He Scaled a Consultancy to 80 People, £10 Million, and a PE-Backed Exit with John Howard

04/22/25 • 39 min

Host: Craig Herd
Guest: John Howard
In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I’m joined by John Howard to unpack what it really takes to move from founder-led sales to leadership-led growth, and why that shift is so critical if you want to scale sustainably.

We dive into how to build a senior team you can trust, how to evolve your commercial decision-making as you grow, and how to keep your culture intact during big transitions. John also shares what makes a consultancy more attractive to buyers, how to prepare for an exit, and the emotional rollercoaster that can come with handing over the reins. Plus, we explore the changing dynamics of the consultancy marketplace and the new challenges that come with it.

If you’re thinking about growing beyond founder-dependence or eventually selling your consultancy, this one’s for you.

00:00 - Introduction to the Consultancy Growth Podcast

00:25 - Making the Leap: From Founder-Led to Leadership-Led Growth

05:07 - Building a Senior Team You Can Actually Rely On

09:09 - Evolving Without Losing Your Culture

13:11 - Making Smarter Commercial Decisions as You Scale

18:29 - Why Bigger, Longer Contracts Matter for Growth

21:02 - Thinking About Exit? Here’s What Buyers Really Want

28:03 - How Long It Actually Takes to Sell a Consultancy

32:26 - The Emotional Side of Letting Go

34:43 - Navigating the New Challenges in Today’s Consultancy Market

If you’re thinking about growing beyond founder-dependence or eventually selling your consultancy, this one’s for you.

00:00 - Introduction to the Consultancy Growth Podcast

00:25 - Making the Leap: From Founder-Led to Leadership-Led Growth

05:07 - Building a Senior Team You Can Actually Rely On

09:09 - Evolving Without Losing Your Culture

13:11 - Making Smarter Commercial Decisions as You Scale

18:29 - Why Bigger, Longer Contracts Matter for Growth

21:02 - Thinking About Exit? Here’s What Buyers Really Want

28:03 - How Long It Actually Takes to Sell a Consultancy

32:26 - The Emotional Side of Letting Go

34:43 - Navigating the New Challenges in Today’s Consultancy Market

Previous Episode

How Consultants Go from £10k Projects to £100k Engagements with Mark Peacock

Host: Craig Herd
Guest: Mark Peacock
In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I’m joined by Mark Peacock. We dig into one of the most overlooked levers in consultancy growth: pricing strategy.

We unpack the common traps consultancies fall into, from undercharging to defaulting to hourly rates, and explore how shifting to a value-based pricing model can change the game. Mark shares why pricing confidence is key, how to better communicate value, and what it takes to move beyond legacy pricing mindsets. We also get into the nitty-gritty of tiered pricing, price anchoring, and the connection between your front-end and back-end offers, plus what to do if you’re ready to start reviewing (and raising) your prices today.

If pricing has ever felt like a guessing game or a subject you’ve avoided, this episode is for you.

00:00 - Introduction
03:12 - Why Pricing Confidence Is the First Step to Charging More
05:55 - Breaking Free from the Classic Consultancy Pricing Trap
8:53 - Rethinking Value: A Fresh Take on Value-Based Pricing
12:07 - How to Build a Customer Value Model That Actually Works
14:51 - The Link Between Positioning and Pricing (and Why It Matters)
18:11 - Tiered Pricing: Giving Clients Options Without Underselling Yourself
21:04 - Price Anchoring: How to Set the Stage for Better Deals
24:02 - Front-End vs. Back-End: Structuring Your Offers for Profit
26:53 - Pricing Is Both Art and Science and Here’s How to Balance It
29:53 - Not Sure Where to Start? How to Begin Your Pricing Review
32:57 - Busting the Biggest Myths About Consultancy Pricing

Next Episode

Escape the Grind and Build a Lasting Consultancy for Freedom & Legacy with Craig Herd

Host Craig Herd
Guest Matt Hodkinson
In this special crossover episode, Craig Herd, host of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, flips the mic as he joins Matt Hodkinson on The Consultancy Edge to talk openly about founder burnout, building a sustainable consultancy, and why most marketing advice for boutique firms is dead wrong.

Craig shares his own story of nearly losing it all, rebuilding from the ground up, and the hard-won insights he now brings to boutique consultancy founders trying to scale beyond themselves.

Why many consultancies get stuck around the £1M mark.
The two dead-end paths most founders take when trying to grow.
The real reason marketing agencies fail consultancies.
What it means to go from "Trusted Advisor" to "Visible Expert".
Thought Leadership and Craig’s 90-minute capture method.
How to productise your consultancy and build a sellable firm.
Why niching isn’t risky it’s the only path to scale.
How Craig bounced back from 75% client loss in one week.
What every founder should know before burnout takes hold.

Plus, Matt and Craig riff on personal energy, succession planning, personality profiling, and why every founder should take time to redesign the business from first principles.

If you're a consultancy founder who's feeling stuck, tired, or unsure what the next stage looks like this one’s for you.