Grow Your Independent Consulting Business

Melisa Liberman
  • 4.9 (77)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Are you an independent consultant who’s ready to grow your business into a predictable revenue stream while working on your own terms? The Grow Your Independent Consulting Business is a podcast that shares the blueprint to make your consulting business goals a reality. Each week, Business Coach, Melisa Liberman, brings you solo insights or informative guest interviews that will help you to accomplish your Independent Consultant Business goals. She shares specific tools, actionable strategies, and techniques that successful independent consultants use to create the predictable, sustainable, and impactful independent consulting business you may not even realize is possible.

  1. 275. How to Handle "Can I Pick Your Brain?" as an Independent Consultant

    2d ago

    275. How to Handle "Can I Pick Your Brain?" as an Independent Consultant

    You get asked some version of “can I pick your brain?” all the time. Sometimes it’s direct.  Sometimes it’s a networking meeting that becomes a free consulting advisory session.  Sometimes it’s a discovery call that was never really a discovery call.  Sometimes it’s a "quick question" text from a past client. Sometimes it’s a former colleague who wants to become an independent consultant. And you say yes. Because you want to be helpful. Because it feels rude not to. Because you think it could turn into something. These yeses add up. And not just in time. But in unexpected ways too. In this episode, Melisa Liberman  - Breaks down the two types of pick-your-brain requests that cost independent consultants.  - The important identity shift a successful business owner makes re: the “pick your brain” requests. - The PYB Protocol for deciding in advance what you will say yes to, and what to do in the meetings when you decide to take them. - Turning Pick Your Brain sessions into paid engagements. If you have been saying yes by default and feeling the cost of it, this episode gives you a system for triaging all the pick your brain requests that come across your desk. Timestamps for Key Moments: [00:00] Why pick-your-brain requests cost more than you think [00:03] Companion resource: Grow Your Consulting Business, Chapter 16 [00:04] The two “Pick Your Brain” buckets [00:10] The less obvious cost of saying yes  [00:15] How a successful business owner thinks about this differently [00:19] The PYB Protocol: deciding in advance, not in the moment [00:22] Filtering requests: the questions to ask before you say yes [00:24] What yes looks like and how to structure the conversation [00:26] How to say no without brushing people off [00:28] If you take the meeting: go in expecting something real [00:31] How to transition from pick-your-brain to a next step [00:32] Three steps to put this into action Resources Mentioned: Grow Your Consulting Business Book and Toolkit, Chapter 16. www.melisaliberman.com/book Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-275 Want More? Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanGet Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/bookVisit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-libermanWant help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

    35 min
  2. 274. Becoming Sought After: Make Lead Gen Easier Through Inbound Leads

    Jun 11

    274. Becoming Sought After: Make Lead Gen Easier Through Inbound Leads

    You’re good at what you do. Your clients know it. The people who refer you know it. But your next ideal consulting client may have no idea you exist. That’s the gap between being credible and becoming sought after. In this episode, Melisa Liberman shows independent consultants how to make lead generation easier by building an inbound lead system that helps more right-fit clients find you, trust you, and reach out already interested. You’ll learn how to move beyond relying only on referrals, past clients, and inconsistent outreach by becoming more recognizable for the specific consulting work you want to be hired for. Melisa breaks down the three components of an inbound lead system for independent consultants: The inbound foundation: the specialization that makes you known for a specific problem, client, or outcome The sought-after mindset: the shift from hidden expert to obvious choice The inbound lead mechanism: the system that builds visibility, grows your audience, creates direct relationships, and keeps you top of mind You’ll also hear Melisa’s own specialization example as a fractional COO for PE-backed tech startups, plus three real consultant examples using a podcast, speaking, and unattached networking to generate more right-fit opportunities. Listen to learn how to build visibility, differentiation, and demand in your consulting business, so lead generation gets easier the longer you do it. Timestamps for Key Moments: [00:00] Episode overview [00:05] Why becoming sought after changes everything [00:07] The 3-part inbound lead system [00:08] Component 1: Inbound Foundation [00:09] Two specialization blockers [00:15] The In-N-Out Burger specialization example [00:18] Fractional CRO example for PE-backed tech [00:22] Component 2: Sought-After Mindset [00:28] Component 3: Inbound Lead Mechanism [00:32] Podcast + diagnostics example [00:33] Speaking + white paper example [00:35] Unattached networking example [00:37] Next steps Resources Mentioned: Companion Resource: Lead Generation Effectiveness Scorecard: www.pipelinescorecard.com Full Show Notes https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-274 Want More? Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanGet Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/bookVisit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

    39 min
  3. 273. The Consulting Differentiator B2B Buyers Actually Notice

    Jun 4

    273. The Consulting Differentiator B2B Buyers Actually Notice

    Most independent consultants think differentiation means a sharper niche, a cleaner methodology, or better positioning. It doesn't. The consultants landing more work aren't winning because of their pitch or their network. They're winning before the proposal gets written. If you're like most consultants, you think the real evaluation happens when you submit the proposal. It doesn't. Buyers are already deciding in the conversation, before a scope ever gets drafted. In this episode, Melisa breaks down what consulting buyers are actually weighing when they choose which consultant or consulting firm to engage. You'll learn - the mistake most consultants make about differentiation,  - how corporate buyers actually decide who to engage, and  - four specific ways to use your consulting skills inside the sales process so buyers choose you first. The proposal is a formality. The decision happens long before that. You already have the skills (even if you don’t realize it). This episode shows you how to use them before a proposal ever gets drafted.   Timestamps for Key Moments: [00:01] Why clients choose certain consultants over others and what prompted this episode[00:03] Why responsiveness is a baseline and what actually sets you apart beyond that[00:05] Companion resource: the consulting proposal template from the IC Toolkit[00:06] The mistake consultants make when thinking about differentiation[00:10] How B2B buyers actually decide who to engage[00:13] Why the proposal is a formality and what wins the work before it[00:15] Example 1: The stakeholder question and why it helps the buyer, not just you[00:18] Example 2: The restraint advantage and why showing everything you can do often loses the work[00:23] Example 3: The success clarity test and how to find the real reason a buyer needs you[00:27] Example 4: Process ownership and how to lead the decision instead of following the buyer's lead[00:31] Steps to put this episode into actionResources Mentioned: Companion Resource: Download the Consulting Proposal Template from Melisa's IC Toolkit: www.ICtoolkit.com Full Show Notes https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-273 Want More? Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanGet Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/bookVisit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-libermanWant help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

    34 min
  4. 272. Consultants Who Hit Their Numbers Don't Do This (and What They Do Instead)

    May 28

    272. Consultants Who Hit Their Numbers Don't Do This (and What They Do Instead)

    When you think about your revenue goal for this year, what's the first thought that runs through your head? For most independent consultants it's some version of "I hope I can make it happen" or "I'm trying to make it happen." If you're like most of us, you don't even know you're thinking it. It's subconscious. And it's the reason your consulting business keeps plateauing, even when your strategy, your offers, and your effort all look right on paper. In this episode, Melisa walks through the three belief stages every independent consultant operates from. Doubtful. Hopeful. Inevitable. You'll hear what each one sounds like in your own head, the impact each one has on your pipeline and pricing, and how to tell which stage you're in right now. You'll also hear three real examples. Sarah, who set a 500K goal from a hopeful place and got herself to a 625K run rate once she stopped asking her business to prove it was possible first. Colin, who replaced a referral-dependent pipeline with speaking and three conversations a week. Same work, different headspace. And Amy, who shifted from day rates to value-based pricing in ten minutes a day. If you've been telling yourself you need a better strategy, you should listen to this one first. The strategy isn't the ceiling. The way you're thinking about your goal is. What you will learn in this episode: [00:05] - The first thought that reveals how you are approaching your consulting goals[02:00] - What separates consultants who hit their numbers from those who stay stuck[03:05] - Companion resource: Business Brain Journal[05:00] - The three belief stages: doubtful, hopeful, and inevitable[07:00] - How doubtful thinking creates inconsistent revenue and watered-down action[09:30] - Why hopeful thinking still creates consulting business plateaus[11:45] - What an inevitability mindset sounds like[13:00] - How to identify your belief stage across goals, sales, pipeline, and pricing[16:30] - Goal setting example: turning a $500K goal into consistent $50K months[22:30] - Pipeline example: moving from word-of-mouth dependency to lead generation ownership[26:00] - Pricing example: raising rates and moving toward value-based pricing[31:00] - The inevitability test for independent consultants[34:30] - How to add inevitability thinking into your business owner routineTune in to Episode 272 for a practical look at how to make success inevitable as an independent consultant, so you can stop operating from hope and start building from certainty. Resources Mentioned: Companion Resource: Check out Melisa’s Business Brain Journal Full Show Notes https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-272 Want More? • Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman • Get Melisa’s Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book • Visit Melisa’s Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/ • Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

    33 min
  5. 271. The Bare Minimum Plan to Keep Your Consulting Business on Track When You're At Capacity

    May 21

    271. The Bare Minimum Plan to Keep Your Consulting Business on Track When You're At Capacity

    Are you at capacity in your consulting business? Fully utilized on client work. Or a lot on your plate personally, whether that's a family situation, a move, recovery from surgery, or a season where your kids' schedules have swallowed your calendar. Or both. If you're like most consultants, the moment any of that hits, business development is the first thing you drop. It feels logical. Clients come first. The work pays. Lead gen can wait until things calm down. Then three months later, the engagement ends. The personal stretch passes. And your pipeline is empty. In this episode, Melisa shows you how to keep your consulting business moving with a bare minimum business development plan, built for the weeks you can't give it your full attention. You'll take-away: What "at capacity" actually means, and why most consultants underestimate how often they're in itThe handful of business development activities that protect your pipeline without eating your weekWhat you should temporarily deprioritize without guiltHow to set the bar low enough that you'll actually do it on your hardest weeksHow to come out of a capacity stretch without a dry spell waiting on the other sideIf you're heading into a busy season, a personal stretch, or you're already buried in client work, this episode gives you a way to keep your business moving without burning out. Timestamps for Key Moments: [01:10] Why independent consultants stop business development when they are busy [03:00] How a bare minimum plan keeps your consulting business on track [04:20] The ACE Business Development Session 1 Pager [05:00] What working on your consulting business actually means [08:00] Why being fully utilized can create future consulting revenue gaps [10:00] What you can temporarily deprioritize in your business [12:00] Three questions to separate productive work from profitable work [14:30] Why the bare minimum is a strategy, not laziness [20:00] The cost of guilt, regret, and inconsistent business development [22:00] How to choose your highest leverage business development activities [25:00] How to pressure test your bare minimum plan [28:00] How to commit to making your consulting business development plan work [30:00] How to put this episode into action Resources Mentioned: Companion Resource: The ACE Business Development Session 1 Pager: https://www.theACEbd.com Full Show Notes https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-271 Want More? • Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman • Get Melisa’s Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book • Visit Melisa’s Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/ • Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

    32 min
  6. 270. The 5 Reasons Your Consulting Business Isn't at $500K

    May 14

    270. The 5 Reasons Your Consulting Business Isn't at $500K

    Why isn’t your independent consulting business consistently generating $500K per year? It’s not the economy.  It’s not because the market is getting more saturated with consultants.  It’s not because AI is replacing your expertise.  And it’s not because you’re not good at business development. If it’s not these things, what is it? In her work with independent consultants, Melisa consistently sees 5 themes that prevent consultants from consistently generating 500k (and beyond). In this episode, Melisa breaks down the five hidden blockers that keep independent consultants stuck below the $500K revenue mark. You’ll learn why your current revenue ceiling is not random. This is not a generic “scale your business” conversation. It is a practical diagnostic for independent consultants who want to make $500K their new revenue baseline, not a lucky year they hope to repeat. Timestamps for Key Moments: [00:00] Why your consulting business is not at $500K yet [02:10] The companion resource to assess your consulting business health [03:20] Why the real blockers are not the market, competition, or AI [04:35] Reason 1: You do not fully believe $500K is possible for you [12:10] Reason 2: You still identify as your current revenue level [17:40] Reason 3: Your pricing model is not built for $500K [22:15] Reason 4: You are repeating the patterns that created your current ceiling [27:00] Reason 5: You are not prioritizing your own business [31:30] How to identify your biggest $500K blocker and start fixing it Resources Mentioned: Companion Resource:Take the Independent Consultant’s Business Health Check: https://assessments.melisaliberman.com/consulting-health-assessment Related Podcast Episode: Episode 109 - 3 Ways to Make $500k In Your Independent Consulting Business, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-109  Full Show Notes https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-270 Want More? • Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman • Get Melisa’s Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book • Visit Melisa’s Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/ • Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

    32 min
  7. 269. The PIP Technique: How to Uplevel Your Performance as an Independent Consultant

    May 7

    269. The PIP Technique: How to Uplevel Your Performance as an Independent Consultant

    PIPs have a bad reputation. And usually for good reason. In corporate, a PIP was rarely about improvement. It was a paper trail. But strip away that baggage and the core idea is sound: here's where performance is falling short, here's what good looks like, here's the plan. As an independent consultant, that's exactly what you need. And you're the only one who can give it to yourself. In this episode, Melisa Liberman introduces the PIP Technique: a self-directed performance improvement plan built for independent consultants. You're excellent at delivering the work you sell.  But if you’re like most consultants, lead gen, sales, follow-up, and business development? Those are a different story. You’re underperforming in at least one of these areas. You know it. The question isn't whether you should fix it. It's figuring out which part to fix first. That's what the PIP Technique does.  It helps you identify which role in your business is falling short. CEO. CRO. Marketer. Sales development rep. Consultant delivering the work. And then it gives you a structure to actually do something about it. In this episode, you'll learn how to rate your own performance across those roles, choose the highest-impact area to improve, and build a 90-day plan with clear milestones and feedback loops that hold you accountable when the work gets uncomfortable. No one is going to hand you this plan. That's the point. You're the one who sees the gap. You're the one who builds the plan. And this episode shows you exactly how. Timestamps for Key Moments: [00:00] What a PIP is and why independent consultants should use one [05:00] The client story that inspired the PIP Technique [07:35] How the Consultant’s Business Health Check helps you find your baseline [09:50] Five reasons a PIP improves consulting business performance [14:10] Why separating yourself from your business changes how you lead [16:05] How to rate yourself as CEO, CRO, CMO, SDR, and consultant [19:00] How to decide which business role needs a PIP [21:15] How to create your PIP from the manager lens [24:45] How to approach your PIP from the employee lens [28:10] Mistakes to avoid when improving your consulting performance [32:00] How to put the PIP Technique into action over the next 90 days                   [34:50] How to create more client conversations starting today Resources Mentioned: Companion Resource: Take the Independent Consultant’s Business Health Check: www.icassessment.com    Related Podcast Episode: Episode 233 - The Big Leadership Mistake Independent Consultants Make, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-233  Related Podcast Episode: Episode 234 - The #1 Management Mistake Independent Consultants Make, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-234/ Full Show Notes https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-269 Want More? • Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman • Get Melisa’s Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book • Visit Melisa’s Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/ • Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

    35 min
  8. 268. The Consulting Messaging Trap: Why Positioning Work Keeps You Stuck Without Ideal Clients

    Apr 30

    268. The Consulting Messaging Trap: Why Positioning Work Keeps You Stuck Without Ideal Clients

    If your pipeline is weak, it’s easy to assume your messaging is the problem. So you tweak your positioning. Rewrite your offers. Refine your niche. Rework your elevator pitch. And still… no predictable flow of ideal clients. This episode breaks down why “fixing your messaging” is often the wrong focus and how it keeps you stuck in analysis instead of creating real opportunities. You’ll learn how to tell if messaging is actually your bottleneck or if you’re avoiding the real issue that drives pipeline growth. What you’ll learn: Why “I need better messaging” is the most common (and misleading) diagnosisThe messaging refinement loop and how it delays revenueThe real reason your pipeline isn’t convertingThe two factors that consistently create qualified client opportunitiesHow to diagnose: messaging problem vs. conversation problemWhen messaging actually does need fixing (and how to do it fast)A simple rule to stop overworking your messagingHow to start more client conversations immediatelyIf you’ve been stuck refining instead of landing new clients, this will help you redirect your focus and build momentum. Timestamps for Key Moments: [03:15] – Why consultants default to “I need better messaging” [08:20] – The messaging refinement loop and how it stalls your pipeline [14:10] – The real belief keeping you stuck (and why it feels logical) [21:30] – The 2 factors that actually create a consistent consulting pipeline [25:00] – How to diagnose: messaging problem vs. conversation problem [30:05] – When messaging does need fixing (rare, but important) [32:40] – The 90-minute messaging rule [34:50] – How to create more client conversations starting today Resources Mentioned: Companion Resource: Read Chapter 6 in Melisa’s book, Grow Your Consulting Business: The 14-Step Roadmap to Make Your Independent Consulting Goals a Reality, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSXJBGVB  Full Show Notes https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-268 Want More? • Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman • Get Melisa’s Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book • Visit Melisa’s Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/ • Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

    39 min
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4.9
out of 5
77 Ratings

About

Are you an independent consultant who’s ready to grow your business into a predictable revenue stream while working on your own terms? The Grow Your Independent Consulting Business is a podcast that shares the blueprint to make your consulting business goals a reality. Each week, Business Coach, Melisa Liberman, brings you solo insights or informative guest interviews that will help you to accomplish your Independent Consultant Business goals. She shares specific tools, actionable strategies, and techniques that successful independent consultants use to create the predictable, sustainable, and impactful independent consulting business you may not even realize is possible.

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