Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

David A. Fields is the co-founder of Ascendant Consulting and is the author of the #1 most recommended book on Amazon.com for consultants interested in building a practice, The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients, and the Executive's Guide to Consultants. David is well-known throughout North America for his expertise in the consulting arena, and in today's episode, he shares valuable insights and advice on planning strategies. Key points include: 02:47: Planning 90 minutes each week for eight weeks 08:08: Focusing on data and lessons learned 11:32: Revisiting your mission, vision, and values 31:27: Budgets and resources To learn more about the 8-week planning process, visit 8 Weeks to Get Juiced. To learn more about the focus wheel, visit Use This Unique Tool to Focus Your Consulting Firm, and to subscribe to David's weekly articles where you will find a plethora of valuable insights, visit www.davidafields.com/blog. 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.

Pankaj is an entrepreneur, SaaS Executive, investor, and the creator of Bord, a collaborative workspace, designed by a management consultant for management consultants, where teams can brainstorm, problem-solve, and storyboard. He began his career writing code for consumer electronics, before moving on to work at Herman Miller and McKinsey where he developed capabilities in design thinking and analytical problem-solving. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering, a Master of Science in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, and an MBA in Marketing and Finance. In this episode, he walks viewers through the capabilities of Bord. Access the free version at www.bord.com, and you can reach out to Pankaj@bord.com. Key points include: 01:41: Collaborating on Bord 04:36: The different capabilities of Bord compared to similar products 07:31: How to use the free model 08:15: A user demonstration of Bord 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.

Tony is the co-founder and managing director at InsurTechNY, an organization that helps startups, carriers/brokers, investors, and enablers in the New York region and beyond through hosting InsurTechNY community events, startup competitions, and accelerator. He is a BCG Alum, and his background includes product leadership at Alibaba, Gartner & NBC, an MBA from NYU Stern MBA, and a Bachelor of Sciences from Carnegie Mellon. In this episode, Tony talks about his business model. Learn more about the organization at www.insurtechny.com. Key points include: 00:53: What InsurTechNY is and who it serves 13:57: Embedded insurance plays 17:14: Blockchain in InsurTechNY 26:04: Setting up the first InsurTechNY event 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.

Maureen is the founder and managing partner at Acacia Growth & Impact Consulting. She brings 15 years of product management, marketing, and growth experience across the private, non-profit, and public sectors. Data, customer-centricity, and a focus on impact are at the core of the business. Today, she talks about the full range of services her company offers. If you'd like to learn more about Acacia Growth and Impact Consulting you can reach out to Maureen on LinkedIn and watch out for the launch of her website, www.acaciaimpact.com, or get on the email list at https://sunny-v2.netlify.app/. To learn more about topics discussed in today's episode, visit https://nexleaf.org/ and/or Key points include: 03:01: Case studies on product development and product management 06:29: The role of the product manager 15:39: How to gain user insights 23:00: Helping to build a design or product design organization. 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.

James Richardson is the founder of Premium Growth Solutions, a strategic planning consultancy for early-stage consumer packaged goods brands. As a professionally trained cultural anthropologist turned business strategist, he has helped nearly 100 CPG brands with their strategic planning, including brands owned by Coca-Cola Venturing and emerging brands, The Hershey Company, General Mills, and Frito-Lay, Once Upon a Farm, Dr. Squatch Soap, and more. James is the author of Ramping Your Brand: How to Ride the Killer CPG Growth Curve, a #1 Best-seller in business consulting on Amazon. He also hosts his podcast—Startup Confidential. In this episode, he talks about his transition from anthropology to marketing and how they connect. Learn more about his services at www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com. Key points include: 01:56: The connection between anthropology and marketing 08:58: How anthropological research tactics are applied to marketing 18:08: New symbols and how a marginal product is processed to be accepted by social groups 25:20: The difference between growth pace and the pace to scale 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.

Jay Altizer has worked at Bain and Company, PepsiCo, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Deloitte Consulting. His extensive experience includes driving transformations and high-stakes change in a variety of industries such as CPG/FMCG, manufacturing, distribution, airlines, technology, and B2B products/services, but in this episode, he shares his knowledge and experience of the food industry. To learn more about Jay's firm visit https://www.fallingbranchadvisorsllc.com/, and he can be reached at jay.altizer@fallingbranchadvisorsllc.com. Key points include: 01:49: The multiple roles in the value chain 10:40: The different types of companies in mid-market food space 13:00: Issues facing food companies in the $20-500 million range 18:39: Trade spending and discounting in the food industry 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.

Craig Beal grew up in the safari planning business. His parents were the owners/operators of Travel Beyond, a company that planned luxury safaris in Africa. After attending the US Naval Academy and serving as a US Navy Submarine Officer, Craig and his wife Kay purchased Travel Beyond in 2005. In this episode, he talks about getting into the travel business. To learn more about Craig's business, visit travelbeyond.com. Key points include: 05:12: What the upscale Safari tour operator offers 09:36: His business and marketing approach 24:25: The $50,000 clients 25:50: What people do on a nine-day safari 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.

Rob Ristagno, Harvard and McKinsey alum and CEO of Sterling Woods, discusses common flaws in customer segmentation, the process of B2B segmentation, the three main categories of customer behavior, developing the survey, and building the segments.

Paul spent ~9 years with McKinsey & Company, where he was a Partner based in Washington D.C. Within the firm's Global Public and Social Sector Practice, Paul led the Go to Market (GTM) team, which spanned 23 countries. Prior to McKinsey, Paul held roles General Dynamics Information Technology, Johnson & Johnson, Ariba (now part of SAP) and Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), and is a former U.S. Army officer. Paul has particular expertise in Public Sector Go to Market strategy and operating models, as both an advisor and practitioner. You can visit Paul's company website at pathfinderconsultingllc.com, and he can be reached at paul.harrington@pathfinderconsultingllc.com Key points include: 03:18: Doing business development in the public sector 09:41: How the decision process works 14:04: RFPs and the procurement process 21:17: Work from the federal government for independent professionals 28:20: Paul's work as an advisor on procuring government contracts 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.

Sharath Jeevan is a leading global motivation expert helping organisations and individuals reignite inner-drive. Sharath has addressed large global audiences at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Lego Ideas Festival in Denmark, WISE Summit in Qatar, Draper Richards Kaplan Convening in San Francisco, Varkey GEMS Conference in Dubai, and the Lemann Conference in Sao Paulo. He is also the author of Intrinsic: a manifesto to reignite our inner drive. In this episode, he talks about his book and some common misconceptions he has encountered in the business world. You can learn more about Sharath and his book at https://www.intrinsic-labs.com/. Key points include: 03:56: Purpose, autonomy, and mastery 11:27: A framework for purpose 18:47: Motivation tips for parents 23:57: Intrinsic relationships 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.