Every post we have published for founders of boutique professional services firms.
Today we start something new. Every day, you'll get one Field Note. A 90-second lesson pulled from a real conversation inside this community. One decision. One mistake.
Why the founders who stay close to the work will build better firms than the ones who don’t There’s a milestone every professional services founder chases. The day you stop doing billable work.
Most business owners invest in the things they can see: sales, marketing, technology, and growth initiatives.
As founders, we spend a lot of time thinking about the future. The next client. The next hire. The next growth milestone. The next chapter. We are builders by nature.
We moved to the mountains a couple of years ago, and we're still new enough that we chase things the locals stopped chasing decades ago.
Why AI Sees Answers and Experts See Consequences Artificial intelligence is transforming professional services faster than any technology in recent memory.
Early in my career, I spent a lot of time in rooms with Fortune 500 executives during the digital transformation era.
Picture this. You're about to sign for a new AI tool. The demo was slick. The salesperson swears it'll transform your firm.
I was recently in Florida for the Make Big Happen summit. About 400 CEOs attended. AI was the theme. When LinkedIn came up, the reaction was consistent. The feed is flooded with AI content.
Some of you are trying to make your AI work perfect before anyone sees it. You are polishing in private. You are waiting for the version that cannot be criticized. Stop. Ship what you have.
Most professional services firms don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they sound exactly like everyone else.
I’ve spent over 20 years building and running professional services firms. I’ve seen trends come and go. AI is not a trend. It is a structural shift.
We speak of leverage. Some think about a fulcrum - that simple machine from physics class. Others think about debt - using borrowed capital to amplify returns.
The best negotiators don't rely on tactics. They rely on diagnosis, value creation, and discipline.
When I was in my thirties, I never imagined I would be where I am today. I'm rebuilding my firm from the ground up, at sixty, around artificial intelligence.
As founders build consulting and professional services firms, many eventually run into the same frustrating reality: the business is growing, but everything still runs through them.
We all know the rule: Nothing AI produces goes out the door without human review. The human in the loop isn't optional - it's literally how you avoid getting sued or losing clients.
In Collective 54, we are growing, scaling and exiting our firms. Closing that final deal is a milestone. But capturing the value behind it is the real test that the deal was a good one.
Many businesses point AI at the wrong target. They intend use it to trim costs and speed up the back office. Faster emails, cleaner reports, a little less headcount.
Early in my career, a client came to us with an idea nobody knew how to execute. My manager looked at it and said she didn’t have the time, but if I wanted to take it, it was mine. I jumped at it.
The hardest conversation I watch founders walk into is the one where they finally decide to sell the firm they spent twenty years building.
What the U.S. Army's Workforce Study Reveals About the Future of Knowledge Work and What Business Leaders Should Do About It The Question Most Companies Are Getting Wrong Ask a leadership team how...
Early in my career, I made a classic mistake. A coworker and I shared a stakeholder that was on the spacey side with a leisurely response time.
The boutique professional services industry is in a death march. AI is causing a shakeout. Some firms are closing shop. Some are retreating into lifestyle firms.
Most professional services firms are watching from the sidelines. The ones who move now will own the next decade. Your clients are getting hammered. Boards are demanding an AI strategy.