Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

Umbrex member C.V. Ramachandran has three decades of consulting experience, having served as a senior leader at Booz Allen Hamilton, A.T. Kearney, AlixPartners, and Accenture. Today he runs his own consulting practice focused on digital transformation. In our discussion, C.V. shares a perspective on the impact the coronavirus will have on B2C and B2B businesses. To follow up with C.V., connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cv-ramachandran/

In a matter of days, Umbrex member Kaihan Krippendorf has organized a fantastic event to support the fight against COVID-19: the 2020 Outthinker Virtual Summit. 100% of the proceeds will go to charities working on COVID-19. Kaihan has lined up 20 amazing speakers who have each agreed to donate an hour of their time to providing a perspective on the crisis and answering questions. This online event is taking place April 6 and 7, and I definitely encourage you to check out the website and consider signing up. If you attend live, you'll be able to submit questions to the speakers. If you can't attend every session, they'll be available afterwards for registered attendees. Listeners of this show can use the discount code UNLEASHED30 to get a 30% discount (disclosure statement: I do not receive a referral fee.) Read more at: https://summit.outthinkerroundtables.com/ In this episode, Kaihan explains how he and his team pulled the summit together so quickly, and provides tips on how you can set up something similar yourself – perhaps a summit for your industry or a functional area where you focus. Kaihan discusses the technology tools used to pull it together, including: Zoom – Webinar version Ticket Tailor to sell the tickets Stripe and PayPal to collect payment Squarespace for the summit's web page Doodle to coordinate speaker schedules

Daniel Weiner is a prominent attorney with forty years of experience serving companies in distress, guiding them through restructuring efforts. He is widely published on the subject of bankruptcy, including co-author of the Collier Bankruptcy Practice Guide and contributing author to Bankruptcy and Its Impact on LLC Membership Interests, published by The Institute of Continuing Legal Education. In today's episode, Weiner provides a broad overview of how restructuring works, and then in the second half suggests some specific steps for owners of small businesses impacted by the global pandemic. To learn more about his work, visit http://www.schaferandweiner.com/

If you are looking to stay productive while between projects, one way to use the time productively is to invest time in creating or improving the marketing collateral of your firm. In this episode, I share 14 recommendations. I mention some previous episodes of this show in my discussion, including: Episode 211: LinkedIn Profile Best Practices Episode 235: Mark Williams on creating an amazing LinkedIn profile Episode 140: Creating a project list Episode 121: Creating a portfolio of sanitized work

If you are looking to stay productive while between projects, one area to invest time is setting up technology tools for your practice. In this episode, I share 17 recommendations. I mention some previous episodes of this show in my discussion, including: Episode 172: David A Fields on setting up a CRM system Episode 236: Evernote Episode 237: MixMax Episode 73: Calendly

MixMax is a tool that plugs into Gmail or G-Suite email and provides you with email superpowers. In this episode I discuss the incredible capabilities of this tool, including sending sequences with automated follow-ups, finding out who has opened your emails and when, and scheduling emails to get sent at some future time. Sign up for MixMax at www.mixmax.com

I highly recommend Evernote - it is far more than a note-taking app. You can also clip websites, save voice memos, store emails, and many more. In this short episode I give some examples of how I use Evernote. Sign up for your own Evernote account at www.evernote.com

Mark Williams, aka 'Mr. LinkedIn', is the host of one of my favorite podcasts, LinkedInFormed - I've listened to dozens of episodes, and much of what I know about LinkedIn I know from Mark. In this episode, Mark provides tips on key aspects of the LinkedIn profile: the headline, the photo, the about section, and the experience section. At one point I mention a specific episode of LinkedInFormed on the types of posts that engage. That one is Episode 242, and it would be a great episode to start with if you haven't heard this show before. You might also check out Episode 211 of Unleashed, in which I share my perspective on each aspect of the LinkedIn profile.

Umbrex has set of a task force to help small businesses navigate the coronavirus pandemic. We'd love to get your help across these workstreams: 1. Create the content for the playbook 2. Design and publish the playbook (as a wiki? website? TBD) 3. Recruit coaches and consultants 4. Spread the word to business owners who need help 5. Administration of a database and reporting 6. Outreach to partner organizations and government 7. Legal advice on NDAs, employment law, etc.

Our guest today is Umbrex member Susan Drumm, a BCG alum and the CEO of Meritage Leadership Development. Susan has extensive experience in running virtual meetings via videoconference, and in today's episode she shares a set of tips to make virtual meetings more effective. Susan is publishing an article on this very topic tomorrow, March 16, and you can find that article and more of her writing at www.meritageleadership.com/blog If you find some value in this episode, I encourage you to check out Episode 65 of this show, in which Susan provides tips on facilitating high-impact offsite events. In that episode our discussion focused more on content, which in today's discussion we focus more on tactical aspects of running a virtual meeting. In today's episode I suggest that someone on each meeting be designated to send a recap email; I discuss recap emails in more detail in Episode 203. I also mention the real-time polling tool Mentimeter, and to learn more about that tool, check out Episode 53 in which I interview Johnny Warstrom, the CEO of Mentimeter. To get your own account, visit www.mentimeter.com

Our guest today is Rhona Silverbush, co- author of Speak the Speech!: Shakespeare's Monologues Illuminated. Rhona teaches small-group classes and privates one-on-one coaching to actors on how to speak the language of Shakespeare. You don't need to be a professional actor to work with Rhona: some of her students are members of the regular public who just want to get a better appreciation of the plays – and there is no better way to do that than reading the plays aloud in a group. She periodically hosts a play-reading circle in New York City, and if you are interested to learn more, check out her website: http://www.rhonasilverbush.com/

Our guest today is Jay Charkow, President of International Tariff Management. For several years I've been wanting to understand the basics around tariffs. In the New York Times or Wall Street Journal, usually all you get is some very broad statement such as "the Administration has imposed a new round of tariffs on goods imported from China." I wanted to ask some basic questions: do Americans pay tariffs on goods imported from any country? Does the tariff vary by country? How much are the tariffs, and how are they calculated? Does the tariff vary by the type of good? What if you import some parts, make a good, and then export it? What if you import a part into Mexico, do some processing in Mexico, and then import the good into the US? Do we have trade deals with every country? If not, which ones do we have a deal with? If we don't have a special deal with the country, how much tariff do we pay? How much tariff do other countries charge when the U.S. exports goods? What are the details behind the Trump trade war with China. In this conversation, Jay answers many of these questions. To learn more about Jay's firm, visit: https://www.tariffmanagement.com/

Our guest today is Andrea Bonime-Blanc, a leading global expert in the area of risk management, and the author of five books, including the recently published Gloom to Boom: How Leaders Transform Risk Into Resilience and Value. Gloom to Boom expands the traditional risk-management framework of ESG, which stands for environmental, social, and governance risks, by adding technological risks, so the acronym gets expanded to ESGT. In our discussion today we talk about her latest book and her work consulting to Board Directors on risk management. To learn more about her practice, visit https://gecrisk.com/

Our guest today is McKinsey alum Gaurav Bhatnagar. Gaurav is the Founding Partner of Co-Creation Partners, where he leads cultural transformations for his clients. In this episode, Gaurav explains to me what a cultural transformation is, what you actually look at during a cultural diagnostic, and what sort of tools his firm uses to drive change in an organization's culture. To learn more about his firm, visit http://www.cocreationpartners.com/

For executives who are thinking about becoming a consultant in a year or two, a time investment of two hours per week now can dramatically improve your chances of success when you launch your practice.

Our guest today is Jim McEachern, an independent consultant who has been working with the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (or ATIS) on developing technology to cut down on robocalls. For years I've been wondering why telecommunications companies haven't done more to eliminate robocalls, so when I saw Jim quoted in a New York Times article about this work, I reached out to him. I was so pleased that he agreed to be on the show to talk about his work and explain to me how spoofing works and why the existing technology has made it hard to fight robocalls. I also learned a practical tip: whenever I get a robocall, I have been blocking that phone number on my phone. Jim explained to me that I'm probably just wasting my time, since robocallers often use a different spoofed number on each outbound call. In the show notes, you will find a link to the NYT article where I first heard of Jim's work, a link to the ATIS website that has more info on the protocols Jim discusses on this show, and Jim's LinkedIn profile https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/22/technology/personaltech/robocalls-call-blocking.html https://www.atis.org/sti-ga/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mceachern-9644591/

In this video edition of Unleashed, Michael Sorrentino provides Will Bachman with an introduction to media training. No one is a natural in front of a videocamera, because you need to speak in an unnatural way and hold yourself in an unnatural position if you want to look normal. If you have invested time and effort to build up your visibility and expect to be appearing on camera, it is a worthwhile investment to obtain media training from a professional so that in your few minutes on screen you make a good impression. (Will Bachman will need a lot more than 1 session.) Michael Sorrentino's studio is located in the heart of Manhattan, and if you are interested in getting training from him for yourself or a member of your team, visit his firm's website: https://www.sorrentinomedia.com/

Our guest today is Liliana Petrova, who runs The Petrova Experience, a consulting firm that helps brands build differentiated experiences and leverage technology to increase customer loyalty, efficiencies and revenue. Liliana was previously the Director of Customer Experience at JetBlue Airways, and on this episode we discuss some of the culture driven behind-the-scenes decisions that set JetBlue apart – including the blue potato chips and the free wifi. Then we discuss some of her more recent work, including an effort to map out and then improve the experience of fans at a sports arena. To learn more about her firm visit thepetrovaexperience.com Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilianapetrova/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LilianaPetrova Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepetrovaexperience/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Petrova-Experience-419743838814954/?view_public_for=419743838814954

Today's guest is McKinsey alum and Umbrex member Tineke Keesmaat, who is based in Toronto. Tineke's firm works with ambitious leaders and she is known for her unique blend of world-class strategy, organizational change, and people leadership. Tineke was recently awared with a MacKay Canada CEO's Trusted Advisor Award, recognizes the contributions that Trusted Advisors make in the leadership field to enable Canadian businesses to succeed. You can learn more about her firm's work on their website, which is extraordinarily well designed: http://tiltco.ca/

In my conversations with independent consultants, a common question I get is how to generate more business. There are a lot of things one could POTENTIALLY do to generate more revenue, and some people flail around putting effort into initiatives that may have a low return on investment. Of course we all want to put our time and energy into areas with a relatively high return on investment, and I've found that it is useful to break down all the possible factors into what I call the Consulting Revenue Equation. Also check out Episode 221, in which I discuss with David A. Fields some ways to increase your conversion rate.

Our guest today is Michael Ryan, whose headline on LinkedIn is a great example of a fishing line: "Helping B2B Manufacturers Optimize Inventory and Operations to Increase Cash Flow" In this episode, we explore Michael's work on inventory issues. Michael is certainly in the top 1% of people I know in how he has been using LinkedIn to build a brand. Michael has posted every day on LinkedIn for six months, and his posts are always on-brand, always related to inventory management. In the second half of this show we discuss how Michael has been using LinkedIn, and the impact this investment has had on this business. Definitely check out his profile – it is a fantastic example of someone who really gets LinkedIn and social selling: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isolveproblems/ To learn more about his business, visit www.mryangroup.com

Today we welcome back David A. Fields, the author of The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients: 6 Steps to Unlimited Clients & Financial Freedom. David was my very first guest, on Episode 1, when we covered many of the topics in his book. https://www.umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-1-david-fields-on-winning-clients/ In Episode 170, David shared tips on how to make outbound calls: https://www.umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-170-david-fields-on-how-to-make-outbound-calls/ In Episode 172, David explained how to set up a CRM system for a small consulting practice: https://www.umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-172-david-fields-on-how-to-set-up-a-crm-system/ And in Episode 190, David discussed what makes for a successful consulting partnership: https://www.umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-190-david-fields-on-what-makes-for-a-successful-consulting-partnership/ In today's episode, David and I riff on tips to increase the chances of converting a possible consulting opportunity into a confirmed project. Definitely buy David's book if you haven't already, and check out his website, davidafields.com. I love his weekly blog posts and if you visit his blog and scroll down, you can sign up to get his blog posts delivered right to your inbox – it is the first email I read every Wednesday morning.

Our guest today is Paul Millerd, who has been on the show before, on Episode 62. It was great to welcome Paul back to hear what he has been up to. I'm so inspired by Paul, who has been incredibly deliberate about designing a life. He has built a practice that allows him to work completely remotely, and recently left home in Boston to spend a stretch of time working in Bali and then in Japan and now in Taiwan. He has developed several online courses with over 4,500 students on Udemy alone, he writes a very popular weekly newsletter that I love, and he is incredibly generous with his time: on his website you can book time to have a "curiosity conversation" with Paul; he has spoken with hundreds of people around the world who have reached out to him in this way. Check out Paul's website, think-boundless.com Follow him on Twitter @p_millerd Check out the consulting skills course he created at strategy.co https://strategyu.co/ Paul has written one of the most authoritative articles on the evolution of consulting talent platforms, and I'll include a link to that piece in the show notes: https://think-boundless.com/the-failed-promise-of-freelance-consulting-talent-platforms/ Email me at [email protected] and I'll add send you the weekly Unleashed email that includes a summary of each episode and bonus material.

Ripa Rashid is the Managing Director at Culture At Work, which works with Global 500 organizations to build cultural change strategies to maximize their Diversity and Inclusion efforts while generating positive business results. Ripa is the coauthor of three books: Disrupt Bias, Drive Value (Center for Talent Innovation, 2017), Growing Global Executives: The New Competencies (Center for Talent Innovation, 2015), and Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets: Why Women Are the Solution (Harvard Business Review Press, 2011) She is featured often in the media as a thought leader, and has appeared on BBC, NPR, CNN, CNBC, Harvard Business Review, and Bloomberg. She is cited widely in mainstream and management publications such as The Economist, Forbes, Huffington Post, Newsweek, New York Times, Washington Post, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, HR Matters and South China Morning Post. In this episode Ripa explains to me what the research shows on the benefits of increasing diversity in the workplace, and what diversity and inclusion initiatives tend to be the most successful.

Nir Eyal was my guest on Episode 200 of this show. I found his message so important that I asked Nir to discuss his latest book, Indistractable, at an Umbrex Presents event, which took place October 28, 2019. This episode is Nir's complete live talk to a capacity crowd at StandUpNY, followed by a Q&A period. Subscribers of the weekly Unleashed email receive private invitations to register for Umbrex Presents events before the general public. To subscribe, email [email protected]

In Episode 213, Will Bachman discussed how to source experts for interviews - either using an expert network or by doing the work yourself. Listener Gary C. asked if consultants should sign up with expert networks as the one to be interviewed. This episode answers his question, in three parts: Will your expertise be useful to the people who are asking the questions Are you likely to get selected for an interview What are the costs and benefits of joining as an expert – so is it worth your time To connect with Will Bachman on LinkedIn, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willbachman/ Every week we send out an email to subscribers with summaries of each Unleashed episode, transcripts, and bonus materials. To sign up, email [email protected]

David Minifie is the Chief Experience Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Centene Corporation. Centene is a Fortune 500 company that provides a portfolio of services to government sponsored healthcare programs. In this episode, David explains to me the role and responsibilities of a Chief Experience Officer, which includes and expands the responsibilities he previously held as the Chief Marketing Officer. You can learn more about Centene on their website, centene.com And you can see more of David's background on his LinkedIn profile – a link is in the show notes. https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-david-minifie-50250a/ Each week we send an email with summaries of the latest Unleashed episodes, transcripts of each episode, and bonus materials. To subscribe, email [email protected] To connect with Will Bachman on LinkedIn, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/willbachman/

What should you say when you are meeting for the first time with an individual at a client you are already serving? Here's the approach I've used the past few years: "I'd be happy to provide context on the project, but I don't want to go over material you are already familiar with. What have you already heard about this effort?" In this episode, I explain why I use that question. Every week I send out an email with summaries of each Unleashed episode, transcripts of each episode, and often some bonus material. If you'd like to receive it, send me a note at [email protected]

I was chatting with an independent consultant at an event last night, and he told me, "I'm having a hard time finding project opportunities, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've got three decades of experience, so usually if I sit down with someone and talk to them about their business, I'm able to find a way that I can be helpful, but I'm not getting the opportunity to have those conversations." This short episode was my response. Every week I send out an email with summaries of each Unleashed episode, transcripts of each episode, and often some bonus material. If you'd like to receive it, send me a note at [email protected]

In this episode, Will Bachman explains how to source experts to interview for a consulting project. The episode covers: 1) How to work with expert networks such as AlphaSights, GLG, and Third Bridge and 2) How to source experts on your own using LinkedIn and other channels We cover: - How to identify the populations to be sourced - How to work with a researcher to generate a list of targets - How much to pay experts - Whether to record the call - Detailed tips on a Google tracking sheet Bonus material: To receive a sample tracking sheet, sign up for the weekly Unleashed email by emailing Will Bachman at [email protected]

Umbrex member Ushma Pandya is the Co-Founder and Partner at Think Zero Inc, an environmental consulting firm supporting businesses' waste reduction and diversion goals. In this episode, Ushma walks me through the stages of a typical waste reduction project, and shares some of the surprising things she has found in the recycling bin. You can learn more about her firm at: https://thinkzerollc.com/ To receive the weekly Unleashed email that includes a summary of each episode, transcripts, and bonus features, send Will Bachman an email at [email protected]

In this episode Will Bachman covers: Which type of LinkedIn Premium subscription should you get Tips on posting LinkedIn articles and posts Recommendations on each element of your LinkedIn profile, including: Photo Name Headline Contact info Summary section Summary section attachments Experience Experience section attachments Education Skills Interests Recommendations received and given For more on LinkedIn, check out the LinkedInformed podcast with Mark Williams. Episode 242, covering effective LinkedIn posts, is a great place to start: https://linkedinformed.com/episode242/ Will has summarized all these tips in a checklist - email Will Bachman at [email protected] and he'll send you a copy of that checklist and add you to the weekly Unleashed email, which includes a summary of each episode, transcripts of each episode, and other bonus features.

McKinsey alum Raghav Nandagopal is the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Mergers and Acquisitions at Ascensus Incorporated. In today's episode, Raghav explains how he build an M&A group to complete acquisitions at scale at Ascensus. Ascensus is the largest independent retirement and college savings services provider in the U.S. with over $163 billion in assets under management, you can find out more about them at ascensus.com You can find out more about Raghav's background on his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raghavnandagopal/ If you'd like to receive the transcript of each episode plus other bonus features right in your inbox, email Will Bachman at [email protected]

Tom Schwab runs Interview Valet, a firm that helps its clients get booked on targeted podcasts where they can speak directly to their ideal customers. In this episode, Tom shares his perspective on why being a guest on a podcast is a great way to raise your visibility How to prepare for an interview How to promote the interview How to work with a podcast interview booking firm like his And How to get invited on shows if you want to do it yourself You can learn more about Interview Valet on their website, https://interviewvalet.com/ And if you want to connect with Tom, his LinkedIn URL is in the show notes https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasmschwab/ If you'd like to receive Unleashed bonus features, email Will Bachman at [email protected] to receive the weekly Unleashed email.

Jake Jorgovan turns consultants into thought leaders through content marketing. Jake's firm, Content Allies, works with consultants who have deep industry or functional knowledge, but who simply don't have the time to sit down and get that knowledge onto paper. A writer from his team interviews the client to get a brain dump on a particular topic, and then they write the blog post or the white paper for the client. Let's say you've got a lot of industry knowledge and experience, but you You can learn more about Content Allies on their website, contentallies.com And you can learn more about Jake on his own website, https://jake-jorgovan.com If you'd like to receive Unleashed bonus features and summaries of each episode, email Will Bachman at [email protected]

Our guest today is Tanya Kleindienst, a culture and leadership coach based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to starting her independent consulting practice, Tanya was the Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Culture at Fifth Third Bank. In this episode, Tanya describes the roles and responsibilities of a head of corporate culture. You can connect with Tanya via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-kleindienst-6274541b/ If you'd like to receive Unleashed bonus materials in our weekly email, shoot Will Bachman a note at [email protected]

Our guest today is Michael Fertman, a marketing consultant who runs The B2B Marketing Group based in New York City. In today's episode, Michael explains the fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If you are looking to have your website ranked higher in search engine results, and SEO is a bit of a black box to you, then this episode could be a good place to start. You can learn more about Michael's work on his website, theb2bmg.com and you can find Michael on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fertman/ To receive Unleashed bonus material, subscribe to the weekly email by emailing Will Bachman at [email protected]

Our guest today is Annie Scranton, the Founder of Pace Public Relations,a full-service media relations and communications agency based in New York City. If you want to raise your visibility by getting interviewed on TV or by print journalists, this is the episode for you, since Annie explains to me the basics of how public relations work. You can find out more about Pace Public Relations on their website, pacepublicrelations.com Annie's LinkedIn URL is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniescranton/ and you can follow Annie on Twitter at @anniescranton Finally, we'd like to welcome listeners Aliyak K, James M, Aidan K, Burnes H, and Hussein A. who have recently signed up for the weekly Unleashed email. If you'd like to receive the transcript of each episode plus other bonus features right in your inbox, email Will Bachman at [email protected].

Our guest today is Clark Beecher, the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Beecher Reagan, the largest U.S. executive search firm that exclusively focuses on current and former consulting talent. In this episode Clark provides tips on how to best work with executive recruiters – both when you are looking for a new role and when you aren't. He also provides his perspective on how recruiters and employers view a stint as an independent consultant. So if you are an independent consultant considering a return to the corporate world, his tips on how to position your recent work may be particularly relevant. To learn more about Clark's firm, visit https://www.beecherreagan.com/ If you are seeking an independent consultant to support a project at your firm, or if you are interested in joining our global community of independent management consultants, email Will Bachman at [email protected]

A five-minute investment in sending a recap email can significantly improve the effectiveness of meetings and the overall outcomes on a project. In this episode, we discuss two flavors: #1: The post-meeting recap email #2: The weekly recap email If you are interested in hiring an independent consultant for one of your project needs, email Will Bachman at [email protected]

Our guest today is Avish Bhama, the CEO of Sonia, where the mission is to build Artificial Intelligence that interprets human intent, and use it to democratize access to information-flow at work. Sonia builds tools that empower you to focus on the interesting and creative nature of your work rather than the repetitive and mundane parts. When you sign up for a plan with Sonia, you get an AI tool that can dial into your phone calls, take notes, identify the action items that are agreed to in the meeting, and then send an email afterward. While this sounds a bit sci-fi, it seems that it won't be long before this sort of AI involvement in the work flow of knowledge workers will be the norm. Learn more about Sonia at Sonia.ai To request to join our global community of top-tier independent professionals, email host Will Bachman at [email protected]

Custom-made shirts and suits for men may cost a bit more than clothes off the rack, but are a much better value. Technical fashion designer Kazuki Kozuru-Salifoska explained the economics to me. For the last six years, I've bought all my shirts and suits from Latesh Kewalramani, who goes by Harry. He is making his annual swing through the United States to take measurements and orders for shirts, suits, and jackets for men. You can download his itinerary here. If you'd like to book an appointment with Harry, email him at [email protected] or call him at 662-639-1401. If your schedule doesn't permit a visit this year, email him to get added to his mailing list. Harry will be in the following cities: New York City: Sept 9-12, 2019 Philadelphia: Sept 13-14 Washington, DC: Sept 15-16 Fort Lauderdale, FL: Sept 17-18 Boston, MA: Sept 19-20 Atlanta, GA: Sept 21-22 Chicago, IL: Sept 23-24 Scottsdale, AZ: Sept 25-26 Houston: Sept 27 Dallas: Sept 28-29 Los Angeles: Sept 30-Oct 3

Our guest today Nir Eyal, author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, which has been a huge bestseller and is considered a must-read book in Silicon Valley. Nir's latest book is Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, which is being released on September 10. I've read a review copy, begun putting his recommendations into effect, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever been distracted. In today's episode, Nir shares highlights from the book, and gives a summary of his four-part approach to becoming indistractable. Nir has a bunch of free downloads that go along with the book on his website at: www.NirAndFar.com/Indistractable While you are on his site, definitely sign up for Nir's weekly email - I love it. The schedule maker tool that Nir mentions in our discussion is at: https://nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/ And distraction guide here: https://www.nirandfar.com/distractions/ If you are interested in joining a global community of top-tier independent professionals, email Will Bachman at [email protected] and please include your resume and LinkedIn URL

The New York Phi Beta Kappa Association asked me to share some tips with recent graduates in the New York City metro area as a panelist at an event this evening. I came up with a list of 48 tips and figured I'd share them here first. Some tips are probably obvious; some non-obvious tips may also be not helpful. I hope the set of non-obvious + useful tips is non-zero. To get the weekly Unleashed email that includes a summary of recent episodes and bonus material, email Will Bachman at [email protected]

Our guest today is Rima Nair, a McKinsey alum who is a Principal at IRI, a leading provider of big data, predictive analytics and forward-looking insights that help CPG, retail and media grow. In this episode, Rima explains why the largest consumer packaged goods companies subscribe to IRI's information sources, and how the world of customer insights is evolving. You can learn more about IRI at https://www.iriworldwide.com/en-US/ And if you want to reach out to Rima, Here LinkedIn profile is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rima-nair-bb57295/ Have a questions about independent consulting? Email host Will Bachman at [email protected]

Our guest today is Josh Spodek, who last joined us on Episode 25 of this show. I was very pleased that Josh agreed to return to discuss his new book, Initiative: A Proven Method to Bring Your Passions to Life (and Work). In today's episode, Josh shares some of the exercises from this new primer on how everyone can make change happen in the world. Josh is a busy professional: In addition to writing books, he writes a daily blog He is also the host of a podcast, Leadership and the Environment, with over 200 episodes, that feature an A-list of guests including Seth Godin, Dan Pink, Dominic Barton, Sir Ken Robinson, Ken Blanchard, Marshall Goldsmith, David Allen, Jonathan Haidt, and many other luminaries. To find links to all of Josh's activities, visit http://joshuaspodek.com/ To receive a weekly round-up of the most recent Unleashed epsiodes, plus bonus material, email Will Bachman at [email protected]

Umbrex member and BCG alum Ilana Grossman, a marketing consultant based in New York City. Her firm is called B2Both, since she works with both B2B and B2C clients. Ilana has been the Chief Marketing Officer at several rapidly growing companies, and we discuss The role of the Chief Marketing Officer, and how it is changing Key performance indicators in the world of marketing And what it is like being an independent consultant focused on marketing You can learn more about Ilana's firm at b2both.com If you'd like to receive bonus content plus an update each week on the most recent Unleashed episodes, email Will Bachman at [email protected]

Our guest today is Ray Carbonell, the CEO at Qnary, a company that builds out and grows the reputation and thought leadership of professionals. Qnary writes LinkedIn posts and tweets for busy professionals, typically senior executives, and then writes the replies to comments on those posts. In this episode, Ray shares how his firm works with their clients to identify the content pillars that the posts will focus on, what makes a compelling post, and best practices in engaging with those who comment on the post. Ray also shares the best times to post and how often to post (3-5 LinkedIn posts per week is optimal, and a minimum of one tweet per day is recommended.) To learn more about his firm, visit https://www.qnary.com/#visible For help on finding an independent consultant for your project, email Will Bachman at [email protected]

Our guest today is Zbigniew "Spish" Rurak, who has served as a career transition coach to several thousand management consultants as they left top-tier global firms. In this episode, Spish shares observations on how to best prepare to transition out of a big firm and how to manage a successful job search. If you'd like to connect with Spish, find him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zbigniew-spish-rurak-4131674/ If you are interested in joining a global community of top-tier independent management consultants, email Will Bachman at [email protected]

Our guest today is Lee Frederiksen, Managing Partner at Hinge, a branding and marketing firm specializing in professional services. We discuss Researching your target client Developing a go-to-market strategy Benchmarking your marketing against that of high-growth firms How to differentiate your practice Visit the website of Hinge Marketing to learn more – at https://hingemarketing.com/ Click on Hinge University tab to see the firm's online course offerings – several of which you can sample for free, and on the Blog tab you may want to sign up to receive their thought leadership posts right to your inbox. If you've got a question about independent consulting you'd like Will Bachman to answer in a future episode, email [email protected]