The Principal Podcast

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Adam T. Hark has spent roughly two decades in investment banking and strategic advisory, including more than 14 years at Preston Todd Advisors before building Wellesley Hills Financial. Today, the firm works across fintech, payments, software, banking products, embedded finance, AI, and other areas of financial technology.Wellesley Hills is a strong example of what it looks like to build a professional services firm around specialization and credibility. The firm combines advisory work with market research, thought leadership, industry events, podcasting, and an active presence across the fintech and payments ecosystem, all while expanding its team and geographic footprint.In this conversation, we’ll unpack how Adam built the firm, the specific problems clients hire Wellesley Hills to solve, how the firm wins and retains high-trust client relationships, and what Adam has learned about growing a professional services business without losing the expertise and reputation it was built on.Proposed Interview Structure:1. You’ve spent roughly two decades in investment banking and strategic advisory. What originally pulled you into this business, and what eventually made you want to build Wellesley Hills Financial?2. What specific problem are you helping fintech, payments, and software clients solve today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?3. Who are your ideal clients at Wellesley Hills Financial today, and who usually holds the decision to bring you in or hire the firm?4. Wellesley Hills is active across research, LinkedIn, events, speaking, newsletters, and industry content. How are your best clients actually finding you today, and what has worked best for consistently creating new business?Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Podcast (guesting), Podcast (hosting), Speaking engagementsSub Question: You’ve also invested in podcast content at Wellesley Hills. What role does podcasting play in building authority and relationships for the firm, and how valuable do you think it can be as a growth channel for other professional services firms?5. You’re selling advice around high-stakes decisions like M&A, capital, and strategy, where trust is critical. How do you take a relationship from that first conversation to someone being comfortable enough to hire Wellesley Hills?6. Once you’ve delivered for a client, what do you do to stay relevant, keep them coming back, and turn an individual engagement into a long-term relationship? 7. As you continue growing Wellesley Hills and expanding the firm internationally, where do you find yourself most challenged right now as a firm leader, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years? **********************************************************Know more about Adam T. HarkWebsite Link: http://www.wellesleyhillsfinancial.comConnect with Adam T. Hark on LinkedInLinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-t-hark-b194171Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Building a professional services firm that lasts requires more than being good at the work. You need a clear position in the market, a reliable way to win clients, a team that can deliver without everything depending on the founder, and enough trust to turn individual engagements into lasting relationships.Kathleen Steffey has spent more than 30 years in talent acquisition and has led Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search since founding the firm in 2002. Naviga serves organizations ranging from startups and growth-stage businesses to private equity-backed companies, enterprises, and global businesses entering the U.S. market.In this conversation, we’ll explore the business behind Naviga: how Kathleen competes as a boutique firm against much larger players, how she markets and sells an expertise-driven service, what she has learned about retaining clients, and where she sees the biggest opportunities ahead for recruiting and professional services firms.Proposed Interview Structure:1. You’ve spent more than 30 years in recruiting and have been building Naviga since 2002. What originally got you into the industry, and what eventually made you want to build a firm of your own?2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve through Naviga today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?3. Who are your ideal clients today, and within those organizations, who usually holds the decision to bring Naviga in and hire you?4. Recruiting is an extremely competitive professional services market. How do clients typically find Naviga today, and what has worked best for you when it comes to consistently attracting new business?Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content Sub Question: What do you think about podcasting as a marketing and trust-building tool for recruiting and other professional services firms?5. When a potential client comes into your world, what does the sales process look like at Naviga? How do you build enough trust for a company to hand you something as important as an executive or critical hire?6. Once Naviga delivers for a client, how do you make sure they keep coming back? What have you learned about turning a successful first engagement into a long-term client relationship?7. After more than two decades building Naviga, where do you find yourself most challenged right now as the founder of a professional services firm, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years?**********************************************************Know more about Kathleen SteffeyWebsite Link: http://www.navigarecruiting.comConnect with Kathleen Steffey on LinkedInLinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleensteffey/Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Nicole Marra has built her career helping leaders navigate complexity. After more than a decade leading legal, corporate affairs, compliance, security, real estate, and crisis management at Gucci America, and supporting brands across the Kering portfolio, she launched Fixer Advisory Group to provide strategic advisory services to founders, CEOs, and executive teams.Today, Fixer helps organizations strengthen leadership, improve operations, navigate growth, and build businesses that are positioned for long-term success. Through consulting, legal advisory, executive coaching, and The Founders Program, Nicole works alongside leadership teams as a trusted strategic partner rather than simply an outside advisor.This conversation explores what it takes to build a professional services firm that clients continue to rely on through every stage of growth. Whether you lead a consulting practice, accounting firm, marketing agency, investment bank, staffing company, or another advisory business, Nicole shares practical insights on positioning your expertise, earning trust, and creating long-term client relationships.Proposed Interview Structure:1. You spent more than a decade leading corporate affairs at Gucci before launching Fixer Advisory Group. What made you decide to leave a world-class global brand and build your own advisory firm?2. What specific problem are you helping your clients solve today, and why is solving that problem so important to you personally?3. Who are your ideal clients today, and who usually makes the decision to bring Fixer Advisory Group in?4. Professional services firms are built on trust and reputation. How do your best clients typically find you, and what's worked best to consistently attract the right founders and executive teams?Current Acquisition Channels: ReferralSub Question: What role do you think podcasts can play as a business development tool for professional services firms?5. Advisory engagements often involve multiple stakeholders and long decision cycles. What's your approach to turning an initial conversation into a long-term client relationship?6. Once you're working with a client, what do you do to consistently deliver value, build trust, and make sure they continue coming back over the long term?7. As you've grown Fixer Advisory Group, where do you find yourself most challenged today as the leader of a professional services firm, if at all?8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years?**********************************************************Know more about Nicole MarraWebsite Link: https://www.fixeradvisory.com/Connect with Nicole Marra on LinkedInLinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-marra-6562173/Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Carlos started his career in accounting and financial analysis before moving into consulting, analytics, enterprise technology, and sales. After nearly a decade at NeoSystems and a technical sales role at IBM, he co-founded RVNA Technologies in 2016.Today, RVNA helps finance leaders improve planning, forecasting, reporting, analytics, data strategy, and AI readiness. Carlos has also taken the firm beyond its original footprint, including international expansion into the UK and the acquisition of UXB, which broadened RVNA from its CFO-office expertise into customer experience and front-office transformation.In this episode of The Principal Podcast, we’ll get behind the expertise and into the business itself: how Carlos finds and wins enterprise clients, earns enough trust to keep them coming back, builds a team capable of delivering complex work, and thinks about growth as RVNA enters its next chapter.Proposed Interview Structure:1. You started in accounting and financial analysis before moving into consulting and technology and eventually co-founding RVNA. What made you want to build your own professional services firm?2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve through RVNA today, and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?3. Who are your ideal clients today, and within those organizations, who usually holds the decision to bring RVNA in and hire you?4. How do clients typically find RVNA today, and what has worked best for you in consistently attracting new business as the firm has grown?Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Webinars, Cold outreachSub Question: What do you think about podcasts as a marketing and trust-building tool for professional services firms selling complex enterprise work?5. You’re selling complex transformation work into enterprise organizations. How do you personally approach the sales process, and what has helped you turn early conversations into long-term clients?6. Once you’ve won a client, how do you make sure they keep coming back? What have you learned about building the kind of trust that turns an initial engagement into a long-term relationship?7. With RVNA expanding internationally and now integrating UXB, where do you find yourself most challenged right now as a professional services firm leader, if at all?8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years?**********************************************************Know more about Carlos M. AlvaradoWebsite Link: http://www.rvnatech.comConnect with Carlos M. Alvarado on LinkedInLinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosmalvarado/Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/

Look into the "3 Ways to Generate Leads With Your Podcast" E-book for free here on our website! (https://ghapodcast.com)Want to solve Branding and Lead-Gen for good for your B2B Business? Download our Completed Playbook for FREE: https://ghapodcast.com/b2b-podcasting-secrets-pod**********************************************************************Jean-Philippe Verdier has spent more than two decades advising senior executives, corporates, private equity firms, founders, and investors on strategy, M&A, and capital raising. Before becoming a firm founder, he built his career at Deutsche Bank, Greenhill & Co., and Jefferies, where he became Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking France.In 2016, Jean-Philippe founded Verdier & Co., an independent corporate finance advisory firm with a strong track record in cross-border M&A. Ten years later, the firm works with public and private companies, private equity, venture capital, and entrepreneurs, and has built particular expertise across areas including technology services, the built environment, and sustainable industries.Proposed Interview Structure:1. You spent years at Deutsche Bank, Greenhill, and Jefferies before founding Verdier & Co. What made you decide to leave a large institution and build an independent advisory firm of your own?2. What specific problem are you helping clients solve through Verdier & Co., and why does solving that problem matter so much to you personally?3. Who are your ideal clients today, and within those organisations, who typically holds the decision to bring Verdier & Co. in?4. In a business where reputation and relationships matter so much, how do the right clients typically find Verdier & Co., and what has worked best for you in consistently generating new opportunities?Current Acquisition Channels: Referral, Content, Speaking engagementsSub Question: How do you see podcasts as a marketing and trust-building tool for professional services firms, particularly in a relationship-driven field like investment banking?5. You're asking clients to trust your firm with transactions that can have a major impact on their business. From the first conversation to winning the mandate, how do you build that trust and ultimately bring the opportunity home?6. You've had clients come back to Verdier & Co. across multiple transactions. What do you do to make sure clients want to keep working with you, and how do you turn an individual mandate into a long-term relationship?7. Where do you find yourself most challenged right now as the founder and Managing Partner of an independent advisory firm, if at all? 8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunity for your work over the next few years?**********************************************************Know more about Jean-Philippe Verdier Website Link: http://www.verdierandco.comConnect with Jean-Philippe Verdier on LinkedInLinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpverdier/ Apply to be a guest on The Principal Podcast:https://ghapodcast.com/application-to-be-a-guest-on-consulting-leaders/