Grow Your Independent Consulting Business

When Brian Hansen left corporate to start his consulting business, he assumed his network would help him land clients.

It didn’t happen that way.

His expertise was clear. He had more than 15 years of experience. He knew the type of problems he could solve.

But his existing network didn’t include enough of the B2B SaaS CEOs, founders, and investors who were most likely to need his help.

So Brian had to build a new way of cre...

Crystal Hincks generated more than $250,000 in consulting engagements in a single month.

But that result came after months of experimenting with lead generation strategies that worked... just not well enough.

Listening tours. White papers. Webinars.

She started getting in front of more decision makers.

But those conversations still weren’t consistently turning into paid consulting engagements.

In Episode 286, Melisa Liberman sits ...

Kymm Martinez was doing the work to land clients.

She had scorecards. She had a tracker. She was having discovery meetings and working her network. She had nearly 20 years of marketing experience at General Mills plus two CMO roles so she understood business development. 

And yet her pipeline wasn't becoming predictable, and she couldn't figure out why.

In Episode 285, Melisa Liberman sits down with Kymm to unpack what was actual...

Chelsea Lewis quit her corporate job in October 2025, took three months to rest, and started her independent consulting business in January 2026.

By the time she recorded this episode, she had built a six-figure business in seven months, a current six-figure client engagement, a $20K-per-month advisory retainer proposal on the table, and a pipeline of $1.1 million.

In Episode 284, Melisa Liberman sits down with Chelsea to find out ex...

You've said it to yourself more than once.

"If I were just more consistent. If I could do a little bit every week, every day, I'd have a healthier pipeline."

Most independent consultants have run that thought through their heads dozens of times.

Here's the thing: consistency isn't the problem. 

And trying to fix consistency is solving the wrong problem.

In Episode 283, Melisa Liberman makes a case that most independent consultants ...

You met them at an event. Or through a LinkedIn message. Or an intro you asked for.

However you found them, you thought the conversation you had was good. They showed real interest and said to follow up.

So you did.

And then nothing.

If you're like most independent consultants, you've got a stack of these. People you went out and found, who seemed genuinely interested, and then went silent.

You did the work to create the lead.

You had th...

You want to be the consultant ideal clients think of first.

The one who gets invited into conversations rather than always pursuing them. The one whose pipeline doesn't depend on luck or timing. The one who can turn down work that isn't the right fit because they know more will come.

That's a rainmaker. And most independent consultants don't think that word applies to them.

In Episode 281, Melisa Liberman makes the case that it does. ...

You left corporate for specific reasons.

You want autonomy. 
Control over your time. 
Work that feels meaningful and is lucrative. 
A business that runs on your terms, not someone else's.

Here's what happens instead for a lot of independent consultants: the business gets built one micro-decision at a time. 
You take the client that isn't quite right because it's in hand. 
You agree to the sched...

Your booked revenue is below plan. 

Your pipeline can't close the gap fast enough. 

And you're wondering if it's time to go back to corporate. 

Or maybe your numbers are fine right now, but you've lived through a downturn before and you never want to be caught flat-footed again.

Either way, this episode is your plan.

In Episode 279, Melisa Liberman walks through a 90-day turnaround for independent consultants whose revenu...

We’re halfway through the year.

Are you ahead, behind, on track, or honestly not sure?

Most independent consultants answer that question with a feeling.

Behind because the pipeline feels out of their control.
Ahead because they had a few strong months that created relief.
On track because they’ve got a longer-term contract.
Or they avoid the question completely because they never committed to a goal in the first p...

You hear about another consultant who charges double what you charge. 
Or a new consultant who left corporate six months ago is landing so much work they’re turning projects away.
Or a competitor walks away with a deal you were certain was yours.

The gut punch is immediate.

What happens next is the part most independent consultants don't realize is costing them.

The comparison doesn't just make you feel bad. 

It c...

You want a stable independent consulting business. One where you're not constantly worried about where the next consulting client is coming from.

You know what you want. The flexibility, the freedom, the autonomy, without the constant cash flow worry.

What you're not sure about is how to actually achieve it. 

What have other independent consultants figured out that you haven't?

The consultants who have what you want aren't luckier...

You get asked some version of “can I pick your brain?” all the time.

Sometimes it’s direct. 

Sometimes it’s a networking meeting that becomes a free consulting advisory session. 

Sometimes it’s a discovery call that was never really a discovery call. 

Sometimes it’s a "quick question" text from a past client.

Sometimes it’s a former colleague who wants to become an independent con...

You’re good at what you do. Your clients know it. The people who refer you know it.

But your next ideal consulting client may have no idea you exist.

That’s the gap between being credible and becoming sought after.

In this episode, Melisa Liberman shows independent consultants how to make lead generation easier by building an inbound lead system that helps more right-fit clients find you, trust you, and reach out already i...

Most independent consultants think differentiation means a sharper niche, a cleaner methodology, or better positioning.

It doesn't.

The consultants landing more work aren't winning because of their pitch or their network.

They're winning before the proposal gets written.

If you're like most consultants, you think the real evaluation happens when you submit the proposal. It doesn't. Buyers are already deciding in the conversation, befor...

When you think about your revenue goal for this year, what's the first thought that runs through your head?

For most independent consultants it's some version of "I hope I can make it happen" or "I'm trying to make it happen."

If you're like most of us, you don't even know you're thinking it.

It's subconscious.

And it's the reason your consulting business keeps plateauing, even when your strategy, your offers, and your effort all look ...

Are you at capacity in your consulting business?

Fully utilized on client work.

Or a lot on your plate personally, whether that's a family situation, a move, recovery from surgery, or a season where your kids' schedules have swallowed your calendar.

Or both.

If you're like most consultants, the moment any of that hits, business development is the first thing you drop.

It feels logical. Clients come first. The work pays. Lead gen can wai...

Why isn’t your independent consulting business consistently generating $500K per year?

It’s not the economy. 

It’s not because the market is getting more saturated with consultants. 

It’s not because AI is replacing your expertise. 

And it’s not because you’re not good at business development.

If it’s not these things, what is it?

In her work with independent consultants, Melisa co...

PIPs have a bad reputation.

And usually for good reason. In corporate, a PIP was rarely about improvement. It was a paper trail.

But strip away that baggage and the core idea is sound: here's where performance is falling short, here's what good looks like, here's the plan.

As an independent consultant, that's exactly what you need. And you're the only one who can give it to yourself.

In this episode, Melisa Liberman introduces the PIP ...