Art of Consulting Podcast

In this episode we discuss how many consultants carry through an immature view of competition of their youth. We discuss how changing your view of competition causes more accountability and puts you in the driver's seat for your success.

In this episode we discuss how to problem solve a process. This systematic approach to solving a problem that occurs in a process will help you solve problems quicker and have a method to prove out your results. Many people are guessing when trying to problem solve but these approaches will help you every time a process fails. 

In this episode Cat and Andy discuss the fact that many people who want to go on their own and start their own venture are stuck with the worry that they don't know what do to bridge the earning gap between employment and self-employment. Many think they must quit their current job before beginning out on their own. Cat and Andy discuss this myth and much more on venturing out on your own. 

Andy and Cat conduct a master class that reveals the 5 things successful IT consultants have in common, and what everyone else misses. If you think you have what it takes to become self-employed, then plug in and see how you measure up in each of these steps. In this episode, we discuss: How to get a significant jump in income without having to go back to school or going to a completely different...

In this episode we discuss in more detail on fear plays its role after the epiphany or the aha moment. We talk about: - the three directions that fear will drive someone - why it's important to get out of Dreamland - how you can use fear to direct you to your goals  

How many times have you heard about that 'Eureka' moment.. or the 'Aha' moment? Really it means more than you think. And when you think about it, the root of the motivation is surprisingly different than you think.   In this episode, we discuss: Why the Aha moment has more than one meaning How it could backfire if not engaged optimally And how to harness its power to reach the crap out of your goa...

In this episode Andy discusses Compound Interest of Learning. He explains the concept of Compound Interest of Learning and how applying small lessons will improve your life immensely.  He also discusses how using this one approach can help you complete 30 to 35 books per year allowing you to be exposed to hundreds of lessons to improve your life and career.  

In this episode we discuss 7 steps to dealing with when your expectations are not met and disappointment strikes. in Episode 39 we discuss how to prepare for disappointment but in this episode we talk about about what you can do when you are disappointed and your expectations are not met.  Successfully dealing with disappointment and missed expectations is one skill that successful people have. Th...

Connections has had somewhat of a bad rep over the years. Sure we all know deep down that they are important, but many times, we feel guilty about capitalizing on them. We seem to confuse it with nepotism. Yet they are fundamentally opposite of each other.   In this solo round, we're going to dive into: Whether or not having connections is better than being technically competent One key success fa...

Dealing with disappointment is a skill that all successful people have. In this episode we talk about 7 things that you can do ahead of time that will better prepare yourself for when disappointment happens.  All human beings experience disappointment and it is unavoidable. It is how we deal with it or prepare to deal with it that can separate us from others.  We discuss: -why dealing with disappo...

In this episode Andy identifies 7 steps that you can use when someone does something to upset you. He uses an example of when he unknowingly cut in line in the airport and upset another person.  He'll provide the 7 steps as well as something that you can use to make yourself feel more powerful when someone does something to upset you. 

In this episode Andy interviews Tracy Enos. Tracy is the author of the best selling book LinkedIn Publishing to Profits. Tracy shares with us tips and techniques to better use LinkedIn to show our strengths, generate business and use the tool to effectively generate more income.  

In this episode Andy discusses how writing can help improve your career. He discusses the fact that most people suffer from obscurity and that writing can help you be better known in your industry.  He discusses: - a three (3) step process to writing  - an approach to writing articles  - one step that is the most difficult in the writing process      

In this episode Andy discusses Resistance. Resistance is something everyone faces however it can be something that we can use to our advantage. In this episode we cover: - A book everyone should listen in regards to dealing with resistance - 7 way of dealing with resistance - How smoke is to fire as resistance is to your success

In this episode Cat and Andy discuss some ways to network. They explain often our resistance to initiating contact with someone new reverts back to our childhood.  They discuss: - methods of networking at conferences - ways to prepare for meeting the right people while at conferences - tips of dealing with anxiety when in a room with new people Andy tells the story of Atlanta Braves baseball GM Al...

What's the real deal about education anyway? Back in the day, it was so very special to have, but today... everyone and their dog has a degree. In this episode we're going to take a dive into:   - How instrumental your life's learning to your life's accomplishments - Where we develop the skills that are crucial to our success, and what those are. - How there's no such thing as one perfect environm...

Passive income is discussed often today in business circles especially when it comes to self employed individuals. Also the development of Specialized Skills is encouraged by most however few people provide a clear framework on what this means.  In this Episode  Cat and Andy discuss Passive Income as well as General and Specialized Skills. They will discuss: -their definition of Passive Income - w...

In this episode Cat and Andy discuss Cash Flow and Invoicing techniques. Invoicing is one of the necessary tasks of being an independent consultant. Also managing cash flow effectively reduces stress and puts you in a position to better manage your personal and business finances. This will help you setup procedures to -be paid sooner - know how much money you will need when you go on your own - va...

In this second part of a two part episode Cat and Andy discuss Business Travel. They discuss how preparing at this time sets you up to having a great and successful day. 

Business travel is a fact of life for a consultant. Although it can be difficult, or pleasurable, to travel for business there are many ways to make your trip more enjoyable and with less challenges.   In this Episode Travel hacks to make business travel easier Mistakes Andy and Cat have made during their travels Changes to travel expenses in the consulting industry that consultants need to be awa...

There are two kinds of people in this world. Well... actually there are many more than that, but for purposes of our discussion, there are two: Those who need to see first before believiing Those who believe first before seeing. Which type are you? Depending on your answer you may or may not be suited to go into business for yourself.... or create anything of vision actually.   In this Episode How...

In this show Andy discusses business risks and why being aware of these risks can make you a better consultant to your clients. You'll also learn why focusing on one area of risk  will help you make better business decisions. Understanding risk will also help you managing your own career as we are exposed to risks throughout our lives. You'll learn the five (5) major types of risks that businesses...

In this episode Andy discusses some steps to dealing with cultural differences in the workplace. These steps are meant to improve the relationships between co-workers.  

By now, you'd be oblivious to think that you live in a homogeneous cultural society. This is a great episode as Andy and Cat contrast each other in so many different ways, even when we talk about culture. Wherever you are in the world, you'll most definitely have interacted with people of cultures other than your own. I'm not even just talking about one's heritage. There are definitions of culture...

In this episode Cat and Andy discuss some of the aggressive and confrontational events that sometimes occur on a project or at a business. They discuss how to identify when we may be challenging someone's manhood at work and what to do about it.