Climb In Consulting

Graeme Curwen, Co-Founder and CEO of Enfuse Group, talks about their journey of starting a consultancy firm, understanding client needs vs. wants, building deep relationships, handling awkward questions, transitioning to a larger organization, the analogy of a rock band and success, and creating a high performing workforce with a positive team culture.

In this episode of Climb in Consulting, we’re bringing you something a little out of the ordinary, as we feature not one, but four industry titans sharing their consulting growth strategies. Nick and Frankie recently attended The Consultancy Growth Network’s (TCGN) annual summit, for a day of hugely insightful talks from leaders from across the industry. Knowing what our audience likes to learn about, we thought that this talk would make a great episode of Climb In Consulting, and are very pleased that TCGN agreed. This was a panel session focused on different strategies for growing your consultancy. The panel session, which was led by Marc Jantzen, Founder of TCGN and seasoned consulting entrepreneur, featured a heavy-weight panel of experts: - Paul Collins - Founder and Chairman of Equiteq, the advisory house specialising in global mergers and acquisitions in the consulting space. - Susan Lohr – Founder of four global businesses during her 30-year career, and currently a Partner in The Vibrant Company, a professional development consultancy. - Fred Akuffo - a renowned supply chain expert, and Founder of Olive Horse, a supply chain management consultancy that was recently acquired by PWC. In this insightful discussion, the panellists share their journeys to success and the growth strategies that worked for them. In a session packed with practical and actionable advice, here are just a few of the highlights: - The importance of making it as straightforward and easy as possible for customers to buy from you - How packaging up your services and productising your consultancy can unlock huge growth - The key questions you need to ask before moving into a new geographical market - The pros and cons of using channel partnerships as a primary growth strategy - Why the partnership model doesn’t work for every firm The panellists also offer advice and insights on a wide range of topics from raising finance, maintaining healthy margins and scaling through acquisitions, to building a strong culture and the challenges involved in setting up overseas. If you’re looking for something to help you start 2024 in the best way possible, then this episode is a must-listen! Reach out to the panel: Marc Jantzen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebusinessgrowthspecialist/?originalSubdomain=uk Paul Collins - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pecollins/ Susan Lohr - https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lohr-12146a/ Fred Akuffo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-akuffo-6a3953/ You can Learn more about The Consultancy Growth Network - https://www.consultancygrowthnetwork.com/

Welcome to the latest episode of Climb In Consulting! This time around, we were delighted to welcome Chris Southwell, Partner at The Berkeley Partnership, the consultancy that helps organisations transform under the most complex, challenging, and high-stakes circumstances to achieve their ambitions. This thought-provoking episode of Climb in Consulting focuses primarily on a topic that’s incredibly close to Chris’s heart – mental health and wellbeing. In this one, Chris talks openly and honestly about his struggles with mental health, and how his difficult upbringing led to a hugely challenging period in his life, when he first became a father. It was this that led him to seek professional help and focus on getting himself mentally well. Chris worked hard to overcome his challenges and return to health, although as he points out himself, we are all a work in progress. After returning to work, Chris went on to make Partner (with a small detour along the way), and has since seen Berkeley go from strength-to-strength. As well as talking candidly about his own mental health struggles, Chris and Nick cover a host of fascinating topics in this episode, including: - Chris’s challenging start in life, and how he came to see his upbringing as a strength and motivating force - The three things Chris swears by to protect his mental and physical health - Why Chris recommends talking therapies for everyone - Why it’s vital to normalise and remove the taboo around mental health …and much more! If you’re currently wrestling with your own mental health challenges, or maybe you just want to keep your mental health as good as it can be, you’re going to find this episode invaluable. We hope you enjoy the show! Reach out to Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-southwell/ Learn more about The Berkeley Partnership: https://www.berkeleypartnership.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Atomic Habits by James Clear https://www.helloself.com/ https://www.createengage.co.uk/podcasts/michael-mahony-the-berkeley-partnership/

Join Nick and Paul in a fascinating discussion about Paul's career journey from KPMG to CEO at Mason Advisory, inspired by a chance encounter on a train. They cover pivotal career decisions, the importance of values in roles, scaling a business, and giving people opportunities to shine. Whether starting in consulting or considering a career switch, this episode is a must-listen for valuable insights.

In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Matt Cheung, CEO at Clarasys, the international business consulting firm, focused on delivering the best possible experiences for their clients and their people. Regular listeners may recognise Matt’s name, and that’s because Matt was the very first guest on Climb In Consulting. Having previously talked about the origins of Clarasys and Matt’s journey to founding the business in that episode, Nick and Matt wanted to do something a little different with this one, and use it as a chance to go into detail on many of the principles behind Claraysis’s success. In this Conversation Nick and Matt talk about a range of topics that challenge the common orthodoxy in consulting, as Matt shares his perspective on why these widely held beliefs are actually holding people and consultancies back. They cover some fascinating areas, including: - Why Matt believes the traditional hierarchical approach to running organisations has had its day - The importance of being open and honest with your people, even in difficult times - Why Matt thinks many Consultants are unhappy – and the ingredients we all need to find happiness at work - How and why Matt took the decision to turn Clarasys into an Employee Ownership Trust …and much more besides, including a chat about Matt’s fascinating book ‘Trust and Patience’ – the story of how he built Clarasys. So if you’re just starting out on your consulting journey, thinking of making the leap from firm to founder, or simply enjoy listening to values-driven success stories, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show! Reach out to Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcheungclarasys/ Learn more about Clarasys: https://www.clarasys.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Trust and Patience, by Matt Cheung and Samantha Roberts Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness, by Frédéric Laloux Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink Corporate Rebels: Make work more fun by Joost Minnaar, Pim de Morree The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, by Amy C. Edmondson

Anush Newman, Managing Director at JMAN Group, shares his journey from oil and gas consulting to founding a global data consultancy. Learn how a broken Excel sheet led to the creation of JMAN. Discover the challenges faced and how they turned things around to become one of the UK’s fastest growing firms. Other topics include transitioning from freelancing, navigating financial challenges during rapid growth, and the importance of effort and success in consulting.

In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Simon Clark, a consulting industry veteran who’s done everything from founding and exiting his own successful consultancy CVL, to launching his own tech platform, to advising a whole host of boutique consultancies and marcoms businesses on their growth journeys. Simon’s story is a great example of how diverse consulting careers can be. He hit the ground running, having started his own digital and e-commerce consultancy back when the internet was in its infancy – and when Simon wasn’t much older! At the tender age of 25, with his first major client already secured, he launched CVL, a firm that he went on to sell after 14 successful years. After an extended travel adventure that involved living alongside locals in Lima and even doing an internship in a media startup, Simon returned to UK shores and founded Metis, a new tech start-up in the professional services automation space. Having built a great platform and learnt a ton about the boutique end of the consulting space, Simon and his co-founder called time on Metis, and Simon went on to the next stage of his career advising boutiques big and small as they navigated the challenges of growing a consulting firm. Nick caught up with Simon, who is currently enjoying a well-earned career break, to find out more about his career so far, and what he’s learned from his varied experiences. Nick and Simon discuss some fascinating topics in this episode, including: - Why sales training is the best possible grounding for anyone who aspires to run their own consultancy. - The associate focused strategy that led to CVL becoming a huge industry success – and why Simon stuck with that model for the life of the business. - How to diversify and explore new avenues to boost your bottom line without alienating your core client base - Why Simon recommends taking time out to travel early in life, to gain experiences that will benefit you throughout your career All this, plus fishing, football and rugby metaphors aplenty! Whether you’re just starting out in your consulting career, planning to start a new firm, or simply enjoy listening to brilliant interviews, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show! Reach out to Simon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clark/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by Bill Perkins Who Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer Johnson Traction - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837/ref=asc_df_1936661837/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310623486223&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8979635967067327876&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-404289645110&psc=1&th=1&psc=1 Get a Grip - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Get-Grip-Everything-Entrepreneurial-Business/dp/1939529824/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_2/260-6024775-4577939?pd_rd_w=x76lz&content-id=amzn1.sym.40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_p=40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_r=CQVFHXGH785W5J0S0RNT&pd_rd_wg=sSkks&pd_rd_r=fcb004fe-8126-432d-9c47-785bb011c6bf&pd_rd_i=1939529824&psc=1

In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Tony Clark, Founder of NextWave. Regular listeners to this podcast will know that we centre the discussion on the various routes our guests’ careers have taken, in order to highlight the endless possibilities offered by a career in consulting. Tony’s journey is a fascinating one. After spending nine years at Accenture, he was on course to make Associate Partner, but instead changed track and helped to scale two successful boutique consultancies, MA Partners and Crossbridge Consulting – both of which grew and eventually went on to be acquired by larger groups. During his time leading those firms, Tony honed his consulting and business growth skills, delivering complex technology solutions for clients in financial services, and this led to an idea for his own venture. NextWave launched in 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but despite the difficult start, the firm has already grown into a £6m+, 60-strong digital acceleration consultancy. Recently recognised as the UK’s fastest growing consultancy and 13th fastest growing business in the UK as a whole, with an annual compound growth rate of almost 200%. Nick and Tony dive into some fascinating topics in this episode, including… - Tony’s decision to start the firm and the signs that he saw in the industry that helped him set the course for NextWave - How Covid-19 almost derailed NextWave before it even got started – and how the firm not only bounced back but went on to achieve phenomenal growth in just three short years - Why not being ‘billable’ ended up being one of Tony’s best business decisions in founding Nextwave - How living the company values has resulted in a culture that people want to be a part of …and much more. In fact, there’s so much in this episode, it’s almost impossible to summarise! Suffice to say, if you’re thinking of making the leap from Big 4 to boutique, planning to start up your own firm, or simply enjoy listening to epic success stories, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show! Reach out to Tony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-clark-07160b/ Learn more about NextWave: https://www.nxwave.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Persuading, Convincing, and Influencing Others by Daniel H. Pink 24 Assets: Create a digital, scalable, valuable and fun business that will thrive in a fast changing world by Daniel Priestley NextWave Perspectives: The Sunday Times Best Places to Work Award 2023

For this episode of Climb in Consulting, we’re shaking the format up a little. Yes, we’re turning the tables, as our very own Nick Synnott joins Neil Sharp CCXP, PEN’s Marketing & Proposition Director, and Ben Edwards, Head of Partnerships at CMap, to explore the remarkable 4-year marketing journey that PEN has been on with Create Engage. Having started with a limited brand presence and minimal content, PEN has steadily built their brand and marketing presence over the last four years, and now boast a sophisticated marketing function rivalling the Big Four. We’re proud to say that Create Engage have been there for every step of the journey, helping PEN to build their marketing strategy from the ground up and continuing to support the team today. In this in-depth discussion, Neil, Nick and Ben discuss the journey that PEN’s marketing has been on and offer practical advice on how to build an effective brand and marketing strategy that will support your consulting firm's growth or acquisition goals. This frank and fascinating conversation covers an awful lot of ground, including: - Why brand should be a significant lever in differentiating your consulting firm’s proposition - How you can build an effective marketing strategy that gives you the ROI you want without breaking the bank - Why empowering staff to take ownership of marketing can reap huge rewards - Where you should focus your efforts when building your marketing operating model - The reason PEN did all of this with an outsourced marketing partner, rather than hiring an in-house marketing team. Whether you’re looking to scale your consulting firm, plan your exit, or simply want to ramp up your marketing, this episode will give you the insights you need to build an effective brand and marketing approach that will support your goals. We hope you enjoy the show! Reach out to Neil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-sharp-ccxp-331b89/ Reach out to Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/ Learn more about PEN: https://penpartnership.com/

In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Augusto Negrillo, Managing Director at Vivero. Having started out as a software developer, Augusto quickly realised that the behind-the-scenes coding life wasn’t for him, instead preferring to be out in the field working with customers, helping them to ‘decode’ and transform their businesses. His consulting career took him to the other side of the world and back again, taking leadership roles in a range of boutiques with a focus on growth; from sales, to operations to M&A. Having been involved in multiple transactions and seen both the good and the bad, Augusto decided to launch Vivero - an advisory firm specialising in business growth, mergers and acquisitions for boutique consultancies. With Augusto’s fantastic track record in consulting and his experience working day in day out on M&A deals with Vivero, he has a ton of great insights on what it takes to build, and sell, a boutique consultancy. To share all of these great learnings, Nick caught up with Augusto to find out more about his career so far, including his successes and failures, and why, over the years, he’s learned much more from the latter. Nick and Augusto discuss some fascinating topics in this episode, including: · The key drivers to growing the value of your consultancy, and why revenue growth doesn’t always equal value growth. · The importance of building a great business, not just a business to sell, and the three key groups you need to consider when thinking about any major strategic decision. · And Augusto’s approach to business growth and acquisitions – which involves far more talk of wine, snacks and exotic fish than you might expect! Whether you’re at the start of your journey and looking to set your consultancy up for success, or you're further down the road, and starting to plan for your own expansion or exit, you’ll love this episode of Climb in Consulting. We hope you enjoy the show! Reach out to Augusto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augustonegrillo/ Learn more about Vivero Ltd - http://www.viveroltd.com Books mentioned in the show: Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez