The 2x2 for Consultants

Sam Shar went from selling luxury homes to running a consulting firm. Turns out, he didn't have to relearn how to sell.  After building a successful career in luxury real estate, Sam’s life took an unexpected turn. After a series of life-changing events unfolding within months, he found himself leading a consulting business his father founded, in an industry he never planned to enter.  But Sam qui...

What’s it like to leave corporate life in D.C. for consulting work in Panama? I sat down with Kari Huske to talk about her bold career shift, the power of stepping outside your comfort zone, and how she’s building a consulting practice abroad. We also covered her work with Strategy Tools, work-life balance, and landing clients big and small through strong networks.

Turn a ‘no no’ into a ‘yes yes’. Vindali Vartak spent most of her career in the healthcare industry, mostly in value-based care. Her leap to consulting hasn’t been an easy journey, but she managed to secure four clients (in one year) through perseverance and resilience. In this interview, Vindali takes us through her early journey as a consultant and gives us some golden nuggets from which every n...

What keeps work interesting for you? I sat down with Dana Hager to talk about career transitions, the leap from corporate to independent work, and embracing flexibility (geographically and otherwise). We also got into the “squirrel mentality,” staying engaged, and what it really takes to build a path that fits *you*.

How do you go from BCG to startups—and homeschool your kids along the way? I sat down with Amelia Waters to talk about career transitions, managing operational chaos, and what it means to build a life that works on your terms. We also got into learning science, work-from-home flexibility, and raising curious kids while leading big projects.

Susan Dabbar never really retired. She just keeps climbing uphill.    She's designed nuclear submarines, played professional poker in Russia, built and sold an educational consulting practice. Then, at an age when most people retire, she launched PROVOKEDmagazine , a media company for women over 60 that's already hit 45,000 subscribers with a team of 20+ writers.    For Susan, every new chapter is...

Leaving a prestigious job and starting a consulting business is a hard decision that every independent consultant had to face.    But Pradnya Haldipur did it and she did it successfully – no consulting business plan involved.    She left a senior role at Doctors Without Borders to start a consulting company. Twelve months in, she was doing better than she'd expected.    We first talked to Pradnya...

For PropelGrowth CEO Candyce Edelen , sales calls and transcripts are a gold mine if you’re looking to build an authentic brand as a fractional executive.    With some of the best AI tools for marketing today, extracting ideas from those assets is easier and faster than ever. Finding the message-market fit hidden in the transcripts is the key to writing thought leadership content that resonates. ...

Angie Jones knows how hard it is to establish a personal branding for consultants. Even after years in publishing and marketing, she still struggled to find an authentic personal brand as a fractional executive.    After all, you can’t read the label from inside the bottle.    In this first part of our Win Trust, Win Six Figures podcast series, Angie lays out the how-to’s of narrowing your experti...

What if business education actually felt like... doing business? I sat down with Megan Fanale, COO of Ability, to talk about how their simulations help people build real-world financial acumen—especially when it comes to P&L management. We also covered how AI is changing practice conversations and why hands-on learning beats theory every time.

How does a former college football player turn to consultant—and stay grounded along the way? I sat down with Dokun Olagoke to talk about balance, business, and the lessons he’s carried from jujitsu mats to real estate deals. We also touched on why strong relationships are at the center of everything he does.

Most people learn about cash flow from a CFO. Allison Sutera learned it the hard way—as the person responsible for running the business.  After leading P&Ls at PepsiCo, Aramark, and SIG North America, she discovered that improving cash isn't about collecting invoices faster. It's about fixing the way the business operates.  In this conversation, she shares the lessons every operator, consultan...

Most people don't wake up one day and decide to become an independent consultant.    It's the kind of decision that starts with a career change, a push from circumstance, or a feeling that there's something better on the other side of corporate life.    In this episode, I’m giving you a glimpse of my journey — from an unexpected exit to building a consulting business. I'm also answering questions...

What happens when academia meets consulting? I sat down with Erin Flynn to talk about balancing life as a professor at Bentley and an independent consultant—and how each role sharpens the other. We got into strategy, marketing, DEI, and why following your curiosity can lead to a more aligned (and more interesting) career.

Can move from strategy to execution—without losing momentum? I sat down with Carly McLandrich to talk about building trust through quick wins, asking smarter questions, and making processes work with your team, not against them. We also touched on tools like Office Timeline Pro that help keep projects on track.

What does multicultural inclusion really mean? I sat down with Sandhya Jain-Patel —founder of CulturePRISM and co-author of Beyond Diversity—to talk about authentic storytelling, lived experiences, and why culture is way more than a checkbox. We also touched on her journey from Christie’s to Disney, and what companies get wrong (and right) in their DEI efforts.

One of the questions I get asked all the time is whether consultants should be paid for referring business to someone else.    The answer is yes, but I understand the hesitation. Asking for compensation can feel awkward, especially when all you're doing is making an introduction.    But here's the way I think about it: when you refer someone, you're creating value for everyone involved. You're hel...

You don't have to wait until retirement to reinvent your career.    Namrata Sarmah followed the traditional path all the way to the C-suite before realizing there was more than one way to be successful.    Today, she advises PE-backed companies as a product leader, runs global leadership communities, and helps executives create what she calls a plural career.    If you've ever wondered what comes...

High-performing people like consultants use anxiety as fuel. It helps us push harder, solve problems faster, and achieve more. In small doses, that’s helpful to keep us moving. The challenge is that anxiety is also a signal from the nervous system. If we never learn how to manage it, the same thing that drives performance can eventually lead to burnout, overwhelm, and unhealthy habits. And whether...

What comes after a decade at BCG? I sat down with Michael Stutts to talk about his path from consulting to executive leadership—and how personal branding and clear communication shaped the journey. We also touched on his book, There's No Room Service at the Psych Ward, and why mental health deserves more airtime in the business world. 👉 Get a copy of his book: https://www.amazon.com/Theres-Room-S...

Troy Ruemping has spent his career asking the question most consultants skip: what problem are we actually solving? He's done it at McKinsey, at the Big Four, and now while splitting his time between independent consulting and building his own food tech venture. In this conversation, Troy breaks down the discipline behind great strategy work — and what happens when you take those skills into an en...

We've always been told the same story about building a business: network hard, move fast, say yes to every opportunity.    Sudeshna Sen believed it too – until she left corporate and tried to build something of her own.    That’s when she realized the playbook we know isn’t always the answer.    What she found, after slowing down and actually listening to other founders, was that their problem ran...

There’s a version of indie consulting that isn’t talked about openly.    Not the glamorous ‘build your personal brand and land dream clients.’ But the actual mechanics of how many consultants find work: through hiring companies and curated networks that connect talent with clients.    And depending on who you ask, those companies are either a shortcut or great opportunities – or middlemen taking c...

How do you keep a product relevant when the market won’t sit still? I sat down with Kris Hardy to talk about product refresh cycles, why customer insights matter more than ever, and how smart collaboration between product and sales teams can drive real innovation.

The more your money you make, the more complicated it gets to manage it. Think taxes, structure, payroll – and a whole set of decisions no one teaches you how to make. But Lorie Jones , founder of Fearless Financial Advisors , has built her career helping founders manage what comes next financially. In this conversation, we go deep into the three stages every founder goes through – and how to navi...