Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

Jonathan Baillie Strong is a B2B podcast strategist and the founder of Spotlight Podcasting, a company that helps consulting firms and mission-driven companies build more authority and grow their businesses with podcasting. Today, he shares insights from the world of podcasting from pre-production to promotion.  You can learn more about Spotlight Podcasting at http://www.spotlightpodcasting.com/, and you can connect with John through linkedin.com/in/jonbstrong, or his personal website https://jonbstrong.com  Key points include: 00:29: Helping Tim Ferris launch his podcast 05:17: How podcasting has helped consultants connect with clients 09:23: The process of developing and launching a podcast 12:26: A podcast production checklist 20:41: The fee structure of a podcast production agency 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.

Rudra Chatterjee is a writer, and the chairman and managing director of Luxmi Tea. While he writes predominantly about politics and economics, he is also vastly knowledgeable about tea, and in this episode, he talks about various aspects of the tea industry, from growth to distribution.  Rudra can be contacted through https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudrachatterjee, and you can learn more about his company and buy tea at http://www.luxmigroup.in/ or makaibari.com Key points include: 03:10: The birth of the tea industry in India 07:55: The tea plantation organisation  14:31: Increasing the long-term value of the plantation 20:11: The relationship between the owners and workers of the plantation 29:27: How to ensure a top-quality cup of tea 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.

Alec Hudnut is an alum of Harvard Business School and McKinsey. He is now a managing partner at Vici Partners, a firm of experienced professionals focused on helping clients improve execution and dramatically grow earnings, and in this episode, Alec discusses the work they do at Vici Partners. You can connect with Alec on https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-hudnut-8562071, or email him at ahudnut@vicipartners.com Key points include: 02:30: The fee model at Vici Partners 05:52: The 100-day sprint surfacing phase. 12:26: The major categories of ideas 20:46: Tracking and managing ideas 27:44: Running the talent at Vici Partners 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.

Annie Scranton is the founder and president of Pace Public Relations; she has been a producer at the CBNC, an assistant booker at Fox News, a booking producer on Good Morning America with ABC News, and has a Masters in Public Relations. In this episode, Annie shares her experience and knowledge in public relations. Annie can be reached through https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniescranton or her company website http://www.pacepublicrelations.com Key points include: 10:00: Becoming a known expert  17:19: Tips on being picked up by a reporter 23:05: Objectives and process of working with a PR agency  32:22: ROI on working with a PR agency 36:03: How to find and select a PR agency 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.

Sam Gupta has nearly two decades of experience in commercializing technology solutions, building multi-million dollar technology practices, and managing large enterprise software programs to drive digital transformation initiatives. He is the principal consultant at ElevatIQ, Inc., and in this episode, he talks about manufacturing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.  Sam can be contacted at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ or the website https://www.elevatiq.com/ Key points include: 07:20: The key processes of ERP 16:16: Inflection points and the integration of ERP systems 24:50: The range of activities of Elevate IQ 27:29: Big name companies selling ERP software 29:06: The rip and replace process 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.

Neil Gardner a digital strategy consultant who helps clients to design and implement digital transformations, and he is the founder and principal of NMG Advisory. As an advisor to CIOs at regional banks, he helps move their teams from cost center to value creation center. Neil can be reached through https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilmgardner/ or https://www.nmgadvisory.com/ Key points include: 00:35: What a CIO does and how much bank revenue it costs 04:17: Infrastructure operations organization 09:19:  Data and architecture categories 12:53: How the IT department creates business value 25:54: IT organisation aligned with business strategy 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.

  Jessica Lackey is an ACC Coach, a McKinsey alum with an MBA from Harvard MBA, and a  Fortune 500 Operations Leader. In this episode, she talks about the mature integrated planning process and the nuts and bolts of the traditional SAP processes. Jessica can be reached at linkedin.com/in/jessica-lackey or through her website https://www.jessicalackey.com/ Key points include: 01:47: A perspective on sales and operations planning (SNOP) 08:56: Common issues in the sales and operations planning process 16:05: AI, heuristics, and advanced planning systems 18:19: Case examples of the reconciliation process 25:22: Consulting opportunities in sales and operations planning 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.

Drew Kerr is the founder and president of Four Corners Communications, a company that provides pro-active strategic communications and coaching for digital media companies, high-growth startups, and consumer research firms. In this episode, he shares five key communication rules. Drew can be reached at linkedin.com/in/drewkerr or his website www.four-corners.com. Key points include: 03:52: The money line 10:58: Using a story 14:02: The power of the headline 19:20: Concise and active 23:39: How to be a good moderator 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.

Susan Drumm is an Umbrex member and the CEO Advisor, Leadership Coach, and founder of Meritage Leadership. She has graduate degrees from Harvard Law School, Carnegie Mellon, and an M.A. in Drama from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and today she shares the first episode from her podcast, The Enlightened Executive.  You can find Susan’s podcast at http://EnlightenedExec.com. Key points include: 06:50: Why focus is learned 10:31: The first step in focus training 13:47: The role of multitasking 18:41: An example of focusing in action 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.

Hung Nguyen is a McKinsey alum and a principal at OUTLAST Consulting, a purpose-driven professional development + strategy firm focused on fueling innovation and empowering diverse talent. Prior to OUTLAST, she headed the Digital Center of Expertise at BP, where she piloted user-centric ways to recruit, develop, and deploy talent. Today, she talks about diversity inclusion and strategies companies and individuals can use to improve inclusion awareness. Hung can be contacted through her LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/misshungnguyen/ or reached through the Outlast LLC website. Key points include: 03:47: Situations that involve professional development for diverse talent 09:05: Tactics used to deal with difficult situations 12:21: Responding without threatening 16:13: The structure of diversity training 24:19: Clients’ objectives in diversity training 34:30: The broader impact of diversity inclusion 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.