Listen Now

This is the end of season 5 episode. You might think it's earlier than anticipated, but there is a reason. There is always a reason. I say thank you. Please stay in touch and add me on Linkedin or subscribe to my newsletter.   Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is with Tom Glason. Tom is the co-founder and CEO of Scalewise which helps ambitious B2B tech scale-ups accelerate growth by providing unique and flexible access to a community of world-class Scale Experts. He's also the founding member and Chair of the London chapter of Pavilion - a private community for high-growth revenue leaders.     I am a big fan of Scalewise, the Sales Impact Academy and I recently joined Pavillion. Tom definitely created a lot of value for people like myself, but also for companies in the start- and scale-up world.   Topics we discussed, and unfortunately, we ran out of time:   How he stumbled into sales The hard lessons you learn from telemarketing and picking up the phone Hard work paying off His background and degree in sports psychology How he met his wife when she offered him a job His experience launching a juice bar Tech and enterprise sales How he founded Pavillion (formerly Revenue Collective) to build a community around tech sales The latest report on interim and fractional leadership How this lead to him founding Scalewise and building a platform to get companies and interim and fractional revenue leaders together The average tenure of a CRO being 18 months The change of work patterns for C-Levels pre Covid but then the accelerated change due to Covid Redundancies and recession Flexibility and work life balance Sales Impact Academy - creating content and qualifications for sales leaders Tom on Linkedin if you want to get in touch Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martyn Baker and I got introduced back in the days when he left Twitter and I started my consulting career. We have since worked together on projects under his brand Gardn. He looks back at a corporate career, working with big clients like adidas, Twitter, Telefonica and Microsoft. That wealth of experience lead him to found Gardn as a company helping businesses to position themselves, get their storytelling right and make sure every company he works with operates at its most efficiency. I invited him to speak about how he can help freelancers and interim and fractional professionals to tell a better story, and how he launched himself into this world. Looking at the space from both ends. But who would be better to go into more details than Martyn himself.   Topics we discussed: Companies Martyn worked for and how they lead him to do what he loves How is storytelling skills apply to entrepreneurs, interim and fractional leaders or any portfolio professional Why he started his own business www.gardn.co Wanting to be more hands-on Interim and fractional commercial roles How he scales Gardn Working with both scale-ups and big established companies that want to go to market with a new product Sales narrative Pitch decks Breath and depth of positioning 50% of business is coming through recommendations Establishing a single narrative to talk to all people You can't be all for all people, you have to narrow your focus Negotiations Value propositions Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martynbaker/   Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode I welcome Ollie Henderson. It's another expert talk episode, where Ollie and I talk about the future or the state of work.   Ollie creates insights and systems for first-time founders and CEOs who want to attract clients and the best talent by sharing their ideas with the world. As a former start-up founder and CEO, he understands what it takes to grow a business while operating under pressure and time constraints. He is doing all that whilst having a family with 3 kids!   In May 2020, he launched "Future Work/Life" as a newsletter to document the fast-evolving relationship between our work and personal lives. This lead to a podcast and Ollie is currently writing a book called Work/Life Freewheel.   Things we discussed:   Ran a digital advertising agency for over 10 years Exited in 2020 to start a new business when the pandemic hit Started his newsletter to figure out what to do next Created a system for work-life He got a book deal and started working on his book which will be published January 2023: Work/Life Flywheel Interviewed 100s and surveyed 1000s for his book, listen to the interviews on his podcast You can subscribe to his newsletter on his website He works as a fractional CEO 2 days a week Hybrid working How to get more out of people: does collaboration IRL work? If we improve collaboration by 20% meeting in person, does that balance the opportunity to get top talent from around the world dialling in, improving collaboration by more than 20% virtually? Access to specialist skills How IRL meeting helps with resolving conflict Networking as a graduate Selling oneself as a freelancer/interim/fractional person The future of work being personalised work which gives the individual more choice Marketplaces for freelancers What happens when the economy slows down Unbundling the workforce Creating virtual teams of experts Aggregation and re-bundling in verticals Idea generation - put them out there! Is Work Life Balance possible Connect with Ollie on Linkedin Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I learned about Simon and his business when listening to another podcast, and loved his business idea: coaching and consulting businesses on the back of successful blueprints. So I bought his book 'Strategy Sprints' and I reached out to him. We hit it off, and I thought it would be great for him to share his journey  and his programme for solo entrepreneurs. In my series about fractional and interim leadership, Simon can help us to explore what individuals have to do in order to stand out and get more business.   Things we talked about:   Doubling revenue in 90 days thanks to business blueprints His sprint coaching programme www.strategysprints.com Enjoying business instead of the business running you Pattern of solo entrepreneurs feeling guilty Making the how happen Increased LTV (life time value) Taking holidays and switching off We know what's right but don't know how to put it into practise Focus on sales, and how to sell Work out your go to market Onboarding Do the magic Forget about lead generation, play instead! Talk to people! Create value How to have skin in the game Business models: Exchanging money for time Packaging things up as a retainer Charge upfront and outcome based Cash flow vs. profitability His book, Strategy Sprints His YouTube channel You find lots of free open source blueprints on his website   Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast is with copywriter and content strategist David Pawsey. He helps freelancers, interim and fractional leaders, and companies to position themselves. He actually helped me with my positioning and my website content. David is a former  journalist, so he is naturally inquisitive and creative. He also works for himself, so can look at the space from an expert and contract perspective.   Topics we discussed: Being a wordsmith Getting your story across How to position yourself and tell your unique story Juggling work and life, particularly as a freelancer and stay at home dad Content is king Direct response and sales copywriting Playing to people's psychology Email marketing workshops SEO content writing Relationship building Finding work through Linkedin and networking Pricing dilemma and selling services Putting a price on passion It shouldn't be about money Do what you enjoy and what is sustainable Be the thought leader Be yourself Get yourself know, get yourself liked, get yourself trusted Personal content www.deepsocial.co.uk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-pawsey-45496b2b/ Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am honoured to welcome Jonathan Younger on my podcast. Jon and I met when I reached out to him on Linkedin about some of the articles he has written about the new way of working on Forbes. He is an HR thought leader, author, teacher and early stage investor. He writes about the freelance revolution and the future of work. Jon's books include HR From the Outside In, HR Transformation, and Agile Talent.   We discussed: Him learning from an early age about productivity and freelancing, bettering processes in a factory How he defines freelancing and a portfolio career The variety of freelance job boards Differences in demand for consultants, marketing and tech workers His involvement in the space since 2012 How the pandemic changed the freelance work even further 40% of US workers having a side gig How companies should appreciate those workers developing new capabilities and skillsets 'Freelancer Light' - the ones that still have a full time job The Great Awakening vs. The Great Resignation Survey on Freelancing and some key incomes The need for a portfolio for freelancers Challenges for freelancers to sell themselves Advantages for companies to employ top talent as freelancers Open Assembly The Center for the Transformation of Work Jon's profile on Forbes Jon's Linkedin Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a very exciting episode with Ben Legg. Ben was the former COO of Google Europe and turned to being a successful portfolio professional. I actually met Ben a few years ago in Cannes, talking digital marketing. In his portfolio career, Ben focuses on supporting founders and investors in the startup and scale-up ecosystem. He is also CEO and co-founder of The Portfolio Collective, a global community of thousands of portfolio professionals, which is why I asked him to join me as an expert on the topic of interim and fractional leadership. So in this podcast we will learn not just from Ben's personal experiences, but also from the diverse learnings captured from members of The Portfolio Collective.   On the show we discussed the following: The differences and sameness of Portfolio Professionals, fractional and interims, as well as freelancers How a lot of the change in work style start with a side hustle How the pandemic triggered more people to look at their lifestyle, and side hustles Lockdown influencing the way we are working, and that hybrid is now the norm Focused experts The Portfolio Collective platform he founded 2030 will see 50% of the workforce having more than one job NEDs Hedging bets with equity and jobs Not putting all your eggs in one basket from a job/career and income perspective Ben's journey from army to corporate to portfolio A book about the portfolio career written by my former guest Katie Ledger Leapers.co - a community for freelancers TPC community and how it can help you to become better at your portfolio career, including insights, networking and jobs The future of work: hybrid working, economy of offices The dreaded commute His piece of advice: Know how to tell your story and identify your ninja skills Ben on Linkedin   Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is with Adrian Cockle. Adrian and I met through Leapers which is a community and support group for freelancers. With our own slack channel we have a great community spirit and I encourage anyone going on their own to join! Adrian is a freelance digital strategy consultant and fractional head of digital - an interim and fractional CDO. Freelance on and off since 2016, previously spent 9 years as head of digital for WWF-UK and WWF International. He has  been doing digital in various forms since working in the UK’s second Internet cafe back in 1995! Currently working with a tech startup, two philanthropic foundations and providing mentoring and due diligence services to an investment firm representing sportspeople.  Outside of work, he is a father to two kids, cyclist, swimmer and mildly obsessive coffee nerd.   Things we discussed: 🙂 Coffee: www.chimneyfirecoffee.com Leaving the corporate world or staying there forever Finding confidence as a freelancer Old school managers not allowing a hybrid approach (4/1) How important accountant s and finances are when going freelnance Transitioning back into a full tiime role and transitioning out again Being an internal consultant The meaning of interim, fractional, non executive, advisor, mentor How to find a job as a freelancer The importance of networking Lunchclub.com Managers looking for output rather than processes to be followed Selling time vs. output/projects Selling a proportion of your brain Working life, family life, work life balance and holidays How to structure your work week Growthmentor.com It's all about the fit Think about your workplace, make it yours and efficient Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriancockle/ Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I welcome Damien D‘Souza on this episode who is a business and technology transformation leader. His CV states COO, CIO and CCO experience, yet he markets himself as an interim and fractional ‚CTO‘. With his vast years of experience across multiple industries, he has worked in his portfolio career since 2019.   Things we discussed: Whilst he started his portfolio career in 2019, he started working for himself in 2012 He left the corporate world after 30 years after taking redundancy and money for a runway to try 'self-employment' Work is all about what you want to do, not why you do it Damien started with IBM, then worked for Ericsson, Hutchison and Nokia The corporate world is about politics and if someone says jump, you ask 'how high' Most jobs come through his network Whilst he is a technology leader he is also a COO but has done work in sales and marketing and supply chain in senior roles It's not what you do but how you market yourself Working with start- and scale-ups How to help businesses to evolve and deal with things It's like being a 'father', a business mentor as much as doing the job It's about value add and outcomes He prices based on projects and outcomes, with regular milestone reviews Key principles he learned early in his careers: Listen not hear Never turn up late or unprepared for a meeting Don't waste anyone's time, get the terms of reference right People need to understand what you deliver (bring people along on the journey) Interim and fractional CxOs are equal in the C-Suite rather than being a contractor You constantly pitch for opportunities Going to work for something one loves with people you like Satisfaction through using one's skills Reward is the flexibility, and pay is just as good Priority is always oneself, not the work - a life work choice he made (Life-work balance NOT Work-life balance) Younger companies benefiting from experience and an external viewpoint Skill transfer and knowledge capital being important for the future New business models emerging Get out there and engage! Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damiendsouza/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter and I first met when he dealt with various digital marketing start-ups at Deutsche Post many years ago. Most recently, we discussed joint business development but also had a chat about my podcast, as Peter had quite some experience in interim and fractional C-level roles. I am in particular interested to share his experience with start-ups, large corporate and consulting roles. At time of recording Peter assumes an interim Management role within the Vodafone group which he has now left.   Things we discussed: Roles of senior executives His role in the top 5 consultancies Managing start-ups Consultant role vs. Interim manager role Steilvorlage Coaching vs. Consulting vs. Management Opportunities within companies leading to innovation How consultancy can open doors Variety going from project to project The changing landscape of workplaces and industries Transition situations Company cultures Bad mood and culture in companies Structure and transparency Interim set-ups Externals being a risk His advice: start as a consultant LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weichsel/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I welcome Lena Andican who is one of the partners at Kurve - Kurve being the performance marketing agency my guest Oren Greenberg founded. Additionally, similar to Oren, she works as an interim and fractional CMO, advising companies on all things marketing.   Things we discussed:   Working with scale-ups B2B marketing and sales Positioning, marketing strategy and execution Transition from in-house to interim The need and want for flexibility and variety Confidence needed to be interim and leaping into a business venture Learning curve Advantages for companies to hire interim due to experience and time it takes to get things done Cost advantages for companies Influence of Covid to our work life balance, and how this impacts the new way of working Lead generation Packaging of products and prices according to outcome vs. day rates Piece of advice: go for it, and be confident with uncertainty LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-andican-987632b/ Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michel Quazza and I met a few months ago discussing investment and collaboration on projects. He is a seasoned international CEO and has worked as much in Silicon Valley as he has worked across Europe. Michel is scaling his interim work through advisory service, packaging up C-Levels under the ‘Corporate Development as a Service’.   Things we talked about: Difference in portfolio, consulting and ‘Corporate Development as a Service’ companies Scaling interim and fractional work Engineering, CPO and CEO Michel’s experience in Silicon Valley, the influence from the US on Europe Different cultures and their impact on businesses Covid accelerating the need and demand for his work Scale ups and skilling up The ease and challenges of scaling tech start ups Companies benefiting from his 20+ years experience, and the speed of taking things to market Developing a ‘consultancy’ rather than going it alone His company Qatalys: https://qatalys.com/ How he started as a consultant Moving from corporate to VC to start-up Different focus coming in as an outsider Scale, focus, drive and commitment Advice for someone starting out: Be ready to learn something new LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mquazza/ Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is with Stephen Morris. Steve is a fractional CTO with a passion for software development and cyber security.  He directs IT strategies, advises on product and technology and helps other CTOs to go to market too.   Things we discussed: Companies not needing or being able to afford a full time CTO Helping aspiring CTOs Interim and fractional being a career progression from a full time engagement How he got bored when doing only one job, and the challenges were the same year on year The need for companies to have a CTO Bailey & Associates - a company that helps CIOs and CTOs to thrive: https://bailey.associates/ The difference between a CTO, CIO and CDO A longer discussion around C-level naming, and how they connect How portfolio careers get more popular in Europe A choice of commitment Shared responsibility How to price oneself: fixed pricing, ongoing commitment, time based, equity only How to find work: networking, platforms and recommendations Trust between contractor and business The Portfolio Collective: https://portfolio-collective.com/ The trusted advisor book How Covid and working from home made it easier to take on work The gig economy for C-Level Shared learning and cross fertilisation Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-morris-cto/ Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I welcome Paul Edwards today who is an interim Chief Revenue Officer. With many years experience in the IT and Telecoms sector, he empowers organisations and teams to win complex high value sales within competitive markets. He is also a mentor to businesses for exit.   Paul and I discussed the following: Moving from a corporate career to a portfolio/interim/fractional career Experience in the IT/Cloud/Telecoms sectors Co-founding a business How to build a healthy pipeline and sales business Building a start-up to a functional company Importance of networking How consultants provide sales and marketing strategies whilst taking on responsibilities for actions at the same time Working across multiple businesses Positioning companies and products to potential buyers Expectations on oneself when going freelance Not to work for nothing Define SOW and outcome before going into a business Price according to the value you add Be clear where you add value to a company Executing the strategy you set out NED and Mentor roles Try to work with people you like and who like you - something you cannot choose in the corporate world Don’t waste your energy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/p4uledwards/ His book: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/p4uledwards_leaders-success-business-activity-6869656149742911489-YneH Paul's email: paul.edwards@robgoddard.co.uk   Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oren is the founder of Kurve, a London based, growth marketing consultancy working with corporates and scale-ups for the past 20 years. As an interim and fractional leader, Oren’s digital strategy and commercial expertise are instrumental in the growth of SaaS & Fintech brands. Brands he worked with include Lenovo, Canon, Investec Bank, Wonga, Peakon & Nutmeg.   Things we discussed: Part time and interim scalability and positioning Pricing and how you best price your work (very interesting insights!) Kurve and how this fits in with fractional and interim work The Kurve model Opportunities for outsource positions Networking and why it is important How interim and fractional work is popular in the US and slowly sweeps across the pond Autonomy and freedom Intelligence and confidence Methodologies Mitigating risks Offering an outside view How knowledge workers’ skills are experiences His desire to have a meaningful impact How interim and fractional work is a career progression from the corporate world Being an entrepreneur What freedom means to him Value based work LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orengreenberg Newsletter: https://www.kurve.co.uk   Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I welcome Ben Rickard to my podcast. Ben is an experienced interim and fractional CDO, a NED and advisor with an expert domain knowledge in marketing, digital, data and tech. Ben and I have been discussing the interim and fractional space for a while, and I am glad he found the time to record his ideas around this exciting and growing space.   Things we discussed: CDO: data or digital officer Ben being a NED to parliament (not the government) Teams with different super powers His urge to get involved and do things Launching on his own during the pandemic Value proposition Taking the risk of going out on your own Confidence Networking with people and selling yourself Delivering a proof of concept before getting paid How to overcome the hurdle of selling oneself (as a non sales guy) How to utilise LinkedIn for winning business The learning of going through the process of setting up on your own Variety and lifestyle choice of being an interim and fractional CxO Being able to choose: from interim to full time to consultant - a career is fluid Portfolio Career and labelling of services The Portfolio Collective: https://portfolio-collective.com The value add of an interim / fractional leader to start- and scale-ups Expert networks Smart people who hire (people like) us😉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrickard/ Website: https://www.benrickard.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My new season, season 5, is all about Stories of Success in interim and fractional CxO roles. I am excited to bring you top CxOs in the field discussing their style, pricing, approach and how they started off in their current role. A learning curve for me, but also a learning for anyone aspiring to become a freelance consultant, start a portfolio career or build a business as an interim or fractional leader.   Episode one and season starter is with Victoria Rusnac!   She is an interim Chief Marketing Officer. Her speciality is in startup growth marketing strategies, including branding, performance and product marketing. When we first met she used terms like 'CMO in demand' or 'Marketing as a Service' or even 'crisis CMO'. She has a lot of experience in marketing and turnarounds.   Things we discussed: Victoria being a podcast coach Her marketing approach and terrible marketing challenges Edtech, Health and Fitness Moving from full time to part time roles and why Uncertainty around Covid Specialities in marketing Why to hire an interim leader Crisis management vs. execution Slow moving ‘full time roles’ How you can be brutally honest in your job Diversity in the workforce Adding value as a contractor Her approach to interim and fractional roles, and why she loves being an ‘outsider’ in an organisation Freedom as a fractional leader, NED or advisor Lifestyle and personal choices Uncertainty of full time roles How to get more work as a freelancer Don’t do it for the money…. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrusnac/   Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant working as an interim CRO. Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi all, After 3.5 years of podcast recording, I am taking a break until at least the end of 2021. Feel free to reach out to me or connect with me on Linkedin. I am happy to help anyone, support you in your journey as a coach or consultant, and I am open for new ideas for 2022 - for the podcast or otherwise. Thanks for all your support, Volker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this final episode of season 4, all my theories come together by speaking to Dr. Matt , Mateusz Grzesiak. Dr. Matt is a lecturer, therapist, and consultant. He holds several masters degrees, including in psychology and law, as well as degrees in management.   On the one hand he advises businesses and on the other hand he trains and runs therapeutic sessions. For him it is about helping others to achieve the intended personal and professional results and solving emotional and behavioural problems. His vision is to create a conscious human being.   His mission is for education to be understood as a continuous and comprehensive personal and professional development, allowing for evolution in every aspect of life. His life motto is: "Create a life in which you are the best version of yourself, have what you want, help others and change the world."   Topics we discussed: How success comes down to skills Therapeutic elements need to be introduced to organisations for them to strive Effectiveness of people Planning of life Combining managerial skills and psychological skills as well as therapy to better yourself Holistic approach to life, to improve personally or businesses Personal branding Divorces and break ups due to lack of communication Influence of childhood Anthony Robbins, and different schools of psychology Learning from the best people Differences of learning and studying Everyone is a psychologist Releasing nations from trauma - e.g. the pandemic - and how psychology can help Giving back to people School curriculums and what we should teach our children Mixed mental arts EQ - 1. Motivation, 2. Empathy, 3. Self Regulation, 4. Emotional Consciousness Adding communication to EQ leads to the basics of self therapy Sales skills are vital for employees, yet you cannot learn it at university Which skills could you learn in order to be more competitive in life How societal and parental influence stops us from creating ourselves RTT (Rapid Transformational Therapy) How bad things like the pandemic also create opportunities How the construction and manifestation of your life as an adult makes it more difficult to change His 24 books he has written so far (3 a year!) How Dr. Matt plans his life / day and how it makes him super effective His mindfulness approach and involvement in Jiu Jitsu Routines and Habits His motivation to make the world a better place   You can find out more about Dr. Matt here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mateusz_Grzesiak https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mateusz_Grzesiak www.drmattofficial.com www.facebook.com/drmattofficial www.youtube.com/drmattofficial www.instagram.com/drmattofficial/ Volker is a sales, strategy and leadership consultant. With a passion for coaching and mindfulness, helping individuals and companies to achieve more. In his podcast he interviews high achievers, entrepreneurs, consultants, visionaries, coaches, and mentors about their secrets and experience. Learn from the best! Find out more on his website or subscribe to his newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.