Pro Serv Blog

Every post we have published for founders of boutique professional services firms.

Don't Delegate AI to the Middle

If you hand AI strategy to a manager, you'll get automation. Not transformation. Most founders are approaching AI the same way they approached their CRM rollout, their marketing automation platform,...

Jeff Klaumann

Signal-Based Outbound: How to Build a Lead Gen Engine That Doesn’t Feel Like Spam

Last month at our Sundance retreat, I watched a room full of founders have the same realization at the same time. We had been talking about lead generation.

Matt Alexander

Your Conference Isn’t a Cost Center. It’s a Revenue Stream.

When Collective 54 launched, we couldn’t host in-person events. The pandemic made sure of that. So we built everything virtually. And it worked. But something was missing.

Julie Rogers

Who Is Really Getting the AI Productivity Gains?

Most of us feel overawed where to place our AI bets. I've definitely felt uncertainty making some calls, so I empathize a lot with fellow C54 members being hit from all angles...

Ben Edwards

February Is When Confident Revenue Plans Get Quietly Reinforced

Over the last several weeks, I’ve found myself in a familiar place with a number of founders we work with and some as members of this community. The plans are done. The year is underway.

Brian Kerlin

Become the Go-To in Your Market: How to Turn Insight into Authority

In today’s crowded marketplace, expertise alone is not enough to stand out. Every competitor has case studies, service offerings, and smart people on staff.

Jimmy Leppert

AI Didn't Fix Their Pipeline. A Better Sales Methodology Did.

A room full of members walked into a workshop in Sundance, Utah last month. They weren’t there to learn about AI. They were there to fix their pipelines.

Julie Rogers

Your Personal AI Action Plan

To drive real results, AI can't be something you dabble with randomly. It has to attach to real friction in your day-to-day work, or it turns into "you tried ChatGPT for a week" and moved on.

Alex Bratton

AI, Lead Gen, and the Human Advantage: Lessons from Our Sundance Retreat

We just got back from our first workshop style retreat in Sundance, Utah. We brought ~30 members together for two days of deep work.

Zach Witonsky

From Billable Hours to Billions of Parameters: Why I'm Disrupting My Own Consulting Firm

"Oh, the Places You'll Go!" – Dr. Seuss In the boutique consulting world, you hire the best minds, wrap them in a methodology, and sell their time as the delivery vehicle for specialized knowledge.

Michael Gibbs

The Hidden Cost of Staying a Generalist in 2026

Here is something that happened last week. A prospect jumped on a discovery call with a management consulting firm. Before the call, he typed his problem into ChatGPT.

Matt Alexander

The Leadership Gear Shift Most CEOs Miss as Their Company Grows

The Leadership Gear Shift Most CEOs Miss as Their Company Grows Something changes when a company grows past a certain size. It's not gradual. It's not subtle. It feels like a gear shift.

Justin Nassiri

Why Delegation Fails Most Leaders (And What to Do Instead)

Why Delegation Fails Most Leaders (And What to Do Instead) Delegation is often promoted as the solution to overwhelm. But too often, it disappoints. The leader still feels buried.

Kyle Walbrun

Is It Time to Scrap the Budget?

Is It Time to Scrap the Budget? When I was with many of you in October at the Reunion, many of you were in the beginning your budgeting process.

John Kearney

Incremental Change in a World of Tidal Forces: AI and the Professional Services Firm

Incremental Change in a World of Tidal Forces: AI and the Professional Services Firm Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now.

Andrea Fryrear

Is Fear Holding You Back?

Is Fear Holding You Back? Most founders don't get stuck because they lack talent. They get stuck because they're afraid. Afraid of breaking what's working.

Jeff Klaumann

We’re Not Competing With AI. We’re Translating It

How Pro-Serv Firms Can Use AI to Serve Small and Mid-Sized Clients Better (Without Becoming Tech Companies) Let’s be honest.

Jing Johnson

AI Maturity: 4 Levels and What to Do This Week

Everyone is on a different part of the AI Maturity Curve, and this guide aims to keep people moving to the next level. I get it, you’re drowning in work and your to-do list never gets shorter.

John Ikosipentarhos

Six Business Laws Worth Keeping This Year

Every January, I find myself making some version of the same promises. This is the year we grow faster. This is the year we get more disciplined.

Ken Yager

In Era 3, Scaling Is Easy. Solving the Right Problem Is Harder.

Lately, I’ve been revisiting some of the most basic fundamentals of professional services.

Julie Rogers

The Tables Are Turning: Why Professional Services Firms Are Raising the Bar Again

Remember 2022? Even 2024? When you'd tolerate almost anything to keep a warm body in a seat? That senior consultant who hadn't read a client brief in months but was "essential to continuity." That...

Sel Watts

The Business Journey Is About Who You Become

You have built something real with your hands, mind, and will. Few people truly understand what that requires. You do, because you lived it. You were often the smartest person in the room.

Tom Zucker

How Board Members Can Guide Nonprofits Through Crossroads Moments

At some point in our careers, many of us who’ve found success in business are asked to give back by serving on a nonprofit board.

Frank Williamson

What 539 Executive Conversations Taught Me in 2025

Last year, I had 539 one-on-one calls with founders and executives of boutique professional services firms. From QBRs to onboardings to sales conversations and diagnostic readouts.

Zach Witonsky

What I Learned Working with a Board (After Years of Going It Alone)

When I returned to Management One in 2025, I came back to something I'd never really had before: a Board of Directors. I'd built and run M1 for years making every major decision myself.

Marc Weiss