Consulting Matters

Want to add keynote speaking to one of the things you offer in addition to consulting or coaching, but lack the clarity and confidence to make that happen? Find out how to overcome that with my guest, Dr. Christina Madison , on today’s Consulting Matters podcast. This episode is for anyone who wants to take the stage as a keynote speaker but holds themselves back, feels shy or introverted, and wan...

I want to talk to you today about…marketing. That dreaded part of consulting or coaching business ownership that so many of us want to avoid. Not only does it make us feel ick – like we’re begging for an audience, but also super-vulnerable, especially because as consultants and coaches, we’re the product, we’re the service, we’re the brand. There’s nowhere to hide. I don’t know about you, but this...

Got big visions for your consulting or coaching business?  Chances are you also have big fear and self-doubt. Great news!  I’m going to explain why fear is both an expected, and welcome companion on your journey to growing your own thriving consulting or coaching business and give you the cure for dealing with it on today's Consulting Matters podcast.   Because just when you th...

Want to know the difference between leaving your consulting or coaching success up to chance or creating with strategic intention? Today on the Consulting Matters podcast, we’re getting into the differences between getting clients and building a business and standout brand with my guest and client, Leslie Faircloth. For a lot of us, we get into consulting or coaching after leaving our jobs because...

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your clients isn't to consult or coach them… but to mentor them? We are the ones who guide our clients to achieve their aspirations and become who they are striving to become! We come alongside clients who are in the middle of their heroic journey. So if the client is the hero, then who are we? We are the mentors. We are the guides. We are the Obi-W...

Is your consulting or coaching business in the product, service, or transformation business? Today's episode is all about getting your consulting or coaching business firmly into the transformation business. And that means shifting your perspective on whatever you do with your clients or what you want to sell them from the end… to the means to a bigger end, which is what your clients truly desire…...

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 (...

As consultants and coaches, we know trust is the foundation of any meaningful relationship. And it is especially true in the work we do with our clients. When clients trust us, everything changes. They open up. They share what is really going on. They accept feedback. They take risks. They implement our recommendations. That is when real transformation happens in their careers, businesses, and org...

How do you influence others to change, especially when you don’t have positional authority? You don’t. Find out what to do instead on today’s episode of the Consulting Matters podcast. I've been getting into the real systemic issues on the Consulting Matters podcast that make our influence with clients harder than we might think. A couple of weeks ago, I got into the differences between stakeholde...

Last week I did something different on the podcast. I talked about stakeholder vs. shareholder capitalism... and a lot of you reached out saying "this finally explains everything I've been experiencing." So this week I'm building on that. Because understanding the economic system is one thing. But understanding the management philosophy that flows from it? That's where it gets real. This week's ep...

The best part of my work as a brand positioning and messaging strategist is the vantage point it gives me. I get to see the brilliance of my clients up close and where they truly stand out in the market. I also see the bigger vision so many of you share: workplaces that prioritize people alongside profits, and systems that put humanity first. We may come from OD, Lean, leadership development, chan...

I accidentally started a series sharing all the “AHA” moments I've had about branding for consultants and coaches, inspired by writing my workbook. A couple of weeks ago, I shared the big picture – 5 things I learned in general. Last week, I broke down the three types of expertise . And today, I'm diving into your unique title and why it matters. For instance, imagine you're at a networking event....

Did you know there are three types of expertise that consultants and coaches can use as the foundation of their businesses? I didn’t...until I tore apart my own process for the workbook I’m writing! Even though I’m at the part of the writing process where I HATE my book and want to throw my computer out the window 😩... ...I’m just as excited about the amazing things I discovered that I didn’t kno...

I’ve got some big news! I am finally, finally, finally starting to work on a very long-term goal I’ve had: writing my first book. Well, technically, I’ve decided to make it a workbook. And it’s focused on the brand positioning and messaging process that I have developed, honed, and refined over 10 years of working with hundreds of consultants and coaches. The goal with this workbook, and the reaso...

If you think storytelling is just for the stage, think again. In this week’s episode of Consulting Matters, I sat down with not one but two former Disney executives—brothers Bob and Rick Allen—who know the real power of story: not just to entertain, but to lead, influence, and change minds. Their Disney roots run deep (102 years combined, starting with their dad, who worked alongside Walt himself)...

  So, are you one of those people who like to pick a word to reflect your intention for the year? Well, I am! It took a bit, but I finally figured out my word for 2026, and it’s actually 2 words – meaningful connection. I chose this as my intention for the year because I feel like I’m emerging from the sabbatical cocoon that was a big part of last year. And also because of the joy and fun I h...

We’re at the end of the year, with my final episode of a season that has ultimately been about owning the power of what you do and positioning yourself for the clients, impact, and income you’re ready for. So, it feels exactly right to close the year with pricing expert Casey Brown. I initially invited Casey on the show for her to unpack what she said on her Ted Talk on knowing your worth and ask...

Unsure about your niche... what it is or if you should switch it? That's exactly what we're getting into today. Your niche is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot, and it's the most misunderstood.  Your niche isn't about looking through your strengths and areas of expertise and having to choose one with a Sophie's-Choice-like decision. That is NOT going to work, because a niche is...

Have you lost your business mojo? I’ve been there too. This episode dives into that moment many consultants and coaches experience after they have been at it for a while. You have invested so much time, money, and heart into building a business you once loved, and then, almost without warning, you stopped loving it. It is just not working for you anymore. You might still have clients, but they are...

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve talked about how to tell if you have a brand messaging problem, why it’s worth fixing, and how the sneaky culprit behind fuzzy messaging is the curse of knowledge—a trap that’s so easy for consultants and coaches to fall into. This week, we’re getting into the fix. Or more accurately, my fix. I’m taking you behind the scenes of my brand positioning and messagin...

Is it possible that knowing too much is actually standing between you and the clients you want? In this episode of Consulting Matters , I’m unpacking one of the sneakiest barriers to clear communication— the curse of knowledge. After years of mastering our craft, it’s easy for consultants and coaches like us to forget what it’s like to not know what we know. That’s when jargon, industry terms, and...

What's holding you back from the success and impact you're ready for as a consultant, a coach, a business owner? Is it marketing? Is it fear? Or is it simply unclear and fuzzy brand messaging? Let's dig deeper. How do you feel when someone asks you what you do? Do you feel excitement or dread? Or how easy is it for you to write copy for your website or for your marketing, your LinkedIn bio? Does i...

Turning your consulting or coaching expertise into a product, program, or technology that customers will pay for sounds exciting, but making that shift is not just a minor tweak. It is a complete business transformation that affects everything: • Your offers • Your messaging • Your marketing • Your value proposition • Your entire path to scale If you are feeling the grind of constantly chasing cli...

What does it really take to influence transformational change?  Today we’re getting into the challenge of consulting and coaching in a very unstable world and how to influence leaders to buy-in and lead transformational change when the world is experiencing a historic wave of disruption – economic, political and institutional – unfolding all at once. To help us catalyze real leadership and or...

Do you really stop and celebrate your growth in your big milestones in your consulting or coaching business journey? I know I sure don't. A few weeks ago, I received an award from Kajabi, the platform on which my website is built. They recognized me for earning a million dollars. I'm a "$1 million Superhero," and when I got this award, I felt really weird about it. I wasn't sure what to make of it...