September 26, 2025 • 29 mins
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What if you could be a fly on the wall to get the real scoop on starting a consulting business?
Before you take the leap, there are 7 key questions you need to ask yourself first (and most people never discuss them). In this episode, I’m giving you the inside scoop and answering the questions I'm asked most often as a coach for some of the most brilliant entrepreneurial consultants. If you’ve been wondering whether consulting is right for you, what you really need to get started, and if you can start before leaving your job, this episode is for you.
***********
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
They say the odds are stacked against that women,
especially women of color,trying to thrive in the
consulting world.
But rather than wait for a seatat the table that may never
fall, what if we build our owntable?
What if we challenge our talentto deny each other towards the
defense we deserve?
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsulting Podcast.
(00:21):
I'm your host that can enter ina David and I've walked the path
from healthcare consultant to amentor for women like you,
ambitious, unstoppable, andready to make waves in the
consulting world.
This podcast is our go-to spotfor all free entrepreneurial
consulting.
For us as women, especiallywomen of color, think of it at
(00:41):
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 life,and running teams.
Yes, we can do it all.
So if you're ready to dive intohow you can grow a thriving
(01:03):
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.
Hello, hello, hello.
(01:24):
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsole 2 podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Angelina Davis.
And today I am just doing anaudio podcast.
I feel like it's been a whilesince I've been able to have
more of a casual conversationwith you because sometimes when
you turn on the camera and youare trying to film, I don't
(01:46):
know.
I feel like it brings out almostlike a slightly artificial side
of yourself, maybe because youknow this camera is watching you
and it feels different.
It feels weird.
So I wanted to just take it backto how we normally would have
conversations and just relax alittle bit.
Um, just catching you up on lifeon this end.
(02:08):
Things have been just flying bythis year.
I cannot believe we're alreadyin the fall of 2025.
It's crazy to think that we areabout to enter into the fourth
quarter of the year.
And for me, it's been a shiftinto a new part or phase of my
(02:30):
year in journey, especially inbusiness, because my office
buddy, my fur baby, uh did passaway.
And so, you know, for me, it'sbeen kind of, I don't know, a
little bit sad being back in theoffice and probably another
reason why I didn't feel likehopping on camera.
But I'm back at it.
(02:51):
I know that, you know, pets tendnot to be here for the totality
of our lives.
But, you know, it's always sohard when you lose them because
they're such loyal and true fansand lovers of a few.
And not having them around, nothaving the excitement of their
(03:12):
pitter patter and little feetsometimes can really just change
your mood quite a bit.
But I'm doing fine.
I'm doing better.
And, you know, now I'm justfocused on really moving full
steam ahead into the end of thisyear.
I don't like to think about thisshift into the fourth quarter as
being something that meansbusiness just completely stops.
(03:36):
I think a lot of people thinkabout that because of the
holidays that are coming.
However, if you are in the midstof building your consulting
business, this is a time totruly, truly lean into that
building process.
If you are growing yourbusiness, remember that there
are some fiscal years that areuh going to start or have just
(03:57):
started.
And also you want to get readyfor the new year and everything
that it has to offer.
Being able to get in front ofthe right people, get your uh
ideas and thoughts out there sothat people are more familiar
with your work, being able tonetwork, get referrals, market
yourself online.
(04:18):
All those things still have tobe ongoing in the midst of us
celebrating, even going into theholiday season.
I can't believe I'm talkingabout holiday season already.
So I wanted to take thisopportunity and this time to
talk about seven troops aboutstarting a consulting business.
And this is coming from acarousel that I did online for
(04:43):
Instagram and LinkedIn.
But this is a carousel that Ioften use because I think it
really breaks down what I liketo call a mini lesson for women,
especially women of color, whoare ready to build wealth to
live their future on theirterms.
Because what I found throughoutmy life is that whenever I ran
(05:03):
into any type of financial needor crisis, I was running and
trying to find a job.
I have worked and taught at anight school before.
I've done all kinds of thingstrying to use my expertise in
order to generate more incomefor myself or for my family.
And one thing that I finallyrealized is that many times when
(05:26):
I was sharing my knowledge inthat way, I was doing it for a
fraction of what I could havebeen earning if I would have put
my expertise into the market onmy own accord.
So I don't want you to make thatmistake.
I don't want you working latehours and long shifts trying to
(05:49):
make money in order to buildwealth for your family, even if
you have a great income andyou're nine to five.
Sometimes we're looking forextra work and working PRN jobs
or trying to work and hustle onthe side.
You have a money maker in yourmind.
And so that's why I want to talkabout this today, because I
think we don't lean into thisenough.
(06:11):
And especially with the holidayseason coming along, this is
another reason why I think thisconversation is so important
because you have the ability tomake far more than you could
ever imagine.
And I don't want you to thinkabout this as an all or none
type of situation.
It doesn't mean that if youpursue a consulting business,
(06:31):
you need to go all in, leaveyour job, and then rely totally
on that business for yourincome.
Yes, I think many of us havealways dreamt of getting to that
point.
However, it may mean that thisis something that you supplement
your income with.
Maybe adding$30,000,$40,000,$50,000 to your base salary
(06:54):
right now can make a world ofdifference.
Or maybe you can get to a pointwhere you're able to double or
triple the amount that you'remaking.
I know that if you are a highincome generator, then it's
going to take quite a bit foryou to leave your nine to five,
especially when you're thinkingabout your salary, the benefits,
(07:14):
uh, college tuition grants, allthese other types of things that
they give us in order to keep uslocked into our nine to five.
And one of the reasons why theygive it to us is because your
knowledge and your expertise isso valuable.
I don't think that we thinkabout that enough.
We're always thinking abouteverything that a job can offer
us, but we're not realizing thatwe are giving them what they
(07:38):
need most.
And so these seven truths aregoing to help to break down all
of that and get us thinkingabout starting consulting and
growing our consultingbusinesses in a different way.
Have you ever thought about howmuch your expertise is worth in
your nine to five withoutknowing anything about your
field?
(07:59):
I can tell you that it's likelymuch more than you realize.
What I've found over time isthat many experts in their
industry undervalue theircontribution to the bottom line.
They sell themselves short andassume that their high-level
knowledge and valuableexperience are commonplace.
But that's not true.
In fact, most people are sittingon a gold mine, and you are too.
(08:23):
Look, if you have been thinkingabout starting a consulting
business and figuring out howyou can sell what you know, then
you need my free guide.
It will walk you through theprocess of figuring out what you
can put into the market thatwill sell like hot cakes.
Trust me, you have tons tooffer.
It's time to uncover new ways touse what you already know to
(08:46):
create the life you trulydesire.
Download your free guide now.
All right, so truth number oneis that what you have already is
enough.
When I say that one of the mostcommon things that I see us as
(09:10):
women, especially as women ofcolor, doing is getting
additional degrees.
And I think a lot of this comesfrom the fact that we have
always been taught that we needto be better than our colleagues
in order to get half as far.
(09:30):
And that led to a lot ofeducation, a lot of investment
in getting degrees andcertifications and other skill
sets.
And I'm guilty of that too.
I'm sitting here with a master'sdegree, a PharmD degree, all
kinds of certifications that Ihave to pay hundreds of dollars
(09:51):
every year to maintain, allthose things just so that I
could stand out in the careerspace and get the job that I
wanted and grow and climb thecorporate ladder.
All those things I felt like Ineeded.
One of the beautiful thingsabout entrepreneurship is that
there are no job requirements.
(10:11):
We're used to going online,whether it's on Indeed or some
other type of job platform,looking for a job that's posted,
trying to figure out whether ornot we meet the criteria to
apply.
That does not exist forentrepreneurship.
There is no universal standard.
The beautiful thing is that whenyou start your consulting
business, you determine what'sactually needed.
(10:35):
And while that feels excitingand refreshing to even think
about, I think a lot of times wedon't necessarily believe it.
We tend to question whether thatnot that's truly the case and
whether we can really get intothe rooms that we need to get
into in order to be mosteffective and to land the type
of contracts that we want toland.
(10:55):
Now, there are going to berequirements in different
industries.
So I'm not saying that if youwant to consult in the medical
space and you don't have anytype of healthcare related or
medical background that you'regoing to easily be able to do
that, you still can.
There are ways.
But there are scenarios wherehaving the baseline foundational
(11:17):
knowledge is going to work toyour advantage.
But I would say that would betrue with anything that you want
to do.
In order to be considered anexpert, you have to have some
level of foundational knowledge.
But you determine where you wantto practice, who you want to
help, what you want yourbusiness to look like.
And rarely, very rarely, doesanother degree or another
(11:38):
certification help you do that?
All right, truth number two, andI'm calling all of my women who
have massive student loan debtright now that you are paying
off to the front.
You've already invested time,money, and energy.
You haven't even fully leveragedwhat your existing degree
(11:59):
offers.
Have you thought about that?
Your degree wasn't designed foryou to land one position.
So the investment in youreducation, whether it was
through you paying through cashor loans or scholarship, that
degree, that education wasdesigned for you to be open to
(12:19):
opportunity.
And that includes opportunitiesthat you build for yourself.
You have not scratched thesurface as to what your
knowledge can do for you.
And that job you work hard toget, it was never your final
destination.
Often, like I said before, weget into these jobs and into our
(12:40):
career and we begin to climb thecorporate ladder.
And there's nothing wrong withdoing that as long as you're
moving ahead toward your goaland what you want to accomplish.
But if that's not bringing youjoy, if that's not bringing you
happiness, if that's notbringing you the revenue that
you need, there is absolutelynothing wrong with you expanding
(13:03):
beyond that.
And the great part is that youdon't have to always invest in
something new.
You've already invested time,money, and energy.
You've already done that.
All I'm trying to convince youof is that now is a wonderful
time to capitalize on thatinvestment and get a return on
(13:26):
that investment.
And when we start thinking of itin that way, it makes it a lot
easier for you to feel preparedand not feel like an imposter
when you're entering into thisnew space because you've already
done the hardest work.
So truth two, you've alreadyinvested time, money, and
(13:47):
energy.
And now you just need a returnon that investment far greater
than what you've already gotten.
Truth number three, you're thereason their business exists.
Now, we think about businessesand we think of the product that
they have in the market, whetherthat is looking at Nike and
tennis shoes and athleticclothing, if it's looking at
(14:11):
Apple and all of the electronicdevices that they're able to
market and sell, we see that asthe business, as the product, as
what is generating money andrevenue for them.
That's one piece of the puzzle.
But most companies todayactually run on human capital.
So the value of the business isactually based on the experience
(14:34):
and the expertise of the people.
It's the individuals that arecontributing their knowledge,
their insights, their skill setsto develop those products that
they then sell that truly is themost valuable aspect of that
business.
You are an asset.
And we don't often think aboutourselves that way.
(14:56):
We think about ourselves aslabor, as employees, as someone
who is working in the businessto help promote the product or
the service, but we're notthinking about the fact that our
knowledge, our expertise, whatwe bring to the table is
actually the most valuablecomponent because without that,
(15:18):
those products, that marketing,the sell, the success of that
business would not exist.
And when we understand the valueof what we bring to the table,
then it makes it a lot easierfor us to see how that same
knowledge, that same skill setis just as valuable to other
(15:41):
executives at the highest levelsand that they do need advice
from consultants and advisors tohelp them move forward and get
ahead.
And this leads directly intotruth number four.
You can easily put yourexpertise to work for you.
Whenever you transition toanother role, so if you're going
from one job to another job,you're taking your value with
(16:04):
you.
The knowledge and the insightthat you have doesn't stay with
your previous organizationbecause you left.
So that means that you canactually take that same
expertise, that same skill set,and build something entirely
your own.
And you don't need anyone'spermission to do that.
Once again, what you know, whatyou already have, is valuable.
(16:30):
It is an asset.
And that same human capitalthat's working for everyone else
can work for you too.
So here's truth number fiveConsulting is no longer reserved
for those who have spent decadesin their field.
When we think about howconsulting looked, even just
(16:50):
when I started over a decadeago, typically a consultant was
a very seasoned, uh typicallyolder white male that had been
in their industry for a numberof years.
They decided to branch out asthey got closer to retirement,
tap into their networking innercircles, and establish
(17:11):
themselves as a consultant andmake money toward the end of
their career and kind of move onfrom there into retirement.
That typically had been thepicture.
And as you started to see, maybesome people enter into the space
that were a bit younger.
They had access to networks thatallow them to navigate a lot
(17:32):
faster.
However, many of us, especiallyas women and women of color,
were blocked out of that spacebecause there were gatekeepers
there.
There was someone that couldtell you that you had not spent
enough time doing XYZ or youdidn't have the right
connections because you weren'tin that actual meeting or
(17:52):
boardroom or on that golf coursewhen that decision was made.
Those were things that kept uswatching from the sideline
instead of actively being in thegame.
But now we have a lot more onour side.
The digital economy hascompletely changed the way that
consulting contracts andbusinesses won.
(18:14):
You don't need decades ofexperience or to be the right
age to build wealth from yourexpertise.
One of the reasons why that wasso valuable before is because
you had to have a way toestablish credibility.
And your career in totality, thelongevity of it, and the things
that you had accomplished overyears and decades was evidence
(18:36):
that you did have a certainlevel of knowledge and skill.
However, now you don't have tohave that long trajectory in
order to be able to demonstratethat.
You have other ways of sharingyour thoughts, your ideas in a
space and gain more visibilitythat highlights what you can do.
(18:59):
Because you have that accessnow, it makes it a lot easier to
move beyond those tight innercircles that had to crown you as
being worthy of being aconsultant.
That does not exist any longer.
And I think many of us don'tappreciate that fact, especially
if we weren't practicing inthose times where that was the
(19:21):
case.
Now it seems like everything hasbeen fair game and people can
start consulting businesses attheir whim and be successful.
That was not always true in thisspace.
So now we have this digitaladvantage, and if we can put it
to use, we have greater marketaccess that honestly makes it
(19:43):
extremely promising for any soloconsultant or even small firm to
get out there and compete withsome of the biggest in their
industry.
So consulting is no longerreserved for those who have been
in this space for a long, longtime.
Now, True6, and this isdefinitely something I want to
(20:05):
highlight, is that the fact thatthese things have changed is a
game changer for women andespecially women of color.
What this means, the greateraccess that we have to the
digital economy, means that weno longer, as women, have to be
stuck playing by rules that werenever meant to include us.
(20:27):
I want you to go and find yourfavorite consulting book.
I always like to give clientsthis exercise because I think it
really does highlight why theyneed to be in this space, why
it's so important for them topush through difficulties and to
really get their businessesgrowing and off the ground
(20:49):
because we need you here.
If you pull any of these booksoff of a bookshelf, and I'm
looking over at my bookcaseright now, every last one of
them, whether you're looking atmillion-dollar consulting or
flawless consulting or thetrusted advisor, et cetera,
they're all written by prettymuch the same person in many
(21:09):
cases, or the same uh type ofperson, which, as I stated
before, a typically cisgenderedolder white male that in essence
had complete control of thisindustry for so long.
And that's just the truth.
That's just how it has been.
But now the playing field hasfinally shifted.
(21:31):
And I think what makes me soexcited and why I have this
podcast, why I do the work thatI do, why I work with the women
that I do is because now there'sreal access for those of us who
were always kept on the outsideof the old boys' club.
We have the ability to seizethis moment right now where we
can build wealth on our ownterms and begin to also rewrite
(21:55):
the rules for everyone else thatcomes behind us.
Now we can set the stage forpeople to know that you can be
young, brilliant, and highlyprofitable selling your
expertise without having amiddleman, without having a job
or a company or organizationthat does that for you.
(22:19):
And so having that ability togenerate income and wealth by
the use of the things thatyou've already spent time
investing in is something thatjust opens the door to so much
more when it comes to us livingthe lives that we truly desire.
Many of us may want to have moreof a lifestyle business that
(22:43):
helps us to enjoy our familiesand to travel and to spend time
with family.
Or maybe you're one of the onesthat wants to build a major firm
and to have a big exit planwhere you're able to, you know,
kind of go off into the sunsetand enjoy millions upon millions
of dollars.
All of those things arepossible.
(23:04):
But all this starts with usbeing able to take advantage of
where we are right now in thisdigital economy to utilize all
of these tools that we have toour advantage to make it easier
to run a business, to marketourselves, to sell, to serve
clients.
There's so much that we haveaccess to that makes running a
(23:25):
business a lot easier that wasvery, very difficult to do in
the past.
So I want us to lean into thatand recognize that this is a
unique moment in time.
And finally, truth number seven,you're already making an impact
and building wealth using whatyou know, but it's just a
(23:47):
fraction of your potential.
Listen, if you are that personthat sits in your office, people
come to you all the time with aquote unquote quick question,
and that turns into this long30-minute strategy session
because you're the only one whocan untangle the mess, that's
(24:09):
something special.
Or if leadership is pulling youinto meetings to get your take
on decisions, even though it'squote unquote technically not
your job, that's not acoincidence.
This is all evidence and marketvalidation that you have
knowledge that is valuable andthat can sell.
You're already making an impactin your job.
(24:31):
You're already making an impactwith colleagues and within your
network.
You're already doing that.
The only difference is that theincome that you're generating is
only a fraction of what youcould generate if you're
thinking about having a businessof your own or an external
(24:51):
revenue stream.
There is a way for you to earnmore from the same work that
you're doing already.
That's the beauty of all ofthis, is that it doesn't take
you working harder.
It just literally takes youbeing able to market and sell
(25:12):
what you're already doing toindividuals that desperately
need it.
There are consultants out therecharging$300 plus an hour,
landing strategy contracts for$50K plus.
I mean, doing all the thingswhile you're doing the same
work, but you're making a fixedsalary.
(25:33):
So I want you to think aboutthat.
Think about the fact that you'realready doing what you could be
making money for.
And listen, if you want to dosomething different, which I
always like to encourage clientsto do, I believe in creating a
business that you love, meaningthat you bring in other talents
and skills that you have inorder to stand out in your space
(25:55):
and to do things in a way thatuh really does honor your
strengths and also allows you toconcentrate and focus on those
things that you enjoy most, youare able to do that work with
more joy.
And that more joy leads to lessstress, leads to less disease,
leads to increased wellness orgreater wellness.
(26:18):
And all of those things areinvaluable if you try to put a
price tag on it.
So you're already doing thework.
You are just only capitalizingon a fraction of your potential.
Listen, I hope these truths helpyou to think about starting or
(26:41):
growing your consulting businessdifferently because these are
truths, they're they're facts.
This is the reality.
And it's often a reality that wedon't give ourselves the
opportunity to consider and tothink about.
And so I just want to urge youto give that more thought.
As you're leaning into the workthat you do, think about how
(27:04):
that can grow into somethingbigger.
If you've already started yourbusiness, think about how you
can expand and grow that to thenext level.
There is so much that ispossible and so much opportunity
that lies ahead of you.
It just takes you looking at ita little bit differently.
(27:24):
And I promise that once you dothat, it's going to open doors
that you can even imagine.
All right, guys.
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
Please, please, please share itwith a friend.
If you know someone that's beenthinking about going into
consulting or someone who hasstarted their business and you
see bigger goals for them thanthey even see for themselves,
(27:45):
pass this episode along.
Number one, it helps get theword out there, it helps to grow
the show.
But then also, I would love ifyou can leave your five-star
review on Apple Podcasts orSpotify.
All of your feedback is alwayswelcome.
And I just look forward toseeing you out there flourishing
(28:05):
and growing as we all begin toexpand and grow this consulting
industry into the diverseecosystem that it has always
been meant to be.
All right, guys, talk to yousoon.
Take care.
Thank you for tuning in to theBlack Girls Consult 2 Podcast.
If you enjoyed today's episode,be sure to leave your review on
(28:27):
Apple Podcasts, subscribe, andshare it with a friend.
We're on a mission to increasethe success and longevity of
women in consulting.
And you can help us do justthat.
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 excelat consulting.com for more
(28:48):
information to support yourconsulting journey.
Until next time, keep breakingglass to leave.
All right, take care.
They say the odds are stacked against that women,
especially women of color,trying to thrive in the
consulting world.
But rather than wait for a seatat the table that may never
fall, what if we build our owntable?
What if we challenge our talentto deny each other towards the
defense we deserve?
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsulting Podcast.
(00:21):
I'm your host that can enter ina David and I've walked the path
from healthcare consultant to amentor for women like you,
ambitious, unstoppable, andready to make waves in the
consulting world.
This podcast is our go-to spotfor all free entrepreneurial
consulting.
For us as women, especiallywomen of color, think of it at
(00:41):
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 life,and running teams.
Yes, we can do it all.
So if you're ready to dive intohow you can grow a thriving
(01:03):
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.
Hello, hello, hello.
(01:24):
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsole 2 podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Angelina Davis.
And today I am just doing anaudio podcast.
I feel like it's been a whilesince I've been able to have
more of a casual conversationwith you because sometimes when
you turn on the camera and youare trying to film, I don't
(01:46):
know.
I feel like it brings out almostlike a slightly artificial side
of yourself, maybe because youknow this camera is watching you
and it feels different.
It feels weird.
So I wanted to just take it backto how we normally would have
conversations and just relax alittle bit.
Um, just catching you up on lifeon this end.
(02:08):
Things have been just flying bythis year.
I cannot believe we're alreadyin the fall of 2025.
It's crazy to think that we areabout to enter into the fourth
quarter of the year.
And for me, it's been a shiftinto a new part or phase of my
(02:30):
year in journey, especially inbusiness, because my office
buddy, my fur baby, uh did passaway.
And so, you know, for me, it'sbeen kind of, I don't know, a
little bit sad being back in theoffice and probably another
reason why I didn't feel likehopping on camera.
But I'm back at it.
(02:51):
I know that, you know, pets tendnot to be here for the totality
of our lives.
But, you know, it's always sohard when you lose them because
they're such loyal and true fansand lovers of a few.
And not having them around, nothaving the excitement of their
(03:12):
pitter patter and little feetsometimes can really just change
your mood quite a bit.
But I'm doing fine.
I'm doing better.
And, you know, now I'm justfocused on really moving full
steam ahead into the end of thisyear.
I don't like to think about thisshift into the fourth quarter as
being something that meansbusiness just completely stops.
(03:36):
I think a lot of people thinkabout that because of the
holidays that are coming.
However, if you are in the midstof building your consulting
business, this is a time totruly, truly lean into that
building process.
If you are growing yourbusiness, remember that there
are some fiscal years that areuh going to start or have just
(03:57):
started.
And also you want to get readyfor the new year and everything
that it has to offer.
Being able to get in front ofthe right people, get your uh
ideas and thoughts out there sothat people are more familiar
with your work, being able tonetwork, get referrals, market
yourself online.
(04:18):
All those things still have tobe ongoing in the midst of us
celebrating, even going into theholiday season.
I can't believe I'm talkingabout holiday season already.
So I wanted to take thisopportunity and this time to
talk about seven troops aboutstarting a consulting business.
And this is coming from acarousel that I did online for
(04:43):
Instagram and LinkedIn.
But this is a carousel that Ioften use because I think it
really breaks down what I liketo call a mini lesson for women,
especially women of color, whoare ready to build wealth to
live their future on theirterms.
Because what I found throughoutmy life is that whenever I ran
(05:03):
into any type of financial needor crisis, I was running and
trying to find a job.
I have worked and taught at anight school before.
I've done all kinds of thingstrying to use my expertise in
order to generate more incomefor myself or for my family.
And one thing that I finallyrealized is that many times when
(05:26):
I was sharing my knowledge inthat way, I was doing it for a
fraction of what I could havebeen earning if I would have put
my expertise into the market onmy own accord.
So I don't want you to make thatmistake.
I don't want you working latehours and long shifts trying to
(05:49):
make money in order to buildwealth for your family, even if
you have a great income andyou're nine to five.
Sometimes we're looking forextra work and working PRN jobs
or trying to work and hustle onthe side.
You have a money maker in yourmind.
And so that's why I want to talkabout this today, because I
think we don't lean into thisenough.
(06:11):
And especially with the holidayseason coming along, this is
another reason why I think thisconversation is so important
because you have the ability tomake far more than you could
ever imagine.
And I don't want you to thinkabout this as an all or none
type of situation.
It doesn't mean that if youpursue a consulting business,
(06:31):
you need to go all in, leaveyour job, and then rely totally
on that business for yourincome.
Yes, I think many of us havealways dreamt of getting to that
point.
However, it may mean that thisis something that you supplement
your income with.
Maybe adding$30,000,$40,000,$50,000 to your base salary
(06:54):
right now can make a world ofdifference.
Or maybe you can get to a pointwhere you're able to double or
triple the amount that you'remaking.
I know that if you are a highincome generator, then it's
going to take quite a bit foryou to leave your nine to five,
especially when you're thinkingabout your salary, the benefits,
(07:14):
uh, college tuition grants, allthese other types of things that
they give us in order to keep uslocked into our nine to five.
And one of the reasons why theygive it to us is because your
knowledge and your expertise isso valuable.
I don't think that we thinkabout that enough.
We're always thinking abouteverything that a job can offer
us, but we're not realizing thatwe are giving them what they
(07:38):
need most.
And so these seven truths aregoing to help to break down all
of that and get us thinkingabout starting consulting and
growing our consultingbusinesses in a different way.
Have you ever thought about howmuch your expertise is worth in
your nine to five withoutknowing anything about your
field?
(07:59):
I can tell you that it's likelymuch more than you realize.
What I've found over time isthat many experts in their
industry undervalue theircontribution to the bottom line.
They sell themselves short andassume that their high-level
knowledge and valuableexperience are commonplace.
But that's not true.
In fact, most people are sittingon a gold mine, and you are too.
(08:23):
Look, if you have been thinkingabout starting a consulting
business and figuring out howyou can sell what you know, then
you need my free guide.
It will walk you through theprocess of figuring out what you
can put into the market thatwill sell like hot cakes.
Trust me, you have tons tooffer.
It's time to uncover new ways touse what you already know to
(08:46):
create the life you trulydesire.
Download your free guide now.
All right, so truth number oneis that what you have already is
enough.
When I say that one of the mostcommon things that I see us as
(09:10):
women, especially as women ofcolor, doing is getting
additional degrees.
And I think a lot of this comesfrom the fact that we have
always been taught that we needto be better than our colleagues
in order to get half as far.
(09:30):
And that led to a lot ofeducation, a lot of investment
in getting degrees andcertifications and other skill
sets.
And I'm guilty of that too.
I'm sitting here with a master'sdegree, a PharmD degree, all
kinds of certifications that Ihave to pay hundreds of dollars
(09:51):
every year to maintain, allthose things just so that I
could stand out in the careerspace and get the job that I
wanted and grow and climb thecorporate ladder.
All those things I felt like Ineeded.
One of the beautiful thingsabout entrepreneurship is that
there are no job requirements.
(10:11):
We're used to going online,whether it's on Indeed or some
other type of job platform,looking for a job that's posted,
trying to figure out whether ornot we meet the criteria to
apply.
That does not exist forentrepreneurship.
There is no universal standard.
The beautiful thing is that whenyou start your consulting
business, you determine what'sactually needed.
(10:35):
And while that feels excitingand refreshing to even think
about, I think a lot of times wedon't necessarily believe it.
We tend to question whether thatnot that's truly the case and
whether we can really get intothe rooms that we need to get
into in order to be mosteffective and to land the type
of contracts that we want toland.
(10:55):
Now, there are going to berequirements in different
industries.
So I'm not saying that if youwant to consult in the medical
space and you don't have anytype of healthcare related or
medical background that you'regoing to easily be able to do
that, you still can.
There are ways.
But there are scenarios wherehaving the baseline foundational
(11:17):
knowledge is going to work toyour advantage.
But I would say that would betrue with anything that you want
to do.
In order to be considered anexpert, you have to have some
level of foundational knowledge.
But you determine where you wantto practice, who you want to
help, what you want yourbusiness to look like.
And rarely, very rarely, doesanother degree or another
(11:38):
certification help you do that?
All right, truth number two, andI'm calling all of my women who
have massive student loan debtright now that you are paying
off to the front.
You've already invested time,money, and energy.
You haven't even fully leveragedwhat your existing degree
(11:59):
offers.
Have you thought about that?
Your degree wasn't designed foryou to land one position.
So the investment in youreducation, whether it was
through you paying through cashor loans or scholarship, that
degree, that education wasdesigned for you to be open to
(12:19):
opportunity.
And that includes opportunitiesthat you build for yourself.
You have not scratched thesurface as to what your
knowledge can do for you.
And that job you work hard toget, it was never your final
destination.
Often, like I said before, weget into these jobs and into our
(12:40):
career and we begin to climb thecorporate ladder.
And there's nothing wrong withdoing that as long as you're
moving ahead toward your goaland what you want to accomplish.
But if that's not bringing youjoy, if that's not bringing you
happiness, if that's notbringing you the revenue that
you need, there is absolutelynothing wrong with you expanding
(13:03):
beyond that.
And the great part is that youdon't have to always invest in
something new.
You've already invested time,money, and energy.
You've already done that.
All I'm trying to convince youof is that now is a wonderful
time to capitalize on thatinvestment and get a return on
(13:26):
that investment.
And when we start thinking of itin that way, it makes it a lot
easier for you to feel preparedand not feel like an imposter
when you're entering into thisnew space because you've already
done the hardest work.
So truth two, you've alreadyinvested time, money, and
(13:47):
energy.
And now you just need a returnon that investment far greater
than what you've already gotten.
Truth number three, you're thereason their business exists.
Now, we think about businessesand we think of the product that
they have in the market, whetherthat is looking at Nike and
tennis shoes and athleticclothing, if it's looking at
(14:11):
Apple and all of the electronicdevices that they're able to
market and sell, we see that asthe business, as the product, as
what is generating money andrevenue for them.
That's one piece of the puzzle.
But most companies todayactually run on human capital.
So the value of the business isactually based on the experience
(14:34):
and the expertise of the people.
It's the individuals that arecontributing their knowledge,
their insights, their skill setsto develop those products that
they then sell that truly is themost valuable aspect of that
business.
You are an asset.
And we don't often think aboutourselves that way.
(14:56):
We think about ourselves aslabor, as employees, as someone
who is working in the businessto help promote the product or
the service, but we're notthinking about the fact that our
knowledge, our expertise, whatwe bring to the table is
actually the most valuablecomponent because without that,
(15:18):
those products, that marketing,the sell, the success of that
business would not exist.
And when we understand the valueof what we bring to the table,
then it makes it a lot easierfor us to see how that same
knowledge, that same skill setis just as valuable to other
(15:41):
executives at the highest levelsand that they do need advice
from consultants and advisors tohelp them move forward and get
ahead.
And this leads directly intotruth number four.
You can easily put yourexpertise to work for you.
Whenever you transition toanother role, so if you're going
from one job to another job,you're taking your value with
(16:04):
you.
The knowledge and the insightthat you have doesn't stay with
your previous organizationbecause you left.
So that means that you canactually take that same
expertise, that same skill set,and build something entirely
your own.
And you don't need anyone'spermission to do that.
Once again, what you know, whatyou already have, is valuable.
(16:30):
It is an asset.
And that same human capitalthat's working for everyone else
can work for you too.
So here's truth number fiveConsulting is no longer reserved
for those who have spent decadesin their field.
When we think about howconsulting looked, even just
(16:50):
when I started over a decadeago, typically a consultant was
a very seasoned, uh typicallyolder white male that had been
in their industry for a numberof years.
They decided to branch out asthey got closer to retirement,
tap into their networking innercircles, and establish
(17:11):
themselves as a consultant andmake money toward the end of
their career and kind of move onfrom there into retirement.
That typically had been thepicture.
And as you started to see, maybesome people enter into the space
that were a bit younger.
They had access to networks thatallow them to navigate a lot
(17:32):
faster.
However, many of us, especiallyas women and women of color,
were blocked out of that spacebecause there were gatekeepers
there.
There was someone that couldtell you that you had not spent
enough time doing XYZ or youdidn't have the right
connections because you weren'tin that actual meeting or
(17:52):
boardroom or on that golf coursewhen that decision was made.
Those were things that kept uswatching from the sideline
instead of actively being in thegame.
But now we have a lot more onour side.
The digital economy hascompletely changed the way that
consulting contracts andbusinesses won.
(18:14):
You don't need decades ofexperience or to be the right
age to build wealth from yourexpertise.
One of the reasons why that wasso valuable before is because
you had to have a way toestablish credibility.
And your career in totality, thelongevity of it, and the things
that you had accomplished overyears and decades was evidence
(18:36):
that you did have a certainlevel of knowledge and skill.
However, now you don't have tohave that long trajectory in
order to be able to demonstratethat.
You have other ways of sharingyour thoughts, your ideas in a
space and gain more visibilitythat highlights what you can do.
(18:59):
Because you have that accessnow, it makes it a lot easier to
move beyond those tight innercircles that had to crown you as
being worthy of being aconsultant.
That does not exist any longer.
And I think many of us don'tappreciate that fact, especially
if we weren't practicing inthose times where that was the
(19:21):
case.
Now it seems like everything hasbeen fair game and people can
start consulting businesses attheir whim and be successful.
That was not always true in thisspace.
So now we have this digitaladvantage, and if we can put it
to use, we have greater marketaccess that honestly makes it
(19:43):
extremely promising for any soloconsultant or even small firm to
get out there and compete withsome of the biggest in their
industry.
So consulting is no longerreserved for those who have been
in this space for a long, longtime.
Now, True6, and this isdefinitely something I want to
(20:05):
highlight, is that the fact thatthese things have changed is a
game changer for women andespecially women of color.
What this means, the greateraccess that we have to the
digital economy, means that weno longer, as women, have to be
stuck playing by rules that werenever meant to include us.
(20:27):
I want you to go and find yourfavorite consulting book.
I always like to give clientsthis exercise because I think it
really does highlight why theyneed to be in this space, why
it's so important for them topush through difficulties and to
really get their businessesgrowing and off the ground
(20:49):
because we need you here.
If you pull any of these booksoff of a bookshelf, and I'm
looking over at my bookcaseright now, every last one of
them, whether you're looking atmillion-dollar consulting or
flawless consulting or thetrusted advisor, et cetera,
they're all written by prettymuch the same person in many
(21:09):
cases, or the same uh type ofperson, which, as I stated
before, a typically cisgenderedolder white male that in essence
had complete control of thisindustry for so long.
And that's just the truth.
That's just how it has been.
But now the playing field hasfinally shifted.
(21:31):
And I think what makes me soexcited and why I have this
podcast, why I do the work thatI do, why I work with the women
that I do is because now there'sreal access for those of us who
were always kept on the outsideof the old boys' club.
We have the ability to seizethis moment right now where we
can build wealth on our ownterms and begin to also rewrite
(21:55):
the rules for everyone else thatcomes behind us.
Now we can set the stage forpeople to know that you can be
young, brilliant, and highlyprofitable selling your
expertise without having amiddleman, without having a job
or a company or organizationthat does that for you.
(22:19):
And so having that ability togenerate income and wealth by
the use of the things thatyou've already spent time
investing in is something thatjust opens the door to so much
more when it comes to us livingthe lives that we truly desire.
Many of us may want to have moreof a lifestyle business that
(22:43):
helps us to enjoy our familiesand to travel and to spend time
with family.
Or maybe you're one of the onesthat wants to build a major firm
and to have a big exit planwhere you're able to, you know,
kind of go off into the sunsetand enjoy millions upon millions
of dollars.
All of those things arepossible.
(23:04):
But all this starts with usbeing able to take advantage of
where we are right now in thisdigital economy to utilize all
of these tools that we have toour advantage to make it easier
to run a business, to marketourselves, to sell, to serve
clients.
There's so much that we haveaccess to that makes running a
(23:25):
business a lot easier that wasvery, very difficult to do in
the past.
So I want us to lean into thatand recognize that this is a
unique moment in time.
And finally, truth number seven,you're already making an impact
and building wealth using whatyou know, but it's just a
(23:47):
fraction of your potential.
Listen, if you are that personthat sits in your office, people
come to you all the time with aquote unquote quick question,
and that turns into this long30-minute strategy session
because you're the only one whocan untangle the mess, that's
(24:09):
something special.
Or if leadership is pulling youinto meetings to get your take
on decisions, even though it'squote unquote technically not
your job, that's not acoincidence.
This is all evidence and marketvalidation that you have
knowledge that is valuable andthat can sell.
You're already making an impactin your job.
(24:31):
You're already making an impactwith colleagues and within your
network.
You're already doing that.
The only difference is that theincome that you're generating is
only a fraction of what youcould generate if you're
thinking about having a businessof your own or an external
(24:51):
revenue stream.
There is a way for you to earnmore from the same work that
you're doing already.
That's the beauty of all ofthis, is that it doesn't take
you working harder.
It just literally takes youbeing able to market and sell
(25:12):
what you're already doing toindividuals that desperately
need it.
There are consultants out therecharging$300 plus an hour,
landing strategy contracts for$50K plus.
I mean, doing all the thingswhile you're doing the same
work, but you're making a fixedsalary.
(25:33):
So I want you to think aboutthat.
Think about the fact that you'realready doing what you could be
making money for.
And listen, if you want to dosomething different, which I
always like to encourage clientsto do, I believe in creating a
business that you love, meaningthat you bring in other talents
and skills that you have inorder to stand out in your space
(25:55):
and to do things in a way thatuh really does honor your
strengths and also allows you toconcentrate and focus on those
things that you enjoy most, youare able to do that work with
more joy.
And that more joy leads to lessstress, leads to less disease,
leads to increased wellness orgreater wellness.
(26:18):
And all of those things areinvaluable if you try to put a
price tag on it.
So you're already doing thework.
You are just only capitalizingon a fraction of your potential.
Listen, I hope these truths helpyou to think about starting or
(26:41):
growing your consulting businessdifferently because these are
truths, they're they're facts.
This is the reality.
And it's often a reality that wedon't give ourselves the
opportunity to consider and tothink about.
And so I just want to urge youto give that more thought.
As you're leaning into the workthat you do, think about how
(27:04):
that can grow into somethingbigger.
If you've already started yourbusiness, think about how you
can expand and grow that to thenext level.
There is so much that ispossible and so much opportunity
that lies ahead of you.
It just takes you looking at ita little bit differently.
(27:24):
And I promise that once you dothat, it's going to open doors
that you can even imagine.
All right, guys.
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
Please, please, please share itwith a friend.
If you know someone that's beenthinking about going into
consulting or someone who hasstarted their business and you
see bigger goals for them thanthey even see for themselves,
(27:45):
pass this episode along.
Number one, it helps get theword out there, it helps to grow
the show.
But then also, I would love ifyou can leave your five-star
review on Apple Podcasts orSpotify.
All of your feedback is alwayswelcome.
And I just look forward toseeing you out there flourishing
(28:05):
and growing as we all begin toexpand and grow this consulting
industry into the diverseecosystem that it has always
been meant to be.
All right, guys, talk to yousoon.
Take care.
Thank you for tuning in to theBlack Girls Consult 2 Podcast.
If you enjoyed today's episode,be sure to leave your review on
(28:27):
Apple Podcasts, subscribe, andshare it with a friend.
We're on a mission to increasethe success and longevity of
women in consulting.
And you can help us do justthat.
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 excelat consulting.com for more
(28:48):
information to support yourconsulting journey.
Until next time, keep breakingglass to leave.
All right, take care.
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