How to Make Partner Podcast

Heather Townsend
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

How to make Partner is the place to learn about how to progress your career in professional services and what the partners in your firm are really looking for. howtomakepartner.substack.com

  1. 6d ago

    Are you acting, feeling and thinking like a partner?

    Only 43% of professionals on the partnership track talk about having a practice or a business, rather than a client portfolio. It is a small change in language, and it tells your partners a great deal about whether you are ready to be one of them. This episode covers the ninth of the 12 key indicators of partnership readiness: Personal Case. This is where you demonstrate that you are already working at the level expected of a partner, before anyone hands you the title. It covers what your partners are actually looking for, how gravitas is built and undermined, and why the strongest cases are built on strengths rather than on patched gaps. In this episode you will learn: - Why tenure and high billing do not make a Personal Case, and what your partners are assessing instead - The questions to run yourself through to work out whether you are acting, thinking and feeling like a partner - What Ding Dong and Bing Bong words are, and how the language you use every day is either building or eroding your gravitas - How Ewan turned the style that made him seem to lack presence into the reason clients trusted him - Why your partners are not looking for the perfect candidate, and what to do with the strengths you already have Take the Partnership Readiness Assessment Free to complete, 10 to 15 minutes, and gives you a personalised report across all 12 key indicators. Take the assessment here. Buy Poised for Partnership To buy a copy of Poised for Partnership, click here. What help is out there for you to progress your career in the professions? The Progress to Partner Academy is curated by key indicator. If Personal Case is where you need to focus, you'll find everything in one place. You’ll find resources to help you strengthen your Personal Case, including: - How to Be on Your A-Game Every Day - Leading Yourself and Others Through Change - How to Excel as a Line Manager - The Difference Between Your Business Case and Personal Case - How to Find Out What Is Expected of a Future Partner - How to Take Responsibility for Your Career - How to Get Clients to Treat You Like a Partner - How to Build Authority and Gravitas - How to Build Your Profile Across the Partnership - How to Be Seen as the Next Partner These resources will help you: - Understand what your partners expect from someone ready for partnership - Take greater ownership of your career and professional development - Build the authority, presence and credibility expected of a partner - Show that you can lead yourself, support others and manage change - Raise your profile with the people involved in partnership decisions - Help clients and colleagues see you as someone already operating at the next level If Personal Case is where you need to focus, this section of Progress to Partner will help you build a stronger case for partnership by showing your partners that you are ready before the title is formally given to you. Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership. Click here to join. Books mentioned Poised for Partnership by Heather Townsend - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life by Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie - https://amzn.to/4iLxugM Also mentioned Susan Heaton-Wright, founder of Superstar Communicator, on Ding Dong and Bing Bong words Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Jul 18

    Creating your daily business development habit - The missing ingredient stopping many professionals from making partner

    Only 20% of professionals on the partnership track do something every day to implement their Business Development Plan. This episode is about how to become one of them — not through willpower, but through habit. Using real examples from Poised for Partnership, this episode covers why business development gets deprioritised even by talented, motivated professionals, and what it actually takes to make it happen consistently. In this episode you will learn: Why Sales Leadership is what your partners are assessing — and what that actually means day to day The identity barrier that stops most professionals from embracing business development, and how to reframe it Why motivation is an unreliable strategy, and why habit is the only thing that works long term The 5Ps model: Plan, Prospect list, Prioritise, Pace, Push down — and how to use it to make time for business development however busy you are How Diego's daily habit protected his practice for years — and what happened when he stopped Take the Partnership Readiness Assessment Free to complete, 10–15 minutes, personalised report across all 12 key indicators: https://www.howtomakepartner.com/partnership-readiness-assessment/ Download the Business Development Habit Chapter from Poised for Partnership (free) Download here. Buy Poised for Partnership To buy a copy of Poised for Partnership, click here. What help is out there for you to progress your career in the professions? The Progress to Partner Academy is curated by key indicator. If Business Development Habit is where you need to focus, you'll find everything in one place, including: How to Make Time for Business Development — tackles the real barriers and helps you build a routine that holds How to Create Your Business Development Plan — helps you turn good intentions into a clear, focused plan that supports your progression Game Plan: How to Start Winning Clients When You Don’t Know Where to Start — gives you practical first steps if business development feels overwhelming or unclear PLUS Video Hub advice including: Getting Serious About Business Development Making Time for Business Development How to Generate a Lead and Get Prospects Over the Line Winning Work from LinkedIn How to Always Make Time for Business Development These resources will help you stop leaving business development until there is spare time, and start building the habits, structure and confidence to make it part of how you work. If Business Development Habit is where you need to focus, this section of Progress to Partner will help you make time for the activity that builds your future business case, not just your current workload. Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership: https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/ Books mentioned: Poised for Partnership by Heather Townsend - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life by Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie - https://amzn.to/4iLxugM Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Jul 11

    Referral network: How to reliably go from coffees to instructions

    Only 22% of professionals on the partnership track have a regular routine to keep their network warm. This episode is about closing that gap; not with more coffees that go nowhere, but with a deliberate strategy for building and maintaining the relationships that generate your own client work. Using the five-step Networking Strategy framework, this episode gets practical about how to stop wasting time on the wrong people, how to deepen the relationships that matter most, and how to use the SERVICE framework to turn your network into a reliable source of referrals. This episode is about closing that gap; not with more coffees that go nowhere, but with a deliberate strategy for building and maintaining the relationships that generate your own client work. Using the five-step Networking Strategy framework, this episode gets practical about how to stop wasting time on the wrong people, how to deepen the relationships that matter most, and how to use the SERVICE framework to turn your network into a reliable source of referrals. In this episode you will learn: Why only 35% of professionals have a strong internal firm network that regularly sends them work, and what the rest are missing The five-step Networking Strategy: Aim, Audit, Find, Build, Maintain, and why most people skip the first one entirely How to use A, B and C lister categories to decide where your networking time actually goes The SERVICE framework for generating referrals: what it is, and the three elements most professionals underuse How Emily went from being told she was two years away from partner to landing a £5 million contract in eight weeks Take the Partnership Readiness Assessment Free to complete, 15–20 minutes, and gives you a personalised report across all 12 key indicators, including exactly where to focus your first ONE BIG FOCUS. Take the assessment here. Buy Poised for Partnership To buy a copy of Poised for Partnership, click here. What help is out there for you to progress your career in the professions? Inside the Referral Network indicator, you’ll find practical support to help you build the relationships that can lead to better conversations, stronger opportunities and more of the right work. You’ll find resources to help you strengthen your business development activity, including: • How to Go from Coffees to Instructions • How to Get Confident on LinkedIn • What You Need to Be Successful with Your Business Development • How to Structure Your Business Development Activity • How to Go from Coffee to Instructions • How to Create a Team of Introducers Who Regularly Refer You • How to Turn a Conversation into Business These resources will help you: • Move beyond one-off coffee meetings and build relationships that lead somewhere • Use LinkedIn with more confidence and purpose • Structure your business development activity so it becomes more consistent • Build a network of introducers who understand who you help and when to refer you • Turn good conversations into real opportunities If Referral Network is where you need to focus, this section of Progress to Partner will help you stop leaving referrals to chance and start building the relationships, habits and confidence that help bring the right work to you. Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership. Click here to join. Books mentioned Poised for Partnership by Heather Townsend - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life by Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie - https://amzn.to/4iLxugM Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Jul 4

    Go-To Expert - Why Trying to Be Good at Everything is a Career-Limiting Strategy

    Only 50% of professionals on the partnership track say they are known as the Go-To Expert for a specialism, both inside and outside their firm. This episode is about what it takes to get into that half, and why this will help you progress to partner quicker. This episode walks through the three steps to Go-To Expert status: choosing and committing to a niche, researching and packaging your brand, and building your profile in your chosen market and firm. In this episode you will learn: Why trying to appeal to everyone is the most reliable way to be chosen by no one, and what a real niche actually looks like compared to the vague specialisms most professionals claim The three criteria your niche needs to meet, passion, credibility and fit, and why all three have to be present How understanding your ideal client’s buying journey changes what content you create and when Why building an external profile accelerates how you are perceived inside your own firm How Sara went from never winning her own work to making partner within 18 months of choosing the right niche Take the Partnership Readiness Assessment Free to complete, 15–20 minutes, and gives you a personalised report across all 12 key indicators, including exactly where to focus your first ONE BIG FOCUS. Take the assessment here. Buy Poised for Partnership To buy a copy of Poised for Partnership, click here. What help is out there for you to progress your career in the professions? The Progress to Partner Academy is curated by key indicator. If Go-To Expert is where you need to focus, you’ll find everything in one place: Inside the Go-To Expert indicator, you’ll find practical support to help you become known for the work you want more of, build a clearer niche, and turn your expertise into future opportunities. You’ll find courses to help you sharpen your positioning and build your profile, including: - How to Choose Your Niche- How to Become Known as the Go-To Expert Plus, you’ll get access to a Video Hub packed with practical advice, including: - How to Find and Monetise Your Niche- How to Choose Your Niche- Why You Should Stick to Your Niche- How to Generate a Lead and Get Prospects Over the Line- How to Win Work in 30 Minutes, Without Leaving the House- How to Earn the Right to Have a Conversation- How to Develop Work from Existing Clients Everything is brought together in one place, so you can focus on becoming more visible, more memorable, and more credible in the area you want to be known for. Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership. Click here to join. Books mentioned Poised for Partnership by Heather Townsend - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life by Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie - https://amzn.to/4iLxugM Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Jun 27

    Delegation or are you freeing yourself up for higher value activities?

    Only 41% of professionals on the partnership track say they have a trusted group of people they regularly delegate to. This episode explores why that gap is so costly. And what to do about it. This episode explores what effective delegation actually looks like, where it typically breaks down, and how to build the team around you that makes it possible. In this episode you will learn: Why the inability to delegate is one of the most reliable ways to derail a promising partnership case, however strong your billable time is The difference between delegating and dumping, and the one question that tells you immediately whether your junior actually understands what they need to do The Mindset traps that talk talented professionals out of delegating, and why they feel so rational How to build a wider pool of people who actively want to work for you, so you are not left exposed when your best team members get pulled elsewhere What psychological safety has to do with delegation, and how to create it in a hybrid team Take the Partnership Readiness Assessment Free to complete, 15–20 minutes, and gives you a personalised report across all 12 key indicators, including exactly where to focus your first ONE BIG FOCUS. Take the assessment here. Buy Poised for Partnership To buy a copy of Poised for Partnership, click here. What help is out there for you to progress your career in the professions? The Progress to Partner Academy is curated by key indicators. If Delegation is where you need to focus, you’ll find everything in one place. Inside the Delegation indicator, you’ll find practical support to help you stop holding on to too much work and start freeing up the time you need to focus on your progression. You’ll find resources to help you delegate with more confidence and clarity, including: How to Get a Delegation Mindset How to Delegate Effectively so You Have Time to Work on Your Career Courageous Conversations: How to Become an Expert at Difficult Conversations How to Delegate Like a Pro course Inside the How to Delegate Like a Pro course, you’ll watch four videos with practical exercises to complete after each one. By the end of the course, you will have: Understood how to delegate effectively Identified the right mindset for delegation Improved your ability to delegate work to others Built more confidence in letting go of tasks that no longer need to sit with you These resources will help you: Make delegation part of how you work, not something you do only when you are overwhelmed Create more space for business development, leadership and career progression Have better conversations when work needs to be passed on, reviewed or improved Build the skills and confidence to develop others while protecting your own time Focus on the work that will move your career forward If Delegation is where you need to focus, this section of Progress to Partner will help you stop carrying everything yourself and start creating the space, support and confidence you need to progress towards partnership. Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership. Click here to join. Books mentioned Poised for Partnership by Heather Townsend -https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life by Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie - https://amzn.to/4iLxugM Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Jun 20

    Support Team - The people you need around you to make it to partner

    Six in ten professionals actively pursuing partnership are doing so without the active backing of the key people who could open doors for them. They are relying on their work to speak for itself. On partner track, that is rarely enough. This episode covers the fourth of the 12 key indicators of partnership readiness: Support Team. This episode explores who needs to be in your corner, why most people’s support teams have significant gaps, and how to start building yours to support you going forward. In this episode you will learn: Who the six types of people in an effective support team are, and why most people focus only on the first two Why your mentor needs to be outside your practice area, and how to choose your mentor How to have the one conversation with your sponsoring partner that most people avoid Why the support around you outside of work matters just as much as the advocates inside the firm Take the Partnership Readiness Assessment Free to complete, 15–20 minutes, and gives you a personalised report across all 12 key indicators, including exactly where to focus your first ONE BIG FOCUS. Take the assessment here. Buy Poised for Partnership To buy a copy of Poised for Partnership, click here. What help is out there for you to progress your career in the professions? The Progress to Partner Academy is curated by key indicators. If Support Team is where you need to focus, you’ll find everything in one place: Inside the Support Team indicator, you’ll find practical support to help you build the relationships, confidence and backing you need around you as you progress towards partnership. You’ll find resources to help you strengthen how you work with others, including: - How to Say No to Partners, Clients and Friends - A Deep Dive into Giving Feedback - How a Mentor Can Accelerate Your Career - Guide for Mentees These resources will help you: - Set clearer boundaries without damaging important relationships - Give feedback in a way that builds trust and improves performance - Understand how to get more value from mentoring - Identify the people who can support your development - Build stronger working relationships with partners, peers, clients and your wider team If Support Team is where you need to focus, this section of the Academy will help you stop trying to progress on your own and start building the support, relationships and confidence you need for the next stage of your career. Use code **PODCAST10** for 10% off annual membership. Click here to join. Books mentioned Poised for Partnership by Heather Townsend - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life by Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie - https://amzn.to/4iLxugM Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Jun 13

    Plan - Why good intentions will not get you to partner

    Only 31% of professionals pursuing partnership have a career plan that is genuinely guiding their progression. Nearly seven in ten are navigating one of the most important career transitions of their lives on good intentions alone, and then wondering why six months have gone by and nothing has moved. This episode covers the third of the 12 key indicators of partnership readiness: Plan. It introduces the two tools that make the difference between intending to progress your career and actually doing it: your ONE BIG FOCUS and your Default Diary. And it addresses the “when”. The perfectly reasonable-sounding reason you haven’t started yet, and why it is costing you more than you think. In this episode you will learn: Why treating your career progression as a client, with allocated time and protected diary slots, will unlock your career progression How the ONE BIG FOCUS approach works to get traction with your career progression and personal development The neuroscience behind small consistent actions work better than trying to do the big things What a Default Diary actually looks like and why only 22% of professionals have one in place, and what the other 78% are losing as a result Take the Partnership Readiness Assessment Free to complete, 15–20 minutes, and gives you a personalised report across all 12 key indicators, including exactly where to focus your first ONE BIG FOCUS. Take the assessment here. Download the Plan Chapter from Poised for Partnership for free Download here. Buy Poised for Partnership To buy a copy of Poised for Partnership, click here. What help is out there for you to progress your career in the professions? The Progress to Partner Academy is curated by key indicator. If Plan is where you need to focus, you’ll find everything in one place: Inside the Plan indicator, you’ll find practical support to help you turn career progression from something you intend to do into something that actually happens. You’ll find resources to help you build a clear, workable plan, including: • How to Truly Commit to Moving Your Career Forward• Default Diary Planner Exercise• My Perfect Day Exercise• Partner Track Plan template These resources will help you: • Create protected time for your career development• Identify your ONE BIG FOCUS for the next 90 days• Build a career plan you are motivated to follow• Work out what needs to happen weekly, not just eventually• Turn your career goals into consistent action If Plan is where you need to focus, this section of the Academy will help you stop relying on good intentions and start building the habits, structure and clarity that move your career forward. Use code **PODCAST10** for 10% off annual membership. Click here to join. Books mentioned Poised for Partnership by Heather Townsend - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life by Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie - https://amzn.to/4iLxugM Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Jun 6

    Direction: The question no one asks before going for partner

    Only 44% of professionals pursuing partnership have truly considered whether the partner role is right for them and made an informed decision about it. More than half are moving towards one of the biggest career commitments of their lives without ever properly asking: is this what I actually want? This episode covers the second of the 12 key indicators of partnership readiness: Direction. Using the real story of a lawyer who only discovered the partnership wasn't right for her when a hard choice forced the question, this episode explores what it means to have genuine clarity about your direction, and why getting this wrong is, as one expert puts it, a fate worse than not making partner at all. In this episode you will learn: - Why the culture of professional services firms makes it easy to pursue partnership by default rather than by choice, and the cost of that - What the three components of Direction are (vision, values and purpose) and why you need all three before you can make an informed decision about partner - The realities of the partner role that often come as a surprise, and the question you should be asking yourself about each of them - What due diligence on your firm actually means, and why most people skip it on the day the offer comes through Take the Partnership Readiness Assessment Free to complete, 15–20 minutes, and gives you a personalised report across all 12 key indicators: https://www.howtomakepartner.com/partnership-readiness-assessment/ Buy Poised for Partnership - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 What help is out there for you to progress your career in the professions? The Progress to Partner Academy is curated by key indicator. If Direction is where you need to focus, you'll find everything in one place: Inside the Direction indicator, you’ll find practical support to help you get clear on where you are heading, what matters most now, and how to turn career development into something that actually happens. You’ll find video webinars on: How to get unstuck if you are at a career crossroadsHow to make sure your career development actually happensWhat to do if you’re getting overwhelmed with how to develop your careerWhy goals often don’t work when it comes to progressing your career You’ll also find the course: How to Truly Commit to Moving Your Career Forward This is a foundation course for your career progression. It helps you create the time, space and habits to work on your career consistently, rather than leaving it to chance. Inside the course, you’ll work through how to: Create time each week to focus on your career planBuild a career plan you feel motivated and energised to implementCreate habits that support your progressionSet your first One Big Focus, so you know exactly what to prioritise over the next 90 days This course will also help you get more from the rest of the courses, workbooks, short videos. Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership: https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/ Books mentioned Poised for Partnership by Heather Townsend - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3 How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life by Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie - https://amzn.to/4iLxugM The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, Charles H. Green and Robert Galford - https://amzn.eu/d/057k24Iq  Get full access to How to Make Partner at howtomakepartner.substack.com/subscribe

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How to make Partner is the place to learn about how to progress your career in professional services and what the partners in your firm are really looking for. howtomakepartner.substack.com

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  • Creator
    Heather Townsend
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Heather Townsend
  • Show Website
    How to Make Partner Podcast