Independent Consulting Services

“We don’t use agencies or consultants because I had a bad experience with one several years ago”. That’s what a Director of RevOps told me yesterday. It’s like saying you’re never going to a restaurant again because one time you had a bad meal. I used to think the same way when I was young, naive and inexperienced. I took so much pride in thinking I knew everything and could do it all myself. But then in 2013, despite me arguing against it, the company I worked for hired a Strategic Marketing Consultant named Andy and it fundamentally changed my career. Andy taught me all the really important things about Marketing that most people don’t talk about - how to conduct customer interviews, how to create a business case, how to run a beta trial, how to build a differentiated strategy using product, price, distribution, and promotion all together. Then again in 2017, the company I worked for hired a Category Design Consultant named Robin who taught me everything about category design, positioning, narrative design and strategic communications. Then again in 2018, the company I worked for hired a Creative & Branding agency who totally transformed our website, sales decks, and advertising assets and taught me everything I know about the creative process and how much it matters in properly communicating your message to the market. A lot of my skills, experience, and success in entrepreneurship can be directly attributed to these experiences working with external experts that taught me specialized knowledge, processes, and ways of thinking. ___ External experts (agencies, consultants, fractionals, etc.) have distinct advantages that simply can’t be replicated by in-house employees: -They’ve worked with hundreds or thousands of companies to solve the same problem  -They’ve developed processes, automation, and other forms of intellectual property that accelerate projects and initiatives  -They’ve seen some companies succeed and clearly know what "success" looks like and what it takes -They've seen many companies fail and know how to help you avoid common mistakes and missteps. Not leveraging external experts to complement the skills of your in-house team, accelerate key strategic initiatives, avoid common missteps, and help you identify internal blindspots is simply not smart and is based on a false sense of ego and pride. I know because I thought that way for a long time and now realize how naive and misguided my thinking was. Not using external experts just because you had one bad experience with one is like saying you’re never going to a restaurant again because you had one bad meal. Restaurants don’t all suck - you just picked a bad one. Pick a better restaurant next time. Or be naive and prideful trying to cook all the meals by yourself - eat a bunch of poorly cooked meals, have it take 10x longer, and waste a bunch of time and money trying to be a self-taught Michelin Star Chef. #strategy #b2b #marketing #sales

This is the most underrated way to use Claude: (and it has nothing to do with writing or coding) It's competitive intelligence. Using data that's free, public, and updated every single week. Here's my extract step by step guide: Step 1. Go to claude .ai. Step 2. Select the new Claude "Opus 4.6." Step 3. Turn on "Extended Thinking." Step 4. Pick a competitor. Go to their careers page. Step 5. Copy every open job listing into one doc. (Title. Team name. Location. Full description) Step 6. Save it as one .txt or .docx file. Step 7. Search the company at EDGAR (sec .gov) Step 8. Download its recent 10-K or 10-Q filing. (Official strategy, risks, and financials - all public.) Step 9. Upload both files to Claude Opus 4.6. Step 10. Paste this exact prompt: "You are a competitive intelligence analyst at a rival company. I've uploaded [Company]'s complete current job listings and their most recent SEC filing. Perform a strategic intelligence analysis: → Cluster these roles by what they suggest is being built. Don't use the team names they've listed. Infer the actual product initiatives from the skills, tools, and responsibilities described. → Identify capabilities or teams that appear entirely new — not mentioned anywhere in the SEC filing. These are unreleased bets. → Find roles where seniority is disproportionately high for a new team. This signals executive-level priority. → Cross-reference the SEC filing's Risk Factors and Strategy sections with hiring patterns. Where are they investing against a stated risk? Where did they flag a risk but have zero hiring to address it? → Predict 3 product launches or strategic moves this company will make in the next 6-12 months. State your confidence level and cite specific job titles and filing sections as evidence. Format this as a 1-page competitive intelligence briefing for a CMO." What you'll find: → Products that don't exist yet but will in 6 months. → Priorities that contradict what the CEO said. → Risks they told the SEC but aren't addressing. This is what consulting firms charge $200K for. It took me 10 minutes. I used the new Claude 'Opus 4.6' for a reason: ✦ It read 60 job listing & a 200-page filing together.  ✦ And connects dots across both. ✦ It is superior in thinking and context retrieval. That's why I didn't use ChatGPT for this.

Consulting isn’t dying—it’s evolving. The traditional "finder, minder, grinder" framework that has defined the industry for decades is being disrupted. As client expectations shift and technology advances, the reliance on junior-heavy teams and leverage-based profit models is under significant pressure. The future of consulting lies in a new model where hands-on leadership is paramount. Corporate and Private Equity clients expect senior-level Partners to actively drive strategy execution. They want seasoned professionals with deep expertise to lead from the front, ensuring that solutions are not just designed but delivered with measurable impact. Successful consulting firms will focus on outcomes rather than hours. By integrating AI and other technologies, they will accelerate efficiency and enable senior leaders to focus on delivering real value. Clients are increasingly drawn to results-driven approaches that prioritise entrepreneurial thinking and experimentation over time-based billing. As technology advances over analytical tasks, human consultants must excel in areas machines cannot replicate: creativity, emotional intelligence, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Coaching clients on how to leverage technology effectively will become a core skill, alongside curiosity and adaptability.

🔎 Could simplifying the EU Taxonomy be a game changer for sustainable finance? 🔎 📢 Big news for sustainability reporting! The EU Platform on Sustainable Finance has recommended significant reforms to EU taxonomy reporting that could cut compliance burdens by over a third—while keeping sustainability standards intact. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 ✅ Less complexity – Reducing disclosure volumes ✅ More flexibility – Allowing estimates & proxies ✅ Clearer rules – Simplifying "Do No Significant Harm" (DNSH) criteria 📊 The D. A. Carlin and Company team put together the table below to highlight the key recommendations and their implications for you!📊 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 For years, businesses have raised concerns about overlapping and complex sustainability reporting requirements. These reforms aim to: ⚡ Boost efficiency while keeping transparency & accountability intact 🌍 Ensure the EU remains a leader in sustainable finance 🔎 These recommendations are part of a bigger debate underway in Europe: As the EU considers an omnibus bill that could reshape sustainability policies, will the changes be enough to boost productivity without sacrificing sustainability? 🚀 What’s your take? 🚀 Drop your insights in the comments! 👇 #SustainableFinance #EUTaxonomy #SustainabilityReporting #GreenFinance #ESG Read the full set of recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/e-WhwmDz

Last year, I shared that McDonald's is proud to support Routes to Regen, a farmer-first pilot designed to support the adoption regenerative agriculture – created by Sustainable Markets Initiative and managed by The Royal Countryside Fund. In 2025, the program worked with 100 farms across the East of England to test the blueprint: a clear menu of support, independent on farm advice, and partners across food, finance, and insurance sharing risk to help make regenerative practices become a more practical business choice, not a leap of faith. The pilot’s Impact & Learnings Report was just released and includes some fascinating findings. Here’s what stood out to me: 🌱 Momentum is real: 58% of participating farmers say they’re now likely to farm more regeneratively following the pilot. 🤝 Partnership matters: 82% of participating farmers said the multi company collaboration approach was important to their decision to take part. 🧭 Trusted advice unlocks action: 80% of participating farmers rated the independent, on farm consultancy as extremely or very useful. ⚠️ Risk is still the hurdle: In a year of tight margins, tough weather and shifting policies, farmers can’t shoulder the transition alone. If you’re interested in what it looks like when industries come together with an aim to reduce risk, cut complexity, and help regenerative farming become a more compelling business choice, I encourage you to explore the full report: https://lnkd.in/gU2Y8GwZ

Strategy consulting isn't just a service business. It's something far more powerful: A training ground for generations of corporate decision-makers and leaders. The current model's pipeline: → MBB firms hired the top 1% of MBA graduates → Partners emerged through a "up-or-out" selection → Junior consultants gained accelerated experience → Alumni networks shaped global business leadership The leadership impact: → 15%+ of F500 CEOs have consulting backgrounds → Alumni manage trillions in corporate assets → Ex-consultants dominate boards and startups → Created a common business language This doesn't just disappear without consequences. When AI eliminates the base of the pyramid: → Where will tomorrow's partners come from? → How will methodology transfer continue? → What new leadership training emerges? → Who maintains influential business networks? New pathways are already emerging: → Expert networks rising in prominence → Growth in experienced hires vs. campus recruiting → McKinsey acquiring technical talent laterally → BCG's "expert track" hiring specialists instead of MBAs → Bain's "returnship" programs for former consultants These strategies may preserve elements of the talent pipeline, but they can't prevent a more fundamental transformation. Consulting hasn't just created business leaders; it has shaped business thinking itself, a monoculture maintained for generations. For decades, one talent pipeline has defined what good leadership looks like. Its decline won't just change who leads; it will transform what leadership means. As consulting's leadership monopoly fades, which industries or experiences will shape tomorrow's leaders? Next week in this series: How AI is inverting the client-consultant power dynamic forever.

I write. He edits. She approves. They present. And the client still says: “I didn’t get the point.” Welcome to consulting ,where your deck won’t save you. But your clarity will. In a 2024 Bain & Company report, 83% of consultants across strategy, risk, and healthcare roles said communication clarity was more important than technical know-how during client reviews. And a LinkedIn Global Workplace Study found that among consultants aged 22–35, “executive communication” is the #1 skill gap during performance appraisals. Whether you’re a student aiming for BCG, a business analyst at EY, or a healthcare consultant decoding diagnostics for a Tier-2 city hospital, your ability to structure, simplify, and sell your message is what sets you apart. Cheers to our 3 months Leadership Communication program delivered at Deallus for all the senior consultants. Here are my secret beans from our training program : - Minto Pyramid Principle (Think: Top-down thinking) How to use it: ➡ Start with the main recommendation or conclusion. ➡ Back it up with 2–3 grouped arguments. ➡ Use logic and hierarchy to order them. Instead of: “First we did X, then we found Y, hence we suggest Z” Say: “We recommend Z because X and Y indicate…” Bridging Technique (Especially during tough conversations) How to use it: ➡ Acknowledge the question ➡ bridge it to your message ➡ deliver your point. “That’s a valid concern. What we’ve seen across 4 client projects is…” Use this during steering committees, Q&A rounds, or when you’re cornered. Contrast for Clarity (Great for decision-making slides) How to use it: State what something is, followed by what it is not. “This is not just an app upgrade. It’s a workflow redesign that improves patient handover by 40%.” Especially in healthcare consulting — where stakeholders include doctors, government officials, and global NGOs — communication is not a luxury. It’s a lifesaving skill. If you’re leading a consulting team or preparing your analysts for client-facing roles, I design hands-on Leadership Communication Programs to help your team think, write, and speak with executive clarity. DM me or drop a comment — let’s make your team unstoppable. Btw, what’s your way of communicating well in the world of corporate. #training #communication

Today's episode will make you better at developing a strategy, and evaluating other people's strategies. Roger Martin is one of the world’s most sought-after experts on strategy, and the author of "Playing to Win", one of the most popular (and most actionable) books on learning the art of strategy. He’s written extensively for the Harvard Business Review; consulted for dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including P&G, Lego, and Ford; and written 11 other books on strategy, leadership, and clear thinking. In our conversation, we cover: 🔸 The five key questions you need to answer to develop an effective strategy 🔸 How most companies get strategy wrong 🔸 How to avoid “playing to play” instead of playing to win 🔸 Real-world strategy examples from Figma, Lego, Procter & Gamble, and Southwest Airlines 🔸 Why you need to either differentiate or be the lowest cost 🔸 Shortcomings of current strategy education 🔸 Much more Listen now 👇 - YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gTyPQZus - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gKWWm-Fp - Apple: https://lnkd.in/gCing92Q Some key takeaways: 1. Strategy is an integrated set of choices that compels a desired customer action. 2. Great strategists aren’t born; they’re made through practice. Even if you see yourself as more operational than strategic, remember that strategy is a skill that anyone can develop over time. Just like any skill, it improves with practice. 3. To win in business, you must be either a low-cost provider or differentiated. If you’re neither, competitors can “bully” you and take market share. Two questions can help you figure out whether you’re winning in these ways. First, could you match competitor price decreases and remain more profitable than them? If not, you’re not a low-cost provider. Second, could customers essentially flip a coin between you and a competitor? If so, you’re not differentiated enough. 4. Use the Strategy Choice Cascade to define and implement effective business strategies. This framework consists of five essential questions: a. What is our winning aspiration? Clarify what you aim to achieve with your strategy. This guides all subsequent decisions and actions toward a clear objective. b. Where will we play? Select specific markets, segments, or niches where you will compete. Focus is crucial; trying to be everywhere can dilute effectiveness. c. How will we win? Determine your competitive advantage. You must either offer customers superior value or operate at a lower cost than competitors in your chosen areas. d. What capabilities must be in place to win? Identify and build capabilities that are critical for executing your chosen strategy effectively. These should be distinctive strengths that set you apart from competitors. e. What management systems are required to ensure the capabilities are in place?

Too many strategies fail in execution—not because they're wrong, but because no one really understands them. To communicate strategy effectively, you need more than a slide deck. You need clarity on 5 core elements: 1. Purpose – Why your organization exists 2. Perspective – How the future should look 3. Priorities – What you'll focus on 4. Plan – When things will happen 5. People – Who will make it happen Each one answers a different question—and together, they tell a compelling story. This carousel breaks it down in a simple, actionable format you can use right away. ↳ Use this as a checklist. ↳ Share it with your team. ↳ Save it for your next off-site. 👉 Swipe through the post to explore each principle. Which of the 5 is most often overlooked in your experience? #StrategyExecution #Leadership #StrategicCommunication #PurposeDriven #OrganizationalClarity #BusinessStrategy #SoulfulStrategy

In the conversation about enabling conditions for regenerative agriculture, one piece keeps coming back: non-financial support. Not as an add-on, but as a core part of whether a transition can actually work. In our recent Forum discussion, this was one of the strongest points of agreement - the need for adequate access to knowledge. (Though I am not sure this is the best framing for the below - curious if someone has a better idea) When farmers try to shift how they manage land, they’re not just changing practices. They’re changing how they think, how they plan, and how they relate to their landscape. Doing that alone is nearly impossible. Advisory support is the most obvious piece, but even that is thin on the ground. Many agronomists are still trained to solve isolated problems rather than understand soil, plants and animals as one system. Very few stay fully up to date with the science of soil health or integrated ecological management. And even fewer have the time to walk alongside a farmer long enough to help translate knowledge into decisions that fit the real world. And of course, the obvious problem is that few agronomists are independent - for most, the real income is from a commission of product sales, biasing their advice. But advisory support is only one part of the picture. What tends to be underestimated is the role of peer-to-peer community. When farmers find others who are wrestling with the same questions, the transition becomes doable. Community brings encouragement when things don’t go to plan, examples that make ideas feel real, and a sense of identity that helps counter the loneliness so many farmers face. Mental health is one of the most underdiscussed challenges in farming in general, and it seriously limits the openness to change on the ground. Therefore, a community of peers isn’t a “nice to have”. It’s a protective factor. There’s another piece that gets less attention: coaching. Not agronomy - coaching. Regenerative agriculture is long-term, holistic management. It requires clarity on the direction of the farm: ecological, economic, and social. It touches family decisions, labour, workload, investment, resilience, and purpose. That’s not just technical work. It’s reflective work. Communities like Savory Institute have understood this for a long time. Their approach treats farm management as a human process, not just a technical one. Many farmers say this is the support they didn’t know they needed until they had it. When we talk about “enabling conditions”, we often jump to finance or policy. Both matter. But without the right support around the farmer - high-quality advisory, strong peer communities, and coaching that helps people navigate the human side of change - the transition rests on shaky ground. If we want regenerative farming to spread, we need to take this support ecosystem seriously. Because in the end, it’s people who transition - not practices.