For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interview the coauthor of The Power of Trust, Sandra Sucher. In this book, Sandra Sucher and Shalene Gupta examine the economic impact of trust and the science behind it and conclusively prove that trust is built from the inside out. Trust emerges from a company being the “real deal”: creating products and services that work, having good intentions, treating people fairly, and taking responsibility for all the impacts an organiza...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 19 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interviewed one of Wall Street’s legendary tech analysts, Mark Mahaney. In this episode, Mark discusses ten lessons that are proven to help investors succeed in tech stock investing. He shares powerful advice and knowledge from analyzing the most explosive sector on Wall Street over the past quarter century. Lesson 1: There Will Be Blood… When You Pick Bad Stocks Lesson 2: You Can Lose $...Even When You Pick The Best Stocks Lesso...
Feb 06, 2023•41 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interviewed one of the most recognized, connected, and dynamic executives in the sports and entertainment industry today, Scott O'Neil. In this episode with Scott, he shared most of the valuable lessons in his life that keep him grounded and thriving as a leader, coach, husband, and father. Scott has more than 25 years of experience leading NBA, NHL, and NFL teams and leagues, including the National Basketball Association, Philad...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 316, an episode with the author of Digital Transformation Payday , Tim Bottke. Why do companies embark on digital transformation? Is it because they need it? Or is it because it’s the trend? In this episode, we deep dived into the world of digital transformation. We discussed the common mistakes companies make when pursuing digital transformation and the rationale that CEOs and leaders must have to succeed in this endeavor. Tim Bottke is a senior Strategy Partn...
Jan 30, 2023•45 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interviewed Suneel Gupta, the author of the international bestselling book Backable (2020). This book is rooted in his inner journey from twice-failed entrepreneur to becoming a leader behind two IPOs and being named “The New Face of Innovation” by the New York Stock Exchange. The book reveals the mindset shifts and hidden habits of people who are extraordinary at pushing new ideas forward. It shows how the key to success is not ...
Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 22 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interviewed the former Amazon Digital Media VP, Bill Carr. Bill is the coauthor of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time, top-level Amazon executives. Bill Carr joined Amazon in 1999 and spent more than 15 years with the company. As the former Vice President of Digital Media, Bill launched and ...
Jan 23, 2023•1 hr 15 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from the Corporate Strategy & Transformation study. In this podcast, we look at the problem of superficial financial analysis. One way to save the client money, before they run out of cash in about 16 months, is to stop all investments which lose money. This, however, is a terrible idea that will cause enormous damage to the client’s core business, consumers, and the economy. We discuss how we handle this recommendation and what we propos...
Jan 18, 2023•9 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we address how to answer difficult questions raised by the client during an executive workshop or another type of client's executive group meeting. We start with discussing the right mindset any consultant requires to be able to effectively handle difficult questions from a client. We thereafter review the particular steps in addressing a client's difficult questions raised during a workshop or a presentation. Lastly, we dive into w...
Jan 16, 2023•15 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss how accurate our financial model for the market entry strategy study is. Watch the video version here: How accurate was our financial model for the market entry strategy study? Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo...
Jan 11, 2023•13 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic about the top-down view of energy. It is crucial to provide boundaries when discussing sector-wide issues or the executives may get lost in the details and miss the key levers. Watch the video version here: Top-Down View of Energy Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo...
Jan 09, 2023•9 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interview an amazing neuroscientist, Dr. Wendy Suzuki. Wendy and Michael discuss how much many of us compromise our cognition and what can be done to improve our performance. You may be able to brag about that 1 a.m. email but if you could monitor your level of cognition you would quickly see, "Oh my God! This is not good." What is it doing for your brain? What is it doing for your executive functions in the prefrontal cortex? Le...
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr 14 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we share one of our more in-depth episodes taken as a sample video from one of our strategy studies. This episode is complimentary and available on iTunes, Youtube, Spotify, and many other podcast players. Watch the video version here: How do I build the storyboard and why is it done so early? Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo...
Jan 02, 2023•20 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 307, an episode with the Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Business Review Group, Adi Ignatius. In this episode with Adi Ignatius, we discussed timeless pieces from the Harvard Business Review, deep-dived into the business ideas and concepts within, and discussed how its perspective on business ideas helps us prepare for the future . Adi shared how HBR ’s mission changed from the time it was founded and how it is improving for readers. Adi Ignatius oversees the ed...
Dec 28, 2022•50 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 306, an episode with one of America’s most respected and accomplished voices on women as leaders and their relationship with power, Carolyn Buck Luce. Have you ever wondered what the world looks like from someone else’s point of view? We are all born different, with unique perspective, set of skills, talent, and experience, and with this combination, we can write our own story and design a life that is aligned with our purpose and meaning. As Carolyn said, “If ...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 305, an episode with a leading expert in digital marketing, Dr. Mindy Weinstein. In this episode, Mindy discussed how to leverage the principle of scarcity to influence customer decisions, boost sales, and positively impact your business. She also shared the four types of scarcity: time-related, supply-related, demand-related, and limited edition. In this conversation, Mindy highlighted the importance of using scarcity ethically and developing marketing tactics...
Dec 21, 2022•50 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 304, an episode with Dr. Ella F. Washington, the author of The Necessary Journey: Making Real Progress on Equity and Inclusion. How do we build an environment where employees feel safe to be themselves? Who is responsible for creating an organization that values and embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion? And what do we truly need to achieve, sustain, and maintain the workplace utopia that we dreamed of? Dr. Ella F. Washington is an organizational psychologi...
Dec 19, 2022•47 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 303, an episode with Frank O’Connell, the author of Jump First, Think Fast. In this episode, Frank takes us on his career journey as he successfully explores multiple industries from baked goods to sporting apparel to video games. He shares the lessons he learned and how he built lasting relationships as he worked in different industries. Frank O’Connell is known for his unconventional approach for high performance through his strategic thinking, brand building...
Dec 14, 2022•55 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 302, an episode with a Professor of International Business and Strategy at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Ravi Sarathy. What happens if a company or country regulates its own digital currency? In this episode, Ravi Sarathy answers very interesting questions about blockchain and cryptocurrency. He outlines the features and capabilities of a blockchain, the implications of using it, and how organizations can leverage blockchain to the...
Dec 12, 2022•1 hr 3 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we explain how leadership is defined at great firms like McKinsey and BCG, and how we also manage leadership transition at FC. It will surprise you to see how different the mindset can be and that we think about these issues all the time. The most important role of a partner is to leave the firm in a better place than when she/he joined, and to hand over a client relationship to a newer partner. The ability to maintain this cycle is...
Dec 07, 2022•16 min
Let’s be honest. Most consultants simply go into Google and search for any reports / analyses to compile market trends/an industry analysis fact pack. In other words, they do not put much thought into it beyond ensuring they are not caught for plagiarism. This is because many consultants think of the market trends or industry analysis as an output to deliver, which will never be used, and it does not matter what comprises the analysis. For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic fr...
Dec 05, 2022•13 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss how to convert insights into Strategy Maps. It is a powerful tool to create prescriptive / forecasting models to explain and predict strategy options. This is how to move from being a consultant to thinking and presenting like a partner. It is complimentary and available on iTunes, Youtube, Spotify, and many other podcast players. The Video version of this episode is available on youtube - https://youtu.be/hcStB7fjsJ0 Enj...
Nov 30, 2022•24 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss how to know what is corporate strategy. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe...
Nov 28, 2022•5 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss what big picture thinking is. At least once in your life, you would have received feedback to be a more big picture thinker. The problem is that everyone will have a different definition of big picture thinking and many of the definitions are vague, counter-intuitive, or wrong. Based on advising some of the consultants on the study, this podcast provides a very simple, intuitive, practical, and correct definition of the b...
Nov 23, 2022•12 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 296, an episode with Nick Santhanam, the CEO of Fernweh Group, an investment company adapting an engaged investor & operator model (EIOM) to create alpha in the industrial and industrial technology sector. In this episode, we dig deep into the prevailing narrative about the decline of manufacturing in the US and if that is the case, the actions needed from the government to bring back the US as a thriving manufacturing nation. Nick Santhanam is a former Senior ...
Nov 21, 2022•56 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 295, an episode with a highly regarded global executive, Daphne E. Jones. In this episode, Daphne shares her inspiring journey of overcoming criticism, judgment, racism, and doubt. She was told by her career counselor that Black girls don’t successfully make it in college, but should instead go to secretary school. Today, Daphne is a corporate board member who has held CIO and other leadership positions at Fortune 500 companies including IBM, Johnson & Johnson,...
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 22 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss about financial strategy. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe...
Nov 14, 2022•10 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss scenario planning's common problems. Scenario planning / Scenario Analysis is a powerful tool in consulting. This is how to move from being a consultant to thinking and presenting like a partner. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe...
Nov 09, 2022•9 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from the Corporate Strategy & Transformation study. This podcast is for those who have mastered all the basics on slide design and formatting. In this podcast, we discuss how to determine if your PowerPoint slides are influential on a study. Influential PowerPoint slides may not be the most beautiful pieces of work or even the ones with the most effort, though it is usually at least the latter. Click here to see the full study and here to...
Nov 07, 2022•16 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills Episode 291 with the first-ever Chief Design Officer and SVP of PepsiCo, the world's second-largest food and beverage company, Mauro Porcini. In this episode, Mauro talked about how his career started and how his love of what he is doing helped made PepsiCo what it is today. He also talked about the step-by-step process of designing and establishing a new culture in any corporation and how this would lead to innovation, eventual growth, and overall success. In the past...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 28 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss value chain analysis. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe
Oct 31, 2022•11 min
