Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

There are a few reasons why you should check how your email name appears to others, and in this short in-between-isode, I explain how it should be done in G-Suite and Microsoft. Key points include: -The professional impression -Search solutions Check this link to Gmail and Microsoft for more information. 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

Divya Agarwal recently left McKinsey to become an independent consultant. At McKinsey Divya was an Associate Partner in Organization and Transformation. “Transformation” is a bit of a buzzword that can be hard to pin down. In today’s discussion, Divya explains what McKinsey means by the term, the types of transformation projects, and how to set up a successful transformation office. Key points include: 01:52: What McKinsey thinks of the term ‘transformation” 03:54: Most common types of transformation 08:14: Sanitized case examples of transformation projects 13:37: How to driving a broader transformation 19:01: Consolidating the learnings from focus group sessions 23:50: Capturing and using insights Divya can be contacted 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.

Cactus Raazi is a former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs who has been a successful entrepreneur in credit trading. He is also the author of the recently published book Price: Maximizing Customer Loyalty Through Personalized Pricing.  In today’s episode, Cactus shares his perspective on personalized pricing - and how he got his distinctive first name. Key points include: 06:05: Researching his book 08:30: Examples of personalized pricing 13:03: The value of personalized pricing 17:41: Ideal businesses for personalized pricing 20:53: How to communicate personalized pricing to the consumer 24:31: Using  algorithms to differentiate the customer base You can contact Cactus through LinkedIn and order his book, Price: Maximizing Customer Loyalty Through Personalized Pricing, on Amazon. 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

Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman had a trick of always maintaining a list of his twelve favorite problems. Anything new he learned he tested whether it could be used on any of those twelve, and he attributed his success to this technique.  This episode gives a short overview of Feynman’s approach and how you can apply it. I learned of this tip from Tiago Forte's course, Building a Second Brain. Key points include: Richard Feynman’s path to becoming a genius The dormant state of ideas Passive problem solving 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

Robyn Bolton is a leading innovation consultant. A BCG alum, she was a partner at Innosight, a top innovation consulting firm that was founded by Clayton Christensen.   She has been an independent consultant focused on innovation since 2018. You can reach out to Robyn or follow her thought leadership blog on her website at milezero.io. Key points include: 01.03 How innovation differs from R&D 04.16 An example of innovation consulting for a sporting goods manufacturer’s business model 08.54 The diagnostic of the current state of innovation within the company 11.53 Categorizing each project on dimensions 16.56 Getting the project off the ground 25.32 Innovation that gets results 32.00 Venture teams as a 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

Kyle Sturgeon, an alum of Alvarez & Marsal and McKinsey, is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of MERU.    He has led complex transformations and restructurings for companies across industries, with a focus in retail and consumer, healthcare, and materials.  Today we discuss what’s involved with guiding a company through bankruptcy or restructuring. To find out more about Kyle’s company visit: wearemeru.com. Key points include: 00:58: The birth of Meru 04:32: Shutting down a $200,000 company 10:22: How to sell off inventory 17:06: How Kyle’s business model works 21:34: A restructuring project 22:47: The Tough Mudder case study 31:52: Orientation towards cash 41:30: The growth of Meru 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 weekend edition of Unleashed, I share a list of 20-25 questions that David A. Fields and I usually ask our clients during the initial conversation to help engage the client and secure the project. Key points include: Focusing on the client’s needs Understanding the scope of the project Understanding the client’s expected outcomes Insight into the internal team and the stakeholders involved

As independent consultants, we often look for ways on how to grow our business. In today’s episode, you’ll find a round up of 21 business development ideas that can help build your business this year. You’ll also find all the relevant links to Unleashed episodes where we explore these items in more detail. Create a portfolio of sanitized work (Episode 121) Create a project list (Episode 140) Update your LinkedIn profile (Episode 211) Set up a CRM system (Episode 172) Make outbound calls (Episode 170) Email a past client (“Would love to hear about your plans for the year”) Reach out to clients where you LOST a proposal, just to check in Update your resume (Episode 253) Ditch the yahoo, Gmail, AOL and get a professional email address Start a podcast and invite potential clients as guests (Episode 10) Comment on LinkedIn posts by potential clients Post 3-5 times per week on LinkedIn on the topic you want to be known for (Episode 235) Organize a virtual event Create, or update, your website (Episode 59) Create a course teaching some skill that a potential client might be looking for* (“How to organize an Integration Management Office”) Update your email signature to include your phone number (on the computer AND phone) Create – or refine – your Fishing Line (Episode 1) Ask past clients for feedback Build relationships with other independent consultants serving your niche Read The Irresistible Consultant’s Guide to Winning Clients by David A. Fields Contact me at and sign up for weekly podcasts: unleashed@umbrex.com    

In this week’s episode, I talk to Tekla Back, McKinsey alum, former senior vice president of strategy at PepsiCo., and founder of the snack, Keho. Tekla reveals how she got into nutrition, the truth behind the nutritional labels, and how she developed the Keho snack bar. You can learn more about Tekla’s campaign on nutrition by emailing her at tekla@keho.life or visit her company website at keho.life. Key points include: 03:51: The problem with nutritional labels 05:34: The math behind recommended daily amounts 09:47: What you should know about cholesterol 12:53: The missing information on sugar 19:03: The factors influencing the FDA 22:37: The process of certifying a nutritional label 23:44: The impact the FDA has on changing what we eat

While it's great to pursue excellence, there's a strong argument for getting bad at something. -- Unleashed is produced by Umbrex. To learn about our global community of independent management consultants, visit www.umbrex.com