Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

Paul Millerd is a McKinsey alum, modern-day nomad, entrepreneur, and author of The Pathless Path - Imagining a New Story for Work & Life. Paul provides online courses on strategy consulting and freelance consulting. He is also the creator and contributor of the popular website, Boundless, a site that explores how to have a better relationship with work, and a podcast that is designed to help creatives reimagine work. In today’s episode, Paul talks about his book. You can order the book and learn more about Paul’s programs or sign up for his newsletter at Think-Boundless.com. Key points include: 02:59: What people believe about work 05:23: Tips on exploring the pathless path 19:43: The results of curiosity conversations 21:41: Disappointments on the pathless path 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.

Jennifer Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Scribe, a Princeton and Harvard alum, and a former VC and McKinsey consultant turned accidental CEO. She interviewed more than 1,200 business leaders on a quest to understand everything there is to know about corporate processes, best practices, and productivity. In today’s episode, Jennifer talks about her startup Scribe, and how she’s empowering people to own their processes by building the world’s first operating system for know-how. To sign up for a free account, visit scribehow.com/signup   To try a free month of Pro, use promo code UNLEASHED Key points include: 00:49: An overview of the product 06:09: Who uses Scribe and how it’s used 09:57: Finding the right scribe for your needs 12:00: Pricing model of the product 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.

Karen is an independent consultant who focuses on transformation projects. She has 25 years’ experience leading complex enterprise-wide transformations and M&A integrations to $105bn turnover. Karen has proven expertise in strategy and transformation of complex global businesses, as an executive in IBM Global, she led IBM’s global transformation. Karen has strong cross-sector B2B and B2C, cross-functional and broad geographical experience, including operating in 180+ countries across five continents. In today’s episode, she talks about her work on operational transformation and integration. You can learn more about Karen’s company at SevenTransformation.com, or reach out through LinkedIn.  Key points include: 10:14: Board member vs consultant to the company 17:00: An example of an operational transformation 23:26: Examples of cost-saving opportunities 35:58: Getting published in high profile publications 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.

Celine Teoh is an executive coach who helps senior leaders convert potential into performance by making the soft skills practical. She is a certified Tiny Habits Coach with Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab, and a facilitator for Stanford Business School’s popular Interpersonal Dynamics course. She is also an ex-McKinsey consultant, business operator, marketing strategist, and investment banker with years of strategy consulting experience with Fortune 500 executives in Asia and the USA. She holds an MBA from Stanford and a BSc from the London School of Economics.  Agnès Le is an executive coach with a focus on emotional intelligence with 20 years of experience in talent development, a multicultural background, and an MBA from Stanford. She's a leadership coach in the Executive Education and MSx programs at Stanford business school, and a group facilitator for the school’s most popular elective, Interpersonal Dynamics, also known as Touchy Feely. She is also an instructor at Stanford Continuing Studies where she teaches the class “Building a Career of Meaning and Impact.”   Key points include: 10:54: The challenges of practicing empathy 15:22: Three hacks based on our research and experience 25:53: Unpacking status 44:38: Understanding the market 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.

Shane Heywood on Go-to-Market Strategy Shane Heywood is a Bain-trained consultant with 10+ years experience in Marketing, Sales, Operations and Strategy across a variety of industries. He has on the ground experience in 13 countries and currently works in private sector Emerging Market strategy. Shane is passionate about building businesses, delivering impact and helping organisations grow, and in today’s episode, he talks about his practice and processes. Shane can be contacted through LinkedIn, and you can learn more about his company at PortlandVenturesInc.com.   Key points include: 05:44: Steps an organisation can take to make sponsorship happen 10:42: Sponsorship and mentorship for independent professionals 16:25: What’s included in a go-to-market project 18:38: A case example from a Sub-Saharan market 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.

Phillip Morgan has helped thousands of consultants use specialization to find a beachhead that leads to greater visibility, profitability, expertise, and success. He has recently published his book, The Positioning Manual for Indie Consultants, and in today’s episode, he talks about his expertise incubator, his book, and setting up a thought leadership program. You can learn more from Phillip’s book, and the 10-part email course.  Key points include: 03:01: Examples of small scale research 06:52: Examples of projects in the program 13:02: The platformer advantage 21:51: Earning visibility without a platform 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.

McKinsey alum with an MBA from Harvard Business School, Nidhi Chadda has 20+ years of experience as an investment banker, strategic consultant, and investor. She is the Founder and CEO of Enzo Advisors, a global sustainability consulting firm focused on helping companies build best-in-class sustainable business models within an ESG construct. In today’s episode, she talks about ESG in business. You can reach out to Nidhi on LinkedIn or visit her website EnzoAdvisors.com.  Key points include: 02:12: ESG and investing in asset management 08:20: The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) factor 11:19: ESG and value creation 20:32: Trends in ESG 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.

Founder of Aminad Consulting, Lido Ramadan has over 25 years of experience in founding, growing, leading, and sustaining services organizations. Prior to establishing Aminad, Lido founded multiple successful small businesses and led the operations of several rapidly growing consulting firms. In today’s episode he talks about serving the federal government. To find out more about Lido’s firm or to contact him directly, visit LinkedIn or AminadConsulting.com. Key points include: 05:17:Consulting analysis unique to the government 09:54: Surprising insights from interviews 13:55: An effective strategy 20:11: Projects for the SEC 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.

  Alexei Leonard is a Partner at Golenblock, Eisman, Assor Bell, and  Pescoe where he leads the firm’s labor and employment practice.  His practice spans nearly all employment counseling and litigation matters affecting employers today. In today’s episode, he talks about the legalities involved with hiring and retaining an employee. To learn more about Alexei’s services, visit www.golenblock.com or email him at Alexander@Golenblock.com. Key points include: 02:00: Key considerations 13:19: Payroll providers 19:06: Background checks 34:09: Non-disclosure agreements 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.

Erik Lautier is an expert in ecommerce, marketing, and digital strategy.  After over two decades in roles dealing with ecommerce and marketing for brands like Lacoste, Bebe, and Francesca’s, he founded Erik & Co, an ecommerce and marketing consultancy serving seven and eight-figure DTC brands, retailers, and/or their private equity owners. In today’s episode he shares his expertise in ecommerce. Learn more about Erik and his company at www.Erik.co. Key points include: 07:17: The shift from theatre to ecommerce 10:14: The layers of an ecommerce assessment 12:38: Benchmarks and opportunities 18:26: The choke points in ecommerce 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.