The Consultancy Growth Podcast

• How To Become The Firm Clients Call When Everything Is Going Wrong with Darryl Petticrew

  In this episode Craig speaks with Darryl Petticrew, Director at Lancia Consult, a firm known for stepping into transformation programmes at the exact moment others step out. When projects stall, when plans unravel, when teams lose confidence, Lancia is the first call. This conversation explores why.Darryl spent more than fifteen years in major consulting firms before joining Lancia, drawn by its entrepreneurial culture and its obsession with real impact. We explore the realities of transformation work in 2025. Darryl explains why co creation beats traditional delivery, why capability transfer is now a core differentiator and why the firms that win today are those willing to take ownership while working on the client’s side of the desk.Consultancy leaders will also hear a candid breakdown of the hidden fragility in growing consultancies and how to fix it. Darryl shares the warning signs inside firms that look successful on the surface but are operationally vulnerable. Over dependence on rainmakers. Decision making slowed by hierarchy. A small cluster of clients carrying the revenue. Teams stretched across delivery with no capacity for growth. These weaknesses tend to appear just as revenues rise.Craig and Darryl explore how resilience is built. How trust creates speed. How the boutique advantage becomes real. And what it actually looks like to lead when your client has run out of answers.In this episode you will learnWhy boutique consultancies win transformation work the big firms loseHow to build trust quickly in high pressure environmentsWhat programme recovery teaches about leadership, ownership and clarityThe hidden fragility in growing consultancies and how to fix itHow co creation and capability transfer create long term client loyaltyWhy clients drop big four firms for smaller teams that can deliver fastHow to position your consultancy as the first call when a project turns redFor consultancy leaders facing a tougher market, this is a clear playbook for building a firm that clients trust with their hardest problems. Human. Fast. Under pressure. And impossible to replace.Host Craig HerdGuest Darryl Petticrew

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• How Passion & Purpose Shaped Blue Sky Into a Consultancy Clients Never Want to Leave with Sarah Lyons & Hannah Bradshaw

  In this episode Craig meets with Sarah Lyons and Hannah Bradshaw, co founders of Blue Sky, a consultancy that is fast becoming a top coaching partner for the UK's legal sector. Their client retention is exceptional. Their niche is clear. Their purpose is unmistakable. And their story is a powerful example of how passion and purpose can shape a consultancy that clients remain with for years.Sarah and Hannah both trained and practised as employment lawyers. When they became new mothers they expected to return to the firm and continue their career trajectory. Instead they came face to face with a structural issue that affects thousands of women across the legal profession. The perception gap. While they were at home with their children their post qualification experience continued to increase on paper. When they returned they were measured against peers with a full year of additional experience. It was a disadvantage created by the system itself.Rather than accept that as normal they decided to solve it. Blue Sky was born from personal frustration and a clear sense of purpose. Today their consultancy supports women through maternity leave, return to work and the long journey toward partnership in some of the most demanding firms in the world. The results are measurable and the loyalty they gain from clients reflects the depth of impact they create.This conversation explores how they built a consultancy that clients never want to leave. We look at the decisions they made around niche, the standards they hold with delivery, the leadership behaviours that strengthen trust and the purpose that guides every programme they run.In this episode you will hear:How passion and purpose became Blue Sky’s commercial advantage. Why great client retention is not luck but a direct outcome.How a narrow niche helped them win the trust of major law firms.The link between personal identity, leadership and client success.What senior consultancy leaders can learn from Blue Sky’s approach.This is a conversation about building a consultancy that solves a real problem, attracts committed clients and retains them through trust, consistency and purpose. It is a blueprint for founders and leaders who care about long term value, meaningful work and commercial strength.Host: Craig Herd Guest: Sarah Lyons Guest: Hannah Bradshaw

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• The Consultancy That Wins Clients by Standing Out, Not Chasing RFPs with Mark Green

  In this episode of The Consultancy Growth Podcast, Craig Herd speaks with Mark Green, founder and CEO of Change Rebellion. After a near-fatal battle with COVID that left him in a coma for months, Mark came back with a new philosophy: empathy over ego, and change that’s human first.We dig into why clients now value implementation over clever slides, how authenticity and humour can be powerful differentiators in a crowded market, and what it takes to build a consultancy that wins clients by standing out, not chasing RFPs.Mark also shares his view on the role of AI in change management, the upside and downside of bold positioning, and why he believes consultancies should leave clients better equipped than they found them. If you’ve ever wondered whether playing it safe is holding your firm back, this conversation will make you rethink how you grow.Chapters 0:00    Introduction to Change Rebellion 01:17     From Coma to Consultancy: A Life-Changing Reset 05:30   Why Authenticity and Humour Stand Out in Consulting 10:00   Family First: Defining Success on Your Own Terms 14:55    The Upsides and Downsides of Being Bold 19:55    Why Implementation Now Beats Intelligence 22:13    AI’s Role in the Future of Change Management 28:11     Empathy Over Ego: Consulting Without the Ego Trap30:52   How to Ensure Clients Are Better Off After You Leave 35:13    The Future Vision for Change Rebellion

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• The Hiring Blueprint Behind Consultancies That Break £10M with Richard Longstreet

  In this episode Craig is joined by Richard Longstreet, founder of Tarka Talent, to explore what really drives successful hiring in boutique consultancies. Too often, firms bring in senior hires with impressive CVs only to find they don’t deliver the growth expected. Richard explains why success in a Big Four doesn’t always translate into a boutique environment, the critical distinction between developing existing accounts and winning new logos, and how cultural fit can determine whether a hire creates lasting value.They also discuss the infrastructure required to support growth, why equity should be tied to performance, and how consultancies can create a culture where business development is a shared responsibility rather than resting solely on the founder. If you’re thinking about making senior commercial hires, this episode offers a clear framework to avoid costly missteps.00:00    Introduction and Context02:59     The Role of Senior Hires in Boutiques 07:53     Account Development vs New Business 10:23     How to Vet Candidates for Commercial Roles 14:04     Why Infrastructure Matters for Growth 16:30     Marketing’s Role in Enabling Success 20:28     Systems and Processes That Scale 25:15      Escaping Founder Dependency 30:10     Building a Sustainable Hiring Strategy 34:14      Balancing Equity in Hiring 38:37     The Importance of Cultural Fit 43:01     Curiosity as a Growth MindsetHost Craig Herd Guest Richard Longstreet

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• Purpose, Peace, Profit: The Simple Framework to Scale Your Consultancy Without Burning Out with Deena Priest

  In this episode, Craig sits down with executive coach Deena Priest to unpack the three pillars of sustainable Consultancy leadership: Purpose, Peace, Profit.  Along the way, they explore how to spot the early signs of unfulfillment, tackle the fear of selling, and break free from the micromanagement trap. Deena shares why emotional regulation is a non‑negotiable skill for leaders, and how to build a legacy that lasts through smart succession planning.00:00 — Introductions & Why Founders Lose Their Spark 05:42 — From Consulting to Coaching: Finding Purpose Again 11:37 — The Hidden Signs You’re No Longer Fulfilled 17:41 — Why Most Consultancy Founders Struggle With Sales 20:25 — Breaking the Micromanagement Habit That’s Draining You 24:05 — How to Lead With Confidence (Even Under Pressure) 27:44 — Using NLP to Reframe Setbacks Into Wins 30:32 — Mastering Emotional Regulation for High‑Stakes Leadership 36:07 — Building a Consultancy Legacy That Outlives YouHost Craig Herd Guest Deena Priest 

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