Thriving Through

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, host Aj Riedel speaks with Jamie Troche about the realities of self-employment and what it truly takes to build a sustainable consulting business over time.

Jamie shares her journey into consulting, discussing the importance of consistency, patience, and showing up even when growth feels slow. She reflects on breaking away from the “revenue roller coaster” mindset and explains how long-term success is built through trust, relationships, and steady effort rather than quick wins.

The conversation highlights how community, referrals, and word-of-mouth have played a critical role in Jamie’s business growth. She also speaks candidly about confidence, boundaries, and the mindset shifts required to stay committed to the process of self-employment.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:
• The reality of building a consulting business from the ground up
• Why consistency matters more than immediate results
• How referrals and relationships drive sustainable growth
• The role of community in expanding professional opportunities
• Overcoming uncertainty and maintaining momentum as a consultant
• Developing confidence and discipline in self-employment

This episode offers honest insights and practical takeaways for consultants, small business owners, and professionals navigating the challenges of growing a service-based business.

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, host Aj Riedel speaks with Dr. Bryan Raya, founder of DBR Bookkeeping, about navigating a major career pivot and building a values-driven service business from the ground up.

Dr. Raya shares how the uncertainty of the COVID era led him to reassess his path in academia and ultimately step into entrepreneurship. He walks through the mindset shifts required to leave a stable career, the early challenges of building credibility in a new industry, and the patience needed to earn trust, especially when working with business finances.

The conversation explores what it really takes to grow a consulting business, from separating personal and business finances to creating systems that support long-term scalability. Dr. Raya also opens up about the realities of the first year in business, the role of consistent content creation in establishing authority, and how trust is built over time through relationships rather than hard selling.

As the discussion unfolds, listeners gain insight into scaling beyond a solo operation, preparing to hire and lead a team, and developing the self-awareness required to grow as both a business owner and a leader. This episode offers practical guidance and honest reflection for entrepreneurs, consultants, and professionals considering a bold career transition.

In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, host Aj Riedel speaks with Christi Balfour, an entrepreneur who successfully transitioned from her corporate career in the audio-visual space to owning a thriving business coaching and training Virtual Assistants (VAs).

Christi shares her incredible journey, which started with a side-hustle during her corporate job and eventually led to her going full-time during COVID. She still keeps a few VA clients to stay current, which enhances her credibility as a trainer. She openly discusses the critical challenges of burnout and overcoming the dreaded feast or famine cycle that plagues many consultants.

Discover Christi’s unique strategies for sustainable growth, including the essential concept of Mise en Place (having everything in place), why faceless marketing failed her, and how to use irrational generosity to nurture leads and build a robust client waiting list.

Christi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christibalfour/

🛠️ Key Takeaways & Business Strategies:
The Pivot: Christi's transition from the corporate A/V world to launching a successful VA training and coaching practice.

Beating Burnout: How she created boundaries to overcome the exhaustion of juggling a 9-to-5 job and a full-time side business.

Mise en Place: Learn the French chef's secret for business preparation—setting up systems (proposals, contracts, invoices) before you even land your first client.

Conquering Famine: The non-negotiable strategy of constant marketing and why building a client waiting list is crucial for long-term stability.

Authenticity Wins: The turning point where she moved beyond faceless marketing and used her presence to build trust and fill her pipeline.

Irrational Generosity: How giving away massive value without expecting an immediate sale generates powerful leads and referrals.

Starting Advice: The one thing she would do differently if starting over today: immediately starting an email list and a lead magnet.

The Shiny Object Trap: Why you don't need expensive software and how starting simple with Google Sheets/Docs is sufficient.

In this episode of the Thriving for Podcast, I speak with operations management expert Kelsey Daingerfield about her winding "squiggly line" path to self-employment and the crucial processes that define true business success.

Kelsey recounts her journey through corporate roles—from aerospace to Starbucks and finally as Director of Admission Systems, where she earned her MBA and PMP certification. Despite the accolades, she realized corporate life wasn't "filling her cup." Now, two and a half years into consulting, she discusses how she quickly surpassed her corporate income by moving to a retainer model and redefined success as achieving a true work-life blend, complete with vacation time and freedom.

Discover Kelsey's most valuable business lessons, including the importance of emotional intelligence and learning to trust your gut when dating clients (the "force versus flow" concept). Most importantly, learn the practical delegation and process improvement strategies she uses to help business owners buy back their time:

🛠️ Key Takeaways & Operations Frameworks:

The Leap: How Kelsey met her financial goal and decided to ditch the corporate mentality for full-time entrepreneurship.

Decisive Clients: Why being open-minded and decisive are non-negotiable traits in an ideal client match.

Force vs. Flow: The story of the client that taught her to trust her gut and walk away when a relationship feels forced.

The 10/80/10 Delegation Rule: A powerful project management framework for empowering your team and freeing up the owner's time (10% vision, 80% execution, 10% refinement).

1/3/1 Problem Solving: How to empower your team to solve problems by bringing one problem, three solutions, and one recommendation to the table.

Future Growth: Kelsey's vision for launching a podcast and a group coaching membership program.

Must-Read Advice: The value of the book Who Not How and why you must "stop overthinking it and do it scared."

In this episode of the Thriving Through podcast, Anthony Calleo shares his journey from a corporate career to becoming a self-employed consultant. He discusses the challenges of overcoming fear and imposter syndrome, the importance of authenticity, and how to network with intention. Anthony also introduces the Reset It program, which helps individuals shed limiting beliefs and operate from a place of presence. He emphasizes the significance of attracting the right clients and offers valuable advice for aspiring consultants.

What You'll Learn in this episode:

- Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: How to recognize when you're wearing masks in your consulting business and the physical signs that indicate you're not operating from your authentic self

- Fear-Based vs. Authentic Decision Making: The difference between legitimate business caution and fear-driven choices that sabotage your consulting practice

- Networking with Intention: A proven approach to networking that builds genuine relationships instead of transactional connections

- The Reset It Methodology: How shedding programs and conditions inherited from corporate environments can transform your consulting effectiveness

- Breaking the Revenue Roller Coaster: Why operating from presence and authenticity naturally attracts ideal clients and consistent income

- Building Client Relationships: How to conduct consultative sales conversations that feel natural and build long-term partnerships

Connect with Anthony Calleo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonybcalleo/

Kyle Mlakar is the founder of HireCOS, a fractional Chief of Staff consulting company that helps organizations bridge the gap between leadership vision and execution. With extensive experience in logistics, transportation, and various corporate roles, Kyle specializes in creating synergy within organizations and helping leaders achieve their strategic goals.
Self-employed consultant Kyle Mlakar shares his journey from corporate executive to building a successful fractional Chief of Staff consulting business. In this candid conversation, Kyle reveals the emotional and financial challenges of leaving his president role to start HireCOS, the strategies that helped him overcome the consulting revenue roller coaster, and how finding the right business partner transformed his practice.

What You'll Learn in this episode:

 - How to vet potential business partners for long-term success
 - Practical strategies for overcoming feast or famine consulting cycles
 - Why setting aside 20% of monthly revenue is crucial for financial stability
 - Business development tools and systems that actually work for solo consultants
 - How to manage the emotional ups and downs of inconsistent consulting income

Key Topics & Timestamps

[00:05:15] From Corporate Executive to Solo Consultant Kyle explains his path from various corporate roles to becoming a fractional Chief of Staff consultant and what ultimately drove him to leave his president position.

[00:06:54] What is a Corporate Chief of Staff? Breaking down the role beyond the White House version - how a Chief of Staff serves as the "synergist" of an organization, bridging gaps between C-suite and employees.

[00:09:23] The Difficult Decision to Leave The emotional and professional process of walking away from a corporate leadership role and the year-long journey to process that transition.

[00:14:38] Finding the Right Business Partner Kyle's three-step framework for vetting potential partners and how finding Stephanie Denton transformed his business capabilities.

[00:22:02] Business Reality Check at 10 Months Honest assessment of where the business stands versus expectations and the biggest lessons learned in year one.

[00:23:21] Biggest Mistakes and Key Lessons Why neglecting business development pipeline was costly and the importance of setting aside 20% of monthly revenue for stability.

[00:24:59] Business Development Challenges The struggle of balancing service delivery with sales activities and specific tools Kyle is testing to solve this problem.

[00:31:40] Managing Mental Challenges How being "extremely hard on yourself" can both help and hurt as a consultant, plus strategies for building mental endurance.

[00:36:13] The Revenue Roller Coaster Reality Kyle's honest description of the emotional highs and lows of inconsistent consulting income - from "pure ecstasy" to "3 AM wake-ups." [00:41:05] Vision for Growth Plans to build an industry-agnostic Chief of Staff consultancy with multiple teams across different sectors.

Connect with Kyle Mlakar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylemlakar/

Are you tired of the feast or famine cycle that plagues so many self-employed consultants? Marc Hyde, a digital marketing consultant and web designer, cracked the code on building consistent monthly recurring revenue that freed him from the revenue rollercoaster once and for all.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

How to overcome pricing fears and charge what you're worth. Marc shares his transformation from undercharging to confidently pricing his services, and why clients actually see you as more of an expert when you charge appropriately.

The monthly recurring revenue strategy that changed everything. Discover how Marc built a "snowball business" with hosting, maintenance, and ongoing services that now covers his entire salary and team costs – even if he never signs another new client.

Gap selling techniques that feel natural, not pushy. Learn Marc's approach to helping prospects understand the gap between their current situation and where they want to be, making the sale feel like a natural conversation.

Pipeline management for consistent lead flow. Get the inside scoop on how Marc diversified his lead sources beyond social media, focusing on local SEO, partnerships, and word-of-mouth referrals that actually convert.

Why investing in coaching accelerated his growth. Marc breaks down his experience with multiple coaches and how they helped him 3x his business by changing his mindset and systems.

Key Takeaways for Self-Employed Consultants
[00:56] The Bathroom Renovation Pricing Breakthrough - Marc shares his bathroom renovation analogy that helped him understand why clients pay premium prices for professional expertise.
[03:57] The Pricing-Perception Connection - The counterintuitive truth that higher prices actually increase client confidence in your abilities.
[14:46] From Panic Attack to Predictable Income - How Marc's lowest moment became the catalyst for building predictable income that now covers his entire salary.
[20:45] Pipeline Diversification Beyond Social Media - Marc's diversification strategy using partnerships, local SEO, and word-of-mouth referrals that actually convert.
[33:33] Strategic Coaching Investments That Paid Off - The three coaches who helped Marc 3x his business and change his mindset around pricing and positioning.
[40:31] Game-Changing Books and Resources - Key resources including "The Win Without Pitching Manifesto" and "Free Money" that shifted Marc's client engagement strategy.

Resources Mentioned
The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns
Free Money by Austin Church

Connect with Marc Hyde on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmarchyde/

Visit Marc's special landing page created for Thriving Through listeners: marchyde.com/ajr

This page includes quick links, a personal video from Marc, free resources, examples of his recent work, and information on how to work with him.

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Tricia Keightley, founder of WebWorks and CEO of Portrayals XR. Tricia has successfully scaled her web design agency over 14 years while simultaneously launching an innovative AI-powered healing platform that's projected to become a multi-million dollar company.

Why You Should Listen to This Episode

If you're a self-employed consultant struggling with inconsistent income, feast-or-famine cycles, or feeling stuck despite your expertise, this episode reveals how personal development work directly impacts your business success. Tricia shares her journey from survival mode entrepreneur to visionary business leader, showing exactly how addressing underlying limiting beliefs and mindset blocks can unlock new revenue streams and business opportunities you never thought possible.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• The Hidden Connection Between Personal and Professional Growth - How unresolved personal issues create glass ceilings in your consulting business and why professional development alone isn't enough
• Breaking the Survival Mode Cycle - Practical strategies for moving beyond feast-or-famine income patterns and building predictable revenue systems that support long-term growth
• The Power of Clear Business Vision - Why most consultants fail to scale beyond solopreneur status and how to develop a compelling vision that attracts the right opportunities and team members
• Data-Driven Business Growth - Simple tracking methods that reveal what's actually working in your business versus what's wasting your time and resources
• Scaling Without Losing Your Soul - How to transition from doing everything yourself to building systems and teams while staying true to your core mission and values
• The Entrepreneurial Pivot Strategy - Real-world insights on how to leverage existing business skills and client relationships to launch completely new ventures

Listen to These Key Moments

• [01:47] From Web Designer to Business Consultant - How expertise naturally evolves into consulting relationships and why this transition is crucial for income growth
• [03:17] The Rock Bottom Moment - Tricia's personal crisis that revealed how avoiding inner work was sabotaging both her relationships and business potential
• [04:36] The Leadership Challenge - Why technical skills don't automatically translate to business leadership and the costly mistakes that come from trying to scale without proper vision
• [06:38] The Tracking Revelation - How a simple whiteboard system transformed Tricia's business by revealing exactly which activities generated real results
• [07:29] The Multi-Million Dollar Vision - Tricia's bold projection for Portrayals XR and why thinking bigger actually makes success more achievable
• [09:29] The Divine Download - How a 3am inspiration led to a revolutionary business idea combining AI, virtual reality, and healing work
• [16:49] Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself - The one book that changed everything and how subconscious reprogramming creates lasting business transformation
• [18:03] The Vision Question - The most important advice for new consultants: defining where you want your business to go before you start making decisions
• [20:05] The Purpose Formula - How to identify your unique value proposition by examining what you've overcome, your natural passions, and developed skills

Connect with Tricia Keightley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-keightley/

Strategic networking transforms random relationship building into a systematic marketing engine that generates consistent client opportunities for self-employed consultants.
In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Julie Kirsch, marketing strategist and founder of The Friendship Strategist. Julie combines her corporate marketing expertise with networking mastery to help professionals build strategic relationships that fuel business growth.

Why You Should Listen to This Episode

As a self-employed consultant, you know that feast-or-famine cycles are often caused by empty pipelines and inconsistent lead generation. Julie reveals how strategic networking can become your most reliable marketing channel, creating a steady flow of referrals and opportunities. She shares practical frameworks for turning networking events and relationship building into measurable business results, helping you break free from reactive prospecting and build a proactive system for consistent client acquisition.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
• Strategic vs. Random Networking - How to evaluate events and organizations based on business alignment rather than convenience, ensuring your networking energy generates maximum ROI
• Building Your Network Systematically - Specific tactics for identifying decision makers and connectors in your target market, plus scripts for confident introductions and meaningful conversations
• Converting Relationships into Revenue - Julie's proven follow-up system for nurturing networking contacts into referral partners and potential clients without being pushy or salesy
• Networking ROI Tracking - Practical approaches for measuring networking effectiveness and managing time investment while maintaining authentic relationship building
• Confidence Building for Introverts - Actionable strategies for introverted consultants to network effectively by leveraging natural listening skills and preparation techniques
• Balancing Multiple Priorities - How to develop a side consulting practice while managing full-time work and family obligations without burning out

Listen to These Key Moments

[04:49] Strategic vs Random Networking - Learn why evaluating events based on business goals and target audience dramatically improves networking results compared to attending convenient local events
[08:27] Finding the Right People at Events - Discover Julie's intuitive approach for identifying and approaching decision makers and high-value connectors at networking events
[10:11] Creating an Omnichannel Networking Strategy - How to combine in-person events, social media, and content creation to maximize your networking reach and stay top-of-mind
[12:54] Tracking Networking ROI - Practical methods for measuring networking effectiveness, including the "always-on networking" approach that generates unexpected opportunities
[18:48] Networking for Introverts - Confidence-building strategies specifically designed for introverted consultants, including preparation techniques and conversation frameworks
[23:27] Balancing Business Development with Life - How to manage side business growth alongside full-time work and family responsibilities while avoiding burnout
[32:41] Building Confidence as a Consultant - Essential mindset shifts for overcoming imposter syndrome and recognizing the value you bring to potential clients

Connect with Julie Kirsch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-cantola-kirsch/
Website: thefriendshipstrategist.com
Instagram: @thefriendshipstrategist

Discover how a mental fitness program can transform your consulting practice from reactive chaos to calm, strategic leadership that attracts better clients and higher fees.

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Todd Bertsch, Owner of Birch Consulting Group and Evolve Marketing. Todd transformed his leadership style and business approach after discovering positive intelligence during COVID, building what he calls an "internal pause button" that changed how he responds to business challenges, client rejections, and unexpected setbacks.

Why You Should Listen to This Episode

If you're tired of letting client rejections derail your entire week or struggling with the emotional rollercoaster of feast-or-famine cycles, this episode reveals how mental fitness can become your secret weapon for building a more resilient consulting practice. Todd shares specific techniques you can use immediately when facing revenue dips, lost proposals, or unexpected business challenges - plus practical advice on building a professional online presence that attracts premium clients.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• The Internal Pause Button Technique - How to create space between challenging situations and your responses to avoid knee-jerk reactions that damage relationships and derail your focus
• The SAGE Perspective Framework - A systematic approach to finding gifts and opportunities in every business setback, from client rejections to revenue dips
• Professional Speaking Business Model - Why speaking can be a powerful lead generation tool for consultants, plus realistic expectations about the professional speaking industry hustle
• Mental Fitness for Revenue Challenges - Specific techniques to shift from panic mode to productive action when facing income volatility or major client losses
• Website Investment Strategy - Why most consultants underinvest in their online presence and the minimum standards needed to appear credible to premium clients
• Continuous Learning Mindset - How to avoid the "ping-pong effect" between growth and fixed mindsets that can sabotage long-term success

Listen to These Key Moments

[04:17] COVID Reflection and Pivot - How unexpected office challenges led to deep reflection about life direction and business fulfillment
[12:45] Positive Intelligence Discovery - The LinkedIn outreach that introduced Todd to a mental fitness program that transformed his leadership approach
[15:16] Internal Pause Button Development - How mental fitness training created space for strategic responses instead of reactive behavior patterns
[18:17] SAGE Perspective in Action - Real examples of finding gifts in client rejections and business setbacks using positive intelligence principles
[21:42] Family Crisis Mental Fitness Test - How an elbow injury during family time became an opportunity for deeper connection through mindset shifts
[24:04] Tactical Mental Fitness Techniques - Specific pause-and-reset strategies consultants can use when facing revenue challenges or business stress
[27:36] Website Investment Philosophy - Why professional photography and design are essential investments for consultant credibility and client attraction
[31:21] Resource Recommendations - Books and podcasts that transformed Todd's speaking business approach and strategic focus
[32:47] Lifelong Learning Philosophy - The importance of continuous growth and avoiding complacency after initial business success

Connect with Todd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/

Websites:
evolvemarketingteam.com/ (Company)
toddbertsch.com/ (Personal)