Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

Wes Wheless is a solo consultant focused on helping others like him through Develop My IP, offering services like Niche Finder and IP Builder sprints. In this engaging conversation, he delves into the importance of identifying a unique niche and developing intellectual property. Wes shares fascinating case studies of clients who have carved out their market space, like a fractional CMO for subscription companies, and emphasizes the power of tailored visual communication in attracting clients. Tune in for insights on transforming expertise into a thriving consulting practice!

Show Notes: Alex Lugosch and Ilya Druzhnikov, founders of True PMF, explain that True PMF is a rapid prototyping and discovery service for startups and established companies who are releasing a new product or testing a new market and don’t have the tools or six to eight months to try new experiments for product market fit. The firm uses cold calling tools to test out different ideas and pitches to potential clients, focusing on understanding the reactions of potential buyers. Ilya explains how their tool saves time and money by improving the cold call process. First Steps in a Cold Call Strategy Alex and Ilya work with a founder to identify their target audience and use tools like ZoomInfo to gather a list of people that fit that profile. They then use cold calling tool to test out different ideas and iterate different pitches to potential clients. They also train the founder to do cold calls, helping them understand the process and find what resonates with potential buyers. The firm often stacks rank lists of 20 audiences to test in the next 20 days, with each experiment taking about two sessions of an hour each. At a certain point, they do turnover, where the founder takes over to learn how to do the process. They use several list building services, data validation services, and dialers to build tight lists, accessing many people at the C-suite that most founders can only dream of contacting. Within one or two calls, they find that those people are picking up on their pitches and talking to them, which is a significant improvement from the traditional six-month process of trying to determine if something is a product market fit. The Cold Call Conversation and Analysis Ilya explains the process, beginning from when they contact the founder, building the initial list, finding direct phone numbers for 80-100 people, and loading them into their enterprise-grade tech stack that few startups can afford.  He goes on to explain how they start the conversation.  They try to make the pitch relevant to the founder and explain that their solution could save time and money while having a positive impact on the bottom line. After the call, the transcript goes directly into the AI model, which produces an analysis of the conversation and offers recommendations on how to proceed. The next step is to determine the outcome of the call. In a typical calling session, there are sometimes upwards of 14 or 15 connects. As the conversation gets closer to the target, the conversations become more rich, with more follow-up emails, scheduled demos, and referrals. It's an iterative process until discovering the audience is interested in the topic and/or the call can be referred to the right person. Cold Calling Techniques The conversation turns to the importance of effective cold pitching techniques. They mention the importance of recognizing what’s currently relevant to the client. They also discuss the concept of partnering one person to take a pitch and then alternate to the other person without giving feedback. The key to getting better at cold pitching is focusing on the elements that work in the previous pitch. This technique can be applied to other situations as well, such as listening to each other's tone of voice and understanding their preferences. Alex emphasizes that these techniques are not meant to scale sales but to provide relevant information about messaging and product features that can be used in outbound campaigns that are scalable, such as emails, LinkedIn messages, or conferences. Ilya and Alex give an impromptu example of an opening conversation with mid-market private equity owned portfolio companies. Ilya explains that their informs more effective marketing strategies. This approach helps clients narrow down their ideas about the persona, develop stronger content that connects with their target market(s),  and ensures that their marketing efforts are highly effective. Cost of SDRs Cold Calling The discussion revolves around the cost of cold calling sales development representatives (SDRs) and their effectiveness in B2B product spaces. Emphasis is placed on understanding the messaging and the potential for managing costs. They mention a company with 400 clients across Europe that raised over $50 million and had six SDRs, but none of them were effective. They also mention that a multinational tech startup with a large B2B sales team cannot afford six CROs to run their sales team. They advise against giving cold calls to unskilled SDRs, as they may not be adaptable enough to handle complex situations. However, cold calling is a good prototyping tool, as it allows companies to reach a wider audience, gain insights and understanding of their market, and potentially increase their revenue. Examples of How TruePMF Serves Clients Alex and Ilya initially focused on high-growth e-commerce brands, but later discovered that they needed to target established e-commerce brands looking for margin expansion. They created a new list of these brands and tested it with CTOs, which proved more relevant. Then, they called private equity partners, specifically tech stack operating partners, to expand their reach. This allowed them to sell their solution across multiple brands. Another example is a smaller company with 20 clients, all big enterprise clients, looking to sell to private equity firms. Ilya also discusses the process of selling a product before building it, and emphasizes the importance of honesty and transparency in the sales process.   About the Founders of TruePMF.com Alex Lugosch, a FinTech founder and executive at a wholesale, e-commerce company, and the B2B credit space, and Ilya Druzhnikov, a serial entrepreneur and angel investor, have both been working with founders and CEOs to help them understand Product Market Fit. They have worked in various industries, including B2B wholesale, e-commerce, and angel investing. The website, Pmf.com, is by referral only, and they have a bias for working with serious people who are serious about their business. They require founders to attend every call, including the CEO, Chief Revenue Officer, and Head of Sales. The company has sold their product to 400 companies across Europe and is coming to the United States. Timestamps: 00:02: Introduction to True PMF and Their Unique Approach 03:28: Explaining the True PMF Service  06:35: Detailed Walkthrough of the Process 10:47: Iterative Improvement and Audience Targeting  16:29: The Role of Cold Calling in Business Development  34:04: Client Examples and Success Stories  40:23: Background of Alex and Ilya  Links:  Website: https://truepmf.com/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Show Notes: Vanessa Liu, co-founder and CEO of Sugarwork, talks about how this tool helps enterprises capture tacit knowledge by acting as a guide.  Sugarwork helps companies capture specific information at scale and enables sharing, and guides companies to ask specific questions to elicit the required insights.    How the Sugarwork Platform Works Vanessa explains how the dashboard works and how it helps companies understand, leverage, and easily access their tacit knowledge for better decision-making and growth.  She introduces the scheduling section. Vanessa shows how the Knowledge Share section acts as a guide that helps advance the discussion and gathering of key insights.  She talks through the shares a few query examples that guide questions that gather insights, including roles and responsibilities, problem-solving, and core technical questions.   Sharing Resources and Data from Meetings  Vanessa explains how scheduling meetings works and the integrations with several different meeting apps. Vanessa talks about the AI avatar or an employee interview an interviewee, and how the information gathered and stored in the Knowledge Share section. The platform allows companies to schedule video meetings where an AI note taker transcribes the conversation and provides a summary. The raw data from the meeting is also available, allowing participants to share their insights. Shared Resources are uploaded into a repository, allowing the company to access the information on a permissions-based basis. She demonstrates how AI takes notes and issues a summary and overview.  Asking Questions and Accessing Knowledge Share Vanessa explains that the platform is typically used for short, compressed periods, such as a transformation or launch of something new. This allows HR teams to access knowledge shares and ask questions as if they were talking to the interviewees. The platform also allows for queries based on ChatGPT, or other tools to understand why a client or customer works with a particular vendor. The platform is designed to be accessible to the entire company.   Interview Use Cases and Documenting Processes  The conversation turns to the use of interviewers in companies, with two common models: one involves a trained interviewer interviewing everyone in the company, and another involves multiple interviewers for onboarding junior employees. Vanessa suggests two use cases for this approach: documenting processes and understanding succession planning work. A project manager can document the process and create a process map to optimize it. Another use case involves understanding people's knowledge shares for succession planning or transformations.   Saving Time and Improving Efficiency Vanessa also mentions the activity value added analysis (AVA) project, where companies can identify activities that are taking up significant time and eliminate them. This tool can be used for cost-cutting projects, such as the AVA project, where companies can identify bottlenecks and improve efficiency. The second use case is business optimization, where companies can map processes to identify areas for optimization and understand where people are spending time. For example, a new product development process can be analyzed to identify pain points and identify solutions for bottlenecks. This can include changing the configuration of people involved or adjusting handoffs.   Budget Processes and Interviews Sugarwork is designed to help companies understand their processes and identify key themes in customer segments. The platform is not intended for detailed process mapping, but rather for understanding the different customer segments and their roles in the process. Sugarwork provides a consolidated view of everyone involved in the budgeting process. The platform also helps identify key themes across various customer segments. Its focus on detail, data analysis, and automation makes it an attractive option for companies looking to streamline their processes and improve their efficiency.   Insights and Pricing The platform has been used by mid-sized companies going through digital transformation, large companies hiring consulting firms, and small consultancies seeking to understand best practices, talent, and processes.  Vanessa explains that customized templates are created for companies based on desired outputs and participants' roles and functions.  She goes on to talk about the pricing structure of Sugarwork and use cases on customers looking for insights into best practices, talent, and automation. Sugarwork has also been used by small consulting firms to run analysis with their clients, as they can scale their work and use the tool faster. Vanessa shares an example of a consulting firm using Sugarwork when working with a government agency.  They had to conduct numerous interviews and needed to scale their team. By using Sugarwork, they were able to easily store, access, and analyze the data and make informed decisions about their strategies and resources.  Timestamps: 01:59: Overview of Sugarwork Dashboard  02:38: Detailed Walkthrough of Sugarwork Features  06:16: Interview Process and AI Integration 10:40: Use Cases and Recommendations  14:27: Data Analysis and Customer Targeting  20:12: Pricing and Availability   Links: Website: https://www.sugarwork.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessawliu/

Show Notes: Ami Parekh discusses the business model and services of Included Health, a company that provides personalized healthcare. Included Health partners with self-insured employers and health plans to improve the way working Americans and their families receive healthcare.  Included Health Services  About a third of Fortune, 100 companies, and 10 million Americans have access to Included Health’s services. The company focuses on providing access answers and advocacy as people engage in the healthcare system. The company has nearly 3000 people, including 1000 clinicians across the country, including primary care doctors, specialists, nurse practitioners, and therapists. Additionally, hundreds of care advocates help patients understand the ins and outs of the healthcare system. Many patients come to Included Health because they can't get access to primary care and behavioral health, which can take one to two months across most of the country. The company aims to address this supply problem. Navigating the Healthcare System Ami talks about the role of Included Health in helping patients navigate the healthcare system, focusing on personalized and best-for-the-patient approach. She explains how it can help patients navigate their insurance and coverage options. She also covers the use of data and data science to match patients with the highest quality healthcare professionals for specific requirements, such as orthopedic surgeons or specialists. Ami emphasizes that Included Health are not plans or payers, but providers who work with a wide field of providers, and their job is to help patients achieve the best outcomes within the current healthcare system. Accessing Quality Data in Healthcare The conversation turns to the concept of quality data in healthcare, how it is crucial to consider the quality of care and the likelihood of repeat surgeries, and the issue of inappropriate prescribing behavior, such as the use of opiates and benzodiazepines, which can be addictive. Ami explains how Included Health accesses and uses data, and how collected sanctioned data can help determine if a provider is safe for family members to see. Ami emphasizes that data is never perfect, and in the worst case scenario, patients can consult with clinicians to find the right doctor. The data can help inform conversations about who to see, and Included Health offers support in finding publicly available data sources and the right practitioner. She highlights the need for better data and collaboration between healthcare providers and patients to improve patient outcomes and overall healthcare quality. Improving Healthcare Pricing and Cost Employers typically pay for Included Health as a layer on top of their health plan, as they want their employees to be healthy, productive, and engaged members of their workforce. They also want healthcare costs to remain low so that they can pay their employees a living wage and invest in other benefits. Healthcare is often the number two cost after supplies in America, and employers want their employees to be healthy, productive, and engaged. Included Health offers a way to give healthy days back to employees by reducing the number of days they are unable to be healthy due to mental or physical health reasons. This results in increased productivity, better work performance, and overall cost savings. There are two dimensions to using included health services: first-time care and saving time. First, employees get the right care the first time, which can lead to cost savings. Second, health plans are incentivized to offer support to their patient population, as they are paying for it. Third, Included Health helps find providers quickly, saving employees time and freeing them up to focus on the healing process and family. Furthermore, Included Health provides access to primary care doctors, which is crucial for long-term cost savings and better health. How Included Health Works Included Health has about 1500 clinicians available for virtual appointments, including behavioral health providers. The app allows users to schedule appointments within a week, ensuring choice and quick access to healthcare services. Technology has brought about broader trends in the industry, such as value-based care and making things easier to access. The cost of healthcare is increasing by seven to 10% year over year, making it unsustainable for the American population. Employers, who are often the purchasers of healthcare, are seeking better solutions to control healthcare costs. They are trying to do this through products and services, creating new networks, and focusing on wellness. The trend is driven by employers and the government, as well as insurance companies. Included Health fits into this trend by reducing total care costs and prioritizing the member experience. By being a one-stop shop for patients and members, employers can experiment with different services without disrupting the member experience. This allows them to work with the growing trend of cost-cutting and value-based care in the healthcare industry. Included Health’s Clients and Pricing Structure  The pricing structure for the company is custom, client-by-client, and depends on the population being served. The company does not have a per-head pricing structure, but rather on a population level. Performance guarantees are part of the pricing model, which includes up-operation and delivery of savings.The company has started participating in shared savings models with CalPERS, which allows California employees and their dependents access to their services. Payers see the company as a provider for their members, and they believe that these models are helping them achieve better outcomes for patients. Included Health mostly focuses on larger enterprise and jumbo clients, with 33 of the Fortune 100 companies being clients. Smaller clients also receive good results from the company. The Role of AI in Healthcare Ami discusses the use of Telehealth in healthcare. She mentions her parents as an example of how they could do more virtually than they are today. Ami also discusses the role of AI in healthcare, stating that, by providing tools that can help healthcare workers it is a beneficial tool.  AI has been used in healthcare for therapy, diagnosis, and diagnosis, with 20% of conversations being healthcare-related. She is excited about the potential of AI in healthcare. Member-facing AI can answer basic health insurance questions and provide guidance on insurance deductibles and costs. Included Health ensures all of their AI services are supported by humans, whether on the clinical side or on the care team side, to ensure a human is available to the customer when needed.  Ami believes that AI will be a tool that supports the human workforce in healthcare, making their jobs easier and allowing them to do more for the members. Over the next year or two, AI will play a significant role in healthcare, with AI helping navigate systems, schedule calls, and provide better access to care for patients. Timestamps: 01:22 Included Health's Services and Impact 03:22: Navigating the Healthcare System  07:20: Challenges and Solutions in Healthcare Data  14:29: Employer and Health Plan Perspectives  21:33: Value-Based Care and Pricing Structure  27:21: Health Plan and TPA Relationships  32:41: Role of AI in Healthcare  Link:  https://includedhealth.com/   Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Show Notes: Sarah Dobson, founder and creative director at Design of Brand, discusses their niche in helping founders of companies establish their brand identity. They offer a process that includes brand strategy, naming, and creating a visual identity system for launch or relaunch. She explains what a brand identity entails and provides examples of successful case studies.  Discovering and Designing a Brand Identity Sarah explains what the core of a brand identity is, how it is more than just a palette or a logo, and how she helps founders articulate that identity from developing the symbolic mark, word mark, and often, the name of the company through to the visual design elements of fonts and colours etc. She discusses her practice of collecting examples for design inspiration. She shares that he takes photos of various elements, such as typography, street signs, shapes, and color palettes, and banks them to find the right place in someone's identity. She also mentions that she started using Pinterest early on and quickly gained 800,000 followers. Sarah believes that understanding trends is crucial for creating unique designs and not looking like another brand. She uses Pinterest to research interiors and symbols for clients where she populates secret boards with images and ideas. She researches broadly online to find inspiration from a variety of sources and uses it to create visually appealing designs. Sarah mentions that she is considering launching a course to help people name their companies. She believes that sharing her capabilities with others would be meaningful to help more people develop their brand identity. A Case Study on Naming a Brand  Sarah shares a case study of working with a founder who didn't have a name for their company. She shares the story of Othership, a social sauna and cold plunge business in New York. The founder had stopped drinking and was looking for alternative alternatives to bars. Sarah explains that she had two clients who were also interested in Sonic culture and the Soho House of Wellness. The clients joined forces to establish their company and Sarah explains how she worked closely with them to develop a deep understanding of who they were and of the company they were developing. Sarah observed the founders as they were prototyping and building out the space. They developed breath work, audio and physical space to help them synthesize their vision for a more social, healthy way of having fun. Sarah explains how she encouraged them to change their name from Inward to Othership  because it reflected the founder's focus on connections and creating a healthy space with and for others rather than internal issues. She also explains how playing with suffixes and compound words is a part of the naming process. Case Study on Creating a Visual Identity Sarah discusses the process of creating a visual identity for the brand Othership, including the logo mark, buttons, and photography. She talks about where she found inspiration for the symbol mark, which included drawing inspiration from the spinning top toy and The Sims. The logo has had an incredible effect on people's lives, with at least five people now having tattoos of it. The color scheme was inspired by Disney’s Fantasia, and the founders' energy was a key factor in the design, and the color palette was atypical and flexible, not just two colors. Sarah explains that this approach was similar to a design she developed for a super food snack cafe's color palette. In terms of process and iterations, Sarah mentions that, sometimes, two to three different concepts are explored, with one being the most likely one based on the client's preferences and the other exploring more strategic ideas. The process is seen as due diligence, with the goal of finding the one that resonates with the client. Case Study on the Brand Identity of a Cannabis Retailer and an Organic Food Snack Sarah discusses his experiences in creating a cannabis retailer in Canada, which was a unique and exciting venture. She created a brand called Superette, which aimed to make people feel comfortable buying cannabis legally. The brand was inspired by Peter Pan in Brooklyn, an old Polish bakery because the store felt like a community, with lineups and regulars for breakfast. Another case example is a nut milk bar cafe and a nut milk. The cafe was developed by a friend after completing a nutrition education course and wanted to provide a healthier cafe alternative to muffins and unhealthy drinks. The founder went on to develop and sell the nut milk, which  t is made from scratch and is nutritionally dense, making it a potential competitor to Starbucks. The brand was rebranded and reworked, with the word mark and visual identity system updated. The goal was to strengthen and optimize the brand for future success. A Design Perspective on Fonts Sarah talks about her knowledge with fonts. She shares a quote, “words have meaning but  typography has a feeling and can be spectacular.” She talks about the evolution of typography from handwriting, scripting, manuscripts, and the printing press to the computer. A study by the New York Times found that serifs such as Baskerville or Garamond were found to be the most believable font. Sarah suggests starting to educate oneself by examining their intuition and feeling the right fit. She mentions that Comic Sans, an early digital font, has been found to be beneficial for dyslexia due to its letter forms. Sarah talks about her methods of classification when choosing a brand font and gives a few examples of how a font feels. She suggests that anyone interested in learning more about fonts should start by exploring different font styles and their impact on the human subconscious. Timestamps: 01:44 Explaining Brand Identity  07:31: Case Study: Other Ship 17:30: Visual Identity and Branding Elements  22:17: Typography and Design Philosophy  22:34: Case Study: Superette  25:37: Case Study: Nut Bar  Links: Website Portfolio Design of Brand Instagram Othership Othership Inspiration "Logo Dump" Superette Nutbar Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Chad Oakley,  CEO of  Charles Aris, a second-generation executive search firm, discusses their 55-year history and their focus on four areas. Charles Aris specializes in strategy and go-to-market practice, which places individuals into corporations, private equity firms, and portfolio companies. Chad explains their areas of expertise and mentions that the firm has a team of over 100 and has completed over 1,450 positions in this area in the last 21 years. They also have a finance and corporate development practice, which handles CFOs, FPAs, and candidates for merger and acquisition roles. Additionally, they have an engineering and operations practice that handles supply chain, CFO, and plant managers. The Changing Market for Consultants Chad, a former consultant, discusses the changing market for consulting in the age of uncertainty, and what the market is looking for. He traces back to April 2024, when consulting in the United States was down, particularly for top firms like Bain, BCG, McKinsey Strategy, and L.E.K EY Parthenon. The downturn was driven by higher interest rates and inflation. Chad talks about the factors leading to high interest rates and how it impacted consulting firms, private equity firms and M&A activity. He touches on how consulting firms reacted to this downturn and how it affected consultants. Chad shares a 2025 Compensation study conducted by Charles Aris showing a range of data that covers undergrads and MBAs, major consulting firms and competitors. He then shares three primary factors that caused a rise in the market in January 2025.  The market is now looking for new opportunities and challenges.  Key Factors Leading to Market Change for Consultants Chad explains the factors that led to the changes in the market over the past year. The newly elected President, Trump, was bullish on business, promising to rally markets better than Biden and eliminate red tape and regulations. This positive outlook led to a more optimistic outlook for the market. Business is recovering, creating solid momentum in the economy. In Q1 2024, companies started investing and private equity firms resumed deals, resulting in stronger demand for consulting services. However, the implementation of tariffs by the President has arrested this momentum, creating uncertainty for business leaders. The current tariffs have no playbook for them, and the possibility of changes in the future makes it difficult for current CEOs or business leadership teams to commit to action.  Chad shares a conversation he had with the CEO of a publicly traded manufacturing company CEO, who has manufacturing facilities in the US, China, and South America. He cannot justify the massive investment in onshore manufacturing due to the potential decrease in tariffs. This has halted deal momentum, particularly in consulting services. Despite this, consulting firms are still working on projects they sold in the first few months of the year. They are now trying to be strategic about their consulting services, focusing on key areas to win and play in the market. The Number One Area of Focus for Consulting Firms.  Chad explains that consulting firms are trying to be strategic in their direction, which has led to a focus on supply chain consulting. Companies are trying to navigate the impact of tariffs on their supply chains, and consulting firms are helping them do so by reshuffling their manufacturing base from high tariff countries to low tariff countries. They are also helping clients re-negotiate procurement contracts with global suppliers and consider acquiring competitors with a more favorable supply chain structure. Consulting firms are gearing up for a bulk of demand for supply chain services, and focusing on blue and white collar services. They are also doubling down on consulting playbooks for their services, including blue and white collar services, which is also a major area of focus for private equity firms. Consulting firms are also looking at government advocacy, such as lobbying and creating influence with lawmakers. The Impact of AI on Consulting Firms Chad discusses the significant impact of AI on consulting services. He mentions that many successful big brand companies are utilizing AI in their operations. A private equity firm's head of AI stated that the impact of AI is expected to be minimal in the next 18 months, as companies are still trying to find ways to add value with the technology. Chad acknowledges that AI is an incredible tool, and that it will be interesting to see how much it will truly change the way businesses operate in the next 12-18 months. A Growing Trend of Interim Consulting Roles Chad talks about the growth in what they call interim executive hiring in the marketplace, specifically around private equity and mostly for a limited period of time. The primary areas hiring for these roles are finance and strategy. He explains that specificity is highly sought after, and he encourages generalists to narrow their scope. The conversation turns to the structure of executive search firms for P.E. firms. Chad states that there are two primary groups within PE firms: the Deal team, and the Portfolio Operations team. He explains how they function and how they find and recruit talent. He offers advice on how to reach out to the hiring team, and talks about reaching out to consulting firms for a position and which areas of service have seen a decline and which ones are in demand. He specifically mentions pricing as an area of demand due to the tariffs.  Key Questions Answered in the Q&A Session  Chad answers questions from the panel, including his recommendations on the path to a private equity operating partner, areas of experience that are highly valued; the impact of DOGE on consulting, how independent consultants can position themselves for a full-time position; the value of demonstrable startup experience, AI displacing junior roles; recruiting for board roles, PE’s interests in blue collar and white collar companies; and a positive outlook for mature consultants. Timestamps: 02:50 Overview of Charles Aris and Chad Oakley's Background  08:11: Market Overview and Impact of AI  11:28: Current Market Conditions and Consulting Services  16:08: Trends in Full-Time Roles and Interim Executive Hiring  22:49: Consulting Firm Hiring and AI Impact  28:00: The areas of decline and demand for consulting services  42:13: Path to Private Equity Operating Partner Roles  49:54: Impact of Government Consulting Contracts on the Market  52:24: Tips for Independent Consultants Seeking Full-Time Roles  Links: Website: https://charlesaris.com/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

In this engaging discussion, Joe O’Mahoney, a part-time professor at Cardiff University and expert in boutique consultancy growth, shares insights from his 20 years of research. He emphasizes that strong leadership and clear market positioning are crucial for scaling consulting firms. Joe outlines the significance of building a competent sales team and developing specialized services to enhance profitability. He also delves into the challenges of talent management and the complexities of firm valuation, offering practical strategies for success.

Show Notes: Chris Freeberg is the co-founder of deck.support, a company that brings some of the best tools for PowerPoint into Google Slides. Chris and cofounder Dimitri Limberopoulos recognized the need for increased functionality in Google Slides as more companies were switching from PowerPoint to Google Slides but wanted a larger variety of tools and functionality for projects. deck.support was launched last month in the Google workspace marketplace as an extension to Google Slides and provides a wide range of  tools to increase creativity and functionality that are available for PowerPoint. deck.support is an affordable and  essential tool for those who prefer working in Google Slides for client or collaboration reasons.     An Introduction to deck.support  deck.support lives within Google Slides and Chris demonstrates how to access the extension. He discusses the use of deck.support which offers various formatting shortcuts and alignment tools. These tools allow users to quickly align images, columns, and objects, and automatically resize them for better alignment.    deck.support Objects and Templates Tutorial Chris explains how to use objects and templates. Objects are text and graphical elements that can be inserted onto a page, such as three-step process wheels or four-step process wheels.  Templates are more elaborate versions of layouts. Templates can include a table of contents, detailed agenda, context, findings, matrix, BFA, call out, box prioritization, traffic light, slide, Harvey Ball, timeline, slide, customer funnels, and more. The founders have tried to replicate the visual languages used in their slides. The collection of templates, key actions, deliverables, and hypotheses is a complete list of 90% of the standard slide designs used in consulting projects. deck.support for Project Goals and Objectives The project also includes charts with more numerous charts to explore the project's goals and objectives. The goal is to provide a more engaging and effective presentation for clients. They have built a roadmap of 10 different chart types to start with, aiming to bring a high level of precision to Google Slides. AI is another feature which allows users to prompt the AI to read a slide and add finishing touches. This is an integration with Open AI, which will look at a slide and add specific notes to the speaker notes at the bottom. The AI suggestions launched at the bottom of the slide include a more action-oriented or informative headline that concisely summarizes the benefits of deck support. deck.support and the Golden Age of Entrepreneurship Chris discusses the importance of remembering who the audience is for a slide presentation to ensure clarity and comprehension. The process of building the tool involved a quick analysis of the potential of Google Slides, and hiring a developer with expertise in Google Apps Scripts. The augmented intelligence provided by AI tools allowed him to understand the process of development and make informed decisions. Chris believes that AI is a gold standard in the field of entrepreneurship, as it provides a demystification of the process, making it easier and more enjoyable for the audience. He also mentions the importance of considering the audience's needs and the potential for advancements in the field. Chris and Dimitri built a roadmap using PowerPoint and AI to understand the purpose of their software. They were guided by 17 years of BCG experience and were familiar with existing tools and their limitations.  Developing, Testing, and Pricing deck.support Chris discusses the development process of their product, which took about six months. The first step was identifying how to communicate what they wanted in terms of tools and functionality, and identifying the limitations of current tools on the market. They used chat GPT to evaluate different jurisdictions for incorporation, such as Delaware, Ireland, Dubai, and Singapore. They landed on Singapore, as it was the best place for two international people selling software. Chat GPT helped them evaluate different options and run simulations of fees, given different revenue levels and currency flows. Each section of the tool became its own block, and they tested each one before launching it in the App Store. They learned that the most valuable aspect of the product was the user-centered approach and understanding how it would be used and integrated into workflows.They currently offer the product for free on the Google workspace marketplace, but the alignment tools will be paid for. The core version of export will have an annual fee of $50 per year, and charts will be an additional feature that people can pay for. The pricing for charts is currently around $300 a year, and efficient elements will be around $100 a year. The overall value of the product is expected to be around $150 a year for charts. AI Tools for PowerPoint The conversation turns to AI tools for PowerPoint and their potential to create specific slides for consultants and professionals. Most people don't want someone to create the entire pitch deck for them, but rather just insert a slide according to their template. Chris believes that AI tools are still a few years away from being able to do this and that the need for AI tools will diminish as knowledge professionals have a better understanding of how to visually bring a presentation to life. He states that AI tools can be useful for high school students and sales professionals, but they may fall short when it comes to the nuance of consulting work. He talks about the limitations of AI models in generating creative campaigns. One of the biggest challenges is their inability to replicate the same character over and over again. AI models today are better at starting from a link sheet and bringing consistency from users on a micro level. The Process of Getting a deck.support into Google App Store Chris shares that getting a product into the Google App Store was painful, as there is a process that requires submission to the Google Workplace Marketplace for approval. This process verifies the app's security, consistency with best practices, and that there is no attempt to steal user information. The challenge was navigating two different teams within Google, all of whom seemed to be based on different sides of the world. The process lasted about six weeks, with cryptic emails asking for approvals and cryptic questions asking for help. Chat GPT helped identify opportunities to fix issues within the Google Cloud console. Security Measures for deck.support When it comes to security, Chris explains that the tool has no ability to see how users use the tool or what buttons they push. Once CRM capabilities are turned on, they capture email addresses and user accounts, but only the slide being viewed is transmitted to Open AI. Open AI returns this information consistent with the Terms of Service. Chris emphasizes the importance of enterprise security, as they have completed an enterprise security assessment for a consulting firm that uses Google Slides. They have documented that there is no image or information capture in the tool, only knowing who a user is, their active account, and the right to press the Layout button.Chris also talks about the use of Google App Script for the Google Slide extension, which ensures compliance with SOC 2 compliance. This means that the tool is not covered by the Google Workplace sandbox, which means it doesn't have to pay $40,000 for its own SOC 2 compliance. Chris explains that the tool lives in the cloud, not on its own. Users can download the tool from the deck.support website. Chris also mentions the limitations of Google Slides extensions, which require users to click on the "Open sidebar" button every time. To fix this, an App Script can be added to Google Slides, allowing users to click on the "Open sidebar" button when opening the slide. The Script can be found in the Extensions menu within Google Slides.  Timestamps: 02:20: Overview of deck.support and Its Features  36:30: Detailed Features of deck.support  36:45: Development and Building of deck.support  36:59: Challenges and Future Plans for deck.support  38:50: User Experience and Availability of deck.support  Links: Website: https://deck.support/ Marketplace Listing for downloads: https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/deck.support_pro_tools_for_google_slides/128114120858 Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.  

Show Notes: Stephan Meier, a professor at Columbia Business School, is the author of the book "Employee Advantage." He teaches the business strategy core class, which is required for all MBA students. Stephan also teaches an elective on the future of work, focusing on how treating employees and labor interacts with technology and business strategy. Stephan conducts international trips to African countries, such as Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya, to provide students with international experiences and perspectives on businesses, strategy, and different environments. His focus is on putting workers first to help businesses thrive. The conversation turns to Stephan’s book and the concept of the workplace and business strategy. He mentions how the pandemic brought the workplace under the spotlight and technology use ramped up, while at the same time, Stephan was teaching a class on the Future of Work. The conversation turns to the concept of putting workers first as a key element of business success, and how the business language reveals the mode of managing the employee base. This outlook has led to a large divide between employee and employer. According to Gallup surveys, about 65% of Americans are not engaged at work, and this number is even higher worldwide. Stephan also talks about customer centricity and how employee experience is crucial for both innovation and customer satisfaction. The Employee First Approach Stephan cites Jeff Bezos, and Amazon as examples of organizations that prioritize employee satisfaction. Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos believes that learning from dissatisfied employees can lead to continuous improvement and better business outcomes. This mindset is also seen in other industries, such as Costco in the US, which provides clear career paths, communicates clearly, and promotes internally. DHL Express, for two years in a row, was named the best employer in the world on the best workplaces in the world list for two consecutive years. They put employees first because they realized that turnover is terrible and happy employees are more engaged and leads to satisfied customers. They changed aspects of communication, listening, training, and career path within the organization, leading to financial success. How the Employee/Customer Centric Approach Wins Stephan discusses the importance of treating employees well and putting them first at the margin when making trade-offs. He talks about Starbucks, where the company's customer-centric approach has led to a loss of a customer-centric environment. He talks about how this could be improved. Stephan also emphasizes that both customers and employees are critical stakeholders that create value within the organization. Companies that prioritize their employees are more likely to be successful. This is because they have a strong focus on competence, which is encouraged by offering the right tasks that push employees optimally. This is crucial for motivation and retention, as people often leave organizations when they don't learn anything new. How Successful Companies Prioritize Employees Stephan states that companies strive to differentiate through a customer-centric approach, but he goes on to explain that the employee-centric and the customer-centric approach are often interchangeable. He offers examples of companies that prioritize their employees including Costco, DHL Express, and MasterCard. Microsoft uses an AI-powered tool called Unlocked, which allows employees to choose projects they want to participate in and matches them with opportunities within the company. This approach not only improves the internal market but also creates a better experience for employees. Companies like KKR, which invest heavily in portfolio companies, implement ownership programs, which give employees stock options as a start. To differentiate between companies that prioritize their employees, companies should consider metrics such as engagement level and turnover rates. By focusing on these early indicators, companies can better understand their commitment to their employees and work towards creating a healthy workplace culture that leads to productive and engaged workers. How to Build an Employee-centric Workplace Stephan suggests that companies should start by focusing on what they do with customers and how they do it with employees. They can use ideation workshops to understand customer needs and differentiate themselves from competitors. For example, Eli Lilly applied customer journeys to employees, focusing on their experiences and moments that matter. This approach helped them get more people promoted and had a significant impact on their business. Stephan recommends designing workshops to help employees think about ideas and motivations, as well as redesigning processes and procedures within the organization. By doing so, companies can better understand their employees' needs and preferences, leading to a more engaged, productive, and innovative workforce. Timestamps: 04:09: Development of The Employee Advantage 04:29: Counterintuitive Claims and Examples of Employee-Centric Companies  12:29: Balancing Employee and Customer Centricity  15:01: Practical Examples of Employee-Centric Companies  19:44: Criteria for Identifying Employee-Centric Companies  23:23: Industry-Specific Considerations  27:30: Consulting Approach for Implementing Employee-Centric Strategies  Links: Website: https://www.stephanmeier.com/ Stephan’s Book: The Employee Advantage   Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.    

Show Notes: Dori Yona, founder of Simple Closure, explains the process of shutting down a company. The process is painful, manual, and bureaucratic, with an average time of nine to 12 months. It can cost companies thousands of dollars or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees. Many companies end up doing it incorrectly, leading to fines and penalties. The Multiple Moving Parts of a Business Shut Down Dori explains that the main difficulty in shutting down a company is the coordination of multiple moving parts, such as the state of incorporation, IRS, lawyers, accountants, payroll provider, vendors, service providers, investors, payroll, and state departments. The average shutdown for a venture-backed company has about 95 moving parts, and if any of them are missed or not done correctly, the process can drag on and on. First Steps in Shutting Down a Business Dori talks about three typical approaches for a shutdown of a firm, which they categorize into three main “buckets”.  The first bucket is companies that reach out six to nine months before they need to shut down, as they are running out of cash and trying to raise another round or convince existing investors to invest more in their company. They want to be ready for what happens if it doesn't work out, so they reach out to the Simple Closure six months before to discover what the process involves. Dori mentions the Shut Down calculator his firm developed and put on their website to help business owners work through costs and assess the time they have left before going into the red and complicating the shut down. Bucket number two is when companies decide to shut down immediately, need quick media advice, need help presenting to the board, or with winding down the business. Bucket number three is when companies have shut down operationally six months or a year ago but never dealt with properly winding down the business. They may face penalties, fines, and liens on their personal property due to improper actions. The Financial Reality of Shutting Down a Business Dori emphasizes that it is not easy to walk away from a company, as it can come back and haunt the owner(s). He explains that while a corporate entity is there to protect board members, investors, and founders,  if certain things are not done properly, it can pierce the corporate veil, making the board and founders personally liable and potentially sued. The most common issue is wages, where an employee is owed wages and has not been paid. Companies should make sure that the proper winding up process is done to avoid loose ends and potential lawsuits from stakeholders, such as vendors, investors, state departments, and payroll departments. Dori also stresses the importance of considering investors during the shutdown process. Payroll Providers and the Shut Down Process  A company's shutdown process involves understanding the number of employees it has and how to properly shut down them. Dori uses a typical seed stage company as an example. This type of company usually has around 15 to 20 employees at its peak, with a few founders and one more engineer or person. To properly shut down the company, it is crucial to know who is currently on payroll, whether full-time or contractors, and how many employees the company had at its peak across different states and locations. Most startups use payroll providers, but they are not good at shutting down payroll accounts. When a company shuts down, they terminate the relationship between themselves and the payroll provider, this does not mean the payroll provider has closed down all accounts in all states. To help close out all accounts and notify all states, companies should ask for the HRIS census, which provides background and history of employees. Analyzing this data helps determine who is a past employee versus an active employee. The discussion explores the issue of 1099s for companies that are about to shut down, such as those in the US. Dori explains that the ultimate goal is to close out all accounts and notify all states, as every state operates differently and how to shut down accounts for active and non-active employees, and contractors. Technology that Automates and Scales the Shutdown Process The goal of Dori’s company is to build a technology solution to automate and scale the process of closing out payroll departments. The company aims to be the TurboTax shutting down platform, providing a platform for companies to easily close out their payroll departments. He mentions that the company has built automations to automate various processes, such as faxes, phone calls, emails, and online forms. However, there are many AI solutions available today, such as outbound SDR and AI calls that can call in and provide basic account information. The company's goal is to develop a platform that allows companies to easily close out their payroll departments and help streamline and automate the process. Dori also talks about shutting down repeat services such as subscriptions.  Three Main Phases of a Company Shut Down The winding down of a company involves three main phases: dissolution, wind up, and shut down. In Delaware, the first phase involves notifying the state and other entities, such as shareholders, board, and employees, about the decision to shut down the company. This involves notifying the state, preparing franchise taxes, filing the certificate of dissolution, and canceling the EIN. The second phase is the winding up phase, which involves unwinding payroll, paying out vendors, collecting invoices, and dealing with accounts receivable and payable. After the dissolution phase, the company must file a final tax return, distribute any remaining money to investors or creditors, and close out bank accounts. The third phase is the shutdown phase, which involves closing out bank accounts and sending out certificates of closure to investors and shareholders. It's important to have an export of all contracts with vendors and understand their options for cancellation. This process depends on the type of vendor and the company's capital. Dori shares information on how to deal with vendors during the shut down process. The Legal Requirements of Data Retention  The conversation turns to the importance of data retention and the value of company data and IP. Dori talks about the importance of understanding the industry and company type, such as healthcare companies needing to keep patient records for seven years post-shutdown. Dori recommends using data custodians to store these records in a safe place, adhering to protocols and encryption levels. He also discusses the need for tokenization around the store to ensure a safe and secure process. On the IP side, Dori explains how founders can monetize their IP after the company shuts down. Delaware law states that winding down the business should maximize value for shareholders, as it is the shareholders' company. They can either acquire the IP or sell it, depending on the situation. They also support the process of repurposing IP, which can take various forms, such as acquiring a domain or selling the domain. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of considering the legal requirements and the value of IP in the business world. Sale of Data during a Business Shut Down The discussion revolves around the process of closing a company, including the sale of data, intellectual property, patents, and code base. A platform called Simple Closing offers buyers to buy assets of companies shutting down, making the process as simple and streamlined as possible. Tax reporting and other tasks are prepaid by the accountant or accounting firm, but the final stage involves closing the bank account, paying off vendors, and sending out final checks to investors.The final stage involves record retention, notifying the IRS about the shutdown, and distributing funds to investors. This process is methodical and involves a waterfall calculation to determine the amount each person should receive back. This calculation is done on a pro rata basis, and after paying all taxes and closing the company, the money is wired out and distributed back to investors. The Final Stage of a Company Shut Down The final stage involves closing the bank account, paying off vendors, and sending out final checks to investors, record retention, payment of vendors, and distribution of funds. The final stage involves tying up loose ends and ensuring accurate distribution of funds to investors. Dori explains the process of closing a business, particularly when it comes to payroll, and the challenges faced by founders, such as filing quarterly taxes and dealing with payroll issues. He also talks about the importance of estimating the involvement and duration of founders, such as prepaying themselves with severance packages or bulk sums and why waterfall calculations must be done and how they work.  The Simple Closure Company Explained Dori talks about Simple Closure, an online platform that helps founders and operators in the unfortunate position of wanting to shut down their firm. Their mission is not to shut down companies, but to help founders and operators have the peace of mind to move on to what's next. They believe that entrepreneurship is a community of repeat founders and businesses, and the faster they can get founders back on their feet, the more mind space they can give them to build and find their next job. He shares his company's go-to market, which includes referrals from venture-backed firms or inbounds from their website. He explains that they invest in partnerships to meet customers at the right moment in time and build trust with them. The company aims to partner with companies, firms, or entities, such as venture-backed firms, to help them navigate the process and ensure their brand reputation is built. Timestamps: 02:49: Overview of Shutdown Process  05:42: Handling Payroll and Employee Wages  19:28: Wind-Up Phase and Vendor Management  27:36: Data and Intellectual Property Management  31:53: Final Stages and Distribution of Funds  38:44: Go-to-Market Strategy and Pricing  Link: Company website: simpleclosure.com   Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.