Consulting and advisory
The firm that sells judgement.
Strategy, operations, technology, or a niche only a few people understand. You are paid for what you know and for how you say it.
Boutiques and practices, generalist or specialist.
How B2B consulting firms actually get built
A show for owners of B2B consulting and services firms.
Come on the show
No fee for joining as a guest.
19,300+views on YouTube
429clips published
91guests recorded
Episodes
One guest per episode, on how they actually built the firm.
Jeff Garbus
Why AI told them to delete every row
Jean-François Tassé
Project managers who ignore AI are out of the game
Charles McLachlan
Nobody hires anyone over fifty anymore
Anton Dudarenko
40% of growth comes from this one thing
Richard Harris
Nobody wants death by mouse click
Miles Bonell
Startups fail on people, not product
80+more episodes
All episodes on YouTubeIn their own words
What guests wrote to me after recording, word for word.
I wanted to tell you that your exit package was very clean and well done. Bravo!
Kevin WilliamsFounder & CEO, Ascend AI Labs
Mikulas stayed with it rather than steering back to tactics, and he had clearly done the reading beforehand. The questions were the kind that make you think rather than recite the answers you always give.
Fay NiewiadomskiFounder & CEO, ICTN
Already done the announcement, very nicely organized, loved that!
Nirvikar JainFounder & Managing Partner, BayTech Capital Partners
What I appreciate most about the conversation is the opportunity to learn from one another.
Camron KingPresident & Owner, Association Resource Center
It was a pleasure speaking with you today and really enjoyed being on your podcast. I look forward to watching it continue to grow, you are doing some great work!
Robert CarmonaCEO & Founder, Carmona Collective
This is a great resource for anyone looking to get into consulting or to do the work better. There are few things better than learning from the experience of peers.
Sean HaleFounder, Nonprofit CFOs
Why I started this show
Consulting Rainmakers is a space for people running successful B2B consulting firms. Usually teams of five or more.
They come on and share their story, and what they picked up building it.
The useful part is usually the early days. What nearly went wrong, and what you would change if you started over.
My hope is that a founder a few years behind you listens, and takes something from it. Not so they avoid the same mistakes. Mistakes are fine if you learn from them. So they get there faster.
Who comes on
Founders who run their own consulting and services firms. People in the same seat as you. They are the audience too.
Firms that get paid for what their people know, rather than for a product. Teams of five or more.
Marketing, creative and PR agencies
The agency that has to keep winning.
Retainers and pitches. The client that leaves and the one that stays. How you built a team that keeps the work coming in.
Brand, performance, PR, design, content.
Staffing, recruiting and search
The search firm built on trust.
Contingent or retained. How you won the first mandates, and how you kept both the clients and the candidates coming back.
Staffing agencies and executive search.
Accounting, tax and fractional CFO
The practice clients never leave.
Compliance work that pays the rent and advisory work that grows the firm. How you moved from one to the other.
CPA firms, bookkeeping, outsourced finance teams.
Training and enablement
The firm that teaches for a living.
Sales training, leadership programmes, technical enablement, facilitation. How you turned one workshop into a business.
Trainers, facilitators and learning teams.
Fractional and interim practices
The executive with several seats.
Fractional CMO, CFO, COO, or interim leadership. How you went from one client to a practice with a bench behind you.
Fractional executives and interim leaders.
What we talk about
We shape it in the first few minutes, around what you want to cover. These are the areas we usually end up in.
- Starting the firm, and the path that led there
- The model you built, and why it works that way
- Hiring, and building a team you want to work with
- AI in professional services, and where it stops helping
- Where the firm goes next
Come on the show
We agree the angle before we record.
What to expect as a guest
Here is exactly what happens when you come on the show.
Come on the show
Pick a time that works. One 45 minute call and the episode is done.
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1
One 45 minute call
We start by getting to know each other and shaping the topics around what you want to cover. Then we record.
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2
We record on Riverside
Remote and in your browser, nothing to download. You show up and talk about how you built what you built.
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3
I produce it
Editing, captions, thumbnails, transcript. You do not touch any of it.
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4
You get everything
Full episode on YouTube, short clips for your social, and a link to share.
Your host
I am Mikulas Zach. I host two podcasts, Consulting Rainmakers and Trust Leaders.
Consulting Rainmakers is a space for people running successful consulting firms. They share their story and what they picked up building it. My hope is that a founder a few years behind listens and takes something from it. Not so they avoid the same mistakes. Mistakes are fine if you learn from them. So they get there faster.
Trust Leaders is a similar idea but the guests are from cyber, privacy, AI governance, GRC, and data protection. Most of them are solving problems that have no playbook yet. I want those answers on record, so the next person does not start from zero.
Outside of work I ski, I lift weights when my elbows let me, and I like a cold Corona with a medium rare beef tenderloin.
If you run a company in either world and want to be a guest, connect and say hi.
Questions people ask
Is this a real podcast?
Yes. One guest per episode, recorded on Riverside, then edited and published on YouTube.
What do we talk about?
Your firm and how you built it. The calls you would make differently now. We shape the topics in the first few minutes, around what you actually want to cover.
How long does it take?
One 45 minute call. The first few minutes are for getting to know each other and shaping the topics. Then we record for about thirty.
Do I need to prepare?
No. Show up and talk about your own firm. If you want the topics ahead of time, ask and I will send them.
Is there a fee?
No. Nobody pays to be on this show.
What do I get?
The full episode, short clips for your social media, and a link to share. I handle the editing.
How many people listen?
The show is new. The listeners are mostly other founders of B2B consulting firms on a similar path to you.
How did you build yours?
One 45 minute call. No fee for joining as a guest. Pick a time that works.
Come on the show