635. Richard Millington, Contrarian Consulting Advice: That Really Works
Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent ProfessionalShow Notes
Show Notes: Richard Millington talks about his Substack and consulting practice, Fever B. Richard shares his journey of starting his consultancy practice in 2009 or 2010, focusing on building online communities. During the pandemic, Richard received many requests for advice on becoming a consultant, leading him to start his Substack in April 2023. Richard explains how his Substack has become a side hustle, allowing him to reflect on his experiences and share valuable insights with his audience. Defining Community Consulting Richard defines community consulting, which involves building communities for customers in the technology space. He explains that community consulting helps companies save money by allowing customers to answer each other's questions, reducing the need for customer support. Richard emphasizes the importance of understanding psychology, incentive structures, and legal considerations when building communities, and he highlights the need for companies to hire the right team and have the right strategy, technology, and processes in place. How to Motivate Community Participants When asked how to motivate people to answer questions in online communities, Richard explains that people often help others for the intrinsic reward of feeling useful and making an impact. He discusses the importance of creating a sense of community and recognition for top contributors, such as unique roles and status within the community. Richard notes that financial incentives can sometimes backfire, as people may focus more on the money than on helping others. Surprising Insights on Substack Richard mentions that his most popular post, "The goal of your consulting website is to display as many trust signals as possible," received a lot of attention. He shares other popular posts, such as "Consulting is not selling your expertise" and "You only need to engage 50 people to be a success." Richard discusses his less popular but personally impactful posts, like those on contract structure and niche selection, which he found important for his audience. A Successful Approach to Content Creation Richard talks about his process for creating Substack posts. He explains that he has a routine of dedicating the first hour of his day to generating ideas and writing posts. He reflects on his past experiences and common themes among his coaching clients to create relevant content. Richard mentions that he is moving towards having a theme for a few months, leading into a program he is running, to provide a clear point of focus for his content. Examples of Consulting Projects Richard describes a recent project with a client in Las Vegas, where he helped launch a community from scratch. He explains the importance of strategy, internal buy-in, technology setup, and training for community success. Richard also discusses projects focused on improving existing communities, such as increasing engagement and proving return on investment. Courses and Coaching for Consultants Richard shares his experience with creating courses, starting with his first course in 2011, and the success of his video courses. He explains the benefits of cohort-based courses, which have higher completion rates compared to on-demand courses. Richard discusses his coaching programs, which help independent consultants select the right niche, market themselves, and attract clients. Strategies to Attract Clients Richard outlines six ways to attract clients: search engine optimization, algorithms, referrals, networking, advertising, and cold outreach. He emphasizes the importance of selecting the right acquisition channel and committing to it. Richard shares his personal experience with using social ads to grow his Substack audience and the costs involved. Pricing Advice for Consultants Richard discusses the importance of strategic pricing and the pitfalls of advice like "just raise your rates." He explains the need for a balanced approach to pricing, considering the type o
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Show Notes Ben Garthwaite introduces Pegasus Insights. He explains why his firm developed the tool and who it serves. Pegasus is a software tool designed to improve the traditional 13-week cash flow forecasting process. The tool targets middle-market companies and private equity-backed firms looking to improve accuracy and save time, and give better insights on their business on a weekly or daily basis. Pegasus has worked with various sizes of companies from multi-nationals to one-man real estate businesses. It revolutionizes the reporting process, and Ben explains that while 13-week models are common in distressed companies, consistent financial snapshots are vital for any business.
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Jean-Christophe Lanoix is the founder of Turboconsultant. He spent seventeen years at Hinicio, a strategy consultancy specialising in hydrogen — joining as an intern, rising to Associate Director and leaving in 2024, two years after the firm's exit. He now builds the system he wishes he had had. Introducing Turboconsultant An execution layer for solo consultants: a virtual team of AI agents spanning the whole practice — business development, research, methodologies, marketing and content, deliverable production, quality control, meetings and follow-up, admin. The consultant directs. The agents execute. It installs as a plugin on Claude Cowork and turns a generalist agentic workspace into a consulting-grade one. Three things separate it from a general-purpose assistant. Personalisation. A one-time onboarding hands it the consultant's own methodologies, templates, frameworks and voice. What comes out arrives in their template, follows their methods, and reads in their words. Quality control. Every document it produces passes three layers of audit before it leaves — sources traced, figures recomputed, claims contested by models outside the system. That is where AI hallucination and error get caught. Data walling. Nothing moves from one engagement to another, and the models do not train on client work. And it is one system rather than a patchwork of tools: the whole practice runs in a single environment that sharpens with every engagement. The net effect, measured on the existing user base, is a 25x on average, while improving the general quality of the work. Demonstration of Turboconsutlant Both cases are invented, and so is the consultant behind them — a generic profile carrying no proprietary methodologies, no past deliverables, no writing to learn from. The engagement starts the way a real one does: a request for proposal lands by email. Everything that follows comes out of that one document and public sources. The proposal — thirty minutes The system interviews the consultant first — how they want to work, whether they know the client, who delivers, what their day rate is. Then it writes, in their own template: context, the question behind the client's question, objectives, approach and methodology, scope in and out, work packages, data room requirements, timeline, budget options, next steps. The consultant reviews and signs off. Nothing leaves unvalidated. Without AI, a proposal of that depth is several man-days.
Show Notes: Andreia Fernandes, founder of the Portfolio Career Institute, explains that the term "portfolio career" was coined by Charles Handy in 1994, and it emphasizes working in different roles and contexts. Defining a Portfolio Career Andreia adds that portfolio careers involve using different skills in various contexts, such as a mathematician working in both a school and an insurance company. She highlights that portfolio careers are not just about diversifying income streams but also aligning with one's values and being purpose-driven. The Portfolio Career Program Andreia describes the stages of her cohort program for pursuing a portfolio career. She emphasizes the importance of community and peer exchange in her program, sharing an example of two bankers with different career paths. The program starts with understanding one's strengths, purpose, and limitations, and includes evaluating whether a portfolio career is the right fit. Andreia mentions that some participants are clear about their goals, while others are unsure and need guidance to explore new paths. Designing a Career Andreia discusses the importance of self-reflection and specific exercises in her program, such as the Ikigai principle. She introduces the portfolio career canvas, a framework she developed with a scientific background to help participants design their careers. The canvas includes elements like portfolio career metrics, learning journey, network building, and revenue streams. Andreia explains that participants need to consider what would make them regret having a portfolio career and adjust their plans accordingly. Stages of the Portfolio Career Program Andreia explains the next stages of the program, focusing on activating networks and positioning oneself in the market. She shares her own experience of having a portfolio career, including entrepreneurial ventures, lecturing, and executive coaching. Andreia emphasizes the importance of having a unique selling proposition (USP) and positioning oneself in the right environment. She provides examples of her clients' success stories, such as a banker who became a lecturer and project manager. How the Program Helps Participants When asked about common strands in portfolio careers, and Andreia mentions that there are no limits to what one can do. Andreia shares an example of a white-collar worker who wanted to produce something with their hands, such as brewing beer or working with wood. She discusses the concept of strategic diversifiers, who have two passions and want to follow different streams to balance their energy. Andreia highlights the importance of learning and knowledge sharing in portfolio careers, especially in the knowledge economy. How the Program Impacts Careers Andreia shares examples of participants who have gone through her cohort and the impact it had on their careers. She mentions a banker who became a lecturer and project manager, exploring new areas outside of risk management. Another participant, an employer for seven and a half years, strengthened her current activity by exploring new business models. Andreia emphasizes that the program helps participants design their future and make informed decisions about their careers. For those who want to learn more about Andreia's coaching and the Portfolio Career Institute, Andreia offers upcoming events and webinars where potential participants can meet her and learn about her approach. Andreia encourages listeners to visit the website for more information and to contact her directly for further inquiries. Timestamps: 0:02: Defining a Portfolio Career 02:50: Program Structure and Community Support 06:51: Self-Reflection and Exercises 13:16: Activating Networks and Positioning 14:36: Common Strands in Portfolio Careers 19:52: Impact of Cohort Participants 20:56: Resources and Contact Information This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/unleashed/episode-655-andreia-fernandes-portfolio-careers-the-future
Show Notes: Shankar Ananth shares his background, mentioning his nine years of consulting experience, highlighting his experience at McKinsey and Bain, and his role in building the new app, Micro-Casing. Bridging the Gap in Case Interview Preparation Shankar explains the gap in case interview preparation methods, which led him to create Micro-Casing. He also mentions his eight years of experience as a case coach and the usefulness of the app for students. He discusses the target audience of the app, which includes consulting candidates and those looking to improve their consulting thinking. Micro-Casing - Your Case Partner Reimagined Shankar explains the homepage of the app, where users can log in through Google or Apple.