The Principal Podcast

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 ********************************************************************** John Reed has spent more than two decades at the intersection of professional expertise, sales, marketing, and client development. He began his career as a practicing attorney before moving into sales and sales leadership at Thomson Reuters, eventually combining those experiences to build a consulting business focused specifically on the commercial side of the legal profession. In 2010, John founded Rain BDM, where he helps attorneys and law firms strengthen their positioning, win new business, and build deeper relationships with existing clients. His work ranges from business development coaching and client relationship strategy to branding, content, websites, SEO, and broader marketing initiatives. For leaders of professional services firms, John’s experience raises a broader question: being excellent at the work is one thing, but how do you build a firm that consistently turns expertise into growth? We’ll unpack how John has approached client acquisition, sales, retention, team building, and creating the kind of relationships that keep a professional services business growing over the long term. Proposed Interview Structure: 1. You went from practicing law, to sales and sales leadership, and eventually to founding Rain BDM. What led you to build your own consulting firm, and why focus specifically on the business side of the legal profession? 2. What specific problem are you helping attorneys and law firms solve through Rain BDM, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally? 3. Who are your ideal clients today, and within those firms, who usually holds the decision to bring Rain BDM in and hire you? 4. How are clients typically finding Rain BDM today, and what has consistently worked best for you when it comes to generating new opportunities for the firm? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Podcast (hosting), Reputation and word-of-mouth Sub Question: You also host The Sticky Lawyers Podcast. How does podcasting fit into your own growth and relationship-building strategy, and what potential do you see for podcasts as a marketing tool for professional services firms? 5. Once you have the attention of a prospective client, how do you typically take that relationship from an initial conversation to a signed engagement? 6. Once a client starts working with Rain BDM, what do you do to make sure they continue seeing value, keep coming back, and develop into a long-term relationship with the firm? 7. Where do you find yourself most challenged right now as the founder of Rain BDM, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years? ********************************************************** Know more about John Reed Website Link: https://rainbdm.com/ Connect with John Reed on LinkedIn LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnreedesq Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast: https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

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 ********************************************************************** Phil Ratcliffe has spent more than 30 years working across corporate real estate, facilities management, project delivery, and advisory. Before joining Code Advisory as a Director in 2023, he spent more than 20 years at Procore UK, including several years leading the business as Managing Director. Today, Phil works with organisations through Code Advisory on challenges including operating models, technology, transformation, benchmarking, and how CRE and FM teams need to evolve for the future. A recurring principle behind his work is deceptively simple: understand the problem before choosing the solution. In this conversation, we go beyond CRE to unpack the lessons behind building a successful professional services business: how Phil approaches winning clients, establishing credibility, turning engagements into long-term relationships, leading teams, and adapting an advisory firm as AI and technology reshape both client problems and the way professional services are delivered. Proposed Interview Structure: 1. You’ve spent more than 30 years in professional services, including over two decades at Procore and now as a Director at Code Advisory. How did you originally get into the business, and what kept you in it? 2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve through Code Advisory today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally? 3. Who are your ideal clients at Code Advisory, and within those organisations, who usually holds the decision to bring you in and hire the firm? 4. In a specialist advisory business where reputation and trust matter so much, how are clients typically finding Code Advisory today, and what have you found works best for consistently generating new opportunities? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Speaking, engagements network Sub Question: What do you think about podcasts as a marketing and trust-building tool for professional services firms like yours? 5. When a potential client comes into your world, how do you take them from an initial conversation to trusting Code Advisory enough to bring you in, particularly when you’re selling expertise rather than a tangible product? 6. Once you’ve won a client, what do you do to make sure they keep coming back, and what have you learned over the years about building client relationships that last? 7. Where do you find yourself most challenged right now as a leader at Code Advisory, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years? ********************************************************** Know more about Phil Ratcliffe Website Link: https://www.code-advisory.com Connect with Phil Ratcliffe on LinkedIn LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-ratcliffe-5257773 Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast: https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

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 ********************************************************************** Matthias Muehlbauer has spent the last decade working across consulting, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and strategy in Australia, Japan, and the United States. Today, he is Co-Founder and COO/CTO of OnePointFive, where he helps organizations turn complex sustainability challenges into practical strategies and implementation. OnePointFive has built its business across both advisory and education. The firm works with organizations on climate strategy, emissions measurement, decarbonization, climate finance, organizational design, and sustainability training. Its Academy has trained more than 14,000 professionals across 70+ countries, while the business has expanded its reach across the US, Europe, Asia, Brazil, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia. More recently, Matthias and his team have followed client demand into the intersection of sustainability and AI, working on areas such as AI emissions measurement, responsible AI policy, and workforce capability. Proposed Interview Structure: 1. You’ve worked across strategy, investing, entrepreneurship, and climate. What led you to build OnePointFive, and when did you realize there was a real professional services business to build around this problem? 2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve through OnePointFive today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally? 3. Who are your ideal clients today, and within those organizations, who usually holds the decision to bring OnePointFive in and hire you? 4. You’ve built a visible brand around climate, AI, education, events, and thought leadership. What has worked best for getting OnePointFive in front of the right clients and consistently generating new business? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Cold outreach Sub Question: Given how much your business already relies on expertise and education, what do you think about podcasting as a marketing and trust-building tool for professional services firms? 5. Your work can involve complex problems, multiple stakeholders, and long buying cycles. Once a potential client is interested, how do you build enough trust and momentum to turn that conversation into an engagement? 6. Once you’ve won a client, what do you do to make sure they keep coming back and that the relationship develops into a long-term partnership rather than a one-off project? 7. Where do you find yourself most challenged right now as a founder and leader of a growing professional services firm, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years? ********************************************************** Know more about Matthias Muehlbauer Website Link: http://www.opf.degree Connect with Matthias Muehlbauer on LinkedIn LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthiasmuehlbauer/ Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast: https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

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 ********************************************************************** Zannah Ryabchuk is CEO of Breakthrough Global, a professional services firm focused on business growth, leadership, and culture transformation. Over the past 14 years, she has worked with executive teams and organisations including Nomad Foods, JDE Peet’s, Coty, and Reckitt. Her journey through Breakthrough gives her an unusual perspective on growing and leading a services business. She has worked across communications, client management, client services, and leadership before becoming CEO in 2023, giving her firsthand experience of both delivering the work and running the firm behind it. In this conversation, we’ll get into the business behind Breakthrough: who they serve, how they win large organisations, what turns an initial engagement into a long-term client relationship, and the challenges of leading and growing the firm. We’ll also explore how Zannah thinks about marketing, sales, thought leadership, and where she sees the biggest opportunities ahead. Proposed Interview Structure: 1. You’ve gone from working across different roles within Breakthrough to becoming CEO. How did you get into this business in the first place, and what made you want to build your career around it? 2. What specific problem does Breakthrough help clients solve today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally? 3. Who are your ideal clients today, and within those organisations, who typically holds the decision to bring Breakthrough in? 4. You’ve built relationships with some very large global organisations. How do those clients typically find Breakthrough, and what has been most effective for generating new business? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral Sub Question: You also co-host 3 Lessons from Breakthrough Leaders. What role has the podcast played in building the Breakthrough brand and relationships with potential clients, and what do you think about podcasting as a marketing tool for professional services firms? 5. When you’re selling transformation work into a large organisation, what does the journey from first conversation to signed engagement typically look like, and what have you learned about building trust during that process? 6. Once you’ve won a client, what do you do to make sure they keep coming back? How have you approached turning individual engagements into long-term client relationships? 7. As CEO of Breakthrough today, where do you find yourself most challenged when it comes to growing and leading the firm, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years? ********************************************************** Know more about Zannah Ryabchuk Website Link: https://breakthroughglobal.com/us/homepage-us Connect with Zannah Ryabchuk on LinkedIn LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zannah-robinson-ryabchuk/ Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast: https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

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 ********************************************************************** Joy Youell has spent roughly two decades studying how humans communicate and, more recently, how AI communicates. Her background includes serving as chief content consultant on a large-scale LLM development project, advising on how an early language model interacted with users, and leading an LLM development team. Today, Joy runs Winsome Marketing, where her team helps professional services firms implement AI alongside SEO, content, thought leadership, and growth strategy. Her work has supported more than 200 mid-market and enterprise organizations, giving her a practical view of what it takes to turn emerging technology into something clients and teams can actually use. Joy is also the owner of ACE, an AI reskilling platform for growth professionals, as well as Hire a Writer and Winsome PR. Having built businesses across AI, marketing, training, content, and PR, Joy brings the perspective of both a specialist and a professional services founder: how do you stay ahead of major changes in your market while continuing to win clients, develop your team, and build a firm designed to last? Proposed Interview Structure: 1. You’ve gone from working on large-scale LLM development to building several businesses across AI, marketing, PR, and training. What originally pulled you into professional services, and what made you decide to build your own firm? 2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally? 3. Who are your ideal clients today, and within those organizations, who usually holds the decision to bring you in and hire your firm? 4. You’ve built businesses around SEO, content, thought leadership, PR, and now AI. How are clients typically finding Winsome today, and what has worked best for consistently generating new business for the firm? Current Acquisition Channels: Referral Sub Question: Given your background in content and thought leadership, what do you think about podcasts as a marketing and authority-building tool for professional services firms? 5. When a potential client comes to you knowing they need help with AI or growth but isn’t completely sure what they need yet, how do you take that relationship from an initial conversation to a signed engagement? 6. Once you’ve won a client, what do you do to keep them coming back and build the kind of long-term relationship where Winsome becomes a trusted partner rather than a one-off provider? 7. With Winsome, ACE, Hire a Writer, and Winsome PR all growing in different directions, where do you find yourself most challenged right now as a professional services founder, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years? ********************************************************** Know more about Joy Youell Website Link: https://winsomemarketing.com Connect with Joy Youell on LinkedIn LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-youell-a3b1279b Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast: https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/