Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

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Candy Hogan is the Managing Director of qpeople, a leadership development and people consultancy helping organisations build stronger leaders through coaching, psychometrics, and practical development programmes. With more than 20 years of experience across HR, L&D, consulting, and operational leadership, she brings a grounded and highly practical perspective to building people-first professional services businesses.

In this episode of The Principal Podcast, Candy shares how trust, ethics, authenticity, and long-term relationships have helped her grow a consultancy built largely through referrals and reputation. The conversation dives into leadership development, client retention, consulting growth, and what professional services firms can learn from building genuine partnerships instead of transactional client relationships.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What originally pulled you into leadership development and consulting, and what made you realise this was the kind of professional services business you wanted to build?

2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve through qpeople, and why does solving that problem matter so personally to you?

3. Who are your ideal clients today, and inside those organisations, who usually makes the decision to bring you in?

4. You’ve clearly built a business heavily through reputation and referrals. What has worked best for attracting the right clients and building credibility in the professional services space? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Cold outreach Sub Question: What do you think about podcasting as a marketing tool for consultants, coaches, and leadership development firms?

5. When leadership consulting projects involve multiple stakeholders and longer buying cycles, how do you personally move prospects from early conversations to signed client engagements?

6. How do you retain clients, keep them coming back, and deepen those relationships over time?

7. Where do you find yourself most stuck right now as a consulting business owner, if at all?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for leadership development and people consulting over the next few years?

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Know more about Candy Hogan

Website Link: https://qpeople.co.uk/

Connect with Candy Hogan on LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candyhogan-qpeople/

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

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Many business owners view HR as an administrative function or a necessary expense. Adam Daines has spent his career helping companies see it differently. Through ADDA, he works with growing businesses to improve talent acquisition, employee retention, organizational design, leadership development, and overall business performance.

Having served as both an HR executive and consultant, Adam has seen firsthand how poor people decisions can slow growth, create unnecessary costs, and increase risk. Those experiences led him to build ADDA, a firm focused on helping organizations align their people strategy with their business objectives. In this conversation, we discuss what it takes to build a successful HR advisory firm, how strategic HR impacts business growth, and why founders should think about their workforce as a competitive advantage rather than an operational necessity.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What first attracted you to HR and consulting, and what ultimately led you to start ADDA?

2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve through ADDA, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?

3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who typically makes the decision to bring ADDA in?

4. As you've grown ADDA, what have been the most effective ways to attract new clients and establish credibility in the marketplace? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral Sub Question: What role do you think podcasting can play for professional services firms looking to build trust, authority, and new business opportunities?

5. HR services often require significant trust before clients engage. How do you typically move prospects from an initial conversation to becoming clients?

6. How do you retain clients over the long term, ensure they continue receiving value, and build relationships that keep them coming back?

7. As the founder of ADDA, where do you find yourself most stuck right now, if at all?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for strategic HR consulting and outsourced HR services over the next few years?

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Know more about Adam Daines

Website Link: https://www.addainfusion.com/

Connect with Adam Daines on LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-daines-0b83291b/

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

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Professional services firms are built on expertise, but they scale through people. Tim Madden has spent his career helping organizations solve one of the most expensive challenges in business: getting the right people into the right roles and helping them succeed once they're there.

As CEO and Co-Founder of Executive Career Upgrades, Tim works with both organizations and senior leaders to improve hiring outcomes, leadership effectiveness, onboarding processes, and long-term performance. His team has supported thousands of executive placements while helping businesses build stronger talent systems.

Drawing on 23 years of military leadership, executive recruiting experience, and years of advising growing organizations, Tim brings a practical perspective on how founders, managing partners, and CEOs can build teams capable of sustaining growth in increasingly competitive markets.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What got you into leadership consulting, executive recruiting, and talent development, and what ultimately led you to build Executive Career Upgrades?

2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?

3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who typically holds the decision to bring you and your team into an organization?

4. You've built a strong personal brand and a fast-growing business. How do clients typically find you today, and what has worked best for generating new business? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Google Ads, Meta Ads, Webinars, Podcast (guesting), Podcast (hosting), Speaking engagements Sub Question: You're also a podcast host. What role do you think podcasting can play in helping professional services firms build authority, trust, and new business opportunities?

5. Professional services often involve multiple stakeholders and longer buying cycles. How do you typically move prospects from an initial conversation to a signed engagement?

6. Once a client starts working with you, what do you do to ensure they get results, continue engaging with your firm, and become long-term clients?

7. Where do you find yourself most challenged right now as the leader of a growing professional services business, if at all?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work in leadership development, executive hiring, and talent strategy over the next few years?

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Know more about Tim Madden

Website Link: https://execupgrades.com/

Connect with Tim Madden on LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmadden83/

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

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Many leaders focus on growth metrics. Dr. J.C. Baker focuses on business health. As Founder and CEO of The Business Hospital®, he developed a framework that applies medical principles to business performance. Through assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, his team helps organizations identify root causes, improve execution, strengthen leadership, and create sustainable growth.

In this conversation, we explore what healthy organizations do differently, why many firms treat symptoms instead of causes, and how leaders can build companies that continue performing as they scale. Dr. Baker also shares lessons from his work across startups, small businesses, and large organizations, as well as insights from his experience as an entrepreneur, author, and organizational leadership expert.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What got you into consulting, and what ultimately led you to create The Business Hospital®?

2. What specific problem are you helping organizations solve, and why has solving that problem become so important to you personally?

3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who typically makes the decision to bring you in, the owner, CEO, leadership team, or someone else?

4. The Business Hospital® is a very distinctive brand. How have you built awareness around it, and what has worked best for attracting new clients over the years? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Webinars, Podcast (guesting), Speaking engagements, Partnerships Sub Question: What role do you think podcasting can play as a business development and credibility-building tool for professional services firms?

5. When leadership teams recognize they have challenges but aren't always sure of the root cause, how do you guide them through the process of becoming a client?

6. You've built long-term relationships with organizations around the world. How do you ensure clients continue getting value and keep coming back over time?

7. You've built a unique business operating across multiple countries. Where do you find yourself most challenged right now as a founder and leader, if at all?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for improving organizational health and business performance over the next few years?

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Know more about Dr. J.C. Baker

Website Link: https://www.thebusinesshospital.com/

Connect with Dr. J.C. Baker on LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-j-c-baker-51216b113/

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

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John Stone has spent more than three decades helping organizations solve one of the toughest challenges in professional services: creating predictable growth. After leadership roles at IBM, AT&T, and PA Consulting Group, he founded Revenue Architects to help firms build repeatable systems for winning, retaining, and expanding client relationships.

Through his Revenue Architecture™ methodology, John focuses on aligning business strategy, marketing, sales, and client lifecycle management into a single operating model. His work is particularly relevant for firms with complex buying cycles where trust, expertise, and long-term relationships drive growth. Today, John is leading the evolution of Revenue Architects into an AI-powered revenue execution platform, helping professional services firms capture institutional knowledge, improve execution, and prepare for the next generation of business development.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What got you into consulting, and how did your experience at IBM, AT&T, and PA Consulting shape the way you think about building and growing professional services firms today?

2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?

3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who usually makes the decision to bring Revenue Architects into the business?

4. How do new clients typically find Revenue Architects, and what has been most effective for generating opportunities in a trust-based professional services environment? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Podcast (guesting), Speaking engagements Sub Question: What role do you think podcasting can play for principals who want to build authority and attract clients in professional services?

5. Many professional services firms face long sales cycles and multiple stakeholders. How do you approach turning initial conversations into long-term client engagements?

6. Once you've won a client, how do you make sure they stay? What have you found works best for building long-term relationships and creating clients who continue to come back?

7. You've spent years helping firms build predictable growth systems. Where do you find yourself most stuck right now as a founder and professional services leader, if at all?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunities for revenue architecture and revenue execution systems over the next few years?

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Know more about John Stone

Website Link: http://www.revenuearchitects.com

Connect with John Stone on LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcstone3/

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/ers/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

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Jo Taylor leads Let’s Talk Talent, a consultancy focused on helping organisations become “simply irresistible” to their people. Her work sits at the intersection of culture, organisational design, and talent management, always grounded in real data, not assumptions.

What stands out in Jo’s approach is her discipline around diagnosis. Instead of rushing into solutions, her team invests time in understanding what’s really happening inside organisations, combining data analysis with deep listening. That’s how they build strategies that actually stick. In a market where many firms talk about culture in abstract terms, Jo brings a more practical lens. Her work is about aligning business goals with employee expectations in a way that drives both performance and engagement, especially as organisations navigate AI, change, and evolving leadership expectations.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What got you into consulting, and what made you decide to build Let’s Talk Talent?

2. What specific problem are you helping your clients solve, and why does solving this problem matter so much to you personally?

3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who typically holds the decision to bring you in?

4. How do clients typically find you, and what has worked best for you to build credibility and attract new business? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Webinars, Speaking engagements Sub Question: What do you think about podcasting as a marketing tool for consulting firms in your space?

5. When you’re dealing with culture and change work, how do you move from an initial conversation to a signed engagement?

6. How do you retain clients over time, what do you do to make sure they keep coming back and build long-term relationships?

7. Where do you find yourself most stuck right now as you grow Let’s Talk Talent as a consulting business?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for culture, change, and talent consulting over the next few years?

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Know more about Jo Taylor

Website Link: https://letstalktalent.co.uk/

Connect with Jo Taylor on LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jotaylorc4/

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

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Many professional services firms talk about growth. Few successfully expand their influence beyond their local market. Tonya McNeal-Weary has spent more than 16 years building a consulting firm designed to operate globally.

As Founder and Managing Director of IBS Global Consulting, Tonya has helped businesses, entrepreneurs, and government organizations enter new markets, establish strategic partnerships, attract investment, and create sustainable growth opportunities. Along the way, she has built partnerships in more than 30 countries and developed programs supporting thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide.

In this conversation, we go beyond international trade and explore the realities of building a professional services firm: winning clients, developing trusted relationships, scaling expertise through a global team, and creating a business that continues to grow through reputation, partnerships, and results.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What originally got you into consulting, and what led you to build a business focused on international expansion and global partnerships?

2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?

3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who typically makes the decision to bring your firm in?

4. You've built a strong reputation internationally and developed relationships across more than 30 countries. How do clients typically find your firm today, and what has worked best for attracting new business? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Webinars, Speaking engagements Sub Question: You've built visibility through speaking engagements, global conferences, and thought leadership. What role do you think podcasts can play as a marketing tool for professional services firms?

5. Professional services often involve long sales cycles, multiple stakeholders, and trust built over time. How do you typically move a prospect from an initial conversation to a signed engagement?

6. Your business appears to be built on long-term relationships and repeat opportunities. How do you retain clients, continue creating value after the initial engagement, and keep clients coming back?

7. As someone who has built a successful international consulting firm, where do you still find yourself most challenged or stuck as a business owner today, if at all?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work in international expansion, global partnerships, and economic development over the next few years?

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Know more about Tonya McNeal-Weary

Website Link: https://www.ibsglobalconsulting.com/

Connect with Tonya McNeal-Weary on LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyamcnealweary/

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

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How do we prepare the next generation of consultants for this new reality? Few people are better positioned to answer that question than George Henderson. Today, George serves as Managing Director of Tulane University's Consulting EDGE Program, an initiative designed to prepare future consultants through hands-on projects, mentorship, leadership development, and direct exposure to real business challenges. His mission is to bridge the gap between academic learning and professional consulting success.

Before joining Tulane, George spent more than two decades leading large-scale transformation initiatives for Fortune 500 organizations, generating more than $2.7 billion in value while helping organizations improve performance, build capabilities, and develop leaders. He also led learning and development efforts for Deloitte's Enterprise Services Transformation Practice, helping train over 2,000 consultants across 25 countries. In this conversation, we explore how consulting is evolving, what separates exceptional consultants from average ones, and why the future belongs to firms that develop people as aggressively as they develop business.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. Before leading Tulane's Consulting EDGE Program, you spent decades in consulting and even coached the U.S. Women's Rugby Team. What got you into consulting in the first place, and how did that journey eventually lead you to building the next generation of consultants?

2. Through Consulting EDGE and your advisory work, what specific problem are you helping organizations and future consultants solve today, and why is that mission personally important to you?

3. Who are the ideal organizations, partners, and stakeholders you work with today, and who usually makes the decision to engage with Consulting EDGE or your transformation advisory services?

4. You've built a strong professional reputation through thought leadership, education, and transformation work. How do opportunities typically find you today, and what has been most effective for building credibility and attracting new business? Sub Question: As someone deeply involved in leadership development and professional education, what role do you think podcasting can play in helping consultants and professional services firms build trust and visibility?

5. Whether you're securing transformation engagements or building industry partnerships for Consulting EDGE, how do you typically move from an initial conversation to a committed relationship?

6. You've built relationships that have lasted throughout your career. What do you do to create long-term trust, ensure people continue seeing value, and keep clients, partners, and stakeholders engaged over time?

7. As someone helping shape the future of consulting while also navigating changes in education, AI, and professional services, where do you find yourself most challenged right now, if at all?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunities for developing future consultants and building stronger consulting capabilities over the next few years?

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Know more about George Henderson

Website Link: https://www.higherpurposeadvisory.com/

Connect with George Henderson LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgehendersonmba/

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

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Craig Apatov has spent his career helping companies grow in industries where competition is relentless and differentiation matters. Before founding Ascension Growth & Innovation Strategies, he held senior leadership roles at organizations including Citigroup, Ally Financial, and Time Warner, leading initiatives around strategic alliances, digital growth, marketing transformation, and commercial expansion.

Today, Ascension works with middle-market and global companies to improve top-line growth through customer insight mining, strategic marketing, sales enablement, and growth strategy execution. Craig and his team help leadership teams identify where growth opportunities actually exist, and how to align marketing, sales, and positioning around them. In this episode, Craig shares lessons from building and leading a long-standing professional services firm, including how to retain enterprise clients, create trust with senior decision makers, scale expertise through specialized teams, and stay relevant as AI and digital transformation continue reshaping the market.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What originally pulled you into growth strategy and consulting work?

2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?

3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who usually makes the decision to bring Ascension in?

4. You’ve built Ascension over more than two decades in a highly competitive space. What has worked best for you personally when it comes to attracting clients and growing the firm? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Speaking engagements, Cold outreach Sub Question: What’s your perspective on podcasts as a growth and trust-building tool for consulting and professional services firms?

5. You work heavily in sales enablement and business growth. How do you approach long enterprise sales cycles and build enough trust to win high-level engagements?

6. How do you retain clients over the long term and make sure relationships continue growing beyond the initial engagement?

7. After building Ascension for more than two decades, where do you still find yourself most challenged or stuck as a professional services leader?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for strategic growth consulting and sales enablement over the next few years?

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Know more about Craig Apatov

Website Link: https://ascensionstrategy.com/

Connect with Craig Apatov on LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigapatov/

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)

Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod

**********************************************************

Paul McMurray has spent most of his career helping people learn, grow, and work together more effectively. From teaching economics at the university level to training thousands of professionals across corporations, Federal agencies, and the Department of Defense, his work has always focused on helping individuals and organizations perform at a higher level. As Founder and CEO of Insight Management Consulting, Paul works with leaders and teams to improve communication, strengthen workplace relationships, and navigate organizational challenges that often prevent growth.

His unique combination of business psychology, leadership development, and consulting experience gives him a practical perspective on what drives long-term success inside organizations. In this conversation, Paul shares how he built a professional services firm that has sustained client relationships for years, how leadership development creates business value, and what firm owners can learn about becoming trusted advisors rather than transactional service providers.

Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What originally led you into consulting and leadership development after starting your career in economics and higher education?

2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?

3. Who are your ideal clients, and who typically holds the decision-making authority when it comes to bringing your firm in?

4. How do new clients typically discover Insight Management Consulting, and what has worked best for generating new opportunities? Current Acquisition Channels: Cold outreach Sub Question: What role do you think podcasts can play as a business development and credibility-building tool for professional services firms?

5. Professional services often involve long sales cycles and multiple stakeholders. How do you build trust and move prospects from an initial conversation to a signed engagement?

6. You've maintained client relationships over many years. How do you make sure clients continue to see value, come back for additional work, and develop long-term partnerships with your firm?

7. After more than two decades of running a consulting business, where do you find yourself most challenged right now as a business owner, if at all?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunities in leadership development and organizational consulting over the next few years?

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Know more about Paul McMurray

Website Link: https://findinsight.com/

Connect with Paul McMurray on LinkedIn

LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-mcmurray-ph-d-1382667

Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:

https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/