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The Unique Boutique Podcast
You built a consultancy worth noticing. Getting the market to notice it is a different skill. The Unique Boutique (formerly The Consultancy Edge) is a fortnightly podcast hosted by Matt Hodkinson, exploring the positioning, differentiation, and category-ownership strategies that turn boutique consultancies into the only credible choice.
Episodes
41 episodes
S2E6: The credible choice, not the louder one, with Sue Rizzello
The Credible Choice, Not the Louder One - Sue Rizzello on Proof as DifferentiationMost boutique consultancies have a handful of case studies sitting on their website, quietly doing very little. Sue Rizzello thinks that's a wasted ...
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S2E5: The Goldmine in your CRM, with Luke Badiali
"We need a new client tomorrow." It's the moment most consultancies start thinking about business development - and according to Luke Badiali, that's already too late.Luke is the co-founder of BeDeveloped, which helps boutique consulting...
S2E4: The truth about paid ads, with Karen Young
"Google are bandits." It's not the kind of thing you'd expect from a certified Google Partner agency - but Karen Young says it with a smile, and she means it.Karen is the founder of Ethos Metrics, the ethical pay-per-click agency built o...
S2E3: Stop selling capability. Start selling outcomes, with Cris Beswick
Most consultancies still pitch what they can do. Clients have stopped buying it.Cris Beswick has spent two decades inside the boardrooms of global brands - first as a consultancy founder with two exits (the second five days before Lehma...
S2E2: Positioning AMA with Matt Hodkinson
For this episode, Matt does something different - he turns the microphone on himself. No guest, just an AMA: real questions submitted by boutique consultancy founders across The Unique Boutique network, answered in turn.The questions cov...
S2E1: Category claimed. Standing out, selling smart, and why most consultants are invisible, with Justin Michael
Matt sits down with Justin Michael - author of over a dozen books including Tech-Powered Sales and Seven Figure Formula, and one of the highest-paid consultants in the world of B2B sales and client acquisition. Justin has trai...
Ep. 34 Why your marketing feels harder (and what to do about it), with James Thomlinson
In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, Matt Hodkinson sits down with James Thomlinson (Sprint Partners) to unpack a question almost every consultancy leader is asking right now:Why does marketing feel so much harder th...
Ep. 33 How Consultancies Should Really Use Tech, with Patrick Kelly-Weller
Most consultancies want to “use more tech,” but end up trapped in spreadsheets, scattered SaaS tools, and duct-taped automations that create more friction than they remove.In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, Matt Hodkinson ...
Ep. 32 Building a values-led consultancy in downright weird times, with Danielle Heward
In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, I sit down with Danielle Heward, co-founder of Optimo, to unpack what it really takes to build — and sustain — a values-driven consultancy in a challenging market.We cover:
Ep. 31 Turn Consultancy Expertise into Demand with Video, with John Wilson
Consultancies are already being outplayed on LinkedIn and beyond - not because their expertise is weaker, but because they’re invisible on video.In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, I’m joined by John Wilson of...
Ep. 30 Consultancy KPI's & Delivering with Consistency, with Ben Edwards
Boutiques are primed to win - if you tighten scoping, build an embedded sales culture, and obsess over 5 unsexy KPIs. In this episode, Ben Edwards (CMap & Consulting Pulse) and Matt go deep on what’s really happening in p...
Ep. 29 Growing through Talent Strategy, with Caroline Boston
Building a consultancy that helps other consultancies hire better - what does that actually take? In this episode, Caroline Boston, Managing Director of New Minds, shares the origin story behind her people-strategy firm and the hard-won lessons...
Ep. 28 Muting the AI Beach Bro's, with Leena Sowambur
In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, host Matt Hodkinson sits down with Leena Sowambur, founder of Marcoms by Leena, whose career spans 25 years in digital marketing and PR, including global campaigns for icons like Beyoncé and Tak...
Ep. 27 Selling without ego, with Mikey Hanson
If you're tired of spammy sales cadences and tired outreach tactics, this episode is for you. I sit down with Mikey Hanson, founder of Growth Genie, to explore how consultancy leaders can break free from referral dependency and ignite real conv...
Ep. 26 Selling smarter, staying authentic and thriving in tough markets, with John Barrows
In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, I interview John Barrows, CEO of JB Sales, whose journey from hammering out 400 cold calls a week to advising Salesforce, LinkedIn and Amazon has made him one of the most respected voices in sal...
Ep. 25 Why most case studies fail and how to fix them, with James de Roche
Most case studies suck.They’re long. They’re fluffy. They’re written for your ego, not your buyer’s anxiety.On this week’s episode of The Consultancy Edge, I speak with James de Roche, founder of Lead Comet, who’s on a mi...
Ep. 24 The real cost of avoiding marketing with Martin J. Williams
What happens when the referrals stop rolling in?On this episode of The Consultancy Edge, I’m joined by Martin J. Williams - founder of Camford Management Consultants and the mind behind frameworks like the Pyramid of Trust ...
Ep. 23 Gross margins, growth traps and getting out clean, with Shawn Walsh
If your exit strategy is “someday,” this episode is for you.Shawn Walsh doesn’t pull punches. The CEO of Encore Strategic Consulting and co-author of The Pumpkin Plan for MSPs joins Matt Hodkinson to talk about building b...
Ep. 22 AI ethics, boutique power plays and the rise of the futurist consultant, with Omaro Maseli
The brand halo is dead. That’s the bold claim from Omaro Maseli - and she’s got the research to back it up.On this episode of The Consultancy Edge, Omaro joins Matt Hodkinson for a fascinating deep dive into the futur...
Ep. 21 No funnels, no ads, no excuses with Jeanne Omlor
Consultants love to overcomplicate growth. Funnels. Ads. Paid traffic. Big teams. But what if you could build a multi-seven-figure business without any of that? Jeanne Omlor did exactly that - starting at 54, in debt, as a single parent and wit...
Ep. 20 The highs, lows and hard truths of growth with Marc Jantzen
£10m exits. KFC chaos. And the truth about consultancy growth.In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, Matt sits down with Marc Jantzen, founder of The Consultancy Growth Network and former CEO of Blue Sky, which he scale...
Ep. 19 Inclusion, allyship and building cultures that actually work, with Gillian Jones-Williams
Consultancy is still often seen as pale, male and stale. This episode is your wake-up call.Gillian Jones-Williams is the founder of Emerge, a coaching and training consultancy specialising in leadership, women’s developme...
Ep. 18 Truth, burnout and building a business that fits you with Craig Herd
Truth is attractive. That’s Craig Herd’s mantra - and this episode proves why.Craig is the founder of Consultancy Growth. He works with boutique consultancy founders to help them scale sustainably, systemise growth and escape the ...
Ep. 17 Referrals, revenue and reputation with Danilo Kreimer
Still waiting on referrals to fill your pipeline? Danilo Kreimer says that’s not a growth strategy - it’s a gamble.In this episode of The Consultancy Edge, I sit down with Danilo, founder of the Boutique Consulting Club, ...
Ep. 16 Scaling, selling and smashing barriers with Marcia Marini
How do you take a consultancy from zero to £20m in just seven years? Marcia Marini did it - and then became the first female executive leader at Mott MacDonald Group. In this powerhouse episode of The Consultancy Edge, Marcia shares th...
