Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

John Jeffcock was a captain in the British Army; he is now an author, a consultant, and the CEO of Winmark, a world-leading C-suite network business that interviews and profiles Chief Executive Officers from across the global corporate landscape.  Key points include: 02:45: How Winmark helps members make connections 09:40: Networking during COVID 11:04: The big topics of discussion at networking events 15:14: How to make effective connections 24:40: How the selection of content is made John can be contacted through the Winmark website or through LinkedIn. 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. 

  Adam is a decorated combat veteran and a cybersecurity consultant who started his career with the U.S. military; he was part of the team working on the Global War on Terrorism before starting a private practice where he advises government agencies and the private sector. He is now the CEO of A.R. International Consulting, LLC and a national news on-air analyst. Key points include: 02:53: Training with NATO and being deployed to Afghanistan 07:01: Getting set up as a federal contractor 10:25: Setting up an advisory board  16:14: Specific services for the private sector 26:15 Asset recovery Adam can be reached through his website, adamroosevelt.com, or through LinkedIn. You can also follow him on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. 

Braden is a startup entrepreneur, an action-oriented and strategic operator, and consultant with operational expertise in a broad range of experiences across crypto, hedge funds, software technology (SaaS), commercial real estate, management consulting, luxury retail, and more. In this episode, he discusses his purpose, working with Bridgewater and Knotel, and time management.  Key points include: 03:06: Braden’s operating value 08:29: The list of operating practices 10:18: Installing and eliminating habits 18:57: Time blocking and deep work 27:47: Texting vs. talking 29:54: Bridgewater and Knotel Braden can be reached through his website, www.bradenww.com or through LinkedIn.  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.

Spish Rurak is a McKinsey alum, the president of Rurak and Associates, and a noted advisor and consultant to consultants. Spish works with many consultants from top-tier firms based in the U.K. and has served as a career transition coach to several thousand management consultants. Today, he discusses the challenges of the remote job search and interview and how to overcome them. Key points include: 02:05: The differences of the job search during the pandemic 09:41: Supply and demand channels 17:26: The advantage to the job seeker 22:52: Three channel recommendations for the job seeker 33:29: Outreach tips 44:47: Organisation tips You can reach out to Spish on LinkedIn.  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.

  Steven Pressfield’s books have been hugely influential on my life and it was a real thrill to welcome him on the show. Steve is the author of Gates of Fire and about a dozen other novels, mostly historical fiction set in the time of ancient Greece and Rome. He’s also the author of the modern classic The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. Steve’s latest book is A Man at Arms, a fantastic deliver-the-message tale about a retired Roman legionnaire who has been ordered to intercept the messengers who are trying to deliver Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. I liked this book so much that I’m giving away 25 copies to listeners of this show. Get your copy here: http://bit.ly/GetAManAtArms For more info about Steve, visit https://stevenpressfield.com/ Key points include: 09:56: What to do when the muse visits 15:16: Why Steven reads non-fiction. 16:17: Research for Steven’s books 22:25: Children developing creativity 26:11: Resistance is universal 27:53: How Steven recognises a professional 31:20: Thoughts on masculinity 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.

  Marcia Nuffer has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. As McKinsey’s Chief Learning Officer, Marcia was responsible for building one of the most lauded global leadership development programs in the world. She has over 25 years of strategy and leadership development experience and runs her own company, BlueShor. Key points include: 05:15: Roleplaying in training 12:35: The McKinsey Academy 17:57: The Senior Training program 20:38: Examples of exercises for senior partners 27:51: The work at Blueshor 45:07: The assessment Marcia developed You can learn more about Marcia’s company on the website at www.blueshor.com, and you can reach out to Marcia through email at marcia@blueshor.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.

Aneta Key is an independent consultant who has established her own firm, Aedea Partners, where she helps organizations design rollout and usher programs like digital transformation, or strategy rollout, or change management, and culture change. She also designs and facilitates decision-making offsites. Aneta can be reached through her website, www.aedeapartners.com and she is active on social media.  Key points include: 03:27: Applying gamification to business scenarios 14:18: Capability building for consultants and consulting firms 18:39: The design and delivery of sessions 26:39: The topics covered by Aneta’s firm 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.  

  Sally Dominguez is a former architect, award-winning inventor, and author. She is a sustainable resilience expert and 10XInnovation Strategist. Today, she discusses her book, EPIC Resilience, and explains the strategies in the book for developing a personal resilience and growth mindset to not only survive but to thrive in constant change. Key points include: 01:23: The Singularity University. 05:06: How to be resilient emotionally 07:56: Identifying values and purpose 11:15: The power of authenticity 20:10: The impact of sleep and sugar 24:16: Intellectual and creative growth You can order Sally’s book, EPIC Resilience: Thriving through Chaos and Change, on Amazon, view the slim tank invention for water conservation, and visit her website at: http://www.sallydominguez.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.

Episode 383: Adam Braff on Forecasting Adam Braff is a former McKinsey partner; he runs a data and analytics consulting firm called Braff & Co. where he advises investors, boards, and senior leadership teams on extracting maximum value from their investments in data and analytics. Today, we talk about forecasting. Key points include: 02:17: What Adam learned from running a forecasting contest 07:04: The problem with overconfidence 10:42: What differentiates a good from a bad forecaster 16:23: Researching STEM topics to make a prediction 20:42: How forecasting has manifested in Adam’s advisory work. 30:16: Addressing how to get better at forecasting You can learn more about forecasting and check out Adam’s masterclass at https://braff.co/advice. 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 today’s episode, I host a panel discussion with Jennifer Hartz, J. Andrew McKee, Jay Altizer, and Ashutosh Dalvi. They share insights, advice, and their own story on taking the leap from a comfortable salaried position to becoming an independent consultant. Key points include: 01:13: The decision to become an independent consultant.  08:40: The positives and negatives of the transition 14:32: Advice to those making the transition 21:22: Cash flow and workflow 25:40: People who should not go independent You can connect with members on the panel through LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jehartz/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmckee/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/altizer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashutoshbdalvi/   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.