December 20, 2024 • 21 mins
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Feeling stuck in your consulting business or wondering how to take it to the next level in the new year?
In this episode, we’ll explore the surprising truths that hold many consultants back and how to break free. Through relatable stories, reflective insights, and a powerful four-step framework, we’ll uncover what it really takes to bridge the existing gaps to build a thriving consulting business. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to scale, this episode will help you create a clear path forward and set the stage for long-term success.
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For more information, visit https://excelatconsulting.com/
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Okay, today we're going to have a more laid back
conversation, because we arediving into something that I
honestly think that asconsultants we don't talk enough
about, and that's this pressureto have everything together.
You know, as consultants, Ithink that we feel like we have
to be experts all the time thatpeople hire us to solve their
biggest problems, and so if weshow that we don't have
(00:24):
everything polished and perfect,then we're not supposed to land
those clients and do that levelof work.
But if we're honest, I thinkmany of us are often operating
behind what is really a facade.
How many of us are reallypretending that we've got it all
figured out, that we have itall together, while secretly we
(00:44):
may be struggling to achieveconsistent success?
I want you to know that if youare experiencing that, you're
not alone.
We've all been there.
We're all having variousstruggles at different phases of
our business journey.
So, whether you're starting outand just trying to find your
first clients, or maybe you'vebeen in business for a number of
years, shoot, maybe evendecades, this episode is for you
(01:07):
.
Today we're going to strip awaythe facade.
We're going to talk about whatit really takes to change the
trajectory of your business inthe new year, they say.
The odds are stacked against usas women, especially women of
color, trying to thrive in theconsulting world.
But rather than wait for a seatat the table that may never
(01:28):
come, what if we build our owntables?
What if we channeled ourtalents into guiding each other
towards the 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
(01:49):
world.
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
(02:10):
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.
(02:38):
So I don't know if you rememberBlockbuster.
It's been a number of yearssince you've probably heard
anyone talk about it.
You definitely haven't seen itin the last couple of decades or
so.
I remember we had a Blockbusterat the edge of our neighborhood
.
We kind of lived off of MainRoad and this Blockbuster was
always crowded and, as a matterof fact, my family loved to
(02:59):
watch movies every Friday.
So on Fridays we went toBlockbuster to get movies and
you had to wait for people tobring back like the hottest
movies that were out, becausethey had rented it during the
week.
And it's the weekend and therewas, I don't know, maybe like a
three day limit or somethinglike that.
And when they brought it backwe were super excited because we
(03:20):
got a chance to pick out thenext video to watch.
Well, blockbuster was huge.
I mean, they had over, I think,like 9,000 stores worldwide.
They were generating billionsof dollars in revenue, and so on
the surface, it seemed likeBlockbuster would last forever.
It was the thing.
But behind the scenes, theindustry was completely changing
(03:41):
at that time.
Consumer habits were changingand what we now know as Netflix
actually came into the market,this was like getting a mail
service, blockbuster.
It was the DVD being sent toyou via mail, and then they
later moved to being able tostream movies.
And here's where it gets a bitinteresting, because in 2004,
(04:05):
netflix actually approachedBlockbuster and they made an
offer to sell their companywhich at the time was just worth
about $50 million toBlockbuster, but Blockbuster
passed on it.
As a matter of fact, not onlydid they pass on it, but what
I've read is that they actuallykind of laughed them off, a bit
Like why in the world would weever think about working with
(04:28):
you or buying your business?
And because Blockbuster thoughtthey were untouchable, they
went on with the same processesas they've been using it before.
So people were still buying orrenting movies, they were still
waiting for the next big moviethat came out every weekend.
But over time, little by little,people started to try an
alternative method, especiallywhen you couldn't get the movies
(04:51):
that you wanted to watch rightaway.
So, instead of being focused onwhere the industry was going
and the changes they needed tomake, they were totally locked
into what was currentlyhappening right now and they
were not future focused.
And because of that, what endedup happening is that their
revenue, their market share,their brand recognition took a
(05:14):
hit.
They didn't see the value inbeing able to evolve and, as a
matter of fact, I would arguethat they probably didn't want
to seem as if they were not alltogether and buttoned up and
perfect as a business themselves.
But when we think about thisstory and the fact that now that
we know that Netflix is worthover $190 billion while
(05:35):
Blockbuster ended up going intobankruptcy and actually doesn't
exist anymore, when we thinkabout this story, it's not just
about a business failure.
What it's really about is howeasy it is to get stuck and
actually stand in our own waywhen it comes to growth, because
if we're not willing to adapt,then things will just move
forward without us.
(05:56):
So we have to not be so focusedon how things look that we miss
the opportunity to actuallygrow and to evolve.
And, as consultants, I thinkthat there's a lot that we can
learn from that.
How often do you find yourselfgetting caught up in how your
business looks on the outside,whether or not you're successful
enough, whether or not you'reworking with the biggest clients
(06:17):
, whether or not you're landingthe biggest contracts, and even
if you know behind the scenesthat those things are not
equating to the goals that youhave set out to achieve.
We still tend to ignore thefact that we need to do deeper
work and we need to grow, weneed to build skill sets, we
need to evolve, and because ofthat, it can cause us not to be
(06:39):
successful in the longterm.
So let's talk about how we cando some of that deeper work.
I think there are a few waysthat we can approach this, and I
will also share with you what'sbeen working for me.
Okay, so this brings me to thefirst step.
What we have to do before we doanything else is take an honest
inventory.
We have to be honest withourselves.
(07:00):
I'll be the first to say thatthat is not an easy thing to do.
It's not always easy or evenfun to look at what's not
working, to admit that there arethings that we're not doing as
well as we could be and that weare maybe falling short in some
areas.
But I can tell you fromexperience that it's one of the
(07:20):
most powerful things that youcan do for your business.
For me, this step has beencompletely transformative.
I remember when I sat down toevaluate my business and I
realized that, even though I hada steady stream of clients, my
revenue wasn't wildlypredictable.
(07:40):
But some months were great andsome months not so much.
And at first I thought I justneed more clients, I just need
to land more clients, I justneed to have a greater lead
magnet, that type of thing.
But in all actuality, when Itook a close look, what I saw
was a deeper issue.
I was relying too heavily onone-off projects instead of
(08:01):
creating consistent, recurringrevenue streams, and that was a
huge gap for me.
And once I could see thatclearly, once I could be honest
with myself and say that, hey,there is a problem here, there
is a gap, I need to do somethingto fix this.
Then I can actually startaddressing it.
(08:21):
So when you're taking thisinventory, not only do you have
to be completely honest withyourself, but you also want to
ask yourself a few key questions, things like what's working in
my business, I like to startwith the positive.
It's always great toacknowledge what is actually
working, because if you can seeand acknowledge what's working,
(08:42):
then it's going to be easier foryou to build off of those wins.
So, first, what's working, butthen we have to also think about
what feels a little bit harderthan it should, because
sometimes things work butthey're not optimal.
It's not the best way that wecould do it, and maybe they're
working right now, but it's notgenerating the level of results
(09:05):
that it should be.
And then we have to think aboutwhere do we feel stuck?
Where are we running into abrick wall?
Where do we feel like we can'tget by?
What are those spaces that feela little bit uncomfortable, or
maybe extremely uncomfortable,that we're in right now, that
nobody else sees, that nobodyelse has to fully know about?
(09:28):
But you have to be transparentin us, with yourself, so that
you can figure out where youneed to focus, and I think when
we ask ourselves those questions, it helps us to go a lot deeper
instead of just focusing onsurface level issues that often
do not represent the realproblem.
So, if you feel like, forinstance, you need more
(09:50):
consulting clients, I want youto ask yourself is that because
your marketing isn't consistent,or is your messaging not clear?
Or is it that your pricingdoesn't align with the clients
that you're trying to attract?
But the point is that therecould be a lot of reasons why
things are not working, lot ofreasons why things are not
(10:12):
working and in order for us tounderstand what the real problem
is, we have to be very honestwith ourselves and take an
honest inventory.
And this step is about clarity,because the clarity that you
get from this exercise thatalways begins with being honest
and being transparent, thatclarity is what's going to help
you take the next step.
The next step I want you totake is to identify the, the
(10:33):
gaps that have been holding youback.
So, typically, there arespecific gaps that we have in
our businesses, and let me tellyou that this part has been a
complete game changer for me,because when I think about gaps,
I think about really three keyareas or categories where we
tend to have problems inbusiness.
(10:54):
One is that we often may have askill gap, and what the skill
gap means is that there arethings that we need to learn or
we need to improve upon to moveto the next level.
So this is a gap where maybe weneed to beef up our skills when
it comes to sales, or maybe werealize that we are not as
(11:15):
skilled at public speaking, butthese are actual skills that
help us to grow and evolve inour businesses.
And when we recognize thatthese skill gaps exist, then
we're able to tackle them moreeffectively and we can move our
business forward.
So skill gaps is one area thatcan be a focus, but then there
(11:35):
are also system gaps, and sothese gaps are actual processes
or structures in our businessthat help our businesses move
and run smoothly.
So, for example, if you do havea system for consistently
generating leads, what does thatsystem look like?
Is it something that isactually repeatable?
(11:55):
Are there gaps in that systemstructure?
Are there different automationsthat can be present that makes
the system move more smoothly?
Those are gaps that can impactour bottom line, because they
impact and affect the systemsthat we run in our business.
And then, lastly, there aremindset gaps and listen, those
(12:16):
right there.
They can be the trickiest tosolve, because the mindset gaps
center around many of the fearsand the limiting beliefs that we
have that hold us back.
So maybe you're afraid to raiseyour prices because you think
that your clients may leave, ormaybe you feel uncomfortable
(12:38):
showing up on camera andexposing yourself to even
something like this wildlyimperfect video.
Once you know what's missing,then it's a lot easier to figure
out where you need to focus inorder to drive change.
Okay, now this is where it getsfun.
Are you familiar with acurriculum?
(12:59):
So when you're in school, youhear a lot about curriculums and
as we get older, we understandthat they mean that they're a
roadmap and a guide for howwe're being instructed and
definitely, if you're ineducational consulting, you know
all about this.
But I want to talk about howyou can build your own personal
growth curriculum.
This is something that I dooften because there's so much
(13:22):
education out there.
We are living in a very valuerich society.
Now.
You can go online, whether itis on LinkedIn or Instagram,
youtube, any other platform, andyou can get your questions
answered.
You can find tutorials, you canfind webinars, you can buy
online courses.
There is just so muchinformation out there and if you
(13:47):
are trying to fill the gapsthat we previously talked about
that we recognize the skill gaps, the system gaps and the
mindset gaps you have a lot ofoptions as to how you are able
to solve that problem of fillingthose gaps.
But in business, we don't oftentake advantage of, I feel like,
(14:09):
a lot of these resources the waythat we should.
We're not effectively usingGoogle and YouTube and podcasts
and courses.
I mean.
We take them, we buy them, butwe also, I feel like, at times,
get a little bit confused andmaybe overwhelmed by so much
information being available, andso that's why I started
(14:30):
creating a curriculum for myself, and I fell in love with this
whole idea of having a personalgrowth curriculum.
With this whole idea of havinga personal growth curriculum,
what it helps me to do is tocreate a focus plan for how I'm
going to bridge the gaps thatexist that I've identified, that
I need to fill in order to moveforward.
(14:50):
It allows me to stay focused sothat I'm not chasing after the
next shiny object or I'm notgetting distracted without
actually building that skill set, that I'm focused on gaining
the knowledge, the informationand the skills that I need in
order to move forward, forward.
And when I think about how Iapproach this, I really do just
(15:13):
try and keep it as simple aspossible.
So I start with what myultimate goal is.
What is it that I'm trying toachieve?
And that goes back to thosegaps that we were previously
mentioning and talking about.
Once I identify a gap exists, Ithen start to investigate well,
okay, this gap exists, but howdo I fill this gap?
(15:34):
What are the things that I needto learn, or the things I need
to accomplish or set up in orderto bridge the gap that I have
identified.
Do I need more predictablerevenue?
Do I want more freedom?
Do I need a scalable offer?
And whatever this goal is,that's what's going to guide me
in terms of determining mypriorities and what I actually
(15:57):
want to not only invest in interms of money, but invest in in
terms of my time in learning.
And then, once I'm able toidentify what the goal is, I
focus on what matters most,which is what is the most
important thing that I need tolearn in order to fill that gap,
because not every gap needs tobe addressed right away.
(16:18):
You may have a list of 10 gapsthat you have identified, but
maybe only three of those reallyimpact your bottom line, or
maybe three are going to be mostimportant for you to take your
next step, to achieve your nextbig goal.
That's where you have to focusyour time, your energy and your
resources, because you want tomake the biggest impact that you
(16:40):
can right now.
Then, once you are able toidentify what to focus on and
what's your priority, now youcan choose your resources wisely
, and this is about whether ornot you feel like you can bridge
that gap yourself, and maybeyou want to go the free DIY
route and listen to podcasts ormaybe YouTube videos or whatever
(17:04):
information you can consume,read books, etc.
In order to build that skill.
Or maybe you want to do it alot faster, and so doing it
faster may mean hiring a coachor joining an online group
program or maybe even being insomething like a mastermind.
The point is that your abilityto most effectively choose your
(17:25):
resources is going to be basedupon the skill gaps that you
have to fill, or the systems ormindset gaps that you have to
fill, and also what you're goingto focus on and how quickly you
want to achieve the result, andthen, after that, you want to
be able to set milestones.
So you want to break thiscurriculum out into small,
actionable steps so that you'retaking action as you move along
(17:49):
through the year.
You don't want to set a goaland then look up a year from now
and you have not made anyprogress.
Each quarter, each month, needsto be a step forward in you
achieving the ultimate goal andtruly bridging that gap and
building those skills.
So when you have a curriculum.
(18:10):
You're no longer reacting toevery new idea that comes along
or every new shiny object.
You are following a roadmap.
You have a personalized roadmapand guide that helps you walk
through this process so that youcan identify what you need to
do in order to build a betterbusiness.
(18:34):
And, last but not least, youalways have to remember that
growth is not linear, that youwant to commit to progress, but
not perfection.
This goes back to this wholepeeling back and breaking away
the facade.
We're not worried about thingslooking perfect.
We're worried about trying tobridge the gaps that exist, and
(18:55):
there are going to be roadblocks, there are going to be setbacks
, there are going to be momentsthat don't necessarily go as
planned, but we need to keepgoing and we need to also
appreciate the fact that ittakes a while to build skills,
it takes a while to establishsystems and to break through
mindset blocks.
All these things take time.
(19:16):
So show yourself grace, be ableto focus on what you need to
accomplish and what you need todo day to day in order to move
you closer to those goals, andaccept that at times that
progress may be slower than youdesire and at times it may be
fast, but at the end of the day,as long as you continue to take
(19:36):
steps forward, you're going toreach your goal, and if there's
one thing that I've learned fromall of this, is that building a
successful consulting businessisn't about what it looks on the
outside.
If you focus only on lookingperfect and being the perfect
business, and that there is outthere, then you are not going to
(19:57):
reach the level of success thatyou are intended to reach,
because we all have areas thatneed to be built up.
We all have various gaps thatexist that need to be filled,
and when we're able to do thathonestly and transparently, then
we will actually createsomething that's far greater
(20:18):
than we would have ever imagined, and not only will it align
with who we are in the visionthat we have for ourselves, our
lifestyle and our business, butit's going to help you live the
life that you truly want.
So by taking inventory,identifying your gaps and
creating this curriculum forgrowth, you're not just building
(20:39):
a business.
You are at the beginning ofbuilding an actual legacy, so
let's commit to this together,and, as you move into this new
year, I want you moving throughthe curriculum that you've
designed for yourself so thatyou can actually be farther
along by the end of the year.
(20:59):
I hope that helps.
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
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.
(21:21):
Also, I'd love to hear from you, so let's connect at Dr
Angelina Davis on Instagram orLinkedIn and don't forget to
visit ExcelAtCons atconsultingcom for more
information to support yourconsulting journey.
Until next time, keep breakingglass ceiling.
All right, take care.
Okay, today we're going to have a more laid back
conversation, because we arediving into something that I
honestly think that asconsultants we don't talk enough
about, and that's this pressureto have everything together.
You know, as consultants, Ithink that we feel like we have
to be experts all the time thatpeople hire us to solve their
biggest problems, and so if weshow that we don't have
(00:24):
everything polished and perfect,then we're not supposed to land
those clients and do that levelof work.
But if we're honest, I thinkmany of us are often operating
behind what is really a facade.
How many of us are reallypretending that we've got it all
figured out, that we have itall together, while secretly we
(00:44):
may be struggling to achieveconsistent success?
I want you to know that if youare experiencing that, you're
not alone.
We've all been there.
We're all having variousstruggles at different phases of
our business journey.
So, whether you're starting outand just trying to find your
first clients, or maybe you'vebeen in business for a number of
years, shoot, maybe evendecades, this episode is for you
(01:07):
.
Today we're going to strip awaythe facade.
We're going to talk about whatit really takes to change the
trajectory of your business inthe new year, they say.
The odds are stacked against usas women, especially women of
color, trying to thrive in theconsulting world.
But rather than wait for a seatat the table that may never
(01:28):
come, what if we build our owntables?
What if we channeled ourtalents into guiding each other
towards the 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
(01:49):
world.
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
(02:10):
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.
(02:38):
So I don't know if you rememberBlockbuster.
It's been a number of yearssince you've probably heard
anyone talk about it.
You definitely haven't seen itin the last couple of decades or
so.
I remember we had a Blockbusterat the edge of our neighborhood
.
We kind of lived off of MainRoad and this Blockbuster was
always crowded and, as a matterof fact, my family loved to
(02:59):
watch movies every Friday.
So on Fridays we went toBlockbuster to get movies and
you had to wait for people tobring back like the hottest
movies that were out, becausethey had rented it during the
week.
And it's the weekend and therewas, I don't know, maybe like a
three day limit or somethinglike that.
And when they brought it backwe were super excited because we
(03:20):
got a chance to pick out thenext video to watch.
Well, blockbuster was huge.
I mean, they had over, I think,like 9,000 stores worldwide.
They were generating billionsof dollars in revenue, and so on
the surface, it seemed likeBlockbuster would last forever.
It was the thing.
But behind the scenes, theindustry was completely changing
(03:41):
at that time.
Consumer habits were changingand what we now know as Netflix
actually came into the market,this was like getting a mail
service, blockbuster.
It was the DVD being sent toyou via mail, and then they
later moved to being able tostream movies.
And here's where it gets a bitinteresting, because in 2004,
(04:05):
netflix actually approachedBlockbuster and they made an
offer to sell their companywhich at the time was just worth
about $50 million toBlockbuster, but Blockbuster
passed on it.
As a matter of fact, not onlydid they pass on it, but what
I've read is that they actuallykind of laughed them off, a bit
Like why in the world would weever think about working with
(04:28):
you or buying your business?
And because Blockbuster thoughtthey were untouchable, they
went on with the same processesas they've been using it before.
So people were still buying orrenting movies, they were still
waiting for the next big moviethat came out every weekend.
But over time, little by little,people started to try an
alternative method, especiallywhen you couldn't get the movies
(04:51):
that you wanted to watch rightaway.
So, instead of being focused onwhere the industry was going
and the changes they needed tomake, they were totally locked
into what was currentlyhappening right now and they
were not future focused.
And because of that, what endedup happening is that their
revenue, their market share,their brand recognition took a
(05:14):
hit.
They didn't see the value inbeing able to evolve and, as a
matter of fact, I would arguethat they probably didn't want
to seem as if they were not alltogether and buttoned up and
perfect as a business themselves.
But when we think about thisstory and the fact that now that
we know that Netflix is worthover $190 billion while
(05:35):
Blockbuster ended up going intobankruptcy and actually doesn't
exist anymore, when we thinkabout this story, it's not just
about a business failure.
What it's really about is howeasy it is to get stuck and
actually stand in our own waywhen it comes to growth, because
if we're not willing to adapt,then things will just move
forward without us.
(05:56):
So we have to not be so focusedon how things look that we miss
the opportunity to actuallygrow and to evolve.
And, as consultants, I thinkthat there's a lot that we can
learn from that.
How often do you find yourselfgetting caught up in how your
business looks on the outside,whether or not you're successful
enough, whether or not you'reworking with the biggest clients
(06:17):
, whether or not you're landingthe biggest contracts, and even
if you know behind the scenesthat those things are not
equating to the goals that youhave set out to achieve.
We still tend to ignore thefact that we need to do deeper
work and we need to grow, weneed to build skill sets, we
need to evolve, and because ofthat, it can cause us not to be
(06:39):
successful in the longterm.
So let's talk about how we cando some of that deeper work.
I think there are a few waysthat we can approach this, and I
will also share with you what'sbeen working for me.
Okay, so this brings me to thefirst step.
What we have to do before we doanything else is take an honest
inventory.
We have to be honest withourselves.
(07:00):
I'll be the first to say thatthat is not an easy thing to do.
It's not always easy or evenfun to look at what's not
working, to admit that there arethings that we're not doing as
well as we could be and that weare maybe falling short in some
areas.
But I can tell you fromexperience that it's one of the
(07:20):
most powerful things that youcan do for your business.
For me, this step has beencompletely transformative.
I remember when I sat down toevaluate my business and I
realized that, even though I hada steady stream of clients, my
revenue wasn't wildlypredictable.
(07:40):
But some months were great andsome months not so much.
And at first I thought I justneed more clients, I just need
to land more clients, I justneed to have a greater lead
magnet, that type of thing.
But in all actuality, when Itook a close look, what I saw
was a deeper issue.
I was relying too heavily onone-off projects instead of
(08:01):
creating consistent, recurringrevenue streams, and that was a
huge gap for me.
And once I could see thatclearly, once I could be honest
with myself and say that, hey,there is a problem here, there
is a gap, I need to do somethingto fix this.
Then I can actually startaddressing it.
(08:21):
So when you're taking thisinventory, not only do you have
to be completely honest withyourself, but you also want to
ask yourself a few key questions, things like what's working in
my business, I like to startwith the positive.
It's always great toacknowledge what is actually
working, because if you can seeand acknowledge what's working,
(08:42):
then it's going to be easier foryou to build off of those wins.
So, first, what's working, butthen we have to also think about
what feels a little bit harderthan it should, because
sometimes things work butthey're not optimal.
It's not the best way that wecould do it, and maybe they're
working right now, but it's notgenerating the level of results
(09:05):
that it should be.
And then we have to think aboutwhere do we feel stuck?
Where are we running into abrick wall?
Where do we feel like we can'tget by?
What are those spaces that feela little bit uncomfortable, or
maybe extremely uncomfortable,that we're in right now, that
nobody else sees, that nobodyelse has to fully know about?
(09:28):
But you have to be transparentin us, with yourself, so that
you can figure out where youneed to focus, and I think when
we ask ourselves those questions, it helps us to go a lot deeper
instead of just focusing onsurface level issues that often
do not represent the realproblem.
So, if you feel like, forinstance, you need more
(09:50):
consulting clients, I want youto ask yourself is that because
your marketing isn't consistent,or is your messaging not clear?
Or is it that your pricingdoesn't align with the clients
that you're trying to attract?
But the point is that therecould be a lot of reasons why
things are not working, lot ofreasons why things are not
(10:12):
working and in order for us tounderstand what the real problem
is, we have to be very honestwith ourselves and take an
honest inventory.
And this step is about clarity,because the clarity that you
get from this exercise thatalways begins with being honest
and being transparent, thatclarity is what's going to help
you take the next step.
The next step I want you totake is to identify the, the
(10:33):
gaps that have been holding youback.
So, typically, there arespecific gaps that we have in
our businesses, and let me tellyou that this part has been a
complete game changer for me,because when I think about gaps,
I think about really three keyareas or categories where we
tend to have problems inbusiness.
(10:54):
One is that we often may have askill gap, and what the skill
gap means is that there arethings that we need to learn or
we need to improve upon to moveto the next level.
So this is a gap where maybe weneed to beef up our skills when
it comes to sales, or maybe werealize that we are not as
(11:15):
skilled at public speaking, butthese are actual skills that
help us to grow and evolve inour businesses.
And when we recognize thatthese skill gaps exist, then
we're able to tackle them moreeffectively and we can move our
business forward.
So skill gaps is one area thatcan be a focus, but then there
(11:35):
are also system gaps, and sothese gaps are actual processes
or structures in our businessthat help our businesses move
and run smoothly.
So, for example, if you do havea system for consistently
generating leads, what does thatsystem look like?
Is it something that isactually repeatable?
(11:55):
Are there gaps in that systemstructure?
Are there different automationsthat can be present that makes
the system move more smoothly?
Those are gaps that can impactour bottom line, because they
impact and affect the systemsthat we run in our business.
And then, lastly, there aremindset gaps and listen, those
(12:16):
right there.
They can be the trickiest tosolve, because the mindset gaps
center around many of the fearsand the limiting beliefs that we
have that hold us back.
So maybe you're afraid to raiseyour prices because you think
that your clients may leave, ormaybe you feel uncomfortable
(12:38):
showing up on camera andexposing yourself to even
something like this wildlyimperfect video.
Once you know what's missing,then it's a lot easier to figure
out where you need to focus inorder to drive change.
Okay, now this is where it getsfun.
Are you familiar with acurriculum?
(12:59):
So when you're in school, youhear a lot about curriculums and
as we get older, we understandthat they mean that they're a
roadmap and a guide for howwe're being instructed and
definitely, if you're ineducational consulting, you know
all about this.
But I want to talk about howyou can build your own personal
growth curriculum.
This is something that I dooften because there's so much
(13:22):
education out there.
We are living in a very valuerich society.
Now.
You can go online, whether itis on LinkedIn or Instagram,
youtube, any other platform, andyou can get your questions
answered.
You can find tutorials, you canfind webinars, you can buy
online courses.
There is just so muchinformation out there and if you
(13:47):
are trying to fill the gapsthat we previously talked about
that we recognize the skill gaps, the system gaps and the
mindset gaps you have a lot ofoptions as to how you are able
to solve that problem of fillingthose gaps.
But in business, we don't oftentake advantage of, I feel like,
(14:09):
a lot of these resources the waythat we should.
We're not effectively usingGoogle and YouTube and podcasts
and courses.
I mean.
We take them, we buy them, butwe also, I feel like, at times,
get a little bit confused andmaybe overwhelmed by so much
information being available, andso that's why I started
(14:30):
creating a curriculum for myself, and I fell in love with this
whole idea of having a personalgrowth curriculum.
With this whole idea of havinga personal growth curriculum,
what it helps me to do is tocreate a focus plan for how I'm
going to bridge the gaps thatexist that I've identified, that
I need to fill in order to moveforward.
(14:50):
It allows me to stay focused sothat I'm not chasing after the
next shiny object or I'm notgetting distracted without
actually building that skill set, that I'm focused on gaining
the knowledge, the informationand the skills that I need in
order to move forward, forward.
And when I think about how Iapproach this, I really do just
(15:13):
try and keep it as simple aspossible.
So I start with what myultimate goal is.
What is it that I'm trying toachieve?
And that goes back to thosegaps that we were previously
mentioning and talking about.
Once I identify a gap exists, Ithen start to investigate well,
okay, this gap exists, but howdo I fill this gap?
(15:34):
What are the things that I needto learn, or the things I need
to accomplish or set up in orderto bridge the gap that I have
identified.
Do I need more predictablerevenue?
Do I want more freedom?
Do I need a scalable offer?
And whatever this goal is,that's what's going to guide me
in terms of determining mypriorities and what I actually
(15:57):
want to not only invest in interms of money, but invest in in
terms of my time in learning.
And then, once I'm able toidentify what the goal is, I
focus on what matters most,which is what is the most
important thing that I need tolearn in order to fill that gap,
because not every gap needs tobe addressed right away.
(16:18):
You may have a list of 10 gapsthat you have identified, but
maybe only three of those reallyimpact your bottom line, or
maybe three are going to be mostimportant for you to take your
next step, to achieve your nextbig goal.
That's where you have to focusyour time, your energy and your
resources, because you want tomake the biggest impact that you
(16:40):
can right now.
Then, once you are able toidentify what to focus on and
what's your priority, now youcan choose your resources wisely
, and this is about whether ornot you feel like you can bridge
that gap yourself, and maybeyou want to go the free DIY
route and listen to podcasts ormaybe YouTube videos or whatever
(17:04):
information you can consume,read books, etc.
In order to build that skill.
Or maybe you want to do it alot faster, and so doing it
faster may mean hiring a coachor joining an online group
program or maybe even being insomething like a mastermind.
The point is that your abilityto most effectively choose your
(17:25):
resources is going to be basedupon the skill gaps that you
have to fill, or the systems ormindset gaps that you have to
fill, and also what you're goingto focus on and how quickly you
want to achieve the result, andthen, after that, you want to
be able to set milestones.
So you want to break thiscurriculum out into small,
actionable steps so that you'retaking action as you move along
(17:49):
through the year.
You don't want to set a goaland then look up a year from now
and you have not made anyprogress.
Each quarter, each month, needsto be a step forward in you
achieving the ultimate goal andtruly bridging that gap and
building those skills.
So when you have a curriculum.
(18:10):
You're no longer reacting toevery new idea that comes along
or every new shiny object.
You are following a roadmap.
You have a personalized roadmapand guide that helps you walk
through this process so that youcan identify what you need to
do in order to build a betterbusiness.
(18:34):
And, last but not least, youalways have to remember that
growth is not linear, that youwant to commit to progress, but
not perfection.
This goes back to this wholepeeling back and breaking away
the facade.
We're not worried about thingslooking perfect.
We're worried about trying tobridge the gaps that exist, and
(18:55):
there are going to be roadblocks, there are going to be setbacks
, there are going to be momentsthat don't necessarily go as
planned, but we need to keepgoing and we need to also
appreciate the fact that ittakes a while to build skills,
it takes a while to establishsystems and to break through
mindset blocks.
All these things take time.
(19:16):
So show yourself grace, be ableto focus on what you need to
accomplish and what you need todo day to day in order to move
you closer to those goals, andaccept that at times that
progress may be slower than youdesire and at times it may be
fast, but at the end of the day,as long as you continue to take
(19:36):
steps forward, you're going toreach your goal, and if there's
one thing that I've learned fromall of this, is that building a
successful consulting businessisn't about what it looks on the
outside.
If you focus only on lookingperfect and being the perfect
business, and that there is outthere, then you are not going to
(19:57):
reach the level of success thatyou are intended to reach,
because we all have areas thatneed to be built up.
We all have various gaps thatexist that need to be filled,
and when we're able to do thathonestly and transparently, then
we will actually createsomething that's far greater
(20:18):
than we would have ever imagined, and not only will it align
with who we are in the visionthat we have for ourselves, our
lifestyle and our business, butit's going to help you live the
life that you truly want.
So by taking inventory,identifying your gaps and
creating this curriculum forgrowth, you're not just building
(20:39):
a business.
You are at the beginning ofbuilding an actual legacy, so
let's commit to this together,and, as you move into this new
year, I want you moving throughthe curriculum that you've
designed for yourself so thatyou can actually be farther
along by the end of the year.
(20:59):
I hope that helps.
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
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.
(21:21):
Also, I'd love to hear from you, so let's connect at Dr
Angelina Davis on Instagram orLinkedIn and don't forget to
visit ExcelAtCons atconsultingcom for more
information to support yourconsulting journey.
Until next time, keep breakingglass ceiling.
All right, take care.
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