Consulting Matters

What's holding you back from the success and impact you're ready for as a consultant, a coach, a business owner?

Is it marketing?
Is it fear?
Or is it simply unclear and fuzzy brand messaging?

Let's dig deeper.

How do you feel when someone asks you what you do?

Do you feel excitement or dread?

Or how easy is it for you to write copy for your website or for your marketing, your LinkedIn bio?

Does it flow, or do you sit for hours, analyzing, paralyzed, and suffering from writer's block?

Tune in to hear if brand messaging might be contributing to your struggle and, if so, why you need to address it.

If you feel stuck when you're writing and talking about what you do, chances are, my friend, you might have a brand messaging problem.

It may feel like a confidence problem, it may feel like a marketing problem, but more often than not, it's a brand messaging problem.

I totally get it. I've been having a messaging problem. You are going to be one relieved listener, because today I'm starting a brand new series on the power of clear messaging for consultants and coaches.

We're going to kick off this series with today's episode, which is all about identifying the signs, indicators, and why you MUST fix them.

(00:00) Clear Messaging for Consultants and Coaches
(04:23) Improve Brand Messaging Signs
(16:18) Client Fit Impacts Profitability and Efficiency
(20:32) Client Fit and Messaging Clarity
(29:48) Unique Brand Messaging Is Essential
(35:36) Crafting Effective Brand Messaging

Brand Messaging & Positioning
If your message isn’t clearly communicating the value you bring, even the best expertise can be overlooked. We help you articulate a compelling, differentiated brand message so the right clients instantly understand who you are, what you do, and why you’re the strategic partner they need. Learn more about our brand positioning services here.

Schedule a Discovery Call
Not sure what you need yet? Let’s talk it through. On a quick call, we’ll identify your goals, uncover what’s holding your brand back, and recommend the best next step for accelerating your impact and revenue. Book your call here.

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.

Turning your consulting or coaching expertise into a product, program, or technology that customers will pay for sounds exciting, but making that shift is not just a minor tweak.

It is a complete business transformation that affects everything:

• Your offers
• Your messaging
• Your marketing
• Your value proposition
• Your entire path to scale

If you are feeling the grind of constantly chasing clients or working one on one with no room to grow, you might be craving more scale, more impact, and maybe even some passive revenue. That is when the idea of a product based business starts calling.

Here is the truth that many consultants overlook. Switching from services to products can be incredibly rewarding if it is the right move for you and if it is done in the right way.

That is why in this episode we are talking with Calvin Williams, an industrial engineer turned operations and continuous improvement leader who built a successful consulting business and then transformed it into Improver, a subscription based software platform that helps companies strengthen continuous improvement cultures at scale.

In this conversation Calvin shares both sides of his journey:

You will walk away with real world insight on what it takes to productize your expertise, build with your strengths, and choose the business model that truly fits you.

The strengths you need to succeed as a product creator

Ways to reduce risk and ramp into entrepreneurship wisely

How to apply Lean thinking to evolving your business

When technology + coaching is the winning combo

The mindset shift required to scale beyond client hours

(00:00) Turning Consulting Expertise Into Product-Based Business
(11:46) Entrepreneurship and Consulting Transition
(18:02) Launching a Consulting Business Successfully
(23:45) Embracing Entrepreneurial Mindset and Growth
(31:57) Evolution of Lean Manufacturing Software
(39:55) Continuous Improvement and Business Success
(44:05) Building a Product-Based Business Model
(51:47) Product vs. Service Mindset in Business
(56:21) Maximizing Business Potential Through Continuous Improvement
(01:02:41) Exploring Potential Business Opportunities

Other episodes you may enjoy:

Episode 120: Positioning Your Consulting Business for the Right Clients

Episode 122: What No One Tells You About Sustaining Success as a Solopreneur

About the guest: Calvin Williams is the founder and CEO of Impruver Inc., a company dedicated to helping organizations build continuous improvement cultures that unlock real freedom for people, businesses, and communities. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, he became the first in his family to earn a college degree, receiving his Industrial Engineering degree on a Division I athletic scholarship before later completing his MBA and working in top tier management consulting. Calvin believes continuous improvement is not a program but a daily battle between those who push for better and those who settle for the status quo, and he partners with operational excellence leaders to ensure the improvers win.

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.

What does it really take to influence transformational change? 

Today we’re getting into the challenge of consulting and coaching in a very unstable world and how to influence leaders to buy-in and lead transformational change when the world is experiencing a historic wave of disruption – economic, political and institutional – unfolding all at once.

To help us catalyze real leadership and organizational transformation, I’m bringing onto the show Seth Kahan. Seth is a recognized thought leader, strategist and expert in tackling complex global challenges. His work focuses on creating social movements and mobilizing collective action to solve intractable problems.

How Seth Kahan went from street theater to the World Bank and what that taught him about leading large-scale change.

The difference between incremental and transformational change, and why real transformation must be systemic.

What consultants and leaders each bring to the table when driving meaningful change.

Why influence starts with compassion, listening, and creating allies instead of trying to convince.

How self-compassion and discernment help you lead change without losing your heart.

(00:00) Navigating Complex Change in Consulting
(04:48) Making the Leap to Entrepreneurship
(10:12) Leadership and Transformation in Change
(17:03) Developing Influence Skills for Change Initiatives
(28:15) Embracing Compassion in Change Leadership
(35:55) Navigating Organizational Change Dynamics
(42:22) Navigating Uncertain Times in Leadership
(48:21) Navigating Transformational Change in Leadership
(55:25) Strategic Leadership and Influence Skills

Learn more from Seth Kahan: Visit visionaryleadership.com and check out his book Getting Change Right for practical frameworks on leading transformation.

Reflect on your own influence style: Ask yourself, am I trying to convince people, or am I inviting them to join me as allies in change?

Practice self-compassion: Notice where you’re hard on yourself during times of uncertainty and give yourself the same grace you’d offer a client.

Revisit your client readiness checklist: Before taking on a big project, make sure the organization and leaders truly want change, not just quick fixes.

About the guest: Seth Kahan is a recognized thought leader, strategist, and expert in tackling complex global challenges. With a background at the World Bank and extensive experience collaborating with organizations that take on some of the world’s toughest problems, he has pioneered frameworks for addressing “Grand Challenges”—the world’s most pressing issues. Known for his ability to unite diverse organizations and drive systemic change, Seth’s work focuses on creating social movements and mobilizing collective action to solve intractable problems. https://visionaryleadership.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.

Ready to turn your expertise into a business that makes both impact and income? Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services  

Do you really stop and celebrate your growth in your big milestones in your consulting or coaching business journey?

I know I sure don't.

A few weeks ago, I received an award from Kajabi, the platform on which my website is built. They recognized me for earning a million dollars. I'm a "$1 million Superhero," and when I got this award, I felt really weird about it.

I wasn't sure what to make of it, because it's like, wow, I made a million dollars from this B2C business that I've been working on for the last few years, and at first, I didn't want to celebrate it. Why? Because I'm embarrassed.

It took me so much longer to achieve this milestone than it did when I started my consulting business.

 I got this award right before I went on vacation. It coincided with my 15th anniversary in business, and then I did a podcast with Karen Laus on confidence in pricing and confidence in general.

So, I went on vacation and had lots of time to think about why I want to hide something so meaningful.

 In this episode, you'll hear:

Celebrate with me: Take a moment to recognize how far you’ve come. Share your own milestone or small win publicly, or with a trusted peer, and let others witness your success. Drop it in the comments of the post for this episode! I want to hear about it.

Practice “sober celebration”: Reflect on your achievements with integrity... not exaggerating, not minimizing, simply acknowledging what’s true.

Inspire courage: Use your transparency to encourage others. When you share what’s possible, you expand what others believe is possible for them.

Reframe success: Remember, sharing your wins isn’t bragging. It’s important. It gives evidence of what’s possible when you lead with courage, purpose, and persistence.

Join the conversation: Post your milestone on LinkedIn or your platform of choice and tag me. Let’s start normalizing the celebration of integrity-driven success.

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.

Ready to turn your expertise into a business that makes both impact and income? Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services  

Today, we're exploring what it means to stay human in the age of AI and what it truly entails to create a human-centered organization in these challenging times.

To help us explore this topic, my guest today is Edwin Mouriño-Ruiz. He's the president and founder of Human Intelligent Workplace, and he is dedicated to prioritizing human intelligence at work in the area of artificial intelligence. We dive into the impact of AI, among other things that are creating challenges for creating these human-centered workforces. We're going to provide some ideas for consultants and coaches who work on culture and people practices. How can they succeed in an environment where, let's face it, current legislation is definitely creating barriers to creating those welcoming workplaces?

In this episode, you'll hear: 

How Dr. Edwin Mouriño’s journey from the Air Force to academia inspired his focus on Human Intelligent Workplaces.

What it really means to build human-centered organizations that prioritize leadership, culture, engagement, and psychological safety.

Why AI should be seen as a tool to enhance, not replace, human intelligence—and how to keep our creativity and critical thinking alive in an AI world.

How consultants and leaders can balance technology with empathy, authenticity, and compassion at work.

The truth about DEI backlash and why many companies are simply rebranding their inclusion work and what demographic trends make this work essential.

Practical advice for consultants helping clients create people-first cultures despite shifting legislation and cultural headwinds.

What it takes for leaders to truly “stay human”: investing in personal growth, modeling healthy behaviors, and creating workplaces where people thrive.

Where to dive in:

(00:11) Human Intelligence in the Workplace
(08:03) Navigating AI in People-Centered Workplace
(12:48) Balancing AI and Human Creativity
(23:31) Leadership Development and Diversity Strategies
(28:27) Navigating Diversity Challenges in Organizations
(40:13) Building Human Intelligence in the Workplace

Revisit your leadership approach: Reflect on how you’re modeling empathy, authenticity, and care within your organization or with your clients.

Audit your use of AI: Identify where technology enhances your work and where it might be replacing critical thinking or genuine connection.

Reframe inclusion efforts: Keep building welcoming, human-centered workplaces by embedding DEI principles into everyday leadership and culture practices, even if the terminology changes.

About the guest: Dr. Edwin Mouriño Ruiz, is an Air Force veteran, author, and leadership expert who helps organizations and leaders grow through emotional intelligence, DEI, and human-centered strategy. As founder of Human Intelligent (HI) Workplace, he combines decades of experience—from Fortune 100 consulting to academia—to empower teams to lead with purpose. His work bridges research and real-world impact, focusing on leadership development, organizational change, and building more human workplaces.

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.

Ready to turn your expertise into a business that makes both impact and income? Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services  

Have you ever wondered if you’re charging enough for your consulting or coaching? I know I sure have. Maybe you’re stuck pricing by the hour, or maybe you discount to win the work. If that sounds like you, you’re in luck, because in this episode we’re getting into how to confidently ask for your worth and get paid for it.

We’re wrapping up the series on the journey from service provider to strategic partner with a conversation about pricing - figuring out the right price, being confident in it and then asking for it.

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart because it’s the full expression of my brand and show promise about owning the power of what you do.

But the reality is for most of us, when it comes to being asked what you charge or choosing a price for your offers, it’s a moment of dread and fear, instead of confidence.

But it doesn’t have to be. Today, my guest is Karen Laos who is a communication expert and confidence cultivator and popular speaker about pricing with confidence. She is going to show you how to ask clients to work with you without hesitation and charge fees that reflect your worth without apology.

When you tune in you’ll discover:

This conversation will be your boost of positive energy and give you the courage to price confidently, know your value, and prove ROI. Discover why the first sale is always to yourself, and when you can clearly connect your work to the outcomes clients achieve, you’ll never second-guess your worth again.

Other episodes you may enjoy:

About the guest: Karen Laos is a Communication Expert and Confidence Cultivator helping women overcome self-doubt and ask for what they want. With 25 years as a C-Suite advisor and speaker for Google, Starbucks, and NASA, she shares proven strategies that lead to more clients, promotions, and negotiation wins. She is the author of Trust Your Own Voice and host of the Ignite Your Confidence podcast.

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.

Ready to turn your expertise into a business that makes both impact and income? Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services  

Are you ready to learn how to run the absolute best discovery meeting of your client's life? 
 
Find out how to make that happen on today's episode of the Consulting Matters podcast. 
 
I'm super excited about the Discovery Meeting because I believe in its power. It's literally the most important meeting of your entire consulting or coaching engagement, and it plays the defining role in both your impact and income potential.

And if you are somebody who wants to work with leaders and organizations, this is the time to position yourself as the peer that they need, that your clients need, so that you can influence them to take action on the things that you envision for them that are in their best interest.

There's so much to the discovery meeting. I've been leading up to this over the last few episodes. I really got focused on the principles of partnership with Peter Block in episode 123. I shared with you in the last couple of episodes about how to leverage strategic listening and the ROI mindset from Rick Bommelje and Jack Phillips. I shared with you the story of Katie Anderson and how she was able to level up her impact and income while working less in episode 126.

All of this comes together here in this moment in the discovery meeting.

Not only will you discover why this meeting is so critical, but you'll also learn how to make the most of it, positioning yourself as a strategic partner to your clients and increasing your chances of landing the strategic work.

You're going to learn also why sharing your credentials is literally the worst way to establish your credibility and what you need to do instead, and I'm going to give you insight and tips on how to transform lame and rigid sales or contracting meetings into meaningful conversations that, in themselves, deliver powerful client value. 

(00:00) Maximizing Discovery Meeting Impact
(10:55) Strategic Positioning for Impactful Discovery Meetings
(21:32) Mastering the Discovery Meeting Pivot
(28:50) Leveraging Pricing for Client ROI

If you’re ready to stop leaving money, influence, and opportunity on the table, it’s time to master the pivot from client “wants” to real strategic needs. That’s exactly what I’ll walk you through inside the Impact & Income Accelerator. This 8-week group coaching program will help you:

Run discovery meetings that position you as a trusted partner (not a service provider).

Confidently link your fees to ROI, not hours.

Create compelling proposals your clients can’t wait to say yes to.

👉 Learn more and reserve your spot here: betsyjordyn.com/accelerator

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.

Ready to turn your expertise into a business that makes both impact and income? Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services  

 Ever feel that gap between knowing that your consulting or coaching adds tremendous value to your clients and being able to articulate that value, let alone quantify it?

Today’s episode of the Consulting Matters podcast is going to change that.

 We are not just talking about clarifying the value of what you do; we're also about quantifying it and making that value clear, credible, and compelling to the clients you're trying to attract.

It's for this reason that I'm super-excited to share my interview with Jack Phillips. He is literally the leading expert on this. 

Jack is an author of numerous books and the founder of the ROI Institute. His ROI methodology is a proven framework for showing the value of what we do and the return our clients get from working with us.

And if that doesn't entice you enough, let me tell you, he first made an impact on me way back in 1999! I met Jack when I was a new OD consultant at Disney. He taught the ROI workshop to my organization's development team. And that workshop played a key role in my success and led me to position myself more strategically with Disney executives.

His ROI framework, and more over, the ROI mindset has also had a profound impact on what I do NOW to help consultants and coaches to position themselves more strategically in the market and with their clients.

Listen to this episode so you can:

This interview will show you the key to unlocking more money through making a bigger difference.

(00:00) Quantifying Value in Consulting and Coaching
(04:19) Leveraging Value in Career Advancement
(14:15) Maximizing ROI in Consulting and Coaching
(28:26) Prioritizing Business Outcomes in Consulting
(33:35) Driving Business Impact Through Leadership Coherence
(49:21) Unlocking Value Through ROI Mindset
(59:01) Implementing ROI Thinking Across Sectors

About the guest: Dr. Jack J. Phillips, Chairman of ROI Institute and creator of the ROI Methodology®, is a global authority on accountability, measurement, and business impact. Author of 100+ books and former bank president, he has helped Fortune 500 companies and governments worldwide prove the value of their initiatives. Named one of the Top 50 Coaches in the World by Thinkers50, Jack’s work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and CNN. 

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.

Ready to turn your expertise into a business that makes both impact and income? Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services  

Ever notice how many consultants and coaches struggle with trying to figure out the right questions to ask? Which, honestly, is better than obsessing over the right advice to give.

Here’s the truth: it’s not about the question.
It’s about how well you listen to the answer.

That’s why I’m super-excited about this week’s Consulting Matters episode. I got to sit down with my very first mentor—Dr. Rick Bommelje. He’s the one who taught me, 30 years ago, the advice that changed everything for me: no one will automatically use your expertise the way you want—you have to position yourself for it. 

Rick is also one of the world’s leading experts on listening. And in this conversation, he breaks down why listening isn’t just a nice-to-have skill. It’s the skill that earns you permission to influence and builds credibility more than anything else.

This one’s special to me.  It’s not every day you get to honor someone who’s made such a lasting difference in your career. (You’ll even hear me tear up as I share the depth of my gratitude.)

If you’ve ever gotten value from my advice on positioning for impact, you have Rick to thank.

(00:00) Mastering Impact and Income Accelerator
(06:27) Career Transformations Through Mentorship
(22:33) The Power of Active Seer Listening
(39:37) Navigating Leadership Through Adaptive Challenges
(55:24) Deepening Leadership Through Authentic Listening

Active, reflective listening is a cornerstone of my Partnership Setup™ approach to landing strategic client engagements. It’s the skill that earns you permission to move past “what they want” into real business goals. If you want to master this in your own practice, join me inside my brand-new group coaching program, the Impact and Income Accelerator, starting October 14. Enrollment is open now, and early bird discounts are available. Sign up here https://www.betsyjordyn.com/accelerator

About the guest: Rick Bommelje has over 30 years of professional experience in the fields of leadership, listening, and adult education. Rick is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The Princeton Review named Rick one of ‘The Best 300 Professors’ in the Nation. He also is the past President of the International Listening Association and was inducted into the Listening Hall of Fame. In 2004, Rick and Lyman Steil published the pioneering book, “Listening Leaders: The Ten Golden Rules to Listen, Lead, and Succeed”. Rick’s latest book is titled “Listening Pays: Achieve Significance through the Power of Listening”. He facilitates retreats on the Courage to Lead.

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.

Ready to turn your expertise into a business that makes both impact and income? Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services  

Why do some consultants and coaches land the strategic, bigger, higher-impact and higher-paying client engagements?

Hint: it’s not better sales or contracting skills. 

Pay close attention this episode where I’ll share with you how to use the very skills that make you such an amazing consultant or coach (active listening, bringing order to chaos, relationship building) to shift your approach to landing clients from sales and contracting to partnership set up for greater impact and income. 

In this episode of Consulting Matters, I break down the essential shifts you need to make if you want to consistently land strategic client engagements without feeling pushy, manipulative, or “salesy.”

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why giving clients what they ask for will keep you from strategic, high-paying engagements

How to accelerate your shift from service provider to strategic partner, step by step (in a way that works with how your brain makes change)

 How to turn discovery meetings, proposals, and pricing from a source of stress into a foundation of influence

Why It Matters
If you’re tired of chasing clients or feeling like you’re stuck in a cycle of lower-paying work, this episode will help you reposition yourself for engagements that are more strategic, more rewarding, and more aligned with your expertise.

(00:00) The Power of Partnership Setup
(08:07) Service Provider to Strategic Partner Transition
(15:37) Creating a Vision for Strategic Partnerships
(20:17) Creating Vision for Client Relationships
(30:18) Building Trust and Value With Clients
(39:34) Mastering Strategic Consulting Skills Through Practice
(46:32) Transitioning to Strategic Partner Roles
(54:00) Embracing the Impact of Consulting

Ready to master partnership setup and land more strategic client engagements? Check out my brand-new group coaching experience, the Impact and Income Accelerator. You’ll learn how to position yourself for greater impact and income and help even hesitant clients see the rock-solid ROI of working with you.

👉 Get all the details and early-bird pricing at betsyjordyn.com/accelerator .

And don’t forget to subscribe to the Consulting Matters podcast so you never miss an episode. 

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.

Ready to turn your expertise into a business that makes both impact and income? Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services