I was recently in Florida for the Make Big Happen summit. About 400 CEOs attended. AI was the theme. When LinkedIn came up, the reaction was consistent. The feed is flooded with AI content. It’s pushing them to disengage. CEOs aren’t the only ones noticing.
Some of you are trying to make your AI work perfect before anyone sees it. You are polishing in private. You are waiting for the version that cannot be criticized.
Most professional services firms don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they sound exactly like everyone else.
I’ve spent over 20 years building and running professional services firms. I’ve seen trends come and go. AI is not a trend. It is a structural shift. And it is happening right now — whether you’re ready or not.
We speak of leverage. Some think about a fulcrum – that simple machine from physics class. Others think about debt – using borrowed capital to amplify returns. But an entrepreneur scaling a professional service firm? They have a different view entirely.
The best negotiators don’t rely on tactics. They rely on diagnosis, value creation, and discipline.
Over the past 25 years, I’ve had the opportunity to observe hundreds of negotiations across industries, companies, and deal sizes. Some involved multimillion-dollar contracts. Others were much smaller. Some ended with strong agreements that benefited both parties. Others deteriorated into battles over price.
When I was in my thirties, I never imagined I would be where I am today. I’m rebuilding my firm from the ground up, at sixty, around artificial intelligence. If you had told me back then that this is how my career would go, I’m not sure I would have believed you.
As founders build consulting and professional services firms, many eventually run into the same frustrating reality: the business is growing, but everything still runs through them.
We all know the rule: Nothing AI produces goes out the door without human review. The human in the loop isn’t optional – it’s literally how you avoid getting sued or losing clients.
But when was the last time you optimized that human’s ability to perform at their absolute best?
In Collective 54, we are growing, scaling and exiting our firms. Closing that final deal is a milestone. But capturing the value behind it is the real test that the deal was a good one.
Once the paperwork is signed, leadership has to integrate two organizations quickly, protect revenue, retain key talent and convert the deal thesis into operating results.
