In this episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, host Kyle Soucy sits down with two legendary figures in the UX and design consulting world: Erika Hall and Mike Monteiro, co-founders of Mule Design. Known for their honesty, wit, and willingness to challenge the status quo, Erika and Mike bring decades of experience—and a few well-placed truth bombs—to this candid conversation about UX consulting.

Key Topics Covered:

• The Origin of Mule Design: Why they chose the name Mule and how it represents their approach to consulting—doing the work with intelligence, honesty, and integrity.
• Lessons from the Trenches: The challenges of running a consultancy, firing clients, dealing with contracts, and why you always need a good lawyer.
• The Current UX Climate: Why UX professionals are not to blame for recent industry turbulence, and the role speculative tech growth has played in overhiring and layoffs.
• Being “The Helpers”: Mike and Erika’s advice on contributing to meaningful work—whether in civic tech, local organizations, or community projects—and embracing the value of problem-solving skills.
• Marketing and Business Development: The importance of putting yourself out there authentically. Erika shares how being consistent and unapologetic about your expertise helps clients find you, while Mike encourages consultants to embrace honesty and avoid sounding like machines.
• Why Authenticity Matters: A bold call to action for UX consultants to stop trying to fit in, stop being bland, and start telling hard truths—because that’s what clients actually need.

When asked to describe UX consulting in one word, Erika says, “Lost”, and Mike delivers a punch: “Dead.” Listen to the episode to hear their powerful explanations and why the future of consulting requires honesty, backbone, and humanity.

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy: Website | Linkedin
• Guest: Erika Hall: Website | Linkedin
• Guest: Mike Monteiro: Website | Linkedin

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Books by Erica and Mike: https://www.mulebooks.com/
• Erika’s business model talk: The Business Model is the Grid (Confab)https://conffab.com/presentation/the-business-model-is-the-grid/
• Mike’s infamous talk: “F** You, Pay Me”* (Creative Mornings) -https://youtu.be/jVkLVRt6c1U?si=YfFLEeoUe2EkpWmo

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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In this episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, host Kyle Soucy welcomes Lynne Polischuik and Justin Davis, two seasoned UX consultants, to discuss the evolving landscape of UX consulting. From the challenges of today’s market to the exciting opportunities presented by AI and emerging work models, this episode dives deep into the current state of UX consulting and where it’s headed.

At the top of this episode, Kyle shares a personal update about navigating the unexpected cancellation of a big project and the lessons she learned about asking for help, trusting her network, and staying resilient as a consultant.

Key Topics Covered:

• How the UX consulting landscape is shifting in today’s economic climate.
• Where consultants can deliver the most value as the industry evolves.
• The transformative role of AI in how we work and create impact.
• The unique challenges and benefits of taking breaks from consulting to go in-house—and how to successfully transition back.

Notable Quotes:
“As consultants, our value isn’t just in the deliverables—it’s in the outcomes we enable, like reducing costs, improving products, and creating business impact.”

“AI isn’t going to replace us, but consultants who embrace AI will deliver more value, faster. It’s a tool, not a threat.”

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy: Website | Linkedin
• Guest: Lynne Polischuik: Linkedin
• Guest: Justin Davis: Linkedin

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Kyle’s Linkedin Post about a project being cancelled
• Margot Bloomstein’s Linkedin post about GenAI
• Book: Just Enough Research by Erika Hall
• Book: Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller:
• Book: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• YouTubeTV Project Case Study
• Tools: Notebook LM | Hey Marvin

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

Don't want to miss an episode? Be sure to sign up for the podcast newsletter.

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

In this episode of the UX Consultants Lounge, host Kyle Soucy sits down with Elizabeth Creighton, the owner of Brazen, a consultancy that offers UX research and training services. Elizabeth shares great tips about scaling your UX consultancy through newsletters, online courses, and investing in deliverables. Plus, they discuss the emotional journey of having to pause your consulting practice in order to take a leave of absence and how to bounce back.

Key Topics Covered:

• The Power of Newsletters: Elizabeth discusses how starting a newsletter helped her connect with clients, maintain visibility, and generate new business. She shares practical tips on managing the workload and gaining subscribers.
• Creating Online Courses: Elizabeth explains her experience developing a user interview skills course on Maven. She provides insights on choosing a platform, balancing course creation with client work, and the impact of teaching live cohort-based courses.
• Enhancing Deliverables: Elizabeth shares her experience in hiring a presentation designer to elevate the quality of her client and course presentations. She shares the value of investing in high-quality templates to improve professionalism and efficiency.
• Managing a Leave of Absence: Elizabeth and Kyle also touch on the challenges consultants face when needing to taking breaks for personal reasons, like maternity leave, and how to bounce back afterward.

Notable Quotes:
“Starting a newsletter really helped me stay top of mind with past clients. It’s about building that direct line of communication that social media can’t always provide.”

“Investing in a professionally designed presentation template has completely changed the way I present to clients. It’s not just about looking polished; it’s about delivering more impact.”

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface (www.usableinterface.com)
• Guest: Elizabeth Creighton | Brazen (www.brazen.io)

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Elizabeth’s Newsletter: https://newsletter.brazen.io/
• Elizabeth’s Maven Course (with a 15% off promo code - ‘CONSULTANTS15’): https://maven.com/brazen-ux/user-interview-skills-designers-pms
• Elizabeth’s Presentation Designer: https://marikedesigns.com/
• ConvertKit (now Kit) Email Marketing Software: https://kit.com/
• Lex Roman’s Low Energy Leads Newsletter: https://read.lowenergyleads.com/
• Company of One by Paul Jarvis: https://www.amazon.com/Company-One-Staying-Small-Business/dp/1328972356

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

Don't want to miss an episode? Be sure to sign up for the podcast newsletter.

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!