632. Jason Baumgarten, How to Position Yourself for Board Roles

Show Notes: Jason Baumgarten is a partner at Spencer Stuart where he is also the global head and CEO of board practice. He assists businesses in all sectors to identify and evaluate CEOs who motivate senior leadership teams to reach their full potential. Additionally, he assists boards with CEO succession planning, director recruitment, and identifying future leaders.  How to Join a For-profit Board Jason talks about the range of roles on a board and the specific roles a board might be looking to fill. He explains that the specificity of board roles varies based on the scale and maturity of the organization, using a real example of a board search he is currently involved in. Jason discusses how sophisticated boards often have specific requirements for board members, such as industry experience, geographic expertise, and specific skill sets. Identifying and Defining Board Roles When asked about the various categories of board roles, such as finance, data analytics, and HR, Jason explains that the most common request is for recently or actively retired CEOs, followed by CFOs with specific finance experience. He  highlights the importance of understanding the nature and type of business the company is in, such as regulated industries, capital-light businesses, or capital-heavy businesses. Board Member Etiquette Jason outlines the main drivers for wanting to be on a board: prestige and the desire to be helpful. He explains the concept of "noses in, fingers out" in governance, emphasizing the importance of board members being helpful but not overly involved. He also discusses the range of compensation for board members, from stipends to significant annual fees, and advises against depending on board compensation as a primary source of income.  He stresses the importance of being willing to fire oneself from a board to provide objective advice to the CEO. The Reality of Joining a Board for Management Consultants Jason advises not to limit aspirations and suggests using a simple litmus test: "if the company wouldn't hire you as a top executive, they probably won't consider you for a board role." He explains the importance of nonprofit boards, both fundraising and operating boards, and how they can provide valuable experience and networking opportunities. Jason discusses the potential for board roles in small private companies, large private companies, and public companies, emphasizing the importance of regional connections and unique experiences. The Role of Executive Search Firms in Board Recruitment Jason explains that search firms are often involved in board searches for public or pre-IPO companies and large private equity firms. He advises building relationships with search firms and being responsive and helpful when they reach out for market intelligence or advisory work. Jason also shares the importance of having a network of firms that work in your industry or location and how advisory work can lead to board opportunities. How Boards Vet Prospective Members The conversation turns to the process of being vetted and evaluated for a board role, including interviews, background checks, and social media history. Jason explains that some  boards generally recruit with a lighter touch than other roles, but private equity and regulated boards may conduct more thorough diligence. He advises candidates to ask about the board's process, including the last board member hired and the steps involved in the recruitment process. He also emphasizes the importance of meeting all board members and ensuring a good fit in terms of personality and interests. The Commitment Reality of Being on the Board Jason talks about the typical time commitment for board members, including meetings, committee calls, and ad hoc time with the CEO. He explains the importance of understanding the size of board decks and the amount of preparation required for each meeting. Jason also advises candidates to be patient and persistent, as the process of getting on a board can take years and is often unpredictable. Identifying Risks to Board Members When asked about the risks involved in accepting a board position and the importance of D&O insurance, Jason recommends consulting with a D&O insurance broker to understand the market and ensure appropriate coverage. He advises candidates to be aware of any litigation or regulatory risks associated with the board and to seek legal advice if necessary. Jason also emphasizes the importance of understanding the board's D&O policy and ensuring that board members are covered appropriately. Final Thoughts and Advice Jason reiterates the importance of understanding the time commitment and potential disruptions that can arise. He advises candidates to be patient and persistent, as the process of getting on a board can take years. Jason shares a story about a former CISO who became a sought-after board member, illustrating the unpredictability of the process and the importance of perseverance. Timestamps: 02:18: Types of Board Roles and Common Requests 05:29: Benefits of Being on a Board  08:08: Levels of Boards and Aspirations  15:24: Search Firms and Board Recruitment Processes  32:38: The Board Recruitment Process 39:41: Time Commitment and Potential Disruptions  42:50: Risk and Insurance Considerations  47:16: Final Thoughts and Advice  This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-632-jason-baumgarten-how-to-position-yourself-for-board-roles/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.  

Show Notes: Stacey  Dietsch talks about her 18-year tenure at McKinsey, focusing on human behavior and organizational performance. She highlights the importance of connecting investments in talent and culture to business performance and economic results. The Creation of McKinsey Academy Stacey emphasizes the role of learning in organizational change and the need for effective talent development. She discusses the creation of the McKinsey Academy, an external learning platform for clients. The Academy aims to translate McKinsey's internal training into offerings for clients, focusing on skill building, mindset shifts, and behavior change. Stacey explains that the Academy initially digitized content to scale impact and created learning journeys for clients. Stacey stresses the importance of grounding learning in business needs and connecting it to the flow of work. The Structure of Learning Journeys Stacey describes the structure of learning journeys, which include individual courses and bespoke, custom-developed learning for clients. The Academy focuses on leadership development, starting with leaders and connecting modules into learning journeys. The conversation turns to Will's experience with McKinsey's leadership training, highlighting the practical, experiential nature of the workshops. Stacey reinforces the importance of practice and real-play scenarios in learning and development. The McKinsey Management Program When asked for specifics about the modules in the McKinsey management program, Stacey outlines modules related to setting strategy, developing organizational structures, managing talent, and leveraging technology. The Academy aims to create interactive learning experiences, even in digitized content, through cohorts and teaching assistants. Stacey also emphasizes the importance of peer learning and accountability in digital learning programs. Academy Costs and the Competitive Edge When asked about client reception to McKinsey's learning programs and the competitive landscape, Stacey explains the need to demonstrate McKinsey's content and add distinctive features like teaching assistants to justify the higher cost. The Academy aims to build once and use many times to keep costs down and stay competitive. Stacey highlights the importance of learning built with the client for their specific transformation needs. Learning from the Science of Learning  Turning to counterintuitive insights gained about the science of learning, Stacey shares that learning is an internal process that can be taught and that effective learning happens in the course of everyday work. She emphasizes the importance of learning to learn and learning to teach as foundational skills. Stacey discusses the role of curiosity, asking questions, and seeking feedback in continuous learning. She also talks about the relevance of modern talent development, and she explains the concept of skills-based talent strategy and the importance of knowing the workflow and tasks required for roles. And the discussion covers strategic workforce planning based on skill needs and the use of assessments to create onboarding learning journeys. Opportunities and Challenges in HR Stacey discusses the exciting opportunities and challenges in the HR talent field with the evolving nature of work. She emphasizes the importance of using AI to accelerate growth and do more and different work, not just drive efficiency. Stacey highlights the need to set organizational structures that enable people to work side by side with AI agents.  Helping Clients Leverage AI Stacey shares that she is working with various clients as an independent consultant, leveraging her McKinsey knowledge. She focuses on helping clients navigate the evolving AI landscape and prepare for the future of work. Stacey emphasizes the importance of talent strategy and the different interventions needed to set organizations up for success. Timestamps:  03:36: Development of the McKinsey Academy 06:01: McKinsey's Learning Journeys and Leadership Development  09:04: Specific Modules and Interactive Learning  14;43: Client Reception and Competitive Positioning 18:43: Insights into the Science of Learning  23:03: Skills-Based Talent Strategy and Qual Cards  30:32: Future of Work and AI  34:24: Stacey's Current Practice as an Independent Consultant  Links: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/staceydietsch This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-631-stacey-dietsch-learning-journeys-at-mckinsey-academy/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.  

Show Notes: Remco Visser talks about Saga, an AI product used by 150 law firms. Remco explains that Saga is a legal AI innovation company helping law firms and legal departments implement AI into their practice and daily workflows.  AI Training and Integration The platform includes AI training and adoption sessions to help firms integrate AI into their daily practices. However, Remco highlights the importance of understanding the viability space where AI can be effectively used if the firm is not yet ready for full AI implementation. Saga helps firms understand  when AI integration is the best option and offers training on using AI in the workflow.  He talks about LLMs and more standard software options Demonstrating Saga Remco demonstrates the AI platform's ability to draft legal documents, using an NDA as an example. The platform automatically recognizes when a user wants to draft a document and opens a window for AI-generated documents, and he shows the platform's ability to ask follow-up questions for customization, such as what country state law should govern it? What's the main purpose? How long do you want it to last? Remco explains the platform's new updates require more context to draft accurate documents.    The Saga Prompt Improver Remco introduces the concept of a prompt improver that automatically improves prompts for users. The platform can suggest variables for users to fill in, making it easier to draft accurate documents. To highlight the program's efficiency, he gives an example of a prompt improved by the platform. Remco emphasizes the importance of providing context, such as jurisdiction and language, to improve the accuracy of AI-generated documents. He explains how the prompts can be stored in the Prompt Library  improver and how the Saga lab tests and shares prompts for customers to access. Saga Use Cases Remco discusses various use cases, including drafting letters of intent and reviewing agreements, and mentions that people with no legal experience can use it. The platform can use templates and attach documents to draft comprehensive legal documents. Remco demonstrates the ability to redline documents and suggest changes based on templates. The platform can also assist with litigation by drafting arguments, memos, and letters, and providing detailed timelines. Saga's Assistance Roles Remco explains the concept of assistance roles, such as devil's advocate, contract assistant, and legal research assistant. These roles help users challenge their arguments and improve their legal strategies.  Data Accuracy and AI Hallucinations Remco addresses the issue of hallucinations in AI-generated documents, explaining how Saga mitigates this risk. The platform uses citations and reasoning models to ensure the accuracy of generated documents. He demonstrates the various assistant models available from proofreader and tax authority to Judge and goes into detail on how to check citations and ensure data is accurate.  Saga's Implementation Process Remco outlines the implementation process for firms, recommending starting with a smaller group for training. The training program includes sessions on AI basics, prompting, workflows, and legal databases. Firms can also bring practice groups together to brainstorm AI use cases and share information. Remco emphasizes the importance of hands-on exercises during training to ensure users understand how to use the platform effectively.   Time-saving Features and Pricing Remco explains that Saga charges per seat per month, with a price of 125 euros per user. Firms save an average of four to five hours a week and see an improvement in work quality, especially for juniors. The platform is designed to be a no-brainer for firms looking to improve efficiency and quality in legal work. He acknowledges the challenges of implementing new software but believes the value proposition is clear. Grid Review Feature Remco demonstrates the grid review feature, which extracts information from documents and provides detailed insights. The platform can handle various types of documents, such as lease agreements, Chamber of Commerce extractions, and shareholders agreements. The grid review feature highlights the context around extracted information, providing a comprehensive understanding. In conclusion, Remco emphasizes the platform's ability to save time and improve the accuracy of legal reviews.   Timestamps:  01:34: Demonstration of AI Platform Features  03:05: Improving Prompts and Context  05:25: Use Cases and Advanced Features  10:34: Assistance Roles and Safeguards  14:07: Implementation and Training  17:02: Pricing and Value Proposition  20:47: Advanced Features and Customization  Links: Website: https://www.sagalegal.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/remco-visser-1645a39b/ This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/?post_type=unleashed&p=224463&preview=true Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated show notes and transcript  

Show Notes: Isa D'Elia, co-founder of GoalBridge, an AI startup in stealth mode opens the conversation with a brief overview of her background, mentioning she was at Amazon for five years and her co-founder, Vedant, was a software engineer at a financial institution in India. The Origin Story of GoalBridge Isa met her business partner in Berkeley Haas Business school. Through many discussions, they identified a problem in the consulting industry where consultants spent too much time on admin and manual work. They saw an opportunity to use AI to automate these tasks, leading to the creation of GoalBridge. Isa describes how they started working on GoalBridge, entering accelerators, and doing pivots. GoalBridge Iterations They found a design partner who needed a solution to discover their work within SharePoint, Google Drive, CRM, and email. GoalBridge's first iteration was a search AI agent that taps into various platforms to understand the context of engagements. The tool is called "building the brain of a firm" and has been tested with clients, leading to the development of additional agents. Isa introduces the first agent they built, a proposal building agent, which focuses on storyboarding proposals. Dealing with Non-billable Work Streams Consultants often complain about the tediousness of writing proposals, which are non-billable work streams. The agent helps create cohesive stories for proposals by using information from various sources and allowing iterations. They have a roadmap of additional agents to help consultants focus on strategy work rather than manual tasks. GoalBridge's Ideal Customer Profile When asked about the ideal customer profile for GoalBridge, Isa confirms they are targeting SMBs and tier two consulting firms, as larger firms have the resources to build their own tools. Currently, they have signed letters of intent with larger firms, indicating interest in their solution. The tool is designed to help consultants tap into strategy more effectively by automating manual tasks. Goalbridge's Access to Data The conversation turns to the limitations of GoalBridge in terms of access to data. Isa explains that the tool only accesses data that the user has access to, such as their email and specific folders in Google Drive or SharePoint. The tool acts as an AI agent that can quickly scan and understand the context of the data the user has access to. She talks about the challenges of accessing data that is not organized in SharePoint or Google Drive, such as emails. AI Agent that Writes Case Studies and Compendiums Isa introduces the project closeout agent, which helps partners extract and share information, write case studies and compendiums for projects. The agent anonymizes data and creates a cohesive story from various sources, including emails. This agent addresses the issue of knowledge management being left to good intentions and helps capture project context. The closeout agent can also be used for older projects. Demonstrating GoalBridge Isa shows the tool's interface, which includes a project creation feature, a chat dialog box for queries, and a files tab for uploading documents.   The tool can tap into various platforms like SharePoint, Google Drive, and CRM systems, with current integrations for HubSpot and Salesforce. They talk about the tool's ability to find examples of old projects and provide feedback on proposals. Isa explains the limitations of GoalBridge in terms of access to data. The tool only accesses data that the user has access to, such as their email and specific folders in Google Drive or SharePoint. The tool acts as an AI agent that can quickly scan and understand the context of the data the user has access to. She also talks about the challenges of accessing data that is not organized in SharePoint or Google Drive, such as emails. Primary Use Cases for GoalBridge Isa outlines the primary use cases for GoalBridge, including partners finding examples of old projects, engagement managers leveraging formatting, and associates copying slides. They discuss the potential for the tool to create PowerPoint presentations and provide feedback on them. Isa mentions future agents in the roadmap, such as a case study writing agent and a pricing strategy agent. The tool is designed to help consultants at all levels by automating manual tasks and improving the quality of their work. Security Concerns and Data Privacy On the issue of security and data privacy when giving external firms access to sensitive data, Isa explains that they have a separate server hosting client data, ensuring it is secure and not accessible by other clients. They are working on SOC 2 certification to further assure clients of their security measures. The tool does not train on client data, ensuring IP is protected and not used for other purposes. When it comes to pricing, Isa mentions their willingness to discuss pricing on a case-by-case basis. Timestamps: 00:02: GoalBridge AI Startup Introduction 02:19: Development and Initial Success of GoalBridge 03:36: Proposal Building Agent and Future Plans 05:59: Target Market and Ideal Customer Profile 09:20:Privacy and Access Limitations 11:25: Project Closeout Agent and Additional Use Cases 15:58: Demonstration of GoalBridge Tool 21:57: Primary Use Cases and Future Agents 22:55: Security and Data Privacy Links: Website: www.GoalBridge.ai Email: [email protected]   This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-629-isa-deila-co-founder-of-goalbridge/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.    

Show Notes: Bruno Strunz, lawyer, keynote speaker, and author of How to Sell Value in the Legal Market, shares his background, including his career path as a lawyer, including making partner and working for Volkswagen, and his extensive experience working with various companies and firms in both the legal departments and sales departments.  Business Development for Professional Services Firms Bruno discusses his focus on business development for professional services firms, by selling in a structured and data-driven manner. Since 2018, he has been helping firms with what they have called the commoditization of quality and how to stand out in this competitive landscape. Bruno explains that his company initially focused on working with law firms for the last two years; they also started working with different types of professional services firms, including law firms, service orientated businesses,  and consultancy companies. A Bespoke Approach to Business Development Bruno explains his approach to business development, starting with a diagnostic to understand the client base, churn, revenue generation, and distribution channels over the previous three years. He highlights the importance of expanding within existing client bases rather than focusing solely on new client acquisition. Bruno discusses the common challenges law firms face, such as low CRM adoption and the need for better data-driven decision-making. He emphasizes the importance of using CRM platforms effectively to improve sales processes and decision-making. Best Practice Approach for Growth Bruno outlines a best practice approach for growing within existing clients, starting with an 80/20 analysis to identify strategic clients. He looks at each business unit and asks if they have an account management plan for each unit, which means power mapping, stakeholder mapping, who's part of the decision-making process, assessing relationships, and understanding client goals for 2026. Bruno discusses the need for a SWOT analysis within specific accounts and the importance of looking for expansion opportunities. He highlights the challenges of client feedback in Latin America and the importance of guiding clients through their decision-making process. Differentiation in a Commoditized Market Bruno addresses the issue of differentiating in a commoditized market, where technical quality is no longer a competitive advantage. He emphasizes the importance of early engagement in the B2B buying cycle to avoid commoditization. Bruno discusses the role of relationship management, networking initiatives, and top-of-mind awareness in becoming the vendor of choice. He highlights the importance of bringing new insights and improving client experience to stand out in a competitive market. Client Success Stories Bruno shares a success story of working with a client in crisis management, focusing on educating the market and reframing their storytelling. He explains how the client successfully converted a multi-million dollar project during a major crisis. Bruno discusses another success story involving a proprietary framework to deep dive into client offerings and identify specific pain points. He highlights the importance of segmenting target lists, prioritizing outreach efforts, and bringing new ideas to clients. Bruno emphasizes the importance of consistency and discipline in business development strategies. Timestamps: 04:11: Business Development Strategies for Law Firms 10:43: Building a Programmatic Approach to Client Growth  14:49: Differentiating in a Commoditized Market  20:01: Success Stories and Client Impact 29:34: Final Thoughts and Contact Information  Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunostrunz/ Website: https://strunz.com.br/ This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-628-bruno-strunz-how-to-sell-value-in-professional-services/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.  

Show Notes: Rod Neuenschwander, author of From Crisis to Clarity and co-founder of GIFT·OLOGY, recounts his early days with John Ruhlin, their initial plan to buy companies, and their first turnaround experience. He also talks about the formation of Ruhlin Group and their transition to GIFT·OLOGY, focusing on corporate gifting. The Transition of Ruhlin Partners Rod talks about the development of Ruhlin Partners, a firm that helped companies through crises, and how it was the foundation for a new book project. He discusses John Ruhlin's sudden death and his immediate need to reconstitute the firm. He explains his initial struggle with gifting, his team's expertise, and the overall support from his team.  Fulfilling a Promise and a Framework for Turnarounds The conversation turns to the idea of writing a book to fulfill a promise to John and provide a framework for turnarounds. He shares how John had been the top lead generator and how his crucial role in the firm left a large space to be filled. He explains the evolution of GIFT·OLOGY's philosophy and the development of the Beyond GIFT·OLOGY program.  The Focus of GIFT·OLOGY Rod explains what GIFT·OLOGY is, how it works, and how it differentiates from other firms that play in this field.  The focus is on personalized, non-promotional gifts to build relationships. He talks about the importance of reaching clients on a personal level and being present to clients' inner circles. He expands upon the acceleration of their platform and training program after John's passing, and how he managed the transition. A Relationship Operating System The interview moves on to the introduction of the Relationship Operating System to support leaders in building relationships, and Rod explains the components of the Relationship Operating System, including help identify, help  connect, help equip, help track, help celebrate, and help scale.  He talks about demonstrations of value, clarity conversations, and meaningful touchpoints through gifting. He also shares details about the development of a CRM plugin to support the training and execution of the Relationship Operating System and goes on to give a step-by-step explanation of the system. The Design of Connection Rod gives a detailed example of a client engagement, including the design of a connection plan, demonstration of value, how you communicate who you serve and how you serve,  and gifting campaigns. He explains the  role of GIFT·OLOGY in supporting leaders in their relationship-building efforts, and shares a detailed example of a client engagement, including the design of a connection plan and gifting campaigns.  A Framework for Companies in Crisis Rod explains how he uses  the same framework for GIFT·OLOGY as he does for other companies in crisis. He identifies the four types of crises: chronic underperformance, broken mirror, slow leak, and fire. Rod details the one-page recovery plan: clear purpose statement, go-forward operating plan, financial plan, and team plan. And he emphasizes the importance of moving fast with the plan and learning along the way. The Success of From Crisis to Clarity  Rod talks about his book and his satisfaction with the feedback received for From Crisis to Clarity. He explains that the book's focus is on providing a simple framework for founders to navigate crises. He shares how the editing process was precise to ensure the book is concise and valuable for its target audience, and he shares his thoughts on the ongoing support and growth of GIFT·OLOGY despite the challenges faced. Timestamps: 04:05: The Impact of losing his business partner and friend. 09:53: GIFT·OLOGY's Unique Approach to Corporate Gifting  11:47: The Relationship Operating System and Client Engagement 20:48: Rod's Framework for Crisis Recovery  28:44: The Success of From Crisis to Clarity Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rod-neuenschwander/ From Crisis to Clarity: https://fromcrisistoclarity.com/ GIFT.OLOGY Group: https://giftologygroup.com/ This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-627-rod-neuenschwander-author-of-from-crisis-to-clarity-and-co-founder-of-gift-ology/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.  

Show Notes: Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, a leading expert on project management, talks about his upcoming HBR book.  Antonio shares his career path, including his time at PwC, banking, and pharma, and his early realization of the importance of project management. Changing the Perception of Project Management He discusses his mission to change the perception of project management from a tactical to a strategic role, including his work with the Project Management Institute (PMI) and his goal to publish in Harvard Business Review (HBR). Antonio highlights the challenges he faced in gaining recognition for project management as a most important facet of any organization, and his eventual success in publishing his second book with HBR. Antonio explains the key concept of his new book and shares how he pitched the idea to HBR, emphasizing that everyone is a project manager and that organizations should be project-driven. The Definition of Project Management Antonio mentions the success of his first book with HBR, which sold over 50,000 copies and was translated into multiple languages. He moves on to outline the theme of his new book: how every organization should become project-driven to adapt faster and transform constantly in a changing world. When asked to define what a project is, Antonio provides a classic academic definition of a project, emphasizing its start, end, objective, and teamwork. He then shares a more inspirational definition, stating that projects build the future of organizations and should be seen as essential and prestigious. He stresses the importance of project managers being proud of their work and the significant impact projects have on the future of companies. Project-driven vs. Operations-driven Organizations Antonio compares and contrasts project-driven and operations-driven organizations. He explains that most established companies are operations-driven, with operations at the core and projects as secondary. He also discusses the impact of the agile mindset, which broke down silos and hierarchies but still prioritized operations. Antonio introduces his model of a project-driven organization, where projects are at the core, teams are fully dedicated, and operations become more modular and secondary. Transformation from Operations-driven to Project-driven When offering tips on driving transformation from operations-driven to project-driven, Antonio identifies three main challenges: the organization's culture, the role of leaders, and the evolution of project management. He highlights the high failure rate of projects and the need for continuous transformation rather than continuous improvement, and emphasizes the importance of co-creation, bottom-up approaches, and the courage to stop projects that are not working. Managing Project Portfolios and Tracking Projects Antonio suggests conducting an inventory of all projects, identifying owners, and cutting a significant number of projects to focus on the most important ones. He recommends using project portfolio management (PPM) tools or simple Excel sheets to track projects. Antonio stresses the importance of prioritizing projects that lead to exponential growth and big bets rather than incremental improvements. When managing project portfolios and changing their management infrastructure, Antonio advises leaders to sponsor no more than three projects and to group projects into programs for better focus. He recommends having fully dedicated project teams where people leave their day jobs to focus on projects. Antonio explains that leaders should act more as coaches, empowering teams to take decisions and prioritize within projects. And finally, he emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge and being open to exchanging ideas with others. Timestamps: 00:02: Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez's Background and Mission 04:08: Introduction to Powered by Projects 07:29: Defining Projects and Their Importance 09:05: Project-Driven vs. Operations-Driven Organizations 16:28: Challenges and Solutions for Project Management 22:28: Managing Project Portfolios and Prioritization 29:01: Empowering Project Teams and Leadership Links: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/antonionietorodriguez Business: https://projectsnco.com New Book: https://poweredbyprojects.com/  Other Books: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/author/B00CMECP0U HBR Articles: https://store.hbr.org/shop/?section=product&search_query=Antonio%20Nieto%20Rodriguez#/filter:categories:Articles  This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-626-antonio-nieto-rodriguez-author-of-hbrs-powered-by-projects-leading-your-organization-in-the-transformation-age/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.  

Show Notes: Samora Wolokolie talks about his dual roles as a CPA, CA and attorney in Monrovia, Liberia. Samora lists his credentials: chartered accountant, certified public accountant, certified forensic investigation professional, certified fraud examiner, certified tax practitioner, and lawyer, and details his academic background. He is also an assistant professor at the University of Liberia where he teaches all levels of accounting. Samora also teaches at other universities and holds graduate and post graduate degrees from Cuttington University, and Charisma University. He talks about his career path, including working with Deloitte in 2000, then moved to PKF Liberia and Baker Tilly, where he qualified as a chartered accountant in 2014. Serving as Liberia's Deputy Minister of Finance for Fiscal AffairsSamora served as Liberia's Deputy Minister of Finance for Fiscal Affairs from 2018 to 2024, managing the national budget and growing it from $600 million to $800 million. When asked about the major sources of revenue for the Liberian government, Samora explains that over 80% of the government budget comes from domestic revenue, with the rest from External resources (donors like the IMF, World Bank, and European Union). He details the importance of conducting audits and meeting benchmarks to access external resources and shares a few examples of how this works. Samora discusses his role in developing revenue policies and regulations, focusing on domestic resource mobilization to grow the budget to $1 billion. He highlights the challenges and strategies needed to achieve this goal, including tax policies and revenue measures. He goes on to explain the structure of the companies he currently works for, his roles there, and how it focuses on both accounting and legal issues. Major Industries and Economic Potential in Liberia The conversation turns to the main industries in Liberia. Samora describes Liberia as an input-driven economy with significant potential in mining, forestry, and infrastructure development. He mentions the mining sector's potential, including gold, iron ore, and diamonds, and the involvement of companies like ArcelorMittal. Samora also discusses the forestry sector's potential, including logs and the Kimberley Process. He emphasizes the government's efforts in infrastructure development, particularly road construction and building maintenance. He goes on to talk about investment potential and licensing, shipping, and exporting. Consulting and Legal Processes in LiberiaSamora talks about the process of hiring independent consultants in Liberia. He advises talking to an attorney and a CPA. He recommends checking with the Liberian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (LICPA) and the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) for licensed professionals. Samora explains the distinction between attorneys and counsellors at law in Liberia and recommends dealing with firms to ensure coverage through professional liability and insurance coverage. He goes into detail on the importance of following processes and doing due diligence and background checks when hiring consultants. Taxation and Labor Law Considerations for Foreign Companies Focusing on the tax implications for foreign companies hiring consultants in Liberia, Samora explains the withholding tax rates for resident and non-resident taxpayers, including the 10% and 15% rates for ordinary companies and the 6% rate for mining operations. He clarifies the concept of resident and non-resident status based on the number of days spent in Liberia. Samora discusses the importance of understanding Labor law considerations, including contracts, occupational health and safety, and long-term employment. He also explains the tax brackets and Social Security tax obligations for foreign companies, employees and independent contractors, in addition to labour laws and health and safety laws in Liberia. Insurance Requirements for Firms in Liberia. Samora advises firms to have professional liability insurance to cover potential transgressions. He emphasizes the importance of ensuring payments pass through formal financial institutions to avoid money laundering issues. Samora suggests using bank-to-bank wire transfers or prepaid cards for payments to consultants, and he reiterates the importance of due diligence and background checks when hiring consultants in Liberia. Timestamps: 04:11: Revenue Sources and Management in Liberia  09:38: Major Industries and Economic Potential  20:04: Consulting and Legal Processes in Liberia  27:08: Taxation and Labor Law Considerations 36:50: Insurance and Payment Methods  Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atty-samora-p-z-wolokolie-ph-d-cfe-ca-cpa-fcfip-l-l-b-67315438/ Alliance CPA Inc:  https://alliancecpainc.com/ TORCH Professional Consultancy Inc:  https://topcinc.com/ This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-625-samora-p-z-wolokolie-how-to-hire-a-consultant-in-liberia/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.  

Show Notes: David Nour, author of Relationship Economics, discusses the six phases of strategic relationships. He emphasizes intentionality and a portfolio approach to relationship investing. The six phases he uses throughout the episode are: mapping, relating, nurturing, sustaining, requesting, and capitalizing. Different Levels of Relationship Management  Nour explains that when a challenge arises, the first questions should be: Who do I need? Who do I know? How do I connect the dots? He contrasts haphazard outreach, simple lists, and CRM-driven discipline, underscoring the importance of intentionality and consistency. He highlights relationship mapping to achieve specific goals—beginning with identifying targets, nurturing, and sustaining relationships. In a pharma example, he shows how to identify key companies and contacts and introduces the ideal relationship profile—focusing on specific individuals (not logos) because relationships are built between people. He also stresses finding "lookalikes": individuals whose values are aligned, who value and respect the relationship.  Cold Outreach to Build Relationships On building new relationships—especially via cold outreach—Nour recommends focusing on fewer but better-qualified leads: go where potential clients already are (e.g., micro-events), be more interested than interesting, and engage with thoughtful questions. Quick, consistent follow-up turns initial introductions into meaningful relationships. He shares specific questions he uses to spark valuable conversations and secure meetings.  Initial Conversations in Relationship Building Nour critiques "intellectually lazy" openings like "Tell me about your situation." Instead, come prepared with a hypothesis based on research and use questions to set the agenda. Authenticity matters: each consultant should develop their own style. To avoid being forgettable, respectfully provoke prospects to think differently.  Unpacking the Four Middle Phases Nour details the four phases that form the "engine" of relationship development: Relating: Share relevant stories so prospects see themselves in similar situations. Nurturing: Add value with ideas, checklists, and stress-testing to build trust and credibility. Sustaining: Maintain momentum over time; help the buyer buy; enable internal champions. Requesting: Earn the right to ask for deeper access (e.g., org charts, NDAs, stakeholder conversations) to better understand needs and increase impact.  Capitalizing on Relationships After Project Completion Two-thirds of the way through a project, identify existing, impending, and created needs to link projects and avoid losing momentum post-delivery. Nour shares how he invites senior executives from one client to speak at another client's event (non-competing industries), creating an ecosystem of seasoned leaders who become walking case studies. Climbing the Relationship Value Pyramid Nour bridges the gap between recognizing the importance of relationships and harnessing their significance with three ideas: Intelligent Relationship Management: Set relationship-centric outcomes, identify pivotal contacts, and make consistent "favor economy" deposits. Strategic Relationship Planning: Map company-to-company relationships from now to next (champions, cadence, outcomes). Relationship Value Pyramid: Categorize by depth and relevance—situation, investment, portfolio, recall (2 a.m.)—and apply a portfolio approach with a "three-touch rule" before reallocating attention.  Reciprocity in Relationship Building Nour reviews gratitude, reciprocity, and paying it forward as observable behaviors. Twice a year, he reviews his top 100 relationships to prioritize where to invest next. He also mentions Avnir, his AI platform that builds a private relationship vault from existing data sources and prompts context-relevant actions to deepen connections.  Timestamps 05:40: Mapping & Ideal Relationship Profiles 10:20: Building New Relationships (Cold Outreach) 22:16: The Six Phases: Mapping, Relating, Nurturing, Sustaining, Requesting, Capitalizing 28:31: Capitalizing on Relationships 35:51: Relationship Economics Framework 42:34: Portfolio Approach & Three-Touch Rule 48:41: Activating the Untapped Power of Relationships  Links Professional Services Website: DavidNour.com AI Platform Website: Avnir.com Nour on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidnour/ This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-624-david-nour-author-of-relationship-economics/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Show Notes: Kartik Sundar, founder of TeamSlide, a tool that uses AI to create PowerPoint slides, explains that TeamSlide is available through a web browser and a PowerPoint add-in, with users starting in the web browser and eventually using the add-in for more seamless access. A Demonstration of TeamSlide  Kartik demonstrates how TeamSlide converts notes into consulting-style slides using AI for visual design and text layout. He explains the chat interface-like layout and the ability to generate multiple slide layouts from the same content. TeamSlide identifies the best layout for the story and structures it accordingly, using the example of four takeaways. Users can select specific layouts and input data, which TeamSlide will then convert into the chosen template.   Features and Customization of TeamSlide  Kartik shows how users can be more prescriptive by selecting specific layouts and inputting data, which TeamSlide will then convert into the chosen template. Kartik explains that TeamSlide considers the size of text boxes and edits sentences to fit within them, maintaining the look and feel of the slide. He pulls data from ChatGPT to demonstrate how TeamSlide adapts the information to the slide deck.    When asked about using personal PowerPoint templates, Kartik explains that while independent users cannot insert their own templates, TeamSlide's templates are designed to be transferable to any PowerPoint template. Kartik mentions that consulting firms and enterprises can specify their templates and layouts, which TeamSlide will then adapt to fit their brand and voice. Exploring Templates and Features Kartik demonstrates the variety of templates available in TeamSlide, including flows, executive summaries, data visualization, and specialized slides like maturity curves and funnels. Kartik talks about the different templates, noting the advanced manipulation capabilities of TeamSlide, such as restructuring slides in complex ways to meet specific needs and uses building an org chart with specified team members as an example. Kartik explains that independent consultants can access TeamSlide for free, while enterprises can tailor the solution to their brand and voice for a fee.   PowerPoint Add-In and AI Assistant  Kartik demonstrates the PowerPoint add-in, which is available in Microsoft's app source and integrates seamlessly with PowerPoint for a more streamlined experience. When asked about the integration of personal PowerPoint templates, Kartik explains that the add-in will transfer the color scheme and styling of the user's template. He also mentions the search function in TeamSlide, which allows users to find slides in their knowledge repository, such as SharePoint or Box.   History and Evolution of TeamSlide  Kartik provides a brief history of TeamSlide, starting with a deep slide search tool in 2014 and evolving to include AI-generated slides and the training data used to develop the tool. TeamSlide was initially designed for consulting firms to improve the process of finding and creating slides, and later expanded to serve marketing and sales teams. The AI aspect of TeamSlide was developed after testing internally to see what features would be most valuable to their audience. Integration of Brand Voice Kartik highlights the importance of tailoring the solution to the brand and voice of consulting firms and enterprises, ensuring that the slides fit their specific needs.The conversation summarizes the various features and benefits of TeamSlide, including the ability to generate slides with specific layouts and data, and the advanced manipulation capabilities. The pricing for enterprises depends on the number of users and includes customization charges. Timestamps: 00:02: Overview of TeamSlide 02:08: Demo of TeamSlide in the Browser  04:52: Advanced Features and Customization 07:05: Exploring Templates and Features  11:39: PowerPoint Add-In and AI Assistant  17:27: History and Evolution of TeamSlide  Links: https://create.teamslide.com/ This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-623-kartik-sundar-teamslide-a-free-ai-tool-for-generating-consulting-style-ppt-slides/   Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.