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There are few people who have shaped the field of college consulting quite like Dr. Steven Antonoff. Long before college consulting became the profession it is today, Steve was helping define what thoughtful, ethical, student-centered college counseling could look like. In this episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with one of the true pioneers of our profession to talk about what he’s learned over decades in the field—from finding those first clients and building a thriving practice to choosing the right families, setting boundaries, and delivering the kind of service that keeps students at the center of the process. We also cover:

• Steve’s path from admissions leadership to independent educational consulting
• Learning why students thrive when they choose a college for more than one reason
• Getting  clients through talks, community outreach, and unexpected referral sources
• Defining the families we serve best and spotting misalignment early
• Walking away fast when a client relationship is not a fit
• Treating niche marketing as a real growth strategy for newer consultants
• Making meetings more engaging with specific college “tidbits” families cannot easily find online
• Protecting time for business development and marketing in the first months
• Building constant self-evaluation into the practice through structured feedback
• Avoiding student dependence while still delivering premium support
• Adding college success coaching after acceptances and before matriculation
• Guiding college choice with values, trade-offs, and affordability and value
• Expanding college lists by thinking clearly about risk and the size of the playing field
• Creating a student curriculum and a parent curriculum to keep momentum and reduce friction

If you did enjoy it, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a friend in the college consulting industry. I'd be so grateful! 

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In this episode, Brooke talks with Mark Stucker about the long game of building a college consulting practice, from his admissions background to growing School Match for You into a national model and how his podcast, Your College Bound Kid, contributes to his business growth. We dig into what really scales, what failed expensively (including his $100k mistake), and how trust-based marketing (like podcasting!) can become a serious client engine. They discuss:
• Mark’s path from admissions work to independent college consulting 
• The part-time to full-time transition and how he planned financially 
• Why “full-time caseload” depends on service scope and staffing 
• Delegating essays to a writing team to increase capacity 
• Building a contractor bench for niche student needs 
• A $100,000 product bet that backfired and the lessons it taught 
• How consistent podcasting turns listeners into ideal-fit clients 
• Referral strategy and “turn clients into walking billboards” 
• Presentations and community workshops as practical content marketing 
• The hardest challenges: parent boundaries, team energy, pricing perceptions 

If you did enjoy it, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or share it with a friend in the college consulting industry!

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Colleen Reed, founder of American College Consulting, shares her journey from high school teacher to successful college consultant specializing in helping Canadian students attend American universities. Her thriving family business now includes her husband, daughter, and several specialized consultants who collectively serve students across Canada.

• Inspired to become a college consultant after her own positive experience with an independent consultant in high school
• Started her business in 2008 when her daughter was in eighth grade
• Built her practice exclusively through word of mouth referrals
• Transformed her business into a family affair with her husband handling athletes and business operations
• Daughter serves as the "secret weapon" for essay writing and activities lists
• Focuses on developing strong personal connections during consultations
• Believes students must participate in consultations and "buy in" to the process
• Uses CollegePlannerPro and FreshBooks to streamline business operations
• Manages a large caseload by outsourcing tasks she finds tedious
• Finds ongoing professional development and college tours essential for staying current
• Maintains a network of fellow consultants through HECA and regional groups
• Advocates for Americans to consider affordable, high-quality Canadian universities
• Currently navigating challenges related to political uncertainty and visa concerns

"The highlight of my life is when a student says 'thank you so much, I never would have heard of this school and it has been amazing.' That, to me, is the best." 

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Margaret Baudinet shares her journey from college consultant to CEO of College Solutions, balancing business growth while raising quintuplets and building a thriving consulting practice with specialized services and a team of seven counselors. Margaret shares her journey:

• Purchasing College Solutions from founder Larry Dannenberg in July 2020 during the pandemic
• Transitioning from a small team to a comprehensive organization with leadership roles and specialized services
• Managing the surprise of quintuplets born in 2016 while maintaining her consulting career
• Developing grade-specific packages for underclassmen to provide flexibility and improve cash flow
• Raising prices while effectively communicating value to clients
• Building strong referral networks with financial planners as primary sources
• Using Boomerang email software to manage inbox and improve productivity
• Creating targeted growth strategies focused on specific markets rather than general expansion
• Embracing the concept of work-life "seasons" rather than perfect balance
• Hiring team members who complement your weaknesses and leverage tools like ChatGPT for processes

https://www.collegesolutions.com/

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Business of College Consulting. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a friend in the college consulting industry! 

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Kim Derrick shares her unconventional model- a high-volume college consultant, revealing how she helps more students with fewer one-on-one meetings while maintaining exceptional results and strong relationships. Kim shares how she:

• Started as a volunteer in school settings, including 15 years with Georgia Tech's Stamps President Scholars Program
• Focuses on "the big four" pillars: college list development, grades/course selection, testing strategy, and authentic activities
• Structures business with yearly contracts rather than four-year packages, allowing flexibility for families
• Maintains over 90% client retention despite limited one-on-one meetings
• Delivers content through videos, emails, and targeted communication based on student needs
• Prices services according to grade level, with costs increasing as students approach senior year
• Founded the High Volume Low Touch Facebook group for IECs interested in alternative business models
• Emphasizes setting clear expectations with families through explicit contracts and sign-offs
• Uses technology tools like Loom videos to maintain personal connection without scheduling meetings
• Recommends new IECs focus on their strengths rather than trying to be experts in all areas

Check out Atomic Habits by James Clear for insights on making small changes that lead to remarkable results - a philosophy Coach Kim applies to both her business and her work with students! 

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Sylvia Borgo, owner of DJ Educational Consulting, shares her journey from classroom teacher to successful college consultant and explains how she maintains a small, intentional practice that prioritizes deep student connections. She offers practical advice about the power of organization, time management, and professional collaboration in building a sustainable consulting business.

• Named her business after her children's initials (and coincidentally it jived with her love of music)
• Transitioned from 20 years of classroom teaching, including 13 years at a college prep charter school
• Started volunteering with a community-based organization to stay connected with helping teenagers
• Completed her college consulting certificate during 2020 when she had extra time available
• Grew her business through referrals from other consultants who had reached capacity
• Believes in freely sharing information rather than hoarding knowledge
• Maintains an intentional solo practice to preserve deep connections with students
• Works with approximately 20 students per grade level to maintain quality and work-life balance
• Meets students both in-person and virtually, which differentiates her from exclusively online consultants
• Specializes in working with students from specific local high schools
• Uses time blocking, including dedicated social media time once monthly
• Offers two package options: 30 hours (for 9th-11th graders) and 20 hours (for 11th-12th graders)
• Meticulously tracks time using Toggle to manage client expectations and forecast capacity

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a friend in the college consulting industry.

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Aubrey Groves shares her journey from Chinese language teacher to joining her mother's college consulting business, Davis Groves Educational Services, and how they've built a thriving practice focused on creating work-life balance for working parents.

• Joining her mother's college consulting business after teaching Chinese for six years
• Bringing technology improvements like Google Docs to streamline their processes
• Transitioning to a fully remote business model and creating more efficient systems
• Developing a filtering system for identifying client "red flags" 
• Evolving their curriculum to ensure students take ownership of their applications
• Finding the right balance in potentially using AI for appropriate tasks
• Creating a business that intentionally supports working parents
• Setting firm boundaries around personal time with two dedicated days off weekly
• Building a mother-daughter business relationship that leverages different strengths
• Focusing exclusively on seniors from August to November to maintain quality service

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or share it with a friend in the college consulting industry.

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Stephanie Mead shares her journey as an "accidental entrepreneur" who built a successful college consulting business by trusting her instincts over conventional business wisdom. Her experience demonstrates that personal authenticity can be the strongest foundation for business success.

• Started as a test prep tutor while pursuing an acting career over 30 years ago
• Discovered her natural talent for connecting with teenagers 
• Transitioned organically into college consulting through client demand
• Grew a tutoring team to 15 people before scaling back to focus on what she loved
• Found that a smaller business actually generated more take-home profit
• Implemented an innovative hourly billing system instead of traditional packages
• Recently added two associates using a profit-sharing model rather than employment
• Uses a virtual assistant to handle administrative tasks, improving efficiency
• Believes strongly in being true to yourself in business decisions

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a friend in the college consulting industry.

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Lisa Hillhouse shares her journey from Air Force officer to successful independent educational consultant, highlighting how she built a thriving college consulting business with a military specialty focus. Lisa shares how she:

• Leveraged background in Air Force admissions to create a specialty in military academy and ROTC applications
• Established strong business systems from day one with help from a business consultant
• Built a support team including essay editors, former military officers, and a student success manager
• Created a sustainable marketing strategy through conference presentations and word-of-mouth referrals
• Developed relationships with high school counselors by volunteering and sharing resources
• Implemented careful time tracking and package pricing to ensure profitability
• Found community through Berkeley Extension program cohort that still meets regularly
• Learned when to say no to clients who aren't a good fit
• Uses technology strategically while maintaining personal connection with students

Resources:

Lisa's LinkedIn Profile

Lisa's Website

Breakthrough Brand Podcast

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Mark Scalaro, CEO of IECA for over 30 years, shares his unique perspective on the business of college consulting and how the industry has transformed from an avocation into a respected profession. His insights cover the evolution from a field where consultants were openly booed at conferences to today's professional landscape with recognized standards, training programs, and business practices.

• Most consultants struggle with imposter syndrome initially, especially the business aspects
• Market your unique strengths rather than trying to be a generalist competing with established professionals
• Three essential pieces of advice: differentiate yourself, under-promise and over-deliver, and "fold the toilet paper ends"
• Making your behind-the-scenes work visible to clients is crucial as this prevents the most common complaint
• Partnerships require complementary skills, shared vision, and formal written agreements to succeed
• Building positive relationships with school counselors requires empathy for their challenges
• Future growth opportunities include expanding into gap years, military options, career schools, graduate programs, and international education

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Business of College Consulting. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or share it with a friend in the college consulting industry.