Profitable Joyful Consulting

“The answer to this question tells you what is working for you in your marketing.”

Ready for more clients? What if I told you that you already know exactly what to do to get more of them? 

It’s so much easier to replicate success than it is to pioneer a new path. But how do you know what “success” to replicate? Ask good questions.

True to the theme for this season, I share in this episode a powerful question I use all the time to simplify marketing planning and help consultants get clients faster. 

Fun fact: I even created an entire 24-lesson course from this question! 

In this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting, I reveal a simple way to predict where your next 5 clients will come from, making it easier for you to get into action and go get them. 

KEY POINTS:

00:00 Introduction 02:11 How I turned the answers to this question into a 24-lesson course 04:07 What you’re really looking for when you dig deeper into this question 05:35 Create intentionality around referrals 06:52 The risk to your business of sole source lead gen 08:20 What the pandemic taught about getting clients 10:25 The perfect number to build your pipeline of potential clients 13:12 The fastest way to get new clients 14:10 How your next clients will find you

Taking information you learn from a very simple question can help you create marketing strategies that work for your business. Discover how in this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UJdJ63CmJm0 or listen whenever you get podcasts: https://samanthaspodcast.com/  

​QUOTABLES:

“The answer to this question tells you what is working for you in your marketing.”

“Learn to generate your own leads.”

Episode Hashtags: #businessgrowth #consultants #marketing #leadgeneration

“If you had to add $100,000 in the next 30 days, what would you do?”

If you want massive growth in the shortest amount of time, just trick your brain into thinking you need to generate $100K in the next 30 days.

It’s actually not a trick. I ask this question countless times in my own business and with clients, and the pressure of a 30-day deadline sends the brain searching for some of the best actionable ideas that it might not access otherwise.

In this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting, I walk you through the process that I use including the guidelines that will help you generate creative ideas to bring money into your business fast.

KEY POINTS:

I encourage you to do this fun thought experiment proactively and preemptively because it really has real-world applications. I share how in this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/88c5QYQ6bKM or listen whenever you get podcasts: https://samanthaspodcast.com/ 

“If you're willing to let go of the struggle and stop believing that everything has to be hard, then you can embrace easy and have a better time in your business.​​”

In the early years I was really struggling in my business. Struggling to grow, to figure out who I needed to work with. Struggling with just doing EVERYTHING in the business myself. And that struggle went on for years.

I knew the results I was getting were not aligned with what I wanted for my business. But then I heard a question that made my whole body relax and say, “Yes, please.” 

Struggle looks different to different people and in this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting, I share the most common struggles consultants experience. More importantly, I will tell you the game-changing question that took me out of struggle once and for all, as well as three steps you can take today to turn that question into practical actions.

KEY POINTS:

00:00 Introduction 02:20 Common struggles for consultants 04:10 The danger of staying in your “stress zone”  07:02 Beliefs that serve you in adopting ease 09:16 The role of passion and preparation in ease 11:37 Reflect on a challenging experience that actually wasn’t 12:55 Imagine unruly tasks in a new way 13:51 The 6-word cure for overwhelm 

You’ll have a more profitable, joyful consultancy when you stop believing that everything must be hard. Discover how in this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YHKzmKZKe64 or listen whenever you get podcasts: https://samanthaspodcast.com. ​

QUOTABLES:

“If you're willing to let go of the struggle and stop believing that everything has to be hard, then you can embrace easy and have a better time in your business.​​”

“You don't take all of the steps at once. You just need to know what is your next step and then take that step.”

 Episode Hashtags: #businessgrowth #consultants #mindset

“The opposite of intentional is accidental.”

Have you ever wondered how you can get more out of yourself or how you can hack your day so that you can be more of your best self?

I’m your host, Samantha Hartley, back with Season 16 (!!) of the Profitable Joyful Consulting podcast, and the theme of this season and today’s episode is all about the power of questions. But not just any questions – these are the kind of questions that can transform your life, boost your productivity, and help you become your best self.

Whether it's unlocking your hidden potential, enhancing your consulting business, or simply finding more joy in life, get ready for a season filled with insightful questions that will leave you inspired and motivated.

So, if you're curious about how asking the right questions can change everything, stay tuned and join me on this quest for personal and professional growth.

Key Areas Discussed

00:00 Introduction 01:42 Why I chose the theme of the season 02:44 How questions activate the brain 03:50 The goal of creating an "operating manual" for oneself 06:24 The most important question of the day 08:14 The untapped power of setting intentions 11:32 How to stay present (and in your body) throughout the day 14:07 Discover your unique conditions for success 15:23 The best question to end the day

In this episode I share practical insights and strategies to help you create your own "owner's manual" for a more intentional and successful life. Valuable questions can transform your consulting business and your life. Tune in to the Profitable Joyful Consulting podcast and discover how the right questions can lead you to greater profitability, joy, and self-discovery!

Learn more in this episode on YouTube: 

https://youtu.be/o2hiFKwjOII or your favorite podcast app: www.samanthaspodcast.com.

#BestSelf #SelfImprovement #Intentional #AskBetterQuestions

“Be reflective and strategic and intentional about the life that you're designing so that you can create the vision that is right for you.” —Joelle K. Jay, Ph.D.

Do you have work-life balance?

There are only so many hours in the day and there’s only so much of you to go around. So how do you have a work-life balance? Is it even possible? 

I don’t have kids, so I know it’s hard to believe me when I say work-life balance is possible. But I promise that it is, and I brought in a guest to prove it to you: my friend Joelle K. Jay, Ph.D., who specializes in leadership development for senior executives in Fortune 500 companies. 

She helps leaders achieve what they want to achieve and live the lives they want to live. She’s also a mom who balances career and family, and she’s sharing her best insights in this episode. Tune in to learn how to get clear on what you want your life to actually look and feel like, and how to turn it into reality. 

Key areas discussed:

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0iK9RzwW6HQ or listen whenever you get podcasts: www.SamanthaHartley.com/blog-podcast. 

Connect with Joelle and take her 5-minute Personal Leadership self-assessment at https://www.joellekjay.com/. 

Check out her book, The Inner Edge, about the ten practices of personal leadership: https://theinneredge.com/about/the-book/ 

Episode Hashtags: #Consulting #WorkingMoms #WorkLifeBalance #Leadership

"We use non-negotiables to assert our values, protect ourselves and then create boundaries so that we can do our best work."

What are the things about which you will not negotiate? 

There are always going to be areas for compromise. But I want you to know what you won’t budge on (like not working by the hour, not giving discounts, not taking calls on Fridays, not getting paid beneath a certain number, or anything else you need). 

Whatever it is for you, the key is that you stand firm around the things that are important to you. When you’re clear on your values, that becomes easier to discern.

In this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting, I look at common situations consultants experience and how to come up with decision-making criteria to figure out your non-negotiables. 

Key areas discussed:

One of the most empowering things we can do is build work that allows us to bring our full selves without compromise, with all of our creativity—and the way to do that is with safe boundaries, including what we never negotiate. 

Learn more in this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/t9wseBW_6DQ or your favorite podcast app: www.samanthahartley.com/blog-podcast.

Episode Hashtags: #Negotiation #Consulting #SelfCare #Boundaries

For more tips to help you create a profitable, joyful business without exhaustion​, follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahartley/ or https://www.facebook.com/samantha.hartley.71/

P.S. Here are 3 ways I can help you grow your consulting business:

🎧 Subscribe to my podcast, Profitable Joyful Consulting 

You know who subscribes to my podcast? My clients. — On YouTube and your favorite podcast app.

💜 Connect with me on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahartley/ or https://www.facebook.com/samantha.hartley.71/, https://www.instagram.com/samantha.hartley.71/ where I share tips to help you create a profitable, joyful consulting business.

💡 Work with me to multiply your revenues without exhaustion.

Ready to add $150-750K to your business? Click here to book a 12-minute call with my Growth Strategist.

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“What if instead of 25 clients in a year, you had a base of 5 clients you worked with over the course of the whole year? And instead of $5,000 per client, it was $100,000 or $75,000? You would have the foundation of a business that would give you peace of mind.”

So many consultants come to me living in the land of one-offs. They might have 25 clients in a year, mainly doing one-time projects.

One-offs keep you on the Revenue Rollercoaster, and they don’t allow you to do your most impactful work. I too did one-offs for years when I first started, and what I saw was that the results my clients got wouldn’t stick. There just isn’t enough time in one-offs to get to the root cause issue and really solve it. I was missing out on the opportunity to make a bigger, more lasting impact, and to build a reputation for doing so. 

I want you to say no to one-offs—and that takes courage. However, if you keep saying yes to what you don’t want, you’re just going to keep getting more and more of it. Tune in to this episode of the Profitable Joyful Consulting podcast to learn how to escape the land of one-offs for a more profitable, joyful business where you can really shine.

Key areas discussed:

Watch this episode on YouTube: LINK or listen on your favorite podcast app: LINK.

Episode Hashtags: #Consulting #TransformationalEngagements

“By the time women are 12 years old, they have been completely trained with, ‘Say whatever you want to say, but don't upset anybody and be nice.’” - Tracy Goodwin  

Women are programmed to be nice and quiet, to ask permission, to be tentative, to make all these sounds that make a person go, “Nope, I don’t want to listen to her.” We’re often stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to using our voices and expressing ourselves fully. 

If you ask this episode’s guest, Voice Coach & Communication Consultant Tracy Goodwin, we have to start on the inside to change all those stories, to change the foundation that was given to us that we never asked for. That’s how we start to bring our real, authentic selves through in our lives and businesses to build more genuine connections, own what we’re putting out there, be more seen and heard, and get more clients. 

Tune in to this episode of the Profitable Joyful Consulting podcast to learn how to be a more effective and captivating communicator - and increase sales! - by working with your voice (and voice stories). 

We discuss:

00:34 Introduction 05:42 Key challenges women experience related to using their voice 08:40 How Tracy helped a client who was already doing webinars and presentations figure out her voice stories and work with them to let her real authenticity come through 14:28 Ways women experience voice issues in their personal and professional lives What the research says about voice and money 27:07 The five elements of powerful vocals 34:12 What to shift in your voice to make sales easier 41:27 How Tracy learned to give people better feedback about voice as a former people pleaser 45:38 Speaking in ways that show who you really are 50:19 Who Tracy works with 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2fyQaQBrpJA or listen on your favorite podcast app: www.SamanthaHartley.com/Blog-Podcast.

Connect with Tracy on LinkedIn and learn how to command a space in her free audio guide.

Episode Hashtags: #Consulting #Communication

“Better and more sleep means you're going to be a better consultant.”

As consultants, we can't be chronically under-rested. You need to be at your best. And if you're trying to build your company and really bring value to your clients, then you have to take care of yourself. You’ve got to sleep better, sleep more, and get quality sleep so you’re refreshed and regenerated.

The cornerstone of self-care is really good sleep, but getting it isn’t always easy. From life situations to health conditions to beliefs we hold, there can be plenty blocking us from getting the quality sleep we need. 

Tune in to this episode of the Profitable Joyful consulting podcast to learn why we don’t get the sleep we need and how to get better sleep to be the best possible version of yourself. 

Key areas discussed: 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/o0VoRElibe0 or listen on your favorite app: www.samanthahartley.com/blog-podcast to learn how to prioritize sleep as a consultant (and why you should).

Episode Hashtags: #SleepHygiene #SleepTips #SelfCare

“When you really own your cash flow and you're comfortable with your cash flow, you really do improve your quality of life.” - Jen Sapel

Have you ever been in a situation where your team members, contractors, or employees got paid but at the end of the month there was nothing left for you?

Whether you’ve been coming last in your business or you’re just excited to build more cash flow, tune in to this episode with UTOR Wealth founder Jen Sapel to learn how to create unapologetic cash flow.

Key areas discussed: 

Watch this episode on YouTube: LINK or listen on your favorite podcast app: LINK.

Connect with Jen at UTORWealth.com.

#CashFlow #Consulting #Budgeting