Consultancy Growth Podcast (Craig Herd )
Explore every episode of Consultancy Growth Podcast
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jan 2025 | Build a £10M Consultancy with Just 100 Prospects (Here’s How) | 00:52:35 | |
If you're ready to unlock your consultancy's full potential, this is the episode for you. Today, we're diving deep into a game-changing strategy: Identifying Your Ideal Client Profile (ICP). Here's what to expect: Why Focusing on Your ICP Will Make You Millions: The Dream 100 Strategy: Actionable Takeaways:
Tune In Now to learn how identifying your ICP and executing the Dream 100 strategy can streamline your marketing, boost your conversion rates, and secure high-value projects. Subscribe to The Consultancy Growth Podcast and transform the way you approach client acquisition. Don’t miss this blueprint for boutique consultancy success! | |||
| 05 Feb 2025 | The Decline Of The Trusted Advisor & The Rise Of The Visible Expert | 00:17:35 | |
The Decline of the Trusted Advisor & The Rise of the Visible Expert If you're still relying on the trusted advisor model to grow your consultancy, this episode is for you. A major shift is happening in 2025—and those who don’t adapt risk getting left behind. In this episode: Why the Trusted Advisor Model is Holding You Back The Rise of the Visible Expert How One Consultancy Landed £36,000 While the Founder Was on Holiday The 90-Minute Content System That Fuels Six Months of Thought Leadership Key Takeaways: Tune in now to learn how consultancy founders are moving from time-consuming, relationship-based selling to scalable authority positioning—while still maintaining deep expertise and trust. Subscribe to The Consultancy Growth Podcast and get a front-row seat to the strategies transforming boutique consultancies in 2025. | |||
| 12 Feb 2025 | Use This Old School Strategy To Land £100,000 Projects In 2025 | 00:32:22 | |
How do you secure meetings with senior executives without relying on cold emails, expensive paid ads, or personal introductions? In this episode, Clive Griffiths shares the precise strategy that landed him a meeting with a Times 100 CEO, and how you can apply the same principles to connect with decision-makers at the highest levels. We discuss: If you’re looking to build real, high-value relationships with top-tier clients, this episode provides a proven framework you can start using today. 🎧 Listen now and put it into action. | |||
| 19 Feb 2025 | AI Noise vs Authenticity: How One Consultant Beat 206 Competitors | 00:18:36 | |
In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, Craig Herd and Clive Griffiths dive deep into the evolving role of AI in consultancy marketing and sales. They explore the challenges and consequences of mass AI-generated outreach, the importance of authenticity in marketing, and the future shift towards personalised, human-centric interactions. Listen in for insights on cutting through the noise, standing out in a crowded market, and leveraging AI as a research tool rather than a spam engine. Key Topics Covered
Episode Highlights & Resources AI in Marketing & Sales: Game-Changer or Brand-Damager?
Case Study: Personalised Gift vs. 206 LinkedIn Comments
The Future of Sales & Marketing in Consultancy
Related Episodes & Resources
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| 26 Feb 2025 | Why 90% of Consultancies Never Scale (And How to Be the 10%) | 00:09:24 | |
Host: Craig Herd Most consultancy founders are stuck in a dumb loop. You start out hustling, doing everything yourself—winning deals, handling clients, hiring, marketing, even buying the office biscuits. Then you grow, hire people… and somehow still end up doing everything. Sound familiar? In this episode, Craig breaks down why founders get trapped as Mr Everything, why hiring more people won’t fix it, and the real way to escape the grind. If you want a business that runs without you, this is the episode you need to hear. Key Topics Covered 🔥 Why you’re stuck running everything. Episode Highlights & Resources The ‘Mr Everything’ Trap: Why Founders Get Stuck
How to Escape: Systemise Everything
The Goal: A Business That Runs Without You
Related Episodes & Resources 📖 Built to Sell – A playbook for creating a business that runs itself If you’re tired of being Mr Everything and want to actually own a business (not just a job), listen to this episode and start making the shift today. | |||
| 18 Mar 2025 | Build Your Consultancy Around Your Life (Founder Market Fit) With Deri Hughes | 00:45:02 | |
Summary Most consultancy founders are told to chase product-market fit. But what if the real key to long-term success is founder-market fit? In this episode, Craig Herd and Clive Griffiths speak with Derry Hughes, founder of Honeycomb Consulting Skills Training, about how he reshaped his business to fit his strengths, his life, and his long-term vision. Derry shares how he pivoted through three different businesses before focusing on training, where he found both growth and fulfilment. He opens up about the hard lessons learned from running two businesses at once, why focus is everything, and how building the right leadership team helped him scale sustainably, all while raising four children. If you’re a consultancy founder wondering what’s next or how to build a business that works for you, not against you this episode is for you. Episode Highlights and Insights
Derry explains why aligning your business with your personal strengths, interests, and ambitions is the real key to sustainable growth.
Why trying to run two businesses at once nearly derailed Derry—and how narrowing his focus to training unlocked real momentum.
How Derry moved from outsourced operations to recruitment, and ultimately to training consultancy teams, driven by market demand and his own interests.
The importance of bringing in partners who complement your weaknesses, not mirror your strengths—and how this decision accelerated Honeycomb’s growth.
Derry shares why he chose to build a business designed for long-term sustainability, rather than chasing rapid scale and exit strategies. Why Listen If you’re a consultancy founder asking, Is this the right business for me?, this episode will show you how to align your consultancy with your strengths, ambitions, and life outside the business—so you can scale on your own terms. Subscribe to The Consultancy Growth Podcast for more conversations with experts who are helping consultancy founders build sustainable, scalable businesses. | |||
| 12 Mar 2025 | Why Your 'Unique Value Proposition' Is Holding You Back ( + The Fix ) | 00:42:03 | |
Summary Most consultants are told their Value Proposition is everything. But is that really true? In this episode, Craig Herd and Clive Griffiths break down why the usual advice around value propositions often misses the mark—and what actually matters if you want to grow your consultancy. Craig and Clive explore why many consultancy founders get stuck obsessing over a one-liner, while the real challenge is getting in front of the right clients and having deeper conversations. They discuss the difference between a value proposition and positioning, why your team needs clarity to avoid butchering your message, and how clients often stay with you for different reasons than why they first signed up. If you’ve ever wrestled with articulating your consultancy’s value—or felt pressured to come up with a “unique” value proposition that sets you apart—this episode is for you. ... Episode Highlights and Insights
Craig and Clive discuss why consultants often confuse these two ideas—and why separating them can help clarify what you really offer.
When associates and consultants are tasked with business development, a clear message becomes critical. Without it, they’ll likely dilute your proposition.
Most consultancies aren’t unique—and that’s okay. What matters more is trust, reliability, and credibility in the eyes of your clients.
Think of it as the fishing line—not the entire strategy. It’s there to open the conversation, not close the deal.
Craig shares how reviewing client feedback uncovered the real value they deliver—something they hadn’t identified themselves.
A candid chat on how consultancies can scale—whether through productising services or carefully expanding their offer—without becoming “all things to all people.” ... If you’re a consultancy founder who’s ever felt stuck explaining what you do—or worried your team can’t articulate your value without you—this episode will help you rethink your value proposition and positioning in a more practical way. Subscribe to The Consultancy Growth Podcast for candid conversations with experts helping consultancy founders build sustainable, scalable businesses. | |||
| 26 Mar 2025 | Grow 2X Faster & Outsmart Your Competition With Matt Hodkinson | 00:39:28 | |
In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, Matt Hodkinson, CEO of Total Growth Ownership, joins me to break down why differentiation and market positioning are make-or-break for consultancies. We explore the common traps consultancy founders fall into—like mirroring competitors, struggling to communicate their value, and the knock-on effect weak positioning has on pricing and client engagement. Through real-world examples, we unpack how small shifts in messaging can lead to major growth. If you’ve ever questioned what truly sets your consultancy apart—or worried that your positioning isn’t landing—this episode is for you. 00:00 – Introduction to the Consultancy Growth Podcast Connect with Matt on Linkedin: Connect with me on Linkedin: | |||
| 02 Apr 2025 | How To Empower Your Team to Win New Consultancy Work With James Stringer | 00:39:58 | |
In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, James Stringer of The Results Consultancy, joins me to break down what it really takes to build a strong business development function in a consultancy. We discuss why hiring for sales aptitude is just the start and how training, incentives, and leadership play a critical role in driving consistent growth. James shares insights on the habits and processes that separate high-performing consultancies from the rest, the power of AI tools like ChatGPT in streamlining business development, and why recognising success within your team is more important than you might think. If you’ve ever struggled with building a business development engine that runs beyond the founder, this episode is for you. 00:00 - Welcome to the Consultancy Growth Podcast Connect with James on Linkedin: Connect with me on Linkedin: | |||
| 08 Apr 2025 | Why The Future of Your Consultancy Depends on Understanding AI Today With Professor Joe O’Mahoney | 00:41:28 | |
In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I sit down with Professor Joe O’Mahoney to explore the impact of AI on the future of consultancy and why it’s so much more than just another tool in the tech stack. We unpack the biggest misconceptions consultancy leaders have about AI, the risks firms need to be aware of, and the opportunities that come from embracing it thoughtfully. Professor Joe shares his perspective on AI as an enabling technology that’s reshaping the entire economy, including the consultancy landscape. We also dive into emerging concepts like digital twins, the critical role of trust and security, and why human connection still matters more than ever in an AI-driven world. If you’re curious about how AI will shape your consultancy and how to stay relevant without losing the human touch, this episode is for you. 00:00 - Welcome to the Consultancy Growth Podcast | |||
| 15 Apr 2025 | How Consultants Go from £10k Projects to £100k Engagements with Mark Peacock | 00:47:00 | |
Host: Craig Herd We unpack the common traps consultancies fall into, from undercharging to defaulting to hourly rates, and explore how shifting to a value-based pricing model can change the game. Mark shares why pricing confidence is key, how to better communicate value, and what it takes to move beyond legacy pricing mindsets. We also get into the nitty-gritty of tiered pricing, price anchoring, and the connection between your front-end and back-end offers, plus what to do if you’re ready to start reviewing (and raising) your prices today. If pricing has ever felt like a guessing game or a subject you’ve avoided, this episode is for you. 00:00 - Introduction | |||
| 22 Apr 2025 | How to Scale a Consultancy to 80 People, £10 Million, and a PE-Backed Exit with John Howard | 00:39:36 | |
Host: Craig Herd We dive into how to build a senior team you can trust, how to evolve your commercial decision-making as you grow, and how to keep your culture intact during big transitions. John also shares what makes a consultancy more attractive to buyers, how to prepare for an exit, and the emotional rollercoaster that can come with handing over the reins. Plus, we explore the changing dynamics of the consultancy marketplace and the new challenges that come with it. If you’re thinking about growing beyond founder-dependence or eventually selling your consultancy, this one’s for you. 00:00 - Introduction to the Consultancy Growth Podcast 00:25 - Making the Leap: From Founder-Led to Leadership-Led Growth 05:07 - Building a Senior Team You Can Actually Rely On 09:09 - Evolving Without Losing Your Culture 13:11 - Making Smarter Commercial Decisions as You Scale 18:29 - Why Bigger, Longer Contracts Matter for Growth 21:02 - Thinking About Exit? Here’s What Buyers Really Want 28:03 - How Long It Actually Takes to Sell a Consultancy 32:26 - The Emotional Side of Letting Go 34:43 - Navigating the New Challenges in Today’s Consultancy Market | |||