Pro Serv Podcast by Collective 54

A collection of tactics is not a strategy, nor is a financial forecast or a budget. A strategy defines who you serve, what you do, how you do it, and how you do it differently. And a strategy begins with a clear set of goals. In this session, learn how Collective 54 member Jason Mills, Director of Engineering at TribalScale, and his team, adopted a formal goal-setting methodology, called OKRs, to get focused on what matters most.  https://www.collective54.com

Podcasting is a perfect marketing channel for boutique professional service firms. It allows a firm to authentically connect with its target market at scale cost effectively. Yet, many members are not taking advantage of this tool. In this session, Collective 54 member Tom Schwab, Founder at Interview Valet, will teach members how to leverage the podcasting channel to grow their firms.  https://www.collective54.com

As a firm scales, bureaucracy creeps in and slows the growth trajectory. Culture is a substitute for bureaucracy, and it allows a boutique to retain its identity as it scales. In this session, learn from  Collective 54 member George Jagodzinski, Managing Partner at Intevity, on how he as a founder built a powerful culture with a fully remote workforce, and how it led to outstanding business results.  https://www.collective54.com

Offshoring, or Nearshoring, is a proven method for founders to earn more. However, in a post-pandemic world, the acceptance of remote work has increased, and this has had a profound effect on labor costs across the globe. In this session, learn from Collective 54 member Satyam Kantamneni, Managing Partner at UXReactor, on how the cost per hour shifts by location, and how to take advantage of the opportunities being created.  https://www.collective54.com

Collective 54 member Jamey Harvey, CEO at Agilian, has doubled revenue and tripled margins in 18 months. This session shares how he did it by implementing the Boutique Framework, in its entirety, instead of one idea at a time. Hear how this remarkable entrepreneur went for it and won.    https://www.collective54.com

Pro serv firms are people-driven businesses, therefore, getting the people’s decisions right is mission critical. As a result, many members are using assessment tools, or have in the past. However, the results have been mixed. In this session, learn from Collective 54 member Ted Jackson, Owner at SIGMA Assessment Systems, Inc., together with his Vice President & Head of R&D, Dr. Julie Carswell, on how to improve the results you are getting from assessment tools. Dr. Carswell is an expert on this topic, with a PhD in organizational psychology. https://www.collective54.com

Some members want to exit, but they cannot. The reasons are many. For example, insufficient EBITDA, high client concentration, over-dependence on a founder, and many others. The journey to fix these issues is clear but can take many years and millions of dollars. And for some, this is unattractive. An alternative is a merger of equals. Attend this session and learn from the discussion with Collective 54 member Jonathan Wilson, President & Chief Value Creator at Dubb Value Creation, on how a merger of equals can convert an unsellable boutique into an attractive firm for many acquirers. https://www.collective54.com

Sei-Wook Kim ran his agency for 16 years and never had to lay anyone off. Then, in year 17, he had to lay off 15% of his work force. Layoffs are a fact of life when you run a boutique, especially if you do not have much recurring revenue. Sei-Wook will share lessons learned from his experience. These lessons will help you execute a layoff if, or when, the time comes. https://www.collective54.com

In this session, member Ken Yager shares how he discovered that his traditional client was not going to get his firm to reach its full potential. Ken shares how he changed his ideal client profile, and as a result, has significantly improved his margins. Attend this session and learn how to adjust your target client profile as your firm progresses along its lifecycle. https://www.collective54.com

Scaling boutiques need to build a sales team yet delay doing so because of the perceived risk and expense. In this session, member Dan Morris shows us how to reduce the risk and ease into it by leveraging fractional sales leadership. Most boutiques use fractional finance, HR, IT, and Legal executives and it may be time for you to deploy the same approach to sales. https://www.collective54.com