The Professional Services Pursuit
92 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsOur goal is simple: to give professional services leaders a place to go to be inspired and tap into expert advice, trends and best practices in our collective pursuit of excellence. From agencies to IT services and every PS organization in between, our hosts and guests will provide the insights you need to drive a resource first organization and do what you do best, only better.
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Episodes
Ep. 22 - The Changing Labor Market & Impact of Shifting Talent Pools w/ Brent and Banoo
August 12, 2022 23:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBOn this special episode of The Professional Services Pursuit, both of our hosts, Brent Trimble and Banoo Behboodi, sit down to discuss the different dimensions of the services industry as it pertains to talent and dive into some recent research on this topic. They also discuss why we are seeing more people taking a less traditional career path, and how services businesses need to adapt to retain their employees. Additional talking points include: ● The shifting talent pools ● ...
Ep. 21 - How to Drive Growth and Adoption While Creating Customers for Life w/ Dave Yusuf
July 28, 2022 17:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBJoining us on the podcast is Dave Yusuf, Senior Vice President of Customer Success at Q2. With a successful background in CS and PS, along with many other roles in the services industry, Dave is well versed on the idea of a “customer for life”. Dave talks through the journey to success and the role implementation, support, customer success, and product teams play in this process; including: ● Creating a successful cross-team strategy ● Determining KPI’s that dictate success ● The importan...
Ep. 20 - Recruiting in the Digital Age, How to Build Relationships From Home w/ Sean Kogan
July 14, 2022 15:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBWith his incredible experience in the professional services and recruiting industry, Sean Kogan, co-founder of Recruiting-In-Motion, has seen and heard it all. He shares his knowledge and the trends shaping the evolution of recruitment during this new work from home era. Some of the things discussed include: The impact of the pandemic on recruitment as a whole How AI has helped soften the blow to recruitment Balancing the human-AI interactions to get the best, most efficient results Socia...
Ep. 19 - The Key to Growth, Scale and Success in a Networked Economy w/ Ray Grainger
June 28, 2022 16:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBRay Grainger is the Executive Chairman of Kantata. He’s also a professional services leader who is on a mission to reinvent the way businesses deliver work. In this episode Brent and Ray discuss the importance of the networked economy and how it is evolving into a critical element of the IT revolution; Including: The evolution and importance of communication Business conditions and pressures on the service business Access to talent networks to ensure client satisfaction Supply chain orie...
Ep. 18 - The Key Pillars of Effective Change Leadership w/ Peter Hadas
June 03, 2022 16:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MBWith over 20 years of experience leading change on enterprise-wide transformations, Peter Hadas specializes in providing leaders with practical, measurable solutions to adoption and sustainability challenges. In this episode Peter shares his top tips for managing transformational change, including: Change leadership Setting success criteria early on The importance of celebrating key milestones Developing a change management network Making change management sustainable Follow through ...
Ep. 17 - Introducing Our New Co-Host, Banoo Behboodi!
May 12, 2022 18:00 - 5 minutes - 3.6 MBJoin us as we welcome in our newest co-host Banoo Behboodi to the Professional Services Pursuit podcast! Brent and Banoo sit down to discuss Banoo's business experience, her insights and what she is looking forward to most with her interviews. We also get to learn a bit more about her favorite books and why she is excited to ask her guests what they are reading right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 16 - The Power of More Strategic Pitches and Driving Organic Growth w/ Brent Hodgins
May 04, 2022 16:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBAuthor, keynote speaker, and Managing Director of Mirren Business Development, Brent Hodgins, joins us on the show to discuss the resilience of agencies and the major growth shifts happening in the industry right now; including: The lasting impact of the Pandemic on the Industry: Historic levels of growth Navigating the changing market conditions The positive shift to organic growth Overcoming the new biz addiction Better allocating resources for good Understanding qualification in t...
Ep. 15- Mastering the RFP Process and Winning at Change Management and Adoption w/ Tom Schoen
April 20, 2022 20:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBTom Schoen, CEO and President of BTM Global, sat down with us to discuss some of the downfalls of the business requisition process and dealing with procurement, as well as the most overlooked aspect of the implementation process once the business has been won, change management and adoption. Topics included in this discussion are: The ups and downs of the RFP process The role of procurement for strategic enterprise Platform and in-strategy services acquisitions Properly gauging the commit...
Ep. 14 - Productizing Services for Better Utilization and Employee Satisfaction w/ Owen Frivold
April 05, 2022 10:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBBrent sits down with the Co-founder and Executive VP of Strategy at Hero Digital, Owen Frivold. Owen shares what it takes to successfully productize services to better utilize your talent and differentiate where it really matters. Owen expands by discussing the importance of: Setting a North Star vision that aligns with your value system The benefits of productizing your agencies services to serve clients and employees better Defining the foundational elements in your toolbox Reinvesting ...
Ep. 13 - Top Trends in Resource Utilization w/ Randy Mysliviec
March 22, 2022 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBJoining Matt on this episode is Randy Mysliviec, the President and CEO of RTM Consulting and Managing Director of the Resource Management Institute (RMI). They explore top trends and how organizations can improve their utilization based on the data gathered for the RMI Research Report, including: Training to a standard Allowing your resources to grow and develop without negative influences Better increasing utilization in your organization The Just-in-Time Resourcing Process Getting on t...
Ep. 12 - Improving Agency Operations With Technology, Data, and Automation w/ Bear Forsyth
March 03, 2022 18:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MBHead of Operations at ORM, Andrew “Bear” Forsyth, calls in from the UK to talk to Brent about his journey into operations and his approach to technology, data and change management in a modern agency, including: Bear’s journey from a resource manager at the Olympics to his current role His love/hate relationship with spreadsheets and the need for a more reliable solution Solving the problem of siloed, incomplete data The need for automation and how he approaches implementation of new tool...
Ep. 11 - The 5 Biggest IT Trends Shaping the PS Space w/ Brian Sommer
February 17, 2022 16:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBSenior Consulting Executive, Author and Founder/President of TechVentive, Brian Sommer, joins Matt Finch on the podcast. Brian has published over 600 articles on the technology space during his career and came on the show to share a countdown of the top 5 biggest IT trends that are shaping the Professional Services industry today, including: The value of legitimate Net Promoter Scores The “Age of the Global Service Firm” Why proprietary and standalone internal systems hinder scalability “...
Ep. 10 - Marrying the Art and Science of People and Technology w/ Devon DeBlasio
February 03, 2022 16:00 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MBBrent sits down with former Neustar Sr. Director of Product Marketing (now VP of Product Marketing at Infosum) and podcast host, Devon DeBlasio. They take a deep dive into marketing, privacy, and the need for more data science unicorns to bring a human factor to data and automation! The conversation includes: Neustar and Devon’s previous role within the organization Privacy within marketing The big focus on consumer privacy by the government and news organizations Consumer expectations ...
Ep. 9 - Moving From Financial Charters to Driving Customer Adoption w/ John Ragsdale
January 20, 2022 17:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBJohn Ragsdale, Distinguished Researcher and VP of Technology Ecosystems at TSIA, joins Matt once again to talk about the key elements every Professional Services Organization should be focusing on moving into the new year. The conversation includes: “Go Live” numbers and automation of the “Quote to Cash” cycle The shift from financial charters to driving customer adoption The new concept of customer success in cloud technology Progress on agencies adopting an end-to-end customer experien...
Ep. 8 - Positioning Your Business for Success while Avoiding Unprofitable Growth w/ Tim Williams
January 06, 2022 16:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBBrent welcomes founder of Ignition Consulting Group, author, presenter, and “brand doctor for brand doctors”, Tim Williams to discuss his unique perspective on focused business strategies and transformative revenue models. The conversation includes: What it means to be “focused” Having a clear positioning/prospecting strategy and the 4 questions to determine your differentiation The problem of “unprofitable growth” and how it affects firms of all sizes Developing a pricing strategy and ...
Ep 7 - Industry Merger Shakes Up the PS Technology Industry: Meet the Leader of the Mavenlink / Kimble Organization
December 15, 2021 13:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBSpecial guest host and industry insider, John Ragsdale from TSIA sits down with Michael Speranza. It was announced on Wednesday that Michael will be the new CEO of the company formed by the Mavenlink and Kimble merger. In this special episode we explore Michael’s background and answer key questions regarding the merger and the competitive advantage that it will create in the industry. The conversation includes: Michael’s interesting technology background and the career path that lead him to ...
Ep. 6 - Calibrating Against Change and Developing a Strategic Operations Mindset w/ Melissa Korzun
December 02, 2021 16:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBMelissa Korzun, the Managing Director of Client Transformation, Strategy and Operations at TeleTracking joins the show! Host Matt Finch uncovers insights from Melissa on her Professional Services strategy and operations role and the impact it has had on their business; including: Events that led to the development of the Strategy and Operations role The importance of balancing focus internally and on clients Taking stock of operational imperatives to define organizational direction Under...
Ep. 5 - Balancing Culture and Strategy in a Modern Agency w/ Adam Brown
November 18, 2021 18:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MBBrent Trimble sits down with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Gorilla Group, Adam Brown, to explore the approaches they took to navigate exponential growth during a pandemic and how they adapted to successfully nurture client relationships and corporate culture remotely. The conversation includes: Adam’s unique dual role at Gorilla Group How Gorilla Group operates as a decentralized entity while utilizing the benefits of being part of the Wunderman Thompson/WPP net...
Ep. 4 - Finding Competitive Advantage with a Liquid Workforce w/ John Ragsdale
November 03, 2021 14:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBHost Matt Finch sits down with Distinguished Researcher and Vice President of Technology Ecosystems at TSIA John Ragsdale to talk about current trends in the tech industry and the importance of a strong freelance culture. The conversation includes: John’s perspective and definition of the liquid workforce Trends shaping emerging digital talent platforms How COVID accelerated already established trends and behaviors of younger workers The shift to more fixed-price predefined projects Ho...
Ep. 2 - The Challenges and Trends Shaping The Future of Services Delivery w/ Ray Grainger, Sean Crafts & Roger Neel
October 12, 2021 13:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBTo kick off the first episode, host Matt Finch sits down with the founders of Mavenlink, Ray Grainger, Roger Neel, and Sean Crafts, to discuss some of the current challenges and future trends in the services industry! Their conversation includes: The powerful forces reshaping the services industry Getting the right talent at the right place at the right time in order to meet client needs The emerging employee-first culture The current subcontractor landscape The pitfalls of tribal kno...
Ep. 3 - Defusing Talent Pressure Points to Find Harmony Between Project Managers and Resource Managers w/ Peter Taylor
October 12, 2021 13:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBHost Brent Trimble and author of The Lazy Project Manager, Peter Taylor, get a moment to talk about the relationship between project managers and resource managers and the importance of taking a people-first approach to projects. The conversation includes: The inspiration behind Peter’s book; The natural tension between project managers and resource managers; How rapid digitalization is strengthening that tension and creating opportunity; The role authenticity plays in retention and “...
Ep. 1 - Welcome to The Professional Services Pursuit
September 21, 2021 21:00 - 13 minutes - 9.02 MBIn the first episode of The Professional Services Pursuit, co-hosts Brent Trimble and Matt Finch welcome listeners to a brand new show aimed at giving professional services leaders a place to go to be inspired and tap into expert advice, trends and best practices in their pursuit of excellence. From agencies to IT services and every PS organization in between, every episode will provide the insights you need to drive a resource-first organization and do what you do best, only better. Hos...
(German Version) Techniken zur Entwicklung von Dienstleistungen - mit Marc Stickdorn
March 13, 2019 14:16 - 28 minutes - 292 MBImprovisationstheater, Legofiguren und Virtual Reality scheinen eher in die Welt der Unterhaltung zu gehören als ins Umfeld professioneller Dienstleistungen. Aber Design Thinking Experte Marc Stickdorn ist ein leidenschaftlicher Verfechter von solchen Techniken, um Serviceangebote zu entwickeln, bevor sie auf den Markt kommen. In einem Prozess, den er gerne mit der Marktforschung, Prototypentwicklung und Crashtests bei Autos vergleicht, glaubt er, dass Serviceangebote die gleichen Prüfungskr...
Techniques for designing services - with Marc Stickdorn
March 13, 2019 13:37 - 25 minutes - 253 MBImprov theater, Lego figurines and virtual reality may be more familiar in the world of entertainment than in professional services. But leading thinker Marc Stickdorn is a passionate advocate of using techniques like these to design and prototype service offerings before taking them to market. In a process he likens to market-researching, prototyping and crash-testing a car, he believes service offerings should pass through the same kind of rigorous examination before being sold. Gaining in...
What is the Salesforce App Exchange and how Does it Work? - with Leslie Tom
February 04, 2019 14:35 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBIn episode 18 of Kimble-sponsored PS Insights Podcast Series, Salesforce’ Senior VP of AppExchange Marketing, Leslie Tom describes how the AppExchange is developing. It is becoming a marketplace not only for apps but for bots, components and other workplace technology. Analysts and VCs as well as customers go there to discover trends and new ideas.
Where is the professional services sector headed? - Marc Lacriox
January 08, 2019 19:44 - 27 minutes - 25 MBIn a wide-ranging discussion, Marc Lacroix considers some of the key development within professional services in recent years and looks at where the sector is going, identifying likely areas for innovation. For instance, after adapting from time and materials to fixed price, many businesses are now moving to offering outcome-based pricing models. In this, the second of his PS Insights podcasts, Marc - managing partner at RTM Consulting - looks at how PS businesses can drive value from AI and...
Taking the RISK out of the Risky Business of Project Delivery - with Shane Anastasi
December 06, 2018 14:43 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBHow should professional services organizations manage risk? In the second of his PS Insights podcasts, services industry guru Shane Anastasi discusses how to identify projects that are heading off track and the kinds of actions that can be taken to keep them in the black. Shane, who has helped many global software companies change how they measure and respond to project risk, shares some of the strategies he has used successfully in the past. Shane Anastasi is CEO and Founder of PS Principles...
How to ensure business processes don’t become red tape – Mark Robinson
October 11, 2018 21:25 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBThe business guru John Harvey-Jones said: “No-one goes to work wanting to do a bad job we just put so much red tape in their way that they give up trying.” Kimble co-founder and CMO Mark Robinson draws on extensive experience of building successful professional services organizations to discuss this question. Useful business processes help to drive consistent outcomes – but a process that is there for the sake of it becomes red tape. If you can’t easily explain what the process is helping to...
Talking Tough to Customers
September 27, 2018 18:17 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBIs the customer always right? Not in the view of Shane Anastasi. In the latest Kimble-sponsored PS insights podcast, the consulting services thought leader and entrepreneur argues that service professionals are often too eager to keep customers happy.
Resource Management Techniques To Deliver Increased Revenue
September 20, 2018 22:05 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBHow has technology changed the ways resources are allocated in top-performing services businesses? What are the processes that support this change? How can resource management techniques drive increased operational efficiency and revenue? Randy Mysliviec discusses resource management disruption in this illuminating podcast, published in advance of the Resource Management Global Symposium in Dallas, Texas on October 3-4.
Marketing Your Professional Services Brand
September 04, 2018 17:48 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBKimble co-founder and CMO Mark Robinson has plenty of experience of marketing professional services, having successfully built and sold two consulting businesses. In the latest PS Insights podcast sponsored by Kimble, Mark discusses his approach to building a services brand. For Mark, a key strategy is to focus energy on a specific area – “what you are famous for” – and to establish trust and expertise in this area. Productizing the services you have on offer is an important part of buildin...
Diversity & Equality in the Workplace
June 29, 2018 18:11 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBRecognized as one of the most influential women in the technology industry in the UK, Jacqueline de Rojas is the guest on the latest in Kimble’s series of Professional Services Insights podcasts. Diversity is not always comfortable, argues de Rojas, citing some guests’ reactions to the sermon at the recent Royal Wedding. But it is a basis for building stronger teams – a message borne out by the diverse French side which won the World Cup!
Understanding GDPR and its Implications for your Professional Services Business
May 18, 2018 13:00 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBHow are US-based businesses likely to be impacted by the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which come into force in the European Union on May 25? What are the implications for professional services businesses which process data for clients? How will data chains be affected and who will manage them?
How Do Some Businesses Succeed in Growing to the Next Level?
March 17, 2018 00:14 - 33 minutes - 31 MBFounder of aQetas, Dr. Paul Howard is an expert on growing a professional services business. In this fascinating podcast, he looks at how measurement can be used to drive success. But, he also argues, at the end of the day “business aren’t about numbers – they are about people.” The most important thing is having (read more...)
Using Technology to Create Visibility in a Consulting Organization
March 06, 2018 23:27 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBVeteran consulting leader Chris DeBrusk reveals the metrics consulting businesses can use to get a true forward-looking view of the business, and how to pinpoint the projects where the risks and opportunities lie.
What Does AI Mean For consulting?
October 03, 2017 13:04 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MBReducing the human effort needed to deliver better results will create new opportunities to innovate, argues consulting entrepreneur Michael Taylor. He sees augmented intelligence as enabling the “creativity, imagination and innovation” of the human consultant and helping them to operate at their best every hour of the day.
Measuring the Health of Consulting Businesses
October 01, 2017 13:04 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBInvestor Steve Anderson, who has successfully built and sold two IT services companies, and advises many others, lays out the steps he takes to assess and improve the performance of professional services businesses. He goes into specifics about his process and explains why companies often underperform.
High-Performance Teams
September 27, 2017 13:04 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBAward-winning entrepreneur and business writer Dom Moorhouse kicks off the PS Insights series by discussing his belief that the single most important factor in creating a world-beating enterprise is having a great team.
What Acquirers Look for in a Consulting Firm
September 15, 2017 13:04 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBNext up is management consulting guru David Bailey, who founded and grew the consulting firm Impact Plus which was acquired by Hitachi. Later, he went on to acquire other businesses for a range of companies including KPMG. Bailey discusses what makes a business attractive to an acquisitive bigger firm.
Creating a Process-Centric Organization
September 07, 2017 13:04 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBOperations Director Graham Underwood set up GFT in the UK, growing the turnover from 0 to £50 million in ten years. In the three years to 2015, he took the firm from 1,300 to 4,000 staff. For Underwood, making sure the processes are right is a first step.
Industry-Leading Resourcing Practices
September 01, 2017 13:04 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBFor managing partner Marc Lacroix of resource management consultants RTM, one of the biggest challenges facing the companies he works with is the rapidity of technological change. Being able to deal with that and to see opportunities within it depends on optimum management of the human resources of the business.
Rule Financial’s Growth Journey on the way to Acquisition
June 28, 2017 17:11 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBIn this episode, Gillian Sheeran, CFO of investment banking consultancy Rule Financial, talks through some of the challenges and successes the company faced from 2010 until their acquisition by GFT Technologies in June 2014. In the course of the discussion, Sheeran highlights the importance of Kimble in creating ambitious and accurate budgets and forecasts.