Episode #21: Navigating the World of Marketing Ops Consulting - Lauren Aquilino and Sydney Mulligan
Everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask
There comes a time in every ops professional's life when they wonder if the grind of an in-house job is worth it after all.
Whether it's politics, overwork, lack of resources, lack of respect, a toxic boss, or one of a million other things...it might make you think, "maybe I'd be happier as a consultant."
But is the grass actually greener? What does it take to get started in consulting? Are you better off at an agency or as an independent? How do you find clients?
To answer these questions (and many more), I'm joined by Lauren Aquilino and Sydney Mulligan. With over 20 years of consulting experience between the three of us, we have a no-holds-barred discussion on the pros and cons and how to succeed.
(We also talk about that time they set up a real, honest-to-goodness tattoo booth at a marketing ops conference.)
Lauren and Sydney have developed an innovative agency model. Let’s take a look at how it differs from the one I worked at or from the more traditional agencies that both EMMIE co-founders came from.
Traditional Agency Model
Most agencies build a roster of full-time consultants.
On a given bench, you’ll have a few superstars, a solid middle tier, and a cohort of more junior consultants who are earlier in their consulting journey.
This can work well, but a lot of effort is needed to ensure quality and consistency across the board.
There are also scaling issues, as it’s difficult to hire just a fraction of a consultant.
So a lot of the time you either struggle to fulfill client demand OR find yourself paying for FTEs who aren’t fully utilized. A Goldilocks state of equilibrium is exceedingly rare.
The “Collective of Indies” Model
With EMMIE, everyone on the bench is already a seasoned expert. In most cases they have their own independent consulting practices.
(I know / have worked with many of these folks, and they are among the best in the industry.)
They choose to work under the EMMIE banner for the support the agency provides and to collaborate with each other.
Clients benefit from having access to very senior independent talent within an agency-like framework.
And Lauren and Sydney benefit from being able to offer an incredible bench of consultants without the commitment of full-time employees.
It gives an elasticity and scalability that most traditional agencies would envy.
Overall, it’s a really interesting win-win-win.
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About Today's Guests
Lauren and Sydney are co-founders of EMMIE Collective - a for-hire collective of the most sought-after independent consultants and boutique firms in the marketing ops and ops adjacent space - and co-hosts of the Pretty Funny Business podcast.
Take-Aways
Consulting is a skillset
Many people think about consulting in terms of the subject-matter expertise required to do it. And this expertise is critical.
However, being a consultant (of any stripe) requires a skillset all its own. Some of these skills are transportable from in-house work, but others need to be learned and developed.
E.g., specialized types of written and verbal communication, project scoping, client management, resource / project management, knowledge of commercial arrangements…etc.
It’s a wonderful skillset to have, but it needs to be recognized as such and cultivated intentionally.
Consulting is a great career path for functional experts
Many people are “promoted to failure.” They excel in a particular domain, get promoted to management, and end up feeling miserable and unsuccessful as they no longer get to do the hands-on work that they actually love.
At the same time, all the incentives within a company direct someone into a management position if they want greater recognition, prestige, or financial rewards.
Consulting offers an alternative path for these experts. It’s a domain where your hands-on skillset appreciates in value and is rewarded accordingly.
You need to create space for original marketing ideas
Most B2B marketing is terribly uninspired and boring.
Everyone hews to the same best practices, and truly original ideas usually die in committee because they’re perceived as risky.
Lauren and Sydney have built their brand on being playful and unconventional, which has enabled them to do unusual things - like hosting a booth for real, permanent tattoos at a conference.
This was a huge success and gave them a ton of publicity. Most companies with large events teams couldn’t have replicated that success. Even if a tattoo both had been suggested, it likely would have never been approved.
Great marketing ideas are like fragile shoots of a plant; they’re sometimes hard to spot and easily crushed and killed. They need protection and nurturing.
Marketers also need discernment to separate the zany-and-awesome ideas from the zany-and-awkward ones. Lauren and Sydney’s partnership facilitates this. Lauren is the primary idea-generator, and Sydney provides the filter to identify diamonds in the rough.
Key Topics
[00:00] - Introduction
[01:08] - Origin story of EMMIE Collective
[10:45] - Has the reality of the agency model met their expectations?
[12:48] - Becoming an independent consultant vs. joining an agency
[15:05] - The experience of transitioning from in-house to consultant
[17:20] - In-house career growth limitations for technical marketing ops
[18:34] - Challenges of moving from an IC to a manager
[21:44] - Finding clients and financial planning as a consultant
[24:16] - Layoffs pushing people into consulting
[26:42] - Commercial arrangements - hourly vs. project vs. retainer
[28:50] - Challenges scoping fixed bid projects
[30:23] - Fractional consulting models
[32:38] - How to ensure quality / consistency with a team of independents
[36:57] - Client management skills and dealing with challenging clients
[41:45] - The tattoo booth at MOps-Apalooza