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About The Consultant's Way Podcast 

The Consultant's Way Podcast is your go-to resource for navigating the complexities of the consulting and professional services world. We bring you insightful conversations with industry thought leaders and executives from top Professional Services organizations, sharing their expertise on how to: 

 • Build high-performing consulting and professional services teams 

• Differentiate your offerings and increase organizational growth 

• Deliver exceptional client value and drive impactful outcomes 

 Brought to you by: 

• McMann & Ransford: A strategy consulting firm with over 30 years of experience helping leading B2B organizations escape commoditization and achieve sustainable growth. Learn more: https://mcmannransford.com/ 

• The Consultant's Way: Your one-stop shop for training and enabling consultants and professional services teams to deliver exceptional client value. Learn more: https://www.consultantsway.com/ 

 Connect with us: 

• LinkedIn: 

○ Dean McMann - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanmcmann/

○ Anthony Paluska - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-paluska-5081804b

• Email: podcast@consultantsway.com 

 Interested in being a guest? 

We're always looking for insightful guests to share their expertise. Reach out to us via email or LinkedIn if you'd like to be considered for a future episode. 

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 In this episode of The Consultant’s Way Podcast, Stephen Shorey shares what it actually looks like to step out of a successful consulting career and build something of your own...before you feel completely ready. 

Stephen walks through the decision to leave a stable role and start his own firm, Immersive Tech, not just to go independent, but to build an organization grounded in his own values, approach, and experiences. It’s a candid look at the early stage of that journey; where the vision is clear, but the path is anything but. 

The conversation goes beyond the typical “why I started a business” story. Stephen gets into the realities that don’t get talked about enough: the internal doubts, the pressure of making early decisions without perfect information, and the challenge of shifting from delivering work to building a business around it. He shares how he approached everything from structuring his services to thinking through pricing, while managing the uncertainty that comes with starting from scratch. 

There’s also a practical side to this discussion. Stephen talks through how his background in project management shaped the way he built his company, from creating a business case to breaking the work into structured plans and timelines. It’s a reminder that the same skills used to deliver complex programs can be applied to building something entirely new. 

Whether you’re considering starting your own firm, already in the early stages, or simply curious about what that transition really looks like, this episode offers an honest perspective on the challenges, trade-offs, and mindset required to take that leap.