Without us realizing it, in some significant ways everyone is becoming a consultant these days. First, the obvious trend line is that the so-called gig economy is exploding, and some forecasts predict that within ten years, freelance workers may represent more than 50% of the U.S. working population. But it's not just that people are becoming their own bosses and building portfolio careers; the actual work style and skill sets that are increasingly prized in the current labor marketplace are mirroring the job description of a modern consultant. Soon, everyone will be asked to work in project-based sprints, spend a stint as part of an international team, collectively solve a set of complex problems ... and then start the whole process again. That is the life of a management consultant, and we believe that a lot more people will work and live like that in the future - whether or not they describe themselves that way. Tune in to this episode for a lively discussion on the future or work, the gig economy, portfolio careers and why it's going to be cool to be a consultant someday ...

What if I told you that one set of thinking tools could help you failure your organization and future-proof your career; could I interest you in something like that? The toolkit in question is called Red Teaming, and it’s a powerful set of questions and processes imported from its origins in the military to increasingly widespread use today in business and of course management consulting. You may know this idea from other terms that describe its philosophical approach, from “alternative analysis”, “playing devil’s advocate” or conducting a “pre-mortem.” No matter the name, the concepts that underpin Red Teaming are incredibly valuable - and worth getting to know. Tune in to this episode to learn how to plan for success by anticipating the worst.

You are a brand. Accept it. Whether we like it or not, we all leave distinct impressions on people the second we meet them as well as over the years we’ve known them. That means that you have a brand. We all do. And it follows you around. In a world where we change industries, careers, and geographies more frequently than ever before, jobs and titles are temporary; the only thing that is permanent is your reputation - your brand. The question is: have you tried to intentionally shape it, or has it been a haphazard by-product of your actions today and over the years?

Think of the world’s great companies: do they leave their brand image up to chance? In this episode, we look at what we can learn from some of the great ones out there and see how we can apply those principles to "Brand You." In the process, we try to give you actionable tips, tricks, and techniques to be more intentional about the impressions you're leaving behind. Want to know what your brand is? Easy. Just as 5 friends what are the 5 words that people immediately think of when they hear your name? That’s your brand.

In a hyper-competitive world which increasingly pits us against outsourcing abroad, algorithms and automation, authentic personal relationships will become even more valuable in the future. In a hyper-connected world where social networks are ubiquitous while “followers” and “likes” are overvalued, you need to throw out the conventional wisdom about connections and focus on connection. In short, you need to think completely differently about this challenge. Tune in to this show to learn how to start thinking smartly about your personal brand.

In this episode, we take a hard look at the cult of hyper-efficiency in contemporary capitalism and the impact it has on companies as well as individuals. As consultants, we are often called in to help organizations and people become more "efficient". Usually, that means eliminating lots of things. Many of the biggest management fads of the past few decades reflect this trend: just-in-time management, zero excess inventory, 6 Sigma defect correction, dynamic or surge pricing. But while efficiency may be gained through these exercises, something even more valuable is lost. Companies, like people, need periods of restoration, rest and renewal to operate effectively over the long term.

This show discusses how important it is for organizations and individuals to regularly recharge their batteries, build in buffers and breaks, and plan to have intentional slack in the system. This is especially true for people who make up these companies; much as we hate to admit it, we simply aren't machines. But in today's hyperactive, hyper-connected world, it’s become hard work to take it easy. We spend a good part of this program arguing that it makes great economic sense to push your organization at less than 100% capacity. As individuals, we also need to learn that taking care of yourself is an investment, not an indulgence. So tune in to this episode and we bet that you'll have a whole new set of good reasons to keep that dinner date with your old college friend or make that 5:30 pm boot camp class. Over the long term, you and your company will be more efficient for it...

What do a $2,000 stationary bike, a triple patty burger, and Christmas gift cards have in common? They all represent brilliant business models. In this episode of BTO, we investigate and explore the profit-making formulas for companies as diverse as Peleton, Wendy's, Starbucks and GM, to name but four. In the process, we expose a hidden truth: your favorite company or service is making money on you in ways you probably haven't realized. By looking behind the business model curtain, we hope to arm you with vital information that will make you smarter consumers. After all, uncover the profit drivers in a business or service and you will reveal the incentives behind the people selling you stuff. But this is not just an exercise in exposing the largely unseen forces at play on your pocketbook. We also hope to start a conversation about how you or your company make money and capture more value. So tune in to this episode to tune up your own business model, too!

Entire bookshelves in stores like Barnes & Noble and Indigo groan under the weight of business books on strategy, and every single one of them, we're certain, discusses the merits of "strategy" vs. "execution". Today we lend our two voices to this ongoing debate, and in so doing one of us proposes a bridge between the two: the so-called "strategic cascade". In this episode, we do what we usually attempt with such topics: Ion makes fun of Mike for using consulting jargon, Mike proves Ion wrong by demonstrating the power of the cascade idea, and both of us try to demystify these notions so that you can actually apply them to everyday problems. Tune in to hear if we succeed ...

This is another in-betweenisode, where we play around with the format and topic a bit. Today’s show is all about books - why we love them, which ones we love, and what constitutes a great book in our minds. For fellow word nerds, you will be heaven. For those of you who don’t like to read… better skip this one then. But maybe our lively (yes, really!) discussion on the power of the written word might just tempt you back to the temple of books…

Don’t go changin’… unless you have to, that is. Today we tackle the particularly trendy concept of reinvention. Companies do it (Netflix has done it, twice) in part to survive. Management consultants (like Mike!) do it often to thrive. And cool people like you, our listeners, should be considering it, too; as we like to say, think of reinvention as robot insurance. On this show, we discuss the merits of reinventing your organization or yourself, and we share a 6 step framework (we're consultants; of course we have a framework!) for how to make it happen. A lot of people are intimidated by the prospect of reinventing their careers, and understandably so. Disrupting one's life is no easy task. Our position is since we’re all going to have to do it, so we might as well learn the how now ...

This is going to be another experiment for us, though not like our previous in-betweenisodes. Remember those TV shows that teased a dramatic turn with “A very special “Joanie loves Chachi?” This is that show. We’re going to delve into a topic that people rarely talk about… but they probably think about all the time (or should). We ask: what is success, and how should we define it? You may wonder what this has to do with consulting. Fair point. What we would say is that a lot of consulting is built on a premise of success: consultants promise to make your company or organization “successful”. Consultants themselves are pretty universally seen as being successful, as having “made it” by virtue of working at one of these highly respected firms and earning big bucks. But beneath that polished veneer, do consultants help companies succeed? Are consultants successes themselves? And for everyone else, what does all of this teach us about how we should define success for ourselves? Along the way, we debate the trappings of success and even discuss a deceptively simple definition of it that might just make you go hmmm...

Join us for a special "pop philosophy" episode as we try to “solve” success in the 21st century - in under 30 minutes, no less! Listen in to hear if we succeed.

Most people fear negotiation almost as much as they fear public speaking - and apparently, they fear giving speeches more than they fear dying, so that’s saying something! Entire business models are built around avoiding negotiations, like Carmax in the US. But negotiation is not rocket science. It’s all about adopting the right frame of mind and incorporating some key tips and tricks. In this episode, we demystify some jargon (what is BATNA, and do I have to take antibiotics if I have it??), challenge some popular misconceptions about negotiation (no, you shouldn't aim for "Win-Win") and offer our top 3 tactics for instantly improving your haggling skills. Of course, listening to our 25-minute podcast won’t turn you into an FBI hostage negotiator overnight, but it should make you more confident for your next discussion with your kids about doing their homework, and even perhaps your push for a pay raise. So tune in to Negotiation Bootcamp...