Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

136. Fredrik Thomassen on the future of work

21 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Fredrik Thomassen, CEO and Co-Founder of Konsus.com, an on-demand creative outsourcing service. Fredrik shared his ideas on the fut...

135. Alisa Cohn on being a wise partner

15 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Alisa Cohn, an executive coach, a writer, and a member of Marshall Goldsmith's 100 Coaches.  Marshall Goldsmith is considered by m...

134. Lindsay McGregor helps clients achieve Total Motivation

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Lindsay McGregor, McKinsey alum and co-author of the book Primed to Perform. She and her co-author and former McKinsey Partner Neel D...

133. Improving the client's experience: post-project phase [part 6 of 6]

13 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode concludes our six-part podcast miniseries on how to improve the client experience. In this episode, I share tips on how to provide a grea...

132. Improving the client's experience: wrap-up phase [part 5 of 6]

13 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is part five in a six-part podcast miniseries on how to improve the client experience. In this episode, I share tips on how to provide a great cl...

131. Improving the client's experience: project execution phase [part 4 of 6]

12 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is part four in a six-part podcast miniseries on how to improve the client experience. In this episode, I share tips on how to provide a great cl...

130. Improving the client's experience: kickoff phase [part 3 of 6]

11 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is part three in a six-part podcast miniseries on how to improve the client experience.  In this episode, I share tips on how to provide a great...

129. Improving the client's experience: proposal phase [part 2 of 6]

10 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is part 2 in a six-part podcast miniseries on how to improve the client experience. Episode 128 introduces the series. In this episode I discuss ...

128. Improving the client's experience: introduction [part 1 of 6]

08 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode introduces a six-part miniseries on steps consultants can take to improve the client's experience across the five phases of a consulting ...

127. Ciaran Bossom on digital marketing

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Ciaran Bossom, a digital marketing expert and independent consultant. Ciaran was the SVP of Strategy at VaynerMedia and most recent...

126. Not every job has a fixed location

06 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Not every job has a fixed location, but job-posting websites seem to think they do.   There should be an option to list "Remote" as the location.

125. No more Texas email intros

05 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Best-practice email introductions.

124. Invite your clients to an open rehearsal

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Right before Christmas, I went with my family to an open rehearsal of the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. It was a lot more fun than going to the form...

123. Chutzpah and humility

03 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

I discuss four quadrants on a classic 2x2 matrix Vertical axis: willingness to take the initiative Chutzah = high willness Compliance = low willingnes...

122. Five decade time horizon

02 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Adopting a five decade time horizon allows you to make rewarding investments in skills, relationships, knowledge, and your health that a shorter time ...

121. Consultants need a portfolio of sanitized sample work

01 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You probably wouldn't hire a graphic designer or a wedding photographer without looking at their portfolio. Independent consultants ought to have a po...

120. Michael Zipursky on Consulting Success

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Michael Zipursky, who runs a firm called Consulting Success.  Michael has written multiple books on consulting and he serves as a ...

119. Jonathan Mann, Conference Troubadour, has written a song every day for ten years

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Jonathan Mann, who holds the Guiness World Record for Most Consecutive Days Writing a Song. He began his Song-a-Day project on Janu...

118. Are your filenames right-side-up?

13 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Do the filenames you use demonstrate right-side-up thinking? That is, are you naming your files from your perspective, or from your client's perspecti...

117. Is your business open when closed?

12 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We all have a choice. Is your business closed when closed? Or open when closed? How will you choose?

116. Robin Colucci ensures the book you write accomplishes your objectives

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Robin Colucci, who is a book writing coach. If you are thinking of writing a non-fiction book to advance your career, Robin is some...

115. Danna Staaf on squid and science writing

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Danna Staaf, an independent science writer and the author of Squid Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Cephalopods. Danna received a P...

114. This trick increases the chances of a client calling you

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to be contacted about opportunities, it helps to be contactable.

113. Nitin Rohatgi's firm provides fantastic research support to independent consultants

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Nitin Rohatgi, who is the co-founder of Enroute Consulting, a research firm based in India.  Nitin's firm supports independent con...

112. Chris McKenna on The World's Newest Profession: Management Consulting in the Twentieth Century

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Christopher McKenna, a Reader in Business History and Strategy at Said Business School at the University of Oxford. Chris is the au...

111. Michelle Welsch on Founding a Social Enterprise

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Michelle Welsch, a social worker by training, who is leading an extraordinary life – she has organized major events in New York C...

110. Rosina Samadani on managing a physically dispersed team

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Rosina Samadani, a long-time friend who was my second Engagement Manager at McKinsey, and who provided me with invaluable advice wh...

109. Anish Shah, professional comedian and management consultant

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

So a professional comedian and management consultant walk into a bar... Actually, that's just Anish Shah getting a drink. Anish Shah is a McKinsey alu...

108. How and why to travel around Europe by train

25 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this month, I visited London, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, and Zurich to meet up with independent management consultants.  While I originally im...

107. Zachary Schrag on what consultants can learn from historians

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Zachary Schrag, a Professor of History at George Mason University. Zach has been a close friend of mine for nearly three decades, a...

106. How to pay a subcontractor

17 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do you pay a subcontractor? In this episode, I try to answer that question, sharing ten years of lessons learned, covering: 1) How do you actually...

105. Marni Fechter on organizing "Go & Sees"

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For over five years, Marni organized "Go and See" events for McKinsey, in which McKinsey clients or prospective clients would take a field trip to vis...

104. Michael Brennan is simplifying forms so fewer people go hungry

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Brennan is the former CEO of the United Way of Southeastern Michigan, and now the Co-Founder and CEO of Civilla, a Center for Social Innovatio...

103. Jeanne Martinet on The Art of Mingling

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Jeanne Martinet, the author of The Art of Mingling: Fun and Proven Techniques for Mastering Any Room. I've always been a pretty str...

102. Joshua Sharfstein on surviving a public health crisis

25 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, the author of a fantastic new book titled The Public Health Crisis Survival Guide: Leadership and Management...

101. Ethan Rasiel on The McKinsey Way

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is a hero of mine, Ethan Rasiel, a McKinsey alum and the author of The McKinsey Way and The McKinsey Mind. I read The McKinsey Way bef...

100. Jessica Rhodes on podcast booking

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Jessica Rhodes, who runs a firm called Interview Connections. They help their clients get booked as a guest on podcasts. Let's say ...

99. Tiffany Pham is a mogul, and so are you

04 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tiffany Pham is a mogul, and she wants you to be a mogul too. Tiffany is the Founder and CEO of Mogul, a platform reaching 18 million women per week –...

98. Wissam Kahi on Eat Offbeat

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Umbrex member and Booz alum Wissam Kahi, who's been a close friend of mine since we sat together in the same cluster at Columbia Bu...

97. Nayla Bahri on how to recover from a career setback

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nayla Bahri is a former Dean of Students at Columbia Business School who has a PhD in Adult Learning and Leadership.  Nayla interviewed professionals...

96. Louis Hyman on the history of temp labor in America

21 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Louis Hyman is McKinsey alum and Associate Professor of Economic History at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. In thi...

95. Chara McGill on bookkeeping for independent professionals

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Chara McGill runs The RMG Group, what has traditionally been called a bookkeeping firm, with about 20 employees based in New York City. Chara suggests...

94. Dirk Hanschur, CEO of Log-hub, supply chain software

12 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Dirk Hanschur, the CEO of Log-hub, a firm that has created a range of supply chain analytics tools that work as Add-ons to Microsof...

93. How a business athlete prepares for competition

08 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

To bring her whole self to the game, the business athlete Stays physically fit, flexibility, strength, cardiovascular fitness – because in long day...

92. Put your eyeballs on the jobsite

07 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In which the Engineer Officer told me that he expected me to get out of the wardroom and put my eyeballs on the jobsite. The lesson has carried over t...

91. Nick Craig on Leading from Purpose

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nick Craig is the author of Leading from Purpose: Clarity and the Confidence to Act When It Matters Most, published in June 2018. Since 2006, Nick's f...

90. Why the Captain's permission is required

05 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Certain evolutions on a submarine require the Commanding Officer's approval. This short episode is what I learned from asking permission. The same pri...

89. Tell new hires what they need to learn with a qual card

04 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The day I reported to my submarine, I was given a stack of qual cards, one of the best training technologies ever. Do you want new hires to get up to ...

88. How I learned the concept of completed staff work

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As a young ensign newly reported to my submarine, I handed the Engineer Officer a draft that didn't meet his standards. This short episode is the stor...

87. What is your time worth to you?

02 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Every independent professional needs to determine his or her internal billing rate, that is, what is your time worth to you, in dollars. Most independ...

86. BS Questions

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I recently received an email with the subject line: BS Questions. Hmm - not very professional, I thought. This short episode provides some thoughts on...

85. The morning routine that helps me win the day

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I've been working on eliminating decisions from my life wherever possible and replacing decisions with habits and routines. One area in particular tha...

84. Yify Zhang - singer, songwriter, violinst, McK alum, independent consultant

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Yify Zhang, a McKinsey alum, is also a singer - songwriter - violinist. In this episode, Yify shares how she combines her music with a career as an in...

83. Four required conditions to change behavior

29 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

McKinsey taught me this framework - the four conditions that are required to drive behavior change: 1) Understanding and commitment 2) Skills 3) Role ...

82. A wedding photographer's lesson in building relationships

28 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This is a story about the actual wedding photographer who took the pictures at my wedding, Drew, and his fictional doppelgänger, Drew Prime.

81. This midshipman has no excuse sir

27 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thirty years ago I stood at attention and, multiple times per day over the course of ten days, shouted "This midshipman has no excuse, sir!" What I le...

80. Go. Set. Ready

26 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ready, Set, Go! is a great way to start a footrace. For any artistic or entrepreneurial project, not so much. When you have a new project in mind, the...

79. Insights from a doorman's shoe

25 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Asking questions with the mind of a child can yield new insights. Here's a short episode on what a friend learned when his daughter asked a doorman wh...

78. Master the tools of the trade - Excel edition

24 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You wouldn't hire a plumber who isn't comfortable using a wrench, or a lumberjack who can't handle a chainsaw.  A professional needs to master the to...

77. Per Sjofors on measuring a customer's willingness to pay

23 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Per Sjofors runs a firm called Sales for Profit – they have developed survey tools to measure a customer's willingness to pay, and the help their cl...

76. Eight steps to prepare to transition to independent consulting

22 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are you thinking about transitioning to independent consulting? This episode provides eight steps you can take now to set yourself up for success when...

75. 11 tips on how to interview experts

21 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Interviewing experts can be one of the most powerful sources of insight when learning about a company or a market.  This short episode has 11 tips th...

74. Ten influence techniques to master

20 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us stick with the 2-3 influence techniques that we are most comfortable with. Mastering the full range of 10 ethical influence techniques is a...

73. Use Calendly to schedule meetings painlessly

19 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Scheduling meetings over email is time consuming - I've spent more time scheduling a call than actually having the call.  Last fall I found a solutio...

72. Write down your goals to discover your goals

18 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Yogi Berra said:  "If you don't know where you're going, you might not get there." I like to step back and reflect about once a year and write down a...

71. Chad Oakley provides an executive recruiter's perspective

16 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Chad Oakley is the CEO of Charles Aris, an executive search firm based in North Carolina. One of the firm's practice areas is Strategy & Corporate Dev...

70. Kevin Nedd on high-impact project management offices

09 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Umbrex member Kevin Nedd. Kevin is a McKinsey alum and independent consultant who focuses on running Project Management Offices, o...

69. Ian Tidswell on pricing excellence

02 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Umbrex member Ian Tidswell. Ian has a PhD in physics from Harvard. He did science for a few years but missed the human element and ...

68. Neil Booth on structuring an elegant financial model

25 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Neil Booth. In our discussion, Neil shares how he became a deep expert in how to build a really well designed model – he followed...

67. Scott Skibell on how and why to create your own videos

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Scott Skibell. I've heard from several people that video is the new thing, that video on LinkedIn gets much higher engagement, and ...

66. Tim DeRoche, novelist and management consultant

11 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Tim DeRoche, a McKinsey alum and independent consultant who is also the author of The Ballad of Huck & Miguel, a novel published i...

65. Susan Drumm on facilitating high-impact offsites

05 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Umbrex member Susan Drumm, a CEO Advisor and Leadership Coach with over 20 years of experience coaching entrepreneurs and executive...

64. Sunny Bates one of the master connectors of the 21st century

21 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sunny Bates is a legend and one of the master connectors of the 21st century. She is one of my heroes and it was really a privilege to have the chance...

63. Celine Teoh on customer retention

07 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is my good friend, Umbrex member Celine Teoh an independent strategy and marketing consultant in the Bay Area whose functional special...

62. Paul Millerd on the future of work

30 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is a good friend of mine, Umbrex member Paul Millerd.  Paul has experience at McKinsey and BCG as well as the Board & CEO Advisory Gr...

61. Whit Pidot on the travel industry

23 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Umbrex member Whit Pidot, an independent consultant who was formerly a Partner in the Travel practice at McKinsey. His clients incl...

60. Joachim Fischer on lean operations

16 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Joachim Fischer, a mentor and good friend of mine who was an Expert in the Operations Practice at McKinsey when I got to know him a...

59. Tsavo Neal on consulting firm websites that generate leads

09 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Tsavo Neal, who has thought hard about how consultants can generate more client leads with their website. Tsavo has written dozens ...

58. Aner Ravon applies AI to market research

02 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Aner Ravon, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Zirra, a technology company focused on market analysis, using big data and arti...

57. David Topus talks to strangers

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is David Topus, who helps his clients turn reputation into revenue. I think that's a pretty great positioning, encapsulating what Davi...

56. Jonah Gruda on tax considerations for independent professionals

19 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Jonah Gruda, a Tax Partner at the accounting firm Mazars USA, LLP. In this episode, we discuss a wide range of tax-related topics r...

55. Rak Chugh on Byte Academy and edChain

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Rak Chugh, the Founder of Byte Academy and the Architect of edChain. We met in his office in Midtown Manhattan. Byte Academy provid...

54. Molly Leeds on finding healthcare insurance

06 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Molly Leeds, a benefits account manager at Brown & Brown of New York. Molly helps  small and medium sized businesses to obtain the...

53. Johnny Warstrom CEO of Mentimeter

28 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Johnny Warström, the CEO of Mentimeter, which is a tool that can help you make presentations, workshops, and meetings more interac...

52. Josh Boltuch CEO of On Demand Ops and Fancy Hands

19 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Josh Boltuch, the CEO of Fancy Hands and its subsidiary, On Demand Ops, and in this episode we talk about both firms. Fancy Hands i...

51. How to outsource research tasks using Upwork

12 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Outsourcing research tasks via Upwork is a superpower that every independent professional ought to master. In this episode, I provide a range of examp...

50. Forty-five tips on working with staffing firms

05 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For many independent consultants, staffing firms are an important channel for getting connected to project opportunities. This episode presents 45 tip...

49. Will Bachman on Getting Some Things Done

30 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On the show today Julia Bunte-Mein is back. Julia, a brilliant and accomplished sophomore at Harvard College, spent a day with me on a Winternship. On...

48. Will Bachman interviewed by Julia Bunte-Mein on advice for his college-age self

24 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On the show today our guest is Julia Bunte-Mein, a sophomore at Harvard College, who spent one day with me over her winter break on a Winternship. I'm...

47. Chris Doig on enterprise software selection

01 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Chris Doig, who has thought more about enterprise software selection than anyone else I know. I'd like to thank David A. Fields for...

46. Diane Mulcahy, author of The Gig Economy

28 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Diane Mulcahy, a McKinsey alum and the author of The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, ...

45. Roger Lee on IT for independent professionals

21 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Roger Lee, the owner of F1 Consulting. Roger provides remote IT support for independent professionals, home offices, and small busi...

44. Jennifer Hartz on corporate and personal philanthropy

11 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Jennifer Hartz, a McKinsey alum and the founder of Corporate Hartz. Jennifer has several focus areas including business-driven comm...

43. John Dranow on anthropological market research

04 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is John Dranow, the CEO of Smart Revenue. John's firm has hundreds of trained, vetted field researchers available around the world, an...

42. Will Bachman on DocuSign Expensify ScannerPro and Rev.com

27 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this in-between-isode, Will Bachman shares four tools useful for any independent professional: 1) DocuSign - to avoid the need to print/sign/scan/e...

41. Sinisa Slijepcevic on machine learning

20 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sinisa Slijepcevic studied with Stephen Hawking, among other professors, while earning his PhD in applied mathematics at Cambridge University.  Sinis...

40. Karen McGrath on virtual assistants

13 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Karen McGrath, who runs a firm of virtual assistants called Awan's Assisting. If you are an independent professional and feel crunc...

39. Kenny Jahng on content marketing

06 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Kenny Jahng, the founder of Big Click Syndicate LLC, a strategic positioning agency offering content marketing consulting & advisor...

38. Sri Kaza on building a SaaS company while consulting

30 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sri Kaza, a former McKinsey partner who specializes in sales and service, left the firm to put his sales expertise to work as the SVP of Commercial O...

37. Jason Korman on consulting through art

23 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Jason Korman, who entered the world of consulting via the wine industry. Jason is the founder of Stormhoek Winery, a South African ...