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Hiring feels like the obvious next move when a business starts doing well. More people, more capacity, more revenue. The logic is so clean it barely needs questioning. But the businesses with the smallest teams are sometimes the ones making the most money. This episode is part of The Work Edit, a format where I sit down with someone facing a real professional challenge and we work through it together. My guest is Lisa, who has spent four years building The Culture Ministry, a diversity and inclusion consulting business. She came to me with a question I hear constantly: how do I scale? What followed was a conversation about why growth doesn't have to mean hiring, what a proposal win rate above 60% is really telling you, and why a well-designed experiment beats any polished strategy framework. If you run your own business, or you're thinking about going out on your own, this one will give you plenty of tips to apply. Lisa and I discuss: Why hiring more people often grows revenue but not profit, and how Inventium is having its highest-profit year ever with a smaller team The single line in your profit and loss statement that signals when it's genuinely time to hire How AI has reshaped businesses, and the surprising place it creates new bottlenecks rather than removing them What a high proposal win rate is actually telling you about your pricing The Inventium ROI guarantee, and the slightly awkward question worth asking past clients about what you should have charged How to treat a market shift as an experiment to learn from, rather than a personal failure Key quotes "If you are getting the majority of your proposals accepted, I would say you're not charging enough." My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha.substack.com/ Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102 See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/
In this week's episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, I'm talking about something that doesn't get nearly enough airtime in the consulting world — your nervous system. If you've already landed your first clients, built a business you're proud of on paper, and still find yourself exhausted, guilty, and quietly waiting for the other shoe to drop, this one's for you. I'm unpacking why so many established B2B consultants build a business that looks successful but doesn't feel sustainable, why guilt is often the real barrier standing between you and your next level, and what it actually takes to scale toward a $100K offer without recreating the burnout you left corporate to escape. Working less and earning more isn't a slogan, it's a nervous-system-informed business strategy — and today I'm showing you how to build it into your business. Quotes: "If you bring your nervous system into the picture in the way you do your life and your business, you will experience both in a completely different way." — Jessica Fearnley "What if there's actually something very trustworthy in you that means you can highly achieve without overriding your nervous system? What if you can trust yourself to be focused when you need to be, and also rest when you're tired? What if you don't need a punishing daily routine that prescribes when you will feel productive?" — Jessica Fearnley "We know how to ramp up the pressure with high performance, we know how to expect more from ourselves, and how to push ourselves to achieve even more. What I find is the biggest gap that new consultants, and even seasoned consultants have... is that you don't know how to go easy on yourself. You don't know how to get the best out of yourself with nurture, not strict routines." — Jessica Fearnley Useful Links Buy Jessica's book, Too Much, on Amazon Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business Leave a rating and review for the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn
Send us Fan MailAre you charging for your time instead of your expertise?Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of hourly pricing because it feels like the obvious place to start. But as your skills grow, charging by the hour can actually hold your business back, leading to burnout, resentment, and an income ceiling.In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, Kendra Corman sits down with Joel Miller, co-founder of SkyFloor, to discuss how businesses can shift from selling hours to selling outcomes. Joel shares the lessons he and his twin brother learned while building their agency, including the mistakes they made with pricing, how they transitioned to value-based pricing, and why positioning is the foundation of premium pricing.They also dive into the role AI plays in today's service businesses. Rather than replacing expertise, Joel explains how AI can become a powerful collaborative tool that helps professionals deliver better results more efficiently, while reinforcing the importance of human experience, strategic thinking, and client trust.In this episode, you'll learn:Why hourly pricing often creates burnout and limits business growth.How to determine the true value of your services.The importance of asking better questions during discovery calls.How positioning influences pricing more than most business owners realize.Why raising your prices can temporarily reduce leads, and why that's often a good sign.How AI can enhance your work without diminishing your value.The mindset shifts needed to confidently charge premium prices.About Joel MillerJoel Miller is the co-founder of SkyFloor, a digital strategy and web agency he has built alongside his twin brother for more than 17 years. Joel helps businesses clarify their positioning, develop effective digital strategies, and create websites that focus on measurable business outcomes. Connect with JoelWebsite: https://www.theskyfloor.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelelliottmiller/ Looking to leverage AI? Want better results? Want to think about what you want to leverage?Check and see how I am using it for FREE on YouTube. From "Holy cow, it can do that?" to "Wait, how does this work again?" – I've got all your AI curiosities covered. It's the perfect after-podcast snack for your tech-hungry brain. Watch here
You want to be the consultant ideal clients think of first.The one who gets invited into conversations rather than always pursuing them. The one whose pipeline doesn't depend on luck or timing. The one who can turn down work that isn't the right fit because they know more will come.That's a rainmaker. And most independent consultants don't think that word applies to them.In Episode 281, Melisa Liberman makes the case that it does. A rainmaker isn't someone with natural sales talent or an extroverted personality. It isn't someone selling 24/7. It's a consultant who is known for something, trusted for their perspective, and thought of when an important problem arises. That's a capability you can build.Melisa walks through three real consultants who became rainmakers in very different ways. Elizabeth rebuilt her identity after losing the corporate ecosystem that had always supported her BD work, and now turns away red flag clients with confidence even when she's behind on her revenue goals. Rachel built a global speaking and client reputation through deep specialization and selective visibility — posting once a week, speaking four to six times a year, sending a monthly newsletter. Sarah became the go-to person in her industry through association involvement and relationships, not posting volume.None of them were born rainmakers. All of them decided to become one.Melisa also walks through the identity shift that makes the difference: you don't wait for results to give yourself the title. You decide first. The decision is what speeds up the results.If you've ever thought "that's for someone else, not me," this episode is the one to listen to before you talk yourself out of it again.Timestamps for Key Moments:[00:00] Why becoming the rainmaker changes everything about how you generate business[00:03] Agenda overview[00:06] Companion resource: free live training at icworkshop.info[00:07] Where the term rainmaker came from and why it matters[00:10] What a consultant rainmaker actually is — and what it isn't[00:14] The benefits of becoming the rainmaker in your consulting business[00:16] How to become the rainmaker: the identity shift that starts it[00:24] Elizabeth's story: rebuilding the rainmaker identity after leaving corporate[00:28] Rachel's story: becoming sought after through specialization and visibility[00:31] Sarah's story: becoming the go-to person through industry association[00:34] Put this episode into action: five questions to answerResources Mentioned:Companion Resource: Free live training — How to Always Have Your Next Consulting Client Lined Up Without the Constant Pressure. Register at icworkshop.infoFull Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-281Want More?Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanGet Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/bookVisit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-libermanJoin my upcoming free live training happening on August 11th: https://icworkshop.info/Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
Natalie Trotta used to be a Chief of Staff. Now she is building her own consulting business. She started off calling it fractional work and now it has grown. You will learn about how she positions herself, how she has found clients, the importance of conversation, and much more. If you are a Chief of Staff thinking about what is next or wanting to start doing consulting or fractional work, this episode is for you!
You left corporate for specific reasons.You want autonomy. Control over your time. Work that feels meaningful and is lucrative. A business that runs on your terms, not someone else's.Here's what happens instead for a lot of independent consultants: the business gets built one micro-decision at a time. You take the client that isn't quite right because it's in hand. You agree to the schedule compromise because the engagement is clear. You keep doing the execution work because that's what comes in. And then one day you look up and realize the business you've built doesn't look much like the business you intended.In Episode 280, Melisa Liberman addresses this directly. She opens with three real consultant scenarios: one who always wanted a boutique firm but is currently exhausted from solo travel and project work, one who wants to flip her revenue model from mostly self-delivered to mostly team-delivered and doesn't know how to adjust the plane while it's flying, and one who is successful on paper but landing staff augmentation work when what she wanted was strategic advisory.None of them built the wrong business on purpose. They built it through a series of invisible trade-offs that seemed small at the time.Melisa walks through two anchor questions every independent consultant should be able to answer, then a five-step process for getting clear on the business you actually want and starting to build toward it deliberately.If you've ever looked at your calendar and thought, "How did I get here? This business isn't what I meant to build," this episode is where to start.Timestamps for Key Moments:[00:00] The question behind this episode: are you building the business you actually want?[00:03] Agenda overview[00:07] Companion resource: Grow Your Consulting Business book at melisabook.com[00:09] Two anchor questions: why did you leave corporate, and why haven't you gone back?[00:13] What actually happens: micro-decisions and invisible trade-offs[00:18] What does success actually look like for you?[00:20] Start from everything possible, not what feels realistic[00:23] The five steps to build the business you actually want[00:28] Put this episode into actionResources Mentioned:Companion Resource: Grow Your Consulting Business Book and Toolkit. Download free at melisabook.comFull Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-280Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 267 - https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-267Want More?Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanGet Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/bookVisit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-libermanJoin my upcoming free live training happening on August 11th: https://icworkshop.info/Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
Marc Jantzen, Founder of The Consultancy Growth Network, joins Guy Bloom to explore what it really takes to build, grow and lead a successful consultancy. Marc reflects on selling Blue Sky, taking time away from work and eventually returning to build something new in The Consultancy Growth Network. He shares how he tested his proposition, launched with only six members and adapted the business when lockdown made its original model impossible. The conversation explores the value of mentors, the importance of testing ideas with the market and why consultancy leaders need people around them who understand the journey. Guy and Marc also discuss the impact of AI on consulting, the move from charging for time to pricing around value and the changing shape of consultancy firms as technology replaces more junior analytical work. They close with an honest discussion about leadership, motivation, transparency, vulnerability and why being a decent human being matters, but is not always enough. There are moments when leaders must step forward, create belief and have the conversations others may prefer to avoid. To find out more about Guy Bloom and his award winning work in Team Coaching, Leadership Development and Executive Coaching click below.The link to everything CLICK HEREUK: 07827 953814Email: guybloom@livingbrave.com Web: www.livingbrave.com
Send me a text message and get your questions answered on the podcast! I'd love to hear from you! Can we talk honestly for a minute?Some consultants start with built-in advantages that help them build business momentum. While many women, especially women of color, start closer to ground zero. The result? A gap that can look like a visibility, volume, or value problem when it's a little deeper than that.In this episode, we're unpacking why some consultants start a few steps ahead and how you can catch up and level the playing field in no time. If you are ready to build real demand and attract premium opportunities without running yourself into the ground, listen through to the end. Free Quiz: In less than two minutes, you'll discover the biggest gap between your expertise and how the market currently perceives it, identify your primary Authority Blocker, and get a personalized roadmap to help you build the kind of authority that attracts premium opportunities.https://drangelinadavis.myflodesk.com/authorityLet's Stay Connected!Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drangelinadavis/Don't Forget!If this episode resonated with you:SubscribeLeave a reviewShare it with another brilliant woman who needs to hear this. I'd really appreciate it!
What if your next five-figure offer did not require a launch? My guest this week is Tenagne Turner, founder of BRB Retreats, a luxury international retreat company serving high-achieving women entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants. Since 2021 she has generated over a million dollars in revenue through a relationship-first, invitation-only model built around retreats. She has done it without paid ads, without public launches, and without a massive following. Her retreats have taken women to Greece, Bali, Costa Rica, Tulum, and Morocco, and her next two are already selling with one sold out into 2027. In this conversation, Tenagne breaks down exactly how she builds, prices, fills, and runs profitable retreats on a 12-month runway. She shares what your business needs before you host your first one, why she never lets anyone book without a conversation, how she finds villas that sell the retreat from a single photo, and the pricing mindset that separates a profitable retreat from an expensive vacation you accidentally paid for. If a retreat has been sitting in the notes app on your phone, this is the episode that moves it onto your calendar. IN THIS EPISODE The one thing your business needs before you host your first retreat, and the starting point Tenagne recommends if you do not have it yet. Why Tenagne calls retreats the opposite of launching, and how her 12-month retreat runway removes the pressure from selling and planning. The invitation-only sales model that starts with a list of 25 names, and the 30-minute conversation every single guest has before they can pay her. The profit-first pricing approach that turns a retreat into a real offer, including the number Tenagne starts her clients at and the profit range a well-priced retreat can produce. Her villa selection process, from the search filters she uses to the one-picture test that tells her whether a property can sell the retreat for her. The negotiation move she makes with every villa owner before she signs, and why she almost never books through the platform where she found the property. How she structures her week to run a million-dollar retreat business while coaching only three days and closing her calendar by three o'clock. The client retention skill Tenagne discovered she had, and why she believes it is the most undervalued conversation in the coaching industry. RESOURCES MENTIONED Connect with Tenagne on Instagram at @lovetenagne and explore upcoming BRB Retreats, including Greece next June, at BRBretreats.com. → The CEO Summer Camp waitlist is open. Waitlist members get first access to enroll and waitlist-only pricing that goes away when public enrollment opens. Join at dailysuccessroutine.com/list. Come tell me on Instagram @JamilaPayneMBA if a retreat is going on your calendar this year. I want to hear where you would take your clients. If this episode hit, leave a five-star rating and a written review. It is the single best way to help more business owners find the show. Then share it with one entrepreneur friend who has been talking about hosting a retreat.
Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102 See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/
You want a stable independent consulting business. One where you're not constantly worried about where the next consulting client is coming from.You know what you want. The flexibility, the freedom, the autonomy, without the constant cash flow worry.What you're not sure about is how to actually achieve it. What have other independent consultants figured out that you haven't?The consultants who have what you want aren't luckier or better connected. They've built something specific. Six elements that work together to create a stable, repeatable business. Most consultants have some of these in place and gaps in others. The gaps are what create the volatility. In Episode 276 of Grow Your Independent Consulting Business, Melisa Liberman breaks down exactly what those six elements are and how they work together.She introduces the Sustainable Consulting Method and walks through each one individually, so you can see what's working, where your gaps are, and what to address first.She also describes the important foundational piece that sits underneath all six. You can have every element in place and still have a shaky business without it.It's the most commonly overlooked piece, and it's the one that makes everything else stick.If your independent consulting business feels harder than you want it to be, and you're worried if you can keep it up, this episode tells you exactly where to look.Listen and then take the Consultant's Business Health Check at icassessment.com to assess where you're strong, where you're fragile, and what your biggest area of opportunity is right now.Timestamps for Key Moments: [00:00] Why some independent consultants build stable businesses and others stay stuck [00:02] Episode overview and agenda [00:04] Companion resource: Consultant's Business Health Check at icassessment.com [00:06] What sustainable actually means for an independent consulting business [00:11] The six elements overview: where you're strong and where you're fragile [00:34] The foundation underneath all six elements [00:36] Put this episode into actionResources Mentioned:Companion Resource: Consultant's Business Health Check. Take the assessment at icassessment.com Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-276Want More?Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanGet Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/bookVisit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-libermanWant help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
Send me a text message and get your questions answered on the podcast! I'd love to hear from you! If you've ever scrolled LinkedIn, seen a flood of “new contract signed” posts, and quietly wondered why demand seems to find everyone but you, we're getting honest about what's really happening and why it messes with your confidence.Demand is often shaped by trust signals that sit outside your credentials: visibility, reputation, relationships, institutional credibility, and the kind of proximity that makes buyers feel safe choosing you. For women in consulting, especially women of color, those signals are not evenly accessible, which is why the market can feel confusing even when your expertise is solid and your client results are strong.If you're ready to stop internalizing the gap and start building demand with intention, listen through and take notes. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs the reminder, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts so more women consultants can find this series.Let's Stay Connected!Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drangelinadavis/Don't Forget!If this episode resonated with you:SubscribeLeave a reviewShare it with another brilliant woman who needs to hear this. I'd really appreciate it!
Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102 See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/
If you've ever wondered how to turn a listener into a paying clients, this conversation is a great place to start. The morning show cast and crew talk about recognizing the value of your expertise, creating opportunities beyond sponsorships, and building trust through the content you're already producing. Here's the thing, you don't need a massive audience to attract a paying client. When people consistently hear your insights, solutions, and perspective, your podcast can become the proof that you're the right person to help them.Episode Highlights:[04:34] The Consulting Mindset Shift[09:42] Your Podcast Validates Expertise[10:40] The Proving Mindset Problem[14:31] Charging for Your Expertise[17:31] You Don't Need Massive Downloads[21:41] Your RSS Feed as a Demo Reel[24:35] Avoiding Free Consulting Traps[28:40] Creating Consulting Packages[31:52] Pricing Your Services[39:52] Selling Solutions, Not Prices[41:05] Finding Your Right AudienceLinks & Resources:Ralph's blog post about 'How a Podcast Can Become a Consulting Business':https://www.contentcreatorsaccountant.com/blog/podcast-a-consulting-business/SquadCast:https://squadcast.fm/Descript: https://www.descript.com/video-editingPodmatch: https://podmatch.com/aboutEventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/product-updates/roadmap-2026/Feature Your Podcast on the Podcasting Morning Show:https://PodcastingMorningShow.com/spotlightThe Podcasting Morning Show:www.podcastingmorningshow.comWays to Watch or Listen: https://www.podcastingmorningshow.com/joinus/Meet the PMS Cast and Crew:https://podcastingmorningshow.com/peopleJoin The Empowered Podcasting Facebook Group:www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredpodcastingBook A Free Call With Marc:https://calendly.com/ironickmedia/freestrategycallApplication To Submit Your Show For Evaluation:https://podcastingmorningshow.com/evalJoin us every other Monday at 8 AM ET for the Obsession Worthy Podcasts:http://podcastingmorningshow.com/owp/Join us LIVE every weekday morning at 8 am ET (US) on Clubhouse: https://podcastingmorningshow.com/clubhousePowered by iRonickMedia.com and ContentCreatorsAccountant.comSend in your mailbag questions: https://www.podcastingmorningshow.com/contact/ or marc@ironickmedia.comWant to be a guest on The Podcasting Morning Show? Send me a message on PodMatch, here:https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b
Marketing a GSA schedule the right way can completely change how a small business grows inside federal contracting, especially when AI and cybersecurity are reshaping every RFI and RFP hitting the street. In this episode Zack Golden and the GovCon Giants team break down how active contractors, aspiring consultants, and entrepreneurs can position themselves around the hottest demand signals in the federal market right now, including AI governance, autonomous systems, and the massive Air Force Research Lab opportunity coming out of contract. Here is what you will learn in this episode: How to market a GSA schedule by expanding divisions, leaning into industry days, and using local site visits to win agency attention Why AI governance and AI security layers are showing up on nearly every federal RFI and RFP and how to position a client or your own company to capture that demand How to become a govcon consultant for AI and tech companies without burning out by managing one client to maintenance mode before signing the next How to build complementary teams by pairing AI companies with audit trail, robotics, and aerospace firms to deliver true turnkey solutions to federal buyers How to chase the $10 billion Air Force Research Lab AI IDIQ and other large vehicles by partnering with primes, IDIQ holders, and GSA schedule holders already inside the door EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Meet Mindy your federal opportunity AI assistant 0:30 - Welcome to the Federal Help Center podcast 0:52 - Marketing a GSA schedule for small business 1:21 - Expanding divisions into cybersecurity and maintenance services 1:50 - Industry day strategy for GSA schedule holders 2:20 - Inside the OpenCube IQ AI tools and CRM 2:49 - Using AI agents for capability statements and FAR research 3:19 - Consulting opportunities with AI governance companies 3:48 - Why AI is the federal buzzword every agency wants 4:16 - Managing multiple consulting clients without burning out 4:44 - Building complementary teams around AI governance and audit trails 5:41 - Finding partner companies that compliment your AI offering 6:37 - Chasing the $10 billion Air Force Research Lab AI IDIQ 7:07 - Robotics autonomous systems and secured AI document platforms 8:03 - Adding AI offerings to existing GSA schedules and IDIQs Mindy gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts.
If you've been quietly wondering whether the shifts you're feeling in your business are temporary, or something bigger, this episode names it. All markets mature eventually and push generalists to specialize, but AI is speeding this process up at breakneck speed. In this episode, you'll hear the 5 things that happen in every commoditizing market, why being stuck in the middle is the most dangerous place to be right now, and the 3 moves to AI-proof your consulting business before AI eats the bottom and middle of the market. Work With Coach Natalie
Are you at capacity in your consulting business?Fully utilized on client work.Or a lot on your plate personally, whether that's a family situation, a move, recovery from surgery, or a season where your kids' schedules have swallowed your calendar.Or both.If you're like most consultants, the moment any of that hits, business development is the first thing you drop.It feels logical. Clients come first. The work pays. Lead gen can wait until things calm down.Then three months later, the engagement ends. The personal stretch passes. And your pipeline is empty.In this episode, Melisa shows you how to keep your consulting business moving with a bare minimum business development plan, built for the weeks you can't give it your full attention.You'll take-away:What "at capacity" actually means, and why most consultants underestimate how often they're in itThe handful of business development activities that protect your pipeline without eating your weekWhat you should temporarily deprioritize without guiltHow to set the bar low enough that you'll actually do it on your hardest weeksHow to come out of a capacity stretch without a dry spell waiting on the other sideIf you're heading into a busy season, a personal stretch, or you're already buried in client work, this episode gives you a way to keep your business moving without burning out.Timestamps for Key Moments:[01:10] Why independent consultants stop business development when they are busy[03:00] How a bare minimum plan keeps your consulting business on track[04:20] The ACE Business Development Session 1 Pager[05:00] What working on your consulting business actually means[08:00] Why being fully utilized can create future consulting revenue gaps[10:00] What you can temporarily deprioritize in your business[12:00] Three questions to separate productive work from profitable work[14:30] Why the bare minimum is a strategy, not laziness[20:00] The cost of guilt, regret, and inconsistent business development[22:00] How to choose your highest leverage business development activities[25:00] How to pressure test your bare minimum plan[28:00] How to commit to making your consulting business development plan work[30:00] How to put this episode into actionResources Mentioned:Companion Resource: The ACE Business Development Session 1 Pager: https://www.theACEbd.comFull Show Noteshttps://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-271Want More?• Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman• Get Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book• Visit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/ • Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-libermanWant help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
How AI Will Evolve the 7 Parts of Your Business Model: Leverage AI to enable you to solely focus on client relationships, belief and the nuances of your work00:00 The Bold Pricing Vow01:42 AI Labs Enter Services03:29 Your Offer Is Not The Moat05:00 Seven Model Ingredients06:47 How AI Changes Each Part15:25 The Evolved Model Blueprint25:26 Three Breakthrough Signals29:49 Four Steps To Redesign36:53 Closing Call To EvolveSubstack Version of this podcast: https://dogoodwork.substack.com/p/how-ai-will-evolve-the-7-parts-of
Why isn't your independent consulting business consistently generating $500K per year?It's not the economy. It's not because the market is getting more saturated with consultants. It's not because AI is replacing your expertise. And it's not because you're not good at business development.If it's not these things, what is it?In her work with independent consultants, Melisa consistently sees 5 themes that prevent consultants from consistently generating 500k (and beyond).In this episode, Melisa breaks down the five hidden blockers that keep independent consultants stuck below the $500K revenue mark.You'll learn why your current revenue ceiling is not random.This is not a generic “scale your business” conversation. It is a practical diagnostic for independent consultants who want to make $500K their new revenue baseline, not a lucky year they hope to repeat.Timestamps for Key Moments:[00:00] Why your consulting business is not at $500K yet[02:10] The companion resource to assess your consulting business health[03:20] Why the real blockers are not the market, competition, or AI[04:35] Reason 1: You do not fully believe $500K is possible for you[12:10] Reason 2: You still identify as your current revenue level[17:40] Reason 3: Your pricing model is not built for $500K[22:15] Reason 4: You are repeating the patterns that created your current ceiling[27:00] Reason 5: You are not prioritizing your own business[31:30] How to identify your biggest $500K blocker and start fixing itResources Mentioned:Companion Resource:Take the Independent Consultant's Business Health Check: https://assessments.melisaliberman.com/consulting-health-assessmentRelated Podcast Episode: Episode 109 - 3 Ways to Make $500k In Your Independent Consulting Business, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-109 Full Show Noteshttps://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-270Want More?• Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman• Get Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book• Visit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/ • Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-libermanWant help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
Send me a text message and get your questions answered on the podcast! I'd love to hear from you! How to Start Consulting While Working Full-Time | 6 Mistakes Keeping Women StuckAre you trying to start a consulting business while working full-time—but still feel stuck?In this episode of Black Girls Consult TOO!, we break down the 6 biggest mistakes keeping smart, qualified women from building momentum in consulting.If you've already started consulting but progress feels slow, inconsistent, or unclear, this video is for you.We cover:✔ How to start consulting while employed✔ Why qualified women stay stuck in consulting✔ How to build momentum while working full-time✔ Mistakes women make starting consulting businesses✔ How to get consulting clients and grow faster✔ Why expertise alone doesn't create tractionIf you're a professional woman ready to turn your expertise into a profitable consulting business, this conversation will help.Ready for support building your offer, pricing, and pipeline? Learn more about Revenue Runway below.https://drangelinadavis.myflodesk.com/rrwaitlist
Send me a text message and get your questions answered on the podcast! I'd love to hear from you! Want to know how to start a consulting business that actually gets clients and not just likes, views, or compliments?In this video, I break down the real reason most consulting businesses struggle to gain traction and what to do instead if you want to attract paying clients consistently.If you've been wondering how to start a consulting business, get consulting clients, or position your expertise online, this episode will help you build a business that creates real demand.Ready to Go Deeper?Take the FREE email course and find The High-Value Consulting Offer You Did Not Know You Already Had (Without Needing More Experience, More Credentials, or More Time)Ready to figure out what you could offer as a consulting service, or if your offer has what it takes to sell? Check out How to Sell What You Know! This training shows you how to connect your experience to real demand so you can clearly see what you can offer and actually move forward.Know what you want to sell and need to land more clients? Revenue Runway may be exactly what you need. Let's Stay Connected!Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drangelinadavis/Don't Forget!If this episode resonated with you:SubscribeLeave a reviewShare it with another brilliant woman who needs to hear this. I'd really appreciate it!
Ships are altering course as the US Navy's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues into its third day, and PwC plans to overhaul its global consulting business. Plus, insurers are turning to catastrophe bonds to cover data centres, and AI chatbots aren't a substitute for doctors when it comes to medical diagnoses. Mentioned in this podcast:Strait of Hormuz tankers stop or turn around amid US blockadeIran war could slow global growth to weakest since pandemic, IMF warnsUS pushing Iran to agree 20-year moratorium on nuclear activityPwC plans overhaul of global consulting businessInsurers turn to catastrophe bonds to offload data centre risksAI chatbots misdiagnose in over 80% of early medical cases, study findsNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today's FT News Briefing was hosted by Sonja Hutson, and produced by Saffeya Ahmed and Victoria Craig. Our show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann and Michael Lello. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT's Global Head of Audio. The show's theme music is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Work With Me To Scale Your Business: https://go.scalingwithsystems.com/daniel ———————————— Be On The Next Constraint Call: https://www.scalingwsystems.com/constraint-call-application ———————————— Join Our Team: https://www.scalingwithsystems.com/careers
Episode Summary: In this episode of the Work at Home Rockstar Podcast, Tim Melanson chats with Jamie Levin, a strategic communications consultant and owner of JLevin Communications. Jamie shares her journey from leading communications for a multi-billion dollar company to building a flexible, home-based business that aligns with her life as a working mom. They dive into career transitions, the power of networking, and how to manage cash flow and client relationships while running a solo business. Who is Jamie Levin? Jamie Levin is a strategic communications consultant with over 15 years of experience in internal and external communications, events, and engagement initiatives. Through her business, she helps companies strengthen their messaging, build brand visibility, and align communication strategies with business goals. Known for her people-first approach, Jamie works across multiple industries, bringing clarity and consistency to how organizations communicate both internally and externally. Connect with Jamie Levin: Website: https://www.jlevincommunications.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamielevin/ Host Contact Details: Website: https://workathomerockstar.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workathomerockstar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workathomerockstar LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmelanson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkAtHomeRockStarPodcast X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/workathomestar Email: tim@workathomerockstar.com In this Episode: 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:23 Career Success Story 01:08 Burnout and Next Steps 01:47 Fired Then Recalibrated 04:46 Home Office Setup 07:38 Working With Family Around 09:39 Sales and Networking Tips 15:37 Cashflow and Invoicing 19:15 Outsourcing and Subcontractors 21:34 Guest Solo Industry Variety 24:40 PR ROI and Media Channels 26:26 How to Work With Jamie 28:41 Favorite Rockstar and Wrap
Matt McFarlane, Founder of FNDN, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how to build a successful HR consulting business, why niching down and strong branding matter, and how to create sustainable growth through content, community, and a portfolio career.---- Sponsor Links:
In this episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, originally broadcast in November 2022, I'm talking about what happens when we shift from the "what" to the "how" with getting your consulting business to seven figures and maybe even eight figures. I'll talk all about how to accomplish the milestones you set for your business and how to create the action plan to get there. Tune in to this episode to learn more! Key Takeaways: Setting micro goals and milestones along the journey of your business can be a great way to help you eventually achieve your destination. The "what" can be easy to identify, but it's the "how" that generally is harder to accomplish. Finding motivation and changing your mindset can help to accomplish your goals. Quotes: "I always want my clients to have a revenue goal in mind, but it's more important to me that we turn that goal into a sheet of micro goals or milestones." – Jessica Fearnley "One thing I have really learned in recent years is that we need the "what" to be expansive and to be able to expand to its true dimensions before we even make a start on the "how"." – Jessica Fearnley Useful Links: Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business Jessica's LinkedIn Buy Jessica's book, Too Much, on Amazon Find out more about the Business Growth Intensive
In this episode, I walk through the four primary consulting business models and how each one impacts your revenue, capacity, and long-term growth. If you have reached a point where your business feels full but not scalable, this framework will help you see why. I also introduce the Consulting Model Matrix, a simple way to understand how your business is structured today. The X axis represents how your work is priced, from time-based to outcome-based. The Y axis reflects how dependent your business is on you, from founder-led delivery to a model where a team can deliver work independently. I also share why many fractional consultants plateau, how to identify your current model, and what actually unlocks the next level of growth toward a more scalable firm. Mentioned in This Episode
Send me a text message and get your questions answered on the podcast! I'd love to hear from you! You can be brilliant. Experienced. The one everyone relies on to solve complex problems...And still feel completely invisible when it's time to actually win consulting clients.If that hits a nerve, you're not alone.In today's market, louder, more saturated, and increasingly driven by AI, being “good at what you do” is no longer enough. Visibility without recognition is one of the most frustrating and unspoken challenges high-performing women consultants face.In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on what's really happening when your offer is solid, but your traction isn't.Because let's be clear. The problem isn't your capability. It's how your value is positioned, communicated, and experienced in the market.Tune in now and let's change that.Ready to Go Deeper?Want to know why they're not seeing your genius?Take the quiz and uncover exactly what's holding you back: https://drangelinadavis.myflodesk.com/authorityLet's Stay Connected!Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drangelinadavis/Don't Forget!If this episode resonated with you:SubscribeLeave a reviewShare it with another brilliant woman who needs to hear this. I'd really appreciate it!
Working 60-hour weeks and still watching your revenue flatline? In this episode, I break down the two strategic decisions most tech consultants have never made: WHO to target and WHAT business model to run. I share how one consultant went from competing on commodity rates with payroll anxiety every month to building a specialist practice, hiring a team, and clearing over $30K a month without changing his technical skills. If you're great at delivery but still trapped in the project grind, this episode is for you.Resources and LinksNeed help with your WHO and WHAT decisions? Apply for a FREE Multiplier CallPrevious episode: 671 - Why Your Clients Are Not Using the AI Tools You Recommended with Angie CarelCheck out more episodes of the Paul Higgins PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @PaulHigginsMentoringJoin our newsletterSuggested resources
Want to know how to start your own consulting business right... the first time? No false starts. No expensive trial and error. Find out how with my guest and client, Sara Guttman, on today's Consulting Matters podcast. Today, we're getting into what it actually looks like to seamlessly step out of your leadership career and into consulting business ownership, instead of doing what a lot of us do (myself included)... We instantly get some clients through our network. We throw up a DIY website, We find more established consultants and coaches to subcontract for. And voilà—we're “in business.” This works. Until it doesn't. The referral network dries up. The subcontracting keeps us under someone else's brand. The DIY website reads like an online resume. Worst of all, we realize we've achieved everything except what we set out to achieve when we started our businesses, especially control over our careers, time, impact, and earning potential. Can you relate? But with my client Sara, she avoided all this. And I'm so excited to have her as my guest on my show, so she can tell you how! We met last September when she joined my impact and income accelerator as a low-cost probe to see if she wanted to start her own consulting business. Once she got affirmation on that, we got to work on her brand positioning strategy and website design, and I even got to direct her website photoshoot. She has lots to share about: Her journey into business ownership Why it was important for her to set herself up as a strategic partner from the get-go How she dealt with self-doubt Why she made avoiding expensive trial-and-error her mantra for investing in her business development up front. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Sarah's Background03:13 Sarah's Career Journey from Radio to Community Center09:37 Realizing the Impact of Venue Management11:58 The Seed of Entrepreneurship: Asking for Advice16:11 Avoiding the Doom Loop and Making Strategic Moves21:16 The Power of Strategic Positioning vs Service Delivery26:28 Brand Messaging and Naming Strategies34:32 Clarifying Business Offerings and Messaging43:49 Reflections on the Business Launch and Next Steps52:56 The Value of Strategy and Support in Business Growth01:00:21 Sarah's Website and Contact Info01:02:13 Key Takeaways: Confidence, Courage, and Strategy Other episodes you may enjoy: Why Brand Clarity Is About Trust with Dr. J.B. Adams (Ep152) 3 Types of Consulting /Coaching Expertise: Which one is yours? (Ep147) 5 Truths About Branding, I Only Saw After Tearing My Process Apart (Ep146) Inside My Brand Messaging Process (and Why It Always Works) (Ep140) About my guest: Sara Guttman is a meeting and event space consultant who helps nonprofit organizations turn their facilities into reliable revenue streams. After a decade leading venue operations at the Boulder JCC, she now partners with nonprofit leaders to help them generate sustainable income through strategic use of their event spaces. https://saraguttman.com/ About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services
If your business is built on your thinking, your insight, and your ability to diagnose problems, giving strategy away for free is not generosity. It's a broken revenue model. Too many consultants, advisors, and service-based professionals fall into the same pattern. We jump on call after call, answer “quick questions,” and unpack strategy before someone has made any real commitment. It feels productive in the moment. But the reality is different. Time gets drained. Energy disappears. Proposals get ghosted. And while we're entertaining window shoppers, the people who are actually ready to invest are waiting. In this episode, we break down the mindset shift many consultants need to make: clarity itself has value. Diagnosing problems, identifying direction, and helping someone understand what to do next is real work. Lawyers charge for advice. Doctors charge for diagnosis. Accountants charge for insight. Strategists, marketers, and consultants should too. In addition, let's unpack the larger reality happening across modern marketing and business. Why many companies misuse paid advertising, why marketing cannot fix weak products, and why the explosion of AI-driven content makes authentic positioning and human connection more important than ever. If you're a consultant, strategist, coach, or service-based entrepreneur who feels stuck chasing conversations that never convert, this episode will challenge how you think about value, boundaries, and how you position your expertise in the market. Key Topics Covered: Why letting people “pick your brain” for free undermines your business The hidden revenue cost of endless discovery calls Why chasing vanity metrics and pipeline volume can hurt real growth The difference between window shoppers and serious buyers Why clarity, diagnosis, and strategy are valuable services How consultants accidentally train clients to expect free expertise Why marketing cannot fix weak products or poor positioning When paid advertising actually works and when it doesn't Why human creativity and connection still matter in an AI-driven market How boundaries and positioning increase both revenue and respect Beyond The Episode Gems: Buy My Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business: StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy: Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com
Free Live Training: How to Build a Predictable Demand System as an Independent ConsultantIf your pipeline has felt more like a guessing game than a system, this is where that changes.Consultants leave this training realizing why their pipeline strategy is off, and knowing exactly what to do about it.Tuesday, March 17th | 10am PT / 11am MT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET Live with Q&A. Register here: www.ICworkshop.info----------About This Episode: The 5 Capacity Leaks Slowing the Growth of Your Independent Consulting BusinessYou're swamped. And the idea of growing your business feels impossible unless you're willing to work more hours. Which you're not. That's not why you left corporate.Most independent consultants are losing significant time and energy through five specific patterns that feel completely normal. Fix the leaks and the capacity for growth was already there. You just couldn't see where it was going.In this episode, Melisa walks you through exactly what those five leaks are, what each one looks like in practice, and how to identify which one is doing the most damage in your business right now.What you will learn in this episode:[05:00] What a capacity leak is, and why they cap your revenue by draining time, focus, and emotional bandwidth.[08:40] The business model leak. The structural ceiling created by time-based revenue, underpricing, misaligned work, or unclear offers.[11:30] The boundary leak. Scope creep disguised as “being responsive,” and how weak expectations dilute your impact.[14:40] The focus leak. Context switching, inbox-driven days, too many priorities, and no protected growth time.[17:20] The shadow work leak. False productivity like over-planning, researching, and organizing instead of acting.[22:10] The emotional leak. The second-guessing, avoidance, and fear of getting it wrong that shrinks what you're willing to go after.[27:30] How to prioritize what to fix first using a 90-day lens, without trying to overhaul everything at once.If you've been running hard without moving forward, this episode shows you exactly why and what to do about it.Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-260Mentioned ResourcesCompanion Resource: Read Chapter 13 in Melisa's book, Grow Your Consulting Business: The 14-Step Roadmap to Make Your Independent Consulting Goals a Reality, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSXJBGVB Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanMentioned in this Episode: Episode 259: The 5 Ways to Increase Your Consulting Capacity Without Working More, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-259/ I'm hosting a live training on March 17th on building a consulting pipeline that fuels your revenue goals. We're covering the specific tools that make it work: Owner mindset, SDR mindset, revenue plan, and the contact-to-client journey.Consultants leave this training realizing their pipeline strategy is off and knowing exactly what to do about it. Register at ICworkshop.info.Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
You're smart. Experienced. Highly qualified.So why isn't your education consulting business growing the way it should?In Part 2 of this series, we're uncovering one of the biggest blind spots I see: unclear, overly professional messaging.As educators, we're trained to inform. To explain. To provide all the details.But in business? That instinct can actually hold you back.In this episode, we'll unpack: Why over-explaining weakens your authorityHow vague language confuses decision-makersThe real reason your content isn't convertingAnd how to shift from “educator mode” to “CEO mode”If you want more consistent contracts and clearer positioning, this is a must-listen.Then grab your seat in the free masterclass: The Booked Out Consultant.
In Part I of this two-part series, Jenn breaks down one of the most common—and costly—mistakes she sees capable education consultants making: trying to grow two businesses at the same time.Selling directly to teachers while also building a consulting business for schools may feel logical, but these are two completely different business models. When focus is split, clarity suffers, authority weakens, and momentum stalls.In this episode, Jenn covers:Why direct-to-consumer and education consulting require different strategiesHow split focus drains energy and slows tractionThe hidden ways mixed messaging weakens authority with decision-makersWhy divided attention delays mastery and clouds your dataHow lack of focus prevents the compounding effect that drives booked-out consulting businessesIf this episode hits close to home, it's likely because this mistake quietly holds back otherwise strong consultants.
Send me a text message and get your questions answered on the podcast! I'd love to hear from you! Feeling unmotivated in your business?You're not lazy. You're not behind. And you're definitely not the only entrepreneur who sometimes wants to ignore their to-do list and watch Bridgerton instead.In this video, I break down how to stay motivated in your business — even when you don't feel like working.Because the truth is:You won't always feel motivated.But you can build a system that helps you refuel your motivation quickly.Let's Connect! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drangelinadavis/Also, you can watch this episode on YouTube! Click here to tune in.
Tim Martinez, Value Creation, Strategic, and Exit & Succession Planning Advisor—also known as “The Inside Man”—is on a mission to empower entrepreneurs and make the world a better place with his philosophy of “No entrepreneur left behind.” In this episode, Tim shares how he evolved from starting small businesses as a teenager to advising founders on high-stakes growth and exit decisions. We explore Tim's 3 Exits Framework, which breaks exit planning into three critical phases: Mental Exit (separating identity from the business), Role Exit (building leadership and succession so the business can run without the owner), and Technical Exit (valuation, deal structure, and the formal sale process). Tim also explains why AI is accelerating business disruption, why minimalism is a competitive advantage, and what keeps so many businesses stuck at the $3M revenue ceiling. — 3 Ways to Exit Your Business with Tim Martinez Good day, dear listeners. Steve Preda here, the Founder of the Summit OS Group. And I have as my guest today Tim Martinez, who is a Value Creation, Strategic, and Exit & Succession Planning Advisor, also known as “The Inside Man.” Tim also has a successful Substack with lots of followers, which has a similar title, Inside Man. He's also built his own ChatGPT API, so he's running with the times. Tim, welcome to the show. Thanks, Steve. Great to be here. Finally, we have someone who is ahead of the curve on AI and the technological evolution that's part of this new industry revolution. So let’s start with my favorite question. What is your personal ‘Why’ and how are you manifesting it in your practice and in your business? Yeah. My personal ‘Why’ is to make the world a better place and to empower entrepreneurs. “No entrepreneur left behind” has kind of been my motto. Since I was a kid—I started businesses very young, like 15 or 16—people would ask me, “How are you doing this?” And I would help however I could. And it was just always felt really good to help my fellow entrepreneurs, whether I was helping them in a small way or a big way. And there's nothing better than seeing some of the advice you're able to give someone actually get implemented.Share on X Then you see them go, “Wow, oh my gosh, this is great.” And again, sometimes it’s small, sometimes it’s big. But I believe entrepreneurs rule the world, and I do my part every day—whether it's writing my Substack, jumping on podcasts, or writing books. I'm always here just to share what I've learned, because I think that’s what makes the world go round. Well, you have a boundless energy, because you are writing books, you are writing your blog, you are doing these podcasts. Then you also have to gather the information, right? You have to work with clients—otherwise there's no raw material. That is very impressive. So what took you to this point? How did you evolve? I mean, you started at 15, but surely you were not coaching or consulting people at 15. Yeah, so I probably spent about 10 years just starting small businesses. I had the lemonade stand, then a coffee business and a silk-screen business. I had a DJ business, a retail store, a marketing and advertising agency, a small one, but I was able to sell it. And I got lucky and sold a couple of these small businesses. I built websites, built apps—I mean, anything you can do to make a buck. I was just kind of hustling and figuring it out on my own. And at a certain point in time, maybe like 10 years later, someone asked me to help them write their business plan. It was the first time I thought, “Huh, someone wants to pay me to help them write a business plan. That sounds interesting.” Okay. And I had written all of my own business plans for 10 years. I used to go to SCORE—the Senior Corps of Retired Executives, a division of the SBA—and they would consult for free. They still do, by the way. And I always said my long-term goal was to be an old advisor at SCORE, because they helped me so much when I was a kid.Share on X So I charged money for my first business plan. That person was able to raise money from their uncle. Then they said, “Well, hey, we got this money. What do we do now?” So I said, “Well, I think I can charge you. I think this is called consulting. Maybe I'll just charge you to help execute your business plan.” It was a small business, and I went to Barnes & Noble and bought a book that was like this big—How to Start a Consulting Business. I just sat there and highlighted the whole thing. It had CD-ROM forms in the back. I knew nothing about consulting. And probably for the next handful of years, I just focused on writing business plans and helping people. That's kind of what got me into consulting and working with bigger businesses. It really started with business plans and small businesses.Share on X Yeah. I mean, business plans are great because you are envisioning the future of the business, crunching the numbers—what's going to happen with your top line, bottom line, costs, overhead, margins—and essentially it helps you visualize the skeleton of the business. Then you can put the meat on the bone, kind of thing. Yeah. And I had worked on hundreds of business plans, and pitch decks, financial models, and market research. That documentation aspect of a business, I had spent a good, let's say, 10 years working very heavily with clients as an analyst in consulting firms. And that’s really what got me into the game and got me into bigger and bigger businesses, because I got very good at doing that with no formal training—and we didn't really have what the internet is today. I remember going to the downtown library in Los Angeles, finding articles, and taking scanned copies of them. That’s how we did our market research. And business plans used to be like a dictionary. The SBA would require business plans to meet all these requirements, so we ended up with huge business plans. Now people want a one-pager, maybe a 10-slide deck, and call it a day. Where I got my chops was from understanding every imaginable nuance of every business in all verticals. I worked around the world with businesses, and I guess I was in the right place at the right time for it.Share on X Yeah, that’s very humble. So one of the things that you do is you help people prepare for exit, and you came up with this framework called The 3 Exits Framework. I thought it was fascinating to think about exits from different perspectives and to have different mental models for them. How did you come up with this, and can you explain to the audience what it looks like, how it works, and how it helps entrepreneurs? Yeah. And it’s important to note that I started my career starting businesses, helping people get the start. And as I got older, the businesses I worked with were also getting older. And as I got a little more gray hair and a few more wrinkles, people would take me more seriously at the later stages of the business, when they maybe wouldn’t take me so seriously when I was in my early twenties. So my business had evolved from starting to growing and then eventually to exiting, and that’s where most of my clients are now. What I’ve discovered is most people enter the exit planning conversation at the very end, asking, “What is my business worth? Who wants to buy it?” Needing a business valuation is the most common first question: “Whoa, what's it worth?” But after working with a handful of companies through this whole exit process, you start to realize that there’s far more than just the numbers. The 3 Exits Framework says there are three exits that need to occur before you're out and on your yacht, sailing into the sunset.Share on X The first exit is the mental exit, which we can talk about at length. It's your role—your identity in the business. Who am I if I'm not the CEO? What am I going to do with my time if I'm not running this business? Who am I if people can't come to me with their every burning question? It’s this piece, it’s so important. And a lot of people don’t want to give up control. They don’t even know they’re control freaks, which I'll call them for lack of a better term. But they don’t even know that they are that. You have to help them through that. The second exit is really your role exit, because eventually someone needs to run this business in your absence. The whole tenant of selling a business is that you're not going to be in it. You might have earnouts or some transitional involvement, but eventually, you will not run this business. So you have to replicate yourself. Most people say, “I've tried, but it hasn't worked.” Well, you know what? Now’s the time for this to work. It's time to build SOPs, standards of excellence, and get someone who could be better than you ever were in that seat. So that role exit is a big part, and that would be true succession. The other part of that is it’s not just the CEO or the owner. A lot of times it’s them and they’re number one, or they’re number two, or number three, because in many cases those people also have equity and ownership in the companies in some cases. So we need to get succession in line for multiple roles. And then the third exit is your technical exit. It’s the one piece everyone feels like they start with that is your valuation, getting your documentation together, running a formal auction process, making sure that you’re looking at multiple buyers, whether strategic or financial. And just running a very thorough, formal process that’s going to get you the highest valuation possible. And structuring a deal that there’s going to be a little bit of give and take. Most deals die because of misaligned expectations. And they’re usually misaligned expectations on that final exit. So when you put those three things together and someone says, I want to sell my business, or we're thinking about exiting in the next couple years, I just start first with the identity part.Share on X Yeah. And people underestimate the significance of that. It can sound touchy-feely and like an afterthought in most cases. And people think that just by earning a sack of money, their life will be solved and all problems will disappear. But actually, problems exist at all levels. Elon Musk probably has more problems than most listeners here. Sure. So, it's not going to solve your problems, and identity is huge. I talk to people—I was also an M&A advisor for over 10 years, sold many businesses, visited former clients, and went out on their boats on the lake. Often, that was the one time they actually used the boat, because they didn't really need it. They thought they did, but they didn't. Next time, the engine wouldn't start, or the boat was full of water. Or they'd go out on the golf course, meet new people, and ask, “Who are they?” It turned out they were just retired rich people—not interesting entrepreneurs or CEO. That's a huge change. And with the Great Wealth Transfer and the aging Baby Boomer population, there's a statistic that says 50% of business owners are forced into an exit—meaning there’s some life event that occurs that says you now need to sell your business and get out. And you and I both know that if you’re forced to an exit, you’re going to be taking a major discount. But those forces can happen when you have a heart attack, or someone in your family has a health issue, or your grandkids and everybody moves multiple states and you want to go with them. All these things happen. So our recommendation is just start having the conversation now. Yeah. And so I think it's a little bit like saving for retirement. A lot of people keep putting it off, and eventually there's no time left to do it, and then they’re in trouble. So how do you even raise awareness with people about this? How do you work with them to prepare this? Can you actually raise awareness and make them feel this is a real issue? How do you raise awareness? Well, I have my blog, and that’s probably where I do most of my conversations. I wrote about the 3 Exits Framework. Any chance I get to speak, I always use it to raise awareness around the subject. In my consulting practice, I work with a handful of consulting firms and investment banks. Anytime I get pulled into a conversation about exit planning, I usually just pause for a second and just talk about their life goals.Share on X Like, what do you really want this exit to do for you? Because there are so many things you can do and a million ways to do it. So, what do you really want this exit to mean for you? Also, remember, Uncle Sam is going to take his cut—so not everyone gets the biggest check possible. Usually, what we hear is people say, “I'm just so exhausted. I don't have anything left in me for this thing, and anything I can get for it, I'd be happy to take, as long as it means I don't have to put out every single fire.” And this usually happens because they didn't build good systems to remove themselves from the business. Otherwise, they would've been the chairman, and just meeting with their CEO, who's running the business. That’s usually not the case with these owner-operator businesses. And that doesn't mean they're small, by the way. I mean, they could be running a $50 million business and still the choke point where everything has to run through them and they’re just exhausted and burnt out. Do you think that this AI revolution is going to change things? Is it going to make more people exit-ready because it's easier to create systems? Perhaps. Yeah, I think it's helping the service provider world be more efficient. In my world as a management consultant, I'm 10 times more efficient. I’m sure you’re 10 times more efficient with tools like the one we’re using here, and it just helps us speed things up. I've noticed people use it as a thought partner, as a psychiatrist, even as a best friend. I've seen people go into deep dialogue like, “Should I sell my business? Give me five factors.” The ones who are aware of this are using it fully. The people who aren't are a little behind the times. And then from an operational standpoint, yeah, I mean with the bots and all the many things you could put in your business to make you more efficient, but that doesn’t apply to everybody. I would say there’s going to be a 10 to 20% group of people that are already on it, making it work for them, and then there are the laggards who will probably never touch it. Or is it that—okay, maybe we can be more efficient with AI, but we'll have the appetite to do more, and there will be more complexity? Some things we'll simplify, but we'll create other complexities that replace the previous ones. What do you think about it? Yes. So businesses typically have cycles. There's usually a five- to seven-year cycle where a business hits its peak, and then it starts to trend down. And they usually have some level of innovation that has to reoccur for it to hit another up cycle, and then there will be a down cycle and so on and so forth. So it's always like an up slope after an up slope. When you've been in business for 30 or 40 years, you've gone through multiple rounds of these cycles—three or four rounds of those cycles. What I’m hearing right now is business owners that are, let’s say, at retirement age, they’re saying, “I don't know if I have what it takes to go through this AI cycle. Maybe I had what it took to make it through the eighties, nineties, and two thousands, but now we're in 2026. I’m not sure I’m equipped, or my team who’s also very senior, they don’t feel like they have what it takes to get through that next cycle without hiring young talent. But even then, they don’t really understand what they’re talking about. So there’s this gap. And again, I’m hearing it more and more of people saying, I think now’s the time to get out and let some other company that has gas in the tank, vision, and capacity to come in and do that thing. Yeah, that's interesting. Do you think a multiple-AI–enabled company versus a post-AI company is going to be markedly different? Maybe. Because it all comes down to revenue—it comes down to the revenue story. I'll give you a perfect example. You have a very profitable company, but they're using an old CRM. A new company comes in and says, “Hey, you're already profitable. If we buy you and put in a new CRM, maybe we could be even more profitable.” That’s cool. So we don’t really need you to put in all the tech. We’ll come in and do all that, and then we’ll get the upside on that. Just as long as you’re profitable, as long as you’re profitable, yet you don’t have major client concentration, your business has all the components. A new company with new vision could come in. That would largely be a strategic buyer. The PE buyer, the financial buyer, most likely is going to want to inject capital into your business so you can go and reinvest, and build new tech, or become a platform, whatever you’re going to be. But that would be a different arrangement. So it's basically a numbers issue. It doesn't matter your technological evolution. And maybe it’s even worse if you've already implemented AI and that only allows you to make five million dollars—there's less upside for the buyer. Yeah. The bigger concern is: Is your industry at risk because of AI? Is your particular business at risk? And that's why I think people need to adopt it—so they can say, “No, we're not at risk. We've adopted it, we're applying it in whatever fashion we're doing it, and we're going to see the results.” We've already seen a major downswing in a handful of industries because of AI. I mean, advertising agencies are getting hit really hard. People used to be able to charge for writing press releases, to write blogs, to write social, to do video editing on social media. A lot of that's gone, so the bottom tier of those agencies is just gone—there's no need for them anymore. Do you see people proactively working on making themselves AI-resilient? Everyone knows that they need to do it. Nobody is unaware that today, it’s like websites. There was a time when everyone knew they needed a website. They just didn’t really know how they were going to build it or who was going to build it. They knew it was going to be expensive. It’s kind of where we’re at right now. Everybody knows they need AI. They’re just not exactly sure how they need AI, what it can actually, literally do for them.I think for some people, that big dream that it was going to do everything quickly got taken off the tableShare on X and they say, okay, we could do this much, but even this much is make me very effective. But it’s just not going to do everything. Like, I still need an accountant. I still need an account manager. I still need someone to do these things, but maybe I don’t need as many people as I once did. So we’re seeing kind of some leveling off there. But I would say largely most people don’t know what AI can do for them, and they’re not really prepared to make those investments. We have a client right now that just made a half million dollar investment into an RFP tool that’s going to help them move faster than their competitors, submit more on RFPs, build everything out in a very complicated way, but they’re making a half million dollar investment. How many companies out there are saying, let’s go, give me the invoice. I’m ready to roll. There’s still a lot of pause there. What you're describing feels more like a defensive play—okay, we know AI is coming, so we have to implement some AI tools. But I’m thinking more about the big picture. Is my industry going to be disrupted by AI? And how do I pivot my business before I lose momentum, so I become like Netflix—going from a video rental company to a streaming company? Yep. Do you see companies rethinking their business model? I think from what I’ve seen, people are rethinking everything—top to bottom. Because you have to start with labor. That’s usually where people start. “AI can do all these things—do I need less talent on the deck?” And if I do, then what can AI do so I don’t have such heavy overhead? Because overhead is also liability, and it has this employment risk behind it. So if you can go from a thousand staff to 800 or 750, great, let’s do it—why wouldn't you do it? Most people are saying, “Let's figure that part out first.” The next thing is the industry disruption, which is what’s our competitors doing to service clients better, manufacture faster, or do things cheaper, so then we’re not left in the dust. So from a production standpoint, we need to figure this out quickly. What I'd say—what I do—is, as an analyst, as a consultant and advisor coming in, that's why I built my AI. I built my AI to fire myself. I basically said, “What I used to do as a management consultant is now irrelevant, because AI is better than me.” So let me just build the digital me and not worry about that side of my business anymore. So I just don’t worry about that anymore. I don’t even really take on assignments that I used to, because AI can do it better and faster. Now, if you want to hire me and allow me to use my AI tool to handle the technical work, I'm more than happy to do that. But I'll tell you firsthand—save your money. So you're giving it away, or are you selling it? Yeah, it's free. It's free. It's on ChatGPT. What people can’t do is sit down and have an honest, sincere conversation and ask them the hard questions and challenge them. That's where AI still lacks the human component. I can take a client and say, “Hey, let's hang out. Let's get lunch. Let's go play golf. Let's bring in your kids. Let's talk to your kids. Let's talk about the family dynamic.” Let’s just have a sincere conversation. Let me hold space and create a forum where I can hear people. And that human component is the only thing that I’m worried, like I’m working on now. I'm out of the technical side, because that part of my job is gone. So fascinating. So does it mean you have to be more of a social animal? I think so. If you're not going to be a social animal and you're just going to sit at your desk, you should probably be building software using tools like Replit, n8n, or any of these different software tools and just go all in.Share on X But the way we used to do it—you probably see this on LinkedIn, with all the bots on LinkedIn, it’s not what it used to be. It used to be a place where you had a handful of connections and actually met people. Now it’s just so overrun with the bots. It’s like I don’t even want to accept connections anymore. I'd much rather have a conversation like this. To me, this is the future. Yeah. But maybe we connected originally through LinkedIn. I don’t know where, how we connected, but we may have have connected through a bot—actually. It’s possible. Yeah. It’s possible. But I'll tell you, I connect with maybe one or two percent of people now. Previously, because I didn't get so many inbound inquiries, I would connect with more, because I felt like there was a sincere person on the other end. Now, I really don't know. I've become very skeptical. Yeah, I'm with you. Let's switch gears, because our time is running out. And there are a couple of things that in our pre-interview you talked about, and one was minimalism. Yeah. What is minimalism? How do you do it? And what’s a low-hanging way to start to become a minimalist? It's kind of like that first-principles idea of what really matters. It’s essentialism. It’s kind of getting down to the one thing, that was my recent blog, if there was only one thing you could do this year, but it would make all the difference, what would it be? And anything that gets in the way of that one thing is just noise. For me, minimalism is really about reduction, and kind of getting rid, and being aware and cognizant of things that really shouldn't be on your desk, on your to-do list.Share on X And using AI tools and assistance to get rid of everything that’s low-level activity. If you think of a pyramid, at the very top is where the most value that you can add would be. But yet we spend all of our time, if this is a time pyramid, most of our time is spent at the bottom, the wide part that pretty much anyone can do. So we kind of got to invert the pyramid. To get there, you have to reduce and extract. To protect your time, you have to treat it as very precious and focus only on the most important thing at all times. It is a very hard thing for all professionals to do, and it’s always been a hard thing, but I just take it upon myself and say, okay, well, as a minimalist, I mean, if you were to come to my house and see how sparse my furniture is on purpose. How sparse my closet is on purpose. I’m trying to get rid of options. It's like Steve Jobs and the black turtleneck—if I have one less thing, because I can only make so many choices and decisions in a given day, let me spend my time on the things that are the most important and most impactful.Share on X And that’s not always, because it’s going to put millions of dollars in my bank account. Sometimes it’s just helps me sleep better at night. So I don’t need 50 clients. If I’m going to have 50 headaches. What if I just have five clients? And every one of those was one that I felt very good about, and that would allowed me to charge more. It allowed me to go deeper with them. It's that concept—then you're free to see where your scalable opportunities are. It's the story I told you about a monk who was carving away at this beautiful elephant. Someone walks up and asks, “How did you learn to do this, carving away this elephant in the stone? And he says, Oh, I just chip away everything that's not the elephant. So for me, I have to have a very clear picture of what the elephant is. I have to see the picture in my brain first—like what my life is, what I’m trying to build, how good of a dad I’m trying to be, how good of a husband I’m trying to be, how good of a business partner or a service provider, an advisor. This is my life’s work as a masterpiece, so let me just get rid of anything that doesn’t belong as part of that picture. So that, to me, is kind of how I would explain it. And my approach toward it is I just get rid of everything. It’s not about accumulation. I don't really need more information, because AI already has all the information. Anything I'm going to absorb, I have to be very intentional about—why am I reading it? I see all the books on your shelf. I could show you my bookshelf—tons of books, right? I feel like I've read them all. Am I going to learn anything new? I could also just go back to the books I've already read. I try to highlight them and stuff, but it's like, what more do I need at this point? Yeah. So I’m wondering about this idea of a lifestyle business versus a growth business. Because what I see is that people who are building a lifestyle business, it’s easier for them to be a minimalist. Because you just do this most valuable thing. You don’t have to build the business. You don’t have to worry about necessarily all the other people, systems, and processes, or making sure of quality control. You just do your high-value work, and at the end of the day, you can put things down and relax. Whereas a growth business, it's different. I would say with the clients that I have—some have thousands of employees, some have hundreds—I still encourage them to reduce and subtract. Even though they're in high-growth, highly scalable businesses, sometimes the conversation is: How many direct reports do you have, and why do you have that many direct reports? How are you delegating? How are you giving authority? How are you limiting all the inputs? Because a lot of it is noise in your given day. So how do I make your day a little more silent so you can have a little more peace to make better decisions while you run this highly scalable business? Just because you're scaling doesn't mean it needs to be pure chaos. That's what people think—they think, “Oh, if I scale, that means chaos.” I'm anti-chaos. Okay. But let me ask you this: Two of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time are Elon Musk and Jensen Huang. Elon Musk runs six companies, so he's got a lot of direct reports and goes deep in each of them. And then Jensen Huang has, I don't know, 20, 30, or 40 direct reports—he basically has a million direct reports as well. And that actually allows them to be closer to decisions and make sure things don't go off the rails and their vision gets manifested. So that's what I'm kind of wondering—whether minimalism means you're going to, maybe the flip side is you have to accept less growth, or maybe not. So I’ve met with a lot of entrepreneurs in my life. Not one of them has been Elon Musk. So I would say we’re looking at the median of entrepreneurs, the average entrepreneur. Those are the people I deal with. I’m not dealing with Elon Musk. I would love to, but I don’t have those types. I have the family-owned business who took it over from their dad and they’ve been running it for 50 years, and he has 250 employees, and he’s got pure chaos, and I’m getting the call to go in and try to sort him out. These are not always the highly sophisticated Steve Jobs types of the world. If you really take a look under the hood with Elon—I read his book and listened to the audiobook with my kids, so I'm very familiar with his story, because I've heard it twice now—what they don't really mention is all the heroes underneath Elon. He wouldn't be who he is without all the many heroes, all the systems, and the Six Sigma and other processes and procedures. That's not to say he doesn't take a deep analytical look at everything, but who are those heroes and what are the processes? I'm far more interested in hearing about his VP of Operations than about Elon. Because what has his VP of Operations worked out? What systems have they implemented that allow him to scale and build a Tesla? Or his COO, like, what do they have going on? Elon's a face. Elon's a madman. He creates all this momentum and chaos, and then he has teams of people behind him who make sense and order out of that chaos. That's why you have what you have with Tesla. If he were just Elon Chaos, without that, I don't believe he would be where he is. But he had people that wanted to get in line. He had a lot of people that wanted to get in line. They believed in his vision. He had huge visions, and it's very inspiring to get behind those visions. Then they say, “Okay, give me the ball. We'll create the infrastructure that allows this thing to take off.” So I'm far more interested in the infrastructure that allows for that scale. I agree. I'm just thinking whether there is this kind of dichotomy. Because I see that many entrepreneurs—when I was an investment banker—until they sold their business, they were not able to have that simple lifestyle they perhaps desired, because they were building, they were reinvesting. And it wasn't just reinvesting their cash—they were reinvesting their time. So every time they simplified, that was the opportunity cost of not using that time to improve their business. So they plowed it back in, plowed it back in. Well, it's kind of like the E-Myth is a bit skewed. It's almost like the E-Myth is a myth. E-Myth is a dream—a dream that you can work on your business, step out completely, and everything about it runs itself. It doesn't really work that way. If you're going to be a successful entrepreneur, you're going to have late nights, long weekends, and you're going to feel like every major problem is your own because you're taking all the legal risks. I'm not telling people not to scale. I'm not telling them not to have chaos. What I'm trying to help them do is get clear on what they consider to be important. And not get killed in the process, and not get divorced. Statistically, that can happen—the more successful someone gets. Yeah, it does. Because our time becomes much more valuable, and at some point, it's really hard to say no to the million-dollar hour—to spend that hour watching Netflix with your spouse, right? Exactly. Just feels harder to do. Exactly. Yeah. That was good. Alright, well, I enjoyed this tremendously. So one more question, one more question that I have to ask you. You talk about this $3 million rule—what do you mean by that? That’s a really interesting concept. Yeah. So most small businesses get stuck around $3 million, statistically. The question is, why? Why do they get stuck there? A large majority gets stuck and it’s because they create a lifestyle for themself around $3 million. They’re taking enough off the table that they would never be able to find a job that would be able to replace that type of income. So they've made their small business their sole business, their job, and they say, “This is good enough for me,” because let's say half a million dollars, more or less, is going into their bank. They're filling up their 401(k), sending their kids to private school, giving themselves big bonuses. If they're profitable, they don't really see the need to take more risks or double down to go past that wall. I've seen many businesses kind of stay there. They’ll go fluctuate up and down through the years, but more or less they’ll hit that wall. They could stay there for 20 years and never make any progress. It’s not until they put on new thinking and say, we’re going to grow through acquisitions, we’re going to target a different market, new products, we’re going to innovate in some way. But that takes extra gas in the tank. Sometimes, a lot of entrepreneurs, once they hit that first level of success, say, “This is good enough for me,” because it usually takes them about five to seven years to get to that first major breathing point. They're not hungry enough anymore. Exactly. Does someone has to be a little crazy to still want to eat more, even though they're already full? Yeah. Some people are just wired that way. Some people just more and more, and that's no slight against them. They're never satisfied. They always want more—another dollar, another nickel. If they saw a nickel on the floor, they would stop and pick it up. They want every piece of everything. And those people usually are the ones that go and go and go and go. They’re usually the ones that just keep going because it’s an insatiable appetite. I'm not talking about people who get—well, I don't want to call it lucky—but sometimes things do fall out of the sky. Sometimes a big client falls out of the sky, or an opportunity opens up, and people are smart enough to buy their competitor when the competitor approaches them. Or sometimes they make these little moves, and that gives them a leap. I’m not talking about those people. Those are outliers to me. I’m talking about your average entrepreneur that built a $3 million business on his own with no major clients falling, just hard work, blood, sweat in tears. The average Joe typically gets stuck around that $3 million. Yeah, that’s interesting. Fascinating. Alright, well, if you don't want to be stuck around $3 million, or if you want to get to the next level, then reach out to Tim and check out what he’s doing. So where can our listeners find you? Where can our listeners find you if they want to learn with you, learn about you, read your Substack, read your books? Where should they go? Just go to Google or AI and type in Tim “The Inside Man” Martinez. The Inside Man is an acronym for Tim. You'll find my LinkedIn—happy to connect with you, just tell me you heard me on Steve's podcast. You can also check out my blog: it's Tim “The Inside Man” on Substack, or go to www.theinsideman.biz, my website. I'd love to connect with anyone. Well, do check out Tim's Substack—it's awesome. You're going to get more of what you heard on this podcast. And if you enjoy listening, make sure you follow us. Subscribe on YouTube, LinkedIn, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts, because every week I'm inviting—and luckily more and more people want to come on the show—to have a conversation. So thank you, Tim, for coming, and thank you for listening. Important Links: Tim's LinkedIn Tim's website
Send me a text message and get your questions answered on the podcast! I'd love to hear from you! “The market is too crowded.”“There's too much competition.”“Everyone's already doing what I do.”If you've ever said that (or quietly believed it), this episode is for you.In this conversation, we're unpacking one of the most common (and costly) lies I hear from brilliant consultants, strategists, and experts: that market saturation means it's time to pivot… or give up.Having difficulty breaking through a crowded market doesn't mean there's a lack of opportunity. It signals that at least one major thing needs adjustment.In this episode, is where we will break it all down.What I know for sure is that most people who say “the market is too crowded” aren't wrong, they're just unclear.If you want more conversations like this, subscribe to the podcast. And if you want clarity right now, take my free two-minute quiz to see why your intelligence, experience, and ideas aren't yet turning into the income, visibility, and recognition they should.https://drangelinadavis.myflodesk.com/authorityLet's Connect! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drangelinadavis/Also, you can watch this episode on YouTube! Click here to tune in.
You don't need luck to double your consulting business. It's possible for you, and even to double your revenue without working more.In this episode, I share the behind-the-scenes of how one consultant went from plateauing at $258K to generating $514K, without working more hours.This isn't a theory or case study. It's a real-life client example.You'll hear the five business shifts that made this growth possible and how each one can apply to your business right now, regardless of whether you're at $150K or already at a million.The key theme?Growth didn't come from overworking. It came from commitment, capacity, discipline, and a willingness to challenge how he saw himself as a business owner.If you've been hovering at the same revenue for months or years, this episode gives you a path to break through your plateau.What you will learn in this episode:[06:40] The mindset shift that unlocks consistent revenue growth (and why many consultants unknowingly stall out right before the breakthrough)[08:55] How to value your capacity and stop undervaluing your time, even if you don't bill hourly[12:15] The internal identity shift from executor to advisor and how it changes everything about your business model[17:50] Why quarterly targets helped normalize higher revenue (and how to stop operating from a corporate salary mindset)[21:30] How to refine your demand engine without piling on more tactics so you're not relying on hope or luck to fill your pipelineTune into Episode 255 to see what doubling the revenue of your independent consulting business can actually look like and how these same principles can apply at any revenue level.Mentioned ResourcesCompanion Resource: Download the Double Your Consulting Business Workbook, https://www.melisaliberman.com/double Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-255Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanMentioned in this Episode:Join the Lead Gen Sprint Waitlist - www.ConsultantSprint.comEpisode 060 – The 3 Sales Mindset Shifts for Independent Consultants, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/?s=60 ️Episode 061 – What's Standing In the Way of You Making More Money With Less Worry In Your Consulting Business, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-61/#more-1297 Episode 200 - What's Possible for your Consulting Business, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-200/#more-2584 Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
In this week's episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, originally broadcast in June 2025, I spoke to Joanna Lott about the realities of building a coaching or consulting business from the ground up. We explored the challenges new entrepreneurs face, from defining a niche and mastering marketing to overcoming visibility fears and developing a strong money mindset. Joanna also shared practical advice on leveraging personal connections, adapting to client needs, and embracing the messy, rewarding journey of entrepreneurship. Whether you're just starting out or refining your approach, this episode offers actionable insights for growing a thriving consulting business. In This Episode: [00:00:00] Joanna shares her background and motivation for helping coaches. [00:01:17] Discussion about the gap between coach training and actually building a business, and the misleading promises from training organizations. [00:03:21] Joanna describes the shock new coaches face regarding marketing, sales, and the importance of niching. [00:05:20] Clarifying the focus on executive and corporate-facing coaching, and the dual audience of organizations and individuals. [00:09:15] Advice on aligning marketing messages to organizational pain points and the importance of targeting decision-makers. [00:11:45] Joanna's advice on choosing a specialism, researching organizational needs, and being open in client conversations. [00:15:10] Discussing the discomfort around sales, visibility, and the money mindset issues new coaches face. [00:17:17] The value of reaching out to existing contacts for leads, and the vulnerability involved in doing so. [00:21:00] Stories about landing first contracts, learning to ask about budgets, and the evolution of pricing confidence. [00:23:58] The importance of being willing to fail, adapt, and learn from missed opportunities in proposal and offer development. [00:25:16] Encouragement to embrace high-ticket pricing and the reality that there's no single "right" answer in new service creation. [00:28:36] The role of resilience in entrepreneurship, celebrating growth milestones, and the emotional rollercoaster of early business. [00:31:58] Recognizing that business growth takes time, and the need to persist through uncertainty and discomfort. [00:34:40] Stories of how both hosts' businesses changed over time, and the importance of letting your brand and offers evolve. [00:38:38] Practical advice for new coaches. Key Takeaways: Visibility, sales resistance, and money mindset are the biggest hurdles. Getting over the fear of being seen and learning to confidently price your services are non-negotiables if you want to grow. Many high-value corporate contracts begin with a simple message to a past colleague. Be clear, be specific and always end with a question, not a full stop. Successful proposals start with curiosity. Don't cling too tightly to a pre-planned offer - let conversations with organizations shape what you deliver and how you position it. Quotes: "The heartbreaking thing is that people just don't buy freedom or having a great life. They don't buy coaching. They buy the result that they want." - Joanna Lott "I find clients get very attached to their offer. … If they just take a step back and really, really listen in those conversations, they could gain more opportunities. Because if you're trying to only pitch your one little offer that you've got in your head that you want to sell, it's really tricky. Get the other person talking as much as possible as to what their challenges are, and then essentially use your coaching skills to reflect everything you heard and decide at that point, if that's something that you want to offer or not." - Joanna Lott "So I think it is being willing to learn and fail in public in front of people that perhaps you used to know. And yeah, not always knowing the right answers… There is no one right figure that's going to mean you are 100% guaranteed to get this contract." - Joanna Lott "We can only learn in the trenches, in the sandbox, by getting our hands and feet dirty. That's the way it has to be." - Jessica Fearnley "I often find those conversations that I get my clients having have a really fruitful outcome in terms of leads and sales. Even this year, I've got several clients who've made multi six-figure deals just by phoning up people that they've known for 20 or 30 years. It's such a quick win, but that can be such an uncomfortable thing to do because all of these things come up, like, 'who am I to ask for this?'" - Jessica Fearnley Useful Links Joanna: JoannaLottCoaching.com 2025 Success Planner for Coaches Women in the Coaching Arena Podcast Jessica: Buy Jessica's book, Too Much, on Amazon Join the Making Your First $100k as a B2B Consultant workshop Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business Leave a rating and review for the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn Guest Bio Joanna Lott is a business coach who helps qualified coaches attract clients with honesty, not hype. As the host of The Women in the Coaching Arena, a top 2.5% globally ranked show, she provides practical strategies to help coaches grow thriving, sustainable businesses. With a track record of successfully selling executive, career and business coaching services to both organisations and individuals, Joanna has now supported hundreds of coaches in building profitable, integrity-driven businesses through strategic marketing. She is an ICF Associate Certified Coach and holds an ILM Level 7 Certificate in Executive Coaching & Mentoring, bringing a wealth of practical experience and professional expertise to her work.
***New Video Alert! I take you behind the curtain of how I stayed on top of the numbers in my business and why my old system finally hit a breaking point. If you're dealing with manual reconciliations, multi-currency headaches, or duplicated invoicing work, you'll relate to this. I'll show you what wasn't working, what I wanted instead, and why I'm confident the move to a cloud system was the right call. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/LfaGUfwStqo Cheers See you over on YouTube David C Barnett #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessBuying #BusinessBroker #BusinessBuyerAdvantage #DavidCBarnett
#745 What if scaling your business didn't require a marketing degree — just the right systems and mindset? In this episode, host Brien Gearin chats with Phil Risher, founder of Phlash Consulting, about how he built a multi-million dollar consulting company from the ground up — without a traditional marketing background. Phil shares his unconventional journey from working at Enterprise Rent-A-Car to living in a school bus, to eventually helping home service businesses scale fast with a unique blend of consulting, content marketing, and strategic partnerships. You'll hear how he transitioned from solopreneur to building a high-performance team, productized his services, and structured his business to run without him in the day-to-day. If you're a service-based entrepreneur looking to grow and systematize your business, this episode is packed with practical strategies and inspiration! (Original Air Date - 5/24/25) What we discuss with Phil: + From school bus living to CEO + Scaling home service businesses + Productizing a service business + Hiring without agency experience + Building referral partnerships + Managing consultants with performance pay + Leveraging CRMs like Jobber + Tracking return on ad spend + Growing through content marketing + Structuring a business for time freedom Thank you, Phil! Check out Phlash Consulting at PhlashConsulting.com. Follow Phil on LinkedIn and YouTube. Watch the video podcast of this episode! To get access to our FREE Business Training course go to MillionaireUniversity.com/training. To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send me a text message and get your questions answered on the podcast! I'd love to hear from you! Welcome to Season 5 of Black Girls Consult TOO!It's 2026 — and the consulting industry has changed.The market is saturated. Information is everywhere. Artificial intelligence is reshaping how expertise is shared. Social media is no longer optional. And the old ways of building a consulting business (i.e., relying solely on referrals, networking nonstop, or chasing RFPs) are no longer enough.But the great part is: you can still build a thriving, profitable consulting business in this new era, if you're willing to do things differently.This season, we're stepping into what I call "New Age Consulting" — a more modern, visible, and intentional way of building authority, attracting clients, and positioning yourself to win in today's global, digital marketplace.In Season 5, we're having real, honest conversations about:Standing out in a crowded consulting marketMarketing and selling your expertise in a modern wayUsing today's tools and platforms to your advantageBuilding a consulting business that is both purpose-driven and highly profitableShowing up visibly while staying true to who you areIf you're ready to up-level, expand your impact, and thrive as a consultant in 2026 and beyond, this is where you need to be.Hit subscribe, follow along, and join us as we grow together in this next chapter of Black Girls Consult TOO!Interested in learning more? Visit https://excelatconsulting.com/
The Shifts That Will Create a Breakthrough Year in Your Consulting BusinessA breakthrough year doesn't come from working harder, getting luckier, or finding the perfect strategy. It comes from changing how you think and operate as a business owner.In this episode, Melisa walks you through why most consultants never experience a true breakthrough year. Not because they're incapable, but because they keep running their business from the same mental operating system that created their current results.If you've hit a plateau or you keep setting bigger goals without seeing meaningful change, this episode will challenge how you think about value, demand, time, revenue, and money itself.Join in as Melisa breaks down the five specific mindset shifts that create real momentum. This isn't motivational fluff. These are practical shifts that change how you make decisions, how you price, how you sell, and how you protect your capacity.A breakthrough year is available to you. But it requires you to stop thinking like a do-er and start thinking like the business owner you already are.What you will learn in this episode:[03:45] Why breakthroughs rarely happen and what actually creates them[07:10] The role emotional capacity plays in achieving bigger goals[12:30] Shift #1. Moving from effort-based value to outcome ownership[15:10] Shift #2. Creating demand instead of waiting for it[18:45] Shift #3. Reframing revenue from income replacement to a revenue engine[22:30] Shift #4. Protecting capacity instead of filling the calendar[26:15] Shift #5. Using money as a strategic tool, not a personal expense[30:10] The three steps to put this episode into action immediatelyTune in to Episode 251 to understand the mindset shifts required to create a breakthrough year that supports both higher revenue and a better life.Mentioned ResourcesCompanion Resources: Download the Independent Consultant's 12-Month Plan Template www.icyearlyplan.com & Melisa's Business Brain Journal https://www.growthatlas.solutions/ Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-251Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanMentioned in this Episode:Join the 2026 Lead Gen Sprint, http://www.consultantsprint.com/ Episode 200 - What's Possible for your Consulting Business, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-200/#more-2584 Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com Running a marketing consulting business is never simple. In uncertain times, it's even harder. Clients are cautious, timelines stretch, and budgets shrink. You know your services create real results, but closing new business feels tougher than ever. If you're not clear and confident in your message, potential clients will hesitate or move on. And the longer you stay vague or unfocused, the more you're stuck in survival mode instead of scaling. So how do you position yourself as the obvious choice, especially when the market feels shaky? In this episode, host Kyle Reed is joined by veteran StoryBrand Certified Guide Kris Jones and StoryBrand's Director of Certification Luke Pastina to explore how to thrive as a messaging expert in a season of economic unpredictability. Kris shares how she's adapted her business, adjusted her rates, and built systems that support both clarity and connection. You'll learn how to uncover your client's real problem, what story actually moves the needle, and why collaboration is key to building a thriving consulting business. If you're trying to grow your marketing practice in uncertain times, listen in to get the blueprint. Hire Kris to get you effective messaging at Red Door Stories and access the free PDF mentioned in this episode. -- Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event! Click HERE to find a StoryBrand certified marketing coach like Kris to help you grow your business! Unlock the power of a framework that works—the StoryBrand Framework at StoryBrand.ai. It's like having the world's best copywriter create high-converting marketing whenever you need it. Start your free 7-day trial at StoryBrand.ai. Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon or wherever you buy books!
Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102 See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/
Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102 See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/
Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102 See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/
In this week’s Throwback Thursday segment, hear how one side hustler launched an app that didn’t take off, but ended up turning that hard-won experience into a consulting service for other early-stage founders. Side Hustle School features a new episode EVERY DAY, featuring detailed case studies of people who earn extra money without quitting their job. This year, the show includes free guided lessons and listener Q&A several days each week. Show notes: SideHustleSchool.com Email: team@sidehustleschool.com Be on the show: SideHustleSchool.com/questions Connect on Instagram: @193countries Visit Chris's main site: ChrisGuillebeau.com Read A Year of Mental Health: yearofmentalhealth.com If you're enjoying the show, please pass it along! It's free and has been published every single day since January 1, 2017. We're also very grateful for your five-star ratings—it shows that people are listening and looking forward to new episodes.