The consulting business is a people business. Partnerships and relationships are vital to the growth of consulting firms. In today's episode, Michael Zipursky interviews Almira Bardai , Senior PR, Thought Leadership & Communications Consultant, about her experiences in the space and what she learned about creating lasting consulting partnerships and relationships. She shares some of the best practices with those considering partnering and her thoughts about referrals as keys to having more c...
May 30, 2022•45 min•Ep. 240
If everything's been done and everybody's doing everything right, how can you stand out and build a superstar consulting brand? Michael Zipursky welcomes Damon Holowchak , the CEO of Super Collider Consulting Inc. The key is to identify what you stand for. Why do you do what you do? Then, you need to apply that to your brand on a functional, operational level. If you’re not taking control of your message by building a brand with true meaning, people see right through it. Do you want more practic...
May 23, 2022•44 min•Ep. 239
Do you want to scale your consulting business? Michael Zipursky welcomes Sarah McVanel , the President and founder of Greatness Magnified . Sarah shares that before you scale, you first need to discover if doing so will bring you joy. If you figure it will start by growing your team. Hire the best talent suited to your business, and never begrudge them a penny. Invest in your assistants to encourage them to deliver amazing work quality. If you want to learn more about scaling your consulting bus...
May 16, 2022•43 min•Ep. 238
When you start your consulting business, you want to have clear-cut offerings for potential clients. This eliminates a lot of guesswork and makes things clear on both sides, making for a better business relationship. In this episode, Michael Zipursky talks about custom consultancy and clarity in your offerings with Jack Milroy . A veteran of the political and advocacy scene, Jack shifted to consulting while applying the lessons he learned along the way. Jack talks about pricing models, creating ...
May 09, 2022•40 min•Ep. 237
What’s an important factor when growing from independent consultant to founder? Michael Zipursky welcomes Babita Devi , the Managing Director at bStrategic . Babita shares that building strong relationships is key. She never had to market her business because word of mouth was enough. But at the end of the day, it depends on your strength. The founder is the starting point of the business. If you’re best at creating content through social media platforms, go for it. Narrow your focus on your ele...
May 02, 2022•44 min•Ep. 236
CEOs have the greatest impact on the business than anybody. This is why they need to be coached and consulted so that they can grow into something bigger. These CEOs need to build leaders within their companies for a brighter future. Stop being selfish, and start being selfless. Learn how executive consulting works with Michael Zipursky and his guest Jeff Mask . Jeff is the founder and CEO of MASK Principles . He helps CEOs grow without losing their soul. Discover how Jeff started his career by ...
Apr 25, 2022•41 min•Ep. 235
How do you get your first client when pivoting from agency to consultancy? Michael Zipursky welcomes Conner Galway , the President at Junction Consulting . Conner shares how he and his friends started blogging about the Olympic Hockey coming to their town. That’s when they gained traction, and the exposure led them to become a digital marketing agency for the bridal industry. When pivoting to consultancy, they went to Twitter and hustled their networks until they landed their first client. The s...
Apr 18, 2022•41 min•Ep. 234
Data analysis and models are very important to understand your business better. When you have a clear mastery and vision of it, you will be better in marketing, resulting in more customers and bigger revenue. In today’s episode, Stephane Hamel discusses how you can leverage data into growing your business. Stephane is a digital marketing and analytics consultant, innovator, keynote speaker, pre-seed investor, and startup & agency advisor. Through this path, he was immersed in software, web d...
Apr 11, 2022•38 min•Ep. 233
Diversity and inclusion are two things that are becoming important in today's business world. Reaching these goals often means changing things for the better. Michael Zipursky talks to Michael Bach , the head of CCDI Consulting, to find out more. Michael dives into the waters of consulting services in the areas of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility and gives his insights on how you can create a better working environment for your employees as well as clients. Tune in for more great ...
Apr 04, 2022•49 min•Ep. 232
Shannon Susko 's book, Metronomics , explains what systems your company needs to grow. Balancing strategy, execution, cash, cultural, cohesive, human, and leadership is very important. Learn how to unite these systems into one regimen that works for you and your team. Join Michael Zipursky as he talks to Shannon Susko about growing and selling your business with systems. Shannon is a team leadership coach and CEO of Metronome Global . She is also the author of Metronomics and 3HAG WAY . Shannon ...
Mar 28, 2022•53 min•Ep. 231
Anxiety can strike any time someone goes on stage to speak to a crowd. How does one move past these and how can you overcome your fear of public speaking? Michael Zipursky teams up with speaking and communications expert Lauren Sergy to explore breaking down the fear of public speaking and presenting. Lauren discusses her own struggles with public speaking and shares methods of working past that fear. Hungry for great insights? Then tune in for more! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and s...
Mar 21, 2022•47 min•Ep. 230
Making the transition from a 7-figure consulting business to software CEO seems like a difficult pivot. This is one pivot that Stuart Leo has made with great success. In this episode, Michael Zipursky and Stuart, the CEO of Waymaker.io , discuss business pivots and evolution. Stuart looks back at the roots of his consulting business, what he learned from it, and how these lessons help his current software business. Tune in for more great learnings from Michael and Stuart as they explore insights...
Mar 14, 2022•47 min•Ep. 229
Consulting services are a dime a dozen in the business world. What does it take to stand out from the crowd? Michael Zipursky and Fullfunnel.io CEO Andrei Zinkevich take a look at what you can do to 10x the demand for your consulting business. From data to market research, building relationships and making use of communities, Andrei shares his valuable insights. Tune in and learn more from top business consultants as we explore success in consulting. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and s...
Mar 07, 2022•57 min•Ep. 228
How do you grow your consulting business using web analytics and digital marketing? Michael Zipursky welcomes Jim Sterne , the Founder of the Marketing Analytics Summit . He has over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing to share with us today. To maximize web analytics, narrow your focus on your target market. But data will be insufficient if there isn't enough traffic volume. So go out there and promote yourself. By spreading awareness, you’re building a community around your niche. Ne...
Feb 28, 2022•47 min•Ep. 227
How do you build a 7-figure consulting firm? Michael Zipursky presents Georges Chakar , the founder and CEO of LINK Advisory Group . The company implements strategies to foster commercial sustainability by transforming people and customers. Georges believes that rapid growth is not about strategy. Instead, it’s about the transformation that focuses on people. You need to have bold, honest, and deep-rooted conversations. Don’t be afraid to tell the truth when you talk to people. Make sure the res...
Feb 21, 2022•38 min•Ep. 226
No one knows what the future brings. If uncertainty is a fact of life and business, then you should be ready to futureproof your business. Michael Zipursky discusses getting ready for the future with the CEO and founder of Potential Squared, Colin Hunter. Colin shares insights on the role of leadership and the importance of coaching and mentoring. We also hear why leaders need to learn fast and not be afraid of failure. Learn from these unique insights and be ready to face your business future. ...
Feb 14, 2022•51 min•Ep. 225
For complex projects that require subcontracting, a Request for Proposal is a great way to winnow out what companies to partner up with. An RFP, however, isn’t just a simple document that you send off and forget about. It requires a lot of groundwork, foresight, and mindset before you even start working. So how can a consultant ensure that they win more of these? Michael Zipursky looks into the nuts and bolts of consistently winning RFPs with author and consultant Lisa Rehurek . Lisa walks us th...
Feb 07, 2022•42 min•Ep. 224
How do you create a purpose-driven consulting business? By identifying your purpose and values. Michael Zipursky welcomes Jenn Lim , the CEO & Co-Founder of Delivering Happiness . Jenn talks with Michael that your long-term relationships grow when you stay true to who you are and are passionate about what you do. Creating an open dialogue environment is also vital because it creates healthier, transparent conversations that build resilience and growth. So tune in and discover how to create a...
Jan 31, 2022•43 min•Ep. 223
Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people. To shed light on the premise of strength in numbers in forming powerful consulting peer groups, Michael Zipursky welcomes founder and managing partner at Peernovation , Leo Bottary . As a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, Leo focuses on peer advantage in building high performing teams. Leo unpacks the lessons he learned from a decade’s worth of academic research, including how consultants build bette...
Jan 24, 2022•44 min•Ep. 222
How do you make better business decisions? By taking a look at the best information. Michael Zipursky’s guest in this episode is Eric Johnson , the director of the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia Business School. Eric talks with Michael about how we often choose a decision and we don’t revisit it. For example, if the GPS tells us to go a certain route, we lock ourselves into that choice. What we need to do is go back and reassess the decision. If you were to do more research, will you m...
Jan 17, 2022•39 min•Ep. 221
If there is one thing the corporate world can learn from politics, it is data-driven marketing. By looking at actual audience behavior and relationship-building tactics, effective strategies that yield tangible results can be developed. Michael Zipursky sits down with Phillip Stutts , Founder/CEO of Win Big Media , to share how he came up with his undefeated systematic approach by utilizing his political marketing experiences. He explains how well some strategies used in political campaigns tran...
Jan 10, 2022•46 min•Ep. 220
2021 has been a tough and challenging year. But despite it all, we have to give it to ourselves for making it here—almost greeting the new year ahead. It is time to learn from the past and look forward to a new and better future. Let us win the new year as host Michael Zipursky discusses the five growth levers we need to reach our goals as entrepreneurial consultants this coming 2022. Do you want to achieve something bigger and succeed in the new year? Tune in and find out how to make a signific...
Jan 03, 2022•18 min•Ep. 219
Many people take their marketing strategies for granted, and thus continue using old, ineffective techniques. Setting aside tactics that do not work in favor of unconventional PR strategies is always recommended. However, most businesses are afraid to get out of their comfort zones. Michael Zipursky is joined by Darian Kovacs , who shares the incredible story of starting Jelly Digital Marketing & PR Agency . He looks back on how they grew from a small venture in his basement to a successful ...
Dec 27, 2021•43 min•Ep. 218
How do you build a sustainable consulting business? One effective way is to keep your carbon footprint low. Michael Zipursky’s guest in this episode is Kate Gaertner , the Founder and CEO of TripleWin Advisory . Kate talks with Michael about how the pandemic changed how the consulting business works. If before, business travels and face-to-face meetings were required, that’s no longer the case today. Virtual communication is here to stay. Might as well jump in to reduce your carbon footprint. Jo...
Dec 20, 2021•48 min•Ep. 217
What is the mindset of successful consulting leaders? The key is to understand the reality in front of you. Michael Zipursky’s guest in this episode is Michelle Ray , the CEO and Founder of Lead Yourself First Enterprises. Michelle talks with Michael about how leadership is about knowing what you need to do in this current environment. To achieve this, self-awareness is critical. When you examine yourself, are you open-minded about how you lead others? Tune in and become a more successful consul...
Dec 13, 2021•39 min•Ep. 216
Growing the revenue of your consulting business is not an easy task. There are many ways to do this whether it be marketing yourself better or having a clear proposition. Launch your consulting business by pulling the right levers with your host Michael Zipursky and his guest Felix Velarde . Felix is the CEO of The 2Y3X Programme . He is also the author of Scale at Speed . Join Michael and Felix as they discuss why your core values need to be aligned with your team's values. Learn how teaching p...
Dec 06, 2021•50 min•Ep. 215
The only way to prevail as a small consulting firm is to do something different. In this episode, Christian Stadler talks with host Michael Zipursky about the winning business strategies you can use to grow, adapt, and beat your competition. Christian is the Professor of Strategic Management at Warwick Business School. One exercise is the nightmare competitor exercise, where members question business ideas to find holes and weaknesses. In doing so, you eventually come up with a winning, bulletpr...
Nov 29, 2021•42 min•Ep. 214
Everyone will benefit from having long-term clients who will always return to you and even refer others to work with you. But garnering such individuals is not so easy to accomplish. For Larry Robertson , getting ideal customers boils down to the value you are delivering, not just the profits you are earning. Joining Michael Zipursky, the Founder of Lighthouse Consulting explains why patience is key in building lasting client relationships. Larry talks about his marketing principles that priorit...
Nov 22, 2021•50 min•Ep. 213
While business success and happiness seem exclusive, it is possible to design a successful consulting business that you and your clients will be happy about. Best-selling author and founder of the Good Life Project Jonathan Fields sits down with host Michael Zipursky as they talk about the fundamental nature of work, transforming yourself, self-awareness, and self-discovery. Jonathan shares stories of his entrepreneurial ventures and insights on transforming your business using mindset and self-...
Nov 15, 2021•48 min•Ep. 212
If you are learning something beneficial for you, stick with it. If you have zero experience in sales and marketing while running a business, take time to learn it. Heather Couture is the owner and machine learning consultant of Pixel Scientia Labs, and she learned how to sell. Learn why and how she got into AI machine learning. Discover how she built her own newsletter with the help of LinkedIn. Join your host Michael Zipursky as he talks to Heather Couture on how she built her business and stu...
Nov 08, 2021•32 min•Ep. 211
