Explore every episode of the podcast The Consulting Pulse by CMap
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yesterday's strategies - is your consultancy being run in the rear-view mirror? - #06 | 06 Feb 2025 | 01:00:57 | |
Striking the balance between tracking KPIs within an inch of their lives, or simply leaving success to chance based on strong historical, is a tightrope for most consulting firms. The majority of boutique consultancies are in the extremes - measure far too little, or far too much, and often focusing on past performance. However, there is a sweet spot that our experts will reveal, enabling you to successfully plan for the future and achieve growth. Both guests - Simon England & John Howard, Garwood Solutions - have vast experience leading consulting firms of all shapes and sizes, and now advise firms on tailored growth strategies... Listen to get a taste of how they help consultancies capture, assess & prioritize insights, to drive the firm forwards. | |||
| AI in Consulting 2.0: Moving from Concept to Delivery - #05 | 31 Jan 2025 | 01:07:50 | |
Building on our hugely popular 2023 webinar we ran, we've invited 130+ person consultancy, 101 Ways, and leading UK consulting academic, Professor Joe O'Mahoney, to discuss how firms are moving from concept to delivery across an AI landscape intertwined with ML, Tech & Data. | |||
| The 2 year Growth to Exit years: Perspective from a leading consultancy CEO - #04 | 30 Jan 2025 | 00:57:47 | |
CMap and former Channel 3 Consulting CEO, John Howard, explore the journey from growth to exit, covering ideation to execution. Learn the key strategies and efforts that prepared Channel 3 for a successful transaction. Discover essential KPIs and practices for scaling, and gain insights into the MBO and exit process for consulting leaders. | |||
| Driving Success: The Power of a Predictable Pipeline - #03 | 30 Jan 2025 | 00:59:05 | |
Learn from leading growth & revenue acceleration consulting firm, SBR Consulting, who expertly advise professional service firms like yours, on how to master discovery, qualification and ultimately your pipeline. | |||
| Lessons from the 30-person consulting firm sold for $162m - #02 | 30 Jan 2025 | 00:57:30 | |
Get exclusive insights from from Greg Alexander, the author of "The Boutique", on how he'd attempt to build another 30-person consulting firm with $30m turnover & 80%+ margins. | |||
| Leveraging personal brand: Learn from one of consulting's biggest online presences - #01 | 30 Jan 2025 | 00:58:52 | |
We're joined by James O’Sullivan, CEO at Project One as we explore why personal brand always has been incredibly important in consulting - it’s why firms can have founder dependency for sales, or over-resourcing their superstars on delivery. | |||
| Dispelling Consulting Myths: Building a consulting firm without being driven by growth - #12 | 20 Mar 2025 | 01:05:47 | |
Today we're joined for a second time by James O'Sullivan, CEO of one of the UK’s best-known boutique consulting firms, Project One. We explore how he attracted high-quality talent & built a hugely successful firm… all without chasing growth, shiny service lines or inorganic expansion. Follow James on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-o-sullivan-3a2596/ Follow Project One on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-one-ltd/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Visit CMap - www.cmap.io | |||
| Investment opportunities for boutique consultancies either side of the Atlantic - #11 | 13 Mar 2025 | 00:56:14 | |
Today I'm joined by Karen Thomas-Bland (Non Exec, Optima Partners & Archus) and David Jorgenson (CEO at Equiteq). Learn what makes consulting firms investable, what investors focus on, and how firms can prepare for PE investment or an exit – right across operations, finance, delivery and sales. Follow Karen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenthomas-bland/ Follow David on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-jorgenson-a5424a/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Visit CMap - www.cmap.io | |||
| Risks and Rewards - Hiring from the 'Big Four' into Boutiques - #10 | 06 Mar 2025 | 00:59:53 | |
I'm joined by Richard Longstreet, Founder of Tarka Talent, who has placed hundreds of consultants across both large and boutique consultancies. Using his firsthand experience, we'll discuss the opportunities, challenges, successes, and pitfalls of building high-performing teams. Striking the right balance between securing top talent and avoiding costly mis-hires is one of the most pervasive challenges for consulting firms. Many still rely on traditional methods like personal networks or overlook critical factors like cultural and business fit—leading to inefficiencies and setbacks. Follow Richard on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwjlongstreet/ Visit Tarka Talent - https://tarkatalent.co.uk/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Visit CMap - https://www.cmap.io/ | |||
| How to grow talent, utilization and margins in 2025 - Tech, AI & KPIs - #09 | 27 Feb 2025 | 00:47:31 | |
Whether you’re in growth mode or your firm has more rollercoaster-like demand, optimizing your talent supply, utilization, and client margin will be the biggest factor in your 2025 success. Join Mark Sloan, MD @ Asaph Advisors, as we uncover what was holding firms back in 2024, and what needs to happen next year to sustain & increase growth for every metric. Find out more about CMap at - https://www.cmap.io/ To learn more about Asaph Advisors visit - https://asaphadvisors.com/ Follow Mark on LinkedIn at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-sloan-70500b3 Follow Ben Edwards on LinkedIn at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Productization of Services & Delivery: A Masterclass on Scaling PS firms - #08 | 20 Feb 2025 | 00:53:07 | |
We're joined by Pip Morpeth, CEO at Method Grid, exploring how to master the productization of services & scale effectively. Find out more about CMap at - https://www.cmap.io/ To learn more about Method Grid visit - https://methodgrid.com/ Follow Pip on LinkedIn at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pip-morpeth-39398a5/ Follow Ben Edwards on LinkedIn at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| New Era for consulting firms - Navigating the systemic industry change - #07 | 13 Feb 2025 | 00:56:55 | |
Tom Rodenhauser and Ramone Param join us today from Kennedy Intelligence, the trusted partner for research, M&A and strategic advisory for consulting services providers. Together, we explore the major industry-wide changes that have led to a critical inflection in professional services, which will change the future of the consulting industry. | |||
| How to grow your consulting firm on either side of the Atlantic - #13 | 27 Mar 2025 | 00:55:02 | |
We're joined by Prof. Joe O'Mahoney & Michael Zipursky as they talk us through the key challenges and opportunities of growing a consulting firm in the UK & US. Follow Prof. Joe on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeomahoney/ Follow Michael on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zipursky/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Visit CMap - www.cmap.io | |||
| Proven marketing strategies to grow your consulting firm - #21 | 22 May 2025 | 00:54:10 | |
I'm joined by Nick Synott (Director @ Create Engage), Nicola Thomson (Head of Marketing @ Oakland) and Andy Crossley (Director @ Oakland) for a marketing masterclass for consulting firms. We'll be ignoring 'silver bullets' and hype cycles to focus on the most critical, misunderstood, and often forgotten aspect of business development: your long-term marketing strategy!
Follow Nick on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nicksynnott/ Visit Create Engage: createengage.co.uk/ Follow Nicola on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nicola-thomson-6261a517/ Follow Andy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/acrossley/ Visit Oakland: weareoakland.com/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap: cmap.io | |||
| The optimal organizational structure for consulting firms - #20 | 15 May 2025 | 00:55:51 | |
I'm joined by Simon Dixon (CEO & Founder, Hatmill), John Hayward (Logistics & Supply Chain Consultant, Hatmill) and Danny Dixon (Founder of Portevo) to explore whether consulting firms need to conform to stereotypical structures to grow... or are there alternative paths available to success?Follow Simon on LinkedIn - Follow John on LinkedIn - Follow Danny on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/dandix/ Visit Hatmill - hatmill.com Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap - cmap.io | |||
| Strategies to maximize exit value & attract top buyers - #19 | 08 May 2025 | 00:58:49 | |
I'm joined by Jerome Glynn-Smith, Managing Director at Equiteq & Alex Thomson, Partner at Growth Capital Partners (GCP), as they share tips and tricks to maximize your shareholder value and exit prospects. Follow Jerome on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/jerome-glynn-smith-aa7371a/ Visit Equiteq - equiteq.com Follow Alex on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/alex-thomson-19abb178/ Visit GCP - growthcapital.co.uk Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap - cmap.io | |||
| Founder Stories: How Stitch tripled revenue growth in 3 years - #18 | 01 May 2025 | 00:49:56 | |
I'm joined by Michael Burton, Co-Founder & CEO of Stitch, a tech-forward marketing consultancy that has blazed through the ranks with triple-digit revenue growth in the last three years. Using his 25 years' experience in professional services, Michael will be revealing the recipe to the firm's success - high profitability, high margins and global growth - taking from his own lessons learned in the past. Follow Michael on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/michaeldburton/ Visit Stitch - stitch.cx Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap - cmap.io | |||
| Founder Stories: How Total Negotiation cracked the code to global growth - #17 | 24 Apr 2025 | 00:54:49 | |
I'm joined by Mark Cranstoun, CEO & Co-Founder of Total Negotiation, to learn how he led the UK firm through a global expansion spanning Europe, North & South America, Australia, and beyond. We'll be exploring the challenges & opportunities Mark faced over time, so if you're looking to grow your firm internationally, Mark has plenty of learnings to share! Follow Mark on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/mark-cranstoun-5937a32/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap - cmap.io Visit Total Negotiation - https://totalnegotiation.com/en-gb/ | |||
| Why Consulting Founders Hit a Ceiling—And How to Break Through - #16 | 17 Apr 2025 | 00:42:00 | |
Only 20% of boutique consulting firms ever break through their first real growth ceiling. Why? Because visionary founders don’t always make great operators. In this episode of The Consulting Pulse, I talk with Brian Albers and Randell Mauricio of Pemmerations—who specialize in fractional COO services for pro services firms. We cover:
Follow Brian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/balbers/ Follow Randell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randell-mauricio/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap - cmap.io Visit Pemmerations - https://pemmerations.com/ | |||
| Effective people strategies to prime your consulting firm for growth - #15 | 10 Apr 2025 | 00:56:19 | |
In this episode, I'm joined by two people specialists to the consulting world: Caroline Boston, MD at New Minds, and Mike James, CEO of WeWhoDo. We'll be discussing how focusing on how to get the right people with the right skills in your firm and on your projects - and how this can catapult growth & profitability for your business! Follow Caroline on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/gcboston Follow Mike on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/mike-james-a3a44732 Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap - cmap.io | |||
| Founder Stories: How Nimbl turned global uncertainty into an opportunity - #14 | 03 Apr 2025 | 00:48:37 | |
I'm joined by Tom Arkell, Managing Director of Nimbl Consulting, to hear how he took the firm from start-up to success in an increasingly competitive and volatile market. We'll find out what worked about his approach to growth, how he navigated industry - and global - challenges, and the lessons he learned building a high-impact, people-centric firm. Follow Tom on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tomarkell Visit Nimbl - nimblconsulting.com Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap - cmap.io | |||
| The professional services firm pricing playbook - #25 | 19 Jun 2025 | 00:53:27 | |
I'm joined by Alex Desyatnik and Jason Carley from Pearson Ham Group to discuss pricing and packaging strategies in professional services. We also explore fixed-bid engagements, retainers, value-based pricing, and how services are sold versus delivered. Follow Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderdesyatnik/ Follow Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjcarley/ Visit Pearson Ham: https://www.pearsonhamgroup.com/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Looking for more consulting insights? Sign up to our newsletter - https://hubs.ly/Q03t-JxT0 Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ | |||
| The ingredients of an award-winning talent strategy - #24 | 12 Jun 2025 | 00:49:52 | |
I'm joined by Simon England (Partner @ Garwood Growth) & Jeff Merkle (Senior Partner @ GRAPH Strategy) as we tackle the most challenging people problems facing consulting firms. Learn how to recruit, retain, and grow with the essential characteristics of a successful talent strategy.
Follow Simon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-england-88763376/ Visit Garwood Growth: https://garwoodgrowth.com/ Follow Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmerkle/ Visit GRAPH: https://www.graphstrategy.com/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap: cmap.io Looking for more consulting insights? Sign up to our newsletter - https://hubs.ly/Q03t-JxT0 | |||
| Resourcing and operations masterclass: pipeline, hiring, utilization & delivery - #23 | 05 Jun 2025 | 00:50:06 | |
I'm joined by Mark Sloan, Managing Director at Asaph Advisors, for a complete masterclass on all things resourcing and operations for consulting firms. We'll be tackling the common issues businesses face, the essentials for each stage of growth, the KPIs you should be obsessing over, and much, much more.
Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-sloan-70500b3/ Visit Asaph Advisors: https://asaphadvisors.com/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap: cmap.io | |||
| From guesswork to growth: leveraging data in consulting firms - #22 | 29 May 2025 | 00:56:01 | |
Once again, I'm joined by Simon England, Partner at Garwood Growth, as well as two experts from Oakland: previous Financial Director Rachel Smith, and CEO Richard Corderoy. In this episode, we'll be exploring different data models and systems, reporting and metrics, and broader industry themes to help consulting firms make the most of data and drive better business decisions.
Follow Simon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-england-88763376/ Visit Garwood Growth: https://garwoodgrowth.com/ Follow Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-smith-fca-8a514353/details/experience/ Follow Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corderoy/ Visit Oakland: weareoakland.com/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benmedwards Visit CMap: cmap.io | |||
| How to market your consulting firm at the 4 stages of growth - #30 | 24 Jul 2025 | 01:12:22 | |
I'm joined by Nick Synnott, MD at Create Engage, for a no-nonsense look at how smart consulting firms adapt their marketing strategy as they grow. We unpack the common traps firms fall into and share practical strategies to build a brand and pipeline that grows with your business. Follow Nick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicksynnott/ Visit Create Engage: https://www.createengage.co.uk/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Visit CMap: cmap.io | |||
| From Olympian to Operations: game-changing growth for purpose-driven consulting - #29 | 17 Jul 2025 | 00:51:30 | |
This week, I'm joined by US national team Olympian Kathleen Kauth, who has since pivoted to consulting. She'll be sharing the lessons learnt from her time as a medal-winning athlete - and how these have carried over into her career. Expect to hear all about the challenges of running an effective & efficient firm, and the problems she's solved in her time as COO for cleantech consultancy Mantle Dev. Follow Kathleen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-kauth-innovation/ Visit Mantle Dev: mantledev.com Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Visit CMap: cmap.io | |||
| Founder Stories: How The Consultant's Way productized consulting through e-learning - #28 | 10 Jul 2025 | 00:52:56 | |
This episode, I'm joined by Anthony Paluska, from McMann & Ransford - founders of The Consultant's Way: an e-learning platform with a mission to enhance consulting skills across professional services organizations. Anthony will be sharing why he chose to create the platform, the learnings and opportunities discovered along the way, and the validation points & KPIs they looked for as they scaled their offering. Follow Anthony on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-paluska-5081804b/ Visit The Consultant's Way: https://www.consultantsway.com/ Visit McMann & Ransford: https://mcmannransford.com/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Visit CMap: cmap.io | |||
| Finance masterclass: projects, people and rates - #27 | 03 Jul 2025 | 00:50:48 | |
I'm joined once again by Mark Sloan, Managing Director at Asaph Advisors, for a finance masterclass to improve your firm's financial fitness for the next 12 months. We'll explain how you can build a culture with financial understanding, deliver with stronger margins, solve classic project delivery problems, and give you some KPIs and reporting cadences to build into your own business.
Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-sloan-70500b3/ Visit Asaph Advisors: https://asaphadvisors.com/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ | |||
| Demystifying AI: The Reality of AI for Consulting Firms - #26 | 26 Jun 2025 | 01:09:35 | |
This week, I'm joined by Kungfu.ai's Christian Barnard and Ron Green, as well as previous guest Professor Joe O'Mahoney as we delve into the myths, truths, and the hype vs. reality of AI from those who know it best! Follow Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianbarnard/ Follow Ron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rongreen/ Follow Prof Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeomahoney/ Visit KungFu.ai: https://www.kungfu.ai/ Looking for more consulting insights? Sign up to our newsletter - https://hubs.ly/Q03t-JxT0 | |||
| Proof sells: how consulting firms can make case studies that close deals - #38 | 23 Oct 2025 | 00:56:37 | |
Selling complex services is becoming more and more difficult & competitive - so how do consulting firms stand out? The answer is proof, and this week's guest knows all about it. James De Roche founded Lead Comet, which helps professional services firms create proof that closes deals. Find out exactly why testimonials and case studies hold so much power, why yours might not be working, and how to transform them into pipeline-boosting assets. Visit Lead Comet: https://leadcometdigital.com/ Follow James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesleadcomet/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Value proposition overload: the growth hack for life sciences firms - #37 | 16 Oct 2025 | 00:46:08 | |
How can boutique consulting firms selling into complex markets like life sciences move beyond founder-led growth? In this episode, SBR Consulting’s George Clarke explains how to align marketing, sales, and delivery to build a go-to-market engine that scales... without losing authenticity or trust. Visit SBR: https://sbrconsulting.com/ Follow George on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeeclarke33/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Time v.s. energy: the productivity killer nobody's measuring - #36 | 09 Oct 2025 | 00:52:13 | |
Consulting leaders have less time than ever to lead their firm - all while coping with growing expectations from clients, higher demand from colleagues, and challenging market conditions. COO & Partner at Pemmerations, Randell Mauricio, joins the podcast to discuss the disconnect between what execs want to do versus what they end up focusing on, and how consulting founders can find the time - and the energy - to lead with purpose. Visit Pemmerations: https://pemmerations.com/ Follow Randell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randell-mauricio/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Breaking the rainmaker model: mini-marketers & embedded sales in consulting - #35 | 02 Oct 2025 | 00:54:49 | |
Hear from B2B sales & marketing expert Brian Andersen, Senior Partner at one of the fastest-growing Scandi boutique consulting firms, Kvadrant. He reveals the success behind their deeply-embedded sales & marketing culture, alongside their unique compensation structure and attribution model, and shares his top sales & marketing strategies for both boutique and enterprise firms. Visit Kvadrant: https://www.kvadrant.dk/ Follow Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandersen/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| From startup to 300+ staff: M&A & organic growth insights from a life sciences founding partner - #34 | 25 Sep 2025 | 00:49:45 | |
Founding partner & COO of global life sciences consultancy Herspiegel, Beth Schurman, shares her story in this episode. She reveals exactly how Herspiegel went from startup to 300+ staff, with offices across the world, leveraging PE investment and a leading M&A strategy. Visit Herspiegel: https://herspiegel.com/ Follow Beth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethschurman/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| The hidden deal killers in your professional services M&A - #33 | 18 Sep 2025 | 00:50:50 | |
Legal expert from N.A. law firm Winstead PC, Manny Clark, shares insights from hundreds of professional services deals, exits and MBOs. Covering both the good - the best practices firms follow to achieve excellent outcomes - and the bad - the stumbling blocks and legal pitfalls that kill deals, Ben and Manny will help you expect the unexpected when seeking an exit. Visit Winstead PC - https://www.winstead.com/ Follow Manny on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emanuelclark/ Visit CMap - https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| The power of networks: Life sciences firm leveraging strategic advisors & freelancers - #32 | 11 Sep 2025 | 01:15:32 | |
Growing life sciences consulting firm Fingerpost reveal how they built an expansive network of associates, advisors, and clients to win in their niche. With CEO (Catherine Bacon) and COO (Victoria Wooldridge) perspectives, we find out how they went from freelance to professional firm, from white label delivery to building a brand, and from being agency partner to being trusted and known experts in their own right. Visit Fingerpost: fingerpostconsulting.com Follow Catherine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-bacon-fpc/ Follow Victoria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-wooldridge-41630a43/ Visit CMap: cmap.io Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| The tech-first consulting model that's beating the Big Four - #31 | 04 Sep 2025 | 00:52:57 | |
Nik Fuller, Founder of the rapidly growing privacy technology boutique FLLR Consulting, shares his top 5 lead gen & sales tactics, why he laser-focused on a particular niche, and the key decisions that enabled the firm to scale so quickly. Visit FLLR Consulting: https://www.fllrconsulting.com/ Follow Nik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikfuller/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Niche services, global reach: how to scale without sacrificing margins - #53 | 26 Feb 2026 | 01:00:02 | |
When most boutique consultancies think about growth, they picture new service lines, new sectors, or new hires. Clarity did the opposite. Andrew Moore (Partner) joins us to reveal why going deep before going wide paid off as the firm expanded from Australia to the UK to the Middle East. Visit Clarity: https://www.ccal.co.uk/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-moore-7b0ab63/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Uncomfortable truths & hidden gems in consulting firms - #52 | 19 Feb 2026 | 01:00:51 | |
Mike Hicks, CEO of growth and investment advisory firm Catalysis Advisory, draws on real-world consulting projects to reveal the strengths that set firms apart... and the blind spots that hold them back. Visit Catalysis: https://www.catalysis-advisory.com/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehickscatalysis/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| The Era 3 Playbook: Lessons from 250+ boutique consulting firm founders - #43 | 27 Nov 2025 | 00:48:55 | |
Most boutique firms don’t fail because of competition. They fail because they refuse to evolve. In this episode, Jeff Klaumann, COO of Collective 54, breaks down the future of boutique professional services firms in what he calls “Era 3”: shift from human-only delivery to AI-enabled, technology-driven firms. Jeff shares insights from working with hundreds of ambitious founders, revealing the patterns behind fast growth, efficient operations, and successful exits... and why the next era belongs to firms that embrace both community and technology. Visit Collective 54: https://www.collective54.com/ Follow Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffklaumann/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Breaking the founder bottleneck: Building a firm that runs without you - #42 | 20 Nov 2025 | 00:50:20 | |
Founder and author Jessica Rimmer shares how she’s grown her boutique firm, Solomon Strategic Advisors, through clear methodology, strong culture, and a team-driven approach - all while avoiding the classic founder bottleneck. Visit Solomon: https://solomonsa.com/ Follow Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-rimmer-ph-d-916b4354/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| How to close skill gaps and build high-impact consulting teams - #41 | 13 Nov 2025 | 00:58:08 | |
If you want to grow revenue without relying on 'rainmakers', you'll need to develop your talent and build a high-impact team. In this episode, Deri Hughes and Colin Mann join us from Honeycomb, a leading consulting skills training firm, to share the strategies and mindset required to empower your experts, upskill your teams, and cascade effective sales and leadership behaviors across your firm. Visit Honeycomb: https://www.honeycombps.co.uk/ Follow Deri on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derihughes/ Follow Colin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-mann/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| From big firm to own boutique: building value in life sciences - #40 | 06 Nov 2025 | 00:57:31 | |
This week's guest left behind the big logos to run his own boutique firm. I'm joined by Dane Callow, founder of Spinnaker, a North American life sciences strategy consulting firm. With real domain expertise, you'll hear from Dane's unique perspective as both a founder and investor. Visit Spinnaker: https://www.spinnakerls.com/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ | |||
| The operational playbook every consulting founder needs - #39 | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:50:15 | |
What truly drives sustainable growth for consulting firms? This week, we speak to Brian Albers, CEO & founder of Pemmerations, to hear his strategies and insights for firms who want to unlock both profitability & scalability. Visit Pemmerations: https://pemmerations.com/ Follow Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/balbers/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Why smart CEOs still struggle to execute (and how to fix it) - #51 | 12 Feb 2026 | 00:40:59 | |
Why do smart strategies so often fail in practice? Bryon Morrison, Co-Founder & CEO of Proxxy, breaks down the execution gap inside growing consulting firms... and how CEOs actually get big initiatives delivered. Visit Proxxy: https://proxxy.com/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Bryon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryonmorrison/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| The hidden cost of being the face of your firm - #50 | 05 Feb 2026 | 00:35:50 | |
What happens when your personal brand is driving growth... but also creating a bottleneck? Jacob Green, President & CEO of Californian public sector-serving Jacob Green & Associates, reveals the challenges no one talks about when scaling a boutique consultancy. Visit Jacob Green & Associates: https://jacobgreenandassociates.com/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Jacob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-green-keynote/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| What consulting firm founders get wrong about exits - #49 | 29 Jan 2026 | 00:46:24 | |
Are 10x multiples real, or marketing hype? In this episode, we speak to Jonathan Wilson, CEO & Founder of Dubb Value Creation, to get a behind-the-scenes view on who’s buying professional services firms, what separates great exits from painful ones, valuation myths, buyer behavior, and what actually kills exits.Visit Dubb Value Creation - https://www.dubbvalue.com/ Visit CMap - https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Jonathan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-wilson-dubb-value/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Why boutique life sciences firms are beating the giants - #48 | 22 Jan 2026 | 00:54:40 | |
How can life sciences consultancies thrive amid consolidation, margin pressures, and AI disruption? Neil Flash, Owner of Ignition Consulting, shares his insights on growth, profitability, and building boutique firms that truly deliver value. Visit Ignition Consulting: https://www.ignitionconsulting.uk/ Follow Neil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilflash Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||
| Why your people strategy is your real growth engine - #47 | 15 Jan 2026 | 00:41:22 | |
A culture architect and a lawyer walk into a firm... This episode, Sel Watts (Founder & CEO, wattsnextpx) and Todd Stanton (Founder & Principal, Stanton Law) unpack the true drivers of growth in professional services businesses, discussing leadership traps, HR blind spots, and - inevitably - how AI is reshaping teams & firm structures. Visit Stanton Law: https://stantonlawllc.com/ Follow Todd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddstanton/ Visit wattsnextpx: https://www.wattsnextpx.com/ Follow Sel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selwatts/ Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ | |||