show
Getting to Yes: Negotiating an agreement without giving in by Roger Fisher and William Ury – https://amzn.to/30kV1Dh
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner – https://amzn.to/3n4SMMQ
Open: An Autobiography By Andre Agassi – https://amzn.to/3oiRH3A
In episode 91 of Climb In Consulting, Nick speaks with seasoned industry veteran, Richard Fenning, former CEO of Control Risks. The global risk consultancy with over 2,000 consultants working across 42 offices around the world.
We first heard Richard as a guest on the Distinctive Leaders podcast, run by our client Andrew Wallace of Leathwaite. Having hugely enjoyed their conversation, we knew we had to get him on the show.
Richard’s career in consulting started at Price Waterhouse where, as he shares in today’s conversation, he wasn’t having much success.
Seeing that he wasn’t going to progress where he was, he decided to take a leap of faith and join the, at the time, small boutique, Control Risks.
Having started close to the bottom of the firm, he climbed all the way to Global CEO where he spent 14 years leading the business through significant international expansion.
Since retiring, Richard’s turned his attention to two of his other passions, Executive Coaching, through his Manchester Square Partners practice, and writing, having chronicled his many adventures with Control Risks in his new book – What On Earth Can Go Wrong: Tales From The Risk Business
In today’s conversation Nick and Richard cover a lot of ground, going both deep as well as wide. Together they discuss a range of topics that will help you on your journey, whether you’re climbing up the ladder in your firm or sitting at the top, helping to shape its future direction.
There are very few people who reach the level that Richard did in the consulting industry, and it was great to be able to hear Nick sit down with him for this conversation.
Whether you’re currently trying to plot out your own path to the top of your consultancy, or maybe you’re already a partner and want to understand what separates the best leaders from the rest, we know you’re going to get so much from what Richard has to say.
Get in touch with Richard at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardfenning1/
Find out more about Control Risks at – https://www.controlrisks.com/
Specific things discussed in the show
What On Earth Can Go Wrong: Tales From The Risk Business by Richard Fenning - https://amzn.to/3vR91jz
How To Fail by Elizabeth Day - https://amzn.to/3Eo9cWp
In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting we’re trying something new. Something a little different that we hope you’re going to really enjoy.
We’re big believers in the Tony Robbins quote that “success leaves clues” and we’ve learned so many of these clues from guests of the show, whether they were solo consultants, partners in big firms or consulting entrepreneurs.
In the early days of Create Engage the advice and inspiration we took from our guests really helped when the going got tough and having had Nick speak with many listeners, we know that you really value these stories too. So today, we’ve taken a different tack and created a themed episode all about how to start your own consultancy.
It brings together valuable sections from previous podcast guests, so that all their insights are in one place. In this episode you’ll hear from:
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Dom Moorhouse of Moorhouse
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Suki Thompson of Oystercatchers
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Simon Dennis of Gate One
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Hannah Farrar of Carnall Farrar
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Stephen Newton of Elixirr
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Olly Purnell and Sharon Rice-Oxley of Q5
Listening back to these conversations reminded us just how valuable we’ve found all their advice and we’re sure you will too.
Whether you’re looking to strike out on your own or build a practice in an established firm using the same fundamental start-up principles, we know this episode is going to give you a huge amount of advice you can put to good use.
So, please do enjoy today’s entrepreneur-inspired episode of climb in consulting.
In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting Nick talks to the brilliant and inspiring Ben Rudman, co-founder and CEO of MMT Digital.
Ben jumped straight into business with a friend after graduating from university. After a steady start, they decided to take it up a gear, and over that time MMT has gone from strength to strength. Evolving from an educational CD Rom business to a leading digital consultancy, working with impressive list of corporate clients.
It’s a truly fascinating journey, which Ben admits has involved plenty of missteps on the way to success.
In this conversation, Nick and Ben delve deeper into the up and downs of building a business at such a young age and how MMT has grown into an organisation of more than 200 people.
They covered a wide range of topics including:
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How the company accelerated over the past decade from a relatively small agency into the large digital consultancy it is today.
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How they were able to attract top talent from their base in Uppingham, a small town not known for its tech industry.
-
And how the team’s passionate belief in doing business the right way has fuelled their drive for B-Corp status.
Whether you’re keen to establish your own start-up consultancy, understand how to bring brilliant people onboard or are looking at ways to scale up your firm, Ben has a huge amount of knowledge you can learn from.
We really enjoyed the conversation and think you will too. So, if you can, please do take a moment to listen.
Get in touch with Ben at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrudman/
Find out more about MMT Digital at – https://www.mmtdigital.co.uk/
Specific things discussed in the show
The Lean Start Up by Eric Ries – https://amzn.to/3kNbVSl
Alive At Work by Daniel Cable – https://amzn.to/3zNgXCN
Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed – https://bit.ly/3F0S0rp
Welcome back to Climb In Consulting!
After our summer break, we’re very excited to be back with Episode 88, and let us tell you, we have a very special guest to kick off with.
Today Nick speaks with Kevin Ellis, Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC UK.
Now, we suspect everyone listening to this show will know who PwC are, and many of you will know who Kevin is.
But for those who don’t, Kevin leads PwC’s 22,000-person strong UK business. He was elected Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC UK in 2016 and then re-elected for a second term in 2020. Prior to that he spent 8 years on the board of PwC UK as the head of their advisory practice.
In a career that’s spanned almost 40 years he’s gone from a first-year accountant to the most senior Partner in the firm.
With such an extensive tenure and all the experience, learnings and insights that he’s developed over that time, it was a pleasure to be able to listen to Kevin and Nick’s conversation and get his perspective on many of the burning issues facing the consulting industry today.
In this conversation they discuss a wide range of important topics including:
– How Social Mobility is critical to our industry’s future and why Kevin has made it one of his key priorities for his second term as Chairman.
– How Kevin’s been able to go from a trainee accountant to Senior Partner, and his advice for others looking to build their own career in consulting.
– And the changing world of work and why remote working could actually be harming your career success.
This was a great conversation that we got a lot from and we know that you will to.
Regardless of whether you work for PwC, one of their ‘big 4 competitors’ or a boutique challenger firm, the lessons and advice that Kevin shares in this one will help you on your journey, whether your goal is to increase your social impact, grow your firm or grow your career.
So, without further ado, please enjoy Nick’s conversation with Kevin Ellis.
Get in touch with Kevin at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-ellis-28a63930/
Find out more about PwC at – https://www.pwc.co.uk/
Specific things discussed in the show
Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?: What It Takes To Be An Authentic Leader by Gareth Jones and Robert Goffee – https://amzn.to/3lth8Ol
Rebel Ideas: The Power of Thinking Differently by Matthew Syed – https://amzn.to/3AlAECH
In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting, Nick speaks with former guest Simon Dennis and his fellow Gate One Partner, David Holliday.
Since Simon first appeared on the show, back in 2018, Gate One has gone from strength to strength, growing to a team of over 120 consultants and expanding internationally.
Last year that success culminated in the firm being acquired by Havas. A meeting of minds and a partnership designed to accelerate Gate One’s growth even further.
In this conversation, Nick, Simon and David go into detail on Gate One’s journey over the last 18 months and dig into the story of the acquisition process, including:
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How the deal came about and the process, discussions and decisions that went into the sale to Havas.
-
How the Gate One team managing the integration process and their advice to others considering, or in the process of, doing the same.
-
And Gate One’s plans for the future, their international expansion and how the Havas partnership has helped accelerate this journey for them.
This episode really does lift the lid on everything that goes into a consulting acquisition. From the financial to the cultural and everything in between. We really enjoyed hearing all about how Gate One have grown since Nick and Simon last spoke almost three years ago and we’re sure you will too.
If you’re looking for some behind the scenes knowledge of an acquisition process, or you want to find out how you can expand your own firm into international markets. This is the episode for you, and we know you’re going to get a lot from it.
Get in touch with Simon at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-dennis-28416b1
Get in touch with David at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-s-holliday
Find out more about Gate One at – https://gateoneconsulting.com/
Specific things discussed in the show
Procrastinate On Purpose by Rory Vaden - https://amzn.to/3x1PITn
Start With Why by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/3hXVYHE
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/2UC1nLF
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin - https://amzn.to/36V39de
In today’s episode Nick brings you the second part of his conversation with Q5 as he sits down with Rowenna Reid and Annabel Tonge to talk all things Pop-Up Consulting.
In part one, Nick was joined by former guest and Managing Partner at Q5, Olly Purnell. This time around, Nick speaks to Rowenna and Annabel about Q5’s fantastic Pop-Up Consulting initiative. One of the few positive things to come out of the last 18 months and something that we believe many consultancies will want to learn from and emulate.
In today’s conversation Rowenna and Annabel share the story of Pop-Up, why Q5 launched it, what their team get out of it and why they’re going to keep on developing it even after lockdown ends.
If you’re thinking about ways that your consultancy can do more to give back, or you’re simply sick of painting fences and think there must be a better way to do CSR then you’re going to love this episode.
Get in touch with Rowenna at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowenna-reid-0255841/
Get in touch with Annabel at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabel-tonge-74924b16/
Find out more about Q5 at – www.q5partners.com/
Specific things discussed in the show
House of glass by Hadley Freeman – https://amzn.to/3yTouQk
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy – https://amzn.to/3egLReR
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business by Patrick Lencioni – https://amzn.to/3z1pHFr
In today’s episode Nick brings you the first of a 2 part, round 2 interview, with former guest Olly Purnell of Q5 Partners.
Originally recorded as one conversation, when we listened back it was clear that there was just so much great content in this one that deserved to stand on its own two feet.
In today’s part 1, you’ll hear from Olly Purnell, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Q5 Partners. In part 2, which we’ll be releasing in two weeks’ time, you’ll hear from Rowenna Reid and Annabel Tonge, all about Q5’s fantastic Pop Up Consulting initiative. One of the few positive things to come out of the last 18 months and something that we believe many consultancies will want to learn from and emulate.
Back to today’s episode!
Olly originally joined Nick for Episode 12 of the series with Q5 co-founder Sharon Rice-Oxley where they discussed the origins of Q5, their tough first year in business and how they overcame it, as well as the unique approach Q5 took to developing their culture and how they’ve maintained it as they’ve grown.
In today’s conversation, Olly and Nick explore how some of these elements have developed, and the new and innovative things that Q5 are doing as they expand. including:
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Q5’s growth over the last few years, why they’ve chosen to follow a regional expansion strategy and Olly’s top tips for making this a success.
-
Recruitment and retention in consulting, why people seem to be leaving the industry earlier than they used to and what this means for consulting leaders like you.
-
And an introduction to Pop Up Consulting. Why they launched it and why it’s going to continue to be a key part of the business post Covid.
It was a pleasure to hear from Olly again and we know you’re really going to really enjoy learning from his insights and experience having successfully growing Q5 to where it is today.
Whether you’re considering expanding your consultancy and want to learn from someone who’s been there before, or you’re seeing turnover increase in your firm, and want to know what you can do to stop it, this conversation with Olly will give you the answers you need!
Get in touch with Olly at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-purnell-6525ab9/
Find out more about Q5 at - https://www.q5partners.com/
Specific things discussed in the show
Magic Sponge by Olly Purnell and Andy Cottrill - https://amzn.to/3Adkvzt
In today’s episode, I talk to Tim Smeaton and Simon Walker, Managing Partners of Kubrick Group, the award-winning data, AI, and cloud consultancy, which exists to solve the digital skills emergency, by building a diverse workforce designed to help organisations evolve and embrace next-generation technology.
If you’re a regular listener you may remember that Tim and Simon first appeared on the show in episode 16, almost 3 years ago.
Since then, Kubrick has grown dramatically. Going from C. 100 consultants when we last spoke to over 600 today. On the way they’ve built out multiple new offerings and won a whole host of awards in recognition of their growth, their commitment to D&I and the service they provide to their clients.
Having watched their journey over the last three years, I was keen to get Tim and Simon back on the show, to share the secrets behind this phenomenal growth.
In today’s conversation we dive into a whole range of topics that will help you grow your consulting firm, including:
-
How Kubrick Group has been able to scale so quickly in such a short amount of time, and the secrets that have helped them achieve that success.
-
The unique approach they’ve taken to identifying what their clients really need, what they should be selling to them and when the time is right to launch a new practice area.
-
And how Tim and Simon’s approach to leadership has had to evolve as the business has grown.
It was great to speak with Tim and Simon again. This conversation was as fun as it was insightful and I know you’re going to enjoy it. We laughed a lot and they shared so much great advice along the way.
If you’re looking to learn how you can grow your own consulting business or practice area, or want to know how to approach building out your new offering, you’re going to get a ton from this one.
Get in touch with Tim at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-smeaton-424929/
Get in touch with Simon at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-walker-8763b9/
Visit Kubrick at – https://www.kubrickgroup.com/
Specific things discussed in the show
Good To Great by Jim Collins - https://amzn.to/3p7nHaI
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin - https://amzn.to/3uLfZoc
Find Your Why by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/3fXrOCh
Dilts’ Logical Levels - https://bit.ly/3wOmuYw
In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting I speak with Adrian Bettridge, Managing Partner at Baringa Partners, an award winning, multi-national consultancy working across Energy, Financial Services, Consumer Products & Retail and Telecoms & Media, and Central Government.
For long time listeners, Adrian will be a familiar guest, making his first appearance in episode 4, way back when I started this podcast almost 3 years ago.
For those that don’t know, Baringa is where I cut my teeth in consulting, spending 3 years from 2012 to 2015, working as part of their rapidly growing Financial Services practice.
Since our first interview, Adrian and I have kept in touch and I’ve learnt so much from him over that time. Knowing the journey that he and the Baringa team have been on since we recorded round one, I was really keen to have him back on the show to share the next chapter in the Baringa story and dig into more of Adrian’s own background and what drives him as a leader.
We cover a whole range of different and powerful topics in this one, including:
-
Adrian’s upbringing and how his early experiences as a child set him on the path to where he is today.
-
How Baringa have been able to grow so quickly over the last three years and the challenges that Adrian and his fellow partners have had to overcome during that time.
-
And Adrian’s advice to other consulting leaders, how he’s had to adapt as the firm has grown and what he recommends for others looking to emulate Baringa’s success.
I always enjoy catching up with Adrian and it was great to be able to sit down with him for this round two interview and share all of his great insights and advice with you.
If you want to find out what it takes to become one of the leading firms in the consulting industry, then you’ll definitely want to give this a listen.
You can find out more about Baringa at – https://www.baringa.com/
Or listen to his previous episode at - https://bit.ly/3frVaID
Specific things discussed in the show
Soundtracks by Jon Acuff - https://amzn.to/2QneH4m
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - https://amzn.to/2RXLL3A
Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins - https://amzn.to/33SZ6wJ
In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting I speak with Angus Ridgway, CEO of Potentialife, 20 year McKinsey Veteran and former leader of McKinsey’s EMEA strategy practice.
Potentialife was born out of Angus’s passion for understanding what separates the best from the rest. Watching this play out day in day out at McKinsey, Angus wanted to harness everything he’d learnt and following a chance encounter with his co-founder, Dr Tal Ben-Shahar decided to launch Potentialife. A business that uses technology-enabled processes to allow people to function at the peak of their performance every day, by helping them to develop new positive habits into an improved personal operating model.
With such a successful consulting career and a decade spent dissecting peak leadership performance with Potentialife, we had so much to talk about and it was fantastic to sit down with Angus and hear his advice for anyone climbing in the consulting industry.
Angus was recommended to me by former guest, Simon Williams of DMW group who, having been interviewed for the show, instantly said that I should speak to Angus. He couldn’t have been more right and I’m so pleased we were able to have this conversation.
We covered a whole host of topics and there’s simply too much to list in this intro, but to give you a glimpse into this episode, a few of the insights Angus shares include:
-
The number one attribute that separates success and failure when starting your consulting career and what you should focus on to give yourself the best possible chance of success.
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The secret to climbing in McKinsey, or any consulting firm for that matter, and how Angus used this to help him get to the top of the firm.
-
And the critical question you need to ask yourself if you’re trying to decide whether it’s time to leave consulting.
Whether you want to learn what it takes to get to the top in a firm like McKinsey, or you’re already at the top in consulting and thinking about what’s next for you, I know you’re going to really enjoy this.
Get in touch with Angus at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angusridgway/
Visit Potentialife at - https://potentialife.com/
Specific things discussed in the show
The Joy Of Leadership by Tal Ben-Shahar and Angus Ridgway - https://amzn.to/3eYZ0sF
The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto - https://amzn.to/3b2px7g
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari - https://amzn.to/3b0OxM0
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari - https://amzn.to/2SpVccd
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari - https://amzn.to/3b0fpMi
Moneyland by Oliver Bullough - https://amzn.to/3ti7bFs
In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting I speak with Tom Hewson, Senior Partner at RedCompass Labs, the specialist consultancy that helps financial institutions accelerate their payments and financial crime programmes.
Tom’s journey to where he is today has been rather unorthodox and is a great lesson in following your passion and being attuned to the opportunities that can come from it. Over his career he’s gone from running his own record label, to IT contracting, through to launching RedCompass Labs, which he and the team have built into a consultancy of over 100 financial services specialists with offices across the globe.
With such a varied career there was a lot for us to dig in to in this one and Tom and I talk about a whole range of really important topics for any consultant. Many of which I’ve not discussed with any other guest before. We cover everything from his early days in music all the way through to his approach to leading the RedCompass Labs team today, and quite a bit in between.
Some of the highlights include:
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Why following the money is never the right decision and how to cultivate happiness through finding your passion, whether that’s within consulting or outside of it.
-
Tom’s advice on building a highly diverse team – having created a team with over 20 nationalities represented – what he looks for at interview and why cultivating the ‘immigrant mindset’ could be the key to your career success.
-
And what you should think about if you’re looking to give back to your industry, the benefits of overinvesting in CSR and the return that RedCompass Labs have seen from their own initiative, the RedCompass Labs RedFlag Accelerator, the most comprehensive global database of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking red flags specific for the financial sector.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Tom. We cover a lot of different, and at times, deep topics, that I know you’re really going to enjoy. Having been pointed to Tom by my friend James Mitra at JBM, I was expecting a good interview and Tom certainly exceeded those expectations.
Whether you’re trying to find your passion and break into the consulting industry, or you’re looking to learn how you can build a highly diverse team in your current firm, I know you’re going to get a ton from this episode.
Get in touch with Tom via email at – tomh@redcompass.com
Check out RedCompass Labs at – https://labs.redcompass.com/
Specific things discussed in the show
Competing For The Future by Gary Hamel and CK Prahalad – https://amzn.to/3dxz87I
The Empty Raincoat by Charles Handy – https://amzn.to/3dA4f2x
Today’s episode is a big milestone for the show, it’s episode 80 of Climb In Consulting!
When I started the show three years ago I never expected it to achieve what it has.
I originally started the show as a hobby, something to give back to the industry, something to learn from. I thought I'd get a couple of listeners – mainly being my family – and it would be mothballed after just a few episodes.
Needless to say that wasn’t the case, and here we are 80 episodes later.
I want to say a big thank you to you, my listeners, as without you the show would never have got to where it is today and it's because of you that I keep the show going. I love doing the podcast and my guests really enjoy it, but if there was no one listening, there'd be no point to it.
As today is episode 80 I wanted to do something a little bit different and take a break from our usual interview format, to bring you a solo episode on a topic that myself and the team at Create Engage are getting a lot of questions on – What does marketing for consultancies look like ‘post-Covid’.
As we slowly exit lockdown and go back to ‘normal life’ many consultancies are starting to think about what this means for their marketing. Will digital marketing disappear? Should I be cancelling my webinars and booking boxes at Twickenham instead? Will remote and flexible working impact my marketing strategy?
In today’s episode I answer these questions and share the top four things that you’ll want to be focusing on for your post-Covid marketing strategy.
In today’s episode I explain:
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Why you need to be starting a podcast today and the hidden benefits it can bring to your consultancy.
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Why webinars aren’t going anywhere fast and what you’re missing out on if you aren’t running regular webinars for your firm.
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How email has helped our clients during Lockdown and the reasons you should be building it in to your marketing strategy post-Covid.
-
And the tiny change you can make to your digital marketing to dramatically improve lead generation.
The consulting market is ever changing and that’s never been truer than it is today. Just as the world was turned on its head as the global pandemic started, we expect to see the same as we leave lockdown and your marketing has to respond accordingly.
Whether you’re just starting out and want to know how you can set your new consultancy on the best path for success, or you’re a large boutique looking to refresh your marketing strategy, you’re going to get a lot from this one.
Specific things discussed in the show
Podcast: Episode 65 – Creating ROI generating marketing that delivers results – bit.ly/3mFGsRC
Podcast: Episode 49 – How to create your own industry leading podcast – bit.ly/3t6a6BF
Blog: Your Digital Marketing Framework – bit.ly/2PFsm6J
eBook: The digital marketing secrets of the UKs fastest growing Management Consultancy- bit.ly/3myNTK3
eBook: No meetings? No problem: How to use marketing to grow your consultancy’s business development pipeline during the Coronavirus outbreak – bit.ly/3dOMafN
In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting I speak with James Constable, CEO and Founder of Albany Beck, the specialist financial services consultancy that’s disrupting the industry with their unique approach that balances leading subject matter expertise with cost effective delivery.
Now full disclosure, Albany Beck are a client of ours, but it didn’t start like that. I originally approached James to appear on the podcast but one thing led to another and here we are.
Having worked with James and the Albany Beck team for coming up to six months now, it was great to sit down with him for the podcast and talk about the Albany Beck story from the beginning.
While I knew some of the journey he and the team have been on, there was lots I didn’t, and this conversation was my chance to find out all about it.
Having started his career in contractor recruitment, James founded and grew Albany Beck to become one of the leading contractor resourcing firms in the banking industry.
This success ultimately led him to sell part of the business to private equity. But that’s not where the story ends.
Having worked in recruitment for over 15 years, James and his team felt that they could see the problems with both the contracting and traditional consulting models, and knew there must be a better way, so they launched their new consulting offering, or Albany Beck 2.0 as it’s sometimes called.
Their unique model, something that James goes in to detail on in our conversation, has seen them go from strength to strength. Growing from a team of just the founders, to over 170 consultants in less than 18 months. And as James explains in today’s episode, that’s just the beginning of their growth journey.
We go into a whole host of topics in this conversation, including:
– Why James and the team decided to launch Albany Beck and the client conversation that started it all off.
– How they were able to scale the business so quickly and their secrets to making their model a success.
– And James’s advice for anyone considering striking out on their own, the conversations you should have with your significant other before doing so, and why Jeff Bezos’s wife deserved every cent of the divorce settlement she got.
It was great to catch up with James outside of our day-to-day work together and have a conversation for the podcast.
Working with the Albany Beck team, we see first-hand the great work they do and the business they’re building, and I really enjoyed having a chat with James to share his insights, learning and experience with you for the podcast.
Whether you’re looking for advice on starting your own firm or considering how your consultancy will need to adapt its business model to keep pace with the competition, I know you’ll get a ton from this episode.
Get in touch with James at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-constable-a7b6633/
Check out Albany Beck at – https://www.albanybeck.com/
Specific things discussed in the show
Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson – https://amzn.to/3ckO3BB
Loosing My Virginity by Richard Branson – https://amzn.to/3smAdnL
For regular listeners to the show, you’ll know what this episode is about, but for those of you who are new or have only started listening recently, let us give you a little explanation.
Every few months we like to take a break the usual format of the podcast and give you something slightly different. That’s where the idea for this episode came from.
Our guests give so much great advice and nowhere is this truer than in their answers to the very last question that we ask in each interview. What one piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in consulting, someone at Manager level and someone approaching Partner.
We love hearing both the similarities and differences in advice and know that many of you do too.
But scrolling through multiple episodes to find this great advice at the end can be tedious and that’s why we bring them together, into these advice round up episodes.
Today you will hear from a whole host of guests from the last 6 months of Climb In Consulting. They’ve come from a range of backgrounds, a range of different consultancies and all have some really unique insights to share, and in this episode we bring them together.
In this episode you’ll hear advice from:
Mike Newlove – Wavestone
James Callander – Freshminds
Tricia Nelson – EY
Jeff Cronkshaw – LanciaConsult
Jeff Dill – Vynamic
Gemma Pfister – Vynamic
Professor Joe O’Mahoney – Consulting Mastered
Tara Lajumoke – FT Strategies
Simon Williams – DMW Group
Dean Taylor – IMD Group
David Stoddard – Barnett Waddingham
We always love listening back to these round up episodes as it reminds us just how much great advice our guests share and we know you’ll get a ton from listening to it. We hope you enjoy!
In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting I speak with David Stoddard, the Chief Operating Officer at Barnett Waddingham, a leading independent professional services consultancy across risk, pensions, investment and insurance, with a team of over 1,330 people across the UK.
David has had an incredibly varied career, having worked across many of the big names in consulting including Accenture, EY and Baringa. The last of which is where we first met, on a project for one of David’s Life & Pensions clients.
Over the last 25 years David has moved from consulting into industry and back again and navigated multiple continents at the same time. It’s this varied experience of successfully managing multiple career transitions that makes him the perfect guest for the show, and we go into each of these transitions in today’s episode.
We cover a ton in this conversation, and discuss a range of topics, including:
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David’s move from Accenture to LBG and how he was able to successfully make the leap and climb the career ladder, ultimately running their 3,000-person Life and Pensions Ops function.
-
Moving abroad, why David and his family chose Australia, and his top tips for anyone thinking of making a similar move.
-
And David’s advice on growing a consulting practice, whether you’re doing so in a big established player or a start-up consulting firm
It was great to catch up with David and learn more about his story, both from before we worked together at Baringa and since. I learnt so much I didn’t know and there’s some great practical advice in this episode, both professional and personal.
If you’re thinking of making the jump out into industry, or maybe you’re considering going from a global firm to a boutique, I know you’re going to really enjoy this conversation with David.
Get in touch with David at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidstoddard/
Check out Barnett Waddingham at – https://www.barnett-waddingham.co.uk/
Specific things discussed in the show
Pick yourself up by Nat King Cole - https://bit.ly/3ux0Tnb
The first 90 days by Michael Watkins – https://amzn.to/3khljvy
Why should anyone be led by you by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones – https://amzn.to/3kdU4lE
The art of happiness by the Dalai Lama – https://amzn.to/3qPUZv9
Cultures and Organisations by Geetre Hofstede - https://amzn.to/2MpT6Gu
The Leadership pipeline by Ram Charan - https://amzn.to/3kozcs2
In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting I speak with Dean Taylor, CEO at IMD Group, the specialist digital transformation and training consultancy focused on delivering complex change in the secure and public sector environments.
Dean’s story is rather unique and one that I’m sure will resonate with a lot of you. Unlike many of my previous guests who’ve started their own consulting businesses in their 20s or 30s, Dean started his entrepreneurial journey later in life. Having already held senior roles in both Government and Consulting he decided to strike out on his own and launch IMD Group. A business which he has grown into a team of over 140 in just 6 years.
Since being introduced by our mutual friend Ben Chapple at Circle Performance, Dean and I have got to know each other well and it was great to have a chance to speak to him for the podcast and share his journey and his insights with you.
We cover a lot in this one and go into detail on a whole host of fascinating topics, including:
-
Dean’s journey with IMD, and how he turned it from a failing training company into the £16 million business it is today.
-
Dean’s take on leading a business through lockdown and his advice for others on how to support your team through this difficult time.
-
And Dean’s perspective on learning and development for both consulting leaders and military leavers to help you both give the best to your team and get the best from them.
I really enjoyed catching up with Dean for this interview. Pre-lockdown we’d planned to do this at my kitchen table over a beer and while sadly we had to have this conversation remotely, it didn’t affect the great insights and stories that Dean was able to share.
Whether you’re running a consulting business or you’re listening to this podcast as a military leaver, looking to get in to consulting, I know you’re going to enjoy this one.
Get in touch with Dean at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-taylor-64291a2/
Check out IMD at – https://www.imd-group.co.uk/
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Margaret Thatcher's Autobiography - https://amzn.to/36XMpm3
Jeremy Corbyn’s Autobiography - https://amzn.to/2MGBJSc
This week we bring you a slightly different episode of Climb In Consulting.
If you’ve listened to any of our previous podcast episodes on how to effectively market your consulting firm, then you’ll know that at Create Engage we’re big believers in putting your team front and centre, showcasing their experience and expertise.
A successful consulting firm is built on the capability of its people. All of its people, not just the Partners. And we always recommend showcasing this strength in depth as part of your marketing.
As you’ll know, I always like to lead by example and share ideas of what this can look like for you, to help you as you grow your consulting career, and today’s episode is just such an example.
In today’s episode I make way for our very own Hannah Urbanek who was recently featured on The 20 Minute Marketing Podcast with host Liam Quinn.
In case you didn’t already know, Hannah is a Senior Marketing Manager here at Create Engage. She has a wealth of knowledge on how to create effective marketing for consulting firms and leads our work with a number of our longest standing clients.
In addition to all of the great work she does here at Create Engage, Hannah is also a School of Marketing Founding 50 member and ambassador.
This fantastic organisation is focused on offering a new type of skill-based marketing education for people at all stages of their careers, and is definitely worth checking out if you’re keen to build up your skills in Marketing.
During today’s conversation Hannah and Liam discuss a whole host of really interesting topics, including:
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How you can push the boundaries of marketing for your consultancy, or any B2B business for that matter.
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What you can do to create engaging content that helps you attract your target clients.
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And the best ways to use social channels such as LinkedIn to grow your brand and accelerate your business development.
Whether you’re looking to find out more about how you can use marketing to help your Consultancy, or you’re looking for inspiration about how you can start to do more for your own personal brand, I know you’re really going to enjoy this.
You can get in touch with Hannah at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahurbanek/
You can get in touch with Liam at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamquinn9/
View the original episode here - https://www.reach-interactive.com/resources-and-blog/pushing-the-boundaries-of-b2b
Visit Reach at - https://www.reach-interactive.com/
Visit the School of Marketing at - https://schoolofmarketing.co/
Welcome to the first episode of Climb In Consulting for 2021.
In today’s episode I speak to Simon Williams, Co-Founder of DMW Group and Non-Executive Director at LanciaConsult.
Simon spent the vast majority of his career building DMW Group, which he and the team grew from just two of them, after a rather interesting start to the business, into a company of over 200 consultants today.
Having spent 27 years growing DMW, Simon now advises a range of businesses and is a trustee to his old university college. One of these businesses is LanciaConsult and is how Simon came to being on the podcast, having been introduced by LanciaConsult’s Managing Partner Jeff Cronkshaw following our interview for this show.
As you’d expect from someone who spent so long at the helm of a consulting business, Simon has wealth of experience when it comes to growing a successful consulting firm and leading through both the good times and the bad, much like where we find ourselves right now with the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this interview Simon shares many of the insights that he’s learnt from his time building DMW and goes in to detail on many of the unorthodox elements of the DMW journey including:
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Why DMW almost failed before it got started, and how Simon went from one of the most junior members of the team to leading the business in just a few short years.
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DMW’s approach to partnering and why they decided to take the unusual route of collaborating with other boutique consulting firms to help them all win more business.
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And Simon’s advice for navigating challenging times, like the ones we’re in now. How DMW was able to overcome multiple recessions and his advice for helping your business to do the same.
If you’re currently planning your personal or corporate goals for 2021 and want to know what you can do to take your career or your business to the next level, or simply the steps you should take to ensure your business comes out of the other side of the recession as stable as possible, then I know you’re going to get so much from what Simon shares in today’s conversation.
You can get in touch with Simon at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonjw/
Or – simonwilliams@peakflow.zone
Visit DMW Group at – https://www.dmwgroup.com/
Visit his website at – https://www.peakflow.zone/
Specific things we discussed in the show:
Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice by Matthew Syed – https://amzn.to/2LrbXQX
Black Box Thinking: Marginal Gains and the Secrets of High by Matthew Syed – https://amzn.to/35ymsJo
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihaly_Csikszentmihalyi
In today’s episode, I speak with Tara Lajumoke, Managing Director of FT Strategies.
I first heard Tara speak on another podcast, the 40 Minute Mentor, run by my good friend and Create Engage client James Mitra at JBM. Having taken so much from that interview I knew we had to get her on the show and I was so pleased when she said yes.
Tara’s career is made up of an enviable list of prestigious global brands, having studied at both the LSE and Harvard and worked at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey and now heading up the Financial Times consulting business, FT Strategies.
While on paper it may look like Tara has had an easy and effortless journey to the top, what makes her even more special is that her journey has been anything but.
As a Nigerian woman who moved to the UK when she was 8 and spent her early years growing up on a council estate, Tara’s seen her fair share of challenges. Both before entering the world of work and since, something she goes in to detail on in today’s conversation.
It’s her drive to succeed, despite many of the perceived challenges that may have held her back that makes her story so special and something that she now pays forwards in both her mentoring of underprivileged young people and her candid and compassionate perspective on the challenges that those from minority groups face in climbing to the top in our industry. Something that she was recognised for earlier this year when she was named on the 2021 Black Powerlist.
With such an incredible story there was so much ground for us to cover and we go in to detail on some really important topics in this conversation including:
The importance of education and mentorship and why we need to be focusing on creating positive role models for those from minority backgrounds to follow.
Climbing in McKinsey as a woman, a mother and a person from a minority background – Her experience of doing so and the advice she would give to others looking to emulate and learn from her success.
And her decision to join FT strategies, why she decided to make the leap and what her and the team are doing to build a consulting business that delivers great client work while creating an environment that enables everyone to excel, regardless of their background.
I don’t throw around words like inspiring that often, but in this case I think it’s very well deserved. Tara is a truly inspiring role model both to women and those from minority groups looking to climb in consulting as she is to those from the majority who want to know what they can do to help improve diversity and breed an inclusive culture across the consulting industry.
With 2020 coming to an end and many of us considering what the next year holds, I know this episode will give you some food for thought and help you start 2021 in the best possible way.
You can get in touch with Tara at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-lajumoke-40aa29/
Visit FT Strategies at – https://www.ftstrategies.com/
Specific things we discussed in the show:
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela - https://amzn.to/37HQrPf
Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company’s Future by Tien Tzuo -https://amzn.to/33SrhML
In today’s episode, I speak with Joe O’Mahoney, Professor of Management Consulting at Cardiff University, and CEO of Consulting Mastered.
Joe has had a hugely wide-ranging career that’s seen him go from Academia, in to consulting and back again, with a number of additional entrepreneurial ventures along the way.
With such a varied career, and a unique mix of both practical and academic experience, Joe has a huge amount to share and gives so much in today’s interview.
When I say that Joe wrote the book on Management Consulting, I mean it very literally. His textbook “Management Consultancy” is the leading academic resource on our industry and is used by universities across the world to teach their students about consulting.
But Joe’s focus is more than just the academic side of the industry. Through his business Consulting Mastered he’s advised a range of consulting businesses – from boutiques to global leaders - on how they can improve their organisations to help them grow effectively. Insights that he’s currently building into his latest book and something we go in to detail on in today’s show.
We cover so many different facets of the industry in today’s conversation and there really is something in here for everyone, from Joe’s top tips for graduates looking land their first job in consulting, to the key insights from his upcoming book on what separates successful boutique consulting firms from their less successful peers.
I found this conversation fascinating and it was great to get Joe’s perspective as someone who truly knows all the ins and outs of the consulting industry.
Whether you’re a consulting leader focused on how you can take your business to the next level or a graduate looking to make your first step into the industry, I know you’re going to get so much from what Joe has to say.
You can get in touch with Jeff at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeomahoney/
Find out more about Consulting Mastered at – https://www.consultingmastered.com/
Check out his book, Management Consultancy, at - https://amzn.to/35TA0Q7
Specific things we discussed in the show: - PrepLounge – https://www.preplounge.com/en/ - The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn – https://amzn.to/36686Ag - If This Is a Man by Primo Levi – https://amzn.to/3q00Bmp - The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert – https://amzn.to/3nUmMIR
In today’s episode I speak to Jeff Dill and Gemma Pfister, CEO and Executive at Vynamic, the multinational healthcare industry management consultants with offices in Philadelphia, Boston, Durham, North Carolina and London here in the UK.
I’ve spoken to a number of guests who’ve expanded their businesses across the pond, but these have all been firms that have gone UK to US. As such, it was great to speak with Jeff and Gemma and find out how they’ve successfully managed to make the leap the other way and learn about the Vynamic journey that’s led them from a single state operator to the multinational consultancy they are today.
Jeff started his career, like several of my guests, at Accenture. He was persuaded to leave and join a former colleague in the early days of Vynamic and the rest, as they say, is history. During his time as CEO he’s overseen a number of huge events for the business, including the expansion I’ve just mentioned, turning the business round following the financial crisis and the sale of Vynamic to UDG Healthcare plc in 2017.
Gemma spent the earlier part of her career in the US and Germany, before coming to the UK to join a global healthcare company that was acquired by UDG. When UDG acquired Vynamic, Gemma was offered the chance to be part of founding and leading the UK business and leapt at the opportunity.
With two guests on today’s show, there was a lot to cover and Jeff and Gemma share so many great insights from their journey with Vynamic in today’s interview.
We cover a whole range of topics including:
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The Vynamic story and what led Jeff and the team to expand beyond one office in the first place.
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What it’s like to take a business into an international market, and how to manage the many challenges that come with it.
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And the importance of culture when growing a consulting business and how Vynamic achieves ‘shared values with a local vibe’ across their various offices.
This was a great conversation, with two guests who have so much to offer in the stories they tell and advice they give.
If you’re looking to take your consultancy in to a new market, or maybe you have and you’re trying to get to grips with how you can bring those different offices together, I know you’ll get a ton from this conversation.
You can get in touch with Jeff at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-dill-2601803/
And Gemma at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-pfister-a9482b15/
Find out more about Vynamic at – https://vynamic.com/
Specific things we discussed in the show:
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Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty - https://amzn.to/3luLBdX
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The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients: 6 Steps to Unlimited Clients & Financial Freedom - https://amzn.to/2JQil37
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Work Life Podcast - https://work.life/podcast/
This is a special episode for two reasons: firstly, this marks the 70th episode of Climb In Consulting a huge milestone and one that we have to say a big thank you to you, our listeners for. Without you this show wouldn’t have even got off the ground! And secondly, this week we bring you a slightly different type of episode. Instead of my usual interviews, this episode is a panel discussion all about how you can start your career in consulting.
We’re a huge believer in broadening the reach of our industry and helping those who may not know about consulting or may have misconceptions about what it is and what it isn’t. So, when we were asked by Deri Hughes to chair this panel on behalf of Explore Consulting we was so excited. We knew this was going to be an amazing opportunity to bring you advice from some brilliant consultants and ex-consultants who are doing great things, know all about our industry and could provide an honest and in-depth insight into the world of consulting.
For this session we were joined by a fantastic panel who brought such refreshing and honest perspectives to the discussion. In this episode you’ll hear from:
Tamsin Chislett, Co-Founder and CEO at Onloan
Harriette Foster, Social Impact Investment Manager at Impetus
Darren Ashby, Partner at businessfourzero
Julianne Ilebode-Akisanya, General Manager at ENT UK
In this conversation our panellists dig into what it’s really like to work in consulting, the benefits that it’s given them and some of the challenges you need to consider too.
They also answer a range of questions from people like you, giving their take on the topics that graduates and those looking to make their first move in to consulting really want to know about.
We had a great time chairing this session and we’re really pleased to be able to share it as part of this podcast.
If you’re at university right now and currently considering your career options or you’re early on in your career and considering a move in to consulting, we know you’ll find this episode extremely valuable.
To find out more about the panellists, follow the links below:
Tamsin Chislett – www.linkedin.com/in/tamsinchislett/ Onloan – onloan.co/
Harriette Foster – www.linkedin.com/in/harriette-foster/ Impetus – impetus.org.uk/
Darren Ashby – www.linkedin.com/in/darrenashby/ Businessfourzero – businessfourzero.com/
Julianne Ilebode-Akisanya – www.linkedin.com/in/julianne-ileb…isanya-11356324/ ENT UK – www.entuk.org/ Teach First – www.teachfirst.org.uk/
To find out more about Explore Consulting visit there website - https://exploreconsulting.careers/
In today’s episode I speak with Jeff Cronkshaw, Founder and Group Managing Director of LanciaConsult. The rapidly growing multinational consulting firm with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany and here in the UK.
I got to know Jeff through one of my previous guests; A former boss, mentor and role model of his who he’d heard on this podcast. Jeff and I had a few conversations, he shared his story and hearing the journey he’s been on with LanciaConsult, I knew he’d make a great guest for the show.
There are many things in Jeff’s story that are unique and firsts for Climb In Consulting. He’s had a truly global career and has spent half of his working life in Asia, where he and his wife founded LanciaConsult. Not content with simply starting a consulting business based in Singapore, Jeff and his wife set out to launch a global business and have deliberately focused on growing their geographic footprint over growing within one specific region. Something that no other guest that I’ve interviewed to date has done.
In today’s episode we dig into the Lancia story, and talk about what it’s like to grow a global business from day one and all of the challenges and complexities that come with it. We cover so much ground in this conversation, including:
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Why Jeff and his wife decided to move to Singapore in the first place and his advice for anyone thinking of making a similar move.
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The LanciaConsult journey, how Jeff and the team have successfully grown the business across multiple regions so quickly and the lessons he’s learnt from the last 8 years of building the firm.
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And Jeff’s top questions for anyone thinking of going out on their own. What you need to ask yourself, and what you should talk about with your life partner, especially if you’re thinking of going into business together.
This was a great conversation and one that I really enjoyed. Jeff was kind enough to make the trip to our office in Bath for a real, live, in person, socially distant interview. It made for a great conversation, a great dinner afterwards and so much great advice for you to learn from.
With 2021 fast approaching, if you’re currently thinking about new years resolutions and have moving abroad or starting your own consulting business on your bucket list, then I know you’ll get a ton from this conversation.
You can get in touch with Jeff at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cronkshaw/
Visit LanciaConsult at – https://www.lanciaconsult.com/
Specific things we discussed in the show:
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike - https://amzn.to/36HpADY
Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play: Transforming the Buyer/Seller Relationship - https://amzn.to/3dluk3x
In today’s episode I speak with Tricia Nelson, Partner at EY and head of their 300 person strong People Consulting Business.
This is an interview that’s been almost two years in the making and I’m pleased to say, it was certainly worth the wait.
When you hear about a senior leader like Trish, in one of the world’s biggest consulting businesses, it’s easy to think they’ve followed the traditional consulting career path. Went to a good university, got on the right grad scheme and made the right moves to climb the ladder from there.
But as you’ll hear in today’s interview, Trish’s story has been anything but.
In today’s episode we dig into Trish’s story and discuss the hugely important topic of diversity. An area that Trish is extremely passionate about having seen first-hand many of the challenges that underrepresented groups face in climbing the career ladder in our industry.
In this episode, we go deep into the topic of diversity and inclusion and cover some really important and impactful areas, many of which I’ve not covered with any guest before, including:
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The challenges for young people right now and Trish’s own experiences of building a career having left school at 18 and not going to university at a time when this wasn’t the done thing.
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The challenges that our industry faces when it comes to diversity and what consulting leaders like you can and should be doing to help increase awareness and accessibility of consulting as a career and supporting those from underrepresented groups to thrive within the industry.
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And the unseen diversity impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the hidden challenges that the new ‘remote working world’ creates that consulting firms need to think about.
In an industry that is still largely dominated by white men, Trish is both a fantastic role model and a true champion for those underrepresented in our industry.
Whether you’re a woman who’s looking for advice and guidance on how to climb within the industry or you’re one of the privileged many – white men like myself – that want to know what you can do to help those in your team to thrive, you’re going to love this episode.
You can get in touch with Tricia at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-nelson-826a8212/
And visit EY at - https://www.ey.com/en_gl
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Beyond the Boys’ Club: Achieving Career Success as a Woman Working in a Male Dominated Field - https://amzn.to/2Sb4S73
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead - https://amzn.to/2EIF7rF
How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life - https://amzn.to/30fu94i
The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity - https://amzn.to/2EIdb77
What Color Is Your Parachute? 2020: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers - https://amzn.to/3jdtMyx
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men - https://amzn.to/33gMHDf
After our short summer break I’m pleased to say the podcast is back and what a guest we have to kick us off for the autumn.
Today’s guest is James Callander, Managing Director of Freshminds, the leading resourcing and research firm for the consulting industry.
As you’ll hear in today’s interview, freshminds have a long history in our industry and were actually one of the very first search firm that I signed up for when I was looking to make the move in to consulting almost a decade ago. I still remember scouring their weekly newsletter for potential roles and it was great to get a chance to catch up with one of the people behind it all and find out about James story with Freshminds over his almost 18 year career with the firm.
Unlike many of my guests, James’s career actually started while he was still in school, running various business ventures from the school printing press to leading sales for the school magazine.
Deciding he wanted to move to London following university James began his formal career with two extended internships, firstly at the strategy consultancy Roland Berger, then followed by another at the then leading public relationships firm Bell Pottinger.
It was these early experiences that led James to take the bold step and become a freelance researcher for the, at the time, small start-up research consultancy Freshminds. The rest as they say is history and over the last almost 18 years James’s career has grown alongside the business, which he now runs as Managing Director. Leading a team of over 140 people to reshape the future of resourcing and consulting.
Given James’s wealth of experience there was so much for us to cover and we discuss some really interesting topics in this conversation including:
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James entrepreneurial start, how his teenage business ventures shaped his career, and how the skills he learnt from that period have helped him get to where he is today.
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His almost 18-year career with Freshminds, how he was able to climb from a freelance researcher to Managing Director of the firm and his advice for anyone looking to emulate his success.
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And his career advice for those of you looking to take the next step in your career, be that moving to another consulting firm or jumping out and becoming an independent contractor.
I really enjoyed this conversation with James. As his story shows you don’t have to follow a structured consulting career path to reach the top in our industry and that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.
Whether you’re at the start of your career and looking to break in to consulting or you’re an experienced consultant looking at what the best next step is for you, I know you’re going to get so much from what James has to say.
So, with the intro done and dusted, sit back, relax and enjoy my interview with James Callander.
To get in touch with James find him either through LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescallander/
Or through Email - jc@freshminds.co.uk
You can find out more about Freshminds at - https://www.freshminds.co.uk/
James' book recommendations:
Too Big to Fail: Inside the Battle to Save Wall Street - https://amzn.to/32EHSDo
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup - https://amzn.to/35G7q53
Today’s guest is Mike Newlove, Managing Partner and UK Practice Leader at Wavestone, the leading global consultancy with over 3,500 people working across 8 countries to help their clients deliver their most critical transformation programmes.
Mike’s story is a hugely interesting one and challenges many of the commonly held assumptions about what it takes to have a successful career in consulting.
Although a self-proclaimed introvert, Mike started his career in sales with BT before being headhunted to join Deloitte. It was while at Deloitte that Mike met Harry, his future business partner. Following a particularly tough negotiation for a US based client Mike and Harry decide the time was right to strike out on their own and launch Hudson & Yorke, a specialist consultancy focused on helping their clients navigate the world of network services.
Following a roller-coaster journey with Hudson & Yorke, something we discuss at length in today’s show, the business was acquired by Solucom, now Wavestone, in 2015. Mike continues to lead Wavestone in the UK and sits on the global executive committee helping to shape the business for the future.
Mike is as open as he is honest and in this interview he gives his candid take on a whole host of topics including:
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The key differences between working in industry and working in consultancy, how he found the transition and the advice he gives to candidates thinking of making the jump.
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How he decided that the time was right to strike out with his business partner and launch Hudson & Yorke and the key role that his now wife played in supporting him through this time.
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And becoming part of Wavestone, what led Mike to stay on and lead the UK business and why he’s excited by what the future holds for them.
I really enjoyed this interview with Mike, as his story shows, you don’t have to follow the typical career path or have many of the assumed typical personality traits to be successful in consulting.
If the current pandemic has led you to think about setting up on your own or maybe you’re considering a career move and trying to decide what type of consultancy to join, I know you’ll find this interview invaluable.
You can find out more about Mike on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-newlove-747469/
You can find out more about Wavestone at - https://www.wavestone.com/en/
This is the third and final episode of our three-part series in collaboration with Garwood Solutions and Honeycomb PS.
In times like this you need to adapt and respond. The traditional consulting BD approach of meeting people for coffees isn’t an option and you have to do something different.
That’s where effective digital marketing comes in!
In this episode I explain how you can use digital marketing to help you respond to the current climate while setting your business up for long term success.
I take you through the exact framework we use with our clients to help them develop effective marketing strategies that deliver results and explain some of the tactics you should be using right now to help you generate new conversations for your business.
We had a ton of great questions as part of this session and highly recommend listening to the end of show to get all of the content that we shared in this one.
Our 3 Pillars of Post-Lockdown Success webinar series was great fun to be a part of and I really enjoyed working with Rob and Deri to put it together. We got some great feedback from those who attended the live webinars and I hope you get just as much from the podcast versions too!
If you haven't listened already, check out parts one and two of our Post-Lockdown series to continue the discussion about our remaining Pillars.
In the second of our three part series looking at what consulting leaders like you need to be focusing on to achieve post-lockdown success, Deri Hughes, founder of Honeycomb PS walks you through the exact frameworks he uses with his clients to create highly scalable, flexible and controllable operations functions.
When it comes to operations, there’s two key areas to focus on: Flexibility and Control. Flexibility on costs, to respond to changing client needs, and to capture opportunities that present themselves. Control to manage the risks to your business – cashflow, people and clients.
In this episode Deri explains:
– How to identify the critical capabilities that you need in the new world – The proven ways to build Flexibility and Control into your operating model – The digital tools that you can deploy quickly, at low cost, to deliver immediate impact
I hope you enjoy today’s episode and that Deri’s advice will help you to develop your own effective operations strategy as life returns back to normal
You can find out more about Deri on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derihughes/
You can find out more about Honeycomb PS at – https://www.honeycombps.co.uk/
If you missed part one of our Post-Lockdown Success series: ‘Renewing the V&P in your Value Proposition to accelerate your exit’, be sure to check it out.
Today’s episode, or episodes should I say, is a first for this podcast and one I’m really excited to share with you
Last month, I teamed up with two of the industries leading experts to bring you a truly comprehensive series to explain what you need to focus on to help you succeed as we come out of Covid-19 and beyond.
Over three webinars, myself and my co-hosts, Rob Garner from Garwood Solutions and Deri Huges from Honeycomb PS shared the three elements that you need to focus on to set your business up for success.
If you’ve followed this podcast so far, or you’ve read our eBooks, you’ll know that at Create Engage we’re big fans of both collaboration and repurposing content. This series is an example of doing both of these things.
Now, back to the series.
If you’re currently building a consulting business, I suspect lockdown has thrown a spanner in your growth plans!
Regardless of whether you were looking to scale your business or on a path to sale, the current pandemic has at best set you back or at worst, left your business close to edge.
Fortunately, there is a way through – by focusing on the three pillars that you need to build the foundations of success for your consulting business post-lockdown.
This isn’t just one of those made up models that seem to be cropping up right now though. This is based on real world, real life experience, building on Rob’s own journey as a consulting entrepreneur, and someone who has built and sold multiple 8 figure consulting businesses
To help you understand what you need to be focusing on to accelerate your business out of lockdown, I teamed up with Rob and Deri bring you a series dedicated to the three pillars that you need to be prioritising right now:
✅ Your Value Proposition ✅ Your Operations ✅ Your Marketing
In today’s episode Rob Garner explains the impact that Covid-19 is having on the growth, development and change of the professional services sector and what it means for you and your consulting business.
He walks through the implications for your business strategy and why you need to be focusing on your client value proposition right now if you want to set your business up for success and realise the growth target or exit you’re aiming for.
With all the uncertainty at the moment, I’m sure that you’ll get a lot of confidence and clarity from what Rob has to say.
You can find out more about Rob on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/garnerrobert/
You can find out more about Garwood Solutions at – https://garwoodsolutions.com/
Check out parts two and three of our Post-Lockdown series to continue the discussion about our remaining Pillars.
For regular listeners to the show you’ll know that alongside the interviews from inspirational leaders in our field I like to mix it up and give you a range of different types of episodes to listen to.
Early on in the series I shared a recap episode, bringing together the career advice from all of my guests up to that point.
That episode proved so popular I decided to make it a regular feature on the show. Gathering up my guests answers to the last question that I ask in every interview. To give you a comprehensive guide to help you on your career, whether you’re just starting out, in the middle grades, or approaching partner.
Today’s episode is round 3 of advice from the best in the business. Where my guests from the last 9 months give you their answer to a simple yet powerful question. What one piece of advice would give to each of the following three people, one just starting out in their career, one around manager and one who’s approaching Partner.
In today’s episode you’ll hear the answer to this question from:
- Richard Goold
- Jess Frame
- Rob Garner
- Adam Blomerley and Rob Ferrone
- Irene Molodtsov
- Ian Price
- Alex Gurr
- Paul Collins
- Chris Gibson
- Simon England
- Hannah Farrar
And my own answers to these questions that I shared in episode 50.
I’ve personally found the answers that my guests give to this question hugely helpful in my own career and I’m sure you’ll get a ton out of them too.
Today’s guest is Hannah Farrar, Chief Executive of Carnall Farrar, the specialist management consultancy dedicated to the healthcare industry.
Hannah has recently been recognised as one of the top 100 women in healthcare leadership, so naturally I couldn’t wait to sit down with her for this interview and explore her incredible career journey.
Following a successful career in the NHS, Hannah and her co-founder Ruth Carnall decided that the time was right to strikeout on their own and set about launching Carnall Farrar, or CF as it’s now known.
Launching your own business is a daunting enough prospect but even more so when you’re a single mother with two young children to support. Something we go in to detail on in today’s show.
Since starting the firm over 7 years ago, CF has gone from strength to strength, growing from just the co-founders in to a firm of over 70 consultants working across health care and life sciences.
If that wasn’t enough, alongside her packed schedule running CF, Hannah is also a member of the Kings Fund General Advisory Council, and a non-executive director for Lantum.
We cover a huge amount of ground in today’s conversation and there's a ton of valuable insights for you in this one, including: - Why and how Hannah made the leap from a successful career in the NHS to launch Carnall Farrar and her key lessons for anyone thinking of doing the same.
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Hannah’s candidate experience of growing a business as a working mother and her advice for other parents out there, on how to achieve the often-difficult balance of creating both a successful career and a successful home life.
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And the unique obstacles that women face in the consulting sector and Hannah’s take on what the industry needs to do to overcome them; both for junior consultants climbing the ranks as well as for senior leaders running their own consulting firms.
As we recorded this earlier in the year, Covid-19 is actually the one topic we don’t speak about, but as I know many of you are getting tired of hearing about it I’m sure that’ll be music to your ears.
That said, given the current environment, we couldn’t be releasing today’s interview with Hannah at a more appropriate time and it was fantastic to get her perspective from being on the front line of change and transformation in healthcare.
If you’re a working parent yourself, thinking of moving into healthcare, or considering starting up your own consulting business as a result of the current economic situation then this episode is a must-listen.
You can find out more about Hannah on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-farrar/?originalSubdomain=uk or Twitter https://twitter.com/hannahjfarrar?lang=en. You can find out more about Carnall Farrar at - https://www.carnallfarrar.com/ Specific things we discuss in the show: The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N9OQOJ2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Stanford University Executive Education - https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/exec-ed
David Gilroy at Conscious - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgilroybs8/
In today’s episode, I speak to Simon England, Director at Garwood Solutions, Former senior Managing Director at Accenture and Independent Director of HCL Technologies, the 150,000 person global technology and services firm.
If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you may remember that Simon’s colleague Rob Garner featured back in Episode 51 at the beginning of the year.
I always like to ask my guests who they would recommend for the show and Rob pointed me to Simon. Highlighting his extensive career leading various business units for Accenture as something he thought could be of interest to my listeners, and he wasn’t wrong.
Over the past 36 years, Simon has built up a wealth of experience in leading, transforming, and growing organisations across both the public and private sector.
Before joining the team at Garwood Solutions, Simon spent 27 years with Accenture, leading various business units and helping to turn around others.
Between leaving Accenture and joining Garwood Simon spent a year leading the stabilisation and recovery of Capita’s largest, and very public, transformational outsourcing contract with Primary Care Support England, overseeing a 900 strong team to turn the programme around.
Given the current climate and Simon’s phenomenal track record of both growing and turning around businesses, I was super excited for this conversation and my gosh did it deliver. In today’s interview, we dive into a whole range of topics, including: • Simon’s uncommon path into consulting, his entrepreneurial streak and how starting out on his own helped him build the consulting career he’s had
• His lessons learned from his 27 years at Accenture and what you can take from them to help you on your own journey
• And Simon’s advice for consulting firms - big and small - on what you should be doing now to help you stabilise your business and succeed beyond Covid-19
While we’d recently started working with the Garwood team just prior to this interview, it was great to get the chance to speak to Simon outside of that, hear his insights on building such a successful career and have the chance to share them with you to in this interview.
With all the uncertainty at the moment, I’m sure that you’ll get a lot of confidence and clarity from what Simon has to say. Whether you’re currently focusing on the short term health of your business or your long term career path, there’s tons in here for you to learn from and apply in your own life.
You can find out more about Simon on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-england-88763376/ You can find out more about Garwood Solutions at - https://garwoodsolutions.com/ Specific things we discuss in the show: • The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tao-Te-Ching-Hackett-Classics-ebook/dp/B005CW9YB2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= • Getting The Balance Right: Leading and Managing Well by Peter Shaw - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-Balance-Right-Leading-Managing-ebook/dp/B00AQD8KZI/ • Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World by Don Tapscott - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grown-Up-Digital-Generation-Changing-ebook/dp/B001FA0PMC/ • The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company by William Dalrymple - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anarchy-Relentless-Rise-India-Company-ebook/dp/B07VPR8LS1/
Today’s episode is taken from an interview that I recently did for Sales For Startups as part of their fantastic interview series.
This series, hosted by their founder James Ker-Reid, explores many of the key topics that anyone launching their own business needs to think about.
Much like we do for climb in consulting, James interviews leaders from various fields to share their insights and experience with his audience. Giving them advice on everything from Fund Raising and accountancy to sales and marketing.
As you probably guessed, James asked if I’d take part in the series to share my advice on marketing for consultancy businesses. In this conversation, I share much of the advice that we’re giving to our clients day in day out. I explain the Create Engage philosophy, our approach to marketing and give you our top tips for what you should be doing right now to help you create effective marketing that generates ROI.
As James’s series is targeted at start-ups more generally, there is a little bit of build up at the start about what we mean by consultants and how that relates to the start up world. But as you’ll hear, after a short intro, we quickly dive into some really important points that are critical for you if you’re looking to grow your consulting business.
Today’s episode is a bonus episode intended to help you with your marketing during the current Covid-19 lockdown.
I've been running a number of webinars all about how you can and should be using marketing right now and have received some great feedback on them.
As not everyone who listens to the show is able to join these, I wanted to share the recording of one of the recent webinars I ran where I give you the exact marketing strategy framework that we use with our clients and share the tools and tactics that you should be using right now to effectively market to your target clients and fill your BD hopper back up for when the current lockdown ends.
This webinar is packed full of helpful insights and advice and if you want more detail on anything I discuss in this episode, you can find it in our new eBook that we’ve just released on the same topic. Go to www.createengage.co.uk/covid-19 to get your copy.
Now as this was a webinar, there is a little bit of preamble as people join the call but stick with it. After a short intro we dive in to the detail and cover everything you need to be thinking about right now to help your consulting firm.
I hope you enjoy it!
In today’s episode I speak to Chris Gibson, Partner and Managing Director at PEN.
PEN are a client of ours at Create Engage and having got to know Chris and the PEN team over the last 6 months I knew that he would make a great guest for the show.
PEN are a really unique consultancy – and I’m not just saying that because we work with them. PEN was founded by a collective of consultants striving to solve many of the problems that they saw in the traditional consulting model – something that we go in to detail on in today’s show.
Having launched the firm in 2012, Chris and the team have gone from strength to strength - successfully growing PEN from just the founding team into a consultancy that regularly has more than 100 consultants supporting clients at any one time.
While I’ve got to know Chris well over the last 6 month it was great to have a chance to sit down with him to find out more about his personal journey, learn about the PEN story and find out about many of the pieces that I didn’t know.
In today’s conversation we cover a whole host of topics including: • What led Chris and his fellow partners to launch PEN and how they’ve approached the growth of the business over the last 8 years to ensure they’re able to stay ‘in their sweet spot’ for both the team and their clients.
• The importance of culture and what you need to focus on to develop, and maintain, a culture you can be proud of.
• And Chris’s candid perspective on the pros and cons of joining a smaller consultancy, how they’re not right for everybody and what you need to think about if you’re considering making the leap.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Chris and it was great to find out more about the journey that both He and Pen have been on. PEN don’t shout loudly about it but their success speaks for itself. From their awards for excellence in wellbeing through to their successful start up (ad)ventures business.
Whether you’re looking for insights to help you grow your own consulting firm, or you’re earlier in your career, and you’re trying to decide whether you should make the move to a smaller consulting firm like PEN, then I know you’re going to get a ton from today’s interview.
I hope you enjoy it!
You can find out more about Chris on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgibsonpenpartnership/
You can find out more about PEN at https://penpartnership.com/
Today's episode is one I recorded just under two months ago and it’s amazing how much the world has changed in that time.
For some of you listening, today’s episode could possibly be the most valuable episode of Climb In Consulting that I’ve ever recorded. And while the topics we discuss may not be top of your list right now, the principles and advice that today’s guest shares will certainly help you when we start to emerge from the current crisis.
So who is today’s guest and what makes this such a valuable episode?
In today’s episode I speak to Paul Collins, Founder and Chairman of Equiteq, the leading M&A Advisory firm for the consulting sector.
Over the last 16 years Equiteq have helped over 100 consulting entrepreneurs successfully sell their businesses. Guiding them on what they need to do to set themselves up for sale and then helping them navigate the often-challenging sales process.
Paul's journey in to the world of Consulting M&A started with his own experience when he sold his Consulting business WCI to private equity for $100 million dollars in 2002. He saw first hand how little support there was available to consulting firms in the current M&A market and decided to launch Equiteq to help fill that gap.
In today’s conversation we go deep into the world of M&A and dig in to everything you need to know if you’re growing a consulting business with the view to sell it at some point in the future. Even if you’re not building a firm to sell, much of the advice Paul shares is equally applicable for you and will help you build a stronger foundation from which to grow your business.
To give you an idea of what’s to come, some of the topics we discuss include:
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What determines the valuation of a consulting business and how small adjustments to your business can have a huge impact on the ultimate valuation you receive.
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What you need to do to set your firm up for success from the outset and the key functions that you need to establish in your business if you’re looking to sell it at some point in the future.
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And Paul’s candid advice, from his own experience, on how to balance growing your business with maintaining a happy and healthy personal life.
In an industry as broad and diverse as consulting there’s very few people who are known ‘industry wide’, people whose reputation precedes them and are known by firms big and small. Paul is one of those people.
You can find out more about Paul on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pecollins/
You can find out more about Equiteq at https://www.equiteq.com/home/
One of the great things about running this podcast is I get to speak to inspiring leaders in our industry to get their inside track on what it takes to succeed in consulting.
I try to interview guests on this show that I look up to and know others do too, so it was great to have a chance to interview one of my old mentors - Someone who taught me so much about consulting and who’s career has gone from strength to strength since I worked for him.
Today I go back to my old consultancy to interview Alex Gurr, Partner and Head of Insurance at Baringa Partners.
I worked closely with Alex on a number of projects during my time there and learnt a ton from him. Over the last five years, Alex has gone from junior partner to Head of Insurance, and working with his fellow partners has grown the insurance team from around 15 when I left to over 50 of them now.
There’s so many things that I’d always wanted to ask Alex, to find out how he did what he did and how he’d been so successful. It was great to get the chance to sit down with him and go in to detail on many of these topics for the podcast.
We cover a whole host of things in today’s conversation and there’s so much valuable insight for you including:
How Alex turned a series of fortunate opportunities in to a successful career and his advice for you if you’re looking to climb to the top of the consulting ladder.
How Alex’s upbringing influenced his approach to leadership and the values that he sees as key for any successful leader.
And the importance of Diversity and Inclusion in consulting; what senior consulting leaders need to think about when it comes to D&I and what Baringa are doing to promote diversity and inclusion across their business.
I really enjoyed going back to Baringa to speak with Alex. It’s been almost 5 years since I left and, while it only feels like yesterday, it’s been great seeing how the business and the insurance practice has grown in that time. Alex has a ton to share and this interview was a chance for us to sit down and get some of the great insights that I benefited from when I was at Baringa out there for all of you to hear.
You can find out more about Alex on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-gurr-8ab82310/
You can find out more about Baringa Partners at https://www.baringa.com/
In today’s episode I speak to Ian Price, the leading sales expert , performance psychologist and author.
Ian is a CEO-turned business psychologist specialising in helping organisations both develop effective sales processes and build the mental toughness needed to achieve it.
Having previously worked in consultancy and in a number of executive roles across the telecoms and technology industries, Ian has become an expert in selling and business development. Specialising in helping professional services businesses improve their own internal sales capability.
This is an episode I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Sales is often seen as a ‘dirty’ word in consulting but it’s a key skill for anyone who has ambitions to get to Partner
In the increasingly competitive business world, the ability to sell is essential for success. However, sales can often be an intimidating task for consultants so it’s great to have professionals such as Ian to help take that fear away and provide a fresh approach to selling.
During our conversation we discuss a number of topics that will help you improve your selling including:
• The difference between zero sum and positive sum selling and how it can help you get over your fear of selling.
• Ian's practical advice for building an effective lead pipeline - even from a standing start.
• And the processes and systems you can use to help supercharge your selling, whether you're running a whole firm, running a practice or just trying to sell more yourself.
It was great to meet with Ian and hear his thought-provoking views on how best to approach the often-daunting task of selling. I hope you enjoy today’s episode and that Ian’s advice will encourage you to develop your own effective sales process, boost your own business development pipeline and help you to grow your career.
You can find out more about Ian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ijprice/
You can find out more about Recludo Consulting at https://www.recludoconsulting.com/
In today’s interview I speak to Irene Molodtsov, CEO of Sia Partners UK,
Having started her career in manufacturing Irene quickly found her calling in management consulting and moved to KPMG to pursue her passion.
When KPMG was sold to Atos, Irene and her co-founder decided the time was right to strike out on their own and do what they loved, helping organisations deliver major business transformation project. This led them to launch Molten which was subsequently acquired by Sia Partners in 2016.
On joining Sia Partners, Irene took on the role of CEO of their UK business, continuing to build on the great work that she’d begun at Molten.
In this conversation we dig in to a whole range of topics including:
How Irene fell in love with consulting and how she decided to make the jump from a comfortable career at a global firm to launching Molten.
Irene’s take on Diversity and Inclusion in consulting and what the industry needs to do to help improve it.
The future of the consulting industry, why it needs to be regulated and the importance of what Sia Partners have termed, Consulting 4.0, the next generation of consulting.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Irene and it was great to get her candid take on where consulting is going and what firms across the industry need to be thinking about as we enter the next decade.
You can find out more about Irene on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenemolodtsov/
You can find out more about Sia Partners at - https://www.sia-partners.com/
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Loosing My Virginity by Richard Branson - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Losing-My-Virginity-Richard-Branson-ebook/dp/B005F3GMAO
The Dark Side of Camalot by Seymour Hersh - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/000653077X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_BD9vEbJM4AYMQ
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
In today’s episode I bring you not one but two guests as I speak to Rob Ferrone and Adam Blomerley of Quick Release.
Having started out as contractors, Rob joined forces with his co-founder, Adam Grant to launch Quick Release in 2003. In Rob’s own words they were ‘two Excel types who saw a gap in the market and wanted to create a fun company of like-minded data geeks’.
It was shortly after this that Adam Blomerley joined the business with his famous ‘5 year plan’ - something we discuss in today’s show. This saw the start of the transformation of Quick Release, moving them from a provider of quality automotive Change Management resource to a fully-fledged Product Data Management Consultancy.
Over the following two decades Rob, Adam and Adam set about scaling firm to help them achieve their goal of ‘world domination’, growing from a team of four into a global consultancy of over 200 people.
Rob and Adam were fantastic guests and share some hugely candid insights into their journey and what it takes to grow a successful consulting firm.
In this conversation we go into detail on a whole host of topics including:
The early days of QR and how they were able to go from day rate contractors to building and scaling a successful consulting firm.
The lessons they’ve learnt over the last two decades building Quick Release and the key steps that helped them grow to the size they are today.
And Rob and Adam’s detailed advice for anyone looking to build a successful career in consulting.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Adam and Rob. One of the key values of Quick Release is that they are ‘Quite Refreshing’, that they dare to be different, bringing a new approach and a fresh perspective and they certainly delivered that in this conversation.
You can find out more about Rob on his LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ferrone-quick-release/
You can find out more about Adam on his LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-blomerley-338a2a48/
You can find out more about Quick Release at - www.quickrelease.co.uk
In today’s episode, the first of 2020, we’re heading back to our usual format as I chat with a fantastic new guest.
I was introduced to today’s guest by our mutual clients, Stephen Aldridge and Denver McCann at Numeritas who, having worked with him first hand, knew that he’d make a great guest for the show.
Today’s guest is Rob Garner, serial consulting entrepreneur, board advisor and most recently founder of Garwood Solutions, the advisory enablement and delivery consultancy focused on performance improvement in the professional services sector.
Having climbed the ranks in KPMG Rob left to launch his first business, Avail, with his business partner Martin.
From a standing start they grew the business to over 70 people in just 5 years. Ultimately selling the business to the Tribal group in a rather unique deal that we go in to detail on in today’s show.
In joining Tribal Rob took another step up, taking on the Managing Director role for their newly formed, 350 person consulting business and faced the daunting task of consolidating a collective of previously distinct public sector consultancies while also steering the business through one of the worst markets the sector had ever seen.
Having started his own firm, built and sold a second and now advising a range of consulting business on how to successfully grow, Rob’s seen a lot and has wealth of experience that he shares in today’s conversation.
We cover some really interesting topics in today’s conversation, including:
The unique deal that Rob and his co-founder created with Avail and the importance of building the right operating model when it comes to scaling a consulting business.
How Rob and his management team were able to successfully navigate the public sector downturn during his time with Tribal and his lessons to others facing tough times in their businesses.
And the advice Rob gives to the consulting businesses he works with and what you can learn from his experience to help you grow your own business and career.
I really enjoyed speaking with Rob, he has a ton on of advice and insights to share from his journey and it was great to get the chance to dig in to these and learn the key principles that have helped him build the career he’s had.
I hope you enjoy today’s conversation and that hearing Rob’s story will encourage you to take that next step in your career, be it within your firm or striking out on your own.
You can find out more about Rob on his LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garnerrobert/
You can find out more about Garwood Solutions at - https://garwoodsolutions.com/
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Numeritas - http://numeritas.co.uk/
Tribal Group - https://www.tribalgroup.com/
Mind Mapping by Tony Buzan - https://www.tonybuzan.com/
Garwood Solutions - https://garwoodsolutions.com/
Today’s episode represents a huge landmark for the show and I can’t believe we are here already.
Today is episode 50 of Climb in Consulting and it’s crazy to think that something I started as a little side project almost two years ago has grown to where it is now.
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Wacky Rally - http://www.wackyrally.co.uk/
Baringa Partners - www.baringa.com
Good to Great By Jim Collins - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0712676090/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Lf--DbZB0NR45
Anything You Want by Derek Sivers - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241209048/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_kg--DbGEQ8FQ2
The Hard Thing about Hard Things - Ben Horowitz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0062273205/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Wh--DbW4Z6BN0
To celebrate episode 50 and do something a little different I decided to turn the tables and take a dose of my own medicine.
Today’s episode is taken from a live YouTube recording we did a couple of months ago and sees me interviewed by my good friend, create engage client and host of the fantastic 40 minute mentor podcast, James Mitra from JBM.
Over the last two years I’ve spoken to countless listeners on all sorts of topics relating to climbing in consulting. Everything from my advice for getting in to the industry to the reasons I left and more recently, people asking for my advice on how to start their own businesses.
I wanted to bring all of this together and give you a chance to find out a bit more about me, find out about my journey and hopefully learn a few things that may help you.
As this was being recorded live for youtube there are a few audio hick-ups at the start so please bare with it. After the first 10 minutes or so, everything is just as you’d expect from an episode of climb in consulting.
Likewise, James and I had had dinner, we’d had a few non-alcoholic beers and were both nicely relaxed by the time we came to the interview. We jump around a little but stick with us, we cover some hugely important topics and ones I know many of you will be struggling with.
I really hope you enjoy this episode and that hearing my journey inspires you to do whatever it is you’ve been holding back from doing!
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Today’s episode is one that I’ve been meaning to record for almost a year!
Since starting the podcast I’ve had so many people ask me about how to launch their own podcast and my top tips from almost 50 episodes of Climb in Consulting.
to answer these questions and help you if you’re thinking of launching your own podcast I recorded today’s episode.
In today’s show I walk you through the exact process you’ll want to follow if you’re thinking of launching your own podcast including:
How to develop your own USP and a podcast that will appeal to your target niche.
How to get yourself a killer guest list that people will want to listen to.
Everything you need to know about the technical side of producing a podcast and the tools you can use to do it all for free.
And the most important part of all, successfully launching your podcast and making a splash - This is the exact strategy I followed to get in to the iTunes top 100 business charts when I launched Climb In Consulting.
I hope you take a ton away from today’s episode and feel inspired to launch your own podcast!
if it’s already on your new year’s resolutions list let me know. I’d love to support you and share your show when you launch.
If you’re looking for any of the links I reference in the show you’ll find them below.
Specific things I mention in the show:
Tim Ferriss -
How to launch your own podcast - https://tim.blog/2016/04/11/tim-ferriss-podcast-business/
The detailed overview of the kit to use for your podcast - https://tim.blog/podcast-gear/
the video overview of the exact Kit tim uses - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRxVEcbh-Dk
Squarespace - https://www.squarespace.com/
Canva - https://www.canva.com/
Unsplash - https://unsplash.com/
MS Teams - https://products.office.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software
Audacity - https://www.audacityteam.org/
How Noah Kagen launched his podcast - https://sumo.com/stories/how-to-launch-a-successful-podcast
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Today’s interview is one that’s been a while coming, having recorded it back in August and I can assure you it’s been worth the wait.
I’ve had a number of listeners ask for more guests from the strategy end of consulting and I always try my hardest to give you the guests you want.
Today’s guest is Jess Frame, Partner and Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group.
Jess was introduced to me by former guest Lyndsey Oliver after I asked her for recommendations for inspirational female consulting leaders that I could interview for the show.
Jess has had a fascinating career that’s taken her across two continents and seen her move out of and back in to consulting, not once but twice. Having left consulting to work for Tesco she went on to run two multi-million pound businesses before going back to consulting as Partner and Managing Director in BCG’s Retail and Consumer practice.
Jess was a brilliant guest and we had a great time recording this interview. In today’s conversation we cover so many important and impactful topics in including:
Planning your career and how moving out in to industry can actually help you progress within consulting.
Understanding why you’re pursuing the career you are and the questions you should ask yourself before committing to the road to Partner.
Jess’s advice to junior consultants looking to set their career up for success.
And Jess’s take on diversity in consulting and what the industry needs to do to improve it.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Jess. Whether you’re male, female, just starting your career or have already made partner, I know you’ll take a ton away from this and I hope Jess inspires you just as much as much as she inspired me when we were having this conversation.
You can find out more about Jess on her LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaframeceo/
You can find out more about Boston Consulting Group at - https://www.bcg.com/
Today’s episode is a first for the show as I get to give you part two of the story that one of my guest’s started way back at episode 2 of Climb in Consulting.
If you’ve been with the show since the start you’ll know that my second ever guest was Dom Moorhouse, founder of Moorhouse consulting. As Dom explained in his interview he eventually sold the business to BT before departing in 2011.
I know that many of you have wanted to find out what’s happened to Moorhouse since then and to tell part two I reached out to today’s guest to see if he’d come on the show to share it with you.
Today’s guest is Richard Goold, Managing Partner at Moorhouse, the dynamic consulting firm, focused on delivering change.
Over the past 8 years Richard has spearheaded the people and talent agenda at Moorhouse, championing the focus on developing extraordinary leaders.
He is known for his commitment to developing agile and courageous companies that have the ability to recruit, develop and excite their people.
Having joined the firm as one of their new leadership team in 2009, Richard was part of the group that successfully led a management buyout from BT in 2014 with the goal of growing the business and taking it to the next level. This growth led to Richard and the team selling Moorhouse to Expleo in 2018.
In our conversation Richard shares journey he’s been on with moorhouse and how he and the leadership team have continued to grow the firm since Dom left.
As my first guest who has been part of a management buyout we go in to detail on this and spend a good chunk of our interview talking about how this process worked and Richard’s advice for you if you’re thinking of doing the same for your firm.
This interview isn’t just focused on the financial side though and we also dive in to Richard’s management philosophy, his approach to leadership and his advice on developing a successful career in Consulting.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Richard and I’m sure you will too!
You can get in touch with Richard on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gooldy/
You can find out more about Moorhouse at - https://www.moorhouseconsulting.com/
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Specific things we discussed in the show:
The 100-Year Life by Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott - https://amzn.to/2m0gVaz
Career Rocket Fuel by Brian Fetherstonhaugh - http://bit.ly/2m8JHWf
Clear Water International - https://www.clearwaterinternational.com/uk
Morgan Lewis - https://www.morganlewis.com/
For regular listeners you’ll now that I ask my guests the same question at the end of each episode of Climb In Consulting. I find these answers hugely beneficial for my own career and I know that many of you do too.
Earlier in the series I did a recap episode where I distilled all of my guests advice in to one, consise, episode. Last time I did this it got some great feedback so I wanted to do it again to give you a second dose of career advice from some of the best in our industry.
As a recap, or for those of you who may not have listened to any of my other interviews before, the question that these guests are answering asks for one piece of advice for three different people:
The first is someone who's just starting their career in Consulting - anywhere from 0 to 2 years in.
The second is for someone 'in the middle' of their Consulting career - 4 - 6 years in to Consulting.
The third is for someone who's approaching Partner or considering going out on their own to create their own business.
In today’s episode you’ll hear from:
Jeff Welstead (07:38)
David Lancefield (11:31)
Matt Rogan (13:27)
Tony Restell (16:29)
Andrew Denton (23:09)
Karina Brown & Jim Stitchbury (24:04)
Gian Power (27:05)
Seb Chambers (29:29)
Michael Zipursky (30:10)
Harry Gaskell (36:03)
Adil Khan (38:04)
Lyndsey Oliver (42:03)
Charles Vivian (43:02) and
Michael Mahony (45:18)
There are so many great pieces of advice in this episode and some really interesting common themes and principles that have helped my guests get to the top. I hope you enjoy it.
Today’s guest is Dave Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Storm Consultancy, Chairman of CiteAB and non-executive director at I Am compliant.
Storm are a software consultancy that help clients create web apps, digital platforms and website designs to engage their audience, elevate their brand, and ultimately grow their business.
Dave’s story is a truly unique one and having got to know Dave over the last couple of month I knew he’d make a fantastic guest for this show.
Unlike many of my guests who’ve started their businesses having spent years in their field Dave and his co-founder Adam launched Storm, straight out of university, deciding that they’d give it a go and if it all went wrong they’d call it a gap year and go back to the graduate milk round.
Needless to say it worked out for them and Storm is now a thriving consultancy with clients ranging from cutting edge start ups to global brands including Samsung, Yamaha and Ubisoft
I regularly get messages from listeners considering what to do after they leave university and in this interview Dave shares some great insights on launching your own business and why doing it straight out of university may be one of the best opportunities you have.
This interview isn’t just for new graduates though. In growing Storm Dave and his co-founder Adam have built a successful business based on practices that many would not think could work in Consulting, including not working Friday afternoons and unlimited holiday allowances. We go in to detail on Dave’s management philosophy during this conversation and why practices like these and the principles that underpin them have helped Storm achieve the success it has.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Dave and it was fascinating to hear how he’s successfully built the business that he wants and a business that clients love while shunning the norms of the traditional consulting model. I hope you enjoy it.
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Specific things we discussed in the show:
Ryan Carson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancarson
Treehouse - https://teamtreehouse.com/
Executive Foundation - https://www.executive-foundation.com/
Shaw & Co - https://www.shawllp.co.uk/
Jim Shaw - https://www.shawllp.co.uk/about-us/our-people/jim-shaw/
Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1847942555/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_oXH-CbKEK4GXT
Yena - https://joinyena.com/
Storm - https://stormconsultancy.co.uk/
And their address if you want to go and get your copy of Turning the Fly Wheel - https://stormconsultancy.co.uk/contact/
Today’s guest is Charlie Hodgson, former England international and Saracens number 10 and founder of Charlie Hodgson Performance, his leadership coaching business.
As a professional rugby player Charlie achieved everything you could want to over his 16 year career. He won multiple premiership titles with his club Saracens, played for England and went on the 2005 Lions tour. If this wasn’t enough, he is also the all-time record point scorer in the premiership with 2,625 points scored. To put this into perspective if you don’t follow rugby, the closest player too him who’s still playing professionally has 1,569 points – almost a 1,000 points behind Charlie.
As I’ve said before on this podcast I’m a big believer that you can and should learn from the best, regardless of their industry, and sport is no different. Given the hyper competitive nature of elite sport, teams are always looking for an edge and given Saracens success over recent years it was fascinating to sit down with Charlie and get his first-hand insights and advice of what led them to be so successful.
Since retiring from professional rugby Charlie has combined his experience of developing winning teams at the top level of elite rugby with his coaching training and launched Charlie Hodgson Performance to help executives and their teams leverage the leadership principles from professional sport to develop their own high performing cultures.
Charlie shares so many fascinating insights from both his sporting and business careers in this interview including:
How his club Saracens were able to go from a midtable side to the best team in the league and the off field changes they made that were critical to this success.
The importance of developing a positive and supportive culture in your organisation and the key elements to consider if you want to develop your own high performing team.
How you can break down barriers between the different areas in your organisation and start to help your teams work together better.
And much much more!
It was great to get the chance to sit down with someone who has spent so long at the top of elite sport and learn what it takes to succeed at that level, both individually and as a team. There’s so much in this conversation that you can apply to your career and your business and I know you’re going to get a lot from what Charlie has to say.
You can get in touch with Charlie via email at charlie@charliehodgsonperformance.com
And you can find out more about Charlie Hodgson Performance at https://charliehodgsonperformance.com/
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Specific things we discussed in the show:
Sarcens RFC - https://www.saracens.com/
The Forgotten Highlander by Alistair Urquhart - https://amzn.to/2Jqsylz
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl - https://amzn.to/2WPH3Ce
I used to be a miserable F*ck by John Kim - https://amzn.to/2LQqhCc
Specific things we discussed in the show:
What Price Climate Change? by Alex Cameron and David Archer - Click here to download
Engaging Boards With Climate Change by Alex Cameron and David Archer - Click here to download
Engaging Company Boards with Climate Action research by William Cross, Diane Mouradain, James Roberts and Sudhiksha Unnikrishnan for Imperial College Business School - Click here to download
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells - https://amzn.to/2Ur4dgk
Accounting for sustainability - https://www.accountingforsustainability.org/en/index.html
Task Force on Climate Change Related Disclosures - https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/
How to Set Up Effective Climate Governance on Corporate Boards: Guiding principles and questions by the World Economic Forum - https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/how-to-set-up-effective-climate-governance-on-corporate-boards-guiding-principles-and-questions
Today’s guest is Michael Mahony, Co-Founder of the Berkeley Partnership.
Michael was one of four founding partners of The Berkeley Partnership, growing it from an idea to where it is today. In 2018 Michael retired from Berkeley and now works with a number of consulting firms, helping them shape their business strategies.
Founded in 1990, The Berkeley Partnership is an independent Management Consultancy who work with many household names and global organisations helping them to develop strategies and transform their businesses.
The Berekely partnership are unique in a number of ways and have successfully grown their business whilst doing the opposite of what most people would consider conventional consulting wisdom. They are industry agnostic, only recruit from the upper grades in Consulting, have an extremely low partner to Consultant ratio and are heavily focused on limiting the amount of travel their consultants have to do when delivering for their clients.
The fascinating thing about Berkeley is that they’ve been able to build a thriving business by doing all of this and as Michael explains in our conversation, they’ve create a place that the partners and consultants want to work.
Knowing some of the Berkeley story, I had always been intrigued by their model and how they’d been so successful while pursuing such an unorthodox approach. So when I was introduced to Michael, I jumped at the chance to get him on the show.
We cover so many interesting topics in this episode including:
What led Michael and his Co-founders to Launch Berkeley and how they managed to survive their early years, launching the business just before the 1991 recession.
The Berkeley Partnership business model and how the team decided to set the firm up as they did.
And Michael’s advice to others thinking about launching their own consulting business
I really enjoyed this conversation with Michael and it was great to get so much advice and insight from someone who has been involved in the industry for as long as he has.
If you’re a partner thinking about how to improve your own business or a Consultant thinking about going out on your own then this interview is a must listen.
You can get in touch with Michael through his LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmahony1/
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Specific things we discussed in the show:
The Berkeley Partnership - https://www.berkeleypartnership.com/
Trust Based Selling by Charles Green - https://amzn.to/2Uynsc6
Managing the Professional Services Firm by David Maister - https://amzn.to/2D0OcYA
On the Psychology of Military Incompetence by Norman Dixon - https://amzn.to/2K613Pj
Today’s guest is Charles Vivian, Managing Director and Portfolio Group Lead at North Highland.
Charles leads North Highland’s UK and north eastern US practices, a $100 million dollar consulting business.
While you might be expecting the typical consulting career journey, Charles has had the complete opposite and has a hugely varied career that has spanned working for a global consultancy, founding his own start up, working for a boutique consulting firm and then working his way up to where he is now.
Outside of work Charles has undertaken some phenomenal adventures including climbing Mont Blanc and running the Marathon De Sables, the world’s toughest foot race. In fact the reason that there was a slight delay on releasing this episode was that Charles was flying out the day after our interview to trek across the Artic!
Charles’s approach to growing a business, growing your career and enjoying your life were fascinating and no matter where you are on your journey there’ll be something in here for you.
We cover so many interesting topics in this conversation including:
Charles’ start up journey, what he learnt from failing and his advice to other thinking of going out on their own.
The importance of culture when it comes to building a consulting firm and how North Highland have created a culture that is open and supportive while welcoming challenge from all levels of the firm.
The differences and similarities when it comes to working across the UK and the US and the importance of understanding the culture of the region you’re working in when it comes to building a Consulting business.
How Charles fits adventures like his trip to the artic in to his schedule and his advice for others looking to balance work with doing more of the things they enjoy outside it.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Charles. His unique perspective having worked across such a diverse range of businesses gave some fantastic insights and I know you’ll get a lot from this conversation.
You can get in touch with Charles through his LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-vivian-2931b72/
or drop him an email - Charles.Vivian@northhighland.com
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Digital Marketing has moved forward, but most consulting firms haven’t. Many Consulting firms still see their corporate blog as their sole Digital Marketing channel and find themselves frustrated when these blogs yield little if any results.
To help those of you who want to harness the power of Digital Marketing to grow your Consulting Business but don’t have the knowledge, capacity or in-house capability to do so I launched Create Engage, the first Digital Marketing agency for the Management Consulting Industry.
If you’d like to find out more about how Create Engage can help you use Digital Marketing to take your business to the next level then drop me an email at Nick@CreateEngage.co.uk or go to our website www.createengage.co.uk where you can download our free case study that breaks down down the Digital Marketing strategies used by one successful Consulting firm to help them grow over 400% in just 3 years and gives you the secrets they used, so that you can apply them in your own firm.
Specific things we discussed in the show:
Quedis - http://www.northhighland.com/en/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/north-highland-announces-qedis-rebranding
Marathon De Sables - https://marathondessables.co.uk/
The First 90 Days by Michael D Watkins - https://amzn.to/2HPIbkL
Get Abstract - https://www.getabstract.com/en/
Harvard Business Review - https://hbr.org/
Today’s episode is a huge milestone for the show. It’s the 40th episode of Climb in Consulting.
It’s been a great adventure so far and I’m looking forward to creating the next 40 episodes for you.
A big thank you to all of my guests who have appeared on the show so far and a big thank you to you for listening to it! Without you I would have packed this up long ago.
To celebrate 40 episodes I wanted to share my advice on one the biggest challenges I find Consultants, Consulting Leaders and Consulting Marketers face - Producing content.
I speak to a ton of Consulting leaders and Consulting Heads of Marketing who say that they struggle to get content from their Consultants. Likewise I speak to Consultants who are desperate to create more content but just don’t know how.
In this episode I focus on the two reasons that I believe hold Consultants back from creating more content - fear and time.
By resolving these two issues you’ll be able to create significantly more content which will only benefit your firm and your own career.
Specific people I mention in the show:
Nigel Walsh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelwalsh/
Nigel Walsh’s interview for Climb in Consulting - https://www.climbinconsulting.com/podcast/2018/10/17/episode-31-nigel-walsh-deloitte-digital
Natalia Wiechowski - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliawiechowski/
Natalia Wiechowski’s interview for Climb in Consulting - https://www.climbinconsulting.com/podcast/episode-19-natalia-wiechowski
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Digital Marketing has moved forward, but most consulting firms haven’t. Many Consulting firms still see their corporate blog as their sole Digital Marketing channel and find themselves frustrated when these blogs yield little if any results.
To help those of you who want to harness the power of Digital Marketing to grow your Consulting Business but don’t have the knowledge, capacity or in-house capability to do so I launched Create Engage, the first Digital Marketing agency for the Management Consulting Industry.
If you’d like to find out more about how Create Engage can help you use Digital Marketing to take your business to the next level then drop me an email at Nick@CreateEngage.co.uk or go to our website www.createengage.co.uk where you can download our free case study that breaks down down the Digital Marketing strategies used by one successful Consulting firm to help them grow over 400% in just 3 years and gives you the secrets they used, so that you can apply them in your own firm.
Today’s guest is Adil Khan. Adil was one of the founding team of Boxwood, the business transformation consultancy that following years of successful growth was acquired by KPMG in 2015.
Since leaving Boxwood Adil now spends his time advising Consulting entrepreneurs on how to successfully grow their businesses and focusing on his own start up, Lifefyle.
The goal of Lifefyle is to provide people with a simple, organised platform for their life admin, to give them the freedom to unlock their potential and thrive. You can find out more about Lifefyle at www.lifefyle.com
Adil’s story is rather different to what you might consider the typical journey of a Consulting entrepreneur. Unlike most, he didn’t have a long track record in Consulting, having only spent a short time in the indsutry before stepping out to found boxwood with his co-founders who had spent equally little time in Consulting.
This limited time in the industry proved to be the key to their success as they set out to create something very different from the typical Consulting model that was common at the time.
We go in to detail on some really key parts of the Boxwood journey that I know you’re going to find really interesting including:
The importance of culture and how Adil and his co-founders defined their culture from the start and what they did to ensure it remained a core focus as they grew.
The challenges of being responsible for both people and finance as Adil was. The natural tensions these functions often come up against and how Adil managed this.
The Boxwood approach to working with clients, why this was so unique and what Consultants in today’s Market could learn from it.
And Adil’s contrarian view on building a Consulting business to sell, why expanding internationally can actually reduce the value of your business and the sale of Boxwood to KPMG. A process I know a number of you have wanted to hear more about.
I really enjoyed this conversation and it was great to get the perspective of someone who took a less orthodox route to success in Consulting. If you’re not from the typical ‘big 4’ Consulting background and want to know how you can turn this to your advantage or even if you are and want to know how you can use the principle from Boxwood to grow your business or practice area I know you’re going to get a ton from this interview.
You can get in touch with Adil through his LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adilkhan/
Or drop him an email - adil@blueastral.co.uk
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Digital Marketing has moved forward, but most consulting firms haven’t. Many Consulting firms still see their corporate blog as their sole Digital Marketing channel and find themselves frustrated when these blogs yield little if any results.
To help those of you who want to harness the power of Digital Marketing to grow your Consulting Business but don’t have the knowledge, capacity or in-house capability to do so I launched Create Engage, the first Digital Marketing agency for the Management Consulting Industry.
If you’d like to find out more about how Create Engage can help you use Digital Marketing to take your business to the next level then drop me an email at Nick@CreateEngage.co.uk or go to our website www.createengage.co.uk where you can download our free case study that breaks down down the Digital Marketing strategies used by one successful Consulting firm to help them grow over 400% in just 3 years and gives you the secrets they used, so that you can apply them in your own firm.
Today’s guest is Lyndsey Oliver, AKA the Chief MsChief Maker
Lyndsey is the founder and director of M4 Coaching and creator of Back to Work without a Bump® and Making MsChief®, the groundbreaking programmes designed to help retain, support and unleash the true potential of all human beings regardless of their labels.
Lyndsey is a champion of working Mums and an advocate of gender balance in the workplace. She’s passionate about helping parents (both male and female), female leaders and female business owners become the best versions of themselves, both in and out of work.
I was introduced to Lyndsey by a former colleague and listener to the show who had worked with her through their parental leave and said that I had to get her on the show.
The challenges that Lyndsey helps Consultants with are ones that many people in our industry deal with every day but ones that rarely get the attention they deserve. Knowing the positive impact that Lyndsey had had on this listener and others in my network I knew she’d make a fantastic guest and she certainly didn’t disappoint.
We cover some really deep topics in this interview including:
The barriers that hold women back from climbing the career ladder - both structural and self imposed - and what Consulting firms and female leaders themselves can do to break through these.
The relationship challenges that can face some Consultants as a result of the job and the conversations you should be having with your partner to ensure you’re able to manage them.
The challenges that parents face when it comes to building a career in Consulting and what their firms and they can do to manage these to help them achieve the balance of home and work life they’re looking for.
And finally, What those of us who are white men, like me, can do when it comes to diversity and inclusion in Consulting and how we can help improve it.
This was a fantastic interview and we go in to detail on all of these topics. So much so we got carried away after the interview and kept going. As you’ll hear towards the end of today’s episode I’ve actually put some of our post interview conversation back in because I thought it was such an important topic for you to hear.
For any regular listeners you’ll also know that I often ask my guests for resources that they’d recommend you check out if you want to work on any of the things that we discuss.
To help you with this Lyndsey has created a free workbook that you can use to help you identify your own biases - both conscious and unconscious - and start to think about how you can make positive changes to reduce these in day to day live.
Whether you’re a senior leader who is looking to be the best role model they can be or a junior consultant looking to understand more about themselves I’d highly recommend checking this out.
If you want to download the workbook you can find it on Lyndsey’s website - www.makingmschief.com/free-workbook and I’ve put the link in the show notes for you.
You can get in touch with Lyndsey through her LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndsey-oliver/
Or check out her website - www.makingmschief.com
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Today’s Guest is Harry Gaskell, Chief Innovation Officer for EY UK and Ireland.
What is a Chief Innovation Officer? Well that’s something we discuss in today’s show but at it’s most basic, Harry is responsible for identifying emerging technologies to launch new platforms and products to help EY improve its clients’ businesses.
Prior to taking this role Harry was the Managing Partner of EY’s UK & Ireland Advisory business which he grew from zero to £250m during his time at the helm.
In addition to his work with EY Harry is the Chair of the Employers’ Network for Equality and Inclusion, Chair of the Finance Committee for the University of the Arts, London and an angel investor and mentor to a number of innovative start ups.
Harry was a fantastic guest with a truly unique perspective on the Consulting industry and how it’s going to change over the coming years. If you’re looking to understand how you can future proof your career and get to the top of the industry, or any industry for that matter, then you’re going to love this conversation.
We cover a whole host of topics including:
What the Consultancy of the Future will look like and how the skills needed and the approach to working with clients is going to fundamentally change.
The impacts these changes will have on the traditional Consulting Business model and the real world examples of how EYs use of emerging technology is resulting in them having to look at these questions now.
How to foster a culture of innovation within your organisation and the common mistakes that Consultancies and large corporates make when it comes to innovation.
And why taking some time out of Consulting could actually be the best thing for your long term Consulting career.
Harry was as open as he was insightful and this episode has a huge amount for everyone. Whether you’re a consultant just starting out or a managing partner running your own firm I know you’re going to get a lot from what Harry has to say.
You can get in touch with Harry through his LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-gaskell-ab94271/
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Christopher Brooker’s theory of the 7 basic plots for all stories - https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/the-seven-basic-plots-9780826452092/
Kim Paykel - EYX Programme Director - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimpaykel/
EYX - https://www.ey.com/uk/en/services/specialty-services/ey-taking-innovation-to-the-next-level
George Orwell - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell
My country Right or Left by George Orwell - https://www.amazon.co.uk/George-Orwell-1940-1943-Collected-Journalism/dp/1567921345
Today’s episode is a little different and I’m really excited to be sharing it with you.
Instead of my normal interviews where I’m the one asking the questions, today’s interview is taken from an event I attended last month, hosted by my good friend James Mitra at JBM Consulting.
For those of you that don’t know, JBM are an executive search firm that place top talent into high growth tech firms, fintechs and consultancies. They are also the talent partners to the Fintech focused Private equity firm Motive Partners which is where this event was held.
When James told me who the speaker was going to be I said that we had to record it for the podcast and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
I’m a big believer that you can, and should, learn from the best. Regardless of their field. As you’ll hear in today’s interview, there are so many fantastic insights that are equally applicable to Consulting firms, and their clients, as there are to this guest’s specific industry.
For those of you listening to this outside of the UK, or for those of you in the UK who may have been living under a rock for the last 10 years, Moonpig are the UK’s largest online card retailer with over 15 million cards sent through their online platform in 2017 alone.
Iain was one of the early members of the Moonpig team and over his time as MD grew the business from a team of just 8 people, turning over £2,000,000 in to a team of over 160 turning over £60m a year.
This phenomenal growth ultimately led to Moonpig being acquired by Photobox for £120m in 2011
James and Iain cover some really interesting topics in their conversation and the questions that follow including:
Iain’s journey to becoming the MD of Moonpig and the unorthodox approach he took to get there.
The importance of using data when it comes to Marketing and how this helped Moonpig achieve it’s rapid growth.
How Iain and the team ensured they hired the best talent for the business and their unconventional approach for rewarding their team.
The sale to Photobox and the steps they took from deciding to sell through to integrating the business with their new owners
And the one I know many of you will want to know. How they decided on the name Moonpig and where the jingle came.
It was great to meet Iain and I really enjoyed hearing his story and advice for those looking to grow their business as successfully as he did.
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Through my new Agency, Create Engage, I’ve been speaking to a number of Consulting leaders about how to improve their Digital Marketing and wanted to share the answers to two of the most common questions I get to help you improve your own marketing activity.
The two questions I discuss in today’s episode are:
Where is the ROI from Digital Marketing?
How can you develop effective content that delivers results?
Both are great questions and critical to think about before you start investing your Marketing budget and creating content.
If you have any questions about what I share in today’s episode and would like to talk about how it applies to your own Digital Marketing activity then drop me an email. I’d love to talk to you.
Nick@CreateEngage.co.uk
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Elixirr - https://www.elixirr.com/
11:FS - https://11fs.com/
11:FS FinTech Insider Podcast - https://fi.11fs.com/
Nigel Walsh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelwalsh/
David Lancefield - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidclancefield/
Create Engage Insight Piece on Elixirr’s Digital Marketing Secrets - https://www.createengage.co.uk/insights/
22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout - http://a.co/d/hEDbIz2
Buzz Sumo - https://buzzsumo.com/
Today's guest is Michael Zipursky. Michael is the co-founder of ConsultingSuccess.com which provides training, guidance and mentoring to those looking to launch and scale their Consulting businesses.
Through their support Consulting Success has helped 1,000s of Consulting entrepreneurs grow their businesses - some by 6 and 7 figures - and Michael shares a number of these secrets in today's episode.
Prior to launching Consulting Success Michael founded, grew and sold a number of Consulting business learning first hand what works and what doesn't. This led him to launch Consulting Success, initially as a blog to share his own experience, before demand for his insight and advice led him to turn it in to a business.
Michael has also written a number of books on how to grow a successful consulting business including the best seller The Elite Consulting Mind and his most recent book Consulting Success: the Proven Guide to Start, Run and Grow a Successful Consulting Business
Michael was a great guest and we discuss some really interesting topics in today's conversation including:
How Michael successfully grew his Consulting firm's Japanese office from a standing start and his advice for others looking to expand internationally.
The biggest barriers that stop people scaling their Consulting businesses and how to overcome them.
Michael's advice to those thinking about launching their own Consulting business and what you should consider before you do
and why it's critical to get out from behind your laptop when growing your business and the common mistakes many people make in doing this.
I really enjoyed this conversation and it was great to get Michaels perspective from both his experience of running and growing his own businesses as well as his insights from having coached 1,000s of Consultants to achieve their own success.
You can find out more about Michael on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zipursky/
You can find out more about Consulting Success at https://www.consultingsuccess.com/
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Eat That Frog by Brian Tracey - http://amzn.eu/d/370DEjj
The Elite Consulting Mind by Michael Zipursky - http://amzn.eu/d/cCAdzbm
Consulting Success by Michael Zipursky - http://amzn.eu/d/cwgze9g
Straight Line Leadership by Dusan Djukich - http://amzn.eu/d/hQlOVxg
Living The 80/20 Way by Richard Koch - http://amzn.eu/d/7INSq0M
Michael’s Consulting Blueprint - https://www.consultingsuccess.com/consultants-success-blueprint
Today’s guest is Seb Chamber Managing Partner of CIL Management Consultants.
Seb was introduced to me by a previous guest of mine, Dom Moorhouse, as someone I must get on the show and Seb certainly didn’t disappoint.
Seb’s route to Managing Partner is a really interesting story and one that while uncommon, gives an insight in to a lesser travelled route that I know many of you will be fascinated by.
Instead of climbing the ladder to Partner Seb bought in to CIL, something that we discuss in detail in today’s episode, and grew the firm from there. Before you think ‘well that’s okay if you have plenty of cash’, Seb didn’t and there’s a lot you can learn from Seb’s approach here for those of you with aspirations to buy in to a business yourselves.
But this is only part of Seb’s story and we cover a range of topics in addition to this including:
Growing a Consulting firm where the head office is based outside of London and why Seb sees their Froom head office (a town 30 minutes outside of Bath) as an asset to the firm.
Seb’s advice to those looking to climb the Consulting career ladder as well as those with aspirations to build a career at the top of their firms for as long as he has.
The CIL meme wall, yes you heard me right, meme wall - the first I’ve seen in any consulting office – what this says about CILs culture and why culture is critical when starting and growing a business.
I really enjoyed this wide ranging conversation with Seb and it was great to dig in to topics that I’d not discussed with any other guest before.
Whether you’re just starting out in Consulting, looking to climb to Partner in your firm or you have aspirations to buy in to a firm and be a part of growing a business there’s something in here for everyone.
You can find out more about Seb on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-chambers-3ba205a/
Or drop him an email at schambers@cilconsultants.com
If you’re interested in finding out more about CIL you can check out their website - http://www.cilconsultants.com/
This episode is brought to you by Create Engage the Digital Marketing agency for the disruptive Management Consultancy.
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Bounce by Mathew Syed - http://amzn.eu/d/9LTUgvI
Ted Talks - https://www.ted.com/talks
Elyn Saks TED Talk – A tale of mental illness – From the Inside - https://www.ted.com/talks/elyn_saks_seeing_mental_illness?language=en
Today’s guest is Gian Power. Gian is the Founder of TLC Lions and Unwind London.
Having started out in Consulting, Gian’s life was turned upside down in 2015 when his father was murdered while on a business trip to India.
Following the 3 month investigation to find out what happened to his father, a period that Gian says was ‘the most difficult time of his life’ he returned to Consulting but found it just wasn’t the same for him. That’s when he set out to do something different and that decision ultimately led him to found TLC Lions.
Since launching TLC Lions, A collection of motivational speakers who share their inspiring stories to help organisations improve employee engagement and well-being, the business has gone from strength to strength, working with clients such as Deloitte, BDO, Amazon and Just Eat to name but a few.
We cover some really interesting topics in this interview, a number of which I haven’t discussed with any other guests before including:
The story of how Gian founded TLC Lions and his advice to others thinking of launching their own business outside of Consulting.
Why being busy is just an excuse and what you should be asking yourself instead.
How Gian makes decisions and the importance of trusting your gut when deciding whether something’s right for you.
The importance of mental health or wellbeing as Gian calls it and Gian advice for both individuals and corporates on ensuring their wellbeing or that of their employees is as good as it can be.
and much much more!
I really enjoyed speaking with Gian and hearing how he’s managed to come back from such a terrible tragedy to create a successful business and happy life for himself and I’m sure you’ll get a lot from what he has to say!
You can find out more about Gian on his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/giansinghpower/
If you want to find out more about TLC Lions and Unwind you can do so at the links below:
TLC Lions - https://www.tlclions.com/
Unwind London - https://www.unwindlondon.com/
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss - http://amzn.eu/d/ftLXivO
Derek Sivers - https://sivers.org/
Anything You Wnat by Derek Sivers - http://amzn.eu/d/9YZqQiD
Paul Obershnider - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-oberschneider-61694a59
Dr Kamel Hothi OBE - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamel_Hothi
Calm app - https://www.calm.com/
Mo Gawdat - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Gawdat
Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat - http://amzn.eu/d/2NMXTVf
Mental Health First Aid Course - https://mhfaengland.org/
Today’s guest is Nigel Walsh. Nigel is a Partner in Deloitte Digital and leads the firms proposition for InsurTech disruptors and how they engage across the insurance sector.
Nigel is a respected industry commentator and influencer and is regularly featured in industry trade news sharing his take on the latest trends in innovation and InsurTech. He is the co-host of his own podcast, InsurTech Insider, where he shares the latest news, insight and debate within the InsurTech space. If that wasn’t enough he is also co-author of the recently launched InsurTech book sharing a chapter on ‘frictionless insurance in a land of utility’ which focuses on the intersection between customer experience and the rise of the sharing economy.
We cover some really interesting topics in this conversation including:
What successful innovation looks like and how corporates should be approaching innovation to deliver results.
What really matters when it comes to selecting your insurer and why there’s more to think about then a toy Oleg.
Disruption in the Consulting industry and what changes our own industry is facing.
Collaboration in Consulting and the story behind Nigel’s industry leading podcast which he co-hosts with another Consulting firm.
And much much more!
It was great fun speaking to Nigel and getting his perspective on innovation within the Insurance industry and beyond.
If you’re looking to move in to the start up space or want to understand how you can work with innovative tech businesses as a Consultant then this episode is a must listen!
You can find out more about Nigel here:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelwalsh/?originalSubdomain=uk
Twitter - www.twitter.com/nigelwalsh
And get in touch with him at ndwalsh@deloitte.co.uk
Specific things we discuss in the show:
The InsurTech insider podcast - https://ii.11fs.com/
The INSURTECH book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1119362210/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_4NZXBbJ3Q14W5
Pocket app - https://getpocket.com/
'InsurTech top 50 influencers' - https://InsurTechnews.com/influencers
Denim Labs - https://denimlabs.com/
Bold Penguin - https://www.boldpenguin.com/
Chris Cheatham - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrischeatham/
Today’s guests are Karina Brown and Jim Stichbury.s Co founders of GroHappy.
GroHappy is a B2B software business that helps companies to give their employees the career development that they crave.
GroHappy's tools and technologies help employees to get clear on their career aspirations, have better conversations about it and discover recommended steps (from podcasts, to courses, to events) to move towards their goals.
I was introduced to Karina in the very early days of GroHappy and I have had the privilege of watching as Karina and Jim take GroHappy from an idea that they worked on in evenings and weekends to a successful, investor backed, tech start up with a growing professional services client base.
I had a great time speaking with Karina and Jim and we cover some really interesting topics in this conversation including:
How Karina and Jim came up with the idea of GroHappy and how they managed the earlier phase of the business to turn it from a side project in to their full time focus.
Karina and Jim’s top tips for prioritisation and productivity when growing a start up.
The importance of advisors when growing an early stage start up and how Karina and Jim identified their gaps and then found advisors to fill them.
The lessons from their recent funding round and their advice for those looking to do the same.
Any much much more!
If you are planning on starting your own business, you have an idea that you’d like to give a go but aren’t sure how to do it or you want to learn how to apply successful start-up principles in your own Consulting career then this episode is a must listen!
You can find out more about Karina and Jim on their LinkedIn
Karina – https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinabrown01
Jim – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesstichbury
If you want to find out more about GroHappy you can check out their website - http://www.grohappy.co.uk
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Zero to one by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters - http://amzn.eu/d/4aIRRuT
Harry Gaskell - https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-gaskell-ab94271/?originalSubdomain=uk
London and partners growth programme - https://business.london/business-growth-programme
The Design Sprint by Google - http://www.gv.com/sprint/
The Agile Manifesto - http://agilemanifesto.org/
Deep Work by Cal Newport - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0349411905/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_O0JUBbCPADQ23
The Alliance by Reid Hoffman - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1625275773/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_E1JUBb8938SZ6
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0571339794/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_J3JUBbFFGRDQ2
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1784703931/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_-3JUBb3VKXC34
Exponential Organisations by Salim Ismail et al - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1626814236/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_C4JUBb48HC81D
Reinventing Organisations by Frederic Laloux - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/2960133501/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_m5JUBb86N2TZ4
The Lean Start Up by Eric Ries - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0670921602/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_65JUBbT0ND3J1
Today’s episode was prompted by my recent interview with Andrew Denton from Alfa Systems where we discuss the importance of Mentoring.
Mentorship, advice and guidance from senior colleagues and other successful people has been a huge part of my career development and this podcast wouldn’t exist without it.
I’m a big believer in the power of mentorship and as Tony Robbins says “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results.”
Identifying, reaching out to and learning from Mentors is something that I’ve received lots of questions about so I wanted to do a short episode to share my advice for those of you looking to find and learn from mentors, both inside and outside of your firm.
I hope you find this episode useful. If there’s any other topics that you’d like me to do an episode on just drop me an email Nick@climbinconsulting.com
Today’s guest is Andrew Denton. Andrew is Chief Executive Officer of Alfa Systems, the leading international asset finance and leasing software company. Having joined the company in 1995 he successfully worked his way up, becoming a member of the Board in 2003 as Sales and Marketing Director. He was made Chief Operating Officer in 2010 and became CEO in September 2016.
In addition to his role at Alfa He is also Director and joint founder of the Leasing Foundation, an organisation that supports the leasing and asset finance industry through charitable activities, research and development.
Andrew was recommended to me by two close friends of mine as someone I must get on the podcast and he certainly didn’t disappoint. The advice and insights he shares throughout this interview are fantastic and I had a great time interviewing him.
We cover so much ground in this conversation including:
Andrew’s path to CEO and his advice to those looking to do the same.
The importance of developing sales skills regardless of your role if you’re looking to climb in your company.
What he learnt from Alfa’s IPO and his advice to others who may be considering doing the same.
The importance of finding and building relationships with Mentors to help you accelerate your career.
As my first guest from a listed software and services business it was great to get his unique perspective on the market and advice for others looking to emulate his and Alfa’s success.
You can find out more about Andrew and connect with him through his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewwdenton/
You can find out more about Alfa Systems at https://www.alfasystems.com
Specific Things We Discuss:
The blokes guide to pregnancy by Jon Smith - http://amzn.eu/d/9OF2V2d
The sixty minute father by Rob Parsons - http://amzn.eu/d/girxojz
The Jersey: The All Blacks: The Secrets Behind the World's Most Successful Team by Peter Bills - http://amzn.eu/d/iFCvidm
The Real McCaw: Richie McCaw: The Autobiography by Richie McCaw - http://amzn.eu/d/gBs2iG3
Numis - https://www.numiscorp.com/x/default.html
Barclays - https://www.investmentbank.barclays.com/
Tulchan - http://www.tulchangroup.com/
Whitecase - https://www.whitecase.com/
Alfa’s Non Executive Directors - https://investors.alfasystems.com/media/board-of-directors
Tim Cook - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Cook
Bill Mcdermott - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_McDermott
Nile Rodgers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_Rodgers
Madonna - https://www.madonna.com/
Bill Gates - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates
The Gates Foundation - https://www.gatesfoundation.org/
TED interview with Elon Musk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQtMqdYgFH0
Flipboard - https://flipboard.com/
You can find out more about Andrew on his Linkedin page - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewwdenton/
You can find out more about Alfa at https://www.alfasystems.com/eu/
Today’s guest is Tony Restell. Tony is co-founder of Top-Consultant, the industry’s leading career website, and founder of Social-Hire, a social media marketing agency that counts many consulting firms amongst its client base and helps Partners in those firms to generate client leads for their practices.
If you work in the UK Consulting industry then you will know Top-Consultant. It is a site that everyone I know in the industry uses, me included. In my case, Top-Consultant has led me to apply for roles that have turned in to friendships with some of the people who have appeared on this podcast.
In a world where businesses are being disrupted and challenged almost every day I’ve always admired how Top-Consultant has been able to keep such a dominant market position for so long and Tony was kind enough to share his secrets for this in today’s interview.
We cover so much ground in this conversation including:
How Top-Consultant started and the unusual tactics Tony used to grow the business in its early days.
How Top-Consultant grew over the years and how Tony and his co-founder were able to stay receptive to changing industry demands to keep their offering front and centre in the market.
Tony’s advice for other entrepreneurs or those thinking of launching their own business, in tech, consulting or any other field.
And the importance of understanding and leveraging social media like LinkedIn when it comes to building your career or your business.
Tony shares so much great advice in this episode and it was fantastic to speak with someone whose business has been such an important part of the Consulting Industry for so long.
If you’re considering launching your own business or want to understand how you can grow your current business then this episode is a must listen.
You can find out more about Tony on his Linkedin page - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyrestell/
You can find out more about Top-Consultant at http://www.top-consultant.com
You can find out more about Social Hire at https://www.social-hire.com/
Specific things we discuss in this show:
Roland Berger - https://www.rolandberger.com
Top-Consultant ‘Art of Selling’ training course - http://events.top-consultant.com/uk/careerconference/423/The-Art-Of-Selling-Consulting-Services/
The 4 hour work week by Tim Ferriss – http://amzn.eu/d/5QUWzpd
Dot Com Secrets by Russell Brunson - http://amzn.eu/d/ilGFqsU
Today’s guest is Jo Miles. Jo is an Executive Coach and the founder of Master Your Transition, her Coaching and Consulting business.
Drawing upon two decades of Management Consulting and Coaching expertise, Jo empowers and supports individuals, teams and organisations to explore challenges, gain insight and take practical steps to achieve and sustain change.
Jo is a Coach and trusted advisor to senior Partners at some of the worlds biggest consulting firms and has worked with clients at the likes of Strategy &, Baringa Partners and North Highland to name but a few.
We cover some really interesting topics in today’s interview including:
How Jo became a Coach
What Coaching is, who should consider it and why it’s important for your career.
The common challenges Jo finds clients struggle with and her advice on how to deal with them
How you can tell a good Coach from a bad one and the questions you should ask when assessing whether a Coach is right for you.
The importance of using Coaching as a positive tool for improvement and not a negative tool to deal with poor performance
And much much more!
Jo was a great guest and gave some fantastic insights in to an area of the industry that many people have heard about but very few have experienced.
If you’re looking to take your career to the next level and want to understand more about how Coaching can help you do this then this interview is a must listen!
You can find out more about Master Your Transition at http://www.masteryourtransition.co.uk/
You can find out more about Jo on Linked In at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-miles-0283461/
Specific things we discuss in this show:
Selecting your Coach – following our interview Jo wanted to add a key point on how to select your coach related to understanding their CPD. Enter Jo: “Please note that CPD can mean attending conferences, training courses, academic lectures and supervision. Supervision is an important aspect of CPD, as it shows Coaches are consciously seeking to develop themselves and their practice through working with a supervisor”
Tatiana bachkirova - https://www.brookes.ac.uk/business/about/staff/myprofile/?wid=bus-academic-list&op=full&uid=p0035809
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey - http://amzn.eu/d/62NyrJC
The Chimp Paradox by Stephen Peters - http://amzn.eu/d/3aF7ggs
Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter - http://amzn.eu/d/3c1Obmh
Intelligence In The Flesh by Guy Claxton - http://amzn.eu/d/8V5Mv2Z
Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader by Herminia Ibarra - http://amzn.eu/d/8j85oGk
Presence by Amy Cuddy - http://amzn.eu/d/9M6cIKx
Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk on Power Poses - https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en
Mastery by Robert Greene - http://amzn.eu/d/7yuT5uP
Today’s Guest is Matt Rogan, Matt is chairman and co-founder of Two Circles. Exclusively working with sports rights-holders, Two Circles is part strategy consultancy, part digital agency, and part data and analytics house.
Since co-founding the business in 2011, Two Circles has grown rapidly to a team of 150 people across the UK, North America and Europe.
Following the sale of the majority stake in the business to WPP in 2015, Matt took up the role as Chairman. Supporting and challenging the Two Circles management team to deliver bigger and better results across all areas of the business.
In addition to his role at Two Circles Matt is a published author and has been featured in the likes of the Harvard Business Review and the Journal of Sports Management.
We go in to detail on a whole range of topics in this interview including:
What led Matt and his co-founders to start Two Circles and the structures they put in place to set it up for success.
Leading a ‘millennial’ team and the lessons for anyone looking to grow a young, dynamic organisation.
The importance of process and systems in building a business, even at the start up phase, and how this helped Matt and the team grow rapidly avoiding many of the issues that new businesses face.
How Matt and his co-founders achieved work life balance while leading a rapidly growing business.
What to do if you’re a graduate looking to follow a career in sport.
And much much more!
I really enjoyed this conversation with Matt and took so much away from what he had to say. If you’re looking for clear, practical advice on how to grow your own consulting business or practice area then you’re going to love this interview.
You can find out more about Two Circles at – http://insidetwocircles.com/
You can find out more about Matt on Linked In – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattrogan/
And Twitter – https://twitter.com/mattrogansport?lang=en
Or drop him an email at Matt.Rogan@insidetwocircles.com
Specific Things We Discuss In the Show:
Lane 4 - https://www.lane4performance.com/
Adrian moorhouse - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Moorhouse
Dom moorhouse - http://dommoorhouse.com/
Greg Searle - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Searle
Mastering Soft Skills by Julian Vyner - http://amzn.eu/d/fsSA1L0
Players by Matthew Futterman - http://amzn.eu/d/fDflklv
Managing the professional services firm by David Maister - http://amzn.eu/d/jc9ee62
This episode was the result of a number of conversations I've had recently with people considering leaving their Consulting firm or the industry in general.
While everyone's situation and reasons for wanting a change is unique I believe that there are some common threads that could help anyone considering a career change, be it within Consulting or outside of it.
In this episode I share the advice I've given during these conversations including:
The questions to ask yourself if you're thinking of leaving your Consulting firm The 'well trodden paths' that people take after consulting and the good and bad of each The one thing you should do regardless of what you're thinking of doing next
If you're thinking of where to take your career next, I hope this helps.
Of all of the skills that my guests have said are critical to success in Consulting sales, and being able to sell, is one that comes up time and time again.
Both Stephen Newton and Tim Smeaton highlighted it as one of the key skills you should learn early in your career to help accelerate your success. David Lancefield highlighted it as one of the key skills you need to make Partner in his firm and one of the common things that is missing from those who fail to make it to the top.
With all of these successful leaders talking about how critical sales is I've had a number of you ask me how you can apply this advice if you're at the junior end of your firm and don't have the experience or level in your Consultancy to be able to walk in to a CEO's office and pitch business to them.
This episode is to answer exactly that question. My advice on sales for junior Consultants. How you can help your firm with business development and be seen as someone with an aptitude for sales regardless of how senior or experienced you are.
I hope you find this useful. If you have any feedback or would like me to do similar episodes on other topics just drop me an email - Nick@climbinconsulting.com
Today’s guest is David Lancefield. David is a Partner in Strategy&, PwC. David is a TEDx speaker and has been featured In the Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, Financial Times and numerous other publications. He is also the host of his own podcast ‘transformation talks’ which I’d highly recommend checking it out
David’s approach and outlook are hugely refreshing and something that anyone with aspirations of make Partner should take note of. If you want to get a flavour for this you can check him out on twitter @Dlancefield and see the thought provoking posts he puts out on a daily basis.
David has a huge amount of experience and shares so many great insights in this conversation including:
The importance of being yourself at work and what this means both for project managers and project team members.
How to find your sweet spot and let others know what you’re good at.
The importance of feedback both up and down a Consulting firm’s hierarchy and the mistakes people make in giving and receiving feedback that hold them back.
How to make Partner in a big 4 firm and the common mistakes that those who fail to get there make.
The importance of developing and managing your personal brand as a Consultant both within and outside your firm.
And much, much more!
Having listened to the first episode of David’s Transformation Talks I thought this would be a good interview and I have to say it exceeded all of my expectations! In-depth and actionable advice from a senior leader in one of the world’s biggest Consulting firms. I hope you enjoy it.
You can find out more about David on his Linked In Page https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidclancefield/
And on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Dlancefield?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Specific Things We Discuss in the show:
Dan Cable - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-cable-a0b581a0
Transformation Talks by PwC - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/transformation-talks/id1400295044?mt=2
PwC’s apprenticeship scheme - https://www.pwc.co.uk/careers/school-jobs/jobs.html
David’s TED talk “How business can tap into all of our special needs“ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezXZ4z9QqiI
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - http://amzn.eu/enn0cvN
How will you measure your life? by Clay Christiensen, Karen Dillon and James Allworth - http://amzn.eu/3zScfNe
Alive at Work by Dan Cable - http://amzn.eu/04NezdI
Today’s guest is Jeff Wellstead. Jeff is CEO of Big Bear Partners and Chief Strategy Officer at GtmHub. Jeff is an expert in helping rapidly growing or hyper growth start ups manage their people challenges effectively.
Before moving in to Consulting Jeff was the VP of Global HR at Message Labs and Global Director of HR at SpinVox. In both roles Jeff was responsible for helping these rapidly growing starts up overcome the people challenges as they grew and continue their hyper growth trajectories. In the case of SpinVox Jeff oversaw the 9 fold expansion of the team from just 50 people to over 450 in under 2 years!
As a consultant Jeff works with organisations to create the environment to allow their people to thrive and succeed at work while supporting the founding teams in overcoming the strategic challenges that they face as hyper growth start ups.
We cover some really interesting topics in this conversation including:
How Jeff and the team grew SpinVox so quickly and the challenges they faced along the way
The people and cultural challenges that hyper growth start ups face as they scale and the warning signs you need to watch out for if you’re growing a business
The importance of understanding where you are in your growth journey and ensuring you build the necessary structures to maintain your unique culture as your firm grows
The importance of employee experience In todays world and what you should be thinking about if you’re looking to recruit and retain the top talent in the industry
And much much more!
You can find out more about Jeff on her LinkedIn page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrwellstead/
You can email Jeff at Jeff@BigBearPartners.com
Specific Things We Discuss in The Show:
Dunbars number - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number
Message lab - https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/messagelabs
SpinVox - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpinVox
Employees First, Customers Second by Vineet Nayar - http://amzn.eu/edvxufq
Exponential Organisations by Salim Ismail, Michael Malone and Yuri van Geest - http://amzn.eu/henljqZ
Today’s episode is episode 20 of the podcast and to celebrate reaching 20 episodes I wanted to share my 7 biggest career and life lessons from running the podcast!
The 7 Lessons that I discuss in today’s episode:
The power of Linked In for Business Development
The importance of Personal Brand in today’s business world
Why you should focus on delivering value first
The importance on focusing on the right things and not worrying about making everything perfect
How to delight your customers/clients/guests
The importance of testing and iteration
And why everyone should do a podcast!
Things I mentioned in today’s show:
Matt Cheung’s interview - https://www.climbinconsulting.com/podcast/matt-cheung-clarasys
Kano Analysis - https://medium.com/design-ibm/kano-model-ways-to-use-it-and-not-use-it-1d205a9cf808
Tim Ferriss – Fear Setting - https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_ferriss_why_you_should_define_your_fears_instead_of_your_goals
Today’s guest is Dr Natalia Wiechowski. Natalia is an award-winning Personal Branding Strategist and international Keynote Speaker who radically changed her life and career after a self-imposed sabbatical to follow her passion: Helping people to shine.
Since taking her sabbatical and moving in to the world of Personal Branding Natalia has grown her online community to over 146,000 followers, worked with global blue-chip clients including, SAP and Bosch and been invited to speak at conferences all over the world.
Natalia is an expert in B2B Personal Branding and Marketing with over 46,000 LinkedIn followers! Her posts are regularly liked and commented on by 1,000s of people with one post last year receiving over 62,000 likes and 4,000 comments.
If you’re looking to cut through all of the noise out there on social media and take your personal brand to the next level then you’re going to love this interview.
We cover some really interesting topics in our conversation including:
Natalia’s self-imposed Sabbatical, what led her to take it and her advice to others feeling unfulfilled by their current life and career.
How Natalia found her passion and how she turned it from an idea in to her full-time career.
What Personal Branding is and why it’s so important to your career success.
How to build a deep relationship with your current and prospective clients through compelling content that solves their problems.
The common mistakes that companies and individuals make when it comes to Personal Branding and social media and how to avoid them.
And much much more!
You can find out more about Natalia on her LinkedIn page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliawiechowski/en
And her website - http://www.thinknatalia.com/
If you’d like to emulate Natalia’s success and want to sign up for her new online Personal Branding course you can check it out here - https://thinknatalia.coachy.net/lp/master-your-personal-brand-on-linkedin-and-offline/
Specific Things We Discuss in the show:
Robin Sharma and the 5am club - https://www.robinsharma.com/article/be-wise-early-rise
Lewis Howes - https://lewishowes.com/
Gimbal hand held phone stabiliser for shooting videos - http://amzn.eu/8Mdhwyv
The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss - http://amzn.eu/cZS8Mt5
Anything You Want by Derek Sivers - http://amzn.eu/6Nn2PDT
48 Laws of Powers by Robert Greene - http://amzn.eu/0D6ssqw
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma - http://amzn.eu/dIsE9or
Ego Is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday - http://amzn.eu/7Rsfn7c
The Untethered Soul by Michael A Singer - http://amzn.eu/60xjxcR
Natalia’s viral post with over 60,000 likes! - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6209953414982565888
Natalia’s Book Recommendations LinkedIn Article - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-mind-expanding-books-you-have-read-summer-wiechowski/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_post_details%3Bk3vi3LmQTo%2BgaD95p9x%2FkA%3D%3D
Since starting the podcast I've interviewed a whole host of phenomenal leaders from the Consulting industry who've shared some of their best advice across a range of areas critical to climbing in Consulting.
One question I ask almost all of my guests is their advice for those people looking to build a career in the industry. A number of you have told me how useful you've found the answers to this specific question so I wanted to put all of the answer together so that you have a compilation of career advice from the best in the business.
As a recap, or for those of you who may not have listened to any of my other interviews before, the question that these guests are answering asks for one piece of advice for three different people:
The first is someone who's just starting their career in Consulting - anywhere from 0 to 2 years in.
The second is for someone 'in the middle' of their Consulting career - 4 - 6 years in to Consulting.
The third is for someone who's approaching Partner or considering going out on their own to create their own business.
There are so many great pieces of advice in this episode and some really interesting common themes and principles that have helped my guests get to the top.
As Tony Robbins says "success leaves clues". Here's you're chance to find them.
Guests in this episode:
To save you having to hear my voice over and over I don't introduce each individual guest during this episode. If you found a certain piece of advice really useful and want to hear who said it then have a look at the list and timestamps below!
00:02:38 - Simon Dennis - Founding Partner - Gate One
00:07:25 - Stephen Newton - Founding Partner - Elixirr
00:11:57 - Suki Thompson - Founder and CEO - The OysterCatchers
00:13:46 - Olly Purnell and Sharon Rice-Oxley - Founding Partners - Q5
00:18:27 - Dom Moorhouse - Founder of Moorhouse Consulting
00:20:17 - Mohamed Mansour - Founding Partner - Baringa Partners
00:22:07 - Joanna Hall - Independent Non-Executive Director
00:30:28 - Simon Walker and Tim Smeaton - Founders - Kubrick
00:33:24 - Minesh Jobanputra - Founding Partner - Deltra Group
00:34:51 - Adrian Bettridge - Managing Partner - Baringa Partners
00:37:50 - Bronek Masojada - CEO - Hiscox
Bronek Masojada is Chief Executive of Hiscox. Hiscox is a leading global insurance firm with over 2,700 people across 32 offices in 14 different countries.
Following 4 years working for McKinsey & Co Bronek was offered the opportunity to become Managing Director of Hiscox at just 31 (something we go in to detail on in today’s show) and under his leadership the firm has grown from one office of 200 people to the global firm it is today.
Whether your goal is to climb to the top of your consulting firm or take the step out in to industry there's so much you can take away from Bronek’s insights and advice.
Bronek was kind enough to give me a huge amount of time out of his busy schedule to share his knowledge, learnings and advice with you and I know you’re going to get so much from what he has to say.
We cover a whole range of topics in this conversation including:
The surprising story of how Bronek found himself being offered the role of Managing Director at such a young age.
The challenges he faced moving from Consulting in to this role and how he overcame them
How he has taken Hiscox to where it is today and his advice on scaling a business
How Bronek achieves a good work life balance as the CEO of a global, publicly traded, company – He leaves work earlier than most consultants would ever dream of!
Bronek’s advice for Consultants looking to win work from CEOs like him
And much much more!
You can find out more about Bronek on is linked in page - https://www.linkedin.com/mynetwork/heathrow-redirect/?isSendInvite=true
And on the Hiscox website - https://www.hiscoxgroup.com/about-hiscox/management
Specific Things We Discuss in the show:
Mckinsey & Company – https://www.mckinsey.com/
Robert Hiscox - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hiscox
Lloyd’s of London - https://www.lloyds.com/
Good To Great by Jim Collins - http://amzn.eu/5BOqd4v
How The Might Fall by Jim Collins - http://amzn.eu/bk3R7PF
Tom Peters - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Peters#Works
Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson - http://amzn.eu/fOJV9PV
Steve Jobs the movie - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2080374/
Today’s guests are Tim Smeaton and Simon Walker, Co-Founders of Kubrick Group. Having built and the IPOd the global recruitment firm Hydrogen Group Simon and Tim decided they wanted to build another business and saw a huge gap in the Data Science space which led them to start Kubrick.
In just 18 months they’ve grown Kubrick from an idea to over 100 consultants with more consulting ‘cohorts’ (something we discuss in today’s episode) already scheduled to start their intense 16 week training before going out to work with industry leading blue chip clients.
It’s worth saying that neither Tim or Simon come from a data background and their story is a great case study for how making the right decisions early on can enable your firm to become a leader in your chosen industry.
Not only is their growth story hugely impressive but they’ve achieved it while pioneering a very different consulting model to the pyramid model prevalent in most Management Consulting businesses. Something we cover in detail in today’s episode.
In this interview we discuss a whole range of topics including:
What led Tim and Simon to create a data science consultancy and how they tested the market before investing a huge amount of their own money in launching Kubrick.
How they’ve managed to grow the business so rapidly in the highly competitive consulting market.
How they were able to create a consulting firm in an industry that they knew very little about and the steps they took to build industry leading expertise at Kubrick.
Their approach to business planning and their monthly planning process that ensures the firm continues to grow rapidly.
Their unique consulting business model and the benefits and challenges they’ve found as a result of it.
Their advice to those looking to set up their own business in consulting or outside of it.
And much much more!
If you want to find out more about Kubrick Group or reach out to Simon or Tim you can do so on the links, emails and phone numbers below:
Kubrick Group: http://kubrickgroup.com/
Tim Smeaton:
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-smeaton-424929/
Email: timsmeaton@kubrickgroup.com
Phone: +44 203 8664621
Simon Walker:
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-walker-8763b9/
Email: simonwalker@kubrickgroup.com
Phone: +44 203 8664622
Following the success of his last interview Dom Moorhouse is back on the podcast for Round 2!
For those of you who may have missed the first episode Dom Moorhouse is a business advisor, angel investor and serial entrepreneur. In 2004 Dom founded Moorhouse Consulting which he grew from nothing to a business that he sold for c.20,000,000 less than 5 years later. You can listen to Dom’s first interview here -
If you’ve listened to his first interview you’ll know he credits much of his success with being exposed to and then developing high performing teams.
In our first interview we covered a huge amount of ground but we didn’t get a chance to cover this specific topic so I invited Dom back on to talk about why High Performing Teams are so important and how you can develop one in your business, practice area or project team
In today’s episode we go in to detail on why high performing teams are critical to your success. We discuss the academic research that Dom conducted that proves this out as well as how you can develop your own high performing team utilising Dom’s Team to Tribe Model.
Following this we pick up on some of the questions that you sent in for Dom to answer including Dom’s advice to his 30 year old self, which may not be quite what you expected and what Dom’s morning routine looks like among other great questions
You can find out more about Dom on his Linked In page – www.linkedin.com/in/dom-moorhouse-2abb6a/ and his personal website www.DomMoorhouse.com
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Method Grid – www.methodgrid.com
Dom’s research in to High Performing Teams (if you want the original, academic focused paper please reach out to Dom directly) – https://methodgrid.com/blog/what-motivates-employees/
5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni - http://amzn.eu/cdyZSVL
Authentic Leadership by Robert Terry - http://amzn.eu/gbfs4hQ
Courage and Other Broadcasts by William Slim - http://amzn.eu/4Xfo091
McKinsey T Shaped Consultant - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-shaped_skills
Dom’s Morning Routines blog - https://methodgrid.com/blog/09-seven-wakeful-practices-of-dangerous-entrepreneurs/
Day One App - http://dayoneapp.com/
Today's episode is a solo episode on a skill that many of my guests have highlighted as critical to their success - networking.
networking, whether you like it or not is a critical skill in a relationship focused business like Consulting. While I think the old adage of 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' is only partly true. I firmly believe that knowledge and capability alone will never get you to the top in any career, hobby or activity you want to pursue.
With that in mind I thought I'd share my tips to help those of you who hate networking and those of you who know they need to do it but just aren't sure how!
In today's episode I share:
Why networking is so critical to career success and why you will never reach the top (or wherever you want to get to) without it.
How to get over your fear of networking and 'not knowing what to say'.
The networking tips that helped me build a senior network while I was in Consulting and continue to help me grow my network today.
The counter-intuitive approach to maximising the value from your network - trust me, it won't be what you're expecting
I really hope you enjoy this episode. If you have any questions or comments just drop me an email - Nick@climbinconsulting.com
Joanna Hall is a hugely experienced senior leader who has transitioned her career from a successful Executive, rapidly scaling Consulting practices, to a Non-Exec Director, advising boards on how they can do the same.
Prior to moving to a portfolio career, Joanna built and grew a number of successful software businesses and Consulting practices at places like CSC, EValue and North Highland. During her last executive role at North Highland, she oversaw the growth of their Financial Services Practice. Growing revenue five fold and increasing profit margin by over 40% within 2 years!
In addition to her Non-Exec roles Joanna is very active within the wider Financial Services industry, in forums and on the judging panels for awards across a range of areas including Digital, Getting a Business to Market, Fintech Innovation, Thought Leadership and Women in Investment.
Joanna was introduced to me by James Mitra from JBM Consulting as someone who I must get on the podcast and she certainly didn’t disappoint!
In this interview we discuss a whole range of topics including:
The key fundamentals and obstacles to consider when developing your own Consulting business/practice area
The importance of getting close to your customer when developing your Consulting proposition and getting it to market
Networking and what you need to consider when you join a new Consulting firm
Joanna’s decision to move in to a portfolio career and how she made this transition
And much much more!
You can find out more about Joanna on her linked in - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahall1/
Or drop her an email - joannarhall@hotmail.com
Specific things we discuss in the show:
NEDonBoard - https://www.nedonboard.com/
North Highlands - http://www.northhighland.com
Today’s podcast is the first multi-guest episode for Climb in Consulting as I interview two of the co-founders of Q5 to find out all about their journey – from their decision to launch a consultancy in the middle of the recession to how they grew it to become the award winning, global firm it is today.
Having decided he wanted to scratch his own entrepreneurial itch Olly Purnell reached out to Sharon Rice-Oxley and over the course of 2008 they built ‘the band’ that would become the founding team of Q5.
As well as aiming to create a consultancy that delivers high quality Organisational Design work for their clients they set out to build a firm that was genuinely different for those they had worked in previously. This is something they’ve successfully achieved and are renowned for both their unique culture (being named top 20 Times Best Small Companies To Work For 2018) as well as their efforts in maintaining a diverse and vibrant work force (over 40% of their senior leadership are female).
Olly and Sharon were fantastic guests and it was great to be able to get both of their perspectives on the Q5 journey and their advice to those looking to climb in the industry as well as those thinking of starting their own firms.
In this interview we discuss a whole range of topics including:
Why Olly and Sharon decided to set up a consulting business and the steps they went through to establish the right founding team for Q5
Business planning and what steps they took to set Q5 up for success
Their tough first year in business and how they overcame it
Olly and Sharon’s advice to those thinking of starting their own business, in consulting or otherwise
The unique approach Q5 took to developing their culture and how they’ve maintained it as they’ve grown
How Q5 ensures collaboration amongst the partnership and avoids the common political pitfalls in consultancy firms using their ‘rough justice’ approach to profit sharing
How Q5 have developed such a diverse team and the importance of understanding work in the context of peoples’ wider lives
And much much more!
You can find out more about Olly, Sharon and Q5 at the links below: Olly’s Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-purnell-6525ab9/
Sharon’s Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-rice-oxley-fcipd-144b282/
Q5 - http://www.q5partners.com/
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Underneath the Lemon Tree: A Memoir of Depression and Recovery by Mark Rice-Oxley - http://amzn.eu/fzo9xZv
Switch: how to change things when change is hard by Chip and Dan Heath - http://amzn.eu/09NDkDW
How to be Chief Execitive of your own life by Mike Wilson – To purchase a copy please contact Nicola.davies@sjp.co.uk (£10 from each purchase will go to the SJP Foundation)
The Founder - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4276820/
The Crazy Gang by Dave Bassett and Wally Downes - http://amzn.eu/dceWhOZ
Suki Thompson is co-founder of Oystercatchers and exec board member of their parent company Centaur Media PLC. In addition Suki is a trustee for Touraid and Macmillan Cancer Support as well as a Non-Executive Director for Gately PLC.
Unlike many of my guests, Suki doesn’t come from a Management Consulting background but a Marketing background. Following a successful corporate career she decided to go out on her own founding Marketing firm, Haystack Group, and her own gin business, Bunker Gin, before launching Oystercatchers and ultimately selling the business to Centaur.
Oystercatchers is an industry pioneer. It was created to help clients ‘accelerate marketing performance’ by providing consultancy support to their Marketing functions - to enable brands and businesses to build growth with a competitive edge in a rapidly changing industry landscape. This unique approach and the purpose behind it is something we discuss in detail in today’s episode.
Suki is as open as she is impressive and we go deep into her story and some of the challenges she faced along the way including:
Suki's approach to goal setting and how she sets and achieves her goals
Founding Oystercatchers and how Suki met her Business Partner, Peter Cowie
Suki's battle with Cancer in the early days of Oystercatchers and how she made it through with both her health and business intact
How Suki and Peter decided to sell the business and why they chose Centaur Media
The challenges women face in the professional world and how to overcome them
How to achieve a successful work and personal life by blending the two together
Suki’s advice to those thinking of starting their own business
And much much more!
You can find out more about Suki and Oystercatchers on her Linked In page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/suki-thompson-07615b6/ or reach out to her by email at sukithompson@theoystercatchers.com
Specific Things We Discuss in the show:
Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams Danny Penman - http://amzn.eu/59JpVwp
The 5 Second Rule: The surprisingly simple way to live, love and speak with courage by Mel Robbins - http://amzn.eu/8Qe49o1
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne - http://amzn.eu/8TqT2dN
The OysterCatchers Club - http://theoystercatchers.com/category/oystercatchers-club/
Mark Ritson’s mini MBA - https://mba.marketingweek.com/
Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway: how to turn your fear and indecision into confidence and action by Susan Jeffers - http://amzn.eu/7j6ApZJ
Hayman’s Gin - www.haymansgin.com
Audible - www.audible.co.uk
Suki’s Holiday Reading list – Comments are her own:
The Thing Around Your Neck – By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (a collection of short stories from one of my absolute favourite authors) - http://amzn.eu/gCegS3E
The Tattooist of Auschwitz – by Heather Morris – I love history and this is a simple, thought provoking and emotional story about a different aspect of the Holocaust - http://amzn.eu/5Q4lT7G
Mythos – Stephen Fry – Stephen was one of our guest speakers at our Festival of Marketing last year and we talked about this book, I just needed time to read it - http://amzn.eu/4f6gMo1
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – by Gail Honeyman – my airport purchase, delighted I made a good choice. this lovely story gives an insight into a very different perspective on the world - http://amzn.eu/cAdqix4
Mohamed Mansour is one of the founding Partners – and former Managing Partner – of Baringa Partners. If you have listened to episode 4 (http://bit.ly/CICep4) you’ll know that Mohamed held this role before passing the mantel over to Adrian Bettridge having decided the time was right to move back to his homeland of Canada.
Mohamed was also my boss for the first part of my time at Baringa and it was great to have the chance to sit down with him to find out about the early days of Baringa (most of which I didn’t know) and ask Mohamed some questions that I’d always wanted to know the answers to!
Mohamed has a really unique story; having started in Canada and moved across to the US to join the start up Consultancy, The Structure Group, he was offered the opportunity to help launch the firm’s European arm and found himself alongside his co-founders, running a Consulting firm in a country he didn’t know in his mid 20s. This subsequently grew in to Baringa Partners and as they say, the rest is history.
We cover a whole range of topics in this episode including:
How Mohamed found himself running a Consulting firm at such a young age and what key skills he had to develop as part of this.
Mohamed’s advice on how to become a good Leader.
The key foundations that Mohamed and the founding team put in place to create the unique culture that Baringa was, and still is, renowned for.
The importance of lateral thinking in Consulting and how you can develop this critical skill.
How to respond to feedback and know what you should take on board and what you should ignore.
How Mohamed is so good with names (something he was renowned for at Baringa)
And much much more!
You can find out more about Mohamed on his Linked In page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamed-mansour-362b422/ or drop him an email at Amps.mansour@gmail.com
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Anderson Consulting – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Andersen#Andersen_Consulting_and_Accenture
The Structure Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-structure-group
Colour personality types Mohamed mentions - http://www.fullcircletd.co.uk/insight-discovery/insights-discovery-colour-energies/
Riipen - https://riipen.io/
John Timpson - https://www.timpson.co.uk/about/meet-the-timpsons
Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America: America's Second Civil War and the Divisive Legacy of Richard Nixon by Rick Perlstein - http://amzn.eu/cmNPiW6
India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy by Ramachandra Guha - http://amzn.eu/asFNO7d
In today's episode I answer one of the questions that I ask all of my guests - 'what book or books do you find yourself recommending most often?'.
Over 30 minutes I walk you through the 5 books that have had the biggest impact on me and my career and share some of the key takeaways that you can apply straight away in your own career.
Each of these books is fantastic in its own right and read together they will help you to take your career to the next level. Whether you're just starting out in Consulting or approaching Partner the skills that these books give you will prove invaluable!
The books I discuss in today's episode:
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - http://amzn.eu/26aPrX6
Influence by Robert Cialdini - http://amzn.eu/j9op2US
Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins - http://amzn.eu/1Jn3TLj
The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss - http://amzn.eu/d4vK83U
Essentialism by Greg Mckeown - http://amzn.eu/hDT7C99
Stephen Newton is the Founder and Managing Partner of Elixirr. Elixirr are the entrepreneurial ‘Challenger Consultancy’ with a team of 130 across the UK, US and Africa. Elixirr span the whole spectrum of advisory work from advising major blue chip companies on operational strategy through to advising and investing in start-up businesses through their Elixirr Capital arm. They also have one of the coolest Consulting websites I’ve ever seen – www.elixirr.com
Stephen is a serial entrepreneur and his story shows the importance of determination and persistence when it comes to successfully achieving your goals. Prior to launching Elixirr Stephen launched 3 start ups and although they each failed for different reasons the lessons Stephen took from these ventures set him up for later success with Elixirr.
We dive in to so many topics in this interview including:
Stephen’s journey and what you can learn from it.
Why Consulting is the most entrepreneurial career you can have in the corporate world.
Why fixating on your salary is holding your career back and what you should focus on instead.
The importance of an entrepreneurial mindset for employees and how you can cultivate it.
Stephen’s career advice for millennials.
And much much more!
You can find out more about Stephen and get in touch with him through Linked In – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-newton-3b331a15/ - and find out more about Elixirr at www.Elixirr.com
Specific things we discuss in the show:
We:Bo Fitness App - https://www.webofitapp.com/
Stephen’s Blog on the entrepreneurial mindset for employees - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/moving-from-employee-entrepreneur-stephen-newton/
Stephen’s blog on the characteristics of an employee and an entrepreneur -https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/difference-between-employee-entrepreneur-stephen-newton
Elixirr’s Salary Sacrifice scheme we discuss in the show - https://www.elixirr.com/2017/06/54-return-team-salary-sacrifice-scheme/
Suneeta Padda is an Independent Consultant who’s built a market leading reputation in the Compliance and Regulatory space. Since founding her Consulting brand, Padda consulting, back in 2012 Suneeta has developed a strong reputation in the market with both insurance firms and the City’s regulator as someone who can get things fixed. A reputation that enables her to select the clients she wants to work with and build a successful client portfolio, the goal for pretty much all independent consultants.
Suneeta’s route in to Consulting was very different to that of most of my guests. Having entered the world of work at 35 her can do attitude and willingness to challenge assumptions and the ‘norms’ of the work place she quickly climbed the career ladder before going out on her own. Suneeta has achieved so much since founding Padda Consulting including becoming a Freeman of the City, one of the City’s highest honours, and becoming a mentor for other women from non-traditional City Backgrounds
We cover a whole range of topics in this episode including:
Suneeta’s amazing story of how she got in to Consulting
The challenges she faced entering the City and how she dealt with these
How Suneeta approaches Senior Executives and how she was able to get a 1 to 1 meeting with the MD of her firm when she was ‘just’ an assistant
Suneeta’s view on Diversity in the industry and the advice she gives to younger women
How Suneeta distinguishes her consulting offering to ensure clients see her as a premium brand
Suneeta’s advice on how to network and build your brand.
and much much more!
You can find out more about Suneeta on her Linked In page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneetapadda/ and at her website http://www.padda-consulting.co.uk/
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Worshipful Company of Insurers - http://www.wci.org.uk/
Freeman of the City - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_the_City
Surely - https://services.surelygroup.com/
The Brokerage City Link - https://www.thebrokerage.org.uk/
Who Moved My Cheese - http://amzn.eu/6rDWYIt
Simon Dennis is co-founder of Gate One (www.gateone.co.uk). Gate One are an award winning Business Transformation Consultancy who specialise in Digital, Operating Model and People Change. Since founding the business Gate One have grown rapidly going from an idea to £25m cumulative revenue in their first 5 years trading.
As well as their award winning Consultancy offering Gate One also runs its own internal Start Up Incubator. Giving their team the opportunity to explore their own entrepreneurial ambitions and help grow new business ideas alongside the Consultancy. The latest idea to go through the Incubator, Pinga (http://pinga-app.com/), has seen some great early success and is looking to grow rapidly, something we discuss in today’s episode.
Simon and I first met when I was deciding whether to stay in Consulting or pursue a start-up idea that I had. Throughout our conversations about joining Gate One it was clear that Simon and his team were looking to do it differently and create something unique in the Consulting industry. I ended up pursuing the start-up idea (sadly unsuccessfully) but Simon and I have stayed in touch ever since and I’ve had the pleasure of watching as Gate One have gone from strength to strength.
We cover a whole range of topics in this episode including:
How and why Simon and his Co-founders started Gate One
Gate One’s unique ‘ripple’ approach to Consultancy
What you should think about if you’re looking to make the move from a big Consultancy to a small one
Simon’s top books for anyone looking to climb in Consulting or start their own business
The Gate One start-up incubator
and much much more!
You can find out more about Simon on his Linked In page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-dennis-28416b1/ or drop him a message at Simon.Dennis@GateOne.co.uk
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Simon’s Recommended Reading List:
Managing the Professional Services Firm by David Maister - http://amzn.eu/8gfLD5m
Start with Why by Simon Sinek - http://amzn.eu/dU3ZgMq
Drive by Dan Pink - http://amzn.eu/6Nne2Xr
Mindset by Carol Dweck - http://amzn.eu/h2fAzeu
The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin - http://amzn.eu/73hkExk
Quiet Leadership by David Rock - http://amzn.eu/71y201l
Happiness by Design by Paul Dolan - http://amzn.eu/3kEqGr2
Bounce by Matthew Syed - http://amzn.eu/icRAp5S
Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A Moore - http://amzn.eu/7SiieF4
The Founder's Mentality by Chris Zook and James Allen
Pinga – http://pinga-app.com/
Acai Berry - https://www.webmd.boots.com/healthy-eating/guide/acai-berries-health-benefits
Today’s episode of Climb In Consulting is a little different and I’m excited to see what you think about it!
Instead of interviewing a leader from the Consulting industry I answer a question that I’ve had A LOT since making the move in to Independent Consulting – ‘Nick, how do I become an Independent Consultant?’
In this episode I cover some of the specific questions that I’ve been asked by friends and colleagues along with some of the key areas that you need to know about and consider. This includes the myths that often stop people becoming an independent, how to set your day rate, how to find roles and some of my top tips that I’ve learnt over the last 2 years doing it.
I hope you find this episode useful and I’d really value your feedback on whether you like this format and whether it’s useful content. Happy to do more of these if it is. Happy to stick with interviews if it’s not.
Drop me an email and let me know – nick@climbinconsulting.com
Topics I discuss and when:
05:22 - Top myths about being an Independent Consultant/Contractor
10:43 - How to calculate your day rate
15:43 - How to find contracting/independent roles
23:54 - My top tips to help you become a successful Independent Consultant
Adrian Bettridge is the Managing Partner of Baringa Partners (www.baringa.com). Baringa Partners is an award winning, multi-national consultancy working across Energy, Financial Services, Consumer Products and Retail and Telecoms and Media. It’s also where I used to work!
This episode is a special one for me as I used to work for Adrian. I worked for Baringa for 3 years from 2012 – 2015 and without them I wouldn’t be working in Consulting to day.
Since I’ve left, Baringa has continued to cement its reputation for both it’s client work and it’s culture achieving Great Place to Work ‘master’ status in 2016 for being a ‘Great Place to Work’ for 10 years in a row and winning best large company to work for in the Great Place to Work awards in 2017.
We cover a whole range of really interesting topics in this episode including:
How Baringa has managed to grow so quickly in such a short space of time (they’ve almost doubled in size since I left!)
What skills Adrian has had to develop most as Managing Partner as the firm has grown
Adrian’s guiding life philosophy and what you should take from it
How Adrian maintains a healthy work life balance
Adrian’s view on Alcohol and whether you need to drink to make it to the top
And much much more!
You can find out more about Adrian on his Linked In page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-bettridge-9aa32b14/ or drop him a message at Adrian.bettridge@baringa.com
Specific things we discuss in the show:
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey - http://amzn.eu/6xq8Syu
As A Man Thinketh by James Allen - http://amzn.eu/4zVUkaM
Tetris - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris
Headspace - https://www.headspace.com/
The 5 Minute Journal by Intelligent Change - http://amzn.eu/1bm6M8K
How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christensen - http://amzn.eu/3BdYYS5
Drive by Daniel Pink - http://amzn.eu/7lfMJUF
Elon Musk by Ashley Vance - http://amzn.eu/hMYipoZ
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal - http://amzn.eu/gPsCXH3
Audible – www.audible.co.uk
Minesh Jobanputra is co-founder of the recruitment firm Deltra Group (www.deltragroup.com). Deltra group is a specialist Programme, Project and Change recruitment firm who provide both permanent and interim consultants to Major blue chip companies and consulting house.
I first met Minesh back in 2016 when I was looking for an independent role and his approach and that of Deltra really stuck with me. His honest and transparent style coupled with his knowledge of the industry was really refreshing and this is what led me to invite him on to the podcast.
We cover some really interesting topics in this episode including:
How Minesh founded Deltra Group
How you can tell a good recruiter from a bad one
How you can avoid the biggest interview mistake that Minesh and his team hear from their clients
How you can break in to hot areas of the industry that you may not have previous experience in
Whether PRINCE 2 matters
And so much more!
You can find out more about Minesh on his Linked In page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jobanputra/ and the Deltra Group website - http://www.deltragroup.com/minesh-jobanputra
Specific things we discuss in the show:
EQ Questionnaire and EQ Coach – Lynn Leahy - https://www.lynnleahytalks.com/
Myers Briggs - http://www.myersbriggs.org/
Kolb’s Learning Styles - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolb%27s_experiential_learning
The One Minute Manager Meets The Monkey by Kenneth Blanchard et al. - http://amzn.eu/6c2URZo
The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership By James C Hunter - http://amzn.eu/ecBW7I2
Harvard Business Review - https://hbr.org/
Audible - https://www.audible.co.uk/
Dom Moorhouse is a business advisor, angel investor and serial entrepreneur. In 2004 Dom founded Moorhouse Consulting which he grew from nothing to a business that he sold for c.£20,000,000 less than 5 years later.
After leaving Moorhouse Dom set up his advisory business ‘the 5 year entrepreneur’ to provide mentorship and guidance for owners of Professional Services firms on how they can achieve the same success that he did.
Dom is also an advisor and board member to multiple Professional Services firms and is currently focusing on his latest venture, Method Grid (www.methodgrid.com), which we discuss further in the Podcast.
We cover so many topics in this episode including:
The importance of life and career planning and how it has helped Dom achieve what he has
How Dom founded, grew and sold Moorhouse Consulting
The importance of cultural values that your team actually buy in to
Building high performance teams and some of the pitfalls to watch out for as your Consultancy grows
What you can do to ensure that the next Consultancy you move to is the right place for you
The importance of health and relationships in building a successful Consulting career
And so much more!
You can find out more about Dom on his Linked In page – www.linkedin.com/in/dom-moorhouse-2abb6a/ and his personal website www.DomMoorhouse.com
Specific things we discuss in the show:
The Definitive Business Plan by Sir Richard Stutely - http://amzn.eu/fpJZhpI
Managing The Professional Services firm by David Maister - http://amzn.eu/b695YsR
Strength In Depth - Pairs CrossFit race - https://strengthindepth.com
Tim Wigham - https://timwigham.com
Perpetual Insights (PI) Recruitment - http://www.perpetualinsights.com
Bath CrossFit - http://crossfitbath.com
Why We Sleep by Mathew Walker - http://amzn.eu/eHQbDhc
A C Grayling - http://www.acgrayling.com
Growth Mindset - Mindset - Updated Edition: Changing The Way You think To Fulfil Your Potential by Dr Carol Dweck - http://amzn.eu/8UBerxb
Show Me The Numbers by Steven Few - http://amzn.eu/aFgbpQ2
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte’s - http://amzn.eu/6TSIR91
Paul Collins - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pecollins/
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity By David Allen - http://amzn.eu/aC2KDRg
The Primal Blueprint: Reprogramme your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health and boundless energy by Mark Sisson - http://amzn.eu/8Tx47Sd
Method Grid – www.methodgrid.com
Matt Cheung is CEO and Co-Founder of Clarasys. Since founding Clarasys in 2010 it has grown from an idea to a team of over 70 Consultants working across a range of industries including financial services, events, healthcare, utilities and information services. Matt is an expert in Agile programme delivery having spent the majority of his career delivering large, complex system programs using Agile.
We cover a huge range of different topics in this conversation including:
Why many Agile projects fail and what you can do to ensure yours doesn’t
Why you don’t need an expenses policy and what it says about your firm’s culture
How you can succeed when moving from a large Consultancy to a small one
What holds people back in Consulting and what separates the best from the rest
And so much more!
You can find out more about Matt on his Linked In page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcheungclarasys/
And you can find out more about Clarasys at www.clarasys.com
Specific things we discuss in the show:
Trello – www.trello.com
The Agile Manifesto - http://agilemanifesto.org/
Matt’s Agile Primer - https://www.scrumguides.org/docs/scrumguide/v2017/2017-Scrum-Guide-US.pdf
The Lean Start Up by Eric Ries - http://amzn.eu/9qXbGK6
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman - http://amzn.eu/7cdKA8Q
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey - http://amzn.eu/6bIK4ir
Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur - http://amzn.eu/9NddtpN
The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack - http://amzn.eu/5M0gA6I