The Consulting Pulse by CMap

Only 20% of boutique consulting firms ever break through their first real growth ceiling.

Why?

Because visionary founders don’t always make great operators.

In this episode of The Consulting Pulse, I talk with Brian Albers and Randell Mauricio of Pemmerations—who specialize in fractional COO services for pro services firms.

We cover:

• When founders really need help

• Metrics that matter (hint: it’s more than just revenue)
• How to stop being the bottleneck in your business
• Real stories of turning chaos into clarity

Follow Brian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/balbers/

Follow Randell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randell-mauricio/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards

Visit CMap - cmap.io

Visit Pemmerations - https://pemmerations.com/

In this episode, I'm joined by two people specialists to the consulting world: Caroline Boston, MD at New Minds, and Mike James, CEO of WeWhoDo.

We'll be discussing how focusing on how to get the right people with the right skills in your firm and on your projects - and how this can catapult growth & profitability for your business!

Follow Caroline on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/gcboston

Follow Mike on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/mike-james-a3a44732

Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards

Visit CMap - cmap.io

I'm joined by Tom Arkell, Managing Director of Nimbl Consulting, to hear how he took the firm from start-up to success in an increasingly competitive and volatile market. We'll find out what worked about his approach to growth, how he navigated industry - and global - challenges, and the lessons he learned building a high-impact, people-centric firm.

Follow Tom on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tomarkell

Visit Nimbl - nimblconsulting.com

Follow Ben on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/benmedwards

Visit CMap - cmap.io

We're joined by Prof. Joe O'Mahoney & Michael Zipursky as they talk us through the key challenges and opportunities of growing a consulting firm in the UK & US.

Follow Prof. Joe on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeomahoney/

Follow Michael on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zipursky/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

Visit CMap - www.cmap.io

Today we're joined for a second time by James O'Sullivan, CEO of one of the UK’s best-known boutique consulting firms, Project One. 

We explore how he attracted high-quality talent & built a hugely successful firm… all without chasing growth, shiny service lines or inorganic expansion.

Follow James on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-o-sullivan-3a2596/

Follow Project One on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-one-ltd/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

Visit CMap - www.cmap.io

Today I'm joined by Karen Thomas-Bland (Non Exec, Optima Partners & Archus) and David Jorgenson (CEO at Equiteq).

Learn what makes consulting firms investable, what investors focus on, and how firms can prepare for PE investment or an exit – right across operations, finance, delivery and sales.

Follow Karen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenthomas-bland/

Follow David on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-jorgenson-a5424a/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

Visit CMap - www.cmap.io

I'm joined by Richard Longstreet, Founder of Tarka Talent, who has placed hundreds of consultants across both large and boutique consultancies. Using his firsthand experience, we'll discuss the opportunities, challenges, successes, and pitfalls of building high-performing teams.

Striking the right balance between securing top talent and avoiding costly mis-hires is one of the most pervasive challenges for consulting firms. Many still rely on traditional methods like personal networks or overlook critical factors like cultural and business fit—leading to inefficiencies and setbacks.

Follow Richard on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwjlongstreet/

Visit Tarka Talent - https://tarkatalent.co.uk/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

Visit CMap - https://www.cmap.io/

Whether you’re in growth mode or your firm has more rollercoaster-like demand, optimizing your talent supply, utilization, and client margin will be the biggest factor in your 2025 success.

Join Mark Sloan, MD @ Asaph Advisors, as we uncover what was holding firms back in 2024, and what needs to happen next year to sustain & increase growth for every metric.

Find out more about CMap at - https://www.cmap.io/

To learn more about Asaph Advisors visit - https://asaphadvisors.com/

Follow Mark on LinkedIn at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-sloan-70500b3

Follow Ben Edwards on LinkedIn at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

We're joined by Pip Morpeth, CEO at Method Grid, exploring how to master the productization of services & scale effectively.

Find out more about CMap at - https://www.cmap.io/

To learn more about Method Grid visit - https://methodgrid.com/

Follow Pip on LinkedIn at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pip-morpeth-39398a5/

Follow Ben Edwards on LinkedIn at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

Tom Rodenhauser and Ramone Param join us today from Kennedy Intelligence, the trusted partner for research, M&A and strategic advisory for consulting services providers. Together, we explore the major industry-wide changes that have led to a critical inflection in professional services, which will change the future of the consulting industry.