The IGNITE Podcast with Josh Stone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this episode I'm joined by Peta Cox - founder of the WISE Foundation, host of the Defining Boundaries podcast, and someone who knows the surveying industry inside and out. We get into the skills shortage that's hitting surveying hard right now, why the profession has struggled to attract new talent, and what business owners and team leaders can actually do about it. We also talk about where the industry is heading with technology, what opportunities are out there for both founders and emerging surveyors, and why culture is the real reason people leave. This one's relevant well beyond surveying - if you run any kind of built environment consultancy and you're thinking about team, retention, and where your business is positioned for the next 12 months, there's a lot in here for you. Inside this episode we cover: - Why the surveying industry has struggled to attract younger talent and what's changing - How technology is reshaping the profession and the unintended consequences that come with it - Why the businesses winning the talent war are the ones investing in people - not just paying them more - What founders and team leaders can do right now to retain great people - Why professional development and mental health are the two things Peta keeps coming back to 👉 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

If you've got a poor performer in your team right now and you're still convincing yourself it'll sort itself out - this episode is going to be a wake-up call. Keeping poor performers isn't kind. It's the most damaging thing you can do to your business and your team. In this episode I break down why tolerating underperformance wrecks your culture, why your best people are watching and quietly losing faith, and what you can actually do about it. I also share the story of Richard, a Boardroom member who stopped avoiding the hard conversations with his team - and came out the other side with 37% net profit, a $200K competitive tender won on quality alone despite submitting the highest price, and a conversation with a major local developer about a 160-lot combined project. All because he dealt with what was happening inside the business first. Inside this episode we cover: - Why keeping poor performers isn't kind - it's avoidant - What tolerating underperformance does to your A-players - The practical framework for handling underperformance cleanly and fairly - Why your culture is defined by who you keep, not just who you hire - What Richard did to turn his team around and hit a record profit month If you run an engineering or built environment consultancy and have been sitting on a performance issue - this episode will give you the clarity and the process to deal with 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

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

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 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 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

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

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

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

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

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