Consulting Leaders
Consulting Leaders

Consulting Leaders

GHA Marketing

Overview
Episodes

Details

The Principal Podcast is where founders, Managing Partners, and CEOs of professional services firms share how they build, grow, and lead businesses that last. Each episode goes deep on the real strategies behind firm growth, from winning clients and building trust, to scaling teams and staying ahead in a competitive market. Hosted by a team of seasoned professionals with backgrounds across consulting, marketing, and business growth, The Principal Podcast brings diverse perspectives to every conversation. Guests come from across the professional services world: management consulting, financial services, investment banking, IT services, marketing, PR, staffing, and accounting. If you run or lead a professional services firm and you're serious about growth, this is your show.

Recent Episodes

How to Drive Predictable Revenue Growth Through Value-Based Selling With Julie Thomas
MAY 12, 2026
How to Drive Predictable Revenue Growth Through Value-Based Selling With Julie Thomas
Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Julie Thomas leads one of the most established sales training and methodology firms in the B2B space. Through the ValueSelling Framework®, her team equips revenue organizations with a structured way to qualify, advance, and close deals based on customer-defined value, not product features or pricing pressure. Her work sits at the intersection of sales strategy, enablement, and execution. The core problem she solves is common: companies with strong offerings but inconsistent sales results. By aligning teams around a shared language and repeatable process, she helps organizations reduce stalled deals, improve forecast accuracy, and increase deal size. What stands out in Julie’s approach is the emphasis on business conversations. In a market where buyers are more informed and selective, her philosophy is clear: sellers must move beyond pitching and become partners in solving meaningful business problems. That shift is what drives both margin and long-term client relationships.**********************************************************************Proposed Interview Questions: 1. What got you into consulting and ultimately into leading ValueSelling Associates? 2. What specific problem are you helping your clients solve, and why does it matter so much for you personally to solve that? 3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who typically holds the decision to bring you in? 4. How do clients typically find you, and what’s worked best to consistently attract the right B2B opportunities? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Google Ads, Podcast (guesting), Podcast (hosting), Speaking engagements, Cold outreach Sub Question: What’s your perspective on podcasting as a marketing tool for consultants and sales leaders? 5. When you’re selling to senior revenue leaders with complex buying groups, how do you move from initial interest to a signed engagement? 6. How do you retain clients over time, what do you do to ensure they keep coming back and build long-term relationships with you? 7. Where do you find yourself most stuck right now as a consultant leading ValueSelling (if at all)? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for value-based sales training and consulting over the next few years?*********************************************************************Know more about Julie ThomasWebsite Link: https://www.valueselling.com/Connect with Julie Thomas on LinkedInLinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieathomas/Apply to be a guest on Consulting Leaders:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/
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25 MIN
How to Drive Sustainable Process Improvement Through Kaizen Systems With Adam Lawrence
MAY 12, 2026
How to Drive Sustainable Process Improvement Through Kaizen Systems With Adam Lawrence
Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Adam Lawrence has spent over 30 years in process improvement, helping manufacturing and operational teams move beyond one-off wins to sustained performance. As Managing Partner at Process Improvement Partners, he focuses on guiding teams through real change, not just designing it, but embedding it into how the business operates day-to-day.His approach centers on the “Wheel of Sustainability,” a framework designed to prevent the common failure mode of improvement initiatives: drift. Where most consulting stops at recommendations, Adam stays close to execution, ensuring teams have the tools, time, and reinforcement needed to maintain results.For consulting firm owners, Adam’s work is a reminder that value isn’t just in solving problems, it’s in making sure those solutions last. His model blends Lean, Kaizen, and leadership alignment into a repeatable system that drives both cultural and financial impact.**********************************************************************Proposed Interview Questions:1. What got you into consulting, and how did your background in industrial engineering lead you to this work in Lean and Kaizen?2. What specific problem are you solving for your clients when it comes to process improvement, and why does it matter so much for you personally to solve it?3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who typically holds the decision to bring you in?4. How do clients typically find you, and what has worked best for you to build authority in the Lean and process improvement space? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Webinars, Podcast (guesting), Speaking engagements, Book - "The Wheel of Sustainability" Sub Question: You’ve been featured on podcasts like Gemba Academy, how do you see podcasting as a marketing tool for consultants in your space?5. When you’re selling transformation work that requires deep involvement, how do you build trust and move clients from interest to commitment?6. How do you retain clients over time, what do you do to make sure they keep coming back and that you build long-term relationships?7. Where do you find yourself most stuck right now as a consultant, especially as you continue to grow Process Improvement Partners?8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for sustainable process improvement over the next few years?*********************************************************************Know more about Adam LawrenceWebsite Link: https://pi-partners.com/Connect with Adam Lawrence on LinkedInLinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-t-lawrence/Apply to be a guest on Consulting Leaders:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/
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30 MIN
How to Scale FinTech Safely Through Fractional Compliance Leadership With Ryan Cimo
MAY 12, 2026
How to Scale FinTech Safely Through Fractional Compliance Leadership With Ryan Cimo
Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Ryan Cimo operates at the intersection of regulation and innovation. After a 25+ year career at M&T Bank, where he led large-scale risk, AML, and operations teams, he stepped out to build Fraxtional, designed to bring executive-level compliance leadership to companies that aren’t ready for full-time hires but can’t afford to get it wrong. Fraxtional’s model is simple but powerful: embed experienced, director-level leaders into high-growth companies on a fractional basis. This allows FinTechs, crypto platforms, and sponsor banks to build credible compliance frameworks early, without slowing down growth or burning capital. What makes Ryan’s approach relevant to consulting leaders is how he positions compliance. Not as a checkbox, but as infrastructure for scale. In regulated industries, trust is the product, and Ryan’s work ensures that trust compounds alongside growth. ********************************************************** Proposed Interview Structure: 1. What got you into consulting after 25+ years inside large financial institutions? 2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve today, and why does solving that matter so much to you personally? 3. Who are your ideal clients, and who typically holds the decision to bring you in or hire a firm like Fraxtional? 4. How do clients typically find Fraxtional, and what has worked best to build credibility in such a trust-driven space? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Podcast (hosting), Cold outreach Sub Question: You’ve launched your own podcast, how do you see podcasting fitting into your marketing strategy and the broader consulting space? 5. In regulated industries, trust takes time. How do you move prospects from initial conversation to signing, especially when compliance isn’t always seen as urgent? 6. How do you retain clients over time, what do you do to make sure they keep coming back and that the relationship becomes long-term? 7. Where do you find yourself most stuck right now as you scale Fraxtional as a consulting business (if at all)? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for fractional compliance leadership over the next few years?*********************************************************************Know more about Ryan CimoWebsite Link: https://www.fraxtional.co/Connect with Ryan Cimo on LinkedInLinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancimo/Apply to be a guest on Consulting Leaders:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/
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27 MIN
How to Build High-Performing Organizations Through Systemic Leadership With Kari Sulenes
MAY 12, 2026
How to Build High-Performing Organizations Through Systemic Leadership With Kari Sulenes
Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Kari Sulenes operates at the intersection of leadership, psychology, and organizational design. As the founder of Heartwood Collective, she works with early-stage companies and venture-backed teams to navigate complexity while maintaining clarity, cohesion, and resilience. Her approach challenges the traditional consulting model by focusing not just on strategy, but on how people relate, communicate, and function within the system. Her work is grounded in a simple but often overlooked idea: organizations perform best when they behave like healthy systems. That means individuals sensing what’s needed, communicating effectively, and responding in real time, rather than operating in silos or hierarchy-driven bottlenecks. Kari helps leaders restore this capability, turning dysfunction into alignment. For consulting firm owners, this raises an important question: are you solving surface-level problems, or helping clients transform how their organizations actually function? Kari’s approach suggests that long-term impact comes from the latter. ********************************************************** Proposed Interview Structure: 1. What got you into consulting and this intersection between psychology and organizations? 2. What specific problem are you helping your clients solve today, and why does solving that matter to you personally? 3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who typically holds the decision to bring you in or hire you? 4. How do clients typically find you, and what has worked best to attract the right founders and teams? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral Sub Question: What do you think about podcasting as a marketing channel for consultants and coaches in your space? 5. Your work goes deep into leadership and systems, how do you navigate the sales process and build enough trust to close engagements? 6. How do you retain clients over time, what do you do to ensure they keep coming back and that you build long-term relationships? 7. Where do you find yourself most stuck right now as a consultant working at this level with founders and leadership teams? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work in leadership and organizational systems over the next few years?*********************************************************************Know more about Kari SulenesWebsite Link: https://www.thehwc.com/Connect with Kari Sulenes on LinkedInLinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karisulenes/Apply to be a guest on Consulting Leaders:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/
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32 MIN
How to Build Courageous, Authentic Leadership Through Deep Coaching Work With Elena Armijo
MAY 12, 2026
How to Build Courageous, Authentic Leadership Through Deep Coaching Work With Elena Armijo
Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Elena Armijo operates at the intersection of executive coaching, team dynamics, and personal transformation. Her work focuses on helping leaders move beyond surface-level performance into deeper self-awareness, where real leadership decisions are made. She challenges the idea that leadership is purely strategic, and instead positions it as an internal discipline grounded in courage and clarity. Through her firm, The C-Suite Collective, she works with executives, creatives, and changemakers who are navigating complexity, whether that’s scaling organizations, leading teams through uncertainty, or redefining their leadership identity. A recurring theme in her work is helping leaders engage in “generative conflict,” build trust, and lead without losing themselves in the process. Her perspective is particularly relevant for consulting firm owners: the ability to guide clients through transformation depends not just on frameworks, but on the consultant’s capacity to hold space, ask better questions, and create real behavioral change. Elena’s work highlights where coaching and consulting overlap, and where they diverge. ********************************************************** Proposed Interview Structure: 1. What got you into executive coaching, and how did you make the shift from performing arts into this work? 2. What specific problem are you helping your clients solve today, and why does it matter so much for you personally to solve that? 3. Who are your ideal clients, and who typically holds the decision to bring you in or hire you? 4. How do clients typically find you, and what has worked best to attract the right kind of leaders into your world? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Webinars, Podcast (guesting), Speaking engagements Sub Question: You host your own podcast, how do you see podcasting as a tool for coaches and consultants building authority today? 5. When you’re speaking with a potential client, how do you communicate the value of your work and move them toward a yes? 6. How do you retain clients over time, what do you do to make sure they keep coming back and build long-term relationships with you? 7. Where do you find yourself most stuck right now as a consultant and coach, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for leadership coaching and team transformation over the next few years?*********************************************************************Know more about Elena ArmijoWebsite Link: https://www.thec-suitecollective.com/Connect with Elena Armijo on LinkedInLinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-armijoApply to be a guest on Consulting Leaders:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/
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23 MIN