The 2x2 Podcast for Independent Consultants
Episodes
Trusting Your Value with Ben Manwaring
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What do nut milk, corporate porridge, and startups have in common? Seems like a random list, right? I sat down with Ben Manwaring to talk about his wi...
How Joe Griffith Runs a Side Business with His Practice
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Consulting doesn’t just fund your side business. It’s improved by it. A lot of independent consultants end up building something on the side. Jo...
Becoming a Corporate Athlete With Mariela Hunter
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ever heard of a corporate athlete?I sat down with Mariela Hunter to talk about biomarkers, sleep, and how AI is becoming essential for us to keep ours...
How Deborah Whitby Re-Built a Family Business
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Can you rebuild a legacy business from the ground up?Not everyone can, but Deborah Whitby did.Rebecca McDowell and I sat down with the Austin Plumbery...
How to Meet Anyone with Katie McCormick Lelyveld
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Here's how you can get a meeting with anyone.I sat down with my good friend Katie McCormick Lelyveld—founder of MELD and former press secretary to M...
Bonus Episode: Hey CMO Gives Fractionals What They Actually Need
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fractional work looks simple – and exciting – from the outside. You leave corporate, land a client, and price your time. You...
AMA: What's in My Tech Stack?
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How many tools and platforms do you use in your practice? Do you have a graveyard of unused subscriptions, or do you still do everything ma...
Breaking Down Why Some Fractionals Succeed with Amanda Nizzere
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The most successful fractional works have tells. Amanda Nizzere is a fractional CMO who has reached full capacity in just two years (impres...
Breaking Down Why Some Fractionals Succeed with Amanda Nizzere
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The most successful fractional works have tells. Amanda Nizzere is a fractional CMO who has reached full capacity in just two years (impres...
Build a Referral-Based Business with Luisa Mauro
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What can real estate brokers teach consultants?A LOT.So I sat down with Luisa Mauro to trade notes on building trust, earning referrals, and staying a...
Walk Into the Board Room with Ryan O’Toole
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Every consultant can build a deck. But only a few can run the room. Ryan O’Toole spent his entire career inside rooms a lot of us only he...
Lessons in Mastery from Johan Sauer’s Decades of Consulting Work
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How long does it take to reach true mastery?Johan Sauer is an experienced independent consultant who worked with over 200 companies over. the course o...
How to Use AI Responsibly with Usman Lakhani
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Can we actually trust AI outputs?I sat down with Usman Lakhani, an AI governance expert, to talk about what responsible AI looks like — and why inde...
AMA: How Can I Make $400K in 2026?
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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How Leslie Elliott Raised a 12-Year-Old CEO
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leslie Elliott, Poolie CEO and mom of four, is a business builder. And it seems her son is also wired for it. It started when she found a half-empty t...
Bottling Your Secret Sauce with Wes Wheless
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How well do you understand your work? In this conversation, Wes Wheless shares his journey from being a consultant to helping other independent consul...
How to Build a Fractional Life You Love with Anna Wondany
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can you keep climbing the corporate ladder after it collapsed? Anna Wondany did. And so can fractional executives. She' s a fractional CMO and the fou...
The Business of Generosity with Pradnya Haldipur
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thanksgiving week is the prime time for gratitude – and crunch time for nonprofits. Seasoned fundraising and development strategy expert, Pradnya Ha...
Preparing for Black Friday and Sales Seasons With Scott LaBoda
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ready for the war room that is Black Friday planning? I sat down with Scott LaBoda to talk about his path from consulting to retail and back again—w...
Finance Leader Nicki Monson on Why Cash (Still) Rules Everything
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the immortal words of Wu-Tang Clan, “Cash rules everything around me.” They weren’t talking about corporate finance, but Nicki Monson agrees ...
Nail Your Niche With Terry Chevalier
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to actually find your niche? I sat down with Terry Chevalier to talk about his move from big-firm consulting to running his own shop...
Cooper Wechkin’s ESG for Consultants and Small Businesses
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is ESG really that important? I sat down with Cooper Wechkin, founder of RyeStrategy, to talk about climate accounting, sustainability, and why small ...
Switching to Startups With Sam Hollin
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s it like going from BCG to the chaos of startups? I sat down with Sam Hollin to talk about his move into the world of growth consulting —wha...
How Tracy Samantha Schmidt is Changing the Game for PR
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you get your name out there, without feeling cringe about it? I sat down with Tracy Schmidt, former Time Magazine reporter and founder of the P...
Connecting with Gambling Cybersecurity Expert, Melissa Aarskaug
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is what networking looks like beyond the handshake.I sat down with Melissa Aarskaug, host of Executive Connect, to talk about building meaningful...
Rethinking Customer Success in the Age of AI with Pablo Bernal
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is customer success actually and where is it headed? I sat down with Pablo Bernal, former product leader at Microsoft, to talk about the shift fr...
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Rates and Contracts
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Client work is only half the business. The other half? Contracts and rates. After working with hundreds of consultants, I realized that the ones ...
How Susie deVille Supports Client Teams by Finding Their Flow State
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does creativity have to do with consulting?Paige Darby and I sat down with Susie deVille to talk about how tapping into intrinsic energy can chan...
How Pedro Girardi Landed Clients Without Pitching
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here's why you should treat your indie practice like a startup.I sat down with Pedro Girardi to talk about his journey from BCG and Delivery Hero to i...
How Kristi Gaudioso Diagnoses Revenue Problems in One Hour
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s a day in the life of a fractional CRO like?I sat down with Kristi Gaudioso to talk about her move from Microsoft to indie leadership—and wh...
Move Up & To The Right with The 2x2 Podcast for Independent Consultants
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hey—I’m Lauren Wambold Patel, and this is The 2x2 Podcast.If you’re an independent consultant, strategist, or fractional exec who’s serious ab...