Thriving Through

"If you try to sell to everybody, you're selling to nobody." - Diego Mangabeira Episode Summary: In this episode, AJ Riedel talks with Diego Mangabeira, a 14-year self-employed sales consultant with IBM and 3M on his resume, about the single positioning mistake that keeps consultants stuck: a too-broad ICP. Diego shares what it actually cost him, in lost conversions, wrong-fit clients, and burnout...

In this episode, AJ Riedel talks with Alison Keutgen, fractional CMO and founder of Inovari, a consulting practice built at the intersection of product innovation and strategic marketing. Two years into running her own practice, Alison shares what she's learned the hard way about feast-or-famine cycles, the hidden cost of being industry agnostic, and why 40 fractional hours can feel like 60. Why Y...

In this episode, AJ Riedel talks with Lindsey Simmons, founder of LindaInHR, a fractional recruiting and HR consulting practice serving B2B SaaS, AI, and tech companies. What sets Lindsey apart: she built a referral-only consulting business that has never had an empty pipeline and she did it while simultaneously launching a second business, Touch Grass, a fly fishing retreat for women leaders in t...

In this episode, Michelle Cook discusses the intersection of tech layoffs and AI implementation, highlighting the challenges faced by executives in the current market. She shares her vision of building a platform to help laid-off executives transition into fractional consulting roles, emphasizing the importance of human intelligence in the workplace. Michelle outlines her strategies for recruitmen...

Most self-employed consultants spend hours writing content—blog posts, articles, LinkedIn updates—only to watch it disappear into the digital void. They post once on LinkedIn and assume the work of getting published will somehow magically bring clients. It won't. The real problem isn't how much you write; it's that you're treating content as a one-and-done checkbox instead of a strategic business...

In this episode, AJ Riedel talks to Hemalatha Chandrasekaran, founder of Upacharah, a consulting firm that helps micro and small businesses move from manual processes to digital tools. Hema brings an uncommon philosophy to consulting, one rooted in ancient Sanskrit tradition, that reframes how she serves clients and differentiates her practice in a crowded market. Why You Should Listen to This Epi...

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Katy Flatt, content operations consultant and founder of The Girl in Question, a content marketing consultancy. Katy brings 9+ years of content marketing agency experience and a rare ability to bridge the gap between creative teams, project execution, and strategic content goals — and she's refreshingly honest about what it's actually like to try to build a...

Most self-employed consultants ignore their bookkeeping until April 1st hits, then panic. Crystal Harrison built SnapTax specifically to solve this problem and in the process, she's sharing what it takes to go from a referral-based bookkeeping business to launching a software product that consultants actually use. In This Episode AJ Riedel talks with Crystal Harrison, founder and CEO of SnapTax, a...

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Sue Begent, Founder of Sue Begent LLC. Sue is a messaging and positioning specialist for solopreneurs who came out of 20 years in pharmaceutical marketing, where she was responsible for global launches of billion-dollar drugs, and now applies that same depth of strategy to consultants and coaches who are tired of sounding like everyone else online.   Why Yo...

Most self-employed consultants rely on the same tired lead generation tactics but the consultants who break through to six figures use a strategy that most of their peers have never considered. In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Bill Boone, Owner of B Squared Marketing LLC and Chief Curator of Best Online Businesses. Bill is a subject matter expert on designing and running virtual summits a...

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Jonathan Spector, Founder of Converge Strategic Partners. Jonathan brings decades of experience in consulting and business development across federal, state, local, and private-sector clients including time leading practices inside a large global firm before going independent. Why You Should Listen to This Episode If you've ever told yourself that your netw...

In this episode of the Thriving Through podcast, Frank Clark shares his journey from corporate America to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of thriving through growth and consistent improvement. He discusses his transition to self-employment, the marketing strategies he employs to build his business, and his vision for scaling Encore Leadership Advisors. Frank also highlights the signif...

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Charla Marshall, Founder and Principal Consultant of DNA-ed Services, LLC. Charla is a forensic geneticist and former Deputy Director of the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory who built a thriving consulting practice in one of the most niche scientific fields in the world, entirely through reputation, without a sales strategy. Why You Should Listen...

What does it really mean to thrive in your career and life? In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, Deepa Patel shares her journey from corporate layoff to building a successful self-employed consulting business, and how taking control of her schedule changed everything. Deepa breaks down the reality of entrepreneurship, from fear, uncertainty, and rejection fatigue to building a strong c...

What if the very experience that once felt like your biggest liability is actually the thing that makes you impossible to compete with, and commands premium consulting rates? In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Lauren Leonardis, founder and consultant of Rind and Reason, a consulting firm specializing in stakeholder engagement, youth leadership, and organizational structure. Lauren is a natio...

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Joanna Murray, franchise consultant at Quantum Franchise Group. Joanna is one of the rare consultants who rebuilt her practice not once but twice, first after leaving a misaligned corporate career in commercial real estate, and then again after navigating a cancer diagnosis, two surgeries, and concurrent chemo and radiation treatment. Why You Should Listen...

If your consulting pipeline feels like it’s always 90 days away from empty, this episode will reframe how you think about referrals, relationships, and where real organizational value, and real consulting opportunity, actually lives. In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Chris Ellis, founder of Chris Ellis Consulting and Coaching. With 20 years as a managing partner at a global management consu...

In this milestone Episode 100 of the Thriving Through Podcast, Katy Hill shares a powerful and refreshing perspective on growth, alignment, and building a business that truly fits you. With over 20 years of experience in higher education operations, Katy opens up about her non-linear journey into entrepreneurship, how she discovered her ideal niche in architectural and engineering firms, and why t...

In this episode of Thriving Through, AJ sits down with Staci Rivera-Nichols, a multi-passionate consultant, DJ, and coach to unpack her journey from launching a multi-state legal services business to navigating financial loss, reinvention, and the AI shake-up of 2024–2025. Staci shares how she rebuilt her consulting career after losing everything, leveraged networking to create unexpected opportun...

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, AJ Riedel sits down with Ebbi Nicole Young, an Authority and Visibility Consultant, to discuss how leaders and founders can broadcast their skills to build a consistent pipeline. Ebbi shares her journey from a journalist and event planner to a digital strategist, explaining how she pivoted her business during shifts in the economy. She breaks down t...

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, AJ sits down with leadership coach and consultant Rachel Wexler to explore the journey from corporate leadership to building a purpose-driven, self-employed consulting practice. Rachel shares powerful insights from her 20+ years in industry, her transition into coaching, and how she built a blended model of consulting, advisory, and leadership devel...

Discover a smarter way to build a sustainable consulting business without constantly chasing new clients. In this episode, host Aj sits down with Rebecca Bauer, Principal Consultant at Rebecca Bauer Consulting, to unpack the power of subcontracting as a long-term strategy for stability, growth, and fulfilment. Rebecca shares how she built a thriving consulting practice by partnering with other fir...

If your consulting practice feels like organized chaos, where you're holding everything in your head, having the same conversations on repeat, and making decisions on gut feel alone, this episode will show you exactly how to fix it.   In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Kendra Whitney, Founder of Perigo Partners, a small business operations consultancy. Kendra is a former Fortune 500 project,...

Unlock the true power of LinkedIn and personal branding in this inspiring episode of the Thriving Through Podcast featuring Sarka Risch. From spending 20+ years in corporate sales and marketing to building a thriving consulting business, Sarka shares how finding purpose, overcoming fear, and letting go of perfectionism transformed her life. She dives deep into how LinkedIn can become a powerful to...

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, host AJ sits down with Samantha Elizabeth, a coach and consultant with 25 years of corporate experience, to unpack her powerful journey from repeated layoffs to building her own thriving consulting business. Samantha shares how hitting a breaking point after 11 layoffs pushed her to finally step off the corporate “rollercoaster” and step into the ro...