Building a Leading Growth Consultancy: Reflections From Vokal Founder Reid Lappin

Is it time for your organization to make a pivot? Then you’re probably in one of two situations.

1. Your vision isn’t playing out in the market. You either shift or become the next Blockbuster Video.
2. Your organization has outgrown its original model. It’s time to expand and differentiate.

Vokal Founder Reid Lappin’s organization was in the latter position back in 2020. After more than a decade as a product development shop, Reid knew it was time to make the shift from a deliberately small developing agency to a leading growth consultancy. That’s what Vokal did.

We wanted to know what Reid learned from the transition. Here it is, in his own words.

1: Focus on quick wins

Someone will always be better than you. It’s a fact, but it doesn’t have to be an unpleasant one.

This is a funny example, but take my golf game. I’m what you’d call a classic “hack golfer” who, on a good day, knows how to get the club on the ball. I play golf with people who are better than me, but I still compete—sometimes, I even win.

I’m competitive by nature, which helps. But I also know my limitations. Those are my strengths, and I exploit them every chance I get. I approach organizational growth in a similar way.

When I’m trying to move my organization forward, I’m not banking on hitting a hole-in-one. Instead, I’m pragmatic yet determined. I tailor my game to fit my strengths and weakness.

Focus on little wins, and do this early and often. Stop swinging for the fence. Just get points on the board and drive forward. Over time, small successes add up to big wins.

2: Trust is earned, not given

You may have incredible talent and resources, but all the expertise and money in the world can’t buy trust.

Saying, “Trust me, I’ve been doing this for years,” doesn’t work.

To gain a client’s trust, you must show immediate results. So sell clients quick wins instead of promising everything all at once. That’s how it works in the real world, so that’s how it works with Vokal.

3: Give customers a custom-tailored journey

I keep a close eye on our competition, and I’ve noticed something. Other specialized consultancies tend to pre-package their service, pitch it to a client, then say, “Here it is: This is what you have to buy.”

Who wants that? Our clients certainly don’t. No one wants the same thing. So how could you possibly present clients with a one-size-fits-all service?

Get to know your clients, learn about their needs, then look for a single metric you know you can move forward. Now build a package around that.

That’s the only way I see it working.

4: Bigger is not better

Vokal doesn’t have the size or resources of global firms like Accenture and McKinsey. And you know what? I’m glad we don’t. Vokal is deliberately small, and that’s one of our strengths. Having a small, agile team allows us to outpace the big firms.

If there’s one lesson I can impart, it’s that you don’t need more processes, people, or money. You need talent that understands how growth happens from a blank page.

5: Timelines are the enemy

Being timely is one thing. Adhering to a definitive end point is foolish. When you tie yourself to a timeline, you stop seeing and responding to what’s happening in real time.

You promised a set of deliverables. Now you have to meet the deadline—regardless of what happens between then and now. Not a great position to put yourself in.

Timelines are a necessary evil. It’s what moves people forward. But we must be aware. We must see and respond. We must see past the timeline and do what’s right.

That, to me, is the preferred approach.

‍