Consulting Matters

I am super excited to introduce my brand-new "Where Are They Now?" series on the Consulting Matters podcast, and I could not have picked a better first guest.  

You've heard me talk about Denise Musselwhite before. I chose her to kick off this series because I love her story. She found clarity on her purpose as an executive development coach for diverse leaders in tech, and that clarity fast-tracked her profits and got her fully booked faster than even she planned for.  

Which, of course, created the happiest of problems: how do you scale success your way?

Tune in to discover why brand and messaging clarity isn't just one of the things you do to grow your business, it's THE thing that accelerates and sustains your success, how Denise is solving the happy problem of scaling on her own terms, and her powerful approach to tracking progress using metrics that go way beyond the financials.

In this episode, you'll hear:

3:34 Denise's origin story and why she couldn't unsee it

10:16 The watershed moment that unlocked the leap

20:08 Fully booked and figuring out scale

27:43 The KPI system that tracks more than money

37:20 Year three: from "in the work" to CEO

38:43 Scaling success your way 43:31 Outsourcing strategically (and keeping what you love)

53:04 The 5-15 Tool

54:18 Building your personal board of directors  

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About the guest: Denise Musselwhite is a board-certified executive coach, speaker, and strategist who spent 25 years in tech — often as one of the only Latinas in the boardroom. Through her company Tech & Thrive, she helps women and diverse professionals break through the hidden barriers holding them back so they can step into leadership, land the roles they deserve, and build careers that actually fit their lives.

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

Are you living your purpose in your business?  I brought on Kevin McCarthy to Consulting Matters to talk about purpose! He literally wrote the book on-purpose. Discover what purpose truly is so you can align your business with why you're here and what you're meant to do as a consultant, coach, or business owner.   Tune in to hear:

00:00 – Welcome + What Does It Mean to Be "On-Purpose"?
04:08 – Defining Purpose, Vision, Mission, and Values
12:21 – Why Passion Is Often Connected to Pain and Purpose
17:20 – How Our Life Experiences Reveal the Work We're Meant to Do
21:28 – Kevin's Two-Word Purpose Framework and Betsy's "Awakening Worth"
35:48 – Kevin's Purpose: Liberating Greatness
39:23 – The Biggest Trap Consultants and Coaches Face
44:21 – Purpose-Driven vs. Purpose-Called
51:23 – How to Connect with Kevin and Discover Your Purpose

1. Discover Your Purpose with Kevin McCarthy
Visit Kevin's websites at OnPurpose.com and OnPurpose.me to explore his books, purpose resources, and two-word purpose assessment. If today's conversation resonated with you, I highly recommend taking the assessment and spending some time reflecting on what it reveals about your unique calling and how you're meant to serve.

2. Build a Brand That Reflects Your Purpose
One of my biggest takeaways from this conversation is that purpose isn't just personal; it's strategic. If you're a consultant, coach, speaker, or thought leader, I'd love to help you uncover what makes your work uniquely valuable and translate that into clear positioning, messaging, and marketing. Together, we'll identify where your experience, strengths, story, and purpose intersect so you can attract the clients you're truly meant to serve. Book a call here.

3. Identify Where You're Playing Small
Take a few minutes this week to ask yourself: Where am I operating from obligation instead of alignment? What would change if I organized my business around my purpose instead of around what's expected? Sometimes the next breakthrough begins with a single honest question.

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About my guest: Kevin W. McCarthy is a bestselling author, business strategist, and widely recognized authority on purpose and leadership. As the founder and Chief Leadership Officer of On-Purpose Partners, he has spent decades helping individuals, leaders, and organizations discover their purpose and align their work with what matters most. Kevin is the author of The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business Person, books that helped shape how many entrepreneurs and consultants think about purpose, meaning, and business strategy today. Through his writing, coaching, and speaking, Kevin continues to help people move beyond simply knowing their purpose to powerfully putting it to work. https://kevinwmccarthy.com/ 

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

Is the fear of failure holding you back from what you want to create or achieve in your consulting or coaching business?

If so, you won’t be after you tune into my episode with Melisa buie, author of Faceplant: FREE Yourself from Failure’s Funk (great title, right!).

Her book is the result of a quest she had to understand why failure is accepted and even embraced in lab-type situations but not in life.

Through her deep-dive research, she found the answer to this question, and what she discovered is so powerful!

I cannot wait for you to listen to her actionable tips that will forever flip the script on any fears of failure you have and actually embrace the times when it doesn’t work out exactly how you wanted.

We get into:  

Where to dive in: 

00:00 – Why fear of failure holds so many consultants and coaches back

03:17 – From engineering experiments to real-world failures

14:40 – Why failure and learning are two sides of the same coin

22:20 – The F.R.E.E. Framework for navigating setbacks

30:15 – Betsy's personal "faceplant" and what it taught her

34:00 – Reflection as the key to resilience and growth

56:30 – Why learning from failure is a skill anyone can develop

Next steps: 

1. Apply the F.R.E.E. Framework to Your Next Setback
The next time a proposal is rejected, a launch falls flat, or a plan doesn't work out, pause before reacting. Focus on the facts, reflect on your response, explore what you can learn, and engage in one small experiment to move forward.

2. Build a Reflection Practice
Whether through journaling, expressive writing, or intentional thinking time, create space to process challenges instead of avoiding them. Reflection is often the difference between repeating a mistake and learning from it.

3. Clarify Your Next Move 
If you're feeling stuck between where you are and where you want to go, I help consultants and coaches uncover the patterns, strengths, and opportunities that lead to greater clarity, positioning, and growth. Sometimes the breakthrough isn't working harder—it's seeing yourself and your work more clearly.

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About the guest: Melisa Buie is an author, organizational strategist, and problem-solving expert who has spent more than 25 years helping professionals and teams embrace experimentation, innovation, and continuous growth. After earning her PhD, she discovered that true learning begins when we stop chasing perfection and start learning from failure. Through her books, workshops, and leadership programs, Melisa helps organizations build cultures where curiosity thrives, teams solve hard problems with confidence, and failure becomes a catalyst for breakthrough results.

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

When I got into consulting, I was really drawn to organization development.

I was a young international HR manager at the nonprofit where I worked. As I walked around the organization, I would always get confused by what was said on the break room walls and what was actually lived out.

And I always wanted to bring those two things together.

I think that's a lot of what drove me.

And I think many of us want to bridge the gap between what organizations could be and what they are.

That's part of what got me to form The Common Good Consulting & Coaching Consortium, you’ve heard me talk about… and today I’m bringing people from that group together to discuss whether or not we're all on the same page around what the heck a people-centered organization is, or what people-centered leaders are.

I brought on three of the participants from this Common Good Consortium from different perspectives - from Lean, from OD, and L &D, and we're gonna have a conversation around what it looks like, around what we have in common, around our definitions, and where we have different perspectives and where we can piggyback on one another's expertise.

Tune in to hear from Matt White around Lean and Continuous Improvement, Kristen Chase from OD, and Deborah Masak from L&D.

Let’s dive in!

00:00 — Are We Aligned on People-Centered Leadership and Organizations?

06:16 — Why Betsy Started the Common Good Consortium Conversation

07:38 — The Lean and Continuous Improvement View of People-Centered Leadership

12:46 — The Organizational Development Perspective on Culture and Leadership

18:30 — The Learning & Development Perspective on People and Business Results

20:49 — Why OD, L&D, and Continuous Improvement Often Work in Silos

36:26 — The Need for Better Cross-Functional Collaboration

45:20 — The Biggest Challenges Facing People-Centered Organizations Today

54:43 — Moving Leaders from Reactive to Responsive

58:25 — Final Thoughts on Collaboration, Culture, and Long-Term Impact

Participate in a cross-functional group to share best practices across disciplines and a "Common Good Toolkit" of resources and approaches for creating balanced, people-centered decision-making in organizations. This group will be led by Kristin Chase, a seasoned OD consultant who founded the Greater Orlando Organization Development Network (GOOD). She has direct experience bringing a successful professional networking organization to life and will be getting the word out to more of our peers who share our vision and goals. You can let me know if you're interested in this group, or reach out directly to Kristin at [email protected]

Thank you again for all that you do to make a difference each day and for helping me further the conversation around what it looks like for us to more effectively partner with one another to influence organizations to truly serve the common good.

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About my guests:

Matthew White: Matthew White is a continuous improvement leader and Lean practitioner who is passionate about servant leadership, leadership development, and helping organizations create more effective and people-centered workplaces. With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and manufacturing, he leads continuous improvement initiatives while coaching and mentoring leaders and teams in Lean thinking, problem solving, and operational excellence. Matthew’s leadership philosophy is rooted in humility, continuous learning, and adding value to others both professionally and personally as a husband, father of three, and youth baseball coach.

Kristen Chase: Kristen Chase is an organizational development consultant, culture strategist, and executive coach with more than 24 years of experience helping organizations align culture, leadership, and talent for long-term success. Before launching Chase Talent Development, she built the Organizational Development function at Universal Destinations & Experiences, part of NBCUniversal and Comcast, where she advanced to Senior Director of Organizational Development. Kristen specializes in people-centered culture strategy, leadership effectiveness, and executive coaching, blending strategic insight with practical, human-centered solutions.

Deborah Masak: Deborah Masak is a transformational talent, culture, and learning executive with deep expertise in leadership development, workforce enablement, and organizational growth. She has led enterprise-wide learning and talent strategies for global organizations, helping align culture, leadership, and business priorities during periods of rapid change and expansion. Deborah is known for building scalable learning ecosystems, driving engagement initiatives, and partnering with executives to create inclusive, high-performance cultures that fuel long-term impact.

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

 Is your consulting or coaching designed around what you’re best at, love doing, and what people actually want to pay you for?

Today, we are talking about one of my favorite topics and one of the best parts of my brand positioning and messaging strategy.

I really love the work I do with my clients, and it’s what we're gonna discuss in this episode of Consulting Matters… discovering your best-at-strengths.

Specifically, how to mine and monetize them, which isn't just about making you happier…

It's to make you more productive, more profitable, and best of all, instantly stand out in the crowded consulting and coaching marketplace.

Tune in to discover:

00:00 — Intro: Are You Building Around Your Real Strengths?

02:36 — What “Best At” Strengths Actually Are (and Aren’t)

07:20 — How to Know You’re Operating in Your Zone of Genius

09:42 — Why Your Real Strengths Are So Hard to See

18:51 — Why Taking Your Strengths Seriously Changes Everything

23:35 — How Betsy Used Her Strengths to Pivot Her Business

28:18 — Why Your Strengths Are Your True Differentiator

30:42 — How to Mine and Monetize Your Best Strengths

37:32 — Final Reflection + Action Steps

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

You heard it from me, now hear it from my sister!

I recorded the podcast you heard on Wednesday, "To AI or Not to AI: The Question Is When, Not If," on my ahas about AI from our conversation at the beach a couple of weeks ago.   

I told my sister about it, and she was like, " Hey, I got more information.” And I said, “Well, I have more thinking!” 

So, I’m releasing a BONUS episode of Consulting Matters on this week’s topic on AI with my very special guest, my sister Tamra Cajo!  

Tamra (or Tami, as I call her) is a nonprofit leader who is in love with Claude (where Claude and I are on a break right now).  But somehow, over the course of our weekend together, we found common ground on how to get the best out of AI - without it running the show.   

When you tune into the bonus episode, you won't just hear me summarize our conversation, but see it LIVE. 

Plus, you'll get to see firsthand (if you watch the episode on my blog or on YT) and find out if we both inherited our dad’s gift for persuasive conversation.  

If you really want to know how I am as a person and a professional, check this one out. It’s a fun conversation.      

Where to dive in:

00:00 – Welcome + Why This AI Conversation Matters

02:38 – AI as an “Extra Employee” in Nonprofit Leadership

07:09 – Neurodiversity, ADHD & Using AI to Organize Thinking

11:48 – Where AI Helps vs. Where Human Expertise Still Matters

14:08 – The Need for AI Guardrails, Policies & Slowing Down

18:41 – AI, Mental Health & Why Human Relationships Still Matter

23:36 – Creativity, Authenticity & the Danger of “Too Smooth” AI Content

27:42 – Leadership Coaching, AI Prep Work & Knowing What You Don’t Know

32:28 – Authenticity, Inner Wisdom & Avoiding AI Dependency

39:23 – Final Takeaways: AI as a Tool, Not the Leader

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About my guest: Tamra graduated with a master's degree in social work from Loyola University in Chicago (2005) and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Iowa (1993). Tamra is a bilingual licensed clinical social worker with over 10 years of experience working in early childhood and prevention. Previously, Tamra was the lead trainer in the Midwest for ACT Raising Safe Kids, an evidence-based violence prevention curriculum. In addition, Tamra has been trained in a number of other evidence-based curriculums including Circle of Security Parenting, Families Moving Forward (FMF), Helping the Non-Compliant Child, Chicago Parent Program and Youth Mental Health First Aid. Tamra was certified in Kundalini Yoga in 2001 in Santiago, Chile and has continued to further her education in both yoga and mindfulness for young children. Tamra practices mindfulness and meditation on a daily basis as a way to stay grounded and be present both at work and at home.

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

To AI or not to AI? That is the question. Just kidding!

Today’s episode of Consulting Matters is about when and how to use AI, which is the real question that every Consultant Coach must answer.

I decided to tackle this topic after my sister and I went away for a beach weekend a couple of weeks ago. My sister and I normally just talk about the deep meaning of life and explore our childhoods… the usual sister stuff. So, I was very surprised when she got in the car, and the first conversation we had was about our different experiences with Claude.

She's in love with our Claude. And right now, Claude and I are on a little bit of a break.

We had a different perspective, but what was fascinating was how AI kept popping up all weekend. It was ongoing…

And so we had a really rich conversation around how to get the best out of AI, like her positive experience, and how I've been kind of hitting walls with AI lately.

The results of our conversation are this particular podcast.

This is a good conversation for all of us to have around what it looks like to have a healthy relationship with AI. What are the guardrails to ensure the relationship stays in the productive zone and is actually productive in practice, not just hype?

I did not expect to do a whole big thing on AI, but here we are!

Today I wanna get into:

Let’s dive in!

0:00 — Why Betsy’s relationship with AI changed

2:46 — The #1 rule: You are the leader, AI is the tool

7:24 — The 4 questions to ask before using AI for important work

14:08 — How to create AI guardrails for clients

20:02 — The hidden impact of tech and AI on brain power

24:00 — Staying intentional with AI and protecting creativity

25:58 — Final recap + next steps for using AI well

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

I want to share my inspiration for this week’s episode. It’s personal, but it’s powerful so hang in there…

I’m so passionate about building your business and brand around your ideal clients because they make us happier, they are more profitable, and most importantly, they lead to lasting relationships.

Of all the organizations I worked with when I was a consulting business owner, Wyndham Vacation had the biggest impact on me. The industry was like Disney, so it felt like home. But it was the people, many of whom became private clients when they were starting their own consulting or coaching business. And some of them became treasured friends like Julie MacPherson.

After Julie left Wyndham to do her own thing, she and I would spend hours having deep talks about purpose, calling, and the world of spirit and soul, which she made the transition to last Thursday after a long battle with cancer.

I’m so grateful to have known Julie, and that only happened because of my business.

She is my inspiration for what you’ll hear today on the Consulting Matters podcast.

I want to encourage you to pursue clients who are your people, who you love, and who love you too. Loving your business starts with loving your clients.

This podcast is a labor of love for aspiring, new, and seasoned purpose-driven consultants and coaches ready to change the world – including your own.

And you can’t get to your ideal client and your Julies if you don’t get out of analysis paralysis and all the directions your next-level consulting or coaching business could take, and into focus

Today is a continuation of last week’s Messy Middle, something I’ve been in myself lately. I’m going to give you five steps to help you break out and step into your focus.

0:00 – A personal story on clients who become meaningful relationships

1:58 – Episode intro: clarity in the messy middle

4:00 – Rethinking “speed” and separating clarity from messaging

8:30 – Why your business must evolve as you evolve

11:00 – The upside of analysis paralysis

13:30 – Why overthinking (and AI) can keep you stuck

15:40 – Let your life lead the direction

18:00 – The 5 questions to find clarity begin

25:00 – Passion, purpose, and what needs to change

27:30 – Commitment and actually moving forward

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

Why is the messy middle a big part of our experience as consultants and coaches, and what we do with our clients?

Find out on today’s episode of the Consulting Matters podcast.​

So, I just got back from the second annual in-person retreat with my client, of four years, Katie Anderson, who is the messy middle of writing her second book.

On the last day, we recorded a podcast for her show Chain of Learning on how our work together during the retreat on the messy middle is part of the learning, how to embrace it, and how it helped Katie and her growth, leading to clarity on the shape of the next book.

If you’re a fan of Katie’s work or want to see first-hand the struggles and payoff of getting clarity on your big ideas, check out our conversation. You can find that interview here.

But our conversation got me thinking about the messy middle for myself and why it’s such a big part of our work as consultants and coaches, and our experience as we grow our businesses to continue the conversation on the power of the messy middle – what it means to be in it and how to help ourselves and our clients navigate it… and that is what today’s episode of the Consulting Matters podcast is all about.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Let’s dive in!

00:00 – Why the “Messy Middle” Matters

00:14 – Episode Intro + Context

02:33 – What the Messy Middle Really Is (and isn’t)

04:53 – Transformation, Identity Shifts & Why It’s Uncomfortable

07:04 – The Hero’s Journey Explained

11:42 – Your Role as the Guide (Consultant/Coach)

14:04 – Seeing the Pattern Everywhere

16:19 – You Have to Go First (Your Own Journey)

21:00 – Why Clients Actually Hire You

27:51 – Messaging: Speak to Transformation, Not Tactics

30:13 – Final Takeaways + Next Steps

Other articles you may enjoy:

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

Want to add keynote speaking to one of the things you offer in addition to consulting or coaching, but lack the clarity and confidence to make that happen?

Find out how to overcome that with my guest, Dr. Christina Madison, on today’s Consulting Matters podcast.

This episode is for anyone who wants to take the stage as a keynote speaker but holds themselves back, feels shy or introverted, and wants to overcome it. 

Dr. Christina Madison shares how she went from being a pharmacist and academic to where she is today – a sought-after keynote speaker with 200+ TV appearances and multiple appearances on the TEDx stage.

On the show she shares practical advice on how to take the stage with confidence, even if you’re an introvert and aren’t a natural performer. 

She also shares how to find your core message and the purpose that drives you as a speaker and the change you want to see in the world.

So, whether you want to use speaking to get more consulting or coaching clients or become a paid keynote speaker, this episode is for you.

00:00 - Introduction to Christina Madison

00:35 - Pharmacy Background and Transition

01:47 - From Clinical Work to Advocacy

02:09 - Entertainment Background and Stage Presence

04:19 - Storytelling and Personal Trauma

12:31 - Leaving Academia for Entrepreneurship

16:14 - TEDx Opportunity and New Chapter

19:01 - Personal Stories in Public Health Messaging

23:16 - Addressing Systemic Biases in Healthcare

27:24 - Developing Stage Presence

30:31 - Practical Advice for Aspiring Speakers

34:03 - Roadmap for Building a Speaking Career

39:58 - Crafting a Message Rooted in Issues

44:19 - Bias and Healthcare Advocacy

50:40 - Healthcare as a Human Right

52:11 - Final Words on Opportunity and Passion

Other articles you may enjoy:

About the guest:  Dr. Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP is a TEDx speaker, clinical pharmacist, and Founder and CEO of The Public Health Pharmacist®, a public health consulting firm. She specializes in communicable diseases and has over 15 years of experience in public health, along with 200+ national TV appearances sharing her expertise. A recognized leader and award-winning advocate, she has played a key role in vaccine education and distribution, including administering over 12,000 COVID-19 vaccines in Southern Nevada. Dr. Madison is also an Associate Professor at Roseman University and a passionate advocate for underserved and vulnerable communities. https://www.thepublichealthpharmacist.com/ 

About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services