Executive and Business Development Coaching

It is no surprise to us that our clients almost always go onto become partner in their firm.

Of course, we could claim all the glory…. but that’s not the real reason our clients almost always make partner.

By working with a coach, our clients truly commit to their career. Which in our experience is the number one factor that separates those who are successful in making partner from those that don’t. I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner – and when you get there, stay there.

From our research for ‘How to make partner and still have a life’, we found that the professionals who did make it to partner tended to work with an external executive coach to help them make the grade

How we can help you:

We are a small practice of Executive, Leadership and Business Development Coaches and consultants who specialise in working with lawyers, accountants and consultants. With a combined experience of nearly 100 years of working with small, medium and large-sized firms we have worked with over 1000 partners, and pretty much seen and heard most things.

Typically our clients work with us to:

• Build, write and pitch a cast-iron business case
• Prepare for their partnership panel interview, particularly pitching their business case
• Strengthen their personal case so that they are seen as an absolute certainty for partner
• Grow their client portfolio so they have a partner-sized client portfolio
• Help them get onto partner track when their career has stalled because they are seen as a “safe pair of hands”
• Support technical experts to regularly win their own clients
• Remedy specific performance or reputational issues which are preventing them from progressing their career
• Establish themselves in their partnership when they get admitted to the partnership
• Have a point of accountability and sounding board to get peace of mind that they are doing the right things
• Hit the ground running in a new role or firm
• Make sure they are doing everything they can be to progress their career to partner

Are you ambitious to eventually make it to partner in your firm?

It’s time to stop watching others succeed and stop wondering what you need to do to get noticed for partner-track. You’re in the right place to find out.

I’m the author of Poised for Partnership and of The Financial Times Guide to Business Networking.

I’m also the co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life and of How to become known as the Go-To Expert.

I created the How to Make Partner website and Progress to Partner Academy to help lawyers, accountants and consultants like you to realise that you need stop waiting patiently to get noticed and what things you need to do daily, weekly and monthly that will add up to something much bigger and get you noticed as “one to watch” for partner-track and beyond in your firm.

Here are the 5 ways you can work with me

ONE: Subscribe to my How to Make Partner Weekly Tips

Click the link and sign up as a Weekly Tips Subscriber! You’ll get a weekly email from me on how to get noticed by your firm, build your partner-ready skills. I’ll tell you what the partners are really looking for and how to get there (while still having a life).  I’m always happy to hear your updates, feedback and suggestions.

You can follow How to Make Partner on Instagram or LinkedIN, but subscribing to my Weekly Tips is the most reliable and consistent way to stay connected and it’s always totally free.

I always recommend taking my Partnership Readiness Assessment first.

TWO: Subscribe to my How to Make Partner Podcast

Each podcast episode is short and to the point. Less than 10 minutes long but packed with information and useful advice on how to get noticed in your firm. Listen on Substack Apple & Spotify

THREE: Become a Member of my Progress to Partner Academy

I’ve spent the last 20+ years helping thousands of accountants, lawyers and consultants take the step up to partner.

My clients come to me when they’re ready to stop being seen as a ‘safe pair of hands’, and want to be recognised as next in line for promotion or partnership. That’s why I created the Progress to Partner Academy. Whether you’re six months out from putting your Business Case forward or just starting to build visibility, check out Progress to Partner Academy! You will have constant career progression cheerleaders, companions and coaches by your side for the next 12 months – experts, guiding you steadily and strategically towards partnership.

My most popular courses are also available individually, including How to Build a Cast-Iron Business Case for Partner – you can find them here.

Take a look at my Coaches page and email us at hello@howtomakepartner.com to enquire about booking a one-off or a group of private coaching sessions.

Whether you need a “partner-track” programme or a programme for your early years partners, we have experience in running programmes for firms around the world. Get in touch with me at hello@howtomakepartner.com to find out what we can do.

Whether you are an ambitious professional or a partner looking to invest in your rising stars, we are committed to help you:

• Get back in control of your time so you can achieve your business and career goals
• Learn to become a rainmaker and build up a partner-sized client portfolio
• Realise your potential and be seen as ‘the one to watch’
• Build up a cast-iron business case for partnership
• Demystify what it means to make partner and give you the confidence and clarity to progress your career
• Eliminate your self-doubt, and increase your inner confidence and self-esteem so you are able to just ‘go for it’

Lawyers, accountants, architects, surveyors and consultants. People just like you. You need career advice from people who understand exactly what it’s like, working in a professional service firm, with targets to meet and no time to work on your career.

I understand how it feels to:

• Work extremely hard for little recognition or appreciation
• Be seen as a work asset to be sweated not developed
• See more junior members of staff get promoted ahead of you
• Hear someone else take all the credit for your own work
• Not get the promotion or pay rise you deserve but see a team member get it instead. Particularly when you know you are technically much better than them.
• Not know what you need to do to move your career forward
• Hit your head against a brick wall when others are progressing their career faster than you by not playing by the rules

If you’d like to talk through any of these options, email me at hello@howtomakepartner.com! I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner – and when you get there, stay there.