Spiraling Up — Marketing For Professional Services – Détails, épisodes et analyse

The Spiraling Up crew takes the show on the road to Southlake, Texas, for a special live recording with Paige Byrd and Elyssa Stephenson, co-presidents of the award-winning interior design and procurement firm Thiel & Team.

Together, they dig into what it takes to grow a thriving professional services business—balancing creativity, client management, and operational excellence. Then, things take a fun turn as they play Date, Marry, Dump: Business Edition—debating which marketing strategies and workplace trends they’d keep, test, or toss in today's marketplace.

From thought leadership and speaking gigs to LinkedIn trends, company retreats, and even questionable office décor choices (yes, fake fig trees make an appearance), this episode blends laughter with serious insights about running a high-performing firm that still knows how to have fun.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:03 Why Hinge is in Texas
02:21 Meet the Co-Presidents of Teal and Team
06:18 The Evolution of THIELCON
07:24 Canyon Creek Renovation
09:25 The Year of the Travel Maximizer
11:01 Experience in Business and Leisure
17:32 Game Time: Date, Marry, Dump
19:35 Thought Leadership Vehicles
25:55 Aesthetic Annoyances
30:16 Website and Digital Experience
35:19 Unfortunate Workplace Communications
36:50 Company Culture Initiatives
42:22 Remote/Hybrid Work Quirks
45:13 Branding Strategies
52:19 Conclusion and Contact Information

Visit Thiel & Team's website: https://thielandteam.com/
Connect witih Paige: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-byrd-a0a44210/
Connect with Elyssa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elyssa-stephenson/

What if winning work felt a little more like dating? 

In this episode of Spiraling Up, Joe and Mary-Blanche sit down with marketing pros Amy Cuddy (Wilmot Sanz) and Abby Harrington (Gilbane Building Company) to unpack the parallels between proposal pursuits and modern matchmaking. From the principal in charge who “flies in and out” to the designer who just can’t stop tweaking, Amy and Abby share how to manage every personality type you’ll encounter in business development — and when it’s time to swipe left.

They’ll also play a round of The Business Development Dating Game, where red flags and green flags fly fast. Whether you’re chasing RFPs, courting clients, or trying to build better teaming partnerships, this episode will help you navigate the pursuit process with humor, empathy, and a few laughs along the way.

00:00 Welcome to Spiraling Up
03:19 Introducing Amy and Abby
07:52 Principal In Charge
08:48 Project Manager
12:42 Marketing Manager
14:43 Marketing Director
16:02 Business Development
18:35 Swipe Left Or Right?
20:03 Pick Up Line 1
21:30 Pick Up Line 2
23:38 Pick Up Line 3
26:29 Pick Up Line 4
27:54 Pick Up Line 5
29:38 Pick Up Line 6
30:56 Pick Up Line 7 
32:42 Pick Up Line 8 
35:36 Pick Up Line 9
38:09 Pick Up Line 10 
39:30 Pick Up Line 11 
41:18 Pick Up Line 12
42:30 Conclusion

Connect with Amy Cuddy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amypcuddy/
Learn more about Wilmot Sanz: https://www.wilmot.com/

Connect with Abby Harrington: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-f-harrington/
Learn more about Gilbane Building Company: https://www.gilbaneco.com/

In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team dives into the growing trend of fractional executives in professional services. Austin, Mary-Blanche, and Joe are joined by Jen Hamilton, a fractional COO and mentor to COOs, to play a game of “Blind Rankings” in a fun exploration of on-demand work in various aspects of business operations. 

Download the 2025 Marketing Budget Benchmark Study Executive Summary: https://accountingmarketing.org/category/surveys-studies-research-and-more/

In this special in-person episode of Spiraling Up, the team attended the 2025 AAM Summit in Phoenix, Arizona. During the event, marketing leaders, practitioners, and industry experts joined the show to share their ‘pivotal stories’ from the event—key learnings, takeaways, and overall impressions. Many common themes bubbled up, like how to build marketing budgets, fostering trust among teams, SEO strategies, and of course, artificial intelligence (AI). Recorded live on the showroom floor, this episode offers a window into one of the accounting industry’s key events.

Download the 2025 High Growth Study Executive Summary:
www.hingemarketing.com/highgrowth

In this episode of Spiraling Up, we tackle the ever-persistent question: Is SEO dead? Join Austin, Joe, and Mary-Blanche as they dive into fascinating new data from SparkToro (‪@SparkToro‬ ) highlighting Google's dominance and the relevance of SEO best practices. The team also hands out special marketing superlatives, recognizing companies excelling in thought leadership, talent acquisition, past performance, and more. In this episode, you'll hear:

• Is SEO dead? (enough with this nonsense)
• The Black Hole Award
• The Talent Magnet Award
• The Acquisition Amplification Award
• The People Powered Firm Award
• Legacy of Excellence Award

How do High Growth professional services firms go to market today? Download the 2025 High Growth Study to find out: https://www.hingemarketing.com/highgrowth

In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team discusses the complexities of time tracking in professional services, debating its benefits and drawbacks. Then, Becca Johns, an expert in accounting marketing, joins the show to play ‘Buy or Sell?’ where she shares insights on the challenges and potential of marketing in the accounting industry. The conversation touches on marketing strategies, ROI, risk aversion, the impact of marketing on M&A, and the importance of building personal brands.

How do High Growth professional services firms go to market today? Download the 2025 High Growth Study to find out: https://www.hingemarketing.com/highgrowth

In this episode of Spiraling Up, we discuss whether marketing attribution is a myth, inspired by Sherehan Ross’ hot take on LinkedIn which sparked a debate about revenue as a marketing KPI. 

Then, we welcome author, speaker, and sales strategy expert Amy Franko to play a game of ‘Would You Rather: Sales Edition.’ In this fun, gameshow style interview, we explore sales team dynamics, the importance of integrating technology, and practical tips for professional services marketing. In this fun-filled segment, you’ll hear whether Amy would rather…

• measure a marketing team’s performance based on revenue or a combination of core funnel KPIs?
• lead a team that excels in traditional sales tactics but is resistant to change, or a team that's adaptable but less experienced?
• focus on selling to established industries or emerging markets?
• have a salesperson who talks excessively and doesn't effectively listen to the client's needs or one who is too passive and fails to proactively guide the client through the sales process?
• enhance your sales team’s expertise in traditional sales methods or in new technologies such as AI and automation?

BONUS: At the end, we do a rapid-fire ‘lightning’ round with Amy to see how many questions she can answer in 5-minutes.

Connect with Amy Franko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyfranko/
Visit Amy Franko’s Website: https://amyfranko.com/

How do High Growth professional services firms go to market today? Download the 2025 High Growth Study to find out: https://www.hingemarketing.com/highgrowth

In today's episode of Spiraling Up, Austin, Joe, and MB look at the cringy side of LinkedIn, exploring some of the most awkward moments on the platform. Then, they welcome podcast expert John Tyreman to debunk common myths about podcasting in professional services, like:

• Myth #1: Podcasts don't work in professional services
• Myth #2: You need a huge audience to start a podcast
• Myth #3: Only charismatic personalities can be successful hosts
• Myth #4: Creating ROI from a podcast is impossible
• Myth #5: Podcasting is a fad that will soon fade away

Connect with John Tyreman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntyreman/
Visit the Red Cedar Marketing website: https://www.redcedarmarketing.com/

How do High Growth professional services firms go to market today? Download the 2025 High Growth Study to find out: https://www.hingemarketing.com/highgrowth

In today's episode of Spiraling Up, Austin, Joe, and MB explore the new challenges marketing faces in professional services, especially with the rising influence of AI and automation. Then, they channel the excitement of the NFL Draft by hosting the inaugural marketing tactic draft where each host picks from a selection of high growth  efforts to build a championship-caliber campaign for 2025. In this conversation, we cover:

• How AI is changing professional services marketing
• The top challenge marketers want to learn about in 2025
• Differences between networking and speaking at conferences
• The strategic impact of thought leadership and content creation
• Ways social media advertising is being leveraged in B2B
• Effective approaches to presenting in webinars
• The importance of incorporating PR in your marketing strategy
• The role of video blogging in expanding expertise and visibility

How can professional services firms get started with video marketing?

Yes, it is possible to get started with video, even right now! In this episode of Spiraling Up, Austin, Joe, and MB explore whether or not professional services marketers can actually measure ROI on their marketing. And then video producer Dane Frederiksen joins the show to play a game called 'fill in the blank.' In this fun conversation, we cover:

• The biggest mistakes firms make when starting with video
• The most important element of a video marketing strategy
• What to consider when scripting videos
• Keys to creating high quality content, consistently
• The best type of video for showcasing thought leadership
• How many times you should post videos per week
• How to use videos for client testimonials
• The future of video marketing

Connect with Dane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalaccomplice/
Visit the Digital Accomplice website: https://www.digitalaccomplice.com/