The IGNITE Podcast with Josh Stone

Stop Being So Available To Your Clients | EP 174

If you're ending every week feeling like you've just been running around putting out fires - answering calls at 6 or 7pm, dropping everything every time a client rings - this episode is for you. Being available to your clients 24/7 isn't a strength. It's a trap. And in this episode I break down exactly why it's costing you growth, killing your team's ability to step up, and what you can do about it. I also share the story of Steven, one of our Boardroom members who came in as a one-man band and went on to build a team of seven with 230% growth from the prior financial year - partly because he made the decision to set firmer client boundaries and stop letting clients call the shots on his time and cash flow. Inside this episode we cover: - Why being too available trains clients to expect the impossible - How your constant availability is blocking your team from growing - Why always being reactive means you'll never be strategic - The simple boundaries you can put in place without damaging client relationships - What Steven did to go from solo operator to leading a team of seven If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and feel like your clients own your time more than you do, this episode will give you a clear framework to fix that. 👉 Check out our $10M+ Consultancy Roadmap Training. It’s a step-by-step guide to help you move from wherever you are now — whether that’s $1M, $3M, $5M or $10M and beyond — and build a business you can genuinely be proud of - https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw [https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw]

How Principals Become The Bottleneck In Their Own Firm | The Blueprint Collective | EP 173

I recently joined Scott Banton on The Blueprint Collective podcast to talk about one of the most common things I see holding consultancy owners back - and most of them don't even realise it's happening. In this episode we get into what it actually looks like when a founder or principal becomes the bottleneck in their own business. Not just in design and delivery - but in decision making, client relationships and team confidence. And what it costs you commercially when you can't let go. We cover: - Why smart people stay stuck and keep doing work they should be delegating - The buyback rate and how to use it to work out what's worth your time - Why founders sometimes hire people who aren't as good as them on purpose - How to get your team running systems without you being across everything - What 30% net profit actually takes to achieve - Where AI fits into the engineering and built environment space right now If you recognise yourself in any of this - the suggestion is simple. Do a calendar audit this week. Highlight what's high value, highlight what isn't, and ask yourself honestly who else could do this. 👉 Check out our $10M+ Consultancy Roadmap Training. It’s a step-by-step guide to help you move from wherever you are now — whether that’s $1M, $3M, $5M or $10M and beyond — and build a business you can genuinely be proud of - https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw [https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw] Don't forget to subscribe so you get notified of future episodes About The Blueprint Collective: Hosted by Scott Bampton, Product Marketing Manager at Total Synergy and former Operations Lead within national architecture firms, The Blueprint Collective is a curated podcast featuring candid Q&A-style conversations with architects, engineers, and creative leaders redefining how we design, deliver, and lead. Filmed online, the series cuts through industry polish to focus on what matters: the ideas and people driving progress. Want to join us on the podcast? Register your interest here - https://totalsynergy.com/blueprint-collective/ About Total Synergy: Built in Australia, Total Synergy is a global software platform purpose-built for the architecture and engineering industry. The all-in-one solution brings together project management, resourcing, budgeting, time tracking, document management, invoicing, and reporting into a single system. Trusted by thousands of A&E professionals across the globe, Total Synergy simplifies complex workflows so teams can spend less time on admin and more time delivering exceptional results.

Engineers Let Themselves Become a Commodity (And Doctors Didn’t) | EP 172

Engineers didn’t lose respect overnight — it happened one “yes” at a time. In this episode, I explain how the engineering & built environment profession gradually became commoditised, dropping fees & profit margins — while doctors protected their value — and what you need to do to stop being discounted, rushed, and disrespected. I share a real client example of saying no, holding standards, and attracting higher-quality opportunities. 👉 Check out our $10M+ Consultancy Roadmap Training. It’s a step-by-step guide to help you move from wherever you are now — whether that’s $1M, $3M, $5M or $10M and beyond — and build a business you can genuinely be proud of - https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw [https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw]

The Transition to a Leadership Team | EP 171

If you're trying to build out your leadership team and you're still doing everything yourself - this episode is for you. In this episode I break down why most leadership teams just create more meetings without more results, why ambiguous roles lead to slow decisions and finger-pointing, and how to build a leadership team on accountability rather than just tenure or title. I also share the story of Adam, a Boardroom member who promoted two of his team members into dedicated leadership roles and got to work building a clear development plan for each of them from day one - and how that deliberate approach is already showing him the path to stepping back from the day-to-day. Inside this episode we cover: - Why a leadership team without real ownership just creates more noise - How ambiguous responsibility kills momentum and makes you the default decision-maker for everything - Why promoting your best technical person into leadership often backfires - How to build an 18 to 24-month development plan for your leaders - What Adam did to start transitioning out of the day-to-day properly If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and feel like your leadership team still needs you in the room for every decision, this episode will give you a clear framework to fix that. 👉 Check out our $10M+ Consultancy Roadmap Training. It’s a step-by-step guide to help you move from wherever you are now — whether that’s $1M, $3M, $5M or $10M and beyond — and build a business you can genuinely be proud of - https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw [https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw]

How to Nail Asking for Variations | EP 170

If you've ever done extra work for a client, knowing you're leaving money on the table, and still not charged for it - this episode is for you. In this episode I break down why clients will always push for more, how a simple script takes all the awkwardness out of asking for variations, and why not asking is doing your business a serious disservice. I also share the story of George, one of our Boardroom members, who landed a variation worth 25% of the original project value - because he had a system in place and had done the mindset work to back himself in the moment. Inside this episode we cover: - Why clients will always try it on and what to do about it - The simple scripts that make asking for variations completely natural - Why not charging for variations isn't being generous, it's being unsustainable - How to make variation conversations a normal part of how your whole business operates - What George did to land a variation worth 25% of the original project value If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and you're regularly absorbing scope creep without charging for it, this episode will give you the exact words and process to fix it. 👉 Check out our $10M+ Consultancy Roadmap Training. It’s a step-by-step guide to help you move from wherever you are now — whether that’s $1M, $3M, $5M or $10M and beyond — and build a business you can genuinely be proud of - https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw [https://youtu.be/qhusAlo3msw?si=JHK1JjXMMgJO08Hw]