August 14, 2025 • 28 mins
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Ever wondered why some consultants command premium rates while others struggle to prove their worth? The answer lies not in credentials alone, but in alignment – finding the perfect intersection between your natural strengths and what the market truly values.
This episode dives into the journey from undervalued service provider to sought-after expert. We explore how many consultants start with a "messy" phase of taking whatever work they can find, and why this approach rarely positions you to communicate your true value effectively. The pivotal shift happens when you transition from accepting random projects to building a business centered around your unique expertise.
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Interested in learning more about the Strategic Authority Framework? Visit https://excelatconsulting.com/authoritydesigned/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
One of the most significant challenges that we
face as consultants is beingvalued for our expertise,
expertise, thought leadership,knowledge.
All those things are intangible.
It's not a product that you puton the shelf, so it's not easy
to explain to others why itshould be valued, why it does
deserve to be compensated withpremium rates, why it is
(00:24):
important.
Those are all things that canbe a challenge to express, and
when it is challenging, itleaves us in a situation where
many times, we becomeundervalued, and it's not really
the fault of our client.
A lot of times, our careers arelooking for ways to find help.
They want to find somethingthat they deem as being valuable
(00:44):
and worthy of them making theinvestment.
So it's not that they areworking against us or not
looking for the solution.
However, how we show up and thethings that we do also impact
whether or not we are perceivedthat way, and the conversation I
want us to have today is aboutwhat we can change.
I'm a big believer in focusingon the things that we can change
(01:08):
or what we can adjust in orderto ensure that we reach our
goals.
So if you have been feelinglike you are being undervalued,
that your services are notlooked upon as favorably as you
would like, then thisconversation is going to be one
I think you want to tune into,because it's me and you, and
we're going to have a real chatabout what it takes to fix it.
(01:29):
They say the odds are stackedagainst us as women, especially
women of color, trying to thrivein the consulting world.
But rather than wait for a seatat the table that may never
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.
(01:51):
I'm your host, dr AngelinaDavis, and I've walked the path
from healthcare consultant to amentor for women like you,
ambitious, unstoppable and readyto make waves in the consulting
world.
This podcast is your go-to spotfor all things entrepreneurial
consulting.
For us as women, especiallywomen of color, think of it as
(02:11):
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
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
(02:33):
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 Now.
(02:53):
Many of us start out inconsulting in a very similar way
.
We are looking for a businessand we're trying to match our
skill set to needs in the marketand get our feet firmly planted
so that we can grow, and itmakes sense to just look for the
work that we can find and tryto find our fit.
Just looking at the way that westart, it's not surprising that
(03:15):
we're not in alignment rightoff the bat.
That takes time, and when youare talking about being able to
communicate value, buying newalignment is a huge part of that
.
The messy start of it all issomething that we all have to
experience.
We have to figure out how wefit into the market, what aspect
(03:36):
of our lived experience isvaluable to others and what type
of problems we can actuallysolve and what solutions we can
offer.
All of that is like thisbuildup to creating what
eventually becomes the servicethat we somewhat hang our hat on
.
So from the beginning, we'realready in a situation that is
(03:57):
not going to make it easy tocommunicate value.
We're just trying to figurethings out, and in that messy
startup process of figuring itout you don't have to have all
the answers and you may notnecessarily get paid top dollar
because you're trying to getthings off the ground.
(04:17):
But once you've been in thisindustry for a while, once
you've done the groundwork, onceyou have paid your dues, then
that is a point at which youwant to begin to transition from
just picking up odd jobs toreally build a business that
centers around your work, thethings that you're good at, what
you do well.
(04:37):
And when you start to move inthat direction, then that's when
you are looking for alignment.
You're looking for a way toalign what you do with the
market and then stay in thatlane and create something that
is going to be recognized overtime, or not just being a
services offer but really beingone of the best services out
(04:57):
there.
That's part of the process ofjust starting a business and
growing.
So if you're trying to be ableto communicate value in the most
effective way right out thegate, it's not necessarily going
to align with your expertise.
It may align with what you'redoing for others, it may align
with some other aspect of theservices that you provide, or
(05:19):
maybe a deliverable that you'regoing to give.
However, once you get to thatplace where you want to be known
for something, where you wantto be respected for what you
bring to the table that goesbeyond what you're actually
doing with your hands thenthat's the point at which
alignment takes more of a centerrole.
So we have to start thinkingthat way.
(05:40):
We have to move from it justbeing finding odd jobs to truly
thinking about how do we alignourselves with the industry in a
way that allows us to createthe seamless connection between
what we do and what we offer andwhat our clients need, the
order for you to go from yourexpertise being overlooked and
(06:05):
undervalued to it beingsomething that people seek out,
for you to be positioned as anexpert, then you're going to
have to practice in yourstrengths, and one of the
reasons why I like to stressthat is really because whenever
you are not in sync with whatyou do best, you make things
more difficult for yourself.
Are not in sync with what youdo best, you make things more
(06:28):
difficult for yourself, and thisis true for everyone, for all
of us.
So think of what it's like tostart a new sport.
If I'm going out and I'm tryingto learn how to play tennis or
pickleball, neither would Ithink to.
And I'm learning that skill set.
It's not a strength of mine.
There is a huge learning curve,right, and not only is there a
huge learning curve, but I'm notnumber one good at it.
(06:49):
I'm not comfortable in it.
I am not showing up confidentlyin that space when I'm going
into matches or tournaments.
It's all something new.
There is this hard upward grindof it all to get to the point
where you're good at thatparticular sport and build a
(07:11):
usable skill set.
And so if we're going intobusiness with that same mindset
of starting something new andwe're starting in a place where
we have not practiced before,where we don't have that lived
experience or we're not good atit, then it's going to be
difficult.
It's not that you can't do it,it's not that you can't learn
(07:33):
these skills over time, but it'sgoing to take a while to get
there and we all have toappreciate what comes with the
journey.
We want people to appreciateour expertise because of all the
years of dedication we've putinto learning the things that we
need to learn into masteringour skill set, so we also have
(07:54):
to appreciate the fact that ittakes that same type of energy
and effort in order to mastersomething new.
Whenever you're starting out ina space where things are
uncomfortable, it's going totake a little while for it to
feel seamless and for you to beable to do the best that you can
(08:15):
do.
This is one of the main reasonswhy I feel like leaning on your
strengths, leaning on thethings that you're good at,
makes everything about yourjourney easier, because then
you're not searching to learnmore and to get more comfortable
in your space.
What you're doing at that momentin time is then learning how to
(08:35):
take what you're great at andjust showing people how you
practice.
It becomes more of a focus onvisibility and getting yourself
out there and marketing andbeing seen more so than it is
learning.
We're going to always becontinually learning in our
practice, because that's what apractice is.
(08:56):
A practice is all aboutevolution, it's all about growth
, it's all about advancement.
But you don't want to start offwith scratch every time and if
you are starting at that verybeginning phase, it takes time
to get to the point where youare going to practice at such a
high level where you're going tofeel confident enough to
(09:17):
command the room, I would say soknow that utilizing your
strengths is one of the easiestways to fast track yourself to
success, because what you'recarrying with you is not just
all of the knowledge and theskills and the experience you've
had over the years, but you'realso carrying with you the
(09:38):
confidence that it took in orderto master that and the I would
say relief and joy in knowingthat very few can actually
challenge you in that.
So it's a way for you to notonly show confidently, but also
to stand out.
Being in your strengths andcreating a strength-centered
service is a huge asset to you.
(10:02):
Now, when you're operating andyou're practicing in your
strengths, the one thing thatyou're going to notice is that
people are going to startgravitating to you because of
that.
So they're going to recognizethat there are certain things
that you do extremely well.
I mean, you do these thingsbetter than most people and
because of that, you are goingto experience people starting to
(10:22):
pick your brain about certaintopics, or maybe they're coming
to you with certain projects, oryou're being referred by others
for specific issues or toprovide a particular solution.
And if you really pay attention, close attention, to those
trends and kind of thosepatterns, then what you'll begin
to see is how others areviewing your strengths and how
(10:45):
they view their problem and howit aligns with what you do best.
This goes back to that wholeelement and concept of alignment
.
The alignment is not just youtrying to find your fit in the
market and allow your expertiseto be the center of focus.
It's also others matching whatthey need in terms of their
(11:10):
problem and their concerns andtheir challenges to what you
have to offer.
So it's more of a two-waystreet and when you are able to
piece those two things together,that's your winning ticket.
That's when you're realizingthat what I do really, really
well is something that otherpeople need, and not only do
they need it, but it's somethingthat they value so much that
(11:32):
they're telling others about it.
It's something that they'rewilling to invest in.
It's something that you canbuild your business around.
But all of this requires us topay close attention to the
signals that we're getting, thevarious conversations that we're
having around the work that wedo, so that we can recognize
that, yes, I can offer a lot, Ican do a lot of different things
(11:55):
, but I do have certainstrengths that, uniquely, are
true to me and are a result ofeverything that I have
experienced and lived throughthat others recognize as being
valuable.
And there, my friend, is wherewe can begin to really lean in,
because now we're aligning whatwe do best with the market.
(12:16):
And when we are beginning toalign those two things as long
as it is something that bringsyou joy and makes you happy and
bits into other elements of yoursatisfaction as not just a
service provider and businessowner, but as a person, then you
are beginning to find yourperfect fit.
(12:40):
Because what's funny is thatwhat other people value most is
not necessarily the things thatwe would anticipate them valuing
.
We hang a lot on credentials ormaybe our training or some
other aspect of the knowledgethat we've been able to
accumulate, but others find ourintangible skills potentially to
(13:04):
be even more valuable than alot of those harder skills and
that textbook knowledge.
Many times we are pairingtogether not just what we know,
but what we know with the thingsthat we are most gifted in,
whether that's in speaking orcommunication, or being able to
analyze something more deeplyand critique with emotional
(13:27):
intelligence, or maybe you havemore of a creative flair and
you're able to take somethingthat is more difficult and
analytical and complex and turnit into something that others
who are not part of thatindustry would appreciate, and
therefore you're helping abusiness communicate their
message more effectively.
There are the unique gifts thatwe have, and then there is the
(13:51):
hard-earned knowledge andexpertise that we hold, and when
those two things collide, thattruly is something that is
rather unique.
That's the part that people see.
They see the things that wedon't often notice.
It's another reason why we haveto be very cognizant and mindful
of just paying attention to thelittle things, paying attention
(14:13):
to the interactions that we'rehaving with our audience, paying
attention to the interactionswe're having with past clients
and understanding what they arefinding to be the most valuable
for themselves, because it's notabout what we see as being
valuable but they actuallyperceive as valuable.
But we have to step out of ourminds and into their lens so we
(14:36):
can see from their perspective.
And the more we can do that,the more that we open ourselves
up to exploring that side of theequation, the business journey,
the more that we are going togrow as a business and as a
consultant over time, becausewe're going to better understand
our audience, we're going tohave a better understanding of
(14:57):
our client's needs, and all ofthose things help to improve
marketing, it helps to improvesales, it helps to definitely
improve your positioning in themarket.
All of these things cometogether because now you are
more mindful of the alignmentbetween what you offer and what
people actually desire and need,alignment between what you
(15:23):
offer and what people actuallydesire and need.
So this is one key element ofbeing able to get over that hump
where you feel undervalued orunderappreciated and then moving
to a position where you arebeing seen as the go-to expert
and valued for your authority.
And I think the last piece ofthis puzzle is being able to
(15:43):
lean into the findings.
Once you better understand youraudience, once you have
acknowledged your strengths andyou've centered your services
around the things that you dobest, then it's time to lean
into that.
That's where you begin tospecialize more deeply into a
particular area of practice.
(16:04):
And that specialization is notthe same I see it at least not
being the same as niching down.
Typically, when we're choosinga niche, that's a way for us to
stand out in the marketplace topick a particular audience that
we're going to serve, so that weare speaking more directly to
their needs and their concerns,and it helps us to get our
(16:24):
business off the ground.
But what I'm talking about hereis about leaning into the
things that you do best and therecognition that you've had of
how that aligns with the marketand then choosing that.
This is what I will center mybusiness around and specialize
in, and the thing aboutspecialization is that it helps
(16:48):
you to elevate your practice.
Think about a generalist inmedicine.
So this is a family practicephysician.
This may be, if you're in ahospital, what we consider a
hospitalist.
This is somebody who isgenerally looking at everything
that is happening in your bodyand they're identifying problems
that may exist or making surethat you're healthy and strong.
(17:10):
They are looking at the wholeperson, but they are also not
well-versed in the specifics interms of a particular disease
state.
So, god forbid, if anythingever happened and you had an
ailment that needed a specialist, then more than likely the
generalist, the hospitalist, thefamily practice physician, the
(17:33):
internist those individuals maynot be able to help you with
that problem to the extent thatthey need to so that you have
the best treatment and that you,if there's something that could
be cured, you're cured.
I like to think about this asthe difference between working
with your family practicephysician and a neurosurgeon.
If you happen to need tertiaryfor some type of finding in your
(17:59):
brain, you're not going totrust that with someone who just
generally knows medicine.
You're going to lean on thespecialist, the person who has
trained themselves to be able toanswer those difficult
questions around just oneparticular organ.
And it doesn't make thespecialist better than the
generalist.
But what you're valuing is thefact that they have intricate
(18:23):
knowledge of the brain and thatknowledge translates into them
being able to do morecomplicated procedures and
handle more complicated casesthat the journalist cannot, and
because of that, that valueactually translates into them
being compensated at higher payrate.
(18:45):
So they're going to make moremoney simply because they have
specialized in this area.
It's not just choosing to do oneparticular thing, it's truly
mastering your craft in thatarea, and this aspect of
specialization is what helps tocreate the expert positioning
(19:05):
and authority that we need asconsultants, because in a world
where AI is starting to reallytake off and people have
knowledge at their fingertips,they're no longer just looking
for an answer.
They can look that out.
They can find that on YouTube,they can find that using ChatGPT
.
What they need is someone to goeven deeper and be able to
(19:26):
combine that general knowledgewith a lot of the other
experiences that they've hadthroughout life and then be able
to handle more difficult, morecomplicated and complex
situations that many times theycannot find through general
means.
This is our goal as we thinkabout growing our consulting
(19:47):
practices and our presence inour industries.
We want to be expertlypositioned to build and create
longevity in our businesses.
The longevity doesn't come frombeing able to take on a lot of
different random tasks.
The longevity comes from beingan authority in a particular
space, and when you are able todo that, then you almost write
(20:12):
your own take, because not onlydoes it take the knowledge and
expertise to get to that point,it takes the time, the
dedication, the energy and theskill set to also get there, and
most people are unwilling to dothat, and that's the piece that
helps you move from beingsomeone that is chasing down
(20:33):
clients and trying to findrandom work to the person that
clients seek out.
So to round out ourconversation with helping you
identify whether or not, rightnow, you are practicing in your
strengths, because this issomething that's good to know,
because, if you're not, you wantto make sure that you're making
that shift and adjustment, andif you are, you want to embrace
(20:54):
that and figure out how to gofurther.
So there are three questionsthat I want you to think about,
and I wrote them down here so Ican just read them out to you
and we can talk about what eachof these are going to show you.
The first is I want you todetermine whether or not you
feel energized when you're doingyour work.
A part of being energized whenyou are working with clients and
(21:18):
you're serving others is thatoften, that energy that you feel
is typically because it issomething that you enjoy doing
one, yes, but then also becauseyou're not doing something that
is completely draining you eachtime that you are carrying out
the task.
And if it's draining you, it'seither one not in alignment with
(21:39):
who you are and the things thatyou enjoy and what you want to
create, or it's something thatis very difficult for you to
execute and therefore it morethan likely does not center
around your strengths.
So, thinking about how you feelwhen you are working, whether
you are finding that joy in thatcontentment.
(22:01):
That is going to be somethingthat helps to cue you into
whether or not you arepracticing in your strengths.
Now the second question I wantyou to ask yourself is when
people come to you for help,what patterns do you notice?
And this gets back to thealignment of your strengths that
you've identified with the needin the market.
(22:23):
Are you finding that, when youget referrals, or when that
clients come to you and they'reinquiring about your services,
is there a match between whatthey're asking for and what you
feel are your strengths and dobest?
Because if there is thatalignment, then you are
beginning to find your way intoyour perfect fit in the market.
(22:46):
But if there is not thatalignment, then there is a
disconnect, there's somethingthat's a little bit off.
So either they perceive youdifferently than you wish to be
perceived or you have created abusiness around something that
truly isn't your strength orsomething that you want to do
which, once again, is still notin alignment.
(23:08):
So you want to focus and thinkabout when others are asking you
for things, when others areleaning on your expertise, what
are they drawn to that is goingto cue you in as to whether or
not you are on the right path isgoing to cue you in as to
whether or not you are on theright path.
(23:28):
And the last thing is and Ithink this is one of the most
critical, especially forconsultants, because so much of
consulting relies on you beingable to hold the room and be
confident in the work that youdo and confident in the
recommendations you provide isdo you feel confident and
comfortable in your space rightnow?
And if you don't, then theremay be some element of you
(23:53):
having whether it's insecurityor feelings of imposter syndrome
or just questioning whether youhave sufficient skills in a
particular area to call yourselfan expert, and that lack of
confidence can signal that youare not in your strengths.
Because I will argue that ifyou're truly practicing in your
(24:14):
strengths, you have a strengthcentered business, then you are
going to be more comfortable.
You're going to be moreconfident because it's something
that you do well, it'ssomething that you don't have to
fight to do.
Not only will that confidencehelp you to stand out in the
room and provide the bestservices, that particular
confidence is something that isgoing to help you become an
(24:35):
authority in your space.
You're going to be seendifferently when you're able to
command that room, because youknow what you're talking about.
So this competence is important, I feel, as if nothing else
happens, we need to becomfortable and confident in the
work that we're doing, becausethose are signals that we are in
(24:58):
alignment.
I hope this episode has helpedyou to see that beginning to
find success in consulting isn'tall textbook knowledge.
It's not just about everythingthat you learn in the classroom
or the degrees that you have andthings of that nature.
It stems from who you are as aperson.
It stems from the experiencesthat you've lived through and
(25:22):
how you're able to utilize thosestrengths to the best, of your
ability to address a need in themarket.
And once you're able to do that, things move with more ease and
the progress is more swiftbecause you're not fighting
against the current.
I want you to really thinkabout how you are practicing
(25:45):
right now and if you are not inyour strengths, if you are not
in alignment with where you needto be and where you want to go,
then it's time to cut alllosses and align that ship,
because the quicker you can makethat adjustment to center your
work around what you do best andmake that adjustment to center
(26:08):
your work around what you dobest, to find those who need
your strengths and then to leanfully into that, the faster
you're going to find success inyour business in the end and the
longer you're going to be ableto sustain.
So I hope this episode has beenhelpful.
If you have enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share with a
friend If you listen to theaudio version.
(26:29):
Leave your rating on ApplePodcasts or Spotify.
If you're here on YouTube,definitely subscribe so we can
have these conversations againand again, and again.
But I do want you to know thatyou are great at what you do,
and what you do is more thanjust the hands-on work.
It truly is how you think, howyou look at problems, how you
(26:52):
address issues that are mostchallenging for people.
So lean into that.
Find your strengths, begin tospecialize in that area and know
that by taking these steps,you're building your business to
last for the future.
That, then, can bring all sortsof wealth of every kind that
(27:17):
you need.
All right, until next time.
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.
(27:38):
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 excel at consultingcom formore information to support
your consulting journey.
Until next time, keep breakingglass ceiling.
All right, take care.
Bye.
One of the most significant challenges that we
face as consultants is beingvalued for our expertise,
expertise, thought leadership,knowledge.
All those things are intangible.
It's not a product that you puton the shelf, so it's not easy
to explain to others why itshould be valued, why it does
deserve to be compensated withpremium rates, why it is
(00:24):
important.
Those are all things that canbe a challenge to express, and
when it is challenging, itleaves us in a situation where
many times, we becomeundervalued, and it's not really
the fault of our client.
A lot of times, our careers arelooking for ways to find help.
They want to find somethingthat they deem as being valuable
(00:44):
and worthy of them making theinvestment.
So it's not that they areworking against us or not
looking for the solution.
However, how we show up and thethings that we do also impact
whether or not we are perceivedthat way, and the conversation I
want us to have today is aboutwhat we can change.
I'm a big believer in focusingon the things that we can change
(01:08):
or what we can adjust in orderto ensure that we reach our
goals.
So if you have been feelinglike you are being undervalued,
that your services are notlooked upon as favorably as you
would like, then thisconversation is going to be one
I think you want to tune into,because it's me and you, and
we're going to have a real chatabout what it takes to fix it.
(01:29):
They say the odds are stackedagainst us as women, especially
women of color, trying to thrivein the consulting world.
But rather than wait for a seatat the table that may never
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.
(01:51):
I'm your host, dr AngelinaDavis, and I've walked the path
from healthcare consultant to amentor for women like you,
ambitious, unstoppable and readyto make waves in the consulting
world.
This podcast is your go-to spotfor all things entrepreneurial
consulting.
For us as women, especiallywomen of color, think of it as
(02:11):
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
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
(02:33):
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 Now.
(02:53):
Many of us start out inconsulting in a very similar way
.
We are looking for a businessand we're trying to match our
skill set to needs in the marketand get our feet firmly planted
so that we can grow, and itmakes sense to just look for the
work that we can find and tryto find our fit.
Just looking at the way that westart, it's not surprising that
(03:15):
we're not in alignment rightoff the bat.
That takes time, and when youare talking about being able to
communicate value, buying newalignment is a huge part of that
.
The messy start of it all issomething that we all have to
experience.
We have to figure out how wefit into the market, what aspect
(03:36):
of our lived experience isvaluable to others and what type
of problems we can actuallysolve and what solutions we can
offer.
All of that is like thisbuildup to creating what
eventually becomes the servicethat we somewhat hang our hat on
.
So from the beginning, we'realready in a situation that is
(03:57):
not going to make it easy tocommunicate value.
We're just trying to figurethings out, and in that messy
startup process of figuring itout you don't have to have all
the answers and you may notnecessarily get paid top dollar
because you're trying to getthings off the ground.
(04:17):
But once you've been in thisindustry for a while, once
you've done the groundwork, onceyou have paid your dues, then
that is a point at which youwant to begin to transition from
just picking up odd jobs toreally build a business that
centers around your work, thethings that you're good at, what
you do well.
(04:37):
And when you start to move inthat direction, then that's when
you are looking for alignment.
You're looking for a way toalign what you do with the
market and then stay in thatlane and create something that
is going to be recognized overtime, or not just being a
services offer but really beingone of the best services out
(04:57):
there.
That's part of the process ofjust starting a business and
growing.
So if you're trying to be ableto communicate value in the most
effective way right out thegate, it's not necessarily going
to align with your expertise.
It may align with what you'redoing for others, it may align
with some other aspect of theservices that you provide, or
(05:19):
maybe a deliverable that you'regoing to give.
However, once you get to thatplace where you want to be known
for something, where you wantto be respected for what you
bring to the table that goesbeyond what you're actually
doing with your hands thenthat's the point at which
alignment takes more of a centerrole.
So we have to start thinkingthat way.
(05:40):
We have to move from it justbeing finding odd jobs to truly
thinking about how do we alignourselves with the industry in a
way that allows us to createthe seamless connection between
what we do and what we offer andwhat our clients need, the
order for you to go from yourexpertise being overlooked and
(06:05):
undervalued to it beingsomething that people seek out,
for you to be positioned as anexpert, then you're going to
have to practice in yourstrengths, and one of the
reasons why I like to stressthat is really because whenever
you are not in sync with whatyou do best, you make things
more difficult for yourself.
Are not in sync with what youdo best, you make things more
(06:28):
difficult for yourself, and thisis true for everyone, for all
of us.
So think of what it's like tostart a new sport.
If I'm going out and I'm tryingto learn how to play tennis or
pickleball, neither would Ithink to.
And I'm learning that skill set.
It's not a strength of mine.
There is a huge learning curve,right, and not only is there a
huge learning curve, but I'm notnumber one good at it.
(06:49):
I'm not comfortable in it.
I am not showing up confidentlyin that space when I'm going
into matches or tournaments.
It's all something new.
There is this hard upward grindof it all to get to the point
where you're good at thatparticular sport and build a
(07:11):
usable skill set.
And so if we're going intobusiness with that same mindset
of starting something new andwe're starting in a place where
we have not practiced before,where we don't have that lived
experience or we're not good atit, then it's going to be
difficult.
It's not that you can't do it,it's not that you can't learn
(07:33):
these skills over time, but it'sgoing to take a while to get
there and we all have toappreciate what comes with the
journey.
We want people to appreciateour expertise because of all the
years of dedication we've putinto learning the things that we
need to learn into masteringour skill set, so we also have
(07:54):
to appreciate the fact that ittakes that same type of energy
and effort in order to mastersomething new.
Whenever you're starting out ina space where things are
uncomfortable, it's going totake a little while for it to
feel seamless and for you to beable to do the best that you can
(08:15):
do.
This is one of the main reasonswhy I feel like leaning on your
strengths, leaning on thethings that you're good at,
makes everything about yourjourney easier, because then
you're not searching to learnmore and to get more comfortable
in your space.
What you're doing at that momentin time is then learning how to
(08:35):
take what you're great at andjust showing people how you
practice.
It becomes more of a focus onvisibility and getting yourself
out there and marketing andbeing seen more so than it is
learning.
We're going to always becontinually learning in our
practice, because that's what apractice is.
(08:56):
A practice is all aboutevolution, it's all about growth
, it's all about advancement.
But you don't want to start offwith scratch every time and if
you are starting at that verybeginning phase, it takes time
to get to the point where youare going to practice at such a
high level where you're going tofeel confident enough to
(09:17):
command the room, I would say soknow that utilizing your
strengths is one of the easiestways to fast track yourself to
success, because what you'recarrying with you is not just
all of the knowledge and theskills and the experience you've
had over the years, but you'realso carrying with you the
(09:38):
confidence that it took in orderto master that and the I would
say relief and joy in knowingthat very few can actually
challenge you in that.
So it's a way for you to notonly show confidently, but also
to stand out.
Being in your strengths andcreating a strength-centered
service is a huge asset to you.
(10:02):
Now, when you're operating andyou're practicing in your
strengths, the one thing thatyou're going to notice is that
people are going to startgravitating to you because of
that.
So they're going to recognizethat there are certain things
that you do extremely well.
I mean, you do these thingsbetter than most people and
because of that, you are goingto experience people starting to
(10:22):
pick your brain about certaintopics, or maybe they're coming
to you with certain projects, oryou're being referred by others
for specific issues or toprovide a particular solution.
And if you really pay attention, close attention, to those
trends and kind of thosepatterns, then what you'll begin
to see is how others areviewing your strengths and how
(10:45):
they view their problem and howit aligns with what you do best.
This goes back to that wholeelement and concept of alignment
.
The alignment is not just youtrying to find your fit in the
market and allow your expertiseto be the center of focus.
It's also others matching whatthey need in terms of their
(11:10):
problem and their concerns andtheir challenges to what you
have to offer.
So it's more of a two-waystreet and when you are able to
piece those two things together,that's your winning ticket.
That's when you're realizingthat what I do really, really
well is something that otherpeople need, and not only do
they need it, but it's somethingthat they value so much that
(11:32):
they're telling others about it.
It's something that they'rewilling to invest in.
It's something that you canbuild your business around.
But all of this requires us topay close attention to the
signals that we're getting, thevarious conversations that we're
having around the work that wedo, so that we can recognize
that, yes, I can offer a lot, Ican do a lot of different things
(11:55):
, but I do have certainstrengths that, uniquely, are
true to me and are a result ofeverything that I have
experienced and lived throughthat others recognize as being
valuable.
And there, my friend, is wherewe can begin to really lean in,
because now we're aligning whatwe do best with the market.
(12:16):
And when we are beginning toalign those two things as long
as it is something that bringsyou joy and makes you happy and
bits into other elements of yoursatisfaction as not just a
service provider and businessowner, but as a person, then you
are beginning to find yourperfect fit.
(12:40):
Because what's funny is thatwhat other people value most is
not necessarily the things thatwe would anticipate them valuing
.
We hang a lot on credentials ormaybe our training or some
other aspect of the knowledgethat we've been able to
accumulate, but others find ourintangible skills potentially to
(13:04):
be even more valuable than alot of those harder skills and
that textbook knowledge.
Many times we are pairingtogether not just what we know,
but what we know with the thingsthat we are most gifted in,
whether that's in speaking orcommunication, or being able to
analyze something more deeplyand critique with emotional
(13:27):
intelligence, or maybe you havemore of a creative flair and
you're able to take somethingthat is more difficult and
analytical and complex and turnit into something that others
who are not part of thatindustry would appreciate, and
therefore you're helping abusiness communicate their
message more effectively.
There are the unique gifts thatwe have, and then there is the
(13:51):
hard-earned knowledge andexpertise that we hold, and when
those two things collide, thattruly is something that is
rather unique.
That's the part that people see.
They see the things that wedon't often notice.
It's another reason why we haveto be very cognizant and mindful
of just paying attention to thelittle things, paying attention
(14:13):
to the interactions that we'rehaving with our audience, paying
attention to the interactionswe're having with past clients
and understanding what they arefinding to be the most valuable
for themselves, because it's notabout what we see as being
valuable but they actuallyperceive as valuable.
But we have to step out of ourminds and into their lens so we
(14:36):
can see from their perspective.
And the more we can do that,the more that we open ourselves
up to exploring that side of theequation, the business journey,
the more that we are going togrow as a business and as a
consultant over time, becausewe're going to better understand
our audience, we're going tohave a better understanding of
(14:57):
our client's needs, and all ofthose things help to improve
marketing, it helps to improvesales, it helps to definitely
improve your positioning in themarket.
All of these things cometogether because now you are
more mindful of the alignmentbetween what you offer and what
people actually desire and need,alignment between what you
(15:23):
offer and what people actuallydesire and need.
So this is one key element ofbeing able to get over that hump
where you feel undervalued orunderappreciated and then moving
to a position where you arebeing seen as the go-to expert
and valued for your authority.
And I think the last piece ofthis puzzle is being able to
(15:43):
lean into the findings.
Once you better understand youraudience, once you have
acknowledged your strengths andyou've centered your services
around the things that you dobest, then it's time to lean
into that.
That's where you begin tospecialize more deeply into a
particular area of practice.
(16:04):
And that specialization is notthe same I see it at least not
being the same as niching down.
Typically, when we're choosinga niche, that's a way for us to
stand out in the marketplace topick a particular audience that
we're going to serve, so that weare speaking more directly to
their needs and their concerns,and it helps us to get our
(16:24):
business off the ground.
But what I'm talking about hereis about leaning into the
things that you do best and therecognition that you've had of
how that aligns with the marketand then choosing that.
This is what I will center mybusiness around and specialize
in, and the thing aboutspecialization is that it helps
(16:48):
you to elevate your practice.
Think about a generalist inmedicine.
So this is a family practicephysician.
This may be, if you're in ahospital, what we consider a
hospitalist.
This is somebody who isgenerally looking at everything
that is happening in your bodyand they're identifying problems
that may exist or making surethat you're healthy and strong.
(17:10):
They are looking at the wholeperson, but they are also not
well-versed in the specifics interms of a particular disease
state.
So, god forbid, if anythingever happened and you had an
ailment that needed a specialist, then more than likely the
generalist, the hospitalist, thefamily practice physician, the
(17:33):
internist those individuals maynot be able to help you with
that problem to the extent thatthey need to so that you have
the best treatment and that you,if there's something that could
be cured, you're cured.
I like to think about this asthe difference between working
with your family practicephysician and a neurosurgeon.
If you happen to need tertiaryfor some type of finding in your
(17:59):
brain, you're not going totrust that with someone who just
generally knows medicine.
You're going to lean on thespecialist, the person who has
trained themselves to be able toanswer those difficult
questions around just oneparticular organ.
And it doesn't make thespecialist better than the
generalist.
But what you're valuing is thefact that they have intricate
(18:23):
knowledge of the brain and thatknowledge translates into them
being able to do morecomplicated procedures and
handle more complicated casesthat the journalist cannot, and
because of that, that valueactually translates into them
being compensated at higher payrate.
(18:45):
So they're going to make moremoney simply because they have
specialized in this area.
It's not just choosing to do oneparticular thing, it's truly
mastering your craft in thatarea, and this aspect of
specialization is what helps tocreate the expert positioning
(19:05):
and authority that we need asconsultants, because in a world
where AI is starting to reallytake off and people have
knowledge at their fingertips,they're no longer just looking
for an answer.
They can look that out.
They can find that on YouTube,they can find that using ChatGPT
.
What they need is someone to goeven deeper and be able to
(19:26):
combine that general knowledgewith a lot of the other
experiences that they've hadthroughout life and then be able
to handle more difficult, morecomplicated and complex
situations that many times theycannot find through general
means.
This is our goal as we thinkabout growing our consulting
(19:47):
practices and our presence inour industries.
We want to be expertlypositioned to build and create
longevity in our businesses.
The longevity doesn't come frombeing able to take on a lot of
different random tasks.
The longevity comes from beingan authority in a particular
space, and when you are able todo that, then you almost write
(20:12):
your own take, because not onlydoes it take the knowledge and
expertise to get to that point,it takes the time, the
dedication, the energy and theskill set to also get there, and
most people are unwilling to dothat, and that's the piece that
helps you move from beingsomeone that is chasing down
(20:33):
clients and trying to findrandom work to the person that
clients seek out.
So to round out ourconversation with helping you
identify whether or not, rightnow, you are practicing in your
strengths, because this issomething that's good to know,
because, if you're not, you wantto make sure that you're making
that shift and adjustment, andif you are, you want to embrace
(20:54):
that and figure out how to gofurther.
So there are three questionsthat I want you to think about,
and I wrote them down here so Ican just read them out to you
and we can talk about what eachof these are going to show you.
The first is I want you todetermine whether or not you
feel energized when you're doingyour work.
A part of being energized whenyou are working with clients and
(21:18):
you're serving others is thatoften, that energy that you feel
is typically because it issomething that you enjoy doing
one, yes, but then also becauseyou're not doing something that
is completely draining you eachtime that you are carrying out
the task.
And if it's draining you, it'seither one not in alignment with
(21:39):
who you are and the things thatyou enjoy and what you want to
create, or it's something thatis very difficult for you to
execute and therefore it morethan likely does not center
around your strengths.
So, thinking about how you feelwhen you are working, whether
you are finding that joy in thatcontentment.
(22:01):
That is going to be somethingthat helps to cue you into
whether or not you arepracticing in your strengths.
Now the second question I wantyou to ask yourself is when
people come to you for help,what patterns do you notice?
And this gets back to thealignment of your strengths that
you've identified with the needin the market.
(22:23):
Are you finding that, when youget referrals, or when that
clients come to you and they'reinquiring about your services,
is there a match between whatthey're asking for and what you
feel are your strengths and dobest?
Because if there is thatalignment, then you are
beginning to find your way intoyour perfect fit in the market.
(22:46):
But if there is not thatalignment, then there is a
disconnect, there's somethingthat's a little bit off.
So either they perceive youdifferently than you wish to be
perceived or you have created abusiness around something that
truly isn't your strength orsomething that you want to do
which, once again, is still notin alignment.
(23:08):
So you want to focus and thinkabout when others are asking you
for things, when others areleaning on your expertise, what
are they drawn to that is goingto cue you in as to whether or
not you are on the right path isgoing to cue you in as to
whether or not you are on theright path.
(23:28):
And the last thing is and Ithink this is one of the most
critical, especially forconsultants, because so much of
consulting relies on you beingable to hold the room and be
confident in the work that youdo and confident in the
recommendations you provide isdo you feel confident and
comfortable in your space rightnow?
And if you don't, then theremay be some element of you
(23:53):
having whether it's insecurityor feelings of imposter syndrome
or just questioning whether youhave sufficient skills in a
particular area to call yourselfan expert, and that lack of
confidence can signal that youare not in your strengths.
Because I will argue that ifyou're truly practicing in your
(24:14):
strengths, you have a strengthcentered business, then you are
going to be more comfortable.
You're going to be moreconfident because it's something
that you do well, it'ssomething that you don't have to
fight to do.
Not only will that confidencehelp you to stand out in the
room and provide the bestservices, that particular
confidence is something that isgoing to help you become an
(24:35):
authority in your space.
You're going to be seendifferently when you're able to
command that room, because youknow what you're talking about.
So this competence is important, I feel, as if nothing else
happens, we need to becomfortable and confident in the
work that we're doing, becausethose are signals that we are in
(24:58):
alignment.
I hope this episode has helpedyou to see that beginning to
find success in consulting isn'tall textbook knowledge.
It's not just about everythingthat you learn in the classroom
or the degrees that you have andthings of that nature.
It stems from who you are as aperson.
It stems from the experiencesthat you've lived through and
(25:22):
how you're able to utilize thosestrengths to the best, of your
ability to address a need in themarket.
And once you're able to do that, things move with more ease and
the progress is more swiftbecause you're not fighting
against the current.
I want you to really thinkabout how you are practicing
(25:45):
right now and if you are not inyour strengths, if you are not
in alignment with where you needto be and where you want to go,
then it's time to cut alllosses and align that ship,
because the quicker you can makethat adjustment to center your
work around what you do best andmake that adjustment to center
(26:08):
your work around what you dobest, to find those who need
your strengths and then to leanfully into that, the faster
you're going to find success inyour business in the end and the
longer you're going to be ableto sustain.
So I hope this episode has beenhelpful.
If you have enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share with a
friend If you listen to theaudio version.
(26:29):
Leave your rating on ApplePodcasts or Spotify.
If you're here on YouTube,definitely subscribe so we can
have these conversations againand again, and again.
But I do want you to know thatyou are great at what you do,
and what you do is more thanjust the hands-on work.
It truly is how you think, howyou look at problems, how you
(26:52):
address issues that are mostchallenging for people.
So lean into that.
Find your strengths, begin tospecialize in that area and know
that by taking these steps,you're building your business to
last for the future.
That, then, can bring all sortsof wealth of every kind that
(27:17):
you need.
All right, until next time.
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.
(27:38):
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 excel at consultingcom formore information to support
your consulting journey.
Until next time, keep breakingglass ceiling.
All right, take care.
Bye.
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