In three years we help Andrew achieve $30MM in revenue and become an equity partner in the innovation consulting practice.<\/p>\n
This program was first titled Partner in 3 Years. Then we changed to title to Building an Innovation Practice and, finally, Implementation. Building an Innovation Division. However, we changed the name to make it explicit. This program is entirely<\/strong> about sales. Through the process of selling, Andrew built an innovation practice and innovation capability at his firm.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n If you are not interested in the details of sales, this program is not for you.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Follow us as we help Andrew, a senior manager \/ associate principal at a major international professional services firm, become an equity partner in 3 years by following a highly unconventional path: by re-building the firm\u2019s failed innovation practice. Starting with a total budget of $150K, and signing authority of < $5,000, we take you through every meeting, dinner, coffee chat, obstacle, plan, tactic, pilot, proposal, marital problem, client push-back, strategy, success, failure etc. to achieve total revenue of >$30MM within 3 years.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Before Andrew, no equity partner had ever been elected from an internal role in this firm.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n We\u00a0will post special Q&A episodes in response to member questions.<\/em><\/p>\n ~320 episodes; documenting everything Andrew did to change his career.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n If you would like to receive sample episodes of our Insider content, please register on this site (its free) or opt-in to our newsletter. That\u2019s also free. This is the only way to receive sample Insider content and find out about our promotional offers.<\/strong><\/p>\n Background<\/strong><\/p>\n At the start of this program Andrew is a 39-year-old finance specialist serving mid-sized clients in the North-East USA. He recently joined the firm after working at a rival professional services giant for much of his career. He left his prior firm because he was not offered a path to partnership. His career had stalled.<\/p>\n Despite the excitement of joining the new firm, he again fails<\/a> to make progress and continues to serve mid-size clients, which, given the size of the projects, makes it difficult for him to ever reach the ~$3-4MM\/annum hurdle for nomination to the firm’s partnership ranks.<\/p>\n Moreover, Andrew does not know how to sell without selling.<\/strong> He follows a benefits-based sales approach which does not work. At this point Andrew believes that, at best, he may make partner in 7 to 10 years, but he will likely remain a senior manager. In fact, he is considering leaving to join as a partner at a much smaller regional firm.<\/p>\n He is happily married with a wonderful wife and children. Yet, he bears the guilt of knowing he asked his wife to give up her lucrative investment banking job to raise their children. His wife kept her end of the bargain but Andrew believes he did not do enough on his side.<\/p>\n Innovating Within the Firm – Year 1<\/strong><\/p>\n We take over Andrew\u2019s career to develop an entirely new career strategy<\/a> and route to the partnership. In a bold and daring move, Andrew is asked to forget about the common\u00a0route to partnership and focus on the non-existent, failing and embarrassing innovation practice that the firm\u2019s management committee is considering shutting down. It is a cost center and no one in the history of the firm had ever been elected to the partnership from a cost center.<\/p>\n We work with Andrew to find a route into innovation, eventually position him to run the function in a caretaker role, and develop a definition and scalable model for innovation. After a very slow start, September through to December turn out to be important months where a grass-roots innovation campaign is assembled. Our very carefully planned successes and image management strategy gets Andrew noticed by senior management.<\/p>\n New Revenue for the Firm – Year 2<\/strong><\/p>\n After hitting a major milestone at the end of Year 1, We map out an aggressive but logical plan to shift innovation from its internal focus to external clients. We work with Andrew to continue building out an innovation engine that can scale across the firm. Andrew\u2019s star keeps rising.<\/p>\n We set out, with a detailed strategy, to achieve two highly improbable, but significant, goals.<\/p>\n The year ends with Andrew landing his first multi-million-dollar client engagement. Not done yet, they focus on building out an innovation service for external clients, with a bigger goal in mind than when they started working two years ago.<\/p>\n Innovating for Clients – Year 3<\/strong><\/p>\n With Andrew we pursue the final, and incredibly ambitious, goal: to manage a full innovation program at a major multi-national client, while going head-to-head against BCG and McKinsey, yet by using a different\u00a0approach to innovation and in an area where the firm has no prior track record.<\/p>\n This program requires Andrew to find a way to execute a plan of bringing together the firm’s skills in audit, tax, corporate finance, legal, technology and consulting to create new sources of revenue for clients.<\/p>\n We develop a \u201cblocking strategy\u201d which allows Andrew to use the unique assets of the firm, to conduct innovation programs in a way that is different from McKinsey and BCG. In other words, they use McKinsey\/BCG thinking to build an innovation practice that leverages the strengths of the firm versus replicating the approach used by BCG and McKinsey.<\/p>\n The program ends with Andrew’s initiatives generating >$30 million in savings + revenue for the firm and an offer to join the equity partnership.<\/p>\n Although the number looks daunting, we will explain to you the exact path taken, how we phased the initiatives, how we built a loyal team around Andrew and how we trained Andrew to become comfortable with sales. The business case and results of each engagement is discussed so you can see how the numbers add up.<\/p>\n We break down each source of revenue + savings into the dollar benefit to the firm, how it was calculated, how it was validated and how you could go about applying the same concept. Significant time is spent explaining the build-up to each pilot, the lessons learned and how the improved process was rolled out across the firm.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s Note:<\/span><\/strong> What we teach is unique. It is valuable. It cannot be found anywhere else. The knowledge, skills, strategies, and technical understanding required to repeat these successes in your own careers would take the average professional years, if not decades, to acquire and that\u2019s assuming you find the right opportunities. We compress all of that learning into these mega<\/strong> programs: (1) Getting Andrew Promoted to Equity Partner Within 3Yrs, from Senior Manager<\/a>, (2)\u00a0Corporate Strategy & Transformation of a Major Industrial Company<\/a>, (3)\u00a0Merger and IPO of a National Tech. Champion<\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0(4)\u00a0Turnaround at a Major Financial Institutions Group<\/a>, (5) EB1A Green Card – An Alien of Extraordinary Ability<\/a>, (6) Rolling Out AI + Cloud at a Fortune 500 Company. $30MM \/ Year Contract<\/a> and (7) Innovating an Industrial Giant: $42 million single project fee<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>They are developed over many years and given detailed explanations, they each often exceed 250 episodes\/program. We are proud to make these available to our clients. As always the programs have two objectives: (1) Show you what we did to radically accelerate the clients\u2019 career, and (2) what we did to create significant value within the company by solving a critical, and often strategic, problem.<\/p>\n Access to this\u00a0Program<\/strong><\/p>\n This program is exclusively available to\u00a0Firmsconsulting Insiders<\/a>.<\/p>\n Released Episodes<\/strong><\/p>\n Part 1, The Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n 0. Introduction to the training program<\/p>\n 1. The story behind the episodes<\/p>\n 2. Client Background<\/p>\n 3. Interview process<\/p>\n 4. How we think about this<\/p>\n Part 2, Finding the Innovation Role<\/strong><\/p>\n 5. A moonshot<\/p>\n 6. Am I Andrew\u2019s friend?<\/p>\n 7. Does career success buy financial freedom or vice versa?<\/p>\n 8. The old-boys network<\/p>\n 9. Everyone says!<\/p>\n 10. The economic model of a career masterpiece<\/p>\n 11. The central partnership challenge<\/p>\n 12. Unproductive delays<\/p>\n 13. Critically altering the problem statement<\/p>\n 14. Strategy for the role<\/p>\n 15. Finding the innovation opportunity<\/p>\n 16. Dealing with a personal crisis<\/p>\n 17. Innovation structure within the firm<\/p>\n 18. Being innovative<\/p>\n 19. Strategy to get the innovation role<\/p>\n 20. Tactics to get the innovation role<\/p>\n 21. Challenges in his role<\/p>\n Part 3, Defining Innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n 22. Turning debilitating disadvantages into advantages<\/p>\n 23. Day 1 in the new role<\/p>\n 24. Meeting the firm\u2019s head of strategy<\/p>\n 25. Stepping back: what does the firm want\/need<\/p>\n 26. Defining innovation<\/p>\n 27. What is innovation?<\/p>\n 28. Announcing an innovation plan with fanfare<\/p>\n 29. The real reason you are not a visionary<\/p>\n 30. Using a business plan or learning as you go<\/p>\n 31. You must know the numbers<\/p>\n 32. Ignore best practice<\/p>\n 33. Innovate inside the firm or at clients?<\/p>\n Part 4, Building Allies<\/strong><\/p>\n 34. 8 meetings to gain trust without a business plan<\/p>\n 35. Withdrawing from non-profits\/charities\/school board<\/p>\n 36. Internal vs. external clients?<\/p>\n 37. Replicating McKinsey\u2019s Innovation practice is a bad idea<\/p>\n 38. Financial targets for partnership and ideal clients<\/p>\n 39. How did we create Andrew’s career strategy?<\/p>\n 40. Falling in love with sexy ideas<\/p>\n 41. Should the innovation practice act\/look hip and\/or cool?<\/p>\n 42. Importance of private networking dinners<\/p>\n 43. The importance of sticking to the critical path<\/p>\n 44. What happens after the 8 tax partner meetings?<\/p>\n 45. Keeping the burn low<\/p>\n Part 5, 1st Workshop & Factory-in-a-Box<\/strong><\/p>\n 46. Andrew\u2019s plan for the pilot<\/p>\n 47. Psychology of running the pilot<\/p>\n 48. Listening to 1st workshop and teaching brainstorming<\/p>\n 49. After the workshop<\/p>\n 50. Should Andrew lead FIAB?<\/p>\n 51. An insurgent mentality<\/p>\n 52. Trauma in planning FIAB<\/p>\n 53. Language degradation<\/p>\n 54. Andrews three roles<\/p>\n Part 6,\u00a05th Month into the Program\u00a0& Factory-in-a-Box<\/strong><\/p>\n 55. 5 Month Update<\/p>\n 56. How I work and think things through<\/p>\n 57. Why internal resistance is a strategic weapon<\/p>\n 58. Cultivating relationships from the workshops<\/p>\n 59. Planning the pilot: Partner update<\/p>\n 60. Editing the presentation \u2013 The idea<\/p>\n 61. Using the presentation<\/p>\n 62. Marital Problems for Andrew<\/p>\n 63. Problems with the Partnership Counsellor<\/p>\n 64. Is this idea really innovative?<\/p>\n 65. The importance of saying no!<\/p>\n 66. When to make the case for partnership<\/p>\n 67. Critical insight from Workshop 1<\/p>\n 68. Lack of an automated innovation process<\/p>\n Part 7, 2nd Workshop and Big Opportunity<\/strong><\/p>\n 69. Workshop 2: the big one<\/p>\n 70. Buildup to the pilot<\/p>\n 71. Balancing internal support with reality<\/p>\n 72. Working with support services needs more authorization<\/p>\n 73. Updating the innovation partner<\/p>\n 74. All the leading ladies at an expensive dinner<\/p>\n 75. Following up from the expensive dinner<\/p>\n 76. Pimp, Napoleon, Hitler Analogies & Metaphors<\/p>\n Part 8, From Innovation to Opportunity Pilot<\/strong><\/p>\n 77. Andrews key next step: explaining the pilot process<\/p>\n 78. Coffee with Andrew\u2019s allies within support service<\/p>\n 79. What keeps me going<\/p>\n 80. When do we create an innovation brand?<\/p>\n 81. Airbnb Strategy: Internal Support Services Partner<\/p>\n 82. The first pilot: background<\/p>\n Part 9, 1st\u00a0Innovation Pilot (Big Milestone)<\/strong><\/p>\n 83. Everything shared on Yammer: older version of Slack<\/p>\n 84. Benefit 1: consolidating travel<\/p>\n 85. Kathy and her team of vloggers<\/p>\n 86. Benefit 2: delays in approvals<\/p>\n 87. Benefit 3: avoiding integration costs<\/p>\n 88. Benefit 4: normalizing discounts<\/p>\n 89. Integrating SMS and basic updates: tags and links<\/p>\n 90. Building the business case \u2013 via Yammer<\/p>\n 91. Manipulating the system: Jamie Dimon rule<\/p>\n 92. Major celebration: The Fat Hunters<\/p>\n 93. Evolution & strategic rise of Kathy<\/p>\n 94. Relationship between Andrew & myself<\/p>\n 95. Building a grassroots innovation movement<\/p>\n 96. Notice the pattern of replicability<\/p>\n 97. Grilling the internal benchmarking team<\/p>\n 98. Andrew is offered to tour the firm as an expert!<\/p>\n 99. How did Andrew go AWOL within Tax for 3 months?<\/p>\n Part 10, Results of the Innovation Pilot<\/strong><\/p>\n 100. The pilot saved $7.12MM! Andrew\u2019s star is born<\/p>\n 101. The curse of marginal success<\/p>\n 102. Reimbursing Andrew\u2019s time costs<\/p>\n 103. Breaking down the approach in the pilot<\/p>\n 104. Critical technical problem<\/p>\n 105. Critical Insights<\/p>\n 106. Andrew’s partner meeting post the support services call<\/p>\n 107. Partner dinner with Andrew<\/p>\n 108. Wrapping up the first year<\/p>\n Part 11, Building the Innovation Digital Platform<\/strong><\/p>\n 109. Comparison to another Big 4 Accounting Firm & Client<\/p>\n 110. Calculating the $30MM number<\/p>\n 111. Priorities for the year<\/p>\n 112. Andrew\u2019s growing results and name<\/p>\n 113. The clam before the storm<\/p>\n 114. Five critical presentations<\/p>\n 115. Vision for innovation<\/p>\n 116. Innovation approach<\/p>\n 117. Rules for innovation<\/p>\n 118. FIAB (Factory-in-a-Box)<\/p>\n Part 12, Andrew is Promoted to Lead Innovation (Big Milestone)<\/strong><\/p>\n 119. Innovation Program<\/p>\n 120. Big Meeting: Updating the partner on what is the overall process<\/p>\n 121. Update on Andrew\u2019s Dinner<\/p>\n 122. Meeting of the Innovation Committee<\/p>\n 123. Making Andrew the Innovation leader<\/p>\n 124. Accelerating Andrew’s partnership discussions<\/p>\n 125. Expanding Andrews Budget<\/p>\n 126. Cultivating the tax + internal support services partner relationship<\/p>\n 127. Rolling out the process around the rest of support services<\/p>\n 128. Reminder of the Rules of Innovation<\/p>\n Part 13, Building Andrew’s Innovation Team<\/strong><\/p>\n 129. Learning from the worst practices<\/p>\n 130. Motivating for the team<\/p>\n 131.\u00a0Who were the first hires?<\/p>\n 132.\u00a0Defining a team<\/p>\n 133.\u00a0Permanent versus contractors<\/p>\n 134.\u00a0Centralized versus co-located<\/p>\n 135.\u00a0Cool \/ elitist versus practical<\/p>\n 136.\u00a0Full data sharing including emails<\/p>\n 137.\u00a0Major focus on customer service \/ unusual at a start-up<\/p>\n 138.\u00a0Setting up a rotation system<\/p>\n 139.\u00a0Setting rewards and remuneration<\/p>\n 140.\u00a0Setting titles<\/p>\n 141.\u00a0Setting performance management<\/p>\n 142. Dress code<\/p>\n 143.\u00a0Finding a home for his team<\/p>\n 144.\u00a0Building their culture<\/p>\n Part 14, How Andrew Built the Innovation Platform<\/strong><\/p>\n 145. Story of Blockbuster<\/p>\n 146.\u00a0People with fire in their belly usually do not work in consulting technology units<\/p>\n 147.\u00a0Motivation of internal tech teams is wrong<\/p>\n 148.\u00a0Committed funding: why, how much and how<\/p>\n 149.\u00a0Customization<\/p>\n 150.\u00a0Specs: high-level versus the detailed the teams wanted<\/p>\n 151.\u00a0Prepping for meeting with IT: how leverage works<\/p>\n 152.\u00a0First meeting with IT Consulting<\/p>\n 153. Define customization<\/p>\n 154.\u00a0The incremental benefit of incremental changes<\/p>\n 155.\u00a0Second meeting with IT Consulting: problems with internal consulting technology units<\/p>\n 156.\u00a0Why not use contractors?<\/span><\/p>\n 157.\u00a0Moving from variable to fixed cost<\/span><\/p>\n 158.\u00a0Adapting Yammer: no bottom up building<\/span><\/p>\n 159.\u00a0Is free really free? <\/span><\/p>\n 160.\u00a0Will this work?<\/span><\/p>\n 161. What were we actually building?<\/p>\n 162. Trojan horse strategy<\/p>\n 163. Reminder of the Goals for the Year<\/p>\n 164. Strategy Behind the Platform<\/p>\n 165. Pulling the Trigger on IT hiring<\/p>\n 166. Managing the team<\/p>\n 167. Working with Microsoft<\/p>\n 168. Phasing the Approach; daily updates<\/p>\n 169. Modular vs. Minimum Viable Product<\/p>\n 170. Launching a pilot in Support Services<\/p>\n 171. When to challenge experts<\/p>\n 172. How our cost structure drives our verification process<\/p>\n 173. How to take advice from external teams<\/p>\n 174. Results of the platform rollout<\/p>\n 175. Understanding IT consulting’s business model<\/p>\n 176. Problems with IT team: Part 1<\/p>\n 177.\u00a0Problems with IT team: Part 2<\/p>\n 178. Outcome<\/p>\n 179. Why is it so hard to learn soft skills<\/p>\n 180. Steven Spielberg and staying under the radar<\/p>\n 181. You need finesse<\/p>\n 182. Older people starting something new are seen as failures<\/p>\n 183. Do not make people look bad<\/p>\n 184. The curve of status seeking<\/p>\n 185. This program is about Implementation (of sales). Period<\/p>\n PART 15: HALFWAY POINT IN THE PROGRAM ON TEACHING ANDREW TO SELL MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CONSULTING ENGAGEMENTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 186. Things change significantly from here<\/p>\n 187. Why we need Factory-in-a-box (FIAB) so badly<\/p>\n 188. Success brings problems and attention<\/p>\n 189. Why adopting McKinsey and BCG ideas on innovation is a challenge and not applicable<\/p>\n 190. Stranger Danger!<\/p>\n More to come…<\/p>\n THE PROMOTION<\/strong><\/p>\n The Promotion<\/em> is an original Firmsconsulting program which teaches you how to apply all the skills a McKinsey, BCG et al. partner would use to fast-track a career in corporate, launch a start-up from a zero base or build a profitable business.<\/p>\n In Season I of The Promotion<\/em>, How to Sell Multi-Million Dollar Consulting Engagements<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> you can follow us as we help Andrew, a senior manager \/ associate principal at a major international professional services firm, become an equity partner in 3 years by following a highly unconventional path: by re-building the firm\u2019s failed innovation practice.<\/p>\n Starting with a total budget of just $150K, and signing authority of < $5,000, we take you through every meeting, dinner, coffee chat, obstacle, plan, tactic, pilot, proposal, marital problem, client push-back, strategy, success, failure etc. to achieve total revenue of >$30MM within 3 years.<\/p>\n Life After McKinsey<\/em><\/a> is Season II of The Promotion<\/em>.<\/p>\n Season III is split into two programs. In the first, McKinsey to Private Equity<\/em><\/a>, we detail follow the tough journey Lisa took to move into private equity. The other program,\u00a0USA vs CA\/AU\/UK Residency\/Citizenship<\/em><\/a>, explains the unusual strategy we used to help Lisa obtain her green card in about 1 year 4 months.<\/p>\n