The UX Consultants Lounge

In this episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, Kyle sits down with Jen Briselli and Jesse Strawbridge, co-founders of Topology, an experience strategy consultancy built around complementary strengths, deep trust, and a shared philosophy about meaningful client work.

Jen and Jesse share the story of how their partnership grew out of their time at Mad*Pow, how they eventually decided to start Topology together, and why their working relationship is so special. Jesse focuses primarily on business development, relationships, and growth, while Jen leads the client work, strategy, and delivery.

For independent consultants who are used to wearing every hat, their setup may sound like a dream. But as Jen and Jesse explain, it works because of years of trust, mutual respect, and admiration for what the other person brings to the business.

They discuss:

• How Jen and Jesse’s shared Mad*Pow history shaped their partnership
• Why they decided to start Topology together
• The trust required when one person sells the work and the other leads delivery
• Why Topology is built around relationships, not transactional sales
• How they evaluate whether a client or project is a good fit
• Their internal checklist for deciding which opportunities to pursue
• Why RFPs are often a red flag for their type of work
• What the sales-to-delivery handoff looks like in practice
• How Jesse stays connected to clients without undermining Jen’s project leadership
• How Topology gathers client feedback after a project wraps
• What solo consultants can do if they don’t have “a Jesse”
• Why every business development person also needs “a Jen”
• How they handle the natural ebbs and flows of independent consulting
• Why knowing what gives you energy — and what drains you — matters
• How they define success for Topology today
• The importance of building a business that supports the life you want to live

Connect with us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy: LinkedIn | Usable Interface 
• Guest: Jen Briselli: LinkedIn | Topology
• Guest: Jesse Strawbridge: LinkedIn | Topology

Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Topology on Medium
• Leave It Better Than You Found It by Jen Briselli
• Finding the Next Right Moves by Jen Briselli
• Kyle's interview with Amy Heyman's, Co-founder of Mad*Pow
• Win Without Pitching by Blair Enns
• Homework for Life by Matthew Dicks

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

In this episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, Kyle sits down with Jeff Gothelf, consultant, speaker, and author of Lean UX, Sense & Respond, Lean vs. Agile vs. Design Thinking, Who Does What By How Much?, and Forever Employable.

Jeff shares the story behind his leap into consulting, including launching an agency with Josh Seiden, the acquisition by Neo Innovation and later Pivotal, and the realization that the real asset he built was not the company itself but the reputation and ideas he developed through writing, speaking, and teaching.

Kyle and Jeff discuss:

• What it takes to build a sustainable consulting practice today
• How partnerships can work without sacrificing independence
• Why building a personal brand through content marketing matters
• How generosity and knowledge sharing create long-term consulting opportunities
• Why consultants should specialize and “plant their flag”
• Jeff’s writing discipline 
• Why owning your audience through email and newsletters still matters
• Jeff’s philosophy on pricing and why “people value expensive things”

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface | LinkedIn
• Guest: Jeff Gothelf | https://jeffgothelf.com | Sense & Respond Learning | LinkedIn

Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Continuous Learning – Jeff’s Newsletter
• Forever Employable by Jeff Gothelf
• Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden
• Sense & Respond by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden
• Who Does What By How Much? by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden
• Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss
• Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
• Playing to Win by Roger Martin
• HBR Article: The Big Lie of Strategic 
• Scaling Lean by Jeff Gothelf at Mind the Product London 2016
• IA Conference (IAC26) - Use "uxlounge" discount code for $50 off registration

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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In the final episode of 2025, Kyle sits down with someone who has been woven into her UX journey for nearly two decades: Amy Heymans — founder of Mad*Pow, founder of Beneficent, and co-founder of the Dignified Futures Conference.

Amy and Kyle first met in 2006, when Mad*Pow was just a few people in a small Portsmouth, NH office. Over the next 13 years, Amy grew the agency into a nationally respected 70+ person consultancy known for its exceptional design work and its influential events, including HXD, the Center for Health Experience Design, and the Financial Experience Design Conference.

But this conversation goes far deeper than Mad*Pow’s rise.

In 2019, Mad*Pow was acquired — the “dream scenario” for many agency founders. Amy shares openly what that experience was really like: the financial realities behind acquisitions, the emotional complexity of letting go of her company, the personal circumstances that shaped the outcome, and the surprising truth that the big exit doesn’t always look like the fantasy many consultants imagine.

After leaving Mad*Pow, Amy stepped into a prestigious role as Chief Design Officer at UnitedHealthcare, navigating an enormous 400,000-person organization. She talks candidly about why the move felt right, why it ultimately didn’t align with her values, and how she knew it was time to walk away.

Today, Amy is the founder of Beneficent, where she focuses on systems thinking, futures design, and complex problem-solving across health, finance, and the public sector. She also co-leads the Dignified Futures Conference, a gathering dedicated to reimagining systems for social impact — and she shares what inspired it and how designers, policymakers, and innovators can get involved.

This episode covers:

• How Mad*Pow really began
• The messy truth behind scaling a design agency
• The realities of selling a firm — financially, emotionally, and personally
• Why Amy returned to corporate — and why she left
• How she’s building Beneficent differently from Mad*Pow
• How ADHD shows up in her work as both a challenge and superpower
• The future of UX consulting in the age of AI and speculative foresight
• Practical advice for landing big clients and navigating uncertainty

This is one of the most candid conversations ever aired on The UX Consultants Lounge — a deep, honest look at success, identity, reinvention, and the realities of leading a UX career across decades of change.

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface |  Linkedin 
• Guest: Amy Heymans | Beneficient Design | Linkedin

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Dignified Futures Conference: https://www.designfordignity.com/

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

In this episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, Kyle talks with Lisa Dance, a UX researcher, consultant, author, and community advocate based in Richmond, Virginia. Lisa is the founder of ServiceEase, creator of the UX Census RVA, author of Today Is the Perfect Day to Improve Customer Experiences, and a regular UX voice on Richmond’s business radio scene.

Lisa brings a thoughtful, refreshing perspective on what it means to practice UX in a complex and shifting industry. She has built her career around improving hard to use systems, elevating customer experience, and helping her local community understand what UX actually is and why it matters.

What you will learn in this episode

• How ServiceEase came to life:
  Lisa describes starting her consultancy in 2011 and moving between in-house and freelance work, highlighting flexibility as the key to her career path.
• Improving customer experiences through storytelling:
  Lisa shares that her book grew out of everyday frustrations with overly complicated tasks and uses illustrated stories to show how widespread bad customer experiences are, especially when technology makes them worse.
• Sharing UX with the broader public:
  Through UX Happens in RVA, Lisa explains UX to business audiences in plain language. She talks about pitching the segment and using news stories, including the Amazon FTC case, to help non-tech listeners understand UX.
• The future of UX and the rise of AI:
  Kyle and Lisa explore concerns about AI and how companies use it to hide deeper problems. They also reflect on industry layoffs, declining focus on user needs in big tech, and the continued importance of UX in smaller mission driven organizations.
• Marketing yourself as a consultant:
  Lisa reflects on the difficulty of staying visible as a shy solopreneur and shares a key insight: the real competition is not other consultants, but companies that take no action at all.
• Specializing or staying generalist:
  Lisa and Kyle discuss how to approach specialization, what it means to be T shaped, and why consultants need to help clients see that UX skills translate across industries.

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface |  Linkedin
• Guest: Lisa Dance | ServiceEase | Linkedin

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Today is the Perfect Day to Improve Customer Experiences! by Lisa Dance
• UX Happens in RVA
• UX Census (RVA) 
• The Product Picnic (Pavel Samsonov’s Newsletter)

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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In this episode, Kyle sits down with two UX industry veterans who are trying something new: Steve Portigal and Justin Dauer have announced a unique collaboration that allows them to work together while maintaining their independent practices.

Steve Portigal has been running Portigal Consulting for over two decades, is the author of "Interviewing Users" and "Doorbells, Danger and Dead Batteries," and is a familiar face at conferences worldwide. Justin Dauer is the founder of Anomali by Design, author of "Creative Culture" and "In Fulfillment," and focuses on design leadership and building healthy creative environments.

We explore what their "chocolate and peanut butter" collaboration actually looks like, why they chose collaboration over partnership, and how they're combining Steve's research expertise with Justin's design leadership experience. 

Steve opens up about social comparison being the hardest part of consulting for him, while Justin shares insights about the importance of controlling your own destiny as a consultant. 

Other topics discussed:

• The evolution of their collaboration and their ideal joint projects
• The current consulting slowdown
• Business development strategies: How to be found by clients vs. finding them
• The reality of being "too well-known": When fame can actually hurt your hirability
• Book publishing experiences: Traditional vs. self-publishing and how writing supports consulting work

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface |  Linkedin
• Guest: Steve Portigal | Portigal Consulting | Linkedin
• Guest: Justin Dauer | Anomali By Design | Linkedin
• Their Collaboration: https://anomalibydesign.com/steve+justin/

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights (2nd edition) by Steve Portigal
• Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries: User Research War Stories by Steve Portigal
• In Fulfillment: The Designer's Journey by Justin Dauer
• Creative Culture: Human-Centered Interaction, Design, & Inspiration by Justin Dauer
• Dollars to Donuts - Steve’s podcast where he talks with the people who lead user research in their organizations: https://portigal.com/podcast/
• Practical Design Leadership - Justin’s podcast with Jaan Orvet: https://designleadership.transistor.fm/

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

In this episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, Kyle welcomes her first-ever client into the Lounge: Susan Mercer. With over 30 years of experience in digital technology—including roles in UI design, product management, and UX research leadership—Susan brings a rare and candid perspective on what it’s really like to hire and work with UX consultants.

Kyle and Susan share their history of collaborating on two major projects, including one of the largest diary studies Kyle has ever led. From there, they dive into what clients think during the procurement process, how proposals get evaluated, what builds (or erodes) trust, and what makes a consultant stand out.

Now that Susan is stepping into UX consulting herself, this conversation also touches on how her years on the client side are shaping how she approaches her new business, Perspecta Consulting.

Whether you’re a consultant trying to better understand your clients or a UX leader considering bringing in outside help this episode is packed with honest insights and practical advice.

Topics include:

• What really goes on behind the scenes when a client is scoping and approving a UX research project
• The qualities that make a consultant stand out during the selection process
• Why trust and communication are everything and what erodes them fast
• What clients wish consultants knew about proposals and pricing
• How to set consultants up for success (and what happens when you don’t)
• Susan’s transition from research director to independent consultant

Notable Quotes

• "I’m looking for a thought partner—not a salesperson. Someone who’s going to help me solve a problem, not just sell me their services… If you tell me everything you can do before even asking what I need, it feels like a car salesman pitch. That’s a turnoff."
  
  
• "I like hearing a lot of questions from consultants in that first call. Curiosity is a core skill for a researcher, and I want to see it right away."
  
  
• "If the methodology and reasoning are weak but the price is high, that’s when I start to get skeptical."
  
  
• "Consistent communication is key. I’d rather have a little too much communication than be left wondering what’s going on."
  
  
• “I want the consultant to make me and my team look good.”

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface |  Linkedin 
• Guest: Susan Mercer | Perspecta Consulting  & Linkedin 

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Kyle’s case study for the Viator diary study project 
• Anna Kop (The UX research subcontractor Kyle hired for the Viator project)

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. 

I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

In this episode of The UX Consulting Lounge, host Kyle Soucy sits down with longtime friend and industry leader Dan Brown to explore the evolution of his consulting journey—from co-founding the beloved UX agency EightShapes to launching his solo consultancy, Curious Squid.

Together, they dive into:

• The origin story and 18-year legacy of EightShapes
• Why Dan and his co-founder Nathan Curtis ultimately decided to close the agency
• The emotional and operational realities of hiring employees as a small consultancy
• How Dan approached building Curious Squid, his new independent consultancy 
• The mindset shift from running a team to going solo
• Writing as a way of thinking (and how Dan keeps up such a prolific publishing pace)
• Why he launched a new podcast—Unchecked: The Architecture of Disinformation—and how it aligns with his professional mission
• The marketing tactics that are actually working for him as an independent consultant

Dan also shares thoughtful reflections on:

• The power of staying top-of-mind through relationship-building
• What makes a good consultant (spoiler: it starts with listening)
• Why authenticity is non-negotiable, even when running your own business
• His best advice for those considering growth, hiring, and long-term sustainability

Whether you're running your own consultancy or thinking about taking the leap, this conversation is packed with relatable stories and hard-earned wisdom.

Notable Quotes:
“It is terrifying. It’s 100% terrifying.” – Dan, on the decision to take on full-time employees at EightShapes

“Some of the best design work I did was designing EightShapes itself.” - Dan, on designing company culture

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface | Linkedin 
• Guest: Dan Brown | Curious Squid | LinkedIn 

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Curious Squid’s Calendar of Events 
• Dan and Rachel Price’s New Podcast, Unchecked: The Architecture of Disinformation 
• Dan’s A Lens a Day Podcast 
• Dan’s Books:  Communicating Design, Designing Together, and Practical Design Discovery 
• Kyle’s Talk at UXPA Boston - Using AI to Streamline Persona and Journey Map Creation 

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. 

I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

In this episode of The UX Consulting Lounge, host Kyle Soucy reconnects with long-time friend and UX veteran Christine Perfetti for a deeply honest and inspiring conversation about career reinvention, self-worth, and the power of authentic connection.

After decades of success in the UX world—most recently through her consultancy, Perfetti Media—Christine found herself at a professional and personal crossroads. Instead of staying the course, she decided to explore something new: a passion project called Lift Up Connections, where she brings women together in small cohorts to help them navigate career and life inflection points with clarity, intention, and support.

Kyle and Christine talk about:

• Why so many in the UX industry are questioning their career paths right now
• Christine’s journey from high-profile consulting work to launching Lift Up Connections
• The emotional challenges of tying self-worth to professional success
• How connection, vulnerability, and community have become central to Christine’s work
• The practical tools and exercises she uses to help women design their next chapters
• Balancing a passion project with ongoing consulting work—and what she’s learned from both

Whether you’re a UX consultant, an in-house practitioner, or someone wondering what’s next, this episode will speak to anyone craving more meaning, alignment, and joy in their work.

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface 
• Guest: Christine Perfetti | Perfetti Media & Lift Up Connections 

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Christine's Maven Course - Reimagine and Grow Your Career: A Playbook for Designing Your Next Act
• Designing Your Life  by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
• The Big Leap  by Gay Hendricks
• The Let Them Theory  by Mel Robbins
• So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love  by Cal Newport
• How Kyle uses collaging in UX research:
  • Article on Smashing Magazine 
  • Convey UX talk 

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

Don't want to miss an episode? Be sure to sign up for the podcast newsletter.

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. 

I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

In this engaging episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, host Kyle Soucy sits down with Lisa Bragg, an expert in strategic self-promotion and the author of "Bragging Rights: How to Talk about Your Work Using Purposeful Self-Promotion." Together, they explore the nuanced art of self-promotion that doesn't just add to the noise but acts as a clear signal, bringing value and visibility to your work. 

Whether you're a UX consultant or in any field where self-promotion feels a bit icky, this episode offers practical advice and thoughtful insights to help you share your accomplishments confidently and effectively.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Understanding why self-promotion is crucial, especially for consultants.
• Learning how to share your successes without sounding boastful.
• Discovering practical tips on transforming discomfort into effective self-advocacy.

Notable Quotes:
“You can't sell a secret... Everyone needs to build social currency.”

“Waiting for others to notice you is not a good marketing strategy.”

“ Self promotion is also about connecting and giving recognition to others...  anybody who's inspired you, letting them know that is just such a gift that you can give them. And that in return, it helps everyone, It helps yourself, it helps them...  give more to the world than we take from it... not to act entitled and not to have the purpose of whatever we share to be to dim or blow out other people's light.”

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface (https://usableinterface.com/)
• Guest: Lisa Bragg | https://www.lisabragg.com/

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Lisa’s Book: Bragging Rights: How to Talk about Your Work Using Purposeful Self-Promotion (https://www.lisabragg.com/book)

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

Don't want to miss an episode? Be sure to sign up for the podcast newsletter.

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. 

I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

In this episode of the UX Consultants Lounge, host Kyle Soucy speaks with Tamara Adlin, owner of Adlin, Inc., a consultancy specializing in helping early-stage startups and larger companies with product alignment and redesigns. They discuss her impressive career journey and her profound impact on the field of UX consulting. Tamara shares her experiences transitioning from a corporate role at Amazon to establishing her own consultancy, along with the lessons learned from a brief stint co-creating an agency.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Challenges and Rewards of Specializing: Insights into the implications of specializing in early-stage startups and how it shapes business prospects and networking.
• Her Quick Hit Process: Tamara introduces her unique approach to initial client engagements, distinguishing it from typical assessments and emphasizing the importance of alignment before design.
• Women in Tech: Tamara provides candid advice for female consultants navigating the tech landscape, underscoring the necessity of advocating for proper titles and compensation.
• Career Coaching and Support: Tamara discusses her commitment to mentoring and coaching. She talks about the importance of having open conversations about career advancement and salary negotiations, highlighting her involvement with the "Never Search Alone" network to support job seekers.
• New Ventures: Discussion on Tamara's latest podcast, "Corporate Underpants," which delves into how internal politics affect digital products. She also hints at her upcoming book, Align Before Design.

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface (https://usableinterface.com/)
• Guest: Tamara Adlin | Adlin, Inc. (https://www.adlininc.com/)

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Corporate Underpants - Tamara’s Podcast: https://www.adlininc.com/underpants
• Align Before Design - Updates on Tamara’s New Book: https://www.adlininc.com/align-before-design
• Tamara’s Article about Being an Experienced Woman in Tech - https://medium.com/@tamaraadlin/elation-deflation-the-reality-responsibility-of-being-an-experienced-woman-in-tech-92deb07bd358
• Never Search Alone: https://www.phyl.org/
• Taking the Work Out of Networking: https://karenwickre.com/book/
• Aligned by Bruce McCarthy and Melissa Appel: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/aligned/9781098134419/

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

Don't want to miss an episode? Be sure to sign up for the podcast newsletter.

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. 

I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!