From Consulting to C-Suite with Michael Stutts

AMA: Should I Charge a Referral Fee?

One of the questions I get asked all the time is whether consultants should be paid for referring business to someone else.    The answer is yes, but I understand the hesitation. Asking for compensation can feel awkward, especially when all you're doing is making an introduction.    But here's the way I think about it: when you refer someone, you're creating value for everyone involved. You're helping a consultant find an opportunity they may not have found on their own, and you're helping a client find someone trustworthy to solve a problem.    That's not just an introduction; it's value. Referral fees are simply a way to recognize that value.    In this podcast episode, I answered some of the most common questions I hear about referral fees.

Namrata Sarmah’s Playbook for a Plural Career

You don't have to wait until retirement to reinvent your career.    Namrata Sarmah [https://www.linkedin.com/in/namratasarmah/] followed the traditional path all the way to the C-suite before realizing there was more than one way to be successful.    Today, she advises PE-backed companies as a product leader, runs global leadership communities, and helps executives create what she calls a plural career.    If you've ever wondered what comes after the corporate ladder, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what's possible.  ---------------------------------------- 👉 Join CPO Track: https://forms.gle/CPVZiyW1czzUCyp18 [https://forms.gle/CPVZiyW1czzUCyp18]

Dr. Roseann Tells High-Performing Parents How to Not Pass On Their Anxiety to Their Child

High-performing people like consultants use anxiety as fuel. It helps us push harder, solve problems faster, and achieve more. In small doses, that’s helpful to keep us moving. The challenge is that anxiety is also a signal from the nervous system. If we never learn how to manage it, the same thing that drives performance can eventually lead to burnout, overwhelm, and unhealthy habits. And whether we realize it or not, our children are watching. They see how we respond to pressure. They learn how to handle setbacks. They absorb our relationship with stress long before they learn how to manage their own.  That’s why I was thrilled to speak with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge [https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/v1/c/jmn6ExrEXap%2BY%2FJXXipaLsy%2Fk58OXgLBpVv0hN1yLLMlGXlEa0WpPYTslxIq%0AX8FMKP%2FPNMChoUQcrZqkW2Jix%2Fp4tTRnoBqGwqgmoZhly5aqA8uZF6hZSsd7%0Al0IhzjwzNcEsWNQxBD0GEnnPZb7Bb2uO60diZw0c4DMYnz%2FXrpDk5TNw32cE%0Axvz8LMfSVH%2BPX3vc5Wtr9u74ChVSbbKBMblX5bkhacZdISDO1BIg06c%3D%0A/352a09b3d0501336], author of The Dysregulated Kid [https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/v1/c/YIy18a0ZMnboz8W2EetdhVb5idjXEdwYAfwJz6pDmlAF4qlaX7k46%2FHmK2J1%0AzcgtiJOL7gPcwai4IRxUCfSAzUz13HegKVuhFp9cGj%2BjI10EaT29hhc4Pnz0%0ACJm5g83i8quuFmVIyF6p8cZOWn6D1HZL%2BdGKB1YcuTRaJXhfsRW6uduA6T8w%0AkViIoDn7kwkDywON1pqHVShxlLCfGtkIFb8%2FMGglb1uXIaraxI7kUYY%3D%0A/776118e618ea9ca2]. For more than 30 years, she has helped children and families understand nervous system dysregulation – the connection between stress, emotions, behavior, and performance.  Her work is built around a simple but powerful idea: you cannot teach, lead, or parent a dysregulated brain.  In this conversation, we discuss resilience over achievement, the signs of stress in children, and what you can do to help kids build the coping skills they need to be happy and successful. For any parent-consultants out there, this one’s worth a listen.

From Consulting to C-Suite with Michael Stutts

What comes after a decade at BCG? I sat down with Michael Stutts [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstutts/] to talk about his path from consulting to executive leadership—and how personal branding and clear communication shaped the journey. We also touched on his book, There's No Room Service at the Psych Ward, and why mental health deserves more airtime in the business world. 👉 Get a copy of his book: https://www.amazon.com/Theres-Room-Service-Psych-Ward/dp/1955026890 [https://www.amazon.com/Theres-Room-Service-Psych-Ward/dp/1955026890]

How Troy Ruemping Thinks About Strategy

Troy Ruemping [https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyruemping/] has spent his career asking the question most consultants skip: what problem are we actually solving? He's done it at McKinsey, at the Big Four, and now while splitting his time between independent consulting and building his own food tech venture. In this conversation, Troy breaks down the discipline behind great strategy work — and what happens when you take those skills into an entirely new field.