Profitable Joyful Consulting

“You are going to feel that universal connection. You're going to feel something sacred. You're going to feel the change and transformation that happened.” Throughout history, fire has been a symbol of healing, used to mark rites of passage, commemorate key events, and serve as a symbol of clearing the old to make way for the new, connecting us with the cycle of life.  In this episode, we exp...

 “Looking at your wins tells you what's working in your business.” I always kick off my weekly client meetings with a simple, yet incredibly effective question. It orients my clients toward success and starts our meetings on a high-vibe note. But what I love most about this question is it’s like a switch that activates a success-seeking mindset for the entire week.  Asking this powerful...

“Make a master list of every area in your business where you're asking, "How do I...?" and then write the names of those who can help with that problem.” Highly capable women are achievers. They’re used to doing IT ALL on their own. And looking good, while they’re at it. Sound familiar? It’s probably how you’ve gotten through most of your business and personal life. That can be a blessing and a cu...

“When you have someone who owes you money and the only obstacle is you providing an invoice or payment link, then THAT is your highest priority right now.” You just returned to your office after a week away working on-site with clients. You take one look at the “to-dos” waiting for you and feel overwhelmed with no idea where to begin. That ☝️ happened to one of my clients. And she asked for my hel...

  “Base your brand language in actual language that clients use.” The most consequential question for you as a business owner is: What do you want to be known for or known as in your business?  The answer is the foundational piece from which your brand identity will emerge. And while it may seem backward, it’s important that you first have clients before you create your brand.  Why?...

“The problem is where the value is.” Consultants often struggle with two critical questions: How do you decide whether to work with a particular client? And, once you’ve decided you want to, how do you figure out what to charge them?  The answers to these questions are found in the discovery session. When you ask powerful questions, you unlock a wealth of information. This information not onl...

“This question puts you in touch with what you really want to be doing.” Do you ever look back on the week and wonder where all your time went?  Do you have projects and passions you want to pursue but can’t because you don’t have enough time? Where does all that time go?  This week I’m exploring two questions that are SO informative - and frustrating!  Informative because they reve...

“What if we could take all of the behaviors that we have in our lives and do them with the intention as a gift for our future selves?” For decades, I associated the idea of making my bed every.single.day. with external discipline. It felt like something pointless and imposed on me, and that caused me to rebel against that point of view. Then I heard a mind-blowing question that completely changed...

“The root of this question is a scarcity versus an abundance mindset.” As a consultant, do you ever feel like you’re giving away too much? Worried that people could just figure out everything for themselves from what you freely share? I hear these concerns from consultants a lot. And sure, if you’re naive, giving away too much can inadvertently hurt your consulting business (and in some cases, you...

“The answer to this question tells you what is working for you in your marketing.” Ready for more clients? What if I told you that you already know exactly what to do to get more of them?  It’s so much easier to replicate success than it is to pioneer a new path. But how do you know what “success” to replicate? Ask good questions. True to the theme for this season, I share in this episode a p...

“If you had to add $100,000 in the next 30 days, what would you do?” If you want massive growth in the shortest amount of time, just trick your brain into thinking you need to generate $100K in the next 30 days. It’s actually not a trick. I ask this question countless times in my own business and with clients, and the pressure of a 30-day deadline sends the brain searching for some of the best act...

“If you're willing to let go of the struggle and stop believing that everything has to be hard, then you can embrace easy and have a better time in your business.​​” In the early years I was really struggling in my business. Struggling to grow, to figure out who I needed to work with. Struggling with just doing EVERYTHING in the business myself. And that struggle went on for years. I knew the resu...

  “The opposite of intentional is accidental.” Have you ever wondered how you can get more out of yourself or how you can hack your day so that you can be more of your best self? I’m your host, Samantha Hartley, back with Season 16 (!!) of the Profitable Joyful Consulting podcast, and the theme of this season and today’s episode is all about the power of questions. But not just any questions...

“Be reflective and strategic and intentional about the life that you're designing so that you can create the vision that is right for you.” —Joelle K. Jay, Ph. D. Do you have work-life balance? There are only so many hours in the day and there’s only so much of you to go around. So how do you have a work-life balance? Is it even possible?  I don’t have kids, so I know it’s hard to believe me...

"We use non-negotiables to assert our values, protect ourselves and then create boundaries so that we can do our best work." What are the things about which you will not negotiate?  There are always going to be areas for compromise. But I want you to know what you won’t budge on (like not working by the hour, not giving discounts, not taking calls on Fridays, not getting paid beneath a certai...

“What if instead of 25 clients in a year, you had a base of 5 clients you worked with over the course of the whole year? And instead of $5,000 per client, it was $100,000 or $75,000? You would have the foundation of a business that would give you peace of mind.” So many consultants come to me living in the land of one-offs. They might have 25 clients in a year, mainly doing one-time projects. One-...

“By the time women are 12 years old, they have been completely trained with, ‘Say whatever you want to say, but don't upset anybody and be nice.’” - Tracy Goodwin   Women are programmed to be nice and quiet, to ask permission, to be tentative, to make all these sounds that make a person go, “Nope, I don’t want to listen to her.” We’re often stuck between a rock and a hard place when it c...

“Better and more sleep means you're going to be a better consultant.” As consultants, we can't be chronically under-rested. You need to be at your best. And if you're trying to build your company and really bring value to your clients, then you have to take care of yourself. You’ve got to sleep better, sleep more, and get quality sleep so you’re refreshed and regenerated. The cornerstone of self-c...

“When you really own your cash flow and you're comfortable with your cash flow, you really do improve your quality of life.” - Jen Sapel Have you ever been in a situation where your team members, contractors, or employees got paid but at the end of the month there was nothing left for you? Whether you’ve been coming last in your business or you’re just excited to build more cash flow, tune in to t...

“Executive presence is how we're showing up fully." — Bofta Yimam Executive presence leads to more confidence, authority, and credibility — which brings increased engagement, increased interest, and potentially increased revenue. We can’t talk about being a woman and having executive presence without talking about our appearance. Whether it benefits us or causes discrimination against us, how we l...

“I want you to command prices that are commensurate with the value you are bringing your clients.” I see male consultants charging $300,000+ for an engagement, but I’ll see a woman consultant really struggle to say a number like $30,000 for similar work. There are tons of reasons for that (which we’ll get into in this episode), but the bottom line is: I want you to charge what you want for your se...

“We want to be able to be at choice with money.” Financial risk is a part of life and business, but we need to be smart about those risks.  This week’s episode of the Profitable Joyful Consulting podcast is all about empowering you to prepare better for the five most common financial risks we as women business owners may encounter.  Inside, my guest Jen Sapel shares how to protect yourse...

"So many of us are taught to be hidden gems and to wait for someone else to choose you.” - Lisa Bragg Do you struggle to talk about yourself, share your amazing work, ask for testimonials, and share your success stories? Way too many women do - and it affects their ability to get clients, charge higher prices and earn more.  It shouldn’t be that way!  Talking about the good you do can fe...

“You can’t sustainably do everything yourself.”  How do we ask for help? Why is it so hard to do that? And how can we do so without destroying credibility, making ourselves feel weak, or making others think we’re unreliable? I work with a lot of fiercely independent women who are absolutely killing it. Many of them are telling themselves the same stories I used to tell myself about why I shou...

“Do you tend to give away your power? And if so, to whom?” I grew up in an environment where women were very much in competition with one another, and I told myself it was easier to deal with men. It was super destructive, but empowering other women wasn’t always a priority for me.  It took time, but eventually I realized how much I had internalized misogyny and patriarchy (and how much I bel...