Doing Consulting Differently with Josh Wakefield and Ryan Achterberg

It’s not hard to start a consulting firm.

Hence, there are a lot of consulting firms.

But there are not a lot of consulting firms that have grown as consistently as Resultant has. 

Between the beginning of 2019 and the end of 2022, Resultant:

• Acquired four companies in four different cities

• Grew its workforce from 60 employees to over 500 

• More than doubled revenue 

• Grew organically by 25% per year and inorganically by 10% per year

• Established itself as a leader in shaping how public and private sector organizations unlock opportunities with data and technology

The big question is: why? What makes Resultant different? Why did Resultant grow while others didn’t? 

In the fourth installment of Rezzer Rewind, Mark taps long-timer rezzers Josh Wakefield and Ryan Achterberg to answer this question. “Berg” was Resultant’s first employee on the IT MSP side, and employee #11 “Wakes” started project managed the firm’s very first public sector client. 

 

In their conversation, you’ll hear:

• How nobody knew what they were doing (at first) and why that ended up being critical to Resultant’s success

• Where Resultant’s obsession with understanding—and solving—problems came from

• What it looks like to “own” outcomes from a (very) long-term perspective

• How great consulting saves lives and companies

 

Follow Josh Wakefield and Ryan Achterberg on LinkedIn:

Josh “Wakes” Wakefield: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-wakefield-625b1710/

Ryan “Berg” Achterberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanachterberg/ 

 

Jump in:

[02:09 - 04:44] Ryan Achterberg’s Resultant origin story

[04:45 - 05:50] Josh Wakefield’s Resultant origin story

[06:08 - 10:23] There are a lot of IT MSPs. Why did clients choose Resultant?

[10:24 - 14:00] An entrepreneurial and curiosity-driven approach to problem-solving

[14:00 - 16:21] Why did Resultant win in the public sector?

[16:42 - 19:58] “Make it happen:” What empathy and ownership look like in practice

[19:58 - 22:35] Value exchange: Why businesses exist 

[22:36 - 25:27] Resultant’s unique and non-traditional blend of talented humans

[25:28 - 29:54] Owning outcomes from a long-term perspective to create a better future

[30:31 - 33:17] Great public sector consulting: Indiana COVID project

[33:18 - 35:19] Great IT MSP consulting: saving a company from a rogue IT employee

[36:08 - 40:45] Mark and Kate’s takes: A beginner’s mind; thoughtfulness; a note on revisionist history