The Unique Boutique Podcast

In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, I interview John Barrows, CEO of JB Sales, whose journey from hammering out 400 cold calls a week to advising Salesforce, LinkedIn and Amazon has made him one of the most respected voices in sales.

We unpack why so many founder-led sales teams stall, how John rebuilt his business after losing $6 million in revenue virtually overnight and why authenticity - not AI - will be your ultimate sales advantage.

John shares his no-nonsense approach to prospecting, the overlooked power of referrals and why working smart and hard is non-negotiable if you want to stay ahead.

If you’ve ever wondered how to sell in tougher markets, balance human connection with tech or avoid becoming obsolete in the AI era, this is a conversation you can’t afford to miss.

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Most case studies suck.

They’re long. They’re fluffy. They’re written for your ego, not your buyer’s anxiety.

On this week’s episode of The Consultancy Edge, I speak with James de Roche, founder of Lead Comet, who’s on a mission to fix that.

James shares how to build case studies that actually sell—not just tick a box. We explore:

• Why the standard “Challenge - Solution - Results” format is broken
• The proof assets that really build trust when you're not in the room
• How to capture ROI your prospects will believe (and not just scroll past)
• What to do if you’re just starting out and have zero social proof

We also get into his background as an English teacher, his love of interviews over assumptions and why SEO content can do more harm than good for expert-led consultancies.

If you're tired of case studies that get politely ignored, this one’s for you.

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What happens when the referrals stop rolling in?

On this episode of The Consultancy Edge, I’m joined by Martin J. Williams - founder of Camford Management Consultants and the mind behind frameworks like the Pyramid of Trust and the 3x9 marketing strategy.

Martin doesn’t just talk theory. He shares the raw, unfiltered story of hitting financial rock bottom - then betting what little he had on a better way to market consulting services. We unpack the trap of over-relying on referrals, the uncomfortable (but necessary) shift from selling yourself to solving real problems, and why “trust trumps traffic” isn't just a phrase - it’s a survival strategy.

We also explore the real reason most consultants struggle with marketing, how to think like a strategist (not a salesperson), and why flashy marketing agencies often miss the mark completely.

This one’s a wake-up call for any consultancy hoping to grow without building a real marketing engine.

Plug in. Take notes. Then rethink how you show up in the market.

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If your exit strategy is “someday,” this episode is for you.

Shawn Walsh doesn’t pull punches. The CEO of Encore Strategic Consulting and co-author of The Pumpkin Plan for MSPs joins Matt Hodkinson to talk about building businesses that grow without you - and don’t collapse when life throws a curveball.

From founder-led sales bottlenecks to the myth of “hire slow, fire fast,” this episode rewires the way consultants think about growth, succession and true leadership. Shawn reveals why gross profit should be your holy grail, why peer groups outperform one-on-one consulting, and how poor communication - not poor performance - is behind most failed hires.

If you want a smarter exit, stronger team and real traction (not just topline noise), press play.

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The brand halo is dead.
That’s the bold claim from Omaro Maseli - and she’s got the research to back it up.

On this episode of The Consultancy Edge, Omaro joins Matt Hodkinson for a fascinating deep dive into the future of consulting. From G20 stages to boutique boardrooms, Omaro’s journey has taken her from law and public policy to advising global consulting firms on how to stay relevant in a world that no longer buys brand by default.

Together, they explore:

• Why consulting firms must now earn trust, not expect it
• The hidden ethical costs of AI (hint: it’s not just bias, it’s human exploitation)
• What it really means to think like a futurist - and why the next generation of consultants might need to be part coder, part philosopher, part empath
• How boutiques are stepping up to challenge the behemoths - but not by mimicking them

This episode is your wake-up call if you’re still coasting on name recognition or defaulting to tired thought leadership formulas. As Omaro puts it: “Thought leadership should mould the market, not mirror it.”

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Consultants love to overcomplicate growth. Funnels. Ads. Paid traffic. Big teams. But what if you could build a multi-seven-figure business without any of that? Jeanne Omlor did exactly that - starting at 54, in debt, as a single parent and with zero following.

In this episode, Jeanne cuts through the bull**** and shares how she scaled fast by focusing on what actually moves the needle: offers that knock people’s socks off, organic outreach, raw content and obsessive attention to the numbers.

If you're tired of playing the volume game and ready to scale profitably - this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.

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£10m exits. KFC chaos. And the truth about consultancy growth.

In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, Matt sits down with Marc Jantzen, founder of The Consultancy Growth Network and former CEO of Blue Sky, which he scaled and sold to Capita for £10 million.

Marc shares his unfiltered journey - from managing 200 people at KFC (yes, really), to leading a 17-year consultancy adventure filled with success, betrayal and ultimately, a lucrative exit.

Expect lessons that go way beyond the spreadsheet:

• Why growth isn’t linear - and how to stay sane when the dips come
• What consultancies get wrong about resilience and leadership
• The tools that helped him rebuild after losing his biggest client and key staff
• What makes a consultancy truly valuable in the eyes of a buyer
• How BenchPress is shifting the game for founders looking to scale smart

Whether you’re building towards an exit or just trying to survive Q2, this episode is packed with practical takeaways and unexpected inspiration.

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Consultancy is still often seen as pale, male and stale. This episode is your wake-up call.

Gillian Jones-Williams is the founder of Emerge, a coaching and training consultancy specialising in leadership, women’s development and DEI. She’s seen it all: mishandled harassment cases, performative panel invites, surface-level “initiatives” that change nothing - and cultures that quietly exclude.

In this powerful and practical episode, she shares:

• Why inclusion must be built into every part of your business - not bolted on
• How to design meaningful diversity strategies, not tick-box efforts
• What male allyship actually looks like (and why “not being part of the problem” isn’t enough)
• How unconscious bias and outdated hiring still hold women and neurodiverse talent back
• Why psychological safety is the key to performance - and how most companies fail at it
• And the truth about what makes or breaks inclusive cultures

For any consultancy leader who wants to build a high-performing, future-ready business - this isn’t a nice-to-have conversation. It’s a non-negotiable.

Tune in. Listen up. And rethink what kind of culture you’re really building.

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Truth is attractive. That’s Craig Herd’s mantra - and this episode proves why.

Craig is the founder of Consultancy Growth. He works with boutique consultancy founders to help them scale sustainably, systemise growth and escape the treadmill they built for themselves.

In this candid conversation, Craig gets fun, fascinating and focused on what it really takes to build a consultancy that doesn’t burn you out - or bore you senseless.

We cover:

• Why your content should give away the keys to the farm (spoiler: clients still call you)
• How to stop being the engine - and become the architect
• The dark side of hustle culture (and what to replace it with)
• Why niching doesn’t limit opportunity - it creates it
• The hidden costs of marketing without strategy
• And the power of telling the truth, especially when it’s uncomfortable

If you’ve ever thought, “I built this business - but I’m not sure I want to run it anymore”, this one’s a must-listen.

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Still waiting on referrals to fill your pipeline? Danilo Kreimer says that’s not a growth strategy - it’s a gamble.

In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, I sit down with Danilo, founder of the Boutique Consulting Club, to dig into the brutal truths behind go-to-market success for early-stage consultancies.

We get into:

• Why referrals run dry - and what to do instead
• The secrets to building a real business development habit
• How to position your consultancy so clients say “yes” faster
• What strategic partnerships look like when they actually work
• Why most consultancies don’t need more leads (hint: they need better offers)
• How to turn thought leadership into meetings (and revenue)
• A simple CRM habit that could be worth 6 figures

If you’re tired of random wins and unpredictable income, this one’s for you.

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