PIE-Cast

Andi Baldwin and Erika Flowers sit down with Anita Mikus to explore how an early-career lesson on work ethic and accountability shaped her approach to leadership and growth. Drawing on more than two decades in professional services, Anita shares why outcomes—not activity—drive success, how trust is built through delivery, and why strong client relationships start with understanding the full proble...

RE-RELEASE from 2021: The Story of PIE with Tom McMakin. We’re celebrating 25 years of PIE. In this episode, Tom shares how PIE was built to bridge the gap between experts and the people they’re best suited to help, how the firm evolved from an early‑stage startup into a global, peer‑driven network, and why traditional approaches to selling expertise fall short in today’s market.

Andi Baldwin and Jacob Parks sit down with Mark Cheshire to explore what truly defines a great rainmaker—and why business development skills can be developed, not just inherited. Drawing on decades of experience as a CEO and client of professional services firms, Mark shares what he looked for when deciding which advisors earned his trust. Through real-world stories, he unpacks the skills that mat...

Re‑release from 2022, and still right on time. In this episode, PIE President Jacob Parks reflects on relationship building as the real work of business development and what it means to deliver the lagniappe authentically. A theme that aligns closely with The Growth Engine . Growth is built through trust, intentionality, and the moments that strengthen relationships long after the transaction. If...

Walt Shill and Andi Baldwin sit down with Dwight Hutchins to explore what really drives growth in professional services—both in how firms develop scalable services and how leaders build long-term client relationships. Dwight shares lessons from his career, why many firms struggle to scale their services, and how client relationship skills can be taught. Through real-world stories, he unpacks what...

Erika Flowers and Andi Baldwin sit down with Angel Morgan to unpack what it really takes to build a high‑performing sales function in professional services. Angel shares hard‑earned lessons from leading sales teams, including why hiring the right people is the most critical—and costly—decision leaders make, what traits can and can’t be trained, and how she thinks about developing, measuring, and h...

Andi Baldwin and Jacob Parks sit down with Jeff Downs, co-author of Streaking and longtime business development leader, to discuss his career in professional services—from early sales lessons to building sustainable growth through consistency. Together, they explore how simple, repeatable habits drive business development success, including applying “streaking” to pipeline growth, building trust t...

Andi Baldwin and Erika Flowers sit down with Shobha Meera of Capgemini to discuss her career in professional services, from starting out in product sales to leading complex, global client relationships. Together, they explore what it takes to be an exceptional client partner, including building trust across a matrixed organization, leading from different positions, developing talent through intent...

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Martin to explore what it really takes to build meaningful, long‑term client relationships. From his early career as a mechanical engineer to decades in consulting, Mike shares how staying close to customers, showing up with the right mindset, and “creating your own serendipity” have shaped his career. He offers practical insights on investing in relationship...

Andi Baldwin sits down with Arjun Davda, a seasoned growth leader in professional services, for a candid, insight‑rich conversation on what truly sustains long‑term client relationships. Arjun shares why genuine human connection—not logos, titles, or transactions—forms the real foundation of commercial success. He breaks down the power of saying no, the discipline behind great account planning, an...

Erika Flowers and Walt Shill sit down with Bill Green, former CEO and Chairman of Accenture, for a sharp, insight‑packed conversation on what truly drives growth in professional services. Bill shares lessons from leading Accenture through major expansion and crisis - revealing why relevance, top talent, and genuine ownership are the foundations of great firms. Together, they explore how to stay re...

Andi Baldwin and Erika Flowers sit down with Lori Langholz, Partner and Chief Business Development Officer at BDO, to explore what drives growth in professional services. Lori shares her journey from teaching to leading business development, highlighting the qualities that set top performers apart and the importance of building trust—both internally and externally. She discusses the evolution of s...

Tom McMakin sits down with Walt Shill, former global strategy lead at Accenture and co-author of The Growth Engine, to unpack what really drives growth in professional services firms. Walt shares hard-earned lessons from decades in consulting, including why most firms struggle with business development, how to build a scalable growth system, and the five dimensions that separate good from great.

Welcome back to Season Two of the PIE-Cast, where we will be diving into The Growth Engine , A Guide to Building a World-Class Business Development Function in Professional Services.  In this episode, TJ Dennis sits down with Jacob Parks , the President and Partner of Profitable Ideas Exchange and one of the four authors of The Growth Engine . Jacob talks through building a growth culture in profe...

Welcome back to Season Two of the PIE-Cast, where we will be diving into The Growth Engine , A Guide to Building a World-Class Business Development Function in Professional Services.  In this episode, TJ Dennis sits down with Andi Baldwin , the CEO of Profitable Ideas Exchange and one of the four authors of The Growth Engine . Andi talks through building a growth culture in professional services a...

Welcome back to Season Two of the PIE-Cast, where we will be diving into The Growth Engine , A Guide to Building a World-Class Business Development Function in Professional Services.  In this episode, TJ Dennis sits down with returning guest Erika Flowers , the Chief Client Officer and Partner at Profitable Ideas Exchange. Erika is one of the four authors of The Growth Engine and s he talks throug...

Welcome back to Season Two of the PIE-Cast, where we will be diving into The Growth Engine .  We wanted to take a moment and set the stage for what's to come in the next year of the PIE-Cast, featuring all new guest, hosts, topics, opinions, jokes, perspectives, and insights for you to take to your businesses. We will be releasing bi-weekly episodes so make sure to like, subscribe, and share...

In this month’s episode, TJ sits down with returning guest Tim Pierotti , the Chief Investment Officer of Bozeman-based WealthVest . Tim put out an article at the end of 2023 called Ten Variant Views for 2024 and as we just crossed into the back half of 2024, the conversation picked apart where the WealthVest team nailed their projections and where we anticipate the rest of the year leading. To li...

In this month's episode, TJ sits down with Danielle Tenconi, the Chief Marketing Officer at McChrystal Group. They discuss Danielle's background and how it all centers around taking a chance on yourself, learning how to lead internally and externally, the way marketers sometimes put doubt on a story before it even goes to market, and where you simply must go eat while in Austin, TX. You...

In this month's episode, TJ connects with Sarah Cincotta, Director of Global Marketing at Aperian. They discuss the complicated but important nature of going through a rebrand, why using a partner in the process helped Aperian focus on the internal mission and adoption, and shared how a lot of that inpspritaiton comes from brands like Disney who have a powerful story and energy when you see t...

In this week's episode, TJ and Aubrey connect with Paul Grabowski, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Bracewell LLP and Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center. They discuss Paul's background, ranging from professional sports to Big Law, and how it led to his current role in academia, why attorneys should think more like businesspeople, skills law stu...

In this week's episode, TJ and Aubrey connect with Dave Bayless, Co-Founder of Human Scale Business and long-time partner of PIE. They discuss the importance of "cultivating serendipity" in both personal and professional spaces, why balancing in-person and virtual engagements is essential, how to create spontaneous yet intentional interactions, and more. If you would like to connect...

In this week's episode, TJ and Aubrey have PIE's President of Strategy, Jacob Parks, back on the show for the first time since 2022. They discuss the new demand for business development trainings within professional services firms, how to know your team might need one, how business development is shifting in 2024 (cough cough, AI), and much more. If you would like to connect with Jacob,...

In this week's episode, TJ and Aubrey remember the life and legacy of our friend and colleague, Matt Ulrich. They discuss some of their favorite memories of Matt, and then welcome several PIE Packmates onto the show to share some of theirs as well. Matt Ulrich was a gentle giant who possessed significant business acumen and brought a passion for mentorship to our team and community. He is dea...

In this month’s episode, Aubrey and TJ sit down with Partner at Von Wobeser y Sierra, Pablo Jimenez, to discuss how business development differs in the legal industry. We talk about what best practices law firms can incorporate to scale effectively, the role teamwork and trust plays in effective business development, key takeaways from PIE's recent business development workshop with their tea...