Latest posts
Is Personal Branding Killing the Firm Brand?
For years, professional services firms treated personal brands within as a threat. Leadership worried that individual visibility would overshadow the institution, create internal politics, and weaken loyalty to the firm. Partners were expected to subordinate their...
Professional Services Growth Strategy: Evaluating New Markets and Adjacencies
Most conversations about growth in professional services begin in the same place. Where should we play next? Which markets are expanding? Which adjacencies offer the most upside? These are reasonable questions. They are also incomplete. The “where to play” debate is...
How Strong Is Your Firm’s Brand—Really? A CEO Self-Assessment for Professional Services
Most professional services firms say they want a stronger brand. What they usually mean is more visibility, better messaging, or a cleaner website. Those things may help at the margins, but rarely do they change outcomes. What actually determines whether a firm wins...
Why Strategic Ambition Must Align with Market Permission: Managing Your Performance Envelope
The majority of strategic failures in professional services firms do not stem from inadequate execution discipline. They arise from a more fundamental error: leaders make commitments in markets where the firm has no earned relevance and introduce offerings that lie...
The CEO as Chief Market Strategist: Why You Can’t Outsource Marketing to Marketing
Setting market strategy in professional services Most professional services CEOs believe they own the firm’s strategy. They assume that defining the future, setting priorities, and allocating resources rests squarely in their domain. Yet in practice, many quietly...
Why Some Firms Get Dropped While Others Lead the Pack: The Prudent Pedal Growth Curve
There comes a point in every firm’s journey where the harder you work, the less progress you make. You’re adding headcount, launching campaigns, chasing trends, and yet the gap between effort and results widens. It feels like pedaling harder into a headwind that won’t...
St. Ignatius and Prudent Pedal: The Spiritual Roots of Strategy in Motion
A few weeks ago, I asked ChatGPT a simple question: Is there a patron saint of marketers or consultants? It was half curiosity, half spiritual experiment, an idle wondering born from the intersection of work life, spiritual life—and the need for help. What I found, of...
Feeding the Algorithms: Why Media Strategy Matters More Than SEO in an AI World
As generative AI changes how people find and trust information, companies will compete less on search rankings and more on perceived credibility. In that future, the importance of third-party validation—such as journalists, analysts, and niche outlets—may once again...
Productized Intelligence: How AI Forces Professional Services to Scale Differently
For decades, professional services firms have scaled by adding people. More consultants meant more projects, more revenue, and more margin. The model worked because expertise was scarce, the problems were complex, and trust had to be earned face-to-face. In its recent...
Meta-Research Synthesis: AI’s Impact on Professional Services Firms
Introduction: The Impact of AI through the IC Triad Lens AI is changing how professional services firms think, sell, and deliver. But unlike so many posts celebrating productivity hacks and prompt libraries, this one tackles the deeper question: What kind of firm will...
How to Choose a Market Focus for Growth in Professional Services
Choosing a market focus may sound rudimentary, like Marketing 101. Yet in three decades advising professional services firms, I’ve seen more growth stall because leaders avoided this decision than any other. The irony is that most CEOs believe their firms are focused....
Why You Need a Selling Philosophy
A firm's reputation begins taking form the moment one of its employees begins interacting with a prospect. A sales meeting is one of the first and most important interactions because prospects understand that "how a firm sells me is how they will serve me." When...
LISTEN to the Only Podcast Addressing “The BS of PS”
Rattle and Pedal, hosted by Jeff McKay and Jason Mlicki, offers divergent thinking on growing professional services firms. Be prepared for an unorthodox exchange on life in professional services.
Your Co-hosts
Jeff McKay
Founder and CEO
Prudent Pedal
Jason Mlicki
Principal
Rattleback
Latest episodes
- The Future of the Marketing Organization: What Should Firms Build Now?
What should the marketing organization of 2030 look like? Jeff and Jason launch a research series exploring how AI, talent, client experience, and strategy will reshape marketing. The post The Future of the Marketing Organization: What Should Firms Build Now? appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.
- Why Every Professional Services Firm Needs a Better Story with Stephen Steers
Why do some firms stand out while others blend into the crowd? Stephen Steers joins us to explore how storytelling builds trust, differentiates firms, and drives business growth. The post Why Every Professional Services Firm Needs a Better Story with Stephen Steers appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.
- Selling Belief with Mat Zucker from Prophet
In an AI-driven world, expertise alone isn’t enough. Jeff, Jason, and Mat Zucker explore why professional services firms must move beyond trust to build buyer belief and win more business. The post Selling Belief with Mat Zucker from Prophet appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.
- Demystifying Case Studies: Why Most Firms Get Them Wrong
Most professional services case studies fail to influence buyers. Jeff and Jason explore the biggest myths and explain how to create stories that build trust, reinforce positioning, and win business. The post Demystifying Case Studies: Why Most Firms Get Them Wrong appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.
- Shifting to Value-Based Pricing the Right Way with Lori Williams and Kirsten Prost
Can professional services firms move beyond time-and-materials pricing? Jeff, Jason, and guests Lori Williams and Kirsten Prost discuss what it takes to successfully transition to value-based pricing. The post Shifting to Value-Based Pricing the Right Way with Lori Williams and Kirsten Prost appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.