In this episode of the Unlocking Value podcast, John Howard speaks with Andy Strickland, Partner at Palatine Private Equity.

Andy has spent more than a decade backing ambitious Professional Services founders and management teams, often at the point where external investment is being considered for the first time. He shares Palatine’s philosophy of Positive Equity, an approach that focuses on partnership, sustainability and people-led growth.

Together, John and Andy talk about what private equity really means for leaders in professional services. They explore how the right investment partner can help firms grow responsibly, strengthen culture and create long-term value.

Key discussion points include:

• What Private Equity looks like in practice and what it means for founders
• How Palatine’s value-enhancement approach supports sustainable growth
• Why integration and culture are central to successful buy-and-build strategies
• The real sources of private-equity capital and its wider economic impact
• The questions founders should ask before choosing an investment partner

For founders and leaders in professional services, this is a clear and practical conversation that removes the uncertainty around private equity and shows how investment – done the right way – can unlock lasting value for people, businesses and communities.

Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth

Guest: Andy Strickland, Partner at Palatine Private Equity.

In this episode of the Unlocking Value podcast, John Howard speaks with leadership coach and former consultancy partner Richard Jones about one of the hardest things to get right in professional services: senior leadership transitions.

On paper, it sounds simple: bring in a talented new leader to help the business grow. In reality, it’s far more complex.

Richard and John talk about why these moments are so high-stakes and why more than half of senior hires fail within 18 months. They explore the messy web of explicit and implicit expectations, the challenges of navigating strong internal cultures in mid-sized firms, and the paradox of hiring for difference while instinctively resisting it.

Richard draws on years of research and first-hand experience to reveal what makes transitions succeed. He explains why leadership changes must be treated as a team game, how to build a safe environment for new leaders, and why maintaining high standards matters most when everything feels uncertain.

The conversation covers:

• The impact of complex, unspoken expectations on both sides of a hire
• The paradox of seeking difference while resisting change
• How mid-sized firms can prepare their culture for new leadership
• Why successful transitions are a team effort, not a solo challenge
• How leaders can create psychological safety without lowering the bar
  
  

For leaders navigating growth, or anyone responsible for bringing senior talent into their firm, this episode offers a candid look at the complexity of transitions and how, with the right mindset and preparation, they can become moments of real progress.

Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth

Guest: Richard Jones, Board Advisor at OLIA

In this episode of the Unlocking Value podcast, John Howard speaks with Craig Herd, founder of Consultancy Growth.

Craig shares his journey from door-to-door sales at 19, to becoming National Sales Director with a team of 55, to working with a growth enablement consultancy, and now leading his company, Consultancy Growth, which helps UK boutique consultancies build growth systems that actually work. He explains his six pillars of consultancy growth and what consultancy-specific sales and marketing needs to look like in order to become a genuine ROI-driven growth engine, rather than a costly black hole.

The conversation covers:

• Why “marketing only matters if it goes somewhere”
• The six key stages of the client journey: lead generation, lead nurture, sales, delivery, retention and ascension
• How to avoid the founder sales trap and enable teams to sell effectively
• The risks of expecting written proposals to do too much heavy lifting in a sales process
• The often-missed opportunities in retention and expansion into bigger client problem spaces

For consultancy leaders, this episode offers a practical blueprint for building long-term value and avoiding common growth pitfalls.

Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth
Guest: Craig Herd, Founder of Consultancy Growth

In this episode, John Howard speaks with Justin Langford, co-founder and CEO of Coeo. Over nearly two decades, Justin has grown the business from a two-person start-up into a consultancy trusted by some of the UK’s largest organisations.

Justin shares the key chapters in Coeo’s journey, from proving the model and scaling cautiously at first through to shifting gears and adopting a private-equity style playbook to accelerate growth without external funding.

He explains how the firm has built long-term value through its talent academy, international expansion, and a culture of learning and codified delivery frameworks.

The conversation also explores Justin’s approach to data-driven leadership, including avoiding “watermelon KPIs” and applying a “Moneyball” mindset to consultancy performance. He reflects on navigating a co-founder exit, evolving his role as CEO and keeping the energy to lead after 18 years.

Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth

Guest: Justin Langford, Co-founder and CEO at Coeo

www.garwoodgrowth.com

In the final episode of this series, we talk to a panel of experienced consultancy leaders and advisors about what really happens after a deal is done – and what no one tells you in advance.

The conversation explores the emotional, cultural and operational challenges founders and owners can face once the dust settles. We discuss everything from from shifts in identity and purpose through to leadership transitions, people dynamics and integration into new teams and roles. This is a candid, practical conversation about what founders and other leaders wish they’d known, and what it really takes to succeed in the post-deal world.

Want to learn more about how investment transactions work in professional services? Download Garwood Growth’s free Unlocking Value book. It’s your step-by-step guide to what’s involved and what you should consider, whether you're thinking about selling, getting ready for external investment or just exploring your options.

Guest List

Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth
Guest: Mark Campbell, Senior Vice-President at RGP
Guest: Richard Jones, Former Partner at Moorhouse Consulting
Guest: Anna Cornwallis, Managing Director at Stratton HR

www.garwoodgrowth.com

In this episode, we focus on what it really means to be ready for a deal – not just in theory, but in practice.

Host John Howard is joined by two seasoned founders and a corporate finance advisor to explore what it really means to be ready for a transaction process. Together, they dig into the systems, behaviours, and blind spots that shape outcomes – sometimes years before a transaction takes place. This conversation offers practical advice on getting ahead of the curve, managing risk, and setting your business up for the best possible valuation and process.

Want to learn more about how investment transactions work in professional services? Download Garwood Growth’s free Unlocking Value book. It’s your step-by-step guide to what’s involved and what you should consider, whether you're thinking about selling, getting ready for external investment or just exploring your options.

Guest List

Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth
Guest: Mark Robinson, Co-founder of Edenbrook and Kimble/Kantata
Guest: Sean Hoban, Co-founder of Edenbrook and Kimble/Kantata
Guest: James Barraclough, Co-founder and Partner at Elucid Partners

www.garwoodgrowth.com

In this episode, we look at how investors and advisors assess a business – and what can spook them.

We’re joined by an investor, a corporate lawyer and a corporate finance advisor to talk about what builds confidence during a transaction – and what can cause it to break down. From messy data and vague narratives to unexpected risks that emerge late in the process, they share what buyers really watch for and what separates strong deals from aborted ones.

If you want a clearer picture of how buyers think and how to avoid common pitfalls, this episode will give you a practical inside view.

Want to learn more about how investment transactions work in professional services? Download Garwood Growth’s free Unlocking Value book. It’s your step-by-step guide to what’s involved and what you should consider, whether you're thinking about selling, getting ready for external investment or just exploring your options.

Guest List

Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth
Guest: Alex Thomson, Partner at Growth Capital Partners
Guest: Frank Shephard, Partner and Global Head of Corporate at DWF
Guest: Paul Lines, Partner at Garwood Growth

www.garwoodgrowth.com

In this episode, we ask a deceptively simple question: what actually makes a business valuable?

Host John Howard is joined by a founder, an investor and an advisor to explore what really drives high valuations in professional services. They talk about the importance of revenue quality, market positioning and delivery maturity – and why investors care just as much about what’s ahead as what’s already been built. Along the way, the guests share real-world examples of how they’ve made their businesses more attractive by focusing on the things that genuinely create value.

If you want to understand what buyers are really looking for – and how to build a business that stands out – this episode is for you.

Want to learn more about how investment transactions work in professional services? Download Garwood Growth’s free Unlocking Value book. It’s your step-by-step guide to what’s involved and what you should consider, whether you're thinking about selling, getting ready for external investment or just exploring your options.

Guest List

Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth
Guest: Minos Ataliotis, Founder and CEO at CloudRock
Guest: Emma Flin, Investment Director at Sovereign Capital Partners
Guest: Rob Garner, Founding Partner at Garwood Growth

www.garwoodgrowth.com