The IGNITE Podcast with Josh Stone

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]

Upgrade Your Identity, Or Forever Stay Stuck Where You Are Right Now | EP 169

If you have been trying to grow your consultancy for a while and keep hitting the same ceiling, dealing with the same problems, and wondering why nothing is really shifting — this episode is going to give you a very different answer to why. In this episode I break down why businesses don't outgrow their owners, what it actually means to upgrade your identity as a business owner, and the practical shift you need to make to start leading at the level your business actually needs. I also share the story of Jordan, a Boardroom member who 5X'd his revenue in a single year. Not through a new strategy. Through an identity shift. He decided to show up differently, hired the people the business needed, went after better clients, and backed himself — before the results had even shown up. Inside this episode we cover: - Why you can't grow a business beyond the version of you running it - How your identity determines what you say yes to, what you tolerate, and how you spend your time - Why upgrading your identity is a decision, not a destination - How to define what the next version of you actually looks like - What Jordan did to 5X his revenue in twelve months If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and feel like you keep hitting the same ceiling, this episode will show you exactly where to look first. 👉 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]

You Need a Weekly Rhythm, Not More Motivation | EP 168

If you are getting to the end of every week feeling like you have done nothing except put out fires — like the big stuff in your business has not moved an inch — this episode is for you. In this episode I break down why reactive weeks do not happen by accident, why being constantly available is keeping you stuck, and how to design and lock in a weekly rhythm that actually moves the needle on what matters. I also share the story of Drew, one of our Boardroom members, who committed to blocking Mondays for strategy — not Monday morning, the full day — and how that one decision changed the entire shape of his week and helped his business grow faster. Inside this episode we cover: - Why reactive weeks are a design problem, not a time problem - How being available for everything is keeping you the bottleneck - How to identify your big rocks and get them into your calendar first - Why consistency beats motivation every single time - What Drew did differently to stop running the business day to day and start leading it If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and feel like your week is happening to you rather than being run by you, this episode will give you a clear framework 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]

How To Lift Team Performance Without Being A Jerk | EP 167

Most consultancy owners know they need higher standards in their business. The problem is they are not sure how to get there without damaging relationships or turning into someone they do not want to be. In this episode I break down exactly how to lift the performance of your team without avoiding hard conversations or tolerating things you know are quietly dragging the business backwards. We cover why what you tolerate becomes your standard, why avoiding hard conversations is costing you far more than you think, and why most performance issues are not people problems at all — they are clarity problems. I also share a great example from Boardroom members Debbie and Patrick, who lifted performance across their business not by being harder on the team, but by getting clearer on expectations and creating space for people to step up and take ownership. Inside this episode we cover: - Why tolerating underperformance sets the standard for your whole business - The real cost of avoiding hard conversations - How to remove emotion from performance management - Why clear expectations lift performance more than pressure does - What Debbie and Patrick did to get their team performing at a higher level If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and have been putting off a conversation you know you need to have, this episode will give you a clear framework for how to handle it properly. 👉 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]