A Better HR Business

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben speaks with Magnus Wood, Founder & Board Adviser of Wild Leadership, a company helping founders and senior leaders who have been quietly domesticated by the organizations they run to get their edge back. Magnus Wood is a board adviser, leadership thinker, and former CMO with more than 30 years of experience across global businesses and startups. His career has spanned roles from Managing Director to Chief Marketing Officer, most recently as CMO and board director of a PE-backed business. His work explores what happens when leaders become too shaped by the organisations they lead—when caution replaces conviction, and “being sensible” starts to mean saying what will land rather than what needs to be said. Through his work with CEOs and leadership teams, Magnus focuses on what is genuinely getting in the way, rather than simply treating the commercial symptoms. His approach, which he calls Wild Leadership, challenges conventional organisational thinking and encourages leaders to become more grounded, courageous, and fully themselves. Magnus shares his thinking through essays, a podcast, and a book currently in development. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How to recognize and overcome “domestication” as a consultant or senior leader. Why finding your niche and reclaiming your unique edge helps attract the right consulting clients. How AI tools can empower HR and workplace consultants to save time, add value, and stand out in the market. Episode highlights: Magnus’s professional background and the inspiration behind Wild Leadership. The concept of domestication and how leaders can lose their edge over time. Practical steps (the “3 moves”) leaders can take to regain authenticity and impact. Real-world examples of self-editing and how it affects leadership and team dynamics. Types of services Magnus provides for CEOs, boards, and senior teams, including the consigliere role and workshops. An overview of the Bearings program for individuals at career crossroads. How Magnus helps clients identify unique strengths and market opportunities. The importance of finding a niche and marketing to it rather than offering broad, generic services. Balancing personal fulfillment with organizational effectiveness. Developing products and standalone tools by identifying real market needs. Repurposing processes for different audiences, such as team tools and individual programs. Leveraging AI tools (like Claude) for business and creative growth. Advice for consultants on choosing marketing channels and standing out from the crowd. Using a “council” of virtual advisors to spark creativity and diversify perspectives. Marketing and Business Growth: Magnus focuses on value-driven marketing by consistently writing insightful content on Substack and refining his messaging to resonate deeply with his target audience. He emphasizes the power of finding and speaking to a specific niche rather than broad audiences, utilizes lead magnets like the free version of Bearings, and experiments with less crowded channels such as Facebook for B2B advertising. Additionally, Magnus embraces AI to enhance productivity, streamline operations, and generate new ideas, freeing valuable time for strategic tasks. Resources & Links Mentioned: Company’s website: www.wildleadership.co Magnus’ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/magnuswood Check out this B2B podcast launch service. About The A Better HR Business Podcast The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes. For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here: www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Busine

Group coaching is becoming a bigger part of leadership development, but it is still often confused with training, mentoring, or simply putting several people into the same coaching session. In this episode of A Better HR Business, I speak with Dominique Mas, Co-Founder and CEO, and Priscilla Lavoie, Head of Marketing at Group Coaching HQ. Group Coaching HQ works with HR, talent, L&D, and internal coaching teams to design, run, and grow group coaching programmes inside organisations. Dominique and Priscilla explain what effective group coaching looks like, where it can have the greatest impact, and how organisations can measure results without undermining trust within the group. We also discuss how Group Coaching HQ is growing through events, speaking, founder-led content, and other personal, trust-based forms of marketing. Priscilla explains how the company tracks its marketing activity and supports HR and L&D buyers at different stages of the buying process. In this episode, we discuss: What group coaching is and how it differs from training and mentoring Why it works particularly well for new managers and senior leaders How it can improve leadership skills, connection, and retention How to collect useful data while protecting trust and psychological safety How organisations can measure the business impact and ROI Why human, trust-based marketing is working well for Group Coaching HQ Dominique also shares findings from Group Coaching HQ’s 2026 study, including the growing use of group coaching for leadership development and the need for clear programme structures and evidence of business value. About Group Coaching HQ Group Coaching HQ helps organisations create group coaching programmes that bring people together, improve leadership skills, and give more employees access to coaching. Its work includes consulting, programme design, coach training, ICF-approved group coaching certification, and the delivery of fully managed group coaching programmes. Links Group Coaching HQ Dominique Mas on LinkedIn Priscilla Lavoie on LinkedIn Listen to A Better HR Business on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the Get More HR Clients website. Check out this B2B podcast launch service. About The A Better HR Business Podcast The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes. For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here: www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business? Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben speaks with Cary Sparrow, Founder and CEO of WageScape, a labor market intelligence company transforming how organizations understand hiring, pay, and workforce trends through real-time AI-powered data. A former U.S. Navy nuclear submarine officer, Cary has more than 35 years of leadership experience spanning engineering, global consulting, and HR analytics, including executive roles at Willis Towers Watson and Cargill. He is passionate about using data, technology, and high-performing teams to solve complex workforce challenges and help organizations make smarter, more confident decisions. WageScape delivers real-time labor market and compensation intelligence through one of the largest continuously updated workforce datasets available. Its AI-powered platform helps organizations gain deeper insights into hiring demand, pay trends, and talent markets across the globe, enabling better workforce planning, business strategy, and AI-driven decision-making with reliable, high-quality data. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: A smarter approach to client acquisition by leveraging current labor market insights. The specific consulting use cases powered by real-time wage and hiring data. How Cary Sparrow built WageScape—and why trust and partnerships are at the heart of marketing and business growth. Episode highlights: Cary’s career journey: from US Navy officer to HR analytics leader to tech entrepreneur. The inspiration behind founding WageScape and how it answers long-standing HR compensation questions. What WageScape does and the global scale of its labor market intelligence platform. Typical use cases for WageScape’s data across HR, consulting, and financial services. The challenge and value of collecting and cleaning real-time pay and hiring data. How WageScape’s approach removes the pain of outdated manual compensation research. The importance of curated, high-quality data versus relying on generic AI-generated answers. How consultants and consulting firms use WageScape to improve services, margins, and client retention. Strategies for client retention and delivering consistent value. Marketing & growth: Building awareness through partnerships rather than traditional marketing funnels, and the benefits of value-based co-marketing. Giving away limited data access as a deliberate marketing and trust-building strategy. Advice for HR tech founders on modern marketing, trust, and partnering within the crowded information space. Marketing and Business Growth: Cary explains that WageScape, as a self-funded company, focuses on building targeted partnerships instead of traditional (and expensive) mass marketing. By aligning with industry leaders, providing valuable data, and leveraging the trust that established partners have with their audiences, WageScape efficiently extends its reach and drives growth. Giving away useful sample data through associations and industry channels acts as both a marketing funnel and ongoing brand builder. Resources & Links Mentioned: Company’s website: www.wagescape.com Cary’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carysparrow Thanks, Cary! Check out this B2B podcast launch service. About The A Better HR Business Podcast The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes. For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here: www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business? Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podca

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben speaks with Caroline Dowling, Executive Coach and founder of Zeal Compass. Caroline Dowling is helping senior leaders navigate the challenges of organisational change with greater clarity and confidence. After more than 20 years at Google, where she led global teams across Dublin and Silicon Valley, she understands that the toughest leadership challenges are rarely technical - they are human. Drawing on her experience in high-pressure technology environments, Caroline helps leaders move from reactive decision-making to grounded, intentional leadership. Her coaching creates the space for reflection, enabling clients to strengthen their self-awareness, emotional resilience, and ability to lead others through complexity. Rather than offering prescriptive advice, Caroline works alongside leaders as a trusted thinking partner, helping them uncover their own solutions. She believes that the most effective leadership begins with understanding people, because no matter how advanced the technology, meaningful progress is always driven by humans. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How to leverage your internal coaching experience to find your first consulting clients Practical steps for transitioning from corporate roles to running a workplace consulting business Caroline’s unique lessons in experimenting, personal branding, and using LinkedIn as a consulting marketing tool Episode highlights: Why focusing on human relationships is essential for successful change management, and why neglecting this often leads to failure. Caroline’s accidental entry into the tech sector, and early days at Google Ireland. Learning about change in both organisational and personal contexts, and why coaching became her long-term path. How coaching roles evolved within Google, including using an internal platform to connect leaders with coaching mentees. The transition from career coaching to focusing on leadership development, and why supporting other leaders became Caroline’s main focus. How the concept of Zeal Compass was born to support leaders finding meaning and navigating transition. The long, experimental journey from tech leadership to launching an independent coaching business, including study, introspection, and small-scale trials. The structure of leaving a corporate career, including internal role pivots, network conversations, and planning a smooth transition. Shaping a commercial coaching proposition, identifying target clients, setting prices, and the importance of feedback and positioning. Building a first client base through tech industry credibility, referrals, and associate partnerships. Lessons for those facing redundancy or rapid career change - how to learn, unlearn, and rebuild a support network Marketing and Business Growth: Caroline described her approach to growing her business as practical and experimental. She invested in learning the fundamentals through a "Start Your Own Business" course, reconnected with LinkedIn as a key platform for building her profile, and announced her move into executive coaching to her professional network. She also emphasised the value of attending industry events, building genuine relationships, and leaning on her network for support and opportunities. Her experience offers practical insights for senior leaders considering a similar career transition or navigating change in their own organisations. Resources & Links Mentioned: Company's website: www.zealcompass.com Caroline's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-dowling Check out this B2B podcast launch service. About The A Better HR Business Podcast The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben and his guest, John Barron, Co-Founder & CEO of GoChallenge, explore how a gamified movement platform is helping teams boost wellbeing, deepen engagement, and build stronger company cultures. GoChallenge is a science-backed HR tech platform that uses team-based movement challenges to improve employee wellbeing, prevent burnout, and strengthen workplace culture. It helps HR and People & Culture leaders increase engagement and build more connected hybrid teams through simple daily physical activity that fits into the workday. Unlike traditional fitness apps, GoChallenge is designed specifically for organisations - requiring no gym, equipment, or extra time outside work routines. Trusted by organisations such as Tirlan, DocuSign, Gartner, Red Hat, and Three Ireland, GoChallenge delivers measurable impact across wellbeing, performance, and retention. Users report reduced stress and improved productivity, while companies see stronger cross-team connections and alignment with ESG and CSR goals. The platform is easy to deploy at scale and is built on behavioural science to make workplace wellbeing both effective and engaging. You’ll hear practical strategies for how to attract HR consulting clients, running a workplace consulting business, and business growth strategies for consultants. Whether you identify as HR, workplace, L&D, OD, recruitment, or people & culture, you’ll discover real stories and actionable advice to attract clients, win contracts, and grow sustainably. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Insights on the power of movement-based challenges to build workplace connection and engagement How to use inclusive wellbeing programs to appeal to HR and people & culture leaders Lessons from GoChallenge’s growth - scaling through values-led marketing, partnerships, and proven client results Episode highlights: The inspiration behind GoChallenge and the real obstacles to regular exercise. Building movement, motivation, support, and accountability into workplace initiatives. The role of meaningful workplace connection - why it’s essential for wellbeing and performance. Employee stories: From workplace rivalry to authentic relationships through team challenges. How GoChallenge works for employers: challenge formats, inclusivity, and rewards. Creating a level playing field to boost engagement across all abilities. Bringing company values to life and examples of running challenges globally. Marketing and business development: blending conferences, LinkedIn, partnerships, and charity tie-ins. Outbound selling and value-driven messaging to busy HR professionals. Practical challenges of scaling, integrating with existing platforms, and keeping things simple for buyers. The role of internal comms teams and having a plug-and-play “playbook” for successful implementation. Marketing and Business Growth: John outlines a two-pronged approach to growing GoChallenge: attending conferences and events for traditional networking and lead generation, alongside leveraging the visibility of successful client challenges on LinkedIn, often with video content and charity partnerships. The GoChallenge team uses targeted outbound email, focusing on company values and pain points. They emphasize the importance of being easy to work with and integrating seamlessly with existing HR and comms tech stacks. Plans for further growth include partnering with benefits providers and health insurers for wider distribution. Resources & Links Mentioned: Company’s website: www.gochallenge.com John’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnrbarron Thanks, John! Check out this B2B podcast launch service. About The A Better HR Business Podcast The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients. Follow the show on Apple Podc