Climb In Consulting

Episode 162: From Startup to Sector Leader: The Growth Lessons Behind The PSC’s Growth

How do you build a consultancy where people love to work, grow and stay while scaling fast and staying focused? The PSC team share the decisions that made it possible. In this episode, Nick sits down with Catherine Mulcahy and Dr. Antonio Weiss from The PSC, the consultancy on a mission to make public services brilliant and one that’s built a reputation as one of the UK’s most respected specialists in the space. They share the inside story of that journey - the real decisions that fuelled their growth, why operations mattered from day one, and how they’ve built a culture that people genuinely want to stick around for. We get into: - Why hiring an ops lead at 8 people was the smartest move they made - The internal battles behind building structure (and what finally worked) - How to embrace AI without losing the human touch It’s a masterclass in thoughtful consulting growth, grounded in real-world decisions, not just buzzwords. If you're leading, scaling or thinking about the future of your consultancy, this one’s a must-listen. Enjoy the show!

Episode 161: How to Think (and Sell) Smarter with Paul Craven

What drives real people to make real decisions in the real world? That’s the question Paul Craven has been answering for decades. Throughout his senior roles at some of the biggest names in finance, including Goldman Sachs, Paul used behavioural science to understand how clients think, how relationships are built, and how decisions are really made. Today, he’s a global expert in the field. A keynote speaker, founding partner of the Cialdini Institute, and trusted coach to organisations around the world, he teaches others how to use the psychology of persuasion to drive real results. In this episode, Paul joins Nick to explore the world of behavioural science and how understanding human decision-making can transform how we lead, sell, and work. You’ll discover the practical behavioural science approaches you can use in your consultancy to help you build stronger relationships, sell more effectively and influence decisions in a way that lands well. They dive into: ✅ Paul’s journey from Goldman Sachs to founding his own business ✅ Dr Robert Cialdini’s seven scientifically-proven techniques of ethical persuasion and how to use them ✅ Why your brain is tricking you and what to do about it ✅ How magic reveals the surprising shortcuts our minds take Whether you’re running a consultancy, leading a team, or just curious about what makes people tick, this episode will shift how you see the world. Enjoy the show!

Episode 160: Built to Sell, Led with Heart: How Sue Lohr Scaled and Exited Three Businesses

What does it take to build and sell two consulting firms and scale faster the second time around? In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick speaks with Sue Lohr, a leader who’s done just that. Sue played a pivotal role in building Synergy and Cormis into high-performing consultancies, both of which went on to successful exits. (Oh, and she sold a product business along the way too.) Sue’s story is about building businesses that people genuinely want to buy, shaped by a clear proposition, confident pricing, and with culture at the core. Sue shares how she: ✅ Took the lessons from Synergy to supercharge growth at Cormis ✅ Created strong cultures that scaled ✅ Developed clear value and confident pricing to drive sustainable growth ✅ Now shares these lessons with consulting founders and leaders via The Vibrant Company and The Consultancy Growth Network If you’re building a firm, leading a team, or plotting your next move, this episode gives you a rare inside look at the mindset, strategy and leadership behind two successful consulting exits from someone who’s lived them. Enjoy the show!

Ep. 159: The Consultancy Built Without Consultants with Gita Singham-Willis

What if your consultancy didn’t look like everyone else’s? What if it was built on values from day one, hired people most firms overlooked, and kept culture at the core as it grew? This month’s guest has done precisely that, and then some. Gita Singham-Willis is one of the three co-founders of Cadence Innova, a multi-award-winning transformation consultancy. From her early days running textile factories in Portugal to reshaping how consulting firms think about people, culture, and growth, Gita’s journey is anything but ordinary. In this episode, she sits down with Nick Synnott to share the entire story, from founding Cadence Innova with a mission to be different, to building a consultancy that said no thanks to traditional hierarchies and yes, please, to working parents, diverse teams, and radical inclusion. She also shares the thinking behind Cadence’s eventual sale, how they maintained their culture throughout the process, and what she has learned about leadership, DEI, and what truly matters in consulting. If you’re building a consultancy, scaling a team, or wondering how to keep your values alive as you grow, this one’s packed with practical insight and plenty of inspiration. We cover: ✅ Why Cadence started by hiring women returning to work and why it worked ✅ The “family model” that replaced traditional line management ✅ How to spot consulting potential outside of traditional CVs ✅ The truth about selling your firm and how to protect your culture in the process ✅ Why DEI isn’t a ‘nice to have’ it’s a business necessity ✅ The advice Gita would give to junior, mid-career, and aspiring partner consultants Enjoy the show!

Ep. 158: Consulting Salaries, Promotions, and Partner Pitfalls with Richard Longstreet

Struggling to crack senior hiring in your consultancy? You’re not alone, and this episode’s guest has seen it all. Richard Longstreet is the founder of Tarka Talent, a recruitment consultancy focused on management consulting, and he’s helped firms of all shapes and sizes find (and sometimes fix) their senior hiring strategies. In this episode, Richard joins Nick Synnott to share his refreshingly honest take on what actually makes a successful senior hire, why partner-level recruitment so often fails, and how boutique firms can set themselves up for success. From salary trends to career progression, partner expectations to promotion timelines, Richard lifts the lid on the latest insights from Tarka Talent’s industry-leading salary survey and explains how firms can take a smarter approach to recruitment in a challenging market. If you’re hiring, thinking of hiring, or just wondering why your last senior hire didn’t quite land, this one’s for you. We cover: ✅ Why partner-level recruitment has a 40% success rate, and what to do about it ✅ How boutiques can attract senior talent without overpromising ✅ Salary trends, bonus data, and promotion patterns from Tarka’s annual report ✅ What separates great senior hires from those who never quite deliver ✅ Alternatives to hiring when capacity is tight Enjoy the show!