The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants

Natalie Eckdahl, MBA
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Weekly

Are you a Nonprofit Consultant pulled between making an impact and running a profitable business? Join Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, on a podcast crafted just for you. With 25 years of diverse experience as a management consultant, market researcher, small business owner and business coach, Natalie shares practical strategies to balance purpose and profit. Through engaging discussions, trainings, and client stories, Natalie covers everything from pricing and proposals to maintaining client boundaries and tackling hiring and leadership hurdles. Her talent for simplifying complex ideas ensures you'll leave each episode with actionable insights to propel your consultancy forward. But it's not all about numbers – Natalie also stresses the importance of mindset and resilience as a small business owner. As a mom of 3 and caregiver, she cherishes time with loved ones. With her guidance, you'll gain the confidence and clarity to overcome obstacles and reach your business goals while creating a fulfilling personal life. Whether you're a seasoned consultant or an accidental entrepreneur, this podcast is your roadmap to success. Tune in and let Natalie help you unlock your full potential as a Nonprofit Consultant – and maybe even skip a step or two along the way.

  1. Aug 19

    Announcing Compass Live: A Two-Day Strategic Planning Experience in Nashville (5 Seats Left)

    Last fall, a client told me she would have paid $10,000 for an experience I had only ever offered inside my year-long mastermind. I could not stop thinking about that comment. It led to a decision I'm announcing in this episode. For the past several weeks, I have been quietly inviting current clients, former clients, and a few select consultants to something I have never done before. The room is almost full. Five seats remain, and today I'm opening them to you. Compass Live is a two-day, in-person strategic planning experience for nonprofit consultants, happening September 24-25, 2026  in Nashville, Tennessee. Over two days, I'll share more of my intellectual property than I ever have in a single container: my frameworks for scalable offers, scalable operations, scalable team, and scalable mindset. We will review your entire business, surface the gaps holding you back, and you will leave with a one-page strategic plan for 2027. Real decisions made: what to sell, what to charge, and what to stop carrying. All of it finished in September, before the craziness of Q4, so you start January already knowing exactly where you're going. Your seat includes a kickoff call on Zoom before the event, two full days of facilitated planning and masterminding with me and a hand-selected room, catered lunches from The Café at Thistle Farms, and a post-event accountability call to keep your year-end sprint on track. This room is specifically for nonprofit consultants with $200K to $1M in revenue who have a consulting firm, or the desire to build one, and who want a 2027 fueled with growth. Everyone in the room is already selling, already serving multiple clients, and brings 10 to 20 years of career experience to the table. In this episode, I also share my insider secret about why attending the FIRST time someone hosts an event is one of the smartest moves you can make, two real decisions that came out of our mastermind planning retreat last fall, and why my team's decade of hosting live events (15 retreats and a multi-day conference we grew year after year) is a skill our friend AI cannot replicate. 🧭 Learn more about the event here 📞 Want to talk it through first? Book a 25-minute call with me Have a question? Send me a DM on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieeckdahl/ 🎙 Podcast home: nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

  2. Jul 9

    98: Case Study: Rebuilding a Team You Love for a Firm That Scales, with Frances Roen of Fundraising SOL (Fractional to Scalable #12)

    You built a team. So why does everything still run through you? A year ago, Frances Roen was so stretched she had to step out of an Impact Collective Mastermind retreat session to cover client work. In this returning-guest episode, she comes back to share what happened after she made the hard calls: rebuilding her team, her systems, and her offer around the firm she actually wants. This year she is on track to more than double her revenue. Here is how. Where are you in your journey right now? DM me on LinkedIn and tell me. Work With Coach Natalie 🎯 Book a 90-Minute Intensive. Let's build your scalable offer together. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. https://nataliemba.com/intensive 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching. Six months of high-touch support with Slack access between calls. Limited spots. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind. The year-long program Frances was part of. Two in-person retreats, group calls, a training library, and private coaching. New members invited to join in September and January. ☀️Connect With Frances: LinkedIn Fundraising Sol Website Related Episodes #61: Frances Roen's first appearance #94: The Loop - Maxed Out, Pipeline Thin, and Stuck in the Middle #95: Why Your Clients Are Too Small 🎙 The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast home. https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

  3. Jun 15

    97: How to Replace Fractional Retainer Contracts With Scalable High-Ticket Projects (Fractional to Scalable Series #11)

    You know your retainers have a ceiling. You have even picked your specialty. But your calendar is full, your fractional clients still need you, and you are stuck on one question: how do I actually start to move to a scalable offer? Fractional retainers feel safe, but that steady monthly model is the thing capping your business. Moving to scalable high-ticket projects sounds like a leap you cannot afford while clients still depend on you. This episode is the practical one. The three steps to take to begin the transition. Send me a DM on LinkedIn. Tell me where you are in your journey to a scalable offer! Work With Coach Natalie 🎯 Book a 90-Minute Intensive ($997) Let's build your scalable offer together. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in-person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙 The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

  4. May 27

    96: How to AI-Proof Your Nonprofit Consulting Business (Fractional to Scalable Series #10)

    If you've been quietly wondering whether the shifts you're feeling in your business are temporary, or something bigger, this episode names it. All markets mature eventually and push generalists to specialize, but AI is speeding this process up at breakneck speed. In this episode, you'll hear the 5 things that happen in every commoditizing market, why being stuck in the middle is the most dangerous place to be right now, and the 3 moves to AI-proof your consulting business before AI eats the bottom and middle of the market.   Work With Coach Natalie 🎯 Book a 90-Minute Intensive Let's AI proof your business. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in-person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙 The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

  5. May 12

    95: Why Your Clients Are Too Small (Fractional to Scalable Series #9)

    You keep saying yes to small organizations whose missions you love. The dollars are precious. The ED is exhausted. You have the exact skill set they need. And every yes is keeping you stuck. In this episode, I share why you need to shift upmarket and the difference it will make in your own company as you build a scalable consulting firm. Work With Coach Natalie 🎯 Book a 90-Minute Intensive Let's build your scalable offer together or solve a team issue. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in-person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙 The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

  6. May 8

    94: THE LOOP - Maxed Out, Pipeline Thin, and Stuck in the Middle (Fractional to Scalable Series #8)

    You are at maximum capacity. Your calendar has no whitespace. You know you need help, but you cannot justify hiring yet. This is the loop. It is not a discipline problem. It is a structural bind almost every consultant building a scalable firm hits at some point. In this episode, our fictional consultant Fiona is experiencing THE LOOP, and we uncover two real paths through it. If you are feeling the loop in your own business, the best first step to working with Natalie is a 90-minute intensive. You bring the loop. You leave with a clear next move and a focused game plan. If it is not worth every penny, Natalie will refund you. One-on-one coaching spots are also currently open.  Work With Coach Natalie 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Let's build your scalable offer together or solve a team issue. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool.  [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available.  💫Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

  7. Apr 20

    93: [client success] Robin Engle on Building a Major Gifts Offer that Funds Movements (Fractional to Scalable Series #7)

    What if you could go from GENERALIST fundraising consultant to a FOCUSED firm with a SCALABLE offer - in just five months? That's exactly what Robin Engle, CFRE, founder of Abundance Catalyst, has done. In this client success episode of the Fractional to Scalable series, Robin shares how she built a scalable Major Gifts offer, narrowed her niche to movement organizations, climbed "Cringe🏔Mountain" on LinkedIn and why she chose to invest in coaching early rather than spend years figuring it out alone. If you've been stuck in the messy middle of multiple services and too many client types, this one is for you. Connect with Robin Engle Website: abundancecatalyst.org LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robin-engle Join Robin's email list: fundraising tips built for social justice and advocacy organizations Resources and Books Mentioned Ep 62: Land Clients on LinkedIn with Sara Royf's Relationship-First Method Connect with Sara Royf, LinkedIn DM strategy Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell Joe Sacco, graphic novel journalism (Palestine, Safe Area Goražde on Sarajevo) Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis Ann Rule, true crime author Work With Coach Natalie 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Let's build your scalable offer together or solve a team issue. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool.  [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available.  💫Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

  8. Apr 13

    92: The Grief Inside the Growth (Fractional to Scalable #6)

    Building a scalable consulting firm means making moves that grow your business. It also means saying goodbye to people and clients you genuinely love. This episode is about that grief. And why it is a sign you are building something that matters. Let's Work Together 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive If you are facing big decisions about your clients or team and need clarity on your next move, this is the fastest way to get there. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. 💡Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available.  💫Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

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About

Are you a Nonprofit Consultant pulled between making an impact and running a profitable business? Join Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, on a podcast crafted just for you. With 25 years of diverse experience as a management consultant, market researcher, small business owner and business coach, Natalie shares practical strategies to balance purpose and profit. Through engaging discussions, trainings, and client stories, Natalie covers everything from pricing and proposals to maintaining client boundaries and tackling hiring and leadership hurdles. Her talent for simplifying complex ideas ensures you'll leave each episode with actionable insights to propel your consultancy forward. But it's not all about numbers – Natalie also stresses the importance of mindset and resilience as a small business owner. As a mom of 3 and caregiver, she cherishes time with loved ones. With her guidance, you'll gain the confidence and clarity to overcome obstacles and reach your business goals while creating a fulfilling personal life. Whether you're a seasoned consultant or an accidental entrepreneur, this podcast is your roadmap to success. Tune in and let Natalie help you unlock your full potential as a Nonprofit Consultant – and maybe even skip a step or two along the way.

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