The IGNITE Podcast with Josh Stone

Hosted by Josh Stone

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211

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Aug 2026

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September 7, 202610 min

How to Pick a Niche | EP 186

Most owners know they should niche. They just never actually commit - because the fear of turning work away feels bigger than the cost of staying invisible. In this episode I break down why being a generalist puts you in a price war you don't want to win, what a niche actually is (most people get this wrong), and the exact six-step process to find and commit to yours. I spent 10 years as a director and shareholder of a $3M engineering consultancy that we grew to a $30M engineering, town planning, surveying and architecture consultancy - and niching properly was one of the biggest single decisions in that growth. I also share the story of George, a Boardroom member who made the call to shift his niche from post-tensioning into remedial work - and how that one decision let him revisit his fees, attract better clients, and get completely clear on his direction. Inside this episode we cover: - Why generalists get compared on price and specialists don't - The three things a real niche needs to overlap - skill, demand and margin - The exact six-step process to find the niche already hiding in your best work - Why a niche you keep secret isn't working for you - What George changed and what it did to his fees and his client list If you're tired of competing on price and blending in with every other firm in your industry, this episode will show you exactly how to change 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://go.coachignite.com/start 📚 Get the book - https://go.coachignite.com/book 🎧 Listen to the podcast - https://www.coachignite.com/podcasts/the-ignite-podcast-with-josh-stone 🌐 Visit the website - https://www.coachignite.com/ Don't forget to subscribe so you get notified of future episodes

August 31, 202613 min

Stop Chasing Small Projects | EP 185

Being flat out and growing a business are not the same thing - and most owners never stop to check which one they're actually doing. In this episode I break down why a diary full of small jobs feels like progress but is quietly capping your consultancy, the real cost of small work that almost nobody adds up, and exactly how to shift from chasing volume to landing fewer, bigger, foundational projects. I spent 10 years as a director and shareholder of a $3M engineering consultancy that we grew to a $30M engineering, town planning, surveying and architecture consultancy - and this is one of the biggest shifts that made that growth possible. I also share the story of Craig, a Boardroom member who stopped chasing small jobs and went after two foundational projects worth over $150K each - and how that one shift has him on track for 50% growth two years running. Inside this episode we cover: - Why a full project load tricks you into thinking you're winning - The hidden admin, switching and opportunity costs small jobs never show you - What a genuinely "foundational" project actually looks like - How to set a minimum project size and stop saying yes to everything - What Craig did differently to hit his growth target with a month still to go If your diary is full but the business isn't moving, this episode will show you exactly why - and what to chase instead. 👉 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://go.coachignite.com/start 📚 Get the book - https://go.coachignite.com/book 🎧 Listen to the podcast - https://www.coachignite.com/podcasts/the-ignite-podcast-with-josh-stone 🌐 Visit the website - https://www.coachignite.com/ Don't forget to subscribe so you get notified of future episodes

August 24, 202611 min

Get Clients to Trust Your Team, Not Just You | EP 184

Your clients only ever wanting to deal with you is quietly capping your growth. In this episode I break down why the thing that feels like your greatest strength - being the person every client trusts - is actually the reason you can never step back And the exact step-by-step plan to move a client relationship onto your team without them ever feeling dropped. I spent 10 years as a director and shareholder of a $3M engineering consultancy that we grew to a $30M engineering, town planning, surveying and architecture consultancy - so I've had to do this transition myself, more than once. I also share the story of Nathan, a Boardroom member who took an entire week off with zero contact with his team - and came back to find several key deliverables shipped, and every one of his clients still happy. Inside this episode we cover: - Why clients only wanting you is a growth ceiling, not a compliment - Why you can't rip the band-aid off a client relationship - The exact sequence to transition a client onto your team properly - Why a real handover takes six to twelve months, not six days - What Nathan did to take a week off without his clients even noticing If you're the only person your clients will deal with, this episode will show you exactly how to change that - without ever dropping the ball. 👉 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://go.coachignite.com/start

August 17, 202614 min

If I Was Building a Consultancy From Scratch, Here's Exactly What I'd Do | EP 183

Most engineering and built environment consultancy owners are guessing what to do next - and it's costing them years of growth. In this episode I break down exactly how I'd build an engineering, town planning, surveying or architecture consultancy if I was starting again from scratch - the three stages from $0 to $2M, $2M to $5M, and $5M to $10M+. I spent 10 years as a director and shareholder of a $3M engineering consultancy that we grew to a $30M engineering, town planning, surveying and architecture consultancy - so this episode is the exact playbook, not theory. I also share the story of Armin, Haydn, John and James, four directors I've been working with for the last three years, who've taken their consultancy from around $3.5M to their first ever $1M month - and they're well on their way to $12M. Inside this episode we cover: - Why your first hire probably shouldn't be technical - Why picking a niche on day one beats staying a generalist - The exact structure that gets you from $2M to $5M without more hustle - Why leadership and a board matter more than headcount past $5M - How Armin, Haydn, John and James went from $3.5M to $12M in three years If you're building an engineering or built environment consultancy and you don't have a clear path to your next revenue level, this episode will give you one. 👉 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://go.coachignite.com/start

August 10, 202611 min

Why Founder-Led BD Is Capping Your Growth | EP 182

Founder-led business development works early — but if it stays that way, it quietly caps your revenue and keeps your consultancy dependent on you. In this episode, I break down why founder-led BD eventually creates fragility in your pipeline, how it traps you in the wrong work, and what ownership should look like as your business grows. I explain why sustainable growth comes from building capability beyond the founder, how to distribute BD responsibility across your team, and what structure is required at each stage of business. I also share a real client example showing how introducing simple BD support created consistency, removed mental load, and turned business development into a proper function — not something reliant on memory and energy. 👉 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://go.coachignite.com/start

August 3, 202612 min

Using AI to Grow Your Consultancy | EP 181

AI isn't going away. And the consultancies that don't adopt it are going to get left behind. In this episode I break down how to use AI to grow your consultancy - to win more work, move faster, and get more competitive - without replacing the team you've worked so hard to build. I also share the story of Russell, a Boardroom member who's using agentic AI tools to get around a 10x time saving on certain tasks, built a live project dashboard that refreshes every 30 minutes on the office TV, and has pushed his fee proposal conversion rate to nearly 58%. Inside this episode we cover: - Why the consultancies that don't adopt AI will slowly start losing work - Why AI is an accelerant and not a replacement for your team - Why you need to get clear on your values before you bolt AI onto everything - The three levels of AI you can start bringing into your business today - What Russell did to get a 10x time saving and a 58% proposal conversion rate If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and you're not sure where to start with AI - or you've been quietly hoping it blows over - this episode will change how you think about 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://go.coachignite.com/start

July 28, 202615 min

How to Merge or Acquire Successfully | EP 180

Signing the M&A deal is the easy part. What happens after is where most mergers fall apart. In this episode I break down exactly why most mergers and acquisitions fail - not on the numbers, but on the culture - and how to bring two businesses together the right way so that one plus one actually equals three. I spent 10 years as a director and shareholder of a $3M engineering consultancy that we grew to a $30M firm - and a big part of that journey was doing multiple mergers and acquisitions along the way. So I've seen firsthand what to do right and what gets people into trouble. I also share the story of Mark and Peter, two Boardroom members in Perth who are doing this brilliantly - building a 50/50 joint venture with a Queensland firm before committing to a full merger, starting with alignment before structure, and giving the whole thing the runway it actually deserves. Inside this episode we cover: - Why mergers that look brilliant on the spreadsheet fall apart in the corridors - Why bolting two businesses together isn't the same as bringing them together - Why trust doesn't transfer on settlement day and what to do about it - The exact integration playbook we used going from $3M to $30M - What Mark and Peter are doing differently and why it's working If you're thinking about a merger or acquisition - or you've just done one and things feel harder than you expected - this episode will give you the framework to get it right. 👉 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://go.coachignite.com/start

July 20, 202617 min

You Need a Weekly Rhythm, Not More Motivation | EP 179

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://go.coachignite.com/start

July 13, 202611 min

How To Successfully Pitch To Clients | EP 178

Most consultancy owners think sending out a stack of fee proposals is their best shot at winning work. But if you're just hitting send and hoping for the best, you're leaving an enormous amount of work on the table. In this episode I break down how to get in the room with your clients, pitch with confidence, and dramatically increase your conversion rate. I also share the story of Simon, a Boardroom member who built his pipeline through LinkedIn, landed a lead with Australia's largest sugar cane company, and started winning A-grade clients - all because he stopped hiding behind proposals and started getting in front of people. Inside this episode we cover: - Why the proposal doesn't do the selling, the relationship does - Scripts you can use right now to get in front of a client before the proposal goes out - How to walk into a client meeting prepared so you stand out immediately - What to do after the meeting to make yourself impossible to forget - What Simon did to go from reactive BD to landing his biggest client yet If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and feel like your conversion rate should be higher - this episode will show you exactly where the opportunity is. 👉 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://go.coachignite.com/start

July 6, 202619 min

How To Consistently Hire High Performers Into Your Consultancy | EP 177

Most consultancy owners are desperately wanting to grow their team. The work's there - they just need more people. But they keep hiring the wrong ones, waiting too long, or hoping the right person magically shows up. In this episode I break down exactly how to attract and hire high performers into your consultancy - the ones who actually move the needle - without burning time, wasting money, or settling for whoever walks through the door. I also share the story of Jordan, a Boardroom member who hired strategically, built his team to seven people, and achieved 500% revenue growth in a single year - record month after record month. Inside this episode we cover: - Why your brand and reputation are your recruitment engine before a single ad is placed - The exact step-by-step process for hiring high performers every single time - Why hiring from desperation always costs you more than the hire itself - How to set a hiring trigger so you're never scrambling at the last minute - What Jordan did differently that led to 5x growth in twelve months If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and feel like you keep hiring the wrong people or waiting too long to hire at all - this episode will give you a clear process 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://go.coachignite.com/start