Spiraling Up — Marketing For Professional Services

What happens when you take a podcast out of the studio… and put it on stage in front of a live audience? In this special Spiraling Up keynote episode recorded live at The SMPS Southeast Regional Conference (SERC) , we put two industry experts on the hot seat—no scripts, no edits, no safety net. Just real-time answers to the biggest questions facing professional services firms today. From business...

If you could only choose four marketing strategies to rely on for the next year, what would make the cut? In this episode of Spiraling Up , the team is joined by Dawn Hancock, VP of Marketing at Vertex, for a practical and engaging exercise: building a “Marketing Mount Rushmore.” Each participant selects and defends the four tactics they believe deliver the greatest impact in today’s environment....

AI search has arrived—and it’s reshaping how buyers discover and evaluate companies. In this episode of Spiraling Up , the team welcomes Leah from Brandi to explore the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and what marketers must do to stay visible in tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity . Leah explains why the shift from traditional SEO to AI search changes the rules of digital mark...

In this episode, the Hinge team explores whether the gap between thriving and struggling marketing leaders can really be traced back to four letters: C.A.R.E. Leadership strategist and bestselling author Jonathan Eldridge joins us to put his CARE framework to the test in a series of high-stakes, real-world scenarios—from boardroom imposter syndrome to marketing team meltdowns and social media cris...

Rebrands are hard. And when they go wrong, they can be really wrong. In this episode of Spiraling Up , the Hinge team takes a playful—but deeply practical—look at Crazy, Stupid Rebrands : the most common ways professional services firms sabotage their own brand transformations. Using a game-based format inspired by classic romantic comedies, the team dissects real branding blunders—from research-f...

Every year, business leaders set ambitious resolutions—delegate more, lead better, work less, grow faster. And every year, most of those goals quietly disappear. In this episode of Spiraling Up, the team sits down with Dr. Josh Elmore, organizational scientist and executive advisor, for a live coaching conversation on why leadership resolutions fail—and how high-performing executives create change...

Download the executive summary of the 2026 High Growth Study : www.hingemarketing.com/hgs What marketing decisions truly drive growth in professional services firms? In this episode of Spiraling Up , the team explores findings from Hinge’s 2026 High Growth Study through a structured “This or That” conversation , examining the strategic choices that differentiate high-growth firms from their slower...

Was launching Spiraling Up actually worth it? In this special year-end episode, the team looks back on 2025 and asks the honest question every firm-led podcast eventually faces: did this experiment deliver real value? We revisit standout clips from across the year, reflect on what worked (and what didn’t), and unpack the lessons we learned about podcasting as a strategic business tool—not just a m...

Now that AI is inundated across everything that we do at work, what are the most  important leadership skills to prioritize in your organization? In this episode of Spiraling Up, Dr. Mikah Sellers takes on our Blind Rankings challenge — and the results reveal the true skill gaps shaping the future of business leaders. From EQ and power skills to AI literacy and data fluency, this playful experimen...

In today’s episode of Spiraling Up, we explore one of the boldest moves in the accounting world: the creation of Sorren , a new Top 50 accounting firm formed through the merger of 16 independent firms. We’re joined by two of the leaders behind this remarkable merger — Tara Davis, National Marketing Director, and Heath Alloway, Growth Partner — who take us inside the real story: How five long-time...

The Spiraling Up crew takes the show on the road to Southlake, Texas, for a special live recording with Paige Byrd and Elyssa Stephenson, co-presidents of the award-winning interior design and procurement firm Thiel & Team. Together, they dig into what it takes to grow a thriving professional services business—balancing creativity, client management, and operational excellence. Then, things ta...

What if winning work felt a little more like dating?  In this episode of Spiraling Up, Joe and Mary-Blanche sit down with marketing pros Amy Cuddy (Wilmot Sanz) and Abby Harrington (Gilbane Building Company) to unpack the parallels between proposal pursuits and modern matchmaking. From the principal in charge who “flies in and out” to the designer who just can’t stop tweaking, Amy and Abby share h...

Participate in the 2026 High Growth Study Today: https://hingemarketing.com/survey In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team dives into classic rom-com territory with 'How to Lose a Lead in 10 Days.' Austin McNair, Mary Blanche Kramer, and Joe Pope discuss seven surefire ways to lose a lead, from neglecting your website to giving prospects only one option.  The team touches on the...

Participate in the 2026 High Growth Study today: https://hingemarketing.com/survey In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team welcomes Wayne Larson, the CRM Plumber, for a lively discussion on how to un-clog your CRM pipes. From bad data to cumbersome reports, learn how to clean up your tech issues. Finally, the team dissects common branding missteps, taking lessons from Cracker Barrel and Pa...

Buy or Sell? Relationships are the #1 asset to your organization. In this episode of Spiraling Up, Austin, Joe, and Mary-Blanche sit down with Dr. Ryan O'Sullivan, Global Account Manager at Introhive for a game of ‘Buy or Sell?’ This fun conversation centers on the importance of building stronger business relationships.  Then, the gang cuts through the GEO vs. SEO hype in this week’s Pivotal...

Fight back against toxic workplace cultures ✊ In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team dives into the evolving landscape of work culture, featuring an insightful discussion with John Garrett, author of 'What's Your And?' Garrett emphasizes the importance of valuing employees beyond their job titles and integrating personal passions into professional life. The conversation al...

In this episode, Matt Tait, Co-Founder of Decimal joins the show to play a game of 'Would You Rather?' with Austin, Joe, and Mary-Blanche.  Spinning a digital wheel to decide the questions, Matt is given abominable choices across 5 various categories: people, growth levers, profit centers, leadership, and business killers. This fun, gameshow-style podcast interview showcases important bu...

In this special Intern Takeover episode of Spiraling Up, the 2025 Summer Intern, Sabrina Alperin, hosts an exciting gameshow very similar to (but definitely different than) the popular gameshow, Jeopardy! Austin, Mary-Blanche, and Joe compete to answer questions in categories like 'Everything Sabrina,' 'Marketing Mayhem,' and 'Hinge Story.' Sabrina also shares insight...

In this episode of Spiraling Up inspired by the hit 1999 movie, "10 Things I Hate About You", Austin, Mary-Blanche, and Joe dive into the top ten things they hate about professional services websites. They discuss issues from huge navigation menus to poor SEO optimization and offer illustrative examples of websites that are doing it right.  Hinge's Art Director Christian Baldo, also...

In this episode of Spiraling Up, the team dives into the implications of Google's new AI product, Veo 3, which can generate highly realistic video content from text prompts. What impact will this have on marketing? On humanity?  Then, the hosts welcome Megan Battaglia, VP of Marketing at ThunderCat Technology, for a game of 'B2G Power Plays.' Megan shares valuable insights on buildi...

In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team dives into the growing trend of fractional executives in professional services. Austin, Mary-Blanche, and Joe are joined by Jen Hamilton, a fractional COO and mentor to COOs, to play a game of “Blind Rankings” in a fun exploration of on-demand work in various aspects of business operations. 

Download the 2025 Marketing Budget Benchmark Study Executive Summary: https://accountingmarketing.org/category/surveys-studies-research-and-more/ In this special in-person episode of Spiraling Up, the team attended the 2025 AAM Summit in Phoenix, Arizona. During the event, marketing leaders, practitioners, and industry experts joined the show to share their ‘pivotal stories’ from the event—key lea...

Download the 2025 High Growth Study Executive Summary: www.hingemarketing.com/highgrowth In this episode of Spiraling Up, we tackle the ever-persistent question: Is SEO dead? Join Austin, Joe, and Mary-Blanche as they dive into fascinating new data from SparkToro ( ‪@SparkToro‬ ) highlighting Google's dominance and the relevance of SEO best practices. The team also hands out special marketing...

How do High Growth professional services firms go to market today? Download the 2025 High Growth Study to find out: https://www.hingemarketing.com/highgrowth In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team discusses the complexities of time tracking in professional services, debating its benefits and drawbacks. Then, Becca Johns, an expert in accounting marketing, joins the show to play ‘Buy or Se...

How do High Growth professional services firms go to market today? Download the 2025 High Growth Study to find out: https://www.hingemarketing.com/highgrowth In this episode of Spiraling Up, we discuss whether marketing attribution is a myth, inspired by Sherehan Ross’ hot take on LinkedIn which sparked a debate about revenue as a marketing KPI.  Then, we welcome author, speaker, and sales strateg...