617. Sri Kaza, Unconvention: A Small Business Strategy Guide
Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent ProfessionalShow Notes
Show Notes: Sri Kaza is a former McKinsey partner and the author of Unconvention, A Small Business Strategy Guide. Sri explains why he left McKinsey after nearly a decade of working with large corporations, to start working with small businesses. Around 12 years ago he decided to pursue entrepreneurship and independence. He worked for Tor Hagen at Viking Cruises, who was a former McKinsey partner, and Sri was impressed by Tor's ability to allow his vision to take risks and drive decision-making. This inspired Sri to look more broadly at entrepreneurship. The Tax Credit Company After working with Hagen, Sri joined a new entrepreneurial venture, the Tax Credit Co., which focused on small businesses with less than 100 or 500 employees. His focus was operationalizing their work opportunity tax credit business, helping them access the government credits they simply were not aware of. Sri's company spent a significant amount of time and money acquiring customers, focusing on providing value and helping them navigate the complex world of tax credits. Explaining The Work Opportunity Tax Credit Sri explains how The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which allows small businesses to claim tax credits up to 2000 dollars for hiring individuals on government assistance or from unique districts with socio-economic issues. Sri talks about the scale of tax credit opportunities available as well as the potential for fraud and exploitation. To build a scalable back end, Sri drew from his McKinsey experience and suggests thinking about the business from the perspective of the small business owner and providing guidance on where the big problems are. Small Business Lending Sri shared examples from his most recent role as CEO of ForwardLine Financial, a small business lender about being informative and helping businesses research their problems. This approach helped both the small business clients and Sri's company scale up well; but many of their clients' business faced challenges during the COVID pandemic and a third of their customers did not survive the pandemic. Sri then developed a framework for building business cases and understanding the strategies of small firms, helping them apply funds and succeed. It was this experience that inspired the concept of his book. Agility and Speed of Decision-Making Incorporating agility and speed of decision making into a small business framework is crucial for success. Small business owners have the advantage of knowing their customers day-to-day and making decisions quickly. This is different from CEOs of big companies, who have to make decisions based on government restrictions. Sri explains that, during the post-COVID period, many businesses didn't wait to set up their standards for their in-store experience. They adjusted their offerings based on customer preferences, even in states with more freedom. For example, in Florida and Texas, businesses with a large number of operations struggled and saw higher revenue declines on average than some California cities. Business owners in these states didn't wait for the government to dictate their practices, but instead understood their customers' concerns and did their own research. This allowed them to make decisions quickly and reflect their customers' preferences, which helped them stay in better shape than chains that were waiting for national rules. The Importance of Purpose and Pride for Small Businesses Sri discusses the concept of purpose in small businesses, comparing it to the concept of Shokunin, or craftsmanship. Sri talks about his time in Japan and what he learned from small businesses there. He found that these businesses focused on their craft rather than profit or growth. He later realized that purpose allows individuals to choose their return on investment and pursue their passions. Individuals often leave consulting to pursue independence, not to make more money. They value the freedoms they gain from doing so. When making decisions,
More from Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional
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.
Waziri Garuba, creator of G.R.I.O.T and CEO of HarlemLabs, talks about how he was inspired by the limitations of Siri and where the name for his custom AI persona, G.R.I.O.T, comes from. He integrates several platforms including n8n.io, 11 Labs, Vercel, and it can be integrated with an LLM of choice, including Claude. The system operates using an agentic workflow where a central brain assesses inputs via webhooks. Incoming queries are classified into four categories: direct, tools, complex, or schedule-based to determine the appropriate routing. He explains how his agent can talk to the platforms.
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.