Advertise on podcast: The Handbook: The Operations Podcast

AI is moving fast in professional services firms.  And while most conversations focus on efficiency gains and new tools, the harder questions are around risk – ownership, liability, and what happens when AI use goes wrong. In this episode of The Handbook, Harv Nagra is joined by Sharon Toerek, a leading expert on IP and legal risk in the creative and consulting space, to unpack what AI really changes for operations leaders – and what needs to be in place to protect your business Here’s what they dive into: 📄 What actually happens to IP when work is human-created, AI-assisted, or fully AI-generated 🔐 The data privacy risks agencies and consultancies often underestimate 🧭 Sharon’s five-step framework for building an AI-ready workplace 📝 How contracts, policies, and client conversations need to evolve as AI becomes operational If you’re an ops leader trying to balance innovation with risk, this episode is a practical reminder that AI governance isn’t a legal edge case anymore – it’s part of running a mature, well-managed operation. Additional Resources: 👉🏽 Follow Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharontoerek/  🌐 Check out Sharon’s website: https://legalandcreative.com/  👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/  📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity  📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook  ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you. 

Most service businesses don’t stall because of a lack of talent or ambition. They stall because the business quietly outgrows the systems it was built on. In this episode of The Handbook, Harv Nagra sits down with Jason Swenk – agency founder turned advisor who’s spent two decades helping agencies and consultancies scale with more confidence and less chaos.  After building and selling his own eight-figure agency, Jason codified the patterns he kept seeing into an eight-system framework for predictable growth. We unpack why so many leadership teams feel stuck, what actually breaks as businesses scale, and how operators can help reset the foundations before things start to crack. Here’s what we get into: Why clarity, positioning, and offering are the foundations everything else depends onHow to move from reactive growth to a more deliberate, scalable operating modelThe difference between prospecting and sales – and why skipping steps causes pain laterHow delivery, ops, and leadership systems protect margins and give leaders time backWhat it really means to transition from founder mode to CEO modeWhether you’re an Ops Director, COO, or part of a leadership team trying to break through a growth ceiling, this conversation is a strong reminder that maturity isn’t about working harder – it’s about building the right systems at the right time. Additional Resources: 👉🏽 Follow Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk/  💻 Jason’s website: https://jasonswenk.com/   🎧 Jason's podcast: https://www.agencymastery360.com/podcast  👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/  📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity  📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook  ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you. 

A short one to close out the year! 🎁 No frameworks. No deep dives. Just a genuine thank you. Whether you found The Handbook last week or you’ve been listening since episode one, I wanted to reflect on the year and say how much I appreciate you making time for the show. This year I’ve had the chance to sit down with brilliant operators and leaders across agencies and consultancies, covering people, process, tools, data, and growth – all anchored by one belief: operational maturity is what lets professional service businesses scale without burning people out. I'd also love your input on what to tackle next! What should we go deeper on next year? What’s been most useful? What challenges are you dealing with right now? Please fill out the short survey below, and it genuinely shapes what comes next for the podcast. Survey: https://bit.ly/handbook25survey Have a great holiday, and see you in 2026!

Ops Quickies – snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿 "Ballpark" is a dangerous word. Especially when Sales sells the dream, and Delivery is left living the nightmare. In this Quickie, Harv shares a real story from a consulting session with a 100+ person agency. They had the headcount and the revenue, but behind the scenes? It was pure chaos. We're talking manual spreadsheet reconciliation, "remembering" to log expenses, and invoicing based on memory rather than milestones. Harv breaks down why this "Chaotic Era" caps your growth and why moving to a PSA is the way to align what you sell with what you actually deliver. Stop running your business on memory. Start running it on data.

When your business feels busy but the numbers don’t back it up, something’s off. Agencies and consultancies often confuse effort with progress – and today’s guest has the data to prove it. In this episode of The Handbook, Harv Nagra sits down with fractional CFO and Trimline founder Michael Wark to unpack why so many service businesses hit revenue ceilings, run on thin margins, and stay stuck in that exhausting cycle of over-servicing. If you’ve ever wondered why more clients and more staff don’t automatically create more profit, this one’s for you. Here’s what we get into: The hidden math behind low profitability – and why over-servicing is usually the real culpritWhy headcount growth can become an ego metric (and why hiring your way out of inefficiency rarely works)How to diagnose your true unit economics and reset your pricing based on reality, not optimismThe operational signals your business is running harder in place rather than growingWhat healthy, scalable service businesses measure – and the benchmarks Michael looks for in top-performing firmsWhether you’re firefighting day to day or thinking seriously about scaling, Michael brings a clear, practical lens to understanding your numbers and building a healthier business. Listen to the full episode to hear the data, the patterns, and the playbook that can help you break the cycle. 🎧 Additional Resources: 👉🏽 Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wark-18627628/  💰 Check out Trimline: https://trimline.co/  📺 Check out Michael’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelWarkTrimlineCFO  👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/  📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity  📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook  ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you. 

Ops Quickies – snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿 Flat demand, tighter budgets, squeezed margins. And AI is adding uncertainty on top of it all.  But the real risk? It’s flying blind.  If you don’t know what’s profitable, where time’s going, or what’s around the corner, every decision is a gamble. In this Quickie, Harv lays out how visibility and control de-risk your business – and why data beats gut feel when markets wobble.  When the foundations are tight, AI becomes an amplifier, not a threat.  If you're wondering how to make your professional service business more resilient, this one's for you. 

Most teams treat annual planning like a spreadsheet exercise. Finance builds the numbers. Everyone else nods along. Then the plan gets filed away until next year. But real planning isn’t about producing a static budget – it’s about creating a rhythm that connects finance, operations, and delivery all year round. In this episode of The Handbook: The Ops Podcast, Harv sits down with Adam Cooper, founder of ACC Finance Solutions and host of The Fractional CFO Show, to unpack how finance can become your business’s operating rhythm – one that brings clarity, accountability, and foresight to every decision. Here’s what we cover: How to use finance as your sat nav, not your rear-view mirrorBuilding a monthly rhythm that links financials, KPIs, and team accountabilityCreating a planning cycle that goes beyond budgets – with scenarios, reforecasts, and 3 - 5 year goalsManaging cash flow and runway with discipline (and less stress)Why financial storytelling matters – and how it helps the whole business make smarter choicesIf your annual planning still feels like a finance ritual, this episode will help you reframe it as an operating plan for the year ahead – one that helps your team navigate, adapt, and grow with confidence. Additional Resources: 👉🏽 Follow Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfcooper/  💰 Check out ACC Finance Solutions: https://www.accfinancesolutions.com/  🎧 Listen to The Fractional CFO Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2275917/episodes  👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/  📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity  📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook  ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you. 

Ops Quickies – snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿 So many acronyms, but what do they mean!?  This one’s for anyone wondering: what’s the difference between a PSA and an ERP? And which one does your business actually need? Harv breaks down how both systems bring your operations together – but are built for completely different worlds.  ERPs power product-based businesses with inventory, supply chains, and manufacturing.  PSAs, like Scoro, are built for service businesses that sell time and expertise. If you’ve ever been told you “need an ERP” – this one’s worth a listen before you sign anything. And if you’ve got a question about ops tech, PSAs, or Scoro, drop Harv a message on LinkedIn. He might just turn it into the next Quickie.

AI has stopped being a side project – it’s rewriting the rules of how professional services businesses operate – and – stay competitive. Luke Alexander, Chief Digital & AI Officer at Four, has led an ambitious AI transformation in his business. From rolling out Microsoft Copilot across 300+ staff to launching client-facing AI services, Luke’s approach to embedding AI is bold, practical, and refreshingly human. In this episode, Luke and Harv unpack what it really takes to move from AI experiments to AI integration – and the leadership, structure, and mindset that make it work. Here’s what we dive into: • How Four operationalized AI across teams (and why fluency beats training) • The three categories of AI value – assistive, automated, and transformative • Why senior leadership buy-in is the single biggest success factor • How to overcome the “AI shame” still holding some teams back • The impact of AI on agency structures, staffing, and the future of junior roles If you’re still just experimenting with AI – but haven’t figured out how to truly embed it into the way you operate, this episode shows what that next stage looks like in practice — and what it demands from leadership. Additional Resources: 👉🏽 Follow Luke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukealexander/  4️⃣ Check out Four’s website: https://www.four.agency/  👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/  📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity  📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook  ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you. 

Ops Quickies – snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿 This one’s for anyone curious about the next big shift in how AI connects with the tools you already use: MCP. Model context protocol. Harv breaks down what it is (a universal connector for AI), why it matters for ops leaders, and how it could turn your favourite LLM into the control center for your business systems. He also shares how Scoro’s new MCP server unlocks practical (and pretty mind-blowing) use cases – like summarising client meetings straight into Scoro tasks, or pulling insights across Scoro, Slack, Gmail, and other tools in one prompt. MCP is brand new, but it’s going to change how we work. Tune in to get ahead of the curve.

Ops isn’t just about keeping the lights on anymore. As Aušrinė Keršanskaitė, co-founder of Operations Nation, puts it – today’s ops leaders are expected to drive growth, protect culture, and build resilience. And if you’ve ever felt like the “glue” holding everything together without always getting recognition, this one will hit home. In this episode of The Handbook: The Operations Podcast, Aušrinė joins Harv to talk about the evolution of operations, the community she’s built for ops leaders everywhere, and what it takes to step into leadership with confidence. Here’s what we get into: How so many of us “fall into” operations without a playbook – and how to build one for yourselfThe loneliness of ops roles, and why communities like Operations Nation matterTraits that define a brilliant ops leader today – from resilience to influence over executionHow startups’ scrappy mindset can sharpen your approach to tooling, automation, and scalingThe real opportunity with AI in ops (hint: it’s not about replacing your team)Whether you’re a COO, head of ops, or still figuring out your path – this conversation is packed with lessons on how to elevate your role and find support along the way. Additional Resources:  👉🏽 Follow Aušrinė on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ausrine/  💡 Check out Operations Nation: https://operationsnation.com/  📣 Get your tickets for cONference 2025 in London (£30 off with code SCORO): https://luma.com/onconference2025  📚 The ON COO Course: https://operationsnation.com/resources/coo-resources  👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/  📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity  📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook  ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you. 

Ops Quickies – snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿 This one’s for anyone who’s ever looked at their jumble of spreadsheets and apps and thought: “Is this normal?” Harv explains why the state of your tech stack is actually a mirror of your business maturity – from The Chaotic Era where everything’s buried in spreadsheets and copy-paste is your main 'process', through The Stable Era where processes click into place, and up to The Data-Driven Era where your systems finally give you a clear view of the road ahead. He also shares the headcount milestone where cracks really start to show if you don’t have a PSA like Scoro in place. Not sure where you stand? Take Harv’s Business Maturity Quiz (3 minutes, 25 questions) at https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity and see how your setup stacks up. And if you know someone stuck in spreadsheet purgatory, send this episode their way.

Touch the same piece of information more than twice – fix the workflow. That’s the kind of CFO-meets-COO thinking we get into in this episode of The Handbook, where Harv sits down with Lindsey Head to connect the dots between finance, ops, tech, and people – and what really changes when you standardise how the business runs.  Lindsey helped scale a PR agency from 5 to 125 people and $750k to $25m in revenue, leading finance, ops, HR, tech, legal and M&A along the way – so she’s seen where the cracks form, and how to close them. Here’s what we dive into: • The case for “non-billable” hires early – why dedicated new-business and ops roles pay for themselves, and a simple admin-as-%-of-revenue rule of thumb (aim for ~7–8%). • Systems thinking > shiny tools – map the ideal information flow first, then pick tech to automate it. If you’re touching the same data repeatedly, the process is broken. • Change management that actually works – phase rollouts, involve users early, test, train, and measure adoption before you “go live.” • Multi-entity without the migraines – standardise what you can across entities, respect local nuance (currency, tax, PTO), and use partners/EORs when expanding fast. • Run the business by the numbers – utilisation, gross margin by client, and labour % tell the truth; AI can accelerate FP&A and reporting, but you still sanity-check the outputs. If you’re feeling buried under tools, processes, and hiring questions, Lindsey’s final nudge is simple: pause, map “how it’s going” vs “how it should go,” and focus this quarter on the single change that unlocks the most leverage. Additional Resources:  👉🏽 Follow Lindsey Head on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseylhead/  💡 Check out Pulse Business Group: https://pulsebusinessgroup.com/   👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/  📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity  📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook  ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you. 

Ops Quickies – we're back with another snackable episode. 🍿 This one’s for anyone who’s ever wondered: Is my business actually set up to scale – or are we just surviving? Harv breaks down: 👉🏽 Why business maturity matters 👉🏽 What it really means (hint: it’s not about headcount or revenue) 👉🏽 Why most service businesses get stuck at the early stages 👉🏽 And how you can quickly benchmark where you stand today... Harv's launched a business maturity quiz to help you see where your business sits across people, process, tech, data, and growth, and what to focus on next. It's only 25 questions and takes just 3 minutes. You get your results – and actions on where to focus to level up.  So which era is your business in – The Chaotic Era? The Glimmers of Growth Era? The Stable Era? The Data Driven Era? Or The Innovation Era?  👉 Take the quiz here: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity Shout out to PSA platform Scoro for supporting this initiative!  Check out scoro.com and if you sign up for a demo – tell them Harv sent you! 

When businesses talk about “productizing,” they often picture cookie-cutter scopes and rigid templates. But according to Brian Kessman, that’s missing the point. Brian is the founder of Lodestar Consulting, and he’s spent 25 years helping agencies and consultancies scale without burning out teams or eroding margins. His approach isn’t about productizing services – it’s about productizing value. In this episode of The Handbook: The Operations Podcast, Brian and Harv dig into what that really means, and how it can transform both your client relationships and your bottom line. Here’s what we cover: The difference between productizing services (deliverables) vs. productizing value (outcomes)Why improving operations alone won’t fix a business model that’s not designed to scaleHow to spot patterns in your expertise and codify them into structured solutionsWhy productization doesn’t kill creativity – it actually creates more space for itSmarter ways to think about pricing, from fixed fees to value-based modelsBrian also shares case studies from consultancies and agencies that have reframed their offers around outcomes – unlocking higher margins, more predictable delivery, and stronger authority with clients. If you’ve ever felt stuck between reinventing the wheel on every project or being forced into commoditized work, this episode is for you. Additional Resources:  👉🏽 Follow Brian Kessman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankessman/  💡 Check out Lodestar Agency Consulting: https://www.lodestaragencyconsulting.com/  👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/  📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://www.scoro.com/business-maturity-quiz/  📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook  ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you.