October 8, 2024 • 26 mins
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Are You Unknowingly Sabotaging Your Million-Dollar Consulting Dream?
You’re not alone in dreaming big—many consultants have million-dollar aspirations. But what if the biggest roadblock to your success is… you?
In this episode, we’re cutting through the noise and diving deep into what truly drives growth and financial success in your consulting business.
Spoiler alert: It’s not about nailing the perfect pitch.
Get ready for some real talk and unfiltered insights that challenge the status quo. If you’re serious about leveling up your consulting game, this conversation is a must-listen.
Tune in now to discover the keys to unlocking your full potential and building the consulting business you’ve always wanted!
**************
For more information on how to start, grow, or scale your consulting business, visit https://excelatconsulting.com/
Let's Connect! I'd love to continue this conversation with you.
Instagram: @drangelinadavis
LinkedIn: @drangelinadavis
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you've attended an event or bought a course over
the past year or two on how tocreate a million dollar or seven
figure consulting business andyou're still missing a few zeros
behind your paycheck, then Iwant you to walk to the front of
the church.
Yes, come here, come here, comehere.
This message is for you, theysay.
(00:34):
The odds are stacked against usas women, especially women of
color.
Trying to this message is foryou.
Success we deserve.
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsulting Podcast.
I'm your host, dr AngelinaDavis, and I've walked the path
from healthcare consultant to amentor for women like you,
ambitious, unstoppable and readyto make waves in the consulting
world.
(00:55):
This podcast is your go-to spotfor all things entrepreneurial
consulting.
For us as women, especiallywomen of color, Think of it as
your weekly coffee date with afriend who's here to dish out
real talk on building a solidbusiness, elevating your thought
leadership and mastering thatall-important mindset.
And let's not forget, we'redoing all of this while
(01:16):
balancing day jobs, family lifeand running teams.
Yes, we can do it all.
So if you're ready to dive intohow you can grow a thriving
consultancy or get strategiesand insights that actually fit
your busy lifestyle, then you'rein the right place.
Grab your coffee, tea or, hey,even a glass of wine, I won't
judge and let's get started.
(01:45):
Hello, hello, hello.
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsult 2 podcast.
I'm your host, dr AngelinaDavis, and you're probably
wondering what's up with thatintro.
It's different, I know, butlisten, this conversation is
going to be a little bitdifferent because I want us to
have a real conversation, somereal talk today about what we
(02:05):
are buying into when it comes tobuilding our consulting
businesses.
And it's not that a lot ofthese hopes and dreams and ideas
of what we want for our futureare far-fetched they're not.
That's not what I'm trying tosay, but I do want to talk a
little bit about how we continueto hold ourselves back, prolong
(02:26):
the process and make things alot harder than they need to be,
because we keep gravitating tothe same message.
Now, we all desire to travelthe path of least resistance, so
it's clear and understandableas to why some of this messaging
works.
Whenever you see something thatpromises a large financial
(02:50):
outcome or some other positiveoutcome that seems simply
amazing, you're going togravitate to it.
We can easily see this when welook at the diet industry.
Think about what sells Lose 10pounds in 10 days, or drink this
tummy tea and have rock solidabs.
Or maybe the 10 minute a daytraining to a 10k.
(03:13):
Listen, it all sounds greatbecause it's coupling two things
.
It's coupling the fact that youhave to put in a small amount
of effort to get a huge reward,and that sells.
It sells because our brains arewired for protection.
Our brains are wired to steerus away from what produces
(03:36):
stress and anxiety.
So there's no surprise as towhy marketing tends to play upon
that.
As to why marketing tends toplay upon that.
It's one of the reasons why wefocus so heavily on tapping into
our customers or our clients'pain points.
It's because we know that wewanna move away from that pain.
We wanna get to something thatwe truly desire, something that
(03:58):
makes us feel good, somethingthat makes us feel accomplished.
We wanna see our aspirationscome true.
And when we think about it thatway, we can't get mad, because
that is how particular programsor offers are marketed.
It's their job to get you tobuy into whatever is being sold.
(04:21):
Now, of course, we don't wantto be dishonest, but when it
comes to sharing how someone canachieve a goal, and achieve
that simply or easily.
Well, listen, that at times isjust good marketing, so we're
going to put it on that.
But if you're sitting here andyou're feeling like you have
(04:41):
been working for years and youshould be further along, or
maybe you have been followingthe expert advice of others and
you're still coming up short,here's what I want you to do
next I want you to listen in andtune in, because that's what
this episode is all about.
A thriving consulting businessis built on a solid business
(05:03):
foundation and a consulting codethat leads you toward your
ideal business and your ideallifestyle, and the great thing
about this code is that it worksfor any type of consulting
practice, whether you helpclients with professional
development, business management, grant writing, it or something
entirely different.
This consulting code is notrocket science and it's not
(05:25):
beyond your reach, and when youcrack the code, it can jumpstart
the growth of your soloconsulting practice and is what
you need to know to get startedand land your first clients, and
nothing more.
This is a step-by-step processI wish I had so many years ago,
and that's why I wanted to sharethis with you and how you can
(05:45):
do this too.
So if you're interested instarting your consulting
business and creating adesirable offer to generate
leads for your offer and to makesales, then the consulting code
is your solution.
Visit wwwexcelatconsultingcomfor more information.
At consultingcom for moreinformation.
(06:10):
One of the first things that Ithink is really important for us
to embrace is the fact that weneed to drop the timeline.
I had a coach tell me thisyears ago and it sticks with me.
I tell it to myself even now.
When I get frustrated aboutcertain things not happening
fast enough, I say I just haveto drop the timeline, because
(06:34):
when we have these timelines asto when we're supposed to
achieve a goal, how swiftlywe're supposed to get to the
next level, how fast you'regoing to make the next you know
million dollars or land yournext client, when we have a
timeline in place, it's not thatthe timeline itself is wrong.
(06:54):
Like you know, we should havegoals.
We need to have some level of atime constraint.
When we're forming a goal youknow that's the whole SMART
acronym but when we think aboutthe timeline, what often happens
is that we create timelinesthat are unrealistic, because
(07:15):
most often the timelines thatwe're creating are based upon
our perception of what someoneelse had to do to achieve that
goal.
And there are a lot of flaws indoing that.
One of the flaws, and probablythe biggest, is that you're
looking at someone else'sexperience and you cannot assume
that your experience is goingto be the same.
All the variables are different.
(07:35):
The time spent, the education,the access, all of those things
are different.
And I like to stress thisbecause, in the consulting world
especially, this is a field inan industry where women have not
been major players historically.
So if you're looking at howlong it took a white male
(07:57):
counterpart to get further along, well, listen, they have a
completely different experiencein this industry than you do as
a woman, and especially a womanof color.
So you have to begin to removea lot of these assumptions from
the development of thesetimelines.
So that's one of the firstthings that we have to do.
(08:17):
We have to break our need toget there so fast.
Now I'm not saying to not have aplan to accomplish a goal by a
certain time or timeframe, butwe have to make it so that that
timeline is realistic, basedupon what we are facing in terms
(08:37):
of obstacles, what we'rebringing to the table in terms
of experiences and how easily wecan access the clients that we
need to serve in order to get tothat next level.
There are so many factors thatgo into developing a realistic
timeline, a feasible timeline,but when we're just arbitrarily
(08:58):
pulling that out the sky andtelling ourselves that we're
just going to get to this pointin a year because we want to,
because it's something that wefeel is a trend or something
that we, within our ego, feel asif we should be able to do
because we've seen others do it,or maybe we've seen someone
that we maybe look at and thinkthat we're more qualified than,
(09:20):
or qualified as, achieve thatgoal, we feel like we should be
able to match that energy.
Listen, that is one of theeasiest ways to set ourselves up
for failure, and here's howthat happens.
Typically, when we set out onachieving a goal, we come up
with a number of steps that weneed to take.
(09:40):
Maybe we're following a roadmapor a guide that someone else
has given us and we're checkingout the boxes.
We're going through the process, we're trying to make sure that
we dot all our I's and crossall our T's, but if we run into
any obstacle or we happen tojust flat out fail when we go
through the process the first,second or maybe even the third
(10:01):
time.
We tend to get into a cycle ofself-sabotage, and this is where
we allow our mind to take over.
Right, it's taking over andtrying to protect us.
It's trying to keep us fromgoing through the cycle of
disappointment again.
So what do we do?
(10:21):
We begin to be less consistentin the actions that we're
supposed to be taking.
Maybe we're shifting our focusand we're trying to pivot and
adjust too soon or too early.
Maybe we just walk awayaltogether and figure you know
what this isn't for me and Ijust need to let it go.
But then sometimes we come backlater because it's truly
(10:42):
something that we're passionateabout and it's a goal that we
wanna reach.
It's in our heart.
The problem is that we gothrough this cycle over and over
again, with each failure, witheach negative outcome, and if we
don't break this cycle ofself-sabotage, we never get
anywhere.
What I found from working withclients is that if you go back
(11:06):
and trace back to what actuallytriggered this cycle, it more
than likely is attached to thefact that they had a timeline in
mind for when they should beable to accomplish a goal in
mind, for when they should beable to accomplish a goal.
They felt as if I should beable to make $10,000 a month in
(11:31):
30 days, or I should be able toland my first six-figure client
in a couple of months.
The problem is that life rarelyworks that way.
So the moment you release thetimeline, most often this leads
to you having success, becauseyou're not triggered by the fact
that you don't reach thetimeline at the point at which
(11:52):
you desired originally, meaningthat you took this arbitrary
date and you're throwing it outthe window and you are
determined to keep going, nomatter what.
And the fact that you'rethrowing it out the window and
you are determined to keep going, no matter what, and the fact
that you're consistent with youractions.
You keep doing the things thatyou need to do, you keep showing
up, you keep putting in thework, you keep building out your
(12:13):
business the way that you knowthat you should.
You find success a lot sooner.
So one of the first thingsabove all is removing, dropping,
get rid of that timeline Now.
The second thing that I want toshare is that consulting is a
(12:34):
practice, and it's a practicebecause we keep working on it.
You will never get to a pointas a consultant where you're not
expanding your knowledge base,where you're not learning what's
new in the market, where you'renot growing and expanding your
skillset, you're not working ongetting better at least, you
(12:56):
should not.
You will never get to a pointwhere you just know so much that
you don't have to do any morepersonal development, growth,
education, et cetera, in orderfor you to be a better
consultant in the marketplace,and so the second thing that you
have to do is to begin to focuson mastering your craft, and
(13:18):
this this right here is the partthat nobody talks about.
It frustrates me to no endbecause nobody talks about this,
but it's so important becauseyou can learn how to sell and to
pitch, and that is going towork in the short term.
You do need to know how to dothat.
(13:40):
Those are very valuable skillsand the skills that you need to
have and you need to master.
But I think what peopleunderappreciate is the fact that
the differentiator between youand any other consultant in your
market or in your field or inyour industry is your expertise
in your industry, is yourexpertise.
(14:01):
You are in the business ofexpertise, which means that you
need to be that go-to person,that expert in a particular
niche, in a particular space, ina specialization.
There's a reason why, if youlook at the trend reports
definitely for 2024 and evengoing into 2025, a lot of what
(14:23):
you're seeing happening inconsulting is a focus on
specialization, because that's adifferentiator.
Even when you look at largerfirms whether you're looking at
the Deloitte's or the Bain's orthe Accenture's, et cetera they
have specialized divisions.
Specialization is key.
You have to begin to focus onmastering your craft, thinking
(14:44):
about how you can be differentWhenever you feel as if you're
not standing out.
One of the first things I liketo tell clients is to stop and
think about what you're sayingand whether or not you've heard
it somewhere else.
And most people will say well,you know, there's nothing new
under the sun.
That's true, but there are newviewpoints, there are new
(15:07):
perspectives, because the truthis that we all have very unique
and different lived experiencesand it's not just about giving a
hot take or trying to sharesome information that you think
or perspective that you think isdifferent and sounds very edgy.
It's about you trulyunderstanding what is most
(15:32):
important to drive results inyour space and then being able
to take that information andcreate something that is
innovative, that is new, that isdifferent, to guide people
along.
This is the whole premise ofbeing a thought leader.
(15:52):
It's not just you publishingcontent.
It's not just you writing ablog post.
It is you beginning to thinkabout your industry in a
different way.
Posts.
It is you beginning to thinkabout your industry in a
different way.
And I always talk about how, aswomen, and especially women of
color we're just I don't know sowell positioned to do that,
because our perspective hasalways been different.
You see things through adifferent lens and when we
(16:13):
capitalize on that, then we'reable to produce something that
is unique.
That is our differentiator.
But we can't do that if we'renot mastering our craft.
We're not getting better at thework that we actually do for
the client.
That's the part that matters,because you need to think about
not just how to get the contract, but how to keep it, how to get
(16:36):
more referrals from otherclients based upon the work that
you do with that client.
This is where people fall short.
This is where people end upwith an opportunity that's very
lucrative to start, but then itfalls off because the client
tends to go in a differentdirection once that contract is
(16:58):
complete.
The beauty of you being able tomaster your craft and to keep
growing and evolving with theclients that you have is the
fact that you maintain them fora longer period of time.
The lifetime value increases.
This is another aspect ofbusiness growth.
So don't focus solely on justlanding the contract, just
(17:22):
making the greatest pitch, justtrying to make the right sale.
Focus on mastering your craft,because the thing about
mastering your craft is thatwhen you become the best at what
you do, people will seek youout.
Period.
People will look for youbecause they know you know your
stuff, you've driven results forother people and they want you.
(17:46):
And that's just the truth.
And that's why you see so manyconsultants that may be highly
successful, although they maynot have a big social media
following or a big presence onLinkedIn, they're not DMing
people left and right.
Why?
Because they have masteredtheir craft and people are
coming to them.
So if you're starting to losesight of who you are and how
(18:13):
you're different, I want you tothink about this and if you want
to stand out more, I want youto focus on your mastery,
mastering your craft, gettingbetter at it and becoming that
go-to Now, number three and thisis the third one, and
definitely the one that roundsall of this out is that you have
to establish a platform.
I want you to think of yourplatform as your stage.
(18:36):
You are going on stage everyday to showcase your knowledge,
your expertise and to help otherpeople navigate their difficult
moments.
You're creating this platformfor yourself so that you have
better control as to yourmessaging, how you're
(18:58):
interacting with those peoplewho find interest in what you're
doing.
Find interest in what you'redoing and then being able to
take that information and use itto continue to build and
elevate your platform so thatyou're able to create a client
acquisition system around it.
(19:19):
And I think that many times weget lost when it comes to
marketing, especially in socialmedia, or even marketing with
paid advertising, et cetera.
We get lost in the game of thehunt.
We're hunting for the nexthundred leads, we're hunting for
(19:40):
the next big contract, we'rehunting for the next lucrative
opportunity and instead, what weneed to do is focus on building
the platform that everybody cansee, that everybody can visit,
that they can attend and go to.
(20:01):
Think of it like you having aconcert in the area.
A concert is not going toattract one or two people.
It's going to attract a wholearena of people, a whole
coliseum, and that's what yourplatform can do.
It can bring that many peopleto your front door.
I think oftentimes we don't takeall of that in, and I get it.
(20:22):
It can be very frustrating tobe on some of these platforms
and trying to figure out how tojust use them and how to relate
to people on that level.
But if we start thinking aboutour platform as not a particular
tool or an outlet, but thinkabout it as our ecosystem outlet
, but think about it as ourecosystem, what are we building
(20:46):
out that is accessible 24-7,seven days a week for someone to
consume, to learn more about us, to understand what drives us
(21:07):
right, our personal code, thethings that matter to us, to
have a better understanding ofour philosophy and the way that
we approach problem solving orthe way that we see things in
our industry, the way that wevisualize the future in our
space, and then get anunderstanding also of the type
of solutions we offer, somewherewhere that person can come and
just literally binge from onepiece of work to the next.
(21:30):
Your thought leadership, yourideas, your concepts, your
frameworks.
This is what you want to create.
This is what will sell yourservices time and time again,
without all of the added effortand stress of you trying to keep
up with things that are everchanging.
It's building the platform thatbecomes part of your expert
(21:51):
brand, part of what people knowyou as and know you to be.
You want to put that out there.
You want to build thatintentionally, and when you have
this platform, the beauty ofhaving it is that it becomes
like this lighthouse.
Right, you think about thelighthouse in the middle of the
water, like if you're ever atthe beach especially I don't
(22:14):
know, I'm in the South, I'mcloser to Florida, so if you're
ever out at the beach and you'reseeing a lighthouse out there,
what is the lighthouse there for?
It's there to draw the boats in.
They can see the light in thefog, they can see the light from
far away and they're attractedto it.
They move toward it, and that'sexactly how your audience, how
your clients, will move towardyou, and that's true no matter
(22:37):
what space you're in, no matterwhat industry you're in.
As a matter of fact, when youlook at the stats with regards
to B2B marketing, a lot ofcompanies and businesses are
relying on the information thatthey're able to dig up
themselves, that they're able tosearch out and find themselves.
They may turn down a call thatcomes in, a cold call that may
(23:00):
come in, or may not respond toan email, but you best believe,
if they have a problem, they'reonline searching for who can
help them solve it, and you needto have something there for
them to find.
So, yes, word of mouth is agreat way to land business,
referrals are a great way toland business, but they have to
stop being the sole ways thatyou are relying on generating
(23:25):
income and revenue in yourcompany, in your business, in
your firm.
We have to start moving beyondthat.
It's a new era right now.
It's a totally new era.
Everybody is used to hoppingonline, dropping something into
a chat GPT bot and getting ananswer.
They're used to findinginformation in the fastest,
(23:47):
quickest way possible, andsitting on a phone is no longer
the fastest and quickest waypossible.
So you have to be where peopleare, what they're naturally
doing day to day, and bybuilding your platform, you
position yourself to do justthat.
So, listen, I know what it feelslike.
(24:07):
I know that it can befrustrating to continue to work
at something over and over again, do all the right things and
feel like you're not makingprogress.
I know what it feels like to bein an industry or a space, know
what you have to offer, knoweverything that you have been
able to do in your corporate job, or in everything that you know
from the degree and trainingsthat you have been able to do in
your corporate job, or ineverything that you know from
the degree and trainings thatyou've been through and that you
(24:29):
have, and still seemingly losebusiness to someone who doesn't
have a fraction of that.
I get it, I understand, but Ialso want you to know that
there's a lot that you can do tomake the shifts and the changes
you need to reach those biggoals that you're dreaming about
(24:50):
, and that starts with youdropping the timeline, focusing
on mastering your craft and thenestablishing your platform, and
if you do that, I promise thateverything that you're working
toward is gonna fall into place.
All right, guys, this has been agreat episode for me to just
(25:11):
talk and chat with you.
I love when we can just havethese real talks like this, so
if you enjoyed it, please shareit with a friend.
And then also don't forget toreach out and connect with me on
LinkedIn or on Instagram.
And until next time, take care.
Thank you for tuning in to theBlack Girls Console 2 podcast.
If you enjoyed today's episode,be sure to leave your review on
(25:35):
Apple Podcasts, subscribe andshare it with a friend.
We're on a mission to increasethe success and longevity of
women in consulting, and you canhelp us do just that.
Also, I'd love to hear from you.
So let's connect at Dr AngelinaDavis on Instagram or LinkedIn,
and don't forget to visitexcelatconsultingcom for more
(25:55):
information to support yourconsulting journey.
Until next time, keep breakingglass ceiling, all right, take
care.
If you've attended an event or bought a course over
the past year or two on how tocreate a million dollar or seven
figure consulting business andyou're still missing a few zeros
behind your paycheck, then Iwant you to walk to the front of
the church.
Yes, come here, come here, comehere.
This message is for you, theysay.
(00:34):
The odds are stacked against usas women, especially women of
color.
Trying to this message is foryou.
Success we deserve.
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsulting Podcast.
I'm your host, dr AngelinaDavis, and I've walked the path
from healthcare consultant to amentor for women like you,
ambitious, unstoppable and readyto make waves in the consulting
world.
(00:55):
This podcast is your go-to spotfor all things entrepreneurial
consulting.
For us as women, especiallywomen of color, Think of it as
your weekly coffee date with afriend who's here to dish out
real talk on building a solidbusiness, elevating your thought
leadership and mastering thatall-important mindset.
And let's not forget, we'redoing all of this while
(01:16):
balancing day jobs, family lifeand running teams.
Yes, we can do it all.
So if you're ready to dive intohow you can grow a thriving
consultancy or get strategiesand insights that actually fit
your busy lifestyle, then you'rein the right place.
Grab your coffee, tea or, hey,even a glass of wine, I won't
judge and let's get started.
(01:45):
Hello, hello, hello.
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsult 2 podcast.
I'm your host, dr AngelinaDavis, and you're probably
wondering what's up with thatintro.
It's different, I know, butlisten, this conversation is
going to be a little bitdifferent because I want us to
have a real conversation, somereal talk today about what we
(02:05):
are buying into when it comes tobuilding our consulting
businesses.
And it's not that a lot ofthese hopes and dreams and ideas
of what we want for our futureare far-fetched they're not.
That's not what I'm trying tosay, but I do want to talk a
little bit about how we continueto hold ourselves back, prolong
(02:26):
the process and make things alot harder than they need to be,
because we keep gravitating tothe same message.
Now, we all desire to travelthe path of least resistance, so
it's clear and understandableas to why some of this messaging
works.
Whenever you see something thatpromises a large financial
(02:50):
outcome or some other positiveoutcome that seems simply
amazing, you're going togravitate to it.
We can easily see this when welook at the diet industry.
Think about what sells Lose 10pounds in 10 days, or drink this
tummy tea and have rock solidabs.
Or maybe the 10 minute a daytraining to a 10k.
(03:13):
Listen, it all sounds greatbecause it's coupling two things
.
It's coupling the fact that youhave to put in a small amount
of effort to get a huge reward,and that sells.
It sells because our brains arewired for protection.
Our brains are wired to steerus away from what produces
(03:36):
stress and anxiety.
So there's no surprise as towhy marketing tends to play upon
that.
As to why marketing tends toplay upon that.
It's one of the reasons why wefocus so heavily on tapping into
our customers or our clients'pain points.
It's because we know that wewanna move away from that pain.
We wanna get to something thatwe truly desire, something that
(03:58):
makes us feel good, somethingthat makes us feel accomplished.
We wanna see our aspirationscome true.
And when we think about it thatway, we can't get mad, because
that is how particular programsor offers are marketed.
It's their job to get you tobuy into whatever is being sold.
(04:21):
Now, of course, we don't wantto be dishonest, but when it
comes to sharing how someone canachieve a goal, and achieve
that simply or easily.
Well, listen, that at times isjust good marketing, so we're
going to put it on that.
But if you're sitting here andyou're feeling like you have
(04:41):
been working for years and youshould be further along, or
maybe you have been followingthe expert advice of others and
you're still coming up short,here's what I want you to do
next I want you to listen in andtune in, because that's what
this episode is all about.
A thriving consulting businessis built on a solid business
(05:03):
foundation and a consulting codethat leads you toward your
ideal business and your ideallifestyle, and the great thing
about this code is that it worksfor any type of consulting
practice, whether you helpclients with professional
development, business management, grant writing, it or something
entirely different.
This consulting code is notrocket science and it's not
(05:25):
beyond your reach, and when youcrack the code, it can jumpstart
the growth of your soloconsulting practice and is what
you need to know to get startedand land your first clients, and
nothing more.
This is a step-by-step processI wish I had so many years ago,
and that's why I wanted to sharethis with you and how you can
(05:45):
do this too.
So if you're interested instarting your consulting
business and creating adesirable offer to generate
leads for your offer and to makesales, then the consulting code
is your solution.
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(06:10):
One of the first things that Ithink is really important for us
to embrace is the fact that weneed to drop the timeline.
I had a coach tell me thisyears ago and it sticks with me.
I tell it to myself even now.
When I get frustrated aboutcertain things not happening
fast enough, I say I just haveto drop the timeline, because
(06:34):
when we have these timelines asto when we're supposed to
achieve a goal, how swiftlywe're supposed to get to the
next level, how fast you'regoing to make the next you know
million dollars or land yournext client, when we have a
timeline in place, it's not thatthe timeline itself is wrong.
(06:54):
Like you know, we should havegoals.
We need to have some level of atime constraint.
When we're forming a goal youknow that's the whole SMART
acronym but when we think aboutthe timeline, what often happens
is that we create timelinesthat are unrealistic, because
(07:15):
most often the timelines thatwe're creating are based upon
our perception of what someoneelse had to do to achieve that
goal.
And there are a lot of flaws indoing that.
One of the flaws, and probablythe biggest, is that you're
looking at someone else'sexperience and you cannot assume
that your experience is goingto be the same.
All the variables are different.
(07:35):
The time spent, the education,the access, all of those things
are different.
And I like to stress thisbecause, in the consulting world
especially, this is a field inan industry where women have not
been major players historically.
So if you're looking at howlong it took a white male
(07:57):
counterpart to get further along, well, listen, they have a
completely different experiencein this industry than you do as
a woman, and especially a womanof color.
So you have to begin to removea lot of these assumptions from
the development of thesetimelines.
So that's one of the firstthings that we have to do.
(08:17):
We have to break our need toget there so fast.
Now I'm not saying to not have aplan to accomplish a goal by a
certain time or timeframe, butwe have to make it so that that
timeline is realistic, basedupon what we are facing in terms
(08:37):
of obstacles, what we'rebringing to the table in terms
of experiences and how easily wecan access the clients that we
need to serve in order to get tothat next level.
There are so many factors thatgo into developing a realistic
timeline, a feasible timeline,but when we're just arbitrarily
(08:58):
pulling that out the sky andtelling ourselves that we're
just going to get to this pointin a year because we want to,
because it's something that wefeel is a trend or something
that we, within our ego, feel asif we should be able to do
because we've seen others do it,or maybe we've seen someone
that we maybe look at and thinkthat we're more qualified than,
(09:20):
or qualified as, achieve thatgoal, we feel like we should be
able to match that energy.
Listen, that is one of theeasiest ways to set ourselves up
for failure, and here's howthat happens.
Typically, when we set out onachieving a goal, we come up
with a number of steps that weneed to take.
(09:40):
Maybe we're following a roadmapor a guide that someone else
has given us and we're checkingout the boxes.
We're going through the process, we're trying to make sure that
we dot all our I's and crossall our T's, but if we run into
any obstacle or we happen tojust flat out fail when we go
through the process the first,second or maybe even the third
(10:01):
time.
We tend to get into a cycle ofself-sabotage, and this is where
we allow our mind to take over.
Right, it's taking over andtrying to protect us.
It's trying to keep us fromgoing through the cycle of
disappointment again.
So what do we do?
(10:21):
We begin to be less consistentin the actions that we're
supposed to be taking.
Maybe we're shifting our focusand we're trying to pivot and
adjust too soon or too early.
Maybe we just walk awayaltogether and figure you know
what this isn't for me and Ijust need to let it go.
But then sometimes we come backlater because it's truly
(10:42):
something that we're passionateabout and it's a goal that we
wanna reach.
It's in our heart.
The problem is that we gothrough this cycle over and over
again, with each failure, witheach negative outcome, and if we
don't break this cycle ofself-sabotage, we never get
anywhere.
What I found from working withclients is that if you go back
(11:06):
and trace back to what actuallytriggered this cycle, it more
than likely is attached to thefact that they had a timeline in
mind for when they should beable to accomplish a goal in
mind, for when they should beable to accomplish a goal.
They felt as if I should beable to make $10,000 a month in
(11:31):
30 days, or I should be able toland my first six-figure client
in a couple of months.
The problem is that life rarelyworks that way.
So the moment you release thetimeline, most often this leads
to you having success, becauseyou're not triggered by the fact
that you don't reach thetimeline at the point at which
(11:52):
you desired originally, meaningthat you took this arbitrary
date and you're throwing it outthe window and you are
determined to keep going, nomatter what.
And the fact that you'rethrowing it out the window and
you are determined to keep going, no matter what, and the fact
that you're consistent with youractions.
You keep doing the things thatyou need to do, you keep showing
up, you keep putting in thework, you keep building out your
(12:13):
business the way that you knowthat you should.
You find success a lot sooner.
So one of the first thingsabove all is removing, dropping,
get rid of that timeline Now.
The second thing that I want toshare is that consulting is a
(12:34):
practice, and it's a practicebecause we keep working on it.
You will never get to a pointas a consultant where you're not
expanding your knowledge base,where you're not learning what's
new in the market, where you'renot growing and expanding your
skillset, you're not working ongetting better at least, you
(12:56):
should not.
You will never get to a pointwhere you just know so much that
you don't have to do any morepersonal development, growth,
education, et cetera, in orderfor you to be a better
consultant in the marketplace,and so the second thing that you
have to do is to begin to focuson mastering your craft, and
(13:18):
this this right here is the partthat nobody talks about.
It frustrates me to no endbecause nobody talks about this,
but it's so important becauseyou can learn how to sell and to
pitch, and that is going towork in the short term.
You do need to know how to dothat.
(13:40):
Those are very valuable skillsand the skills that you need to
have and you need to master.
But I think what peopleunderappreciate is the fact that
the differentiator between youand any other consultant in your
market or in your field or inyour industry is your expertise
in your industry, is yourexpertise.
(14:01):
You are in the business ofexpertise, which means that you
need to be that go-to person,that expert in a particular
niche, in a particular space, ina specialization.
There's a reason why, if youlook at the trend reports
definitely for 2024 and evengoing into 2025, a lot of what
(14:23):
you're seeing happening inconsulting is a focus on
specialization, because that's adifferentiator.
Even when you look at largerfirms whether you're looking at
the Deloitte's or the Bain's orthe Accenture's, et cetera they
have specialized divisions.
Specialization is key.
You have to begin to focus onmastering your craft, thinking
(14:44):
about how you can be differentWhenever you feel as if you're
not standing out.
One of the first things I liketo tell clients is to stop and
think about what you're sayingand whether or not you've heard
it somewhere else.
And most people will say well,you know, there's nothing new
under the sun.
That's true, but there are newviewpoints, there are new
(15:07):
perspectives, because the truthis that we all have very unique
and different lived experiencesand it's not just about giving a
hot take or trying to sharesome information that you think
or perspective that you think isdifferent and sounds very edgy.
It's about you trulyunderstanding what is most
(15:32):
important to drive results inyour space and then being able
to take that information andcreate something that is
innovative, that is new, that isdifferent, to guide people
along.
This is the whole premise ofbeing a thought leader.
(15:52):
It's not just you publishingcontent.
It's not just you writing ablog post.
It is you beginning to thinkabout your industry in a
different way.
Posts.
It is you beginning to thinkabout your industry in a
different way.
And I always talk about how, aswomen, and especially women of
color we're just I don't know sowell positioned to do that,
because our perspective hasalways been different.
You see things through adifferent lens and when we
(16:13):
capitalize on that, then we'reable to produce something that
is unique.
That is our differentiator.
But we can't do that if we'renot mastering our craft.
We're not getting better at thework that we actually do for
the client.
That's the part that matters,because you need to think about
not just how to get the contract, but how to keep it, how to get
(16:36):
more referrals from otherclients based upon the work that
you do with that client.
This is where people fall short.
This is where people end upwith an opportunity that's very
lucrative to start, but then itfalls off because the client
tends to go in a differentdirection once that contract is
(16:58):
complete.
The beauty of you being able tomaster your craft and to keep
growing and evolving with theclients that you have is the
fact that you maintain them fora longer period of time.
The lifetime value increases.
This is another aspect ofbusiness growth.
So don't focus solely on justlanding the contract, just
(17:22):
making the greatest pitch, justtrying to make the right sale.
Focus on mastering your craft,because the thing about
mastering your craft is thatwhen you become the best at what
you do, people will seek youout.
Period.
People will look for youbecause they know you know your
stuff, you've driven results forother people and they want you.
(17:46):
And that's just the truth.
And that's why you see so manyconsultants that may be highly
successful, although they maynot have a big social media
following or a big presence onLinkedIn, they're not DMing
people left and right.
Why?
Because they have masteredtheir craft and people are
coming to them.
So if you're starting to losesight of who you are and how
(18:13):
you're different, I want you tothink about this and if you want
to stand out more, I want youto focus on your mastery,
mastering your craft, gettingbetter at it and becoming that
go-to Now, number three and thisis the third one, and
definitely the one that roundsall of this out is that you have
to establish a platform.
I want you to think of yourplatform as your stage.
(18:36):
You are going on stage everyday to showcase your knowledge,
your expertise and to help otherpeople navigate their difficult
moments.
You're creating this platformfor yourself so that you have
better control as to yourmessaging, how you're
(18:58):
interacting with those peoplewho find interest in what you're
doing.
Find interest in what you'redoing and then being able to
take that information and use itto continue to build and
elevate your platform so thatyou're able to create a client
acquisition system around it.
(19:19):
And I think that many times weget lost when it comes to
marketing, especially in socialmedia, or even marketing with
paid advertising, et cetera.
We get lost in the game of thehunt.
We're hunting for the nexthundred leads, we're hunting for
(19:40):
the next big contract, we'rehunting for the next lucrative
opportunity and instead, what weneed to do is focus on building
the platform that everybody cansee, that everybody can visit,
that they can attend and go to.
(20:01):
Think of it like you having aconcert in the area.
A concert is not going toattract one or two people.
It's going to attract a wholearena of people, a whole
coliseum, and that's what yourplatform can do.
It can bring that many peopleto your front door.
I think oftentimes we don't takeall of that in, and I get it.
(20:22):
It can be very frustrating tobe on some of these platforms
and trying to figure out how tojust use them and how to relate
to people on that level.
But if we start thinking aboutour platform as not a particular
tool or an outlet, but thinkabout it as our ecosystem outlet
, but think about it as ourecosystem, what are we building
(20:46):
out that is accessible 24-7,seven days a week for someone to
consume, to learn more about us, to understand what drives us
(21:07):
right, our personal code, thethings that matter to us, to
have a better understanding ofour philosophy and the way that
we approach problem solving orthe way that we see things in
our industry, the way that wevisualize the future in our
space, and then get anunderstanding also of the type
of solutions we offer, somewherewhere that person can come and
just literally binge from onepiece of work to the next.
(21:30):
Your thought leadership, yourideas, your concepts, your
frameworks.
This is what you want to create.
This is what will sell yourservices time and time again,
without all of the added effortand stress of you trying to keep
up with things that are everchanging.
It's building the platform thatbecomes part of your expert
(21:51):
brand, part of what people knowyou as and know you to be.
You want to put that out there.
You want to build thatintentionally, and when you have
this platform, the beauty ofhaving it is that it becomes
like this lighthouse.
Right, you think about thelighthouse in the middle of the
water, like if you're ever atthe beach especially I don't
(22:14):
know, I'm in the South, I'mcloser to Florida, so if you're
ever out at the beach and you'reseeing a lighthouse out there,
what is the lighthouse there for?
It's there to draw the boats in.
They can see the light in thefog, they can see the light from
far away and they're attractedto it.
They move toward it, and that'sexactly how your audience, how
your clients, will move towardyou, and that's true no matter
(22:37):
what space you're in, no matterwhat industry you're in.
As a matter of fact, when youlook at the stats with regards
to B2B marketing, a lot ofcompanies and businesses are
relying on the information thatthey're able to dig up
themselves, that they're able tosearch out and find themselves.
They may turn down a call thatcomes in, a cold call that may
(23:00):
come in, or may not respond toan email, but you best believe,
if they have a problem, they'reonline searching for who can
help them solve it, and you needto have something there for
them to find.
So, yes, word of mouth is agreat way to land business,
referrals are a great way toland business, but they have to
stop being the sole ways thatyou are relying on generating
(23:25):
income and revenue in yourcompany, in your business, in
your firm.
We have to start moving beyondthat.
It's a new era right now.
It's a totally new era.
Everybody is used to hoppingonline, dropping something into
a chat GPT bot and getting ananswer.
They're used to findinginformation in the fastest,
(23:47):
quickest way possible, andsitting on a phone is no longer
the fastest and quickest waypossible.
So you have to be where peopleare, what they're naturally
doing day to day, and bybuilding your platform, you
position yourself to do justthat.
So, listen, I know what it feelslike.
(24:07):
I know that it can befrustrating to continue to work
at something over and over again, do all the right things and
feel like you're not makingprogress.
I know what it feels like to bein an industry or a space, know
what you have to offer, knoweverything that you have been
able to do in your corporate job, or in everything that you know
from the degree and trainingsthat you have been able to do in
your corporate job, or ineverything that you know from
the degree and trainings thatyou've been through and that you
(24:29):
have, and still seemingly losebusiness to someone who doesn't
have a fraction of that.
I get it, I understand, but Ialso want you to know that
there's a lot that you can do tomake the shifts and the changes
you need to reach those biggoals that you're dreaming about
(24:50):
, and that starts with youdropping the timeline, focusing
on mastering your craft and thenestablishing your platform, and
if you do that, I promise thateverything that you're working
toward is gonna fall into place.
All right, guys, this has been agreat episode for me to just
(25:11):
talk and chat with you.
I love when we can just havethese real talks like this, so
if you enjoyed it, please shareit with a friend.
And then also don't forget toreach out and connect with me on
LinkedIn or on Instagram.
And until next time, take care.
Thank you for tuning in to theBlack Girls Console 2 podcast.
If you enjoyed today's episode,be sure to leave your review on
(25:35):
Apple Podcasts, subscribe andshare it with a friend.
We're on a mission to increasethe success and longevity of
women in consulting, and you canhelp us do just that.
Also, I'd love to hear from you.
So let's connect at Dr AngelinaDavis on Instagram or LinkedIn,
and don't forget to visitexcelatconsultingcom for more
(25:55):
information to support yourconsulting journey.
Until next time, keep breakingglass ceiling, all right, take
care.
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