Exotic
Matter

✺ What makes visual tools like the Business Model Canvas and The Value Proposition Canvas so effective?
✺ At the end of a Workshop, how can you make sure clients do what they said they would?
✺ And what's the best way to actually begin running Customer Interviews?

These are the questions Nick and I will go over in this episode of Exotic Matter.

Nick Himowicz is a Product Innovation Coach and a friend. After countless conversations and nerding out together on this stuff, I was sure he would be a phenomenal start to the inaugural season of Exotic Matter. I believe you'll agree.

Scroll down for the Spotify Link and the Transcript.

✺ What makes Workshops so good for productizing Expertise?
✺ What do the best workshops have in common?
✺ What's the future of Expertise work and how Facilitation fits into it?

Spencer and I got together to answer these questions and in the process went massively over the scheduled time. It's that good.

Spencer Ayres is an expert at running workshops that get results and a friend. After I saw the beautiful work he's been doing at Jointly.Work, I knew I had found a kindred mind.

✺ Why early-stage consulting firms need a different set of marketing motions?
✺ Danilo's reservations with over reliance on "Productization" as a silver-bullet
✺ Secrets to actually develop truly collaborative client relationships

Danilo and I spoke about these and other topics, all related to the unique aspects of Marketing Boutique Consulting firms. Danilo's experience shines through.

Danilo Kreimer is a Growth Advisor for Boutique Consulting firms and a friend. I initially met his work via his stellar newsletter and had to compliment him on it. From there, many other conversations emerged. When I decided to launch a podcast season, Danilo was at the top of the list.

✺ What patterns of a starting Consulting firm will later need to me re-calibrated?
✺ A Signature Methodology says something about your Expertise. What is it?
✺ What to expect when creating your own Signature Methodology?

Florian did not let me off the hook with this one. His many flight hours manifested in the way he clarified subtle nuance and how he gave very palpable examples of real application.

Florian Heinrichs is a Performance Advisor to Consulting firms and a friend. I've followed his work for a couple of years and we've been chatting for a little over one year. There's a clear connection between how his work highlights the power of a Signature Methodology and my own belief that Workshops are a phenomenal tool for Consulting firms.

✺ Niching as an overplayed strategy that needs something else
✺ Why your Perspective is actually your Product
✺ How your business Perspective seeps into everything else and naturally positions you as a strategic partner

Alex and I had to do this twice. The first time, the gods of inter-continental communications were not on our side. It was so worth it to double down on it. Wrath of Gods be damned.

Alex James is a Messaging Strategist for B2B firms and a friend. Like so many, I was struck by his impeccable carousels on LinkedIn. Seeing that being their brilliance there must be a really clever and creative mind, I got in touch. From there, some of the freshest conversations I've had for a while. Bringing Alex on was a no-brainer.

✺ Why LinkedIn is not really set up for Discovery
✺ How to choose which content to boost
✺ The lovely turbo-nerdery of creating words and categories and how tricky it can be for starting businesses.

Dylan and I discussed these topics mostly around how Experts can be found on LinkedIn. At some point Dylan caught me falling into old over-thinking patterns. See if you can spot this.

Dylan Ciaccio helps B2B firms burst through their audience Bubble on LinkedIn and he's also a friend. We initially met when Dylan made me see something that had been in front of all our eyes for a long time. That "slap-my-forehead" moment was only the first of our conversations. So many experts struggle with reach on LinkedIn and I knew Dylan could help make a few things clearer.

✺ The major shifts that have been pummeling the creative industry for years
✺ What happens after organic reach and Outbound break
✺ Ideas on how to shift into more localized projects and impact

Patrick cares for precision and does not suffer shoddy thinking. This makes for a truly densely packed episode where we not only cover the previous topics, but also one where my observation skills get sharpened live.

Patrick Kizny is an entrepreneurial creative at heart. After decades running creative businesses of all kinds, he's now working on spatial sound. He's also a friend. We first spoke regarding ideas for a deck of cards that would productize Patrick's methodology. But our calls evolved from that. When I need honest feedback and a clinical attention to detail, I turn to Patrick.

✺ Why "Offer" is such a powerful way of talking about services
✺ How come it is so easy for Experts to overcomplicate what they know while avoiding crucial aspects of their business
✺ The impact of solving problems with your clients, not just for them

Jay and I have somewhat similar careers. We ended up in similar but different places and this is a phenomenal episode for those of us that sometimes feel we are insisting on something that is not working.

Jay Melone helps Experts turn their Expertise into Offers. He's also a friend. We go to talking roughly an year ago. I had signed up for his newsletter, sent him a note and next thing you know we're trading music suggestions and sharing lessons learned.

✺ Lessons from working close to the Strategyzer team
✺ Some usual failure modes of trying to Productize Expertise
✺ Figuring out how to package expertise in a way that actually works

Kurt is on top of his game. But he sub-wrapper-intro-hypothesis you to reach that place too. The amount of sharing and co-learning is off the charts. I wish I had started speaking to Kurt much sooner.

Kurt Bostelaar is a Methodology Designer and a friend. The overlap in interests and niche passions that we have borders on the uncanny. Also Kurt's recurring generosity is a permanent source of fascinating ideas. This light-hearted but also passionate session was the perfect way to close off the first season of Exotic Matter.