From consultant to strategy maker - the StrategyFrame.AI partner program
From consultant to strategy maker: How the StrategyFrame.AI partner program is redefining consulting
Strategy work is changing - and with it the role of consulting. In the new episode of "Hope is not a strategy", Christian Underwood talks to two partners who are experiencing this change first-hand: Dr. Achim Wapniewski, founder of ensign advisory and ensign digital, and Martin Orthen, founder of 55BirchStreet and Navar.ai. Both are part of the StrategyFrame.AI partner program - an initiative that develops experienced consultants into real strategy makers.
Consulting in transition: Why "strategy" needs to be rethought
Many companies are currently facing the same challenge: they know that artificial intelligence is changing everything - but they lack strategic orientation. Where do you start? What is realistic? And how can AI be used in such a way that it creates more than efficiency? This is where StrategyFrame.AI comes in. "No strategy, no AI", emphasizes Christian Underwood - and thus gets to the heart of the discussion. After all, technological solutions are only effective if they are embedded in a clear, implementable strategy. For Achim Wapniewski, this is not just a technology issue, but an organizational issue: "In the end, it's not about introducing tools - it's about enabling organizations to become truly AI ready."
Partnership instead of single combat
Why do experienced consultants join a partner program instead of building everything themselves? For Martin Orthen, the answer lies in the strength of community: "We believe in network effects. In the power of learning from each other. And in the fact that you can't achieve strategic effectiveness on your own." The partner program combines Academy, Masterclass and Membership - a learning and exchange system that focuses on collective development. Partners bring their own consulting expertise, but are methodically trained to guide companies through the entire strategy process - with the StrategyFrame as the connecting framework.
From knowledge to action
"Many organizations have strategies - but they don't work," says Achim Wapniewski. This is rarely due to a lack of analysis, but rather a lack of implementation skills. This is precisely where the partner program comes in: it makes strategic work tangible, data-based and connectable - and enables consultants to accompany their clients through the entire process.
Martin Orthen describes the key difference as follows: "StrategyFrame.AI translates strategy into action. It is not a presentation, but a tool that enables companies to think strategically themselves - and to do so permanently."
Coaching instead of knowing better
Both partners emphasize that the role of consultants is changing. Instead of being an "explainer", today it is about opening up spaces, asking questions and moderating the process. Achim Wapniewski calls it "sparring at eye level" - an understanding of the role that empowers customers instead of making them dependent. After all, modern consulting means empowering the customer, not replacing them. Or, as Martin Orthen says: "We want to make ourselves superfluous as advisors - because the customer has learned to think strategically themselves."
Strategy work as a future competence
The conversation shows: The StrategyFrame.AI partner program is more than just a training offer - it is a new understanding of strategic work. It combines technology, methodology and attitude to create a system that leads consulting into the future. For Achim Wapniewski and Martin Orthen, one thing is certain: the future does not belong to those who advise the loudest, but to those who empower the best.
For whom this episode is worthwhile
For anyone who wants to rethink consulting: Strategy consultants who want to digitize and scale their work. Coaches who want to provide strategic support to companies. And managers who want to bring strategy expertise into their organization. This episode shows how partnership becomes effectiveness - and how experienced consultants become real strategy makers.
🎧 Listen in now and find out how the StrategyFrame.AI partner program is redefining consulting - with attitude, structure and a focus on the future.
SHOWNOTES
Martin Orthen https://www.linkedin.com/in/morthen/
Dr. Achim Wapniewski https://www.linkedin.com/in/achimwapniewski/
Christian Underwood https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianunderwood/
StrategySummit 2026 https://www.strategyframe.ai/strategysummit2026