Thriving Through

AJ welcomes Gaby Sedra to the Thriving Through Podcast for a powerful conversation on resilience, entrepreneurship, and building a successful consulting business. In this episode, Gaby shares his journey from working in the corporate world to becoming a self-employed consultant, highlighting the importance of mindset, ownership, and perseverance. He explains what it truly means to “thrive through”...

In this powerful episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, Sara Orellana shares her deeply personal journey from navigating trauma, toxic environments, and rebuilding her life to becoming a successful self-employed consultant and business owner. Sara opens up about: Overcoming personal and professional adversity Transitioning from nonprofit CEO to independent consultant The hard lessons learned aft...

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, Tommy Rhoads shares his incredible journey from line cook to high-level consultant, revealing the mindset, habits, and strategies that helped him build a powerful consulting alliance. Tommy talks about growth mindset, entrepreneurship, networking, imposter syndrome, and modern stoicism, along with practical insights on getting consulting clients, us...

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, host AJ Riedel sits down with consultant and entrepreneur Leo Sevigny to explore the realities of launching (and relaunching) a consulting business. Leo shares his journey from early success after publishing The Personal Vision Workbook to building his consulting practice, stepping away, and then restarting nearly 20 years later with a completely di...

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, AJ speaks with Nicole Sithithavorn, founder of YC Partners, about her journey from corporate CFO to building a successful fractional CFO consulting firm. Nicole shares the real story behind launching a consulting business including the early challenges of networking as an introvert, figuring out how to generate leads, and discovering the power of ou...

What happens when a numbers-loving entrepreneur goes from $40,000 in credit card debt to helping solopreneurs master their finances? In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, Nancy Ward shares her powerful journey from financial struggle to becoming a self-employed financial coach helping solopreneurs untangle personal and business finances. Nancy explains why many consultants and small bus...

What if losing your biggest revenue source could teach you the most valuable lesson about building a sustainable consulting business? Discover the 10-project pipeline strategy that keeps self-employed consultants from ever facing an empty calendar again. In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Bob Greene, Principal Consultant of RCG Workgroup specializing in business development and leadership st...

What does it really take to leave a large consulting firm and build a thriving solo practice from scratch? In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, AJ interviews David Hermann, founder of Herman Group and Herman Digital Media, about his transition from corporate consulting to entrepreneurship. David shares how he: • Rebuilt authority after leaving a major healthcare consultancy • Used cont...

How do you build a thriving consulting practice without constantly chasing leads? In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, AJ sits down with Diane Davidson, founder of Clever Fox Advisory, to talk about building a sustainable consulting business through strategic partnerships, LinkedIn visibility, and long-term contract stability. With 8 years as a solopreneur, Diane shares how she carved...

Discover the inspiring journey of Nathan Stadler, who transitioned from truck driver to successful self-employed bookkeeper in this powerful episode of the Thriving Through Podcast hosted by AJ Riedel. In this conversation, Nathan shares how a life-changing family moment led him to leave the road and build a home-based bookkeeping business that supports solopreneurs, consultants, and small service...

In this episode of Thriving Through, leadership consultant George Sample shares how he spent 8–9 years building a profitable side hustle before going full-time into consulting and the exact strategies that helped him scale sustainably. From starting as a computer science graduate to becoming a global leadership coach, speaker, and founder of Blue Streak Consultants, George reveals what it really t...

In this powerful episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, AJ Riedel sits down with neuroscience-based sales coach Shannon Smith to explore how solopreneurs and professionals can overcome fear of selling, silence self-doubt, and build a business with confidence. Blending neuroscience with modern sales coaching, Shannon shares how understanding your brain can transform the way you sell, communicate...

Welcome back to the Thriving Through podcast. In this episode, host Aj Riedel sits down with Raina Gandhi, founder of Rising Tide Consulting, for a powerful conversation about self-advocacy, limiting beliefs, and what it really takes for women to thrive in their careers. Raina shares her non-linear career journey from investment banking and microfinance to higher education, motherhood, and entrepr...

What actually holds most consultants back from success? It’s not lack of skill, talent, or hard work, it’s following outdated, conventional advice. In Episode 2 of the Thriving Through Podcast with executive coach and entrepreneur Stever Robbins returns to break down why traditional consulting models no longer work in today’s world. With over 26 years of experience as a self-employed consultant an...

What does it really take to succeed as a self-employed consultant, coach, or entrepreneur? In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, executive coach and entrepreneur Stever Robbins challenges everything we’re taught about hard work, meritocracy, and success in the corporate world. With over 26 years as a self-employed consultant and a background that spans Harvard Business School, MIT, star...

What does it take to build a consulting practice that is both sustainable and personally fulfilling? In this episode of Thriving Through, host AJ Riedel sits down with Kit Friday, an independent marketing consultant with 15 years of experience, to explore her journey from paralegal and private investigator to creative entrepreneur and strategic marketer. Kit shares the challenges of stepping fully...

What does it take to build a consulting practice that drives both growth and client impact? In this episode of Thriving Through, host AJ Riedel sits down with Andy Sherman, an experienced consultant and former CEO, to explore his unique journey through self-employment three times over. Andy shares how he transitioned from leading sales teams and running companies to building a consulting business...

What happens when corporate rejection becomes the catalyst for building a thriving business? In this episode of Thriving Through, presented by AJ Riedel, AJ sits down with leadership coach, consultant, and author Jacob Karnes to unpack his journey from being turned down for promotions to building a purpose-driven consulting business serving leaders who employ Gen Z and young professionals. Jacob s...

What does it really take to leave corporate life, start consulting independently, and scale a business without burning out? In this episode of Thriving Through, host AJ Riedel sits down with Alyssa Schaefer, aka The Business Cowgirl, to unpack her journey from being part of dismantled tech teams to thriving as a self-employed consultant. Alyssa shares the mindset shifts, technical know-how, and st...

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, host AJ Riedel speaks with Brandon Mahoney, Director of Partnerships at Launch Point Labs, about the real-world challenges of building a sustainable consulting business and the confidence it takes to make it work. Brandon shares his journey into self-employment during the pandemic, the early mistakes he made around pricing and positioning, and how f...

What if the secret to building a profitable consulting business isn't forcing yourself into a predetermined niche, but instead paying attention to which client conversations genuinely light you up? In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Kirstin Brenders, an online business coach and mentor who helps women transition from corporate careers to entrepreneurship. After nearly 20 years in corporate a...

How do you go from unpredictable consulting income to a sustainable, lifestyle-aligned business? In this episode of Thriving Through, host AJ Riedel sits down with independent consultant Dave de Céspedes to explore his journey from teaching and creative work to building a thriving consulting practice—one now highly specialized in serving venture capital firms. Dave shares how his early years as a...

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, host AJ Riedel sits down with Mark Rapier, a consultant, advisor, and author of The Leader with a Thousand Faces. Mark shares decades of real-world consulting experience and breaks down the three types of consultants, contractors, project consultants, and advisors and explains how positioning yourself as an advisor allows you to charge premium rates...

What does it really take to leave a long career in sales, launch your own consulting business, and adapt to the rapidly evolving world of AI-driven marketing? In this episode of Thriving Through, host AJ Riedel sits down with Jacki DeVries, founder of FireUp AIO , to explore her journey from inside sales professional to self-employed entrepreneur. Jacki shares how she overcame challenges like buil...

In this episode of Thriving Through, host AJ Riedel sits down with executive and business coach Paul Moehring to explore his transition from nearly three decades in the insurance industry to full-time self-employment and the resilience required when growth doesn’t follow a straight line. Paul shares why he waited years after becoming certified to finally make the leap, how launching his business i...