Unlocking Value

Garwood Growth
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Unlocking Value is designed to give founders and owners of professional services firms more confidence when they're working toward an exit or thinking about taking on investment.  Across six episodes, our host John Howard speaks with founders, investors and advisors about the moments that define the transaction journey - how to get ready, what to expect and how to succeed. We cover everything from value drivers and team alignment to investor expectations and life after the deal. You’ll hear from people who’ve sold their firms, taken minority investments, stayed on, exited and started again – and from those who advise or invest in firms like yours every day.

  1. Episode 24: Nick Synnott – The Personal Cost and Payoff of Building a Founder-Led Business

    1 DAY AGO

    Episode 24: Nick Synnott – The Personal Cost and Payoff of Building a Founder-Led Business

    In this episode, John is joined by Nick Synnott, founder of Create Engage and host of the long-running “Climb in Consulting” podcast. Many listeners will know Nick for his work on marketing in the consulting sector, but this conversation takes a different angle. John and Nick talk about Nick’s journey as a business founder and the decisions, successes and challenges that have shaped Create Engage over the last six years. They discuss: Why Nick committed to a niche early on – and what he learned the hard way about trying to appeal to everyone.How he held that niche through the ups and downs of building a young firm.The difference between what a firm markets and what it sells.His early personal struggles with sales and the process that helped him build confidence in himself.How he supports his own team to build their skills and confidence in selling.How he approaches hiring inside a boutique firm and the framework that shifted his approach.Nick is an avid reader and always has strong recommendations. In the conversation, they touched on: - The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, by Al Ries & Jack Trout - Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business, by Gino Wickman - Topgrading, by Bradford D. SmartIt’s a conversation full of lessons from someone who’s built a successful firm and has spoken over the years to many of the leading figures in our industry. If you enjoy episodes like this, follow the show so you don’t miss future conversations. Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth Guest: Nick Synnott, founder of Create Engage

    51 min
  2. Episode 23: Rob Garner, Luk Smeyers & Deri Hughes - The Four Forces Shaping Consulting in 2026

    3 FEB

    Episode 23: Rob Garner, Luk Smeyers & Deri Hughes - The Four Forces Shaping Consulting in 2026

    This episode is a little different from our usual format. Rather than a one to one conversation, we are sharing the audio from a recent webinar hosted by Deri Hughes of Honeycomb Consulting Skills Training, joined by Luk Smeyers from The Visible Authority and Rob Garner from Garwood Growth. Together, they explore what 2026 is likely to mean for consulting firms, drawing on insights from the hundreds of firms they each work with every year. The discussion covers:  • The AI triple squeeze reshaping delivery models and margins  • Why specialist boutiques are showing early signs of renewed growth  • How firms are using AI internally, from efficiency and expertise to new propositions  • The rising importance of human skills in winning work and building trust  • What a consulting firm built from scratch in 2026 would actually look like  • Why deep sector expertise is increasingly beating generalist capability A big thank you to Deri Hughes for allowing us to republish the session here on Unlocking Value. If you would like more conversations like this, follow the show for early access to future episodes. Host: John Howard,Partner at Garwood Growth Guest: Rob Garner,Partner at Garwood Growth Guest: Luk Smeyers, Partner at The Visible Authority Guest: Deri Hughes, MD at Honeycomb Consulting

    43 min
  3. Episode 22: Dan Figueiredo - A Microsoft Insider’s View on AI in Consulting

    27 JAN

    Episode 22: Dan Figueiredo - A Microsoft Insider’s View on AI in Consulting

    AI is firmly on the agenda for professional services firms, but many leaders are still working out what it really means in practice – for delivery, governance, people, and trust with clients.  In this episode of Unlocking Value, John Howard speaks with Dan Figueiredo, a senior leader at Microsoft whose career has sat at the intersection of technology, consulting, and commercial delivery. Dan shares a practical perspective shaped by working closely with professional services firms on how they are using AI without outsourcing judgement or creating unnecessary risk. The conversation covers: Why many technology and AI initiatives struggle when firms start with tools rather than outcomes.How AI often acts as a force amplifier – strengthening good ways of working while exposing weak ones.How AI is already being used inside consulting teams to speed up analysis, documentation, and design work.Why experienced judgement still matters, and what can go wrong when AI output is relied on too heavily.The practical governance questions firms are grappling with, from data security to responsible use.Why training, adoption, and behaviour change matter more than simply rolling out new tools.How concerns about trust and credibility with clients are influencing how firms use AI.This is a practical conversation for professional services leaders who want to understand where AI genuinely helps, where it creates new responsibilities, and what it means for leadership and judgement in a consulting business. If you’d like to hear more conversations like this, follow the show for early access to future episodes. Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth Guest: Dan Figueiredo, senior leader, Microsoft

    45 min
  4. Episode 21: Lizzie Meadowcroft – Professional Services Deals from Both Sides of the Table

    20 JAN

    Episode 21: Lizzie Meadowcroft – Professional Services Deals from Both Sides of the Table

    Lizzie Meadowcroft is part of the value creation team at LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group. She works closely with management teams across the LDC portfolio, supporting growth, integration and development. Before joining LDC, Lizzie built a career advising businesses on mergers and acquisitions. She spent almost 20 years at KPMG, where she was a partner in the advisory team and supported business leaders through acquisitions, carve outs and periods of significant change. During that time, Lizzie supported professional services firms both as an external advisor and through KPMG’s own internal transactions. Lizzie and John talked about growth through acquisition, integration choices, incentives and earn outs, and the role people and culture play in determining whether a deal delivers long-term value. For founders, owners and leaders of professional services businesses navigating growth, change or potential investment, this episode offers a practical view of what really drives successful outcomes. Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth Guest: Lizzie Meadowcroft, Value Creation Director at LDC

    45 min
  5. Episode 20: Claire Simm – Leadership Lessons from Growing Professional Services Firms

    13 JAN

    Episode 20: Claire Simm – Leadership Lessons from Growing Professional Services Firms

    Claire Simm is Managing Director and Global Head of Regulatory Consulting at Kroll. She has built her entire career in professional services, moving between Big Four firms, entrepreneurial boutiques and global organisations – and seeing first-hand how leadership, culture and expectations change as firms grow. In this conversation, John and Claire explore what it really takes to lead well in professional services as scale and complexity increase. Claire shares how her leadership approach has evolved over time, why sales and business development should feel natural rather than awkward, and how trusted relationships sit at the heart of long-term growth. Drawing on her due diligence experience, Claire also offers a grounded perspective on what external scrutiny tends to reveal about professional services firms – where leaders are often surprised, what gets exposed when someone starts asking detailed questions, and why preparation, responsiveness and judgement matter long before any formal process begins. Key discussion points include: How leadership roles change as professional services firms growShifting from delivery to developing others without losing quality or credibilityWhy sales and business development should feel normal, not forcedWhat external scrutiny often reveals about how firms are really runThe role of preparation, data and responsiveness in building confidence during a transaction processWhy trust and judgement underpin long-term value in professional servicesFor founders, partners and senior leaders building professional services firms, this conversation offers a thoughtful, experience-led view on how credibility is built over time – and how leaders earn trust through the decisions they make when things get harder, not easier. Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth Guest: Claire Simm, Managing Director and Global Head of Regulatory Consulting at Kroll

    51 min
  6. Episode 19: Unlocking Christmas – Reflections on our 2025 conversations and what comes next

    16/12/2025

    Episode 19: Unlocking Christmas – Reflections on our 2025 conversations and what comes next

    To round off the year, the show takes a slightly different shape. In this brief episode, John reflects on some of the common themes from conversations in 2025 and says thank you to the guests and listeners who’ve shaped the series. He also looks ahead to what’s coming next.  Thanks for being part of the show. We’ll see you in 2026! Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth

    4 min
  7. Episode 18: Olly Purnell – The Anti-Exit Strategy: Building a Consultancy Designed for Long-Term Independence

    09/12/2025

    Episode 18: Olly Purnell – The Anti-Exit Strategy: Building a Consultancy Designed for Long-Term Independence

    In a sector where scaling often leads to external investment or an eventual sale, what does it look like to build a consultancy that grows, stays independent and develops a long-term ownership model for its people? Olly Purnell is the co-founder of Q5, the organisational health consultancy that has grown from a small London start-up into a global firm operating across multiple regions, all without private equity or a planned exit. Instead of organising their business around an eventual transaction, Olly and his co-founders focused on purpose, long-term stewardship and the belief that advisory is a vocation. This episode explores the decisions that shaped the firm’s early years and the operating principles that allowed Q5 to scale with focus and consistency. Olly discusses how broadening ownership strengthened commitment across the organisation and why different firms choose different paths depending on the futures they want to build. John and Olly examine what resilience looks like inside a consultancy. They discuss how leadership choices, cultural discipline and a clear sense of identity help boutique firms compete effectively and why the craft of advisory still matters in an AI-enabled world. Key discussion points include: What it takes to build a consulting firm from zero and the early decisions that matter mostHow to scale a firm organically, without a grand planWhy Q5 resisted investment offers and broadened ownership among employeesHow ownership shapes culture, accountability and long-term performanceWhy independence can be a competitive advantage for boutique consultanciesHow AI and technology can elevate the consulting craft without replacing itWhy advisory remains a vocation and what it means to build a firm designed to lastFor founders, partners and leaders who want to build consultancy firms on their own terms, this conversation offers a practical blueprint for independence, culture and long-term value creation. Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth Guest: Olly Purnell, Managing Partner at Q5

    1h 2m
  8. Episode 17: Pekka Metsaranta – No Co-Founders, No Roadmap, No Illusions

    02/12/2025

    Episode 17: Pekka Metsaranta – No Co-Founders, No Roadmap, No Illusions

    In this episode of The Unlocking Value Podcast, John Howard speaks with Pekka Metsaranta, founder and CEO of Sisua Ltd, a consultancy known for stepping in to help clients succeed with their most complex programmes. From M&A integrations to large-scale systems delivery, Sisua operates where clarity and execution matter most. Just as Sisua thrives amid complexity, Pekka’s own path has been equally demanding. He built Sisua from the ground up without co-founders, delivered work while building the business, and learned the hard way what leadership really means when there’s no safety net. His story is one many consultancy founders will recognise: full of steep learning curves, hard decisions and the discipline to keep going when belief is all you have. Together, John and Pekka explore what it takes to build a values-led professional services firm in real-world conditions, without shortcuts or illusions. Key discussion points include: What meaningful balance looks like for founders and the practical levers that make it possibleHow to lead with accountability in a collaborative, non-hierarchical cultureWhat can happen when you scale internal processes too earlyWhy leadership in complexity demands belief and resilienceFor founders and leaders building firms in uncertain markets, this is a candid, grounded lesson in navigating tough challenges without losing sight of what matters. Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth Guest: Pekka Metsaranta, CEO of Sisua

    48 min
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About

Unlocking Value is designed to give founders and owners of professional services firms more confidence when they're working toward an exit or thinking about taking on investment.  Across six episodes, our host John Howard speaks with founders, investors and advisors about the moments that define the transaction journey - how to get ready, what to expect and how to succeed. We cover everything from value drivers and team alignment to investor expectations and life after the deal. You’ll hear from people who’ve sold their firms, taken minority investments, stayed on, exited and started again – and from those who advise or invest in firms like yours every day.

Information

  • Creator
    Garwood Growth
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Unlocking Value
  • Show Website
    Unlocking Value
  • Provider