Consulting Matters

I want to talk to you today about…marketing. That dreaded part of consulting or coaching business ownership that so many of us want to avoid.

Not only does it make us feel ick – like we’re begging for an audience, but also super-vulnerable, especially because as consultants and coaches, we’re the product, we’re the service, we’re the brand. There’s nowhere to hide.

I don’t know about you, but this is exactly how I felt when it was time for me to get serious about building a business and brand of my own after getting by with referrals and networking. The idea of creating articles and blog posts that might not be read or making videos for the first time, when I’m not by nature an “on camera” type, made me want to hide.

But I had a wise mentor at the time who pushed me on this, and at first, I balked. And then I started to experience the results – clients finding me all around the world, all because of the content I was putting out there. If you want to replace the chase for clients and start not just attracting clients in general but the ones meant for you – this week’s Consulting Matters podcast is for you.

In today’s show, I’m going to do my best to convince you to fall in love with marketing and make it an integral part of your consulting or coaching service to your clients.

I talk about:

If attracting more right-fit clients is one of your goals, this episode will give you the mindset to make it happen…with predictability and confidence.

00:00 Why Marketing Feels So Hard
01:30 When Marketing Actually Works
03:30 The Truth About Marketing
07:14 What Marketing Really Is
12:20 The Expert Trap That Blocks Clients
16:33 How Clients Decide to Work With You
18:54 5 Ways to Start Loving Marketing
28:19 Key Takeaways + Next 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 

Got big visions for your consulting or coaching business? 

Chances are you also have big fear and self-doubt. Great news! 

I’m going to explain why fear is both an expected, and welcome companion on your journey to growing your own thriving consulting or coaching business and give you the cure for dealing with it on today's Consulting Matters podcast.  

Because just when you think you got a handle on it, when you finally gathered the courage to leave your 9-5 and go out on your own, it shows up AGAIN when you decide to invest in a more professional brand, shift to a new client, land more strategic and transformational engagements and step into greater thought leadership.

At every pivot point, there's fear and self-doubt.

Not only do you stress out with anxiety about finding clients – especially in uncertain times like today – but also second-guess yourself and feel like a fraud.

Can you relate? If so, pay close attention to this episode where I share with you:

In previous episodes on the show, I addressed the CURE for imposter syndrome in episode 4 and burnout in episode 60. In this episode, I’ll share my updated thinking on the framework.

Let’s dive in!

00:00 Big Vision, Big Fear
01:10 Why Fear Keeps Coming Back
02:37 C – Characterize Fear
12:02 U – Understand Resistance
16:37 R – Respond with Compassion
25:00 E – Expand Your Vision
26:50 C.U.R.E. Recap
29:30 Action Steps

Go to www.betsyjordyn.com to learn more about my VIP Brand positioning and messaging programs. Better yet – hit the big button at the top of my website and book a free call with me. 

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 

Want to know the difference between leaving your consulting or coaching success up to chance or creating with strategic intention?

Today on the Consulting Matters podcast, we’re getting into the differences between getting clients and building a business and standout brand with my guest and client, Leslie Faircloth.

For a lot of us, we get into consulting or coaching after leaving our jobs because we have a generous network who as soon as they hear of our availability, they are introducing us to people who could use our expertise (or maybe hire us themselves)

And then at some point we realize, while this is great for now, we know that this isn’t enough to create the sustainable success we need to go all in our consulting or coaching business. 

That’s exactly what happened with my client Leslie, who instantly after leaving her job as a director of small business programs with the navy was getting people wanting to work with her.

She got professional photos taken, and put up a website. It seems like it should be enough, right? 

For her, it wasn’t.

What was missing? The strategic intention and brand foundation underneath her expertise. 

If you’re an aspiring, new or even seasoned consultant or coach looking for the strategic path, a thriving business, clients and impact, this is the episode for you. 

In this episode, you’ll hear:

As you listen, notice the shift Leslie made in how she thinks, speaks, and shows up. Then go take a look at her website: https://lesliefairclothconsulting.com/

It’s a clear example of what happens when your brand and positioning finally match the level of work you’re here to do.

00:00 The Difference Between Getting Clients and Building a Business
02:05 Leslie’s Transition from Government Career to Consulting
07:30 Discovering a Passion for Supporting Small Business Underdogs
12:40 The Decision to Leave Stability and Start a Business
16:30 Early Success Through Referrals and Network
20:30 When “People Want to Work With You” Isn’t Enough
23:45 The Missing Piece: Strategy and Brand Foundation
28:00 Clarifying Your Ideal Client, Message, and Value
33:10 From Service Provider to Strategic Partner
36:20 Building a Brand That Reflects Your True Value
40:30 Confidence, Visibility, and Showing Up Differently
44:30 Lessons for Consultants Ready to Build with Intention

About my guest: Leslie Faircloth is a Defense Small Business Growth Strategist and Advisor who helps ambitious, diverse small business owners create and execute the strategies they need to win defense contracts and become a competitive, mission-critical force in the market. Drawing on nearly three decades inside the defense acquisition workforce as a contracting professional and small business director, Leslie has helped hundreds of businesses navigate the complex intersection of compliance and opportunity to achieve contract wins and sustained growth. Her work is deeply personal—having built her own career as a young civilian woman in a military-heavy industry where she was often underestimated, she is passionate about helping others break through those same barriers. Through customized strategy, real-time expert guidance, and practical training, Leslie equips her clients to stop spinning their wheels and start winning.

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 

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your clients isn't to consult or coach them… but to mentor them?

We are the ones who guide our clients to achieve their aspirations and become who they are striving to become!

We come alongside clients who are in the middle of their heroic journey.

So if the client is the hero, then who are we?

We are the mentors. We are the guides.

We are the Obi-Wans to their Luke Skywalker.

Ever since I left Disney to start my own consulting business over 15 years ago, I have been obsessed with the heroic journey.

The heroic journey is a framework of transformation that mythologist Joseph Campbell captured…. There's an individual living a normal life who encounters something unexpected that calls them to adventure. They hesitate, and then they meet a wise old man or woman as a mentor.

It appealed to me at first because of how it captured what was really behind me leaving my high-profile job at Disney for my own business, which wasn't just a career transition but a total life transformation. My own heroic journey.

But then there's another angle that really speaks to me, especially as I pivoted from consulting to the business mentoring I do now, and that's the role of the mentor who shows up at critical moments with a mix of vision for what is possible for the hero or heroine and tough love to step into it. This role is what I see as the true purpose of transformational consultants and coaches… mentor to heroes and heroines on their journey of transformation.

We are the Rafiki to Simba.

We are the Obi-Wan to Luke.

And when I heard people at a local OD networking meeting talking about Yogi Mueller and his book The Great Slapping, I knew I needed to have him on the show.

Tune in to fully appreciate and step into the mentor role with your clients.

In today's episode, we're getting into:

00:00 – Why Mentorship Is More Powerful Than Coaching
02:05 – Yogi’s Journey: Disney, Career Shifts, and Reinvention
10:49 – Building a Business and Finding Your Voice
15:44 – Why Clients Buy You, Not Your Framework
19:08 – Mentorship vs. Transactions: A Different Value Proposition
23:00 – The Meaning Behind The Great Slapping
25:28 – The Mentors Who Shape Us (and Why It Matters)
29:39 – The Hero’s Journey and the Role of the Mentor
33:38 – Why Consultants Have Authority Without Position
42:18 – The “Great Slapping”: Tough Feedback That Transforms
47:50 – What Makes a Great Mentee
53:21 – Why You Need a Mentor (Even If You’re the Expert)
59:02 – Growth, Blind Spots, and Stepping Into the Mentor Role

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About the guest: With over 30 years in Talent Development, Yogi Mueller helps forward-thinking executives build the leadership pipelines they need to support real business growth. His background spans hospitality, Disney leadership, and even a former career in comedy, bringing a rare mix of clarity, candor, and humanity to every room he walks into. Yogi is the go-to partner when leadership teams are misaligned, new leaders lack direction, culture feels unclear, or high-potential programs need credibility fast. Through his signature Embrace the G.R.I.T. approach and G.R.I.T. Index Assessment, he helps leaders get honest, take ownership, and grow through the hard lessons that actually drive transformation. He is also the author of The Great Slapping, a raw take on mentorship, feedback, and what it truly takes to develop leaders who don’t shy away from what’s required to grow. https://www.linkedin.com/in/yogimueller/ 

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 business in the product, service, or transformation business?

Today's episode is all about getting your consulting or coaching business firmly into the transformation business.

And that means shifting your perspective on whatever you do with your clients or what you want to sell them from the end…

to the means to a bigger end, which is what your clients truly desire…

…achieving their aspirations and becoming who they want to become.

Without this shift, we leave value on the table.

To help us unpack this and create the path from products to services to experiences to transformations, I'm beyond excited to bring you author, speaker, and advisor to Fortune 500 companies like my beloved Disney, where I first got introduced to his work back in 1999 when I was a brand-new organization development consultant, Joe Pine.

One of my first projects at Disney was with the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. The GM was Cesar, and at our first meeting, he handed me Joe's Experience Economy book and asked for my help implementing these principles to stage more engaging, immersive experiences for the guests at the Fort.

So I have been a fan of Joe's work since then. And even more so with his book on the Transformation Economy, which made me realize why I have butterflies all over the place, and as the icon of my logo, because of how much I love this industry and how much this is such a key part of what I do.

In today's episode, we're getting into:

00:00 Is Your Business a Service or a Transformation? 

02:30 What Is the Experience Economy (Simple Breakdown) 

08:54 Products → Services → Experiences → Transformations Explained 

12:30 How This Applies to Consultants & Coaches 

19:01 Why Transformation (Not Coaching) Is What Clients Buy 

24:57 The Shift: The Client Is the Product 32:16 The Real Starting Point: Disruption, Not Strategy 

36:00 How to Design Transformational Client Experiences 

47:41 Why Most Consultants Think Too Small 

55:11 Will AI Replace Coaches? The Real Answer 

01:05:27 How to Charge for Transformation (Not Time)

Get clear on the transformation you deliver. What is different for your client because they worked with you. Check out Joe's book to dive into this more.

Look at your client journey and elevate one moment. Where can you be more intentional, more thoughtful, more experiential

If you are ready to move from service provider to strategic partner, connect with me to clarify your positioning and build an offer that reflects your true value. Learn more here https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About my guest: B. Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial startups, and cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a consulting studio focused on helping organizations create new forms of value. He is best known for co-authoring The Experience Economy, a landmark book that redefined how businesses compete by staging memorable experiences rather than simply delivering goods and services, and his latest work, The Transformation Economy, builds on that foundation by showing how businesses can guide customers toward meaningful outcomes and lasting change. Through his work, Pine helps leaders elevate their offerings, rethink their positioning, and design experiences that drive both impact and revenue. Learn more at https://strategichorizons.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 

Want to know how to start your own consulting business right... the first time?

No false starts.

No expensive trial and error.

Find out how with my guest and client, Sara Guttman, on today’s Consulting Matters podcast.

Today, we’re getting into what it actually looks like to seamlessly step out of your leadership career and into consulting business ownership, instead of doing what a lot of us do (myself included)...

We instantly get some clients through our network.

We throw up a DIY website,

We find more established consultants and coaches to subcontract for.

And voilà—we’re “in business.”

This works. Until it doesn’t.

The referral network dries up.

The subcontracting keeps us under someone else’s brand.

The DIY website reads like an online resume.

Worst of all, we realize we've achieved everything except what we set out to achieve when we started our businesses, especially control over our careers, time, impact, and earning potential.

Can you relate?

But with my client Sara, she avoided all this.

And I'm so excited to have her as my guest on my show, so she can tell you how!

We met last September when she joined my impact and income accelerator as a low-cost probe to see if she wanted to start her own consulting business.

Once she got affirmation on that, we got to work on her brand positioning strategy and website design, and I even got to direct her website photoshoot.

She has lots to share about:

Her journey into business ownership

Why it was important for her to set herself up as a strategic partner from the get-go

How she dealt with self-doubt

Why she made avoiding expensive trial-and-error her mantra for investing in her business development up front.

00:00 Introduction and Sarah's Background
03:13 Sarah's Career Journey from Radio to Community Center
09:37 Realizing the Impact of Venue Management
11:58 The Seed of Entrepreneurship: Asking for Advice
16:11 Avoiding the Doom Loop and Making Strategic Moves
21:16 The Power of Strategic Positioning vs Service Delivery
26:28 Brand Messaging and Naming Strategies
34:32 Clarifying Business Offerings and Messaging
43:49 Reflections on the Business Launch and Next Steps
52:56 The Value of Strategy and Support in Business Growth
01:00:21 Sarah's Website and Contact Info
01:02:13 Key Takeaways: Confidence, Courage, and Strategy

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About my guest: Sara Guttman is a meeting and event space consultant who helps nonprofit organizations turn their facilities into reliable revenue streams. After a decade leading venue operations at the Boulder JCC, she now partners with nonprofit leaders to help them generate sustainable income through strategic use of their event spaces. https://saraguttman.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 

As consultants and coaches, we know trust is the foundation of any meaningful relationship. And it is especially true in the work we do with our clients.

When clients trust us, everything changes. They open up. They share what is really going on. They accept feedback. They take risks. They implement our recommendations. That is when real transformation happens in their careers, businesses, and organizations.

Without trust, even if we land the contract, the engagement quietly falls apart. Clients stay guarded. They hesitate. They hold back. The work never reaches its full potential.

But here is the deeper question.

What if trust does not begin in your discovery call?

What if it begins long before that?

In this episode, I explore the idea that trust is built at every touchpoint of your brand. Your website. Your messaging. Your positioning. The clarity of your expertise. The way you communicate your purpose. All of it either lowers anxiety and builds confidence, or creates subtle barriers to trust.

And not just trust in you. Trust in themselves and their ability to create change.

Joining me is Dr. J.B. Adams, executive development strategist and trust researcher, whose doctoral work focused specifically on what builds trust and what breaks it . Together, we unpack why branding is not about looking impressive. It is about creating safety.

Why trust is the real driver of successful consulting and coaching engagements, and why it starts long before the discovery call.

The three core elements that build trust and how they apply directly to your brand.

How vague positioning quietly erodes credibility, and why clear specialization instantly increases trust.

The surprising lesson a skin cancer diagnosis taught me about branding, safety, and client anxiety.

Why moving from order taker to strategic partner is essential if you want to build a brand that commands respect and long-term loyalty.

If you are a consultant or coach who wants deeper client engagement, stronger results, and more powerful word of mouth, this conversation will shift how you think about your brand.

00:00 The Importance of Trust in Consulting and Coaching
03:04 JB Adams: A Journey of Trust and Branding
05:54 The Evolution of JB's Career and Education
09:04 The Decision to Work on Brand Positioning
11:55 The Experience of Rebranding with Betsy
14:47 The Deep Dive into Trust and Branding
18:08 The Role of Trust in Client Relationships
20:55 The Impact of Trust on Client Engagement
23:57 Navigating the Crossroads of Business Focus
27:07 Building Trust Through Cohort-Based Development
30:13 The Three Pillars of Trust: Ability, Integrity, Benevolence
33:05 Applying Trust to Branding Strategies
36:07 The Power of Trust in Client Relationships
39:05 Final Thoughts on Trust and Branding

Audit your brand through the lens of trust: Take a fresh look at your website, messaging, and client touchpoints. Are you clearly demonstrating expertise, integrity, and genuine care? Or are there subtle gaps that could be creating hesitation?

Move from order taker to strategic partner: Consider where you might be saying yes out of habit instead of alignment. Trust grows when you position yourself as a thoughtful expert who solves a specific problem, not just someone who takes requests.

See trust-centered branding in action: Visit adamslearning.com to explore how Dr. J.B. Adams positioned his expertise around executive development and trust after earning his doctorate.

If you want the kind of clarity and confidence J.B. built into his brand, explore working with me: Head over to betsyjordan.com to learn more about my brand positioning and messaging services and how we can build a trust-centered brand that reflects the real depth of your work.

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About the guest: Dr. J.B. Adams is an Executive Development Strategist and Coach who partners with purpose-driven, people-centered CEOs and CHROs in service-based organizations to build executive-ready leaders and trust-centered cultures. With decades of experience in learning and development, a doctorate in business, and master’s degrees in education and business, his background includes developing leaders at organizations such as The Walt Disney Company. Through customized, cohort-based programs that integrate 360-degree assessments, stakeholder-centered coaching, and group learning, he helps organizations strengthen their executive bench, fuel sustainable growth, and protect their long-term legacy. Visit his website: https://adamslearning.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 

How do you influence others to change, especially when you don’t have positional authority?

You don’t.

Find out what to do instead on today’s episode of the Consulting Matters podcast.

I've been getting into the real systemic issues on the Consulting Matters podcast that make our influence with clients harder than we might think.

A couple of weeks ago, I got into the differences between stakeholder and shareholder capitalism.

Last week, I had Bob Emiliani on the show to share his research on the differences between progressive and classical management.

If you missed them and are curious about the real issues that stand in the way of the people-centered work environments and societal systems we long for, check them out here.

My goal wasn't to bum anyone out but to give a reality check of the limits of our influence and how to care, just not too much.

But today, I want to end this mini-podcast series with some guidance on how to find the wins we can, because even if we can’t change everything... we can create influence with C.A.R.E.

My C.A.R.E. framework summarizes my approach to persuasion, which is:

Influence is persuading people to make decisions and choices that serve their best interests and the best interests of others.

It’s not about convincing others to want what I want or trying to create buy-in for a change that comes down from on-high and could serve the company in the short-term, but harm it and others in the long-term.

In this episode you'll hear:

How to ask great questions that get beyond surface-level information to make clients feel seen and understood

How to encourage right actions that align with what is your client wants, what is in the best interest of themselves and the realm they are responsible for AND give them the that they have what it takes to succeed

Influence is a powerful skill that can be used for good or bad, depending on who you’re trying to convince and why, and whose interest it serves.

But in the hands of a purpose-driven consultant or coach, without positional authority, this is where and how we get our wins.

Tune in to learn how to influence with C.A.R.E.

00:00 Influencing Change Without Authority
07:31 The CARE Model: Connecting with Clients
15:42 Asking Great Questions and Deep Listening
21:44 Reframing Perspectives for Clarity
29:22 Encouraging Right Actions for Change

1. Practice C.A.R.E. with your next client: Pick one element—Connect, Ask, Reframe, or Encourage—and focus on doing it exceptionally well in your next conversation.

2. Join the Common Good Consulting & Coaching Consortium: This is your last week to get on the interest list. Go to www.betsyjordyn.com/common-good.

3. If you need help positioning yourself for greater influence with clients: Learn more about my VIP programs or book a call at www.betsyjordyn.com.

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 

Last week I did something different on the podcast.

I talked about stakeholder vs. shareholder capitalism... and a lot of you reached out saying "this finally explains everything I've been experiencing."

So this week I'm building on that.

Because understanding the economic system is one thing. But understanding the management philosophy that flows from it? That's where it gets real.

This week's episode: Classical vs. Progressive Management with Bob Emiliani

Bob is the author of 28 books on progressive management and has been researching this for over 30 years. And he breaks down why leaders say they want collaborative, people-centered cultures... then turn around and manage with command-and-control.

Spoiler: It's not because they're lying. It's because of the management philosophy baked into the system.

Here's what you'll learn:

My big takeaway

We worry too much about our influence skills and beat ourselves up when change fails. But when everything is operating the way it's designed—classical management, shareholder capitalism—making the shift toward what we know in our hearts is better is bigger than any one of us can change alone.

We need to partner together.

That's why I'm launching the Common Good Consulting & Coaching Consortium—and Bob has agreed to be an advisor.

Want to join the Consortium? Get on the interest list for our founding call: betsyjordyn.com/common-good

Explore Bob Emiliani’s books: The Triumph of Classical Management, A Change in Perspective, The Aesthetic Compass at BobEmiliani.com

If this episode surfaced frustration you’ve felt for years… If you’ve hit the “why won’t they change?” wall… If you believe people-centered leadership matters but feel like the system is bigger than your discipline… Join the interest list for the Common Good Consulting & Coaching Consortium.

00:00 The Paradox of Leadership Styles
02:45 Understanding Classical vs. Progressive Management
05:55 The Lean Management Dilemma
08:56 The Spectrum of Management Styles
11:56 The Role of Preconceptions in Leadership
14:51 Challenges in Influencing Leadership
17:53 The Importance of Human-Centered Leadership
20:55 Navigating Organizational Change
23:50 The Need for System-Level Changes
27:08 Finding Common Ground in Leadership
30:12 The Future of People-Centered Organizations

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About the guest: Bob Emiliani is a Professor Emeritus, leadership researcher, and founder of Cubic, LLC, a company dedicated to leadership development and management improvement. With more than 25 years of experience advancing leadership practices across industries, Bob is known for translating complex organizational challenges into practical, actionable strategies. Drawing from hands-on experience in engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain management, along with 23 years as an educator, Bob brings both academic depth and real-world insight to his work. Through his books, online courses, and on-demand videos, he equips professionals with clear frameworks and methods designed to strengthen leadership capability and improve organizational performance. He is especially recognized for his work on “Speed Leadership,” a concept focused on accelerating learning, decision-making, and meaningful organizational change.

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 

The best part of my work as a brand positioning and messaging strategist is the vantage point it gives me.

I get to see the brilliance of my clients up close and where they truly stand out in the market. I also see the bigger vision so many of you share: workplaces that prioritize people alongside profits, and systems that put humanity first.

We may come from OD, Lean, leadership development, change management, or coaching. We may use different language. But the vision is the same.

And so are the struggles.

People-centered leadership that leaders won’t fully buy into.
Change initiatives that are well designed and quietly abandoned.
Being laid off despite delivering clear ROI.

As I tried to make sense of this—and of what’s happening in the United States that feels deeply troubling—I stumbled onto something that brought clarity.

We are operating from a stakeholder capitalism mindset in a world that has made a committed shift to shareholder capitalism.

Once I saw that, my consulting career finally made sense.

I wasn’t failing to communicate. The resistance wasn’t personal. It was predictable.

I was operating from a stakeholder mindset, believing organizations should invest in people, balance needs, and create long-term value.

But I was consulting inside a shareholder system designed to do the opposite. One where profits come first, people are costs to manage, and quarterly earnings matter more than long-term impact.

I was trying to plant a garden in concrete.

If this resonates, today’s episode is for you. 

I get that this is not the typical topic I get into on the show, but it reflects the higher purpose behind what I do and why the show is called Consulting Matters.

Here's what you’ll discover:

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