The Professional Services Pursuit

In this special compilation episode, Brent revisits three powerful conversations with leaders who have fundamentally reimagined how agencies price, position, and deliver value. As AI accelerates productivity, procurement squeezes margins, and time-based billing becomes increasingly commoditized, one thing is clear: the traditional agency model is under pressure. The firms that redefine themselves as performance partners, not effort vendors, are pulling ahead.From valuation strategy to operational reinvention, this episode explores what it really takes to make the shift from selling hours to selling impact.In this episode, you’ll hear:Caroline Johnson, the Co-Founder of The Business Model Company discussing why selling time suppresses valuation — and how business model design can double or even triple firm multiples. (Ep. 63)Patricia Rothenberg, Global COO and General Counsel of renowned creative agency 72andSunny shares how they were able to eliminate individual timesheets and train teams to sell value instead of labor. (Ep. 94)Michael Farmer, Author of Madison Avenue Manslaughter and Madison Avenue Makeover - and the leader of Management consulting firm Farmer & Company provides practical lessons on leading scope discussions around outcomes—not procurement-driven deliverables—and what changes operationally when agencies focus on impact over hours. (Ep. 48)

In this episode of The Professional Services Pursuit, Brent is joined once again by Ramone Param, Managing Director at Kennedy M&A, to kick off a new series focused on mergers and acquisitions in professional services. Together, they reflect on the 2025 M&A landscape and look ahead to what 2026 holds for consulting firms navigating economic uncertainty, AI-driven disruption, and shifting buyer expectations. Ramone shares firsthand insights from the deal market, offering a clear view of where momentum is building, what buyers are prioritizing, and how firms can position themselves for stronger valuations in the year ahead.Key topics covered in this episode:What changed in 2025—and why optimism is returning in 2026Where buyer demand is strongestThe shift from buying headcount to acquiring AI-enabled consultants, proprietary data, and differentiated intellectual propertyNew value drivers in consulting valuationsRamone’s outlook on a potential transformational, cross-functional deal that could redefine the professional services landscapeYou can find Ramone’s newsletter by visiting: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramoneparam/Learn more about Kennedy M&A here: https://www.k2consultingresearch.com/ma-advisory

AI is rewriting the rules of professional services. As delivery time compresses and impact accelerates, traditional pricing models — T&M, fixed-fee, retainers — are starting to break.In this episode, Banoo is joined by Melissa Korzun, Kantata’s VP of Industry Solutions to explore what outcome-driven delivery really looks like in an AI-powered services world. When utilization is no longer the scoreboard, firms are being judged on time to value, customer lifetime value, and portfolio ROI.We cover:How to redesign service offerings and commercial models around measurable outcomesWhat changes when delivery becomes hybrid across humans and AI agentsWhy sales, delivery, and ops must evolve together—not in silosA practical crawl-walk-run approach to transformationHow transparency and accountability become margin protectors, not overheadThe firms that win next won’t just deliver faster—they’ll make outcomes visible, repeatable, and profitable. This episode shows how to get there.

In this episode of The Professional Services Pursuit, host Brent sits down with Shawn Windle, Founder and Managing Principal of ERP Advisors Group, to unpack a challenge nearly every professional services firm is grappling with: how to choose technology that delivers relief today and provides support for the needs of tomorrow. Drawing on hundreds of ERP and PSA implementations, Shawn shares candid insights into what works, what doesn’t, and how leaders can avoid costly missteps while laying the groundwork for scalable, long-term success.Key topics covered in this episode:The people, process, and growth signals that indicate when it’s time to outgrow mid-level systemsWhy firms that delay investing in core systems risk falling behind as AI adoption acceleratesThe hidden dangers of overshooting your actual business needs with overly complex platformA pragmatic framework leaders can use to make smarter, more confident technology decisionsVisit ERP Advisors Group to learn more about their services and schedule a consultation.

In this episode of The Pursuit Power Half Hour, Brent sits down with two seasoned CFOs, Steve DeSantis and Dave Ristow, to explore how the role of finance leadership has rapidly expanded across professional services. They discuss how CFOs are now expected to shape strategic direction, unify systems and data, strengthen delivery operations, and build tech stacks that can sustain long-term growth. Key topics covered include:How the CFO role has evolved from traditional financial oversight to strategic operatorThe challenges of rapid growth and how unified tools (PSA, ERP, BI) restore clarity and control.How CFOs partner with operations and delivery leaders Signs it’s time to evolve your tech stackAdvice for CFOs on owning the enterprise tech stack, preparing for AI-enabled operations, and building companies that can scale through multiple stages of investment.

In this episode of the Professional Services Pursuit podcast, host Banoo sits down with industry analyst and longtime consulting leader Brian Sommer to break down the five critical “anti-trends” professional services firms must confront heading into 2026. Instead of following the overhyped AI narratives dominating the market, Brian challenges firms to rethink how they present expertise, differentiate themselves, and build credibility in an era where clients are more informed and more skeptical than ever. Key Topics Covered in This Episode:Why firms must stop selling AI solutions in 2026 the same way they did in 2025How to “show, not tell” the real art of the possible with AIWhy sharing your firm’s internal AI journey is essential for credibilityThe importance of proprietary intellectual propertyThe need to rethink your firm’s value proposition and commercial model

What if the billable hour is hiding the real health of your delivery organization? In this episode, we talk with Kyle Sandine, Associate Director of PMO and Delivery Center of Excellence at Adage Technologies, about why utilization and chargeability no longer tell the full story of project success. Kyle shares how Adage is shifting from time-and-materials to value-driven delivery, how project sentiment and real-time data strengthen outcomes, and why modern PMOs must evolve beyond traditional metrics to stay competitive.We cover:The hidden costs of high utilization, and what leaders should watch forA practical framework for tracking delivery health beyond spreadsheetsHow to embed pulse checks to spot and mitigate risk earlyNavigating client maturity in value-based engagementsWhy team satisfaction is the key to scalable, repeatable success

Professional services leaders are constantly balancing growth, delivery, and profitability, but what if the biggest opportunities are hiding in plain sight?In this episode, Charles Gustine, Director of Customer and Market Insights at Kantata, and Connor Budden, Global Director at Service Performance Insight (SPI), explore how benchmarking helps firms uncover hidden inefficiencies, strengthen leadership, and transform performance across every area of the business.Recorded live at Kantata Converge, this conversation draws on decades of SPI’s benchmarking insights and unveils SPI Insight, a breakthrough integration that brings real-time benchmarking directly into the Kantata platform.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why benchmarking matters — and how top-performing services firms use data to turn blind spots into breakthroughs.The five pillars of performance maturity — leadership, client relationships, talent, service execution, and operations.Real-world stories of firms uncovering costly inefficiencies and driving measurable improvements.How AI is reshaping benchmarking — delivering faster, smarter, and more contextual decision-making.A first look at SPI Insight — the new embedded benchmarking capability within Kantata that turns data into real-time guidance.

In this episode, Banoo sits down with Julie Grove, Senior Manager of Resource Management at Anthology, to unpack how to centralize resource management without losing flexibility or local autonomy. Julie shares her five-step blueprint for building trust, conducting maturity assessments, and designing scalable governance models that prevent burnout and keep teams aligned.You’ll learn:Why trust and relationships come first in any centralization effortHow to use the RMI Maturity Model to assess readiness for changeWays to design governance that balances global consistency with local adaptabilityHow to protect engagement and efficiency at the same timePlus, watch Julie demo how she uses Kantata daily to balance global structure with local empowerment — and deliver smarter, data-driven resource management.