Climb In Consulting

In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting we’re trying something new. Something a little different that we hope you’re going to really enjoy.

We’re big believers in the Tony Robbins quote that “success leaves clues” and we’ve learned so many of these clues from guests of the show, whether they were solo consultants, partners in big firms or consulting entrepreneurs.

In the early days of Create Engage the advice and inspiration we took from our guests really helped when the going got tough and having had Nick speak with many listeners, we know that you really value these stories too. So today, we’ve taken a different tack and created a themed episode all about how to start your own consultancy.

It brings together valuable sections from previous podcast guests, so that all their insights are in one place. In this episode you’ll hear from:

- Dom Moorhouse of Moorhouse

- Suki Thompson of Oystercatchers

- Simon Dennis of Gate One

- Hannah Farrar of Carnall Farrar

- Stephen Newton of Elixirr

- Olly Purnell and Sharon Rice-Oxley of Q5

Listening back to these conversations reminded us just how valuable we’ve found all their advice and we’re sure you will too.

Whether you’re looking to strike out on your own or build a practice in an established firm using the same fundamental start-up principles, we know this episode is going to give you a huge amount of advice you can put to good use.

So, please do enjoy today’s entrepreneur-inspired episode of climb in consulting.

In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting Nick talks to the brilliant and inspiring Ben Rudman, co-founder and CEO of MMT Digital.

Ben jumped straight into business with a friend after graduating from university. After a steady start, they decided to take it up a gear, and over that time MMT has gone from strength to strength. Evolving from an educational CD Rom business to a leading digital consultancy, working with impressive list of corporate clients.

It’s a truly fascinating journey, which Ben admits has involved plenty of missteps on the way to success.

In this conversation, Nick and Ben delve deeper into the up and downs of building a business at such a young age and how MMT has grown into an organisation of more than 200 people.

They covered a wide range of topics including:

- How the company accelerated over the past decade from a relatively small agency into the large digital consultancy it is today.

- How they were able to attract top talent from their base in Uppingham, a small town not known for its tech industry.

- And how the team’s passionate belief in doing business the right way has fuelled their drive for B-Corp status.

Whether you’re keen to establish your own start-up consultancy, understand how to bring brilliant people onboard or are looking at ways to scale up your firm, Ben has a huge amount of knowledge you can learn from.

We really enjoyed the conversation and think you will too. So, if you can, please do take a moment to listen.

Get in touch with Ben at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrudman/

Find out more about MMT Digital at – https://www.mmtdigital.co.uk/

Specific things discussed in the show

The Lean Start Up by Eric Ries – https://amzn.to/3kNbVSl

Alive At Work by Daniel Cable – https://amzn.to/3zNgXCN

Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed – https://bit.ly/3F0S0rp

Welcome back to Climb In Consulting!

After our summer break, we’re very excited to be back with Episode 88, and let us tell you, we have a very special guest to kick off with.

Today Nick speaks with Kevin Ellis, Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC UK.

Now, we suspect everyone listening to this show will know who PwC are, and many of you will know who Kevin is.

But for those who don’t, Kevin leads PwC’s 22,000-person strong UK business. He was elected Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC UK in 2016 and then re-elected for a second term in 2020. Prior to that he spent 8 years on the board of PwC UK as the head of their advisory practice.

In a career that’s spanned almost 40 years he’s gone from a first-year accountant to the most senior Partner in the firm.

With such an extensive tenure and all the experience, learnings and insights that he’s developed over that time, it was a pleasure to be able to listen to Kevin and Nick’s conversation and get his perspective on many of the burning issues facing the consulting industry today.

In this conversation they discuss a wide range of important topics including:

– How Social Mobility is critical to our industry’s future and why Kevin has made it one of his key priorities for his second term as Chairman.

– How Kevin’s been able to go from a trainee accountant to Senior Partner, and his advice for others looking to build their own career in consulting.

– And the changing world of work and why remote working could actually be harming your career success.

This was a great conversation that we got a lot from and we know that you will to.

Regardless of whether you work for PwC, one of their ‘big 4 competitors’ or a boutique challenger firm, the lessons and advice that Kevin shares in this one will help you on your journey, whether your goal is to increase your social impact, grow your firm or grow your career.

So, without further ado, please enjoy Nick’s conversation with Kevin Ellis.

Get in touch with Kevin at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-ellis-28a63930/

Find out more about PwC at – https://www.pwc.co.uk/

Specific things discussed in the show

Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?: What It Takes To Be An Authentic Leader by Gareth Jones and Robert Goffee – https://amzn.to/3lth8Ol

Rebel Ideas: The Power of Thinking Differently by Matthew Syed – https://amzn.to/3AlAECH

In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting, Nick speaks with former guest Simon Dennis and his fellow Gate One Partner, David Holliday.

Since Simon first appeared on the show, back in 2018, Gate One has gone from strength to strength, growing to a team of over 120 consultants and expanding internationally.

Last year that success culminated in the firm being acquired by Havas. A meeting of minds and a partnership designed to accelerate Gate One’s growth even further.

In this conversation, Nick, Simon and David go into detail on Gate One’s journey over the last 18 months and dig into the story of the acquisition process, including:

- How the deal came about and the process, discussions and decisions that went into the sale to Havas.

- How the Gate One team managing the integration process and their advice to others considering, or in the process of, doing the same.

- And Gate One’s plans for the future, their international expansion and how the Havas partnership has helped accelerate this journey for them.

This episode really does lift the lid on everything that goes into a consulting acquisition. From the financial to the cultural and everything in between. We really enjoyed hearing all about how Gate One have grown since Nick and Simon last spoke almost three years ago and we’re sure you will too.

If you’re looking for some behind the scenes knowledge of an acquisition process, or you want to find out how you can expand your own firm into international markets. This is the episode for you, and we know you’re going to get a lot from it.

Get in touch with Simon at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-dennis-28416b1

Get in touch with David at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-s-holliday

Find out more about Gate One at – https://gateoneconsulting.com/

Specific things discussed in the show

Procrastinate On Purpose by Rory Vaden - https://amzn.to/3x1PITn

Start With Why by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/3hXVYHE

The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/2UC1nLF

This Is Marketing by Seth Godin - https://amzn.to/36V39de

In today’s episode Nick brings you the second part of his conversation with Q5 as he sits down with Rowenna Reid and Annabel Tonge to talk all things Pop-Up Consulting.

In part one, Nick was joined by former guest and Managing Partner at Q5, Olly Purnell. This time around, Nick speaks to Rowenna and Annabel about Q5’s fantastic Pop-Up Consulting initiative. One of the few positive things to come out of the last 18 months and something that we believe many consultancies will want to learn from and emulate.

In today’s conversation Rowenna and Annabel share the story of Pop-Up, why Q5 launched it, what their team get out of it and why they’re going to keep on developing it even after lockdown ends.

If you’re thinking about ways that your consultancy can do more to give back, or you’re simply sick of painting fences and think there must be a better way to do CSR then you’re going to love this episode.

Get in touch with Rowenna at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowenna-reid-0255841/

Get in touch with Annabel at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabel-tonge-74924b16/

Find out more about Q5 at – www.q5partners.com/

Specific things discussed in the show

House of glass by Hadley Freeman – https://amzn.to/3yTouQk

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy – https://amzn.to/3egLReR

The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business by Patrick Lencioni – https://amzn.to/3z1pHFr

In today’s episode Nick brings you the first of a 2 part, round 2 interview, with former guest Olly Purnell of Q5 Partners.

Originally recorded as one conversation, when we listened back it was clear that there was just so much great content in this one that deserved to stand on its own two feet.

In today’s part 1, you’ll hear from Olly Purnell, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Q5 Partners. In part 2, which we’ll be releasing in two weeks’ time, you’ll hear from Rowenna Reid and Annabel Tonge, all about Q5’s fantastic Pop Up Consulting initiative. One of the few positive things to come out of the last 18 months and something that we believe many consultancies will want to learn from and emulate.

Back to today’s episode!

Olly originally joined Nick for Episode 12 of the series with Q5 co-founder Sharon Rice-Oxley where they discussed the origins of Q5, their tough first year in business and how they overcame it, as well as the unique approach Q5 took to developing their culture and how they’ve maintained it as they’ve grown.

In today’s conversation, Olly and Nick explore how some of these elements have developed, and the new and innovative things that Q5 are doing as they expand. including:

- Q5’s growth over the last few years, why they’ve chosen to follow a regional expansion strategy and Olly’s top tips for making this a success.

- Recruitment and retention in consulting, why people seem to be leaving the industry earlier than they used to and what this means for consulting leaders like you.

- And an introduction to Pop Up Consulting. Why they launched it and why it’s going to continue to be a key part of the business post Covid.

It was a pleasure to hear from Olly again and we know you’re really going to really enjoy learning from his insights and experience having successfully growing Q5 to where it is today.

Whether you’re considering expanding your consultancy and want to learn from someone who’s been there before, or you’re seeing turnover increase in your firm, and want to know what you can do to stop it, this conversation with Olly will give you the answers you need!

Get in touch with Olly at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-purnell-6525ab9/

Find out more about Q5 at - https://www.q5partners.com/

Specific things discussed in the show

Magic Sponge by Olly Purnell and Andy Cottrill - https://amzn.to/3Adkvzt

In today’s episode, I talk to Tim Smeaton and Simon Walker, Managing Partners of Kubrick Group, the award-winning data, AI, and cloud consultancy, which exists to solve the digital skills emergency, by building a diverse workforce designed to help organisations evolve and embrace next-generation technology.

If you’re a regular listener you may remember that Tim and Simon first appeared on the show in episode 16, almost 3 years ago.

Since then, Kubrick has grown dramatically. Going from C. 100 consultants when we last spoke to over 600 today. On the way they’ve built out multiple new offerings and won a whole host of awards in recognition of their growth, their commitment to D&I and the service they provide to their clients.

Having watched their journey over the last three years, I was keen to get Tim and Simon back on the show, to share the secrets behind this phenomenal growth.

In today’s conversation we dive into a whole range of topics that will help you grow your consulting firm, including:

- How Kubrick Group has been able to scale so quickly in such a short amount of time, and the secrets that have helped them achieve that success.

- The unique approach they’ve taken to identifying what their clients really need, what they should be selling to them and when the time is right to launch a new practice area.

- And how Tim and Simon’s approach to leadership has had to evolve as the business has grown.

It was great to speak with Tim and Simon again. This conversation was as fun as it was insightful and I know you’re going to enjoy it. We laughed a lot and they shared so much great advice along the way.

If you’re looking to learn how you can grow your own consulting business or practice area, or want to know how to approach building out your new offering, you’re going to get a ton from this one.

Get in touch with Tim at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-smeaton-424929/

Get in touch with Simon at – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-walker-8763b9/

Visit Kubrick at – https://www.kubrickgroup.com/

Specific things discussed in the show

Good To Great by Jim Collins - https://amzn.to/3p7nHaI

This Is Marketing by Seth Godin - https://amzn.to/3uLfZoc

Find Your Why by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/3fXrOCh

Dilts’ Logical Levels - https://bit.ly/3wOmuYw

In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting I speak with Adrian Bettridge, Managing Partner at Baringa Partners, an award winning, multi-national consultancy working across Energy, Financial Services, Consumer Products & Retail and Telecoms & Media, and Central Government.

For long time listeners, Adrian will be a familiar guest, making his first appearance in episode 4, way back when I started this podcast almost 3 years ago.

For those that don’t know, Baringa is where I cut my teeth in consulting, spending 3 years from 2012 to 2015, working as part of their rapidly growing Financial Services practice.

Since our first interview, Adrian and I have kept in touch and I’ve learnt so much from him over that time. Knowing the journey that he and the Baringa team have been on since we recorded round one, I was really keen to have him back on the show to share the next chapter in the Baringa story and dig into more of Adrian’s own background and what drives him as a leader.

We cover a whole range of different and powerful topics in this one, including:

- Adrian’s upbringing and how his early experiences as a child set him on the path to where he is today.

- How Baringa have been able to grow so quickly over the last three years and the challenges that Adrian and his fellow partners have had to overcome during that time.

- And Adrian’s advice to other consulting leaders, how he’s had to adapt as the firm has grown and what he recommends for others looking to emulate Baringa’s success.

I always enjoy catching up with Adrian and it was great to be able to sit down with him for this round two interview and share all of his great insights and advice with you.

If you want to find out what it takes to become one of the leading firms in the consulting industry, then you’ll definitely want to give this a listen.

You can find out more about Baringa at – https://www.baringa.com/

Or listen to his previous episode at - https://bit.ly/3frVaID

Specific things discussed in the show

Soundtracks by Jon Acuff - https://amzn.to/2QneH4m

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - https://amzn.to/2RXLL3A

Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins - https://amzn.to/33SZ6wJ

In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting I speak with Angus Ridgway, CEO of Potentialife, 20 year McKinsey Veteran and former leader of McKinsey’s EMEA strategy practice.

Potentialife was born out of Angus’s passion for understanding what separates the best from the rest. Watching this play out day in day out at McKinsey, Angus wanted to harness everything he’d learnt and following a chance encounter with his co-founder, Dr Tal Ben-Shahar decided to launch Potentialife. A business that uses technology-enabled processes to allow people to function at the peak of their performance every day, by helping them to develop new positive habits into an improved personal operating model.

With such a successful consulting career and a decade spent dissecting peak leadership performance with Potentialife, we had so much to talk about and it was fantastic to sit down with Angus and hear his advice for anyone climbing in the consulting industry.

Angus was recommended to me by former guest, Simon Williams of DMW group who, having been interviewed for the show, instantly said that I should speak to Angus. He couldn’t have been more right and I’m so pleased we were able to have this conversation.

We covered a whole host of topics and there’s simply too much to list in this intro, but to give you a glimpse into this episode, a few of the insights Angus shares include:

- The number one attribute that separates success and failure when starting your consulting career and what you should focus on to give yourself the best possible chance of success.

- The secret to climbing in McKinsey, or any consulting firm for that matter, and how Angus used this to help him get to the top of the firm.

- And the critical question you need to ask yourself if you’re trying to decide whether it’s time to leave consulting.

Whether you want to learn what it takes to get to the top in a firm like McKinsey, or you’re already at the top in consulting and thinking about what’s next for you, I know you’re going to really enjoy this.

Get in touch with Angus at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angusridgway/

Visit Potentialife at - https://potentialife.com/

Specific things discussed in the show

The Joy Of Leadership by Tal Ben-Shahar and Angus Ridgway - https://amzn.to/3eYZ0sF

The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto - https://amzn.to/3b2px7g

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari - https://amzn.to/3b0OxM0

Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari - https://amzn.to/2SpVccd

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari - https://amzn.to/3b0fpMi

Moneyland by Oliver Bullough - https://amzn.to/3ti7bFs

In today’s episode of Climb In Consulting I speak with Tom Hewson, Senior Partner at RedCompass Labs, the specialist consultancy that helps financial institutions accelerate their payments and financial crime programmes.

Tom’s journey to where he is today has been rather unorthodox and is a great lesson in following your passion and being attuned to the opportunities that can come from it. Over his career he’s gone from running his own record label, to IT contracting, through to launching RedCompass Labs, which he and the team have built into a consultancy of over 100 financial services specialists with offices across the globe.

With such a varied career there was a lot for us to dig in to in this one and Tom and I talk about a whole range of really important topics for any consultant. Many of which I’ve not discussed with any other guest before. We cover everything from his early days in music all the way through to his approach to leading the RedCompass Labs team today, and quite a bit in between.

Some of the highlights include:

- Why following the money is never the right decision and how to cultivate happiness through finding your passion, whether that’s within consulting or outside of it.

- Tom’s advice on building a highly diverse team – having created a team with over 20 nationalities represented – what he looks for at interview and why cultivating the ‘immigrant mindset’ could be the key to your career success.

- And what you should think about if you’re looking to give back to your industry, the benefits of overinvesting in CSR and the return that RedCompass Labs have seen from their own initiative, the RedCompass Labs RedFlag Accelerator, the most comprehensive global database of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking red flags specific for the financial sector.

I really enjoyed this conversation with Tom. We cover a lot of different, and at times, deep topics, that I know you’re really going to enjoy. Having been pointed to Tom by my friend James Mitra at JBM, I was expecting a good interview and Tom certainly exceeded those expectations.

Whether you’re trying to find your passion and break into the consulting industry, or you’re looking to learn how you can build a highly diverse team in your current firm, I know you’re going to get a ton from this episode.

Get in touch with Tom via email at – [email protected]

Check out RedCompass Labs at – https://labs.redcompass.com/

Specific things discussed in the show

Competing For The Future by Gary Hamel and CK Prahalad – https://amzn.to/3dxz87I

The Empty Raincoat by Charles Handy – https://amzn.to/3dA4f2x