Are you tired of spending hours creating service packages that clients don't want to buy? I've seen countless consultants disappear into their caves to craft the "perfect" service offering, only to emerge with zero clients. The problem? You're packaging services in complete isolation, without input from actual buyers. This approach leaves you frustrated, wasting time on packages that miss the mark. But there's a better way – develop your service packages in a live deal-making environment with early adopters who are eager to collaborate. Stop guessing what clients want and start co-creating solutions they'll gladly pay for.

SHOW NOTES

• Learn the crucial difference between product development and customer development – and why you need both
• Explore our "customer listening" methodology that guarantees market-relevant service packages
• Find out how to identify and attract "early adopters" who will help shape your offering
• Understand why building in a "live deal-making environment" leads to packages clients actually want
• Get practical tips for conducting customer interviews that reveal true pain points and needs
• See how the lean startup approach can revolutionize your consulting business
• Learn why co-developing solutions with clients creates better results and stronger case studies
• Discover how to transform your service packaging process into a client acquisition strategy
• Get access to our team at 90daypipeline.com/talk to see if we can help with your marketing, positioning, and packaging

Are you struggling to validate your consulting offer while watching potential clients choose your competitors instead? I've been there - investing countless hours developing the "perfect" service only to hear crickets when I try to sell it. It's beyond frustrating when you know you have valuable expertise but can't seem to convince prospects that you're the solution they need. That's why I brought in Anna Lasky, customer research expert, to reveal the missing piece most consultants overlook: truly understanding your market's language, pain points, and current solutions before you market anything. In this episode, we'll show you exactly how to conduct customer research that transforms your positioning and makes prospects say "it's like you're reading my mind."

• Why even brilliant consultants fail without proper offer validation (and the costly "bucket with a hole" mistake most make)

• The counterintuitive reason customer research must come before marketing (and why skipping this step guarantees wasted time and money)

• How to conduct customer interviews that reveal gold-mine insights your competitors will never discover

• The exact questions that will make prospects feel understood without ever pitching them

• Anna's real-world example of beating three larger firms by leveraging customer research insights

• The crucial "language shift" that instantly builds trust and positions you as the obvious solution

• Why most consultants' natural strengths actually sabotage their marketing (and how to flip this weakness)

• The definitive way to know when your offer is truly validated (hint: it's not when people say they "like" it)

• How to avoid the marketing "stall tactic" trap and accelerate your path to paid clients

Are you tired of compromising your standards for the sake of a paycheck?

In this episode, Ana Laskey shares her raw, unfiltered story of firing a client for the first time ever—and why it was the best decision she could have made. Like many consultants, she had fallen into the trap of saying "yes" to projects that didn't align with her values or pricing minimums. But she discovered that walking away from the wrong clients actually attracted better opportunities and helped her reclaim her integrity. For consultants struggling with difficult clients or feeling undervalued in their work, this episode provides the permission and framework needed to finally stand their ground.

Show Notes

• Discover why Ana made the difficult decision to refund a client's money and walk away from a project mid-engagement
• Learn about the red flags she missed during the sales process and how she plans to avoid similar situations in the future
• Hear about the surprising business outcome of firing a client (it led to two bigger deals!)
• Understand the importance of creating and maintaining both "minimum standards" and "ideal standards" for client engagements
• Explore how the "beggars can't be choosers" mentality can sabotage a consulting business
• Learn practical strategies for vetting potential clients—even when they come through trusted referrals
• Gain insights into creating an "essentialism deal filtration rubric" to evaluate future opportunities
• Discover why focusing on client psychographics is often more important than demographics
• Understand how setting and enforcing clear boundaries actually increases client respect
• Learn why protecting one's integrity is ultimately the best business decision a consultant can make

Are you lying awake at night wondering how these new tariffs will impact your consulting business? You're not alone. In this timely episode, we tackle the economic uncertainty that has Wall Street in a tailspin and consultants panicking about their pipeline. I'll show you why this disruption isn't just a threat—it's your greatest opportunity. While others freeze with indecision, I'll share five proven strategies to not only weather this storm but emerge stronger and more profitable than ever. Don't just survive this economic shift—learn how to capitalize on it.

Show Notes:

• Discover why economic uncertainty (like Trump's new tariffs) creates hidden opportunities for nimble consultants

• Learn why your clients' feelings—not just economic realities—drive their buying decisions during uncertain times

• Master the art of transitioning from a "soft" to "hard" value proposition that gets approved even in tight budget environments

• Explore practical strategies for reducing client risk with "easier to get started" entry-point offerings

• Find out how to expand your network strategically when your existing referral sources dry up

• Understand the psychological shift from panic to productive action that successful consultants make during downturns

• Learn why the most successful consultants are playing offense, not defense, in today's market

• Discover how to identify exactly what your market needs right now through active listening

• Gain insights on how the lessons from COVID apply to today's economic challenges

• Uncover the mindset secrets that turn fear and uncertainty into hope and expectation

Are you tired of losing deals despite being the smartest person in the room? In this eye-opening episode, I reveal why expertise alone isn't enough to win clients. Many consultants make the critical mistake of overwhelming prospects with knowledge while missing what truly matters. I unpack why clients often choose the experienced personal trainer over the PhD - and how understanding this distinction can transform your business development approach. Discover the three essential elements beyond expertise that will help you close more deals and build the consulting practice you've always wanted.

Show Notes:

• Find out why the most knowledgeable expert doesn't always win the client's business

• The personal trainer vs. PhD metaphor that explains what clients really value

• Discover the three crucial elements needed to win consulting deals (hint: expertise is just one)

• Why positioning yourself with "street-level knowledge" can be more powerful than theoretical expertise

• How to build genuine trust that makes clients choose you over competitors

• The counterintuitive reason why having a full pipeline helps you build more credibility

• Practical strategies to demonstrate you have the client's best interests at heart

• Why saying "no" and standing your ground can actually help you win more business

• How to leverage client results to create a virtuous cycle of success for your practice

Are you drowning in expertise but still can't land clients? I've noticed a dangerous trend among consultants who obsess over proving their brilliance while prospects slip away. The harsh truth? Your impressive knowledge means nothing if clients can't understand how you'll solve THEIR specific problems. When you speak in jargon and technical details only your peers appreciate, you create distance instead of connection. In this episode, I break down why being relatable trumps being impressive, and reveal the simple "results mechanism" framework that transforms abstract expertise into tangible client outcomes that sell.

Show Notes:

• Why the "ivory tower expert" approach actually repels the clients you want to attract

• The car engine metaphor: why your expertise is useless without a "transmission" to deliver results

• How Warren Buffett's investment philosophy applies perfectly to client decision-making

• The counterintuitive reason your peers should find your marketing "superficial" (and why that's good)

• The critical difference between collecting "voice of customer" language and understanding underlying client beliefs

• Why listening at a deeper level reveals the true objections hiding beneath surface questions

• The two-part formula clients use when deciding to hire you (and why most consultants focus on the wrong part)

• Simple frameworks to translate your complex knowledge into language prospects actually understand

• How to position yourself as both expert and partner rather than distant genius

Are you tired of competing on price and struggling to stand out in a crowded consulting market? I've been there too. Most consultants waste countless hours on prospecting, rewriting LinkedIn profiles, and creating endless content without seeing results. Why? Because they're missing the fundamental element that separates premium consultants from commodity providers: powerful positioning. In this solo episode, I reveal 10 critical positioning truths (and one dangerous lie) that have helped consultants in every B2B vertical command higher fees and win better clients. Discover my five-part framework that can transform your consulting business from interchangeable to irreplaceable.

Show notes:

-Discover why clients never wake up wanting to hire consultants (and what they're actually looking for)

-Learn why prospecting without positioning is like "pouring water into a bucket with a hole at the bottom"

-Find out why the most dangerous position in consulting is trying to be "all things to all people"

-Understand why your biggest competition isn't other consultants—it's the status quo

-Explore how having strong, polarizing opinions can actually attract your ideal clients

-Learn the critical difference between positioning based on services versus client transformation

-Uncover the dangerous lie that's keeping most consultants stuck in the commodity trap

Are you stuck running on the hamster wheel of your business instead of truly leading it to new heights? I see it all the time - consultants who technically "own" their business but are actually trapped in operator mode, frantically pulling levers while missing massive opportunities and threats just around the corner. It's exhausting and limiting your growth potential. The difference between merely operating and truly owning your business is the key to breaking through plateaus and building something extraordinary. In this episode, Ahmad and Karie reveal the mindset shift that separates struggling consultants from thriving business owners, and how to start making decisions like a true owner today.

Show Notes:

• Discover the crucial difference between having "owner" on your business card and actually thinking like one

• Learn why most consultants stay trapped in operator mode (and the hidden cost to your business)

• The manufacturing plant metaphor that perfectly illustrates the owner vs operator mindset

• Why the "scientific method" approach to business decisions is your secret weapon for growth

• How ownership thinking reveals opportunities that operators will never see

• The liberating truth about making "wrong" decisions (and why they're actually valuable)

• Why seeking the "perfect solution" is keeping you stuck (and what to do instead)

• How to manage both mindsets when you're wearing both the owner and operator hats

Ever wonder why some consultants skyrocket to success while others stay stuck, despite having similar skills? I've seen it countless times – two equally talented consultants, yet one builds a thriving business while the other barely survives. The painful truth? It's not your expertise, market, or pricing holding you back. The real obstacle is how you see yourself and your business. In this eye-opening conversation with Ahmad Munawar, we reveal why your identity creates invisible barriers to growth and how shifting your mindset unlocks the path to the business you truly desire. Stop limiting your potential – discover how your self-imposed boundaries are the only thing standing between you and breakthrough success.

Show Notes:

• Why two consultants with identical skills and markets achieve dramatically different results (and what's really determining your success ceiling)

• The dangerous trap of chasing income goals without understanding what that money truly represents in your life

• How your "identity jar" silently determines your business potential and sets hidden limitations you don't even recognize

• The critical difference between the "employee mindset" and the "business owner mindset" (and why this shift is essential for growth)

• Ahmad's personal story: how his "lone wolf" identity kept his business stuck for 5+ years

• Why intellectual understanding isn't enough – the emotional work required to truly transform your business identity

• The counterintuitive truth about "work-life balance" and why separating your personal and business identities might be sabotaging your success

• How to identify and challenge your self-imposed limitations that keep your business smaller than it could be

• The powerful relationship between setting ambitious goals and developing the identity necessary to achieve them

Are you struggling to land new consulting clients in today's crowded market? I see it happening everywhere - what used to work even a year ago is falling flat today. In this eye-opening episode with Anastassia Laskey, we dive into why "soft" value propositions are failing consultants who previously thrived. The competition is fiercer than ever, your prospects have less budget to spend, and AI is eating away at generic service offerings. But there's hope - we reveal exactly how to craft "hard" value propositions that speak directly to your client's metrics, create irresistible offers, and win deals even without strong prior relationships.

Show Notes:

• Why consultants who made 7-figures last year are suddenly struggling to get clients (and the uncomfortable truth about riding economic waves)

• The critical difference between "soft" and "hard" value propositions and why the market no longer tolerates vague offerings

• How to craft a value proposition that targets specific organizations, buyers, and tangible business metrics

• Why selling to cold prospects requires a fundamentally different approach than selling to your warm network

• The dangerous disconnect between problem-aware vs. solution-aware audiences and how to avoid creating doubt in your prospects' minds

• Why AI is eliminating the market for "soft" consulting services and how to position yourself beyond what AI can deliver