May 14, 2025 • 31 mins
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Whether you're just starting out or struggling to gain traction, the temptation to be everything to everyone is powerful. We say yes to diverse projects to keep revenue flowing, but this scattered approach ultimately leaves us invisible in a crowded marketplace. What's worse, it creates an emotional weight that leads to burnout when we're constantly working outside our zone of genius.
Finding your perfect consulting niche isn't about forcing yourself into a restrictive box or creating a cute tagline. It's about aligning your business with who you truly are to make creating a sustainable business a lot easier.
Ready to find your consulting sweet spot? Tune in and download the free guide below. Stop struggling as the best-kept secret in your industry and start channeling your brilliance in a way that gets you booked and in demand.
FREE GUIDE: How to Find the Consulting Niche That’ll Get You Booked Solid
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, here's the truth that changed my
consulting trajectory and, I'llbe honest with you, my clients'
lives as well.
It's the fact that generalistshustle, and they hustle hard,
while specialists are the onesthat actually get booked.
Now, if you've ever wonderedhow to turn your lived
experience into a clear,profitable consulting niche
(00:24):
without twisting yourself intosomething you're not, then this
episode that I'm going to sharewith you today is your roadmap.
I'm walking you through theexact process I use with clients
to help them define their nichein a way that's very authentic,
that's aligned and thatactually gets them booked.
Now you know what's wild Someof the most brilliant and I mean
(00:49):
brilliant and experienced womenI've ever worked with.
I mean these are women withdegrees and decades of
leadership experience the realresults that people wanna get.
Those same women still tell meoften that they're not sure how
to describe what they do.
And look, I understand, becauseI was there once upon a time.
(01:10):
Someone could ask me what is itthat you do in your career, in
your position or in yourbusiness?
And when?
I tell you that I had thehardest time articulating that,
and part of the reason isbecause half of the time when I
would start to explain, theaverage person would just look
at me with like 10 eyes.
They were completely confusedand didn't exactly know what I
(01:32):
was talking about.
And then, when I was talking tosomeone that was very familiar
with my area, I would stumble alittle bit because I was trying
to find a way to communicate theoutcomes that I could generate
without overstating what I coulddo.
And some of that was part of mymindset.
But it was difficult to figureout exactly how to sum
(01:55):
everything that I could offer upinto like one little short
sentence or elevator pitch.
And that's not because we arenot capable or that we don't
understand or have clarity aboutthe skills that we have and
what we offer, but it's mostoften because no one has ever
taught us how to own our voicein this business.
(02:18):
So if you've ever felt likeyour expertise is somehow both
too much but then also notenough, or you're juggling so
many ideas that you can'texplain your offer without
taking a deep breath and justtrying to process it all first,
this episode is for you, becausetoday I'm pulling back the
curtain on the exact processthat I use to help my clients
(02:42):
find their consulting niche.
And no, it does not requirescrapping your whole career and
forcing you into some type ofbox to develop some cute little
tagline.
What we're gonna talk about isthe real reason you might be
struggling with your niche andthen what it's costing you in
the long run.
(03:02):
If we cannot communicate thiseffectively and find our perfect
fit.
I want us to shift from beingvague and scattered to being
booked and in demand.
So let's get into it Now.
Let's be real.
When you're trying to be allthings to all people, you'll end
(03:23):
up sounding like everybody else, and I know it feels safe to
say that you can offer a lot ofthings.
And this is what I call theconsulting trap.
Most often, when we're startingout and this is a very
reasonable approach we start outby helping others solve
problems that exist.
That we may have some expertisearound to some degree, but it's
(03:47):
not our area of specialty, it'snot our area of focus.
We have not found a niche as ofyet because we're just starting
out.
So most often we say yes toeverything just so that we can
stay booked, because we need themoney, we need to get the
business off the ground and weneed to get things rolling.
But what happens over time isthat, instead of building
(04:07):
momentum in a certain direction,because you're taking on a lot
of different problems andprojects, you end up scattered,
and being scattered causes youto second guess what you're
doing.
You begin to second guess whatyou know, and it will really
leave you spinning around incircles.
The truth is that generalistenergy keeps you invisible.
(04:32):
Yes, it allows you to bring inmoney here or there so that you
can solve problems and get paidfor it, but overall you don't
become known for any one thing,and there are a few areas where
being a generalist may work inyour favor, but not very many.
As a consultant, not very manyat all.
(04:53):
I would say 99% of the time.
Being a generalist as aconsultant is going to make it
difficult for you, because youstart to water down your
messaging.
You lose your edge becauseyou're not focused on one clear
thing that you can go in depthon, and so you remain surface
level on everything.
It's kind of like being a Janeof all trades, right, and so
(05:17):
your audience never buildsaround one core topic because
you're acknowledging that youare there to solve a number of
problems, so no one can reallyattach themselves to one
particular framework or oneparticular process or approach
that you may have.
So while it may soundimpressive to be able to say
(05:37):
that you can help a client witha number of different things,
this is not helping them see you.
Your brilliance is found inyour specificity and without
having a clear niche, it's goingto be difficult for people to
figure out exactly what you do,why they should hire you or work
(05:59):
with you, and what you areactually known for.
It's just more difficultbecause you are selling a very
general message that sounds likeeveryone else.
So part of the problem in beingthe best kept secret that I
found is that most have notfound this niche to claim.
(06:23):
So when you go a lot deeper,most women that I work with come
to me thinking I just needbetter content or maybe I should
redo my website, I need betterbranding, I need new positioning
.
But the real issue is thatthey're really viewing their
business through a job titlelens and in a job you're used to
(06:46):
doing a number of differentthings wearing a lot of
different hats, and actuallywe're praised and promoted
because we're able to be good ina lot of different things and
do a lot of tasks successfully.
But that is not related to aspecific transformation, but
that is not related to aspecific transformation, and so
(07:10):
we get stuck in this employeemindset and different frameworks
and structures that were builtfor working a nine to five,
instead of being focused on howwe are actually selling what we
do as a business owner ourselves.
And being able to do that meansthat we need to have a lot of
clarity, because buyers are notdrawn to confusion, and
especially for us as women andwomen of color, the pressure to
(07:33):
prove ourselves is real, andit's harder, if you think about
this, to prove yourself whenyou're talking about a lot of
different things as a generalistthan it is to prove your depth
of knowledge when you'respecializing in a given area.
And so what we unknowingly dois we add on all of these other
(07:55):
difficulties and challenges weotherwise would not have, mainly
because we're taught to showreceipts, we need to list
degrees, we need to check allthe boxes just to get in the
room, but we don't realize thata lot of what we were doing at
that time, when we were tryingto execute that type of plan and
checklist, is that we weretrying to land a career, job
(08:17):
right.
We're trying to get theposition that's going to carry
us to a higher level corporatejob, and that's not what we
really need in this space.
Because in this new space inentrepreneurship, what you're
doing is actually owning theroom, and you need to own that
room with your voice.
You need to own it with yourvalue and with your vision, and
(08:38):
all of those things voice, valueand vision have to be more
specific.
They can't be vague.
So vagueness isn't just amarketing issue.
It honestly is something thatcreates a level of emotional
weight that comes along with it.
It becomes an obstacle for usif we are going to go that route
(09:00):
.
It's not that you have to nichedown.
People will have this argumentall the time because they may
feel like niching puts them in abox and they want to remain
multi-passionate and all thosethings Although I will argue
that being a multi-passionate isstill a niche, and that's a
whole conversation for anotherday.
But when you think about what itmeans for you to be able to
(09:25):
market your business and tostand out in a crowded market,
it means that you have to bedifferent.
It means that you cannot looklike everyone else, and so if
you are in a certain situationor circumstance where you are
not clear about how you aredifferent and how you're
specialized or how your niche,then you are going to look like
(09:49):
everyone else because, inessence, being a generalist
means that you are very similarto others, that you're able to
handle general problems.
And many people get stuck herebecause, as a consultant, very
rarely is someone hiring you fora general problem.
(10:10):
Typically they have an employeethat they could ask to handle a
general problem.
They have someone that they canrefer to as a colleague that
may be able to help them with ageneral problem.
So what they're looking forfrom us is more depth.
So you have to start askingyourself you know, when things
seem a little bit unclear or youdon't know how to explain
(10:31):
exactly what you do and you'relosing confidence around your
services and your offer and youwant to stand out, ask yourself
do I even know what I'm doing?
Because this is the thing.
If you don't really know whatyou're doing and why you are
special, then how are otherpeople going to understand that?
And I've seen a number ofbrilliant women who are
(10:51):
credentialed, they'reaccomplished, they are deeply
capable.
They still feel invisible ifyou have those deeper
conversations with them, and thereason why this comes about is
because they may still feel likethey're not quite there yet.
Yes, they're landing clients,yes, they're getting some
(11:13):
business, but they're not beingrespected as the knowledgeable
advisor or strategist that theywanna be seen as.
And so if you're feeling this,it's not because you're not
doing the work or you're notdoing a great job, but it's just
because the work that you'redoing right now is not
highlighting what makes youunique.
And it's almost like if I wasto use an analogy like you're
(11:36):
duct taping things together,you're finding different
projects that pay the bills andyou're piecing it all together
and you're making this ball ofsorts out of duct tape and
you're trying to hold thattogether as some type of
marketing ecosystem, because youhave a lot of things that
you've done, or maybe I shouldbetter say like a portfolio, but
(11:58):
it doesn't represent theessence of who you are.
It doesn't feel like you.
The essence of who you are.
It doesn't feel like you, andit's actually, if we're all
honest about it, likely not yourcup of tea or what you actually
care about.
And so it's this level ofvagueness, in all of the weight
that it creates, that starts tobring about burnout, because now
(12:21):
you're doing a lot of differentthings for a lot of different
people, and it's a lot of workthat you're not overly
passionate about and, to behonest with you, oftentimes it's
not the source of your strength.
You may be good at it, but areyou the best at it?
Is it something that comesnaturally, or is it something
that you have to work a littlebit harder to accomplish?
And so if you are pulling fromthis place where you are not
(12:45):
centering your business aroundyour strengths and what you do
best, then it creates a busynessinside of your business instead
of it being simple for you, andwhat you want is something that
is simple simple to execute,simple to run, simple to do,
simple to explain and articulate.
All of that comes from yougaining more clarity, and that
(13:09):
honestly starts with just havinga niche.
So this is where I want to talkabout my approach to helping
clients find their perfect spot,and this is where we're going
to flip the script just a littlebit, because when I'm walking
clients through this process andhelping them find their niche,
I'm not focused on them findingjust any niche, but a place
(13:34):
where it actually feels likehome for them, where they feel
most comfortable and wherethings feel most aligned,
because there are a few thingsthat are very, very important to
the success of your business,and that is your personal
enjoyment, because if it'ssomething that you don't enjoy
and you don't like to do, very,very soon it is going to be
(13:54):
extremely challenging for you todo the work number one, but
then also for you to stay at thetop of your game in order to
accomplish the things that youneed to accomplish and learn
what you need to learn over timeto be the greatest at what you
do.
And so if you're unable tomaster your craft because you
honestly don't want to do it,that is problematic, especially
(14:16):
as a consultant, and this isspecific to our work as experts.
So it's really, reallyimportant that you find this
space that you have deepinterest in.
And then the next piece of thepuzzle is that it needs to be an
area that you have a strengtharound, because things need to
(14:37):
be easier for you, especiallywhen you're starting out by
yourself or with a limited team,or even if you get a small firm
, you have a busy client roster,then in those instances you
need to be able to do thingseasier, faster, simpler, and all
of those things come from itbeing centered around your
(14:58):
strengths and what you do best.
So those two things become very, very important when you're
thinking about building thisbusiness out things that you
love, things that resemble oralign with your strengths, and
then, last but not least, whatyou're knowledgeable at.
So what have you learned fromyour career, from the degrees
(15:19):
that you have, from thecertifications?
All of those things matter andthey become core to what you can
use in your business to explainvalue to others.
Because, let's be honest, ifyou've been paid for it in your
career, that means that someonefinds it valuable.
Paid for it in your career,that means that someone finds it
valuable.
That is a telltale sign thatthis is a valuable skill set
(15:40):
because someone has paid you forit in a career, in a job.
And we have to remember thatthat is not the only, or those
are not the only skills that wecan lean on or that are valuable
, but those are clear skillsthat we can use, that we know
for a fact translate into sometype of monetary gain if we use
it appropriately, that arevaluable.
But those are clear skills thatwe can use, that we know for a
fact translate into some type ofmonetary gain if we use it
(16:00):
appropriately.
So we want to keep all of thisin mind when we're working
through this framework.
Now, one of the first steps thatI want you to take is to
extract your lived expertise.
Most people don't start herebecause we're automatically
drawn to what we've learned inschool and yes, what we've
(16:21):
learned in school has been very,very important.
Textbook knowledge is important, but I think, as we move along
in this modern era, we'restarting to see that artificial
intelligence, and all of thetools that we have available to
us right now, is able togenerate information in a matter
of seconds.
And so just having theinformation, just having the
(16:44):
knowledge, just curating thatknowledge, it's not that it's
not valuable, but it's not goingto protect you in the long term
because it's replicable,meaning that someone can take it
and they can repeat exactlywhat you do.
They can replicate exactly whatyou're doing and what you're
saying, whether it is a tool ortechnology, or if it's someone
else that decides to go intobusiness.
(17:05):
And you know, regenerate orregurgitate, excuse me, what you
have said and done.
Those are things that you don'twant to hang your hat on, but
your lived experience is very,very different, and when you dig
into your story and yourstrengths and your skills and
the things that you've seen playout over your life, that you're
(17:26):
literally good at.
That may not necessarily fitneatly into a resume.
That is where you begin tounearth your real power.
So, being able to extract theseexperiences that you've had,
what have you taken part in asyou have been growing up?
What are you good at?
(17:46):
That's a literal talent or agift that you have.
What do people often come toyou for?
All of those things areimportant because those are
skill sets that you likely takefor granted but everybody around
you sees, and we want toincorporate those types of
things.
Now the next thing is that wewant to identify transformation
(18:08):
patterns, and that is connectingthe dots.
That's looking at not only justthe textbook knowledge and the
lived experiences that you'vehad, but then figuring out how
they actually connect.
How have you naturally piecedthese things together over time
in ways that you may not havenoticed?
You can think about the resultsyou've helped people achieve
(18:34):
without you even realizing it.
So think of conversations thatyou've had with friends, or
maybe colleagues or even otherclients, where you've given them
advice and it literally waslike the light bulb turned on
for them.
You didn't think anything of it, and that's something that I
found for myself often occurs.
(18:55):
That's something that I foundfor myself often occurs.
I may have friends that call andwe're talking about business
challenges and things going onin our lives and they may have a
conversation with me and I'mjust breaking down different
options that they may have andthings that I may see that they
can do and sharing experiencesthat I have had and seen and
enjoyed and how that connects totheir business.
(19:17):
And at the end of ourconversation and this actually
happened just the other day atthe end of the conversation they
may say something like you know, I just called to chat but I
didn't know I was going to havea coaching session today, and
the reason why it tickles me isbecause I'm not even realizing
that I'm doing it right.
But it's a breakthrough forthem and I know this happens to
(19:38):
you as well.
You're a natural problem solver, you are a critical thinker, so
this is happening and it's justa matter of you tuning into
when this is occurring and beingable to connect some of those
dots.
What were the things that youwere able to piece together from
your other experiences withthat knowledge that you have and
expertise that you were able topiece together from your other
experiences, with that knowledgethat you have and expertise
that you've gained from theclassroom or credentialing, and
(20:01):
how have you been able toconnect those together to solve
other problems?
So that's identifying thosetransformation patterns, and
then the next thing is, likeI've said over and over again,
defining your signaturestrengths.
Now, this is what makes youdifferent, this is what
(20:23):
highlights your unique approach.
This is your voice, yourperspective, literally how you
see the world, the way that youoperate, how you do things, the
adaptations that you're makingto processes so that they work
for you in your life.
That's an actual strength.
(20:43):
Those things that you're doingnaturally and that you're good
at.
Those are strengths.
Your ability to actively listenstrength.
Your ability to listen tosomeone and find empathy in
their problems.
Strength.
Your ability to communicate andarticulate effectively.
Strength.
Your ability to createnaturally, relationships that
(21:04):
others have difficulty creatingstrength.
All of those are signaturestrengths for you and what you
have to do is begin to highlightthose.
That is what you have toincorporate into your area of
practice so that you're carvingout this space that is uniquely
designed for you.
It becomes like a perfect fitfor you.
(21:26):
And then, after we're able todo that, the thing that you have
to do to kind of bring all thistogether is to package it into
an offer.
And when you package it, it'sabout solving one core problem
for a specific audience, andthis is actually what becomes
your niche.
So you know, many people thinkthat when you're niching down
(21:49):
you're just deciding oh, I wantto, you know, make an offer for
women who are over 35 and livein the suburbs and they like to
watch daytime soap operas, ifthey still come on.
I don't even know if they stillcome on.
That is definitely some aspectsof demographics and
(22:11):
psychographics and behaviors,but that's not a true niche.
Your niche is actually theproblem that you're solving.
So in order to get to thatconsulting niche that is going
to guide your practice, you needto understand the one core
problem that you're going tosolve for a specific audience
and the fact that you have beendistilling your lived experience
(22:36):
and these transformationalpatterns, and how you're
connecting the experiences fromyour lives to the textbook
knowledge that you have and thestrengths that you have.
How you're connecting thosedots.
That's what helps you todevelop insight into the problem
that you can solve, becauseyou're going to know that there
are problems in your market orin your industry that are urgent
(22:57):
for your ideal audience or foryour client.
But just because that problemexists doesn't mean that you're
the best person to solve it.
And that's the key.
Most people start with just theproblem.
They're looking at problems inthe market, they decide, hey,
I'm going to make an offer thatsolves this problem, but if
you're not the best person to dothat, you're going to struggle.
You're going to make an offerthat solves this problem, but if
(23:18):
you're not the best person todo that, you're going to
struggle, you're going to makeit harder for yourself, you're
going to have an uphill battlebecause you have to figure out
how you're going to do thatNumber one effectively, how
you're going to find a way tomarket yourself as the expert in
that space, versus taking whatmakes you an expert and just
applying it to a problem thatexists.
Do you see the difference?
Those are two different things.
(23:40):
And so when you take theexpertise that you have that's a
combination of your livedexperience, your credentials and
your degrees and knowledge andyour strengths when you take
that and you look at the marketand you say these are the
problems that are out there.
And you look at the market andyou say these are the problems
that are out there.
And out of all these problemsthat exist, I feel as if if I
(24:02):
take everything that I couldpackage about myself and apply
it, this is the problem that Ican solve to the best of my
ability.
When you do that totallydifferent process game changer,
you hear me and then after thatwe just have to test to make
sure that there's alignment,that it feels like you, that
it's going to be received wellin the marketplace and that
others are going to want toinvest in it.
(24:25):
That gets into other aspects ofthe business out in the line.
But when we're first trying tofind this niche, it's about
taking who we are and applyingthat to problems in the market.
So it's a reverse way ofthinking through the process.
So let me just give you a realworld example and I'm not going
to name any names, of course,because the work that I do with
(24:46):
clients is very confidential andI like to make sure that I'm
maintaining that.
But I was recently working witha client who is incredibly
accomplished in her career.
I mean, she has a great job,but I will be honest, she's not
happy I wasn't happy, I shouldrather say in her job.
(25:06):
And she had worked her way up.
She'd been promoted, she's heldroles that are extremely
impressive on paper.
She's the go-to leader in herspace.
She's known for hercommunication skills, of being
emotionally intelligent, beingvery resilient, all the things.
But behind the scenes she feltthis disconnect.
(25:26):
It was like she's checking offall these boxes.
She's doing the things that areright, she's being quote
unquote successful, butsomething else is missing, and
when we got deeper into ourconversations, it was that and
this is what she kept sayingI've done all the right things,
I am very flexible, I'm pivoted,I've changed, I've grown, but I
(25:48):
don't feel excited about itanymore, right.
So she wanted to do somethingdifferent, something that she
found to be more fulfilling,which was to help others.
She wanted to start thisconsulting business and to truly
get it off the ground, and thetruth is she had the experience
to do it.
She had years of leadership,multiple roles inside and
outside of her nine to five.
(26:09):
So she's a leader not just inher career but outside of that,
and she's naturally able toconnect with people.
So people really enjoyedworking with her and she enjoyed
supporting them.
So what we had to do is start topiece all these things together
.
We had to look at what she haddone, not just as job titles
remember, but as skills, asmoments, key moments of shifts
(26:32):
and change and pivots in herlife that made the difference
and what allowed her to do thatsuccessfully.
And we were able to pull outthose things that made her
unique, her voice, herperspective around the world,
the way that she likes to lead,the way that she wants to advise
, how she wants to work.
And then we structuredeverything around what already
(26:55):
made her powerful.
So it wasn't a matter of ustrying to force her to be
someone she's not.
She already had the ability tolead and to communicate and to
connect.
What we just need to do is findthe problem that was in the
marketplace that she was workingin and wanted to work in and
make and apply her unique skillset to that problem.
(27:16):
So she didn't have to startover.
What she needed was more of arealignment to actually put the
pieces of her story together ina way that made a lot of sense,
especially for the next chapter.
So now she's lit up.
Now she's lit up, now she'senergized, now she's excited to
create offers and to go and talkto groups when she is guest
(27:41):
speaking, and to create newproducts and lead magnets and
things of that nature.
She's excited about that workbecause it's hers, it represents
who she is and what she wantsto do.
And that's the shift that.
I'll be honest with you, that'sthe shift I live for.
When a client realizes thatthey don't need to prove
anything else to anybody andthey just need to show up as who
(28:04):
they have always been in theirspace and be able to do that
without the stress and thestruggle, my job is done.
I mean, you know, at leastaround this piece of the puzzle
is done.
I mean, you know, at leastaround this piece of the puzzle.
So you know, the one thing Iwant to just say and I want to
say this loud for theconsultants in the back that may
be listening niching down doesnot mean shrinking.
(28:25):
It does not mean limitingyourself.
It does not mean limiting yourbrilliance.
It means channeling it.
It means that you are going tostand tall in one space where
your strengths and yourexperience and your value is
undeniable.
It's going to remove all of theimposter syndrome.
It's going to remove theuncertainty, it's going to
(28:47):
remove the difficulty inarticulation.
It's going to make thingseasier for you to deliver and
actually create, easier for youto deliver and actually create.
And the great part about it isthat this space that you're
creating, it's going to growwith you.
It's not going to stay the samebecause you're not going to
stay the same.
So you're not locking yourselfinto a box.
(29:08):
You're not locking yourselfinto one space.
You're starting off in a placethat honors your strength and
you're going to allow it to growwith you.
So this clarity is not going tolimit you.
It literally, and I promiseit's going to liberate you.
It's going to give you controlover your time.
It's going to give you bettercontrol over your rates and your
(29:30):
offers.
It's going to create demand foryour work, because people are
going to know you for thespecialty that you have, what
makes you unique and what youcan accomplish, and that's going
to be on your terms.
So, listen, if you're tired ofspinning your wheels and you're
ready to nail your niche withintention, I would love to
(29:52):
support you.
Now.
You can either download thefree guide that I'm going to
leave in the description andthis guide is going to walk you
through how you can find thatniche.
That's going to get you booked,it will get you started, it'll
help you get that ball rolling.
And if you are, you know,further along and you're ready
for more personalized help, thenall you have to do is DM me at
(30:13):
Dr Angelina Davis on Instagramor LinkedIn, or you can head to
the website at excel, atconsultingcom, and we can talk
about how we can work together,and I would love to help you
along that journey.
So, if you enjoyed this episode,what I want you to do is to
share it with a friend and makesure that you leave your
(30:35):
five-star review on ApplePodcasts or Spotify, and you
know, all of that helps us togrow the show and to reach more
people because, just like you,others need to be able to
understand the value of whatthey offer so that they can show
up and win businesssuccessfully, being who they've
(30:58):
always been.
That's our goal, because that,my friend, is sustainable Until
next time.
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
I hope that it helps you getthe ball rolling when it comes
to finding your niche and reallycapitalizing on what makes you
different and great so that youcan stand out in this
marketplace and tune in againnext time.
(31:19):
I will catch you here againvery, very soon.
All right, guys, take care.
All right, here's the truth that changed my
consulting trajectory and, I'llbe honest with you, my clients'
lives as well.
It's the fact that generalistshustle, and they hustle hard,
while specialists are the onesthat actually get booked.
Now, if you've ever wonderedhow to turn your lived
experience into a clear,profitable consulting niche
(00:24):
without twisting yourself intosomething you're not, then this
episode that I'm going to sharewith you today is your roadmap.
I'm walking you through theexact process I use with clients
to help them define their nichein a way that's very authentic,
that's aligned and thatactually gets them booked.
Now you know what's wild Someof the most brilliant and I mean
(00:49):
brilliant and experienced womenI've ever worked with.
I mean these are women withdegrees and decades of
leadership experience the realresults that people wanna get.
Those same women still tell meoften that they're not sure how
to describe what they do.
And look, I understand, becauseI was there once upon a time.
(01:10):
Someone could ask me what is itthat you do in your career, in
your position or in yourbusiness?
And when?
I tell you that I had thehardest time articulating that,
and part of the reason isbecause half of the time when I
would start to explain, theaverage person would just look
at me with like 10 eyes.
They were completely confusedand didn't exactly know what I
(01:32):
was talking about.
And then, when I was talking tosomeone that was very familiar
with my area, I would stumble alittle bit because I was trying
to find a way to communicate theoutcomes that I could generate
without overstating what I coulddo.
And some of that was part of mymindset.
But it was difficult to figureout exactly how to sum
(01:55):
everything that I could offer upinto like one little short
sentence or elevator pitch.
And that's not because we arenot capable or that we don't
understand or have clarity aboutthe skills that we have and
what we offer, but it's mostoften because no one has ever
taught us how to own our voicein this business.
(02:18):
So if you've ever felt likeyour expertise is somehow both
too much but then also notenough, or you're juggling so
many ideas that you can'texplain your offer without
taking a deep breath and justtrying to process it all first,
this episode is for you, becausetoday I'm pulling back the
curtain on the exact processthat I use to help my clients
(02:42):
find their consulting niche.
And no, it does not requirescrapping your whole career and
forcing you into some type ofbox to develop some cute little
tagline.
What we're gonna talk about isthe real reason you might be
struggling with your niche andthen what it's costing you in
the long run.
(03:02):
If we cannot communicate thiseffectively and find our perfect
fit.
I want us to shift from beingvague and scattered to being
booked and in demand.
So let's get into it Now.
Let's be real.
When you're trying to be allthings to all people, you'll end
(03:23):
up sounding like everybody else, and I know it feels safe to
say that you can offer a lot ofthings.
And this is what I call theconsulting trap.
Most often, when we're startingout and this is a very
reasonable approach we start outby helping others solve
problems that exist.
That we may have some expertisearound to some degree, but it's
(03:47):
not our area of specialty, it'snot our area of focus.
We have not found a niche as ofyet because we're just starting
out.
So most often we say yes toeverything just so that we can
stay booked, because we need themoney, we need to get the
business off the ground and weneed to get things rolling.
But what happens over time isthat, instead of building
(04:07):
momentum in a certain direction,because you're taking on a lot
of different problems andprojects, you end up scattered,
and being scattered causes youto second guess what you're
doing.
You begin to second guess whatyou know, and it will really
leave you spinning around incircles.
The truth is that generalistenergy keeps you invisible.
(04:32):
Yes, it allows you to bring inmoney here or there so that you
can solve problems and get paidfor it, but overall you don't
become known for any one thing,and there are a few areas where
being a generalist may work inyour favor, but not very many.
As a consultant, not very manyat all.
(04:53):
I would say 99% of the time.
Being a generalist as aconsultant is going to make it
difficult for you, because youstart to water down your
messaging.
You lose your edge becauseyou're not focused on one clear
thing that you can go in depthon, and so you remain surface
level on everything.
It's kind of like being a Janeof all trades, right, and so
(05:17):
your audience never buildsaround one core topic because
you're acknowledging that youare there to solve a number of
problems, so no one can reallyattach themselves to one
particular framework or oneparticular process or approach
that you may have.
So while it may soundimpressive to be able to say
(05:37):
that you can help a client witha number of different things,
this is not helping them see you.
Your brilliance is found inyour specificity and without
having a clear niche, it's goingto be difficult for people to
figure out exactly what you do,why they should hire you or work
(05:59):
with you, and what you areactually known for.
It's just more difficultbecause you are selling a very
general message that sounds likeeveryone else.
So part of the problem in beingthe best kept secret that I
found is that most have notfound this niche to claim.
(06:23):
So when you go a lot deeper,most women that I work with come
to me thinking I just needbetter content or maybe I should
redo my website, I need betterbranding, I need new positioning
.
But the real issue is thatthey're really viewing their
business through a job titlelens and in a job you're used to
(06:46):
doing a number of differentthings wearing a lot of
different hats, and actuallywe're praised and promoted
because we're able to be good ina lot of different things and
do a lot of tasks successfully.
But that is not related to aspecific transformation, but
that is not related to aspecific transformation, and so
(07:10):
we get stuck in this employeemindset and different frameworks
and structures that were builtfor working a nine to five,
instead of being focused on howwe are actually selling what we
do as a business owner ourselves.
And being able to do that meansthat we need to have a lot of
clarity, because buyers are notdrawn to confusion, and
especially for us as women andwomen of color, the pressure to
(07:33):
prove ourselves is real, andit's harder, if you think about
this, to prove yourself whenyou're talking about a lot of
different things as a generalistthan it is to prove your depth
of knowledge when you'respecializing in a given area.
And so what we unknowingly dois we add on all of these other
(07:55):
difficulties and challenges weotherwise would not have, mainly
because we're taught to showreceipts, we need to list
degrees, we need to check allthe boxes just to get in the
room, but we don't realize thata lot of what we were doing at
that time, when we were tryingto execute that type of plan and
checklist, is that we weretrying to land a career, job
(08:17):
right.
We're trying to get theposition that's going to carry
us to a higher level corporatejob, and that's not what we
really need in this space.
Because in this new space inentrepreneurship, what you're
doing is actually owning theroom, and you need to own that
room with your voice.
You need to own it with yourvalue and with your vision, and
(08:38):
all of those things voice, valueand vision have to be more
specific.
They can't be vague.
So vagueness isn't just amarketing issue.
It honestly is something thatcreates a level of emotional
weight that comes along with it.
It becomes an obstacle for usif we are going to go that route
(09:00):
.
It's not that you have to nichedown.
People will have this argumentall the time because they may
feel like niching puts them in abox and they want to remain
multi-passionate and all thosethings Although I will argue
that being a multi-passionate isstill a niche, and that's a
whole conversation for anotherday.
But when you think about what itmeans for you to be able to
(09:25):
market your business and tostand out in a crowded market,
it means that you have to bedifferent.
It means that you cannot looklike everyone else, and so if
you are in a certain situationor circumstance where you are
not clear about how you aredifferent and how you're
specialized or how your niche,then you are going to look like
(09:49):
everyone else because, inessence, being a generalist
means that you are very similarto others, that you're able to
handle general problems.
And many people get stuck herebecause, as a consultant, very
rarely is someone hiring you fora general problem.
(10:10):
Typically they have an employeethat they could ask to handle a
general problem.
They have someone that they canrefer to as a colleague that
may be able to help them with ageneral problem.
So what they're looking forfrom us is more depth.
So you have to start askingyourself you know, when things
seem a little bit unclear or youdon't know how to explain
(10:31):
exactly what you do and you'relosing confidence around your
services and your offer and youwant to stand out, ask yourself
do I even know what I'm doing?
Because this is the thing.
If you don't really know whatyou're doing and why you are
special, then how are otherpeople going to understand that?
And I've seen a number ofbrilliant women who are
(10:51):
credentialed, they'reaccomplished, they are deeply
capable.
They still feel invisible ifyou have those deeper
conversations with them, and thereason why this comes about is
because they may still feel likethey're not quite there yet.
Yes, they're landing clients,yes, they're getting some
(11:13):
business, but they're not beingrespected as the knowledgeable
advisor or strategist that theywanna be seen as.
And so if you're feeling this,it's not because you're not
doing the work or you're notdoing a great job, but it's just
because the work that you'redoing right now is not
highlighting what makes youunique.
And it's almost like if I wasto use an analogy like you're
(11:36):
duct taping things together,you're finding different
projects that pay the bills andyou're piecing it all together
and you're making this ball ofsorts out of duct tape and
you're trying to hold thattogether as some type of
marketing ecosystem, because youhave a lot of things that
you've done, or maybe I shouldbetter say like a portfolio, but
(11:58):
it doesn't represent theessence of who you are.
It doesn't feel like you.
The essence of who you are.
It doesn't feel like you, andit's actually, if we're all
honest about it, likely not yourcup of tea or what you actually
care about.
And so it's this level ofvagueness, in all of the weight
that it creates, that starts tobring about burnout, because now
(12:21):
you're doing a lot of differentthings for a lot of different
people, and it's a lot of workthat you're not overly
passionate about and, to behonest with you, oftentimes it's
not the source of your strength.
You may be good at it, but areyou the best at it?
Is it something that comesnaturally, or is it something
that you have to work a littlebit harder to accomplish?
And so if you are pulling fromthis place where you are not
(12:45):
centering your business aroundyour strengths and what you do
best, then it creates a busynessinside of your business instead
of it being simple for you, andwhat you want is something that
is simple simple to execute,simple to run, simple to do,
simple to explain and articulate.
All of that comes from yougaining more clarity, and that
(13:09):
honestly starts with just havinga niche.
So this is where I want to talkabout my approach to helping
clients find their perfect spot,and this is where we're going
to flip the script just a littlebit, because when I'm walking
clients through this process andhelping them find their niche,
I'm not focused on them findingjust any niche, but a place
(13:34):
where it actually feels likehome for them, where they feel
most comfortable and wherethings feel most aligned,
because there are a few thingsthat are very, very important to
the success of your business,and that is your personal
enjoyment, because if it'ssomething that you don't enjoy
and you don't like to do, very,very soon it is going to be
(13:54):
extremely challenging for you todo the work number one, but
then also for you to stay at thetop of your game in order to
accomplish the things that youneed to accomplish and learn
what you need to learn over timeto be the greatest at what you
do.
And so if you're unable tomaster your craft because you
honestly don't want to do it,that is problematic, especially
(14:16):
as a consultant, and this isspecific to our work as experts.
So it's really, reallyimportant that you find this
space that you have deepinterest in.
And then the next piece of thepuzzle is that it needs to be an
area that you have a strengtharound, because things need to
(14:37):
be easier for you, especiallywhen you're starting out by
yourself or with a limited team,or even if you get a small firm
, you have a busy client roster,then in those instances you
need to be able to do thingseasier, faster, simpler, and all
of those things come from itbeing centered around your
(14:58):
strengths and what you do best.
So those two things become very, very important when you're
thinking about building thisbusiness out things that you
love, things that resemble oralign with your strengths, and
then, last but not least, whatyou're knowledgeable at.
So what have you learned fromyour career, from the degrees
(15:19):
that you have, from thecertifications?
All of those things matter andthey become core to what you can
use in your business to explainvalue to others.
Because, let's be honest, ifyou've been paid for it in your
career, that means that someonefinds it valuable.
Paid for it in your career,that means that someone finds it
valuable.
That is a telltale sign thatthis is a valuable skill set
(15:40):
because someone has paid you forit in a career, in a job.
And we have to remember thatthat is not the only, or those
are not the only skills that wecan lean on or that are valuable
, but those are clear skillsthat we can use, that we know
for a fact translate into sometype of monetary gain if we use
it appropriately, that arevaluable.
But those are clear skills thatwe can use, that we know for a
fact translate into some type ofmonetary gain if we use it
(16:00):
appropriately.
So we want to keep all of thisin mind when we're working
through this framework.
Now, one of the first steps thatI want you to take is to
extract your lived expertise.
Most people don't start herebecause we're automatically
drawn to what we've learned inschool and yes, what we've
(16:21):
learned in school has been very,very important.
Textbook knowledge is important, but I think, as we move along
in this modern era, we'restarting to see that artificial
intelligence, and all of thetools that we have available to
us right now, is able togenerate information in a matter
of seconds.
And so just having theinformation, just having the
(16:44):
knowledge, just curating thatknowledge, it's not that it's
not valuable, but it's not goingto protect you in the long term
because it's replicable,meaning that someone can take it
and they can repeat exactlywhat you do.
They can replicate exactly whatyou're doing and what you're
saying, whether it is a tool ortechnology, or if it's someone
else that decides to go intobusiness.
(17:05):
And you know, regenerate orregurgitate, excuse me, what you
have said and done.
Those are things that you don'twant to hang your hat on, but
your lived experience is very,very different, and when you dig
into your story and yourstrengths and your skills and
the things that you've seen playout over your life, that you're
(17:26):
literally good at.
That may not necessarily fitneatly into a resume.
That is where you begin tounearth your real power.
So, being able to extract theseexperiences that you've had,
what have you taken part in asyou have been growing up?
What are you good at?
(17:46):
That's a literal talent or agift that you have.
What do people often come toyou for?
All of those things areimportant because those are
skill sets that you likely takefor granted but everybody around
you sees, and we want toincorporate those types of
things.
Now the next thing is that wewant to identify transformation
(18:08):
patterns, and that is connectingthe dots.
That's looking at not only justthe textbook knowledge and the
lived experiences that you'vehad, but then figuring out how
they actually connect.
How have you naturally piecedthese things together over time
in ways that you may not havenoticed?
You can think about the resultsyou've helped people achieve
(18:34):
without you even realizing it.
So think of conversations thatyou've had with friends, or
maybe colleagues or even otherclients, where you've given them
advice and it literally waslike the light bulb turned on
for them.
You didn't think anything of it, and that's something that I
found for myself often occurs.
(18:55):
That's something that I foundfor myself often occurs.
I may have friends that call andwe're talking about business
challenges and things going onin our lives and they may have a
conversation with me and I'mjust breaking down different
options that they may have andthings that I may see that they
can do and sharing experiencesthat I have had and seen and
enjoyed and how that connects totheir business.
(19:17):
And at the end of ourconversation and this actually
happened just the other day atthe end of the conversation they
may say something like you know, I just called to chat but I
didn't know I was going to havea coaching session today, and
the reason why it tickles me isbecause I'm not even realizing
that I'm doing it right.
But it's a breakthrough forthem and I know this happens to
(19:38):
you as well.
You're a natural problem solver, you are a critical thinker, so
this is happening and it's justa matter of you tuning into
when this is occurring and beingable to connect some of those
dots.
What were the things that youwere able to piece together from
your other experiences withthat knowledge that you have and
expertise that you were able topiece together from your other
experiences, with that knowledgethat you have and expertise
that you've gained from theclassroom or credentialing, and
(20:01):
how have you been able toconnect those together to solve
other problems?
So that's identifying thosetransformation patterns, and
then the next thing is, likeI've said over and over again,
defining your signaturestrengths.
Now, this is what makes youdifferent, this is what
(20:23):
highlights your unique approach.
This is your voice, yourperspective, literally how you
see the world, the way that youoperate, how you do things, the
adaptations that you're makingto processes so that they work
for you in your life.
That's an actual strength.
(20:43):
Those things that you're doingnaturally and that you're good
at.
Those are strengths.
Your ability to actively listenstrength.
Your ability to listen tosomeone and find empathy in
their problems.
Strength.
Your ability to communicate andarticulate effectively.
Strength.
Your ability to createnaturally, relationships that
(21:04):
others have difficulty creatingstrength.
All of those are signaturestrengths for you and what you
have to do is begin to highlightthose.
That is what you have toincorporate into your area of
practice so that you're carvingout this space that is uniquely
designed for you.
It becomes like a perfect fitfor you.
(21:26):
And then, after we're able todo that, the thing that you have
to do to kind of bring all thistogether is to package it into
an offer.
And when you package it, it'sabout solving one core problem
for a specific audience, andthis is actually what becomes
your niche.
So you know, many people thinkthat when you're niching down
(21:49):
you're just deciding oh, I wantto, you know, make an offer for
women who are over 35 and livein the suburbs and they like to
watch daytime soap operas, ifthey still come on.
I don't even know if they stillcome on.
That is definitely some aspectsof demographics and
(22:11):
psychographics and behaviors,but that's not a true niche.
Your niche is actually theproblem that you're solving.
So in order to get to thatconsulting niche that is going
to guide your practice, you needto understand the one core
problem that you're going tosolve for a specific audience
and the fact that you have beendistilling your lived experience
(22:36):
and these transformationalpatterns, and how you're
connecting the experiences fromyour lives to the textbook
knowledge that you have and thestrengths that you have.
How you're connecting thosedots.
That's what helps you todevelop insight into the problem
that you can solve, becauseyou're going to know that there
are problems in your market orin your industry that are urgent
(22:57):
for your ideal audience or foryour client.
But just because that problemexists doesn't mean that you're
the best person to solve it.
And that's the key.
Most people start with just theproblem.
They're looking at problems inthe market, they decide, hey,
I'm going to make an offer thatsolves this problem, but if
you're not the best person to dothat, you're going to struggle.
You're going to make an offerthat solves this problem, but if
(23:18):
you're not the best person todo that, you're going to
struggle, you're going to makeit harder for yourself, you're
going to have an uphill battlebecause you have to figure out
how you're going to do thatNumber one effectively, how
you're going to find a way tomarket yourself as the expert in
that space, versus taking whatmakes you an expert and just
applying it to a problem thatexists.
Do you see the difference?
Those are two different things.
(23:40):
And so when you take theexpertise that you have that's a
combination of your livedexperience, your credentials and
your degrees and knowledge andyour strengths when you take
that and you look at the marketand you say these are the
problems that are out there.
And you look at the market andyou say these are the problems
that are out there.
And out of all these problemsthat exist, I feel as if if I
(24:02):
take everything that I couldpackage about myself and apply
it, this is the problem that Ican solve to the best of my
ability.
When you do that totallydifferent process game changer,
you hear me and then after thatwe just have to test to make
sure that there's alignment,that it feels like you, that
it's going to be received wellin the marketplace and that
others are going to want toinvest in it.
(24:25):
That gets into other aspects ofthe business out in the line.
But when we're first trying tofind this niche, it's about
taking who we are and applyingthat to problems in the market.
So it's a reverse way ofthinking through the process.
So let me just give you a realworld example and I'm not going
to name any names, of course,because the work that I do with
(24:46):
clients is very confidential andI like to make sure that I'm
maintaining that.
But I was recently working witha client who is incredibly
accomplished in her career.
I mean, she has a great job,but I will be honest, she's not
happy I wasn't happy, I shouldrather say in her job.
(25:06):
And she had worked her way up.
She'd been promoted, she's heldroles that are extremely
impressive on paper.
She's the go-to leader in herspace.
She's known for hercommunication skills, of being
emotionally intelligent, beingvery resilient, all the things.
But behind the scenes she feltthis disconnect.
(25:26):
It was like she's checking offall these boxes.
She's doing the things that areright, she's being quote
unquote successful, butsomething else is missing, and
when we got deeper into ourconversations, it was that and
this is what she kept sayingI've done all the right things,
I am very flexible, I'm pivoted,I've changed, I've grown, but I
(25:48):
don't feel excited about itanymore, right.
So she wanted to do somethingdifferent, something that she
found to be more fulfilling,which was to help others.
She wanted to start thisconsulting business and to truly
get it off the ground, and thetruth is she had the experience
to do it.
She had years of leadership,multiple roles inside and
outside of her nine to five.
(26:09):
So she's a leader not just inher career but outside of that,
and she's naturally able toconnect with people.
So people really enjoyedworking with her and she enjoyed
supporting them.
So what we had to do is start topiece all these things together
.
We had to look at what she haddone, not just as job titles
remember, but as skills, asmoments, key moments of shifts
(26:32):
and change and pivots in herlife that made the difference
and what allowed her to do thatsuccessfully.
And we were able to pull outthose things that made her
unique, her voice, herperspective around the world,
the way that she likes to lead,the way that she wants to advise
, how she wants to work.
And then we structuredeverything around what already
(26:55):
made her powerful.
So it wasn't a matter of ustrying to force her to be
someone she's not.
She already had the ability tolead and to communicate and to
connect.
What we just need to do is findthe problem that was in the
marketplace that she was workingin and wanted to work in and
make and apply her unique skillset to that problem.
(27:16):
So she didn't have to startover.
What she needed was more of arealignment to actually put the
pieces of her story together ina way that made a lot of sense,
especially for the next chapter.
So now she's lit up.
Now she's lit up, now she'senergized, now she's excited to
create offers and to go and talkto groups when she is guest
(27:41):
speaking, and to create newproducts and lead magnets and
things of that nature.
She's excited about that workbecause it's hers, it represents
who she is and what she wantsto do.
And that's the shift that.
I'll be honest with you, that'sthe shift I live for.
When a client realizes thatthey don't need to prove
anything else to anybody andthey just need to show up as who
(28:04):
they have always been in theirspace and be able to do that
without the stress and thestruggle, my job is done.
I mean, you know, at leastaround this piece of the puzzle
is done.
I mean, you know, at leastaround this piece of the puzzle.
So you know, the one thing Iwant to just say and I want to
say this loud for theconsultants in the back that may
be listening niching down doesnot mean shrinking.
(28:25):
It does not mean limitingyourself.
It does not mean limiting yourbrilliance.
It means channeling it.
It means that you are going tostand tall in one space where
your strengths and yourexperience and your value is
undeniable.
It's going to remove all of theimposter syndrome.
It's going to remove theuncertainty, it's going to
(28:47):
remove the difficulty inarticulation.
It's going to make thingseasier for you to deliver and
actually create, easier for youto deliver and actually create.
And the great part about it isthat this space that you're
creating, it's going to growwith you.
It's not going to stay the samebecause you're not going to
stay the same.
So you're not locking yourselfinto a box.
(29:08):
You're not locking yourselfinto one space.
You're starting off in a placethat honors your strength and
you're going to allow it to growwith you.
So this clarity is not going tolimit you.
It literally, and I promiseit's going to liberate you.
It's going to give you controlover your time.
It's going to give you bettercontrol over your rates and your
(29:30):
offers.
It's going to create demand foryour work, because people are
going to know you for thespecialty that you have, what
makes you unique and what youcan accomplish, and that's going
to be on your terms.
So, listen, if you're tired ofspinning your wheels and you're
ready to nail your niche withintention, I would love to
(29:52):
support you.
Now.
You can either download thefree guide that I'm going to
leave in the description andthis guide is going to walk you
through how you can find thatniche.
That's going to get you booked,it will get you started, it'll
help you get that ball rolling.
And if you are, you know,further along and you're ready
for more personalized help, thenall you have to do is DM me at
(30:13):
Dr Angelina Davis on Instagramor LinkedIn, or you can head to
the website at excel, atconsultingcom, and we can talk
about how we can work together,and I would love to help you
along that journey.
So, if you enjoyed this episode,what I want you to do is to
share it with a friend and makesure that you leave your
(30:35):
five-star review on ApplePodcasts or Spotify, and you
know, all of that helps us togrow the show and to reach more
people because, just like you,others need to be able to
understand the value of whatthey offer so that they can show
up and win businesssuccessfully, being who they've
(30:58):
always been.
That's our goal, because that,my friend, is sustainable Until
next time.
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
I hope that it helps you getthe ball rolling when it comes
to finding your niche and reallycapitalizing on what makes you
different and great so that youcan stand out in this
marketplace and tune in againnext time.
(31:19):
I will catch you here againvery, very soon.
All right, guys, take care.
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