Black Girls Consult TOO!
The Black Girls Consult Too! podcast provides a business resource for women in consulting, especially women of color, to successfully navigate a hyper-masculine, highly competitive industry. It demystifies how to start and grow a thriving consulting business by simplifying the process and helping to avoid common pitfalls that can derail even the best ideas. Each episode is crafted to dive deep into consulting practice, business strategy, mindset, and more. For more information, visit www.excelatconsulting.com/podcast.
Black Girls Consult TOO!
Episode 116: The Art of Summer Success without Hustle: Relax and Grow Your Consulting Business
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Can summer be both your most relaxing and your most productive season?
This episode promises to change the way you view the sweltering months of sunshine. Learn how to seamlessly integrate business and pleasure, balancing relaxation with maintaining your business's momentum. We explore strategic mindset shifts that help solo consultants and entrepreneurs leverage the freedom and flexibility that inspired their ventures initially. No more seeing summer as downtime—it's time to reframe it as an opportunity for growth and enjoyment.
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One of the first things we need to do is shift our perspective about the summer being downtime and recognize that, yes, the summer is an opportunity for us to enjoy life the sun, the weather, all the things around us, vacation, do all the things that we want to do the reason why we started our business in the first place. We get to do all of those things, but then also we get the pleasure, the opportunity, the blessing of being able to oversee a business. That affords us that freedom. And when we change and shift our mindset to that, I think you'll find new ways to capitalize on this time period in order to generate more revenue in your business. And even if that revenue is not being generated directly during these months, you're setting the stage for a windfall that'll come to you in the fall. They say. The odds are stacked against us as women, especially women of color, trying to thrive in the consulting world. But rather than wait for a seat at the table that may never come, what if we build our own tables? What if we channeled our talents into guiding each other towards the success we deserve?
Speaker 1:Welcome to the Black Girls Consulting Podcast. I'm your host, dr Angelina Davis, and I've walked the path from healthcare consultant to a mentor. For women like you Ambitious, unstoppable and ready to make waves in the consulting world this podcast is your go-to spot for all things entrepreneurial consulting. For us as women, especially women of color, think of it as your weekly coffee date with a friend who's here to dish out real talk on building a solid business, elevating your thought leadership and mastering that all important mindset. And let's not forget, we're doing all of this while balancing day jobs, family life and running teams. Yes, we can do it all. So if you're ready to dive into how you can grow a thriving consultancy or get strategies and insights that actually fit your busy lifestyle, then you're in the right place. Grab your coffee, tea or, hey, even a glass of wine, I won't judge and let's get started. Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to the Black Girls Console 2 podcast.
Speaker 1:It's June, guys. Can you believe that we are already headed into the summer months? I know I can. This year has gone by so fast. So, although we're not quite halfway there, we're creeping up on the halfway point through the calendar year, and I think this is when a lot of us kick into gear and start thinking about how far away we are from achieving our financial goals or maybe just your business goals in terms of where you want to be along your business journey. But this is also the time of year where you want to chill, relax and kick your feet up and lay back, because the weather is beautiful. The time right now is just perfect to get away and go on vacation. If you have kids, they're home from school and there's just so much around us that makes you want to just toss your business aside and enjoy life. And that's why I wanted to have this episode, because I do think that in the midst of us walking this business journey, I want us to make sure that we're building something that fits into the lives that we want to live.
Speaker 1:I was talking to a business friend and colleague recently about their business and how things were going, and we were just talking about how being in the summer makes you want to just drop everything and focus on enjoying the months that you have in the warm weather and with family and friends and all the things. And one thing that I was thinking while I was listening to a lot of what she was sharing and really feeling right now, because there has been a lot on her plate. She has a lot of movement in her business and clients to serve, and at this time she's also building while having a nine to five, and there's just a lot going on. And I was thinking what if things were easier for you? Would you still feel like you needed to take time away or have a break, or would you be able to maintain all of these things rather easily and still enjoy the time that you have with your family and friends during the summer?
Speaker 1:One of the things I think gets in our way often is that we separate our business from our lives, and I have always been the type of person business woman and coach that urges my clients to focus on building a business that integrates into the life that you want to live. That's one of the reasons why, in my opinion, so many businesses struggle and many fail because the business is not integrated into your life and your lifestyle. And this matters especially when you are a solo consultant or a solo entrepreneur, because at that moment you are the face of your business, you are wearing all the hats, you're doing all the things, and so if you take time off in a way for extended periods, then it's going to be a detriment to your business. But being there and showing up does not mean that you can't enjoy these other things in life. It doesn't mean that you have to be stressed. It doesn't mean that you have to be stressed. It doesn't mean that you have to be working every day.
Speaker 1:And that's why I wanted to have this episode, because I wanted to talk about some of the mindset shifts and strategic shifts that we need to make so that we don't run into these times within the year where we want to take time away. I don't want you to feel like you need to be away for your business. Now let me clarify this doesn't mean don't take vacations or don't enjoy time that is outside of your business. I'm not saying that we all need that. We need a lot of that but I want you to think about your business differently. I don't want you to attach yourself and everything that you do in your life to your business. I want you to build something that is able to sustain itself, and when we do that, that's when we have true freedom, and I know if me and you are having this conversation right now, I know that that's why you built your business. That's why you started, because you wanted freedom and flexibility, and in order for you to have that, we need some of these other things in place, so that's actually what we're going to dive into today.
Speaker 1:A thriving consulting business is built on a solid business foundation and a consulting code that leads you toward your ideal business and your ideal lifestyle, and the great thing about this code is that it works for any type of consulting practice, whether you help clients with professional development, business management, grant writing, it or something entirely different. This consulting code is not rocket science and is not beyond your reach, and when you crack the code, it can jumpstart the growth of your solo consulting practice and is what you need to know to get started and land your first clients, and nothing more. This is a step-by-step process I wish I had so many years ago, and that's why I wanted to share this with you and how you can do this too. So if you're interested in starting your consulting business and creating a desirable offer to generate leads for your offer and to make sales, then the consulting code is your solution. Visit wwwexcelatconsultingcom for more information.
Speaker 1:As we begin to have our conversation, we were diving deeper into why she felt like it was a good time to take a break. One of the things that she shared was that this is a season where a lot of people just aren't buying, and I wanted to challenge that belief, mainly because it's not true. Trust me, listen, people are still buying. I can guarantee you that People are still making decisions that are going to impact their bottom line months and years down the road, especially if you work in the corporate space. A lot of fiscal years start in July. So, although there may have been some budgets that have already been put together and things have been squared away, you still have the opportunity to capture some of the discretionary spending, as well as just some of the smaller ticket investments that they can make in your business that can carry you and sustain you for months to come.
Speaker 1:So this notion that it's summer, people are often enjoying life and therefore business doesn't occur, is far from true. Definitely, you know that's not true when it comes to you vacationing. Someone's working to make that vacation wonderful for you. So in every industry, business continues. It continues because no one is taking a break from making money, nor are people taking a break from buying. So, whether you are trying to land a big deal and navigating the corporate space, making deals, on the call course or in a backroom meeting, whatever it may be. All those things are still going on. They have not stopped.
Speaker 1:One of the first things we need to do is shift our perspective about the summer being downtime and recognize that, yes, the summer is an opportunity for us to enjoy life the sun, the weather, all the things around us, vacation, do all the things that we want to do, the reason why we started our business in the first place. We get to do all of those things, but then also we get the pleasure, the opportunity, the blessing of being able to oversee a business. That affords us that freedom. And when we change and shift our mindset to that, I think you'll find new ways to capitalize on this time period in order to generate more revenue in your business. And even if that revenue is not being generated directly during these months, you're setting the stage for a windfall that'll come to you in the fall. So that's number one. People are still buying, people are still selling, and you need to do the same. Okay.
Speaker 1:Number two If you're having a hard time maintaining your focus and being consistent during this time period, it often is a signal that you may need more structure in your business model. I say this because whenever there is a disconnect between your work and your life or your lifestyle, where you don't have the work-life harmony that you need to fully enjoy not just the summer months, but really every day of the year all the special events and special moments within your life or the life of your family and friends, whenever you don't have that time available to you it often signals that there is something wrong with regards to your work-life harmony and the structure of your business model. With regards to your work-life harmony and the structure of your business model, because when we have systems in place, when we have automations in place, when we have workflows and standard operating procedures in place to help those we may hire as freelancers or contractors to support us. Whenever we have those things in place, it should relieve a lot of the responsibility from you and take a lot of things off your plate. That will allow you to have the freedom that you want and you need and the flexibility to be able to do all of these other things that you would enjoy.
Speaker 1:So just because your business is still actively running, does it mean that you have to be actively there punching the keys and punching in on the time clock of your business running doesn't mean that you have to be actively there punching the keys and punching in on the time clock of your business. It doesn't mean that. It just means that you need to have systems in place so that the business operates without you, and I want you to have that in place, no matter what, on a day-to-day basis. You should have a way to generate leads consistently Every day. There should be people who are signing up to your email list or downloading your white paper or taking part in some free type of resource that you have available and allows you to capture their information so that you can grow your business. That should be in place. You should not have to manually post on LinkedIn every day or social media. You should not have to do a lot of manual phone calls in order to drum up business every day.
Speaker 1:You need some of these systems in place so that you can have some freedom and flexibility in the business that you're creating, and one of the reasons why we don't have that is because, let's be frank, there is not a lot of time in a day to get all these things done. You know we are trying to serve clients, we're trying to run the business, we're trying to keep up with our family life and personal endeavors, and so it can be difficult to man all those things. But this is where we have to think about how we prioritize our time and what our investment of time in different activities allows us to do in the future. And this is how investing in systems and processes and automations pays off for you in the long run, because it gives you the structure that you need to have more freedom and flexibility. And so if you're feeling in this moment that you want to break away, that you need time off and you're just overwhelmed by all the things that are on your plate, I want you to start thinking about what systems you need in place so that the business runs smoothly without you having to invest so much time and energy. This is going to be the key to you number one being able to grow your business.
Speaker 1:So this is why a lot of businesses get stuck and they stall out because those types of systems and structures are not in place. Therefore, if you're not constantly able to market we talked about this in the past and other episodes, but marketing requires you to build momentum, and if, every time you turn around, you're stopping, you're halting, you're pausing, the momentum drops off and we are all guilty of doing that from time to time. I recently I shared in, I think, an episode in the past about how recently for me things got extremely hectic and it caught me off guard because the business got really complex. I had to take a pause and just restructure a lot of things and simplify so that I was able to reestablish the systems and the structures that I had in place before for this new time and period of my business life. So that is going to happen from time to time. It's just a natural part of the journey.
Speaker 1:But you shouldn't stay there and that's the key is that whenever we are stopping and starting and we're breaking momentum, we're making it harder on ourselves to build and to grow. So part of us establishing the systems, the processes, the automations is to create a structure so that things can run without us from time to time and still be highly successful and profitable. So if you are beginning to feel like there's that disconnect where you have to be on all the time, you can't take time away and you're loaning for time to be away from your business to do other things and enjoy life and enjoy your family. I want you to stop and pause and figure out what systems you need to put in place, because I'm telling you, if you're feeling that way, it means that something's missing, and the quicker you are about establishing that system and that structure, the better it's going to be down the road. This is the whole premise behind Client Catalyst Blueprint.
Speaker 1:I designed that program because I know how difficult it is to keep these things going without having systems in place so that you're able to streamline your sales pipeline and keep the movement of your business going, keep the revenue flowing. These are the things that keep you going for the long term, because you can't be showing up and on every day. You need the systems and structures in place. So if you're feeling that way this summer, I just really want to encourage you to think about what you can do in order to simplify that process for yourself and create a system and structure that can run without you.
Speaker 1:And, last but not least, I really want you to stop and this is where we all have to get really honest with ourselves. Are you building something that you want to have longevity, that you want to build to bring in wealth and build a legacy around. Why are you on this journey? And the reason I ask that is because, whenever we are talking about the type of business that we want to build, if you want to build a seasonal business, that's possible. It definitely is, I do believe.
Speaker 1:However, I want to remind you that even a seasonal business like an ice cream shop stays open year round, and the only one that I know of actually that closes during winter months is Pelican Snowball. I don't know if you all have that. They have that in North Carolina and they opened one recently well, not recently a little while back in Georgia, and so this is like this little hut shop that has these amazing snowballs that they sell, but that's the only place that I really know of. That tends to be very seasonal and everybody looks forward to when they're going to open in the spring, the summer, but for the most part, any ice cream shop that I know of stays open year round. If you go to just think about your local ice cream shop, or Ben and Jerry's, or Cold Stone, or even if you're thinking about Brewster's whatever you have in your area they are open during the winter. People still buy ice cream in the winter y'all, I know I do so.
Speaker 1:If those businesses are still open in the winter, when it's cold and people may not necessarily be wanting to consume something that is cold in the really cold weather, they do it because they want their business to be one that reaches millions, that establishes a solid structure and a foundation and that can operate and run year round. They balance their budget so that they have money in the winter months to sustain them, because they make the volume in the summer but they're still making money in those colder months as well. We want to think about our business that way. Start looking at the holistic view from the beginning of the year to the end, not just for one year, but look at a three-year period. Really think about how you can begin to structure your budgets, your systems in place so that you don't have to go through these different cycles.
Speaker 1:We want to stay off of that doggone roller coaster. That's why consulting is known for being in feast or famine mode. It's because we land big contracts, we fall off doing the work and then you know when we are running out of either money or maybe offboarding a client. We're scrambling for business again, not recognizing that there was a sales cycle. The entire time. That's going to take a number of months and even in some cases, depending upon the sizes of the contract a few years to acquire, and we keep doing this over and over and over again. Oh my gosh, it's exhausting. And so part of us getting off of that type of hamster wheel is going to require us to be honest with ourselves and determine the type of business that we want to build.
Speaker 1:And if you want to build a business that is going to carry your legacy, that is going to be self-sustaining, that is going to be one that stays around for years and years to come, no matter if it's a lifestyle business or not, because my business is a lifestyle business. Lifestyle business just means that you're creating a business around the lifestyle that you desire. It does not lock you into a certain amount of money that you want to make. If you want to have a highly extravagant lifestyle, then you can still make that amount of money, millions and millions of dollars. The point is that you prioritize the lifestyle you want to live over the business growth, meaning that you don't just focus on scaling, scaling, scaling, scaling in order to be bought out or whatever your end game may be, because you're building this business with another goal You're trying to maintain a certain level of harmony within your life as you build.
Speaker 1:So, whatever you desire, I just want us to be completely honest with ourselves and begin to structure our business that way, because we can't say that we want to have a business that is highly successful and thriving and lasts for a number of years and keep taking time off, especially in the early years where we're doing a lot of the building, and that's just me giving you a little bit of hard love today. I need you to commit, to lean in and to think about how you're going to navigate this journey, because it may take a number of years before you get to the level where you can easily relax and not be so concerned about cash flow from year to year. But we're being fed a message, I think online, especially when you're in a social media space of overnight success, millions in 60 days and all those types of stories and not realizing that those are outliers when they do occur, and that the vast majority of businesses are businesses number one that were started by a founder that was committed and focused on their goal and that they remained consistent for an extended period of time and they allow their effort to meet opportunity, and that's where they found their success. So we want to do the same thing, and all I'm encouraging you to do is to think about what you want your business to look like and match that energy. We're just matching energy, y'all, that's it. We're matching energy, but, as a reminder, know all of these things are possible. You don't have to spend the summer months taking time off. You don't have to spend the summer months taking time off. You don't have to spend the summer months assuming that you're not going to generate the revenue that you desire. You don't have to spend the summer months thinking that you're not going to be able to build or scale. All of these things are open and available to you. It's all about you remaining focused on that goal, taking action and creating the systems and the structures that really do work for your lifestyle.
Speaker 1:Okay, I hope you enjoyed this episode, as always. If you did, don't forget to share it with a friend, and please leave your five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It helps the podcast to grow and to reach more people. I would be so grateful if you were able to do that for me, and until next time, take care, have a great one. Guys Talk later. Bye. Thank you for tuning in to the Black Girls Console 2 podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to leave your review on Apple Podcasts, subscribe and share it with a friend. We're on a mission to increase the success and longevity of women in consulting, and you can help us do just that. Also, I'd love to hear from you. So let's connect at Dr Angelina Davis on Instagram or LinkedIn, and don't forget to visit excelatconsultingcom for more information to support your consulting journey. Until next time, keep breaking glass ceiling. All right, take care.
