Smart Gets Paid: Business Coaching for Women Consultants

How do you run a successful business, without having any experience working in a business? Join Leah and her sister Ariel as they chat about Ariel's journey from a 14-year teaching career to the brave new world of entrepreneurship. Discover how she discovered the confidence to pursue a longstanding dream, the unexpected secrets to her success, and how she overcame challenges along the way. If you'...

When it comes to nurturing relationships, making an ask, and securing funds, nonprofit fundraisers have a lot they can share with women consultants. Get ready for an eye-opening chat as Leah and Mallory Erickson, coach and consultant for nonprofit fundraisers, as they share the powerful mindsets and tools that help nonprofit fundraisers win, and which can help you in your consulting business. —  ...

Have you ever considered quitting your consulting business for a full-time job? This candid episode explores one consultant's tough decision to do just that. You'll hear hear why she made the shift and how she can apply her business skills in her new role. Leah and her client talk through how to nurture relationships even while she's working for someone else, and steps to prepare for re-entering c...

In this second installment of our Pride Month series and celebration of Leah's 20th anniversary of coming out, she relives her journey from being a self-proclaimed "professional gay" to becoming a successful business owner. Joined by a panel of esteemed LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs - Jennifer Brown, B Pagels-Minor, Eduardo Placer, Nate Shalev, and Claire Wasserman - this episode explores the unexpected wa...

In this Pride Month episode, host Leah celebrates her 20th anniversary of coming out, sharing her journey of self-discovery, the importance of community, and the reality of being queer and a business owner. Leah reflects on the continuous process of coming out, the joys and challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals, and her professional ventures, including co-founding "Lesbians Who Tech." Tune in for...

Sometimes life throws us a curveball that hits us right in the feels, which can also wreak havoc on your business. How do you recover from setbacks and bounce back even stronger? In this episode, Leah chats with Joanna Lovering, an executive presence and leadership coach and consultant, who shares how she navigated a personal difficulty and helped her business bounce back stronger than ever. —   W...

A client relationship, like any relationship, is based on mutual respect. When you sense that a client doesn't respect your work, the relationship can become toxic. Then you're left wondering: how did I get here? And how do I ensure it won't happen again? In this episode, Leah helps a client who's struggling with those questions, and together they discuss how to attract clients who respect your ex...

When consultants are asked what they need to make more money and grow their business, most say "more leads." But you actually don't need as many leads as you think. In this episode, Leah shares the real problem most consultants face (and how to solve it), so you can stop spending so much energy focusing on leads, and get paid more for each client engagement. —   When you're ready to break through...

Do you find yourself yearning to be recognized as a strategic partner by your clients? Are you tired of getting stuck in tactical execution work? Then you're going to want to listen to this episode. In this insightful podcast episode, consultants Sarah and Corey Jackson share their transformative journey from being stuck in the weeds of tactical execution to becoming sought-after strategic consult...

When we take a marketing or sales action towards getting a new consulting client, we all have that little voice that tell us we shouldn't, or we can't, or who are we to think...? We lovingly call this "head trash," and it's the silent confidence killer that can make you play small in your consulting business. In this episode, listen in as we explore the head trash that comes up in selling, and how...

When your consulting business is doing well, it can feel like you got there through luck. But then the thought pops into your head: what if your luck runs out? In this conversation with consultant Meghan Goff, you'll hear how that fear showed up for her, what she did to quiet the fear, and how she learned to not only maintain her business but grow it dramatically.   —   When you're ready to break...

In this candid episode, Leah shares the simple yet powerful mantras that keep her grounded and focused while building her business. Leah explains how she stays patient and present instead of getting caught up in comparison, shiny objects, or trying to force quick wins. She reflects on the daily mental practices that help her show up consistently, avoid burnout, and make incremental progress over t...

When you're a few years into your business, some of that early excitement has subsided, and you're in The Messy Middle, how do you keep growing your business? That's the question Leah is exploring in this episode with Kathryn Janicek. Kathryn has been running her business for eight years, and she'll share the changes she made to increase her revenue by 40%, build her confidence, and continue to gr...

It's hard to feel in control of your business when things feel disorganized. In this episode, join Leah and a client as they dive into the nitty-gritty of getting and staying organized and being more efficient, so you can better lead the sales process, and work smarter. Tune in for some valuable insights, practical tips, and a deep dive into the complexities of running a consulting business.   —  ...

It's a common assumption among women consultants: in order to grow your revenue, you have to either be completely overworked, or build a large agency and take on more work, resulting in overwork and loss of control. In this episode, Leah debunks that assumption and shares four strategies for increasing revenue while keeping the business small, so you can break through the revenue ceiling, while st...

When you’ve spent the first years of your business getting clients through referrals, how do you go from feeling like the passenger in your business, to the driver's seat? In this episode of the Smart Gets Paid podcast, Alex Kreager, PR consultant, will share how she did it. Discover her strategies for client engagement, the pivotal role of LinkedIn, and how she found the confidence and stability...

When we think about running a successful business, we often think of financial profitability. But there are a lot of women making good money, but working way too hard. The reason? Because we've been thinking about profitability all wrong. There isn't just one type of profitability, there are three. And once we know what they are, we can have businesses that are financially profitable, personally r...

What do you do when you're in a sales process with a potential client, but the client dynamic feels a bit off and you start to see some red flags? That's the challenge Leah's client faces in this episode. Listen in as they talk about handling difficult clients, navigating internal dynamics, and setting boundaries to ensure successful client relationships.   —   When you're ready to break through t...

When founder Jill James realized she needed to end her marriage, she faced the challenge of supporting herself and her son alone. Fortunately, the skills she acquired in acquiring clients empowered her to make the decision that was best for her. In this episode, Leah has an insightful conversation with Jill James, her client and dear friend, about how our present business decisions can enable us t...

Have you ever wondered if you could get paid more for your consulting work? Or perhaps you'd like to get paid more, but the story you're telling yourself is that clients won't say yes. If so, don't miss this episode. Listen in as Leah coaches a client on pricing, pricing confidence, and using pricing to build a better relationship with clients. —   When you're ready to break through to the next re...

What can you learn from the worst year of your business? That's the question Leah is diving into today. Leah shares her "year from hell" and the valuable lessons she learned as a business owner. Listen as Leah shares practical tips to help you overcome the challenges faced by women running consulting businesses, such as getting the right clients and getting paid more. Don't spend years asking ques...

Sometimes you find yourself in a perplexing client experience. In this episode, Leah's clients share their confusion as to how a project that started at their standard rate, ended up at one-fifth of the price. In this episode, you'll hear Leah unpack what happened in the sales process, how to develop a profitable client engagement, how to make the most of a not-great situation, and how to avoid it...

How do you get clients beyond people you already know? It's one of the most common challenges women consultants face, and in this episode, Leah and her client talk through how to do it. Listen in to learn how to get clients outside of the people you already know, the mistake that a lot of women make when they try to get outside their network, and how to avoid getting caught flat-footed when you ne...

In this captivating episode, join Leah as she chats with Alicia Johnson, whose consulting business is in emergency management. From being an emergency responder during Hurricane Sandy, to starting consulting as a side hustle, to far exceeding her last job working for someone else, Alicia's story is one of learning to own your expertise, trust yourself, and build relationships. Listen in for a trul...

If you've tried marketing or sales strategies to get clients and they didn't work, you might be wondering what you did wrong. But there's a high likelihood that it was never going to work to begin with for a simple reason. In this podcast episode, discover why these strategies won't work and the key shifts you need to make to succeed. With real-life examples, you'll learn to navigate the confusing...