Episode 129: Creating Your Personal Growth Plan for Next-Level Success in the New Year

Feeling stuck in your consulting business or wondering how to take it to the next level in the new year? 

In this episode, we’ll explore the surprising truths that hold many consultants back and how to break free. Through relatable stories, reflective insights, and a powerful four-step framework, we’ll uncover what it really takes to bridge the existing gaps to build a thriving consulting business. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to scale, this episode will help you create a clear path forward and set the stage for long-term success.

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For more information, visit https://excelatconsulting.com/

Chapters

• 0:01 The Facade of Perfection in Consulting
• 9:28 Developing a Personal Growth Curriculum

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Okay, today we're going to have a more laid back conversation, because we are diving into something that I honestly think that as consultants we don't talk enough about, and that's this pressure to have everything together. You know, as consultants, I think that we feel like we have to be experts all the time that people hire us to solve their biggest problems, and so if we show that we don't have everything polished and perfect, then we're not supposed to land those clients and do that level of work. But if we're honest, I think many of us are often operating behind what is really a facade. How many of us are really pretending that we've got it all figured out, that we have it all together, while secretly we may be struggling to achieve consistent success? I want you to know that if you are experiencing that, you're not alone. We've all been there. We're all having various struggles at different phases of our business journey. So, whether you're starting out and just trying to find your first clients, or maybe you've been in business for a number of years, shoot, maybe even decades, this episode is for you. Today we're going to strip away the facade. We're going to talk about what it really takes to change the trajectory of your business in the new year, 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: 1:36

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.

Speaker 1: 2:38

So I don't know if you remember Blockbuster. It's been a number of years since you've probably heard anyone talk about it. You definitely haven't seen it in the last couple of decades or so. I remember we had a Blockbuster at the edge of our neighborhood. We kind of lived off of Main Road and this Blockbuster was always crowded and, as a matter of fact, my family loved to watch movies every Friday. So on Fridays we went to Blockbuster to get movies and you had to wait for people to bring back like the hottest movies that were out, because they had rented it during the week. And it's the weekend and there was, I don't know, maybe like a three day limit or something like that. And when they brought it back we were super excited because we got a chance to pick out the next video to watch. Well, blockbuster was huge. I mean, they had over, I think, like 9,000 stores worldwide. They were generating billions of dollars in revenue, and so on the surface, it seemed like Blockbuster would last forever. It was the thing.

Speaker 1: 3:37

But behind the scenes, the industry was completely changing at that time. Consumer habits were changing and what we now know as Netflix actually came into the market, this was like getting a mail service, blockbuster. It was the DVD being sent to you via mail, and then they later moved to being able to stream movies. And here's where it gets a bit interesting, because in 2004, netflix actually approached Blockbuster and they made an offer to sell their company which at the time was just worth about $50 million to Blockbuster, but Blockbuster passed on it. As a matter of fact, not only did they pass on it, but what I've read is that they actually kind of laughed them off, a bit Like why in the world would we ever think about working with you or buying your business? And because Blockbuster thought they were untouchable, they went on with the same processes as they've been using it before. So people were still buying or renting movies, they were still waiting for the next big movie that came out every weekend.

Speaker 1: 4:44

But over time, little by little, people started to try an alternative method, especially when you couldn't get the movies that you wanted to watch right away. So, instead of being focused on where the industry was going and the changes they needed to make, they were totally locked into what was currently happening right now and they were not future focused. And because of that, what ended up happening is that their revenue, their market share, their brand recognition took a hit. They didn't see the value in being able to evolve and, as a matter of fact, I would argue that they probably didn't want to seem as if they were not all together and buttoned up and perfect as a business themselves.

Speaker 1: 5:28

But when we think about this story and the fact that now that we know that Netflix is worth over $190 billion while Blockbuster ended up going into bankruptcy and actually doesn't exist anymore, when we think about this story, it's not just about a business failure. What it's really about is how easy it is to get stuck and actually stand in our own way when it comes to growth, because if we're not willing to adapt, then things will just move forward without us. So we have to not be so focused on how things look that we miss the opportunity to actually grow and to evolve. And, as consultants, I think that there's a lot that we can learn from that. How often do you find yourself getting caught up in how your business looks on the outside, whether or not you're successful enough, whether or not you're working with the biggest clients, whether or not you're landing the biggest contracts, and even if you know behind the scenes that those things are not equating to the goals that you have set out to achieve. We still tend to ignore the fact that we need to do deeper work and we need to grow, we need to build skill sets, we need to evolve, and because of that, it can cause us not to be successful in the longterm. So let's talk about how we can do some of that deeper work. I think there are a few ways that we can approach this, and I will also share with you what's been working for me.

Speaker 1: 6:50

Okay, so this brings me to the first step. What we have to do before we do anything else is take an honest inventory. We have to be honest with ourselves. I'll be the first to say that that is not an easy thing to do. It's not always easy or even fun to look at what's not working, to admit that there are things that we're not doing as well as we could be and that we are maybe falling short in some areas. But I can tell you from experience that it's one of the most powerful things that you can do for your business.

Speaker 1: 7:23

For me, this step has been completely transformative. I remember when I sat down to evaluate my business and I realized that, even though I had a steady stream of clients, my revenue wasn't wildly predictable. But some months were great and some months not so much. And at first I thought I just need more clients, I just need to land more clients, I just need to have a greater lead magnet, that type of thing. But in all actuality, when I took a close look, what I saw was a deeper issue. I was relying too heavily on one-off projects instead of creating consistent, recurring revenue streams, and that was a huge gap for me. And once I could see that clearly, once I could be honest with myself and say that, hey, there is a problem here, there is a gap, I need to do something to fix this. Then I can actually start addressing it.

Speaker 1: 8:21

So when you're taking this inventory, not only do you have to be completely honest with yourself, but you also want to ask yourself a few key questions, things like what's working in my business, I like to start with the positive. It's always great to acknowledge what is actually working, because if you can see and acknowledge what's working, then it's going to be easier for you to build off of those wins. So, first, what's working, but then we have to also think about what feels a little bit harder than it should, because sometimes things work but they're not optimal. It's not the best way that we could do it, and maybe they're working right now, but it's not generating the level of results that it should be. And then we have to think about where do we feel stuck? Where are we running into a brick wall? Where do we feel like we can't get by? What are those spaces that feel a little bit uncomfortable, or maybe extremely uncomfortable, that we're in right now, that nobody else sees, that nobody else has to fully know about?

Speaker 1: 9:28

But you have to be transparent in us, with yourself, so that you can figure out where you need to focus, and I think when we ask ourselves those questions, it helps us to go a lot deeper instead of just focusing on surface level issues that often do not represent the real problem. So, if you feel like, for instance, you need more consulting clients, I want you to ask yourself is that because your marketing isn't consistent, or is your messaging not clear? Or is it that your pricing doesn't align with the clients that you're trying to attract? But the point is that there could be a lot of reasons why things are not working, lot of reasons why things are not working and in order for us to understand what the real problem is, we have to be very honest with ourselves and take an honest inventory. And this step is about clarity, because the clarity that you get from this exercise that always begins with being honest and being transparent, that clarity is what's going to help you take the next step. The next step I want you to take is to identify the, the gaps that have been holding you back.

Speaker 1: 10:35

So, typically, there are specific gaps that we have in our businesses, and let me tell you that this part has been a complete game changer for me, because when I think about gaps, I think about really three key areas or categories where we tend to have problems in business. One is that we often may have a skill gap, and what the skill gap means is that there are things that we need to learn or we need to improve upon to move to the next level. So this is a gap where maybe we need to beef up our skills when it comes to sales, or maybe we realize that we are not as skilled at public speaking, but these are actual skills that help us to grow and evolve in our businesses. And when we recognize that these skill gaps exist, then we're able to tackle them more effectively and we can move our business forward. So skill gaps is one area that can be a focus, but then there are also system gaps, and so these gaps are actual processes or structures in our business that help our businesses move and run smoothly. So, for example, if you do have a system for consistently generating leads, what does that system look like? Is it something that is actually repeatable? Are there gaps in that system structure? Are there different automations that can be present that makes the system move more smoothly? Those are gaps that can impact our bottom line, because they impact and affect the systems that we run in our business.

Speaker 1: 12:11

And then, lastly, there are mindset gaps and listen, those right there. They can be the trickiest to solve, because the mindset gaps center around many of the fears and the limiting beliefs that we have that hold us back. So maybe you're afraid to raise your prices because you think that your clients may leave, or maybe you feel uncomfortable showing up on camera and exposing yourself to even something like this wildly imperfect video. Once you know what's missing, then it's a lot easier to figure out where you need to focus in order to drive change. Okay, now this is where it gets fun.

Speaker 1: 12:56

Are you familiar with a curriculum? So when you're in school, you hear a lot about curriculums and as we get older, we understand that they mean that they're a roadmap and a guide for how we're being instructed and definitely, if you're in educational consulting, you know all about this. But I want to talk about how you can build your own personal growth curriculum. This is something that I do often because there's so much education out there. We are living in a very value rich society. Now. You can go online, whether it is on LinkedIn or Instagram, youtube, any other platform, and you can get your questions answered. You can find tutorials, you can find webinars, you can buy online courses. There is just so much information out there and if you are trying to fill the gaps that we previously talked about that we recognize the skill gaps, the system gaps and the mindset gaps you have a lot of options as to how you are able to solve that problem of filling those gaps.

Speaker 1: 14:03

But in business, we don't often take advantage of, I feel like, a lot of these resources the way that we should. We're not effectively using Google and YouTube and podcasts and courses. I mean. We take them, we buy them, but we also, I feel like, at times, get a little bit confused and maybe overwhelmed by so much information being available, and so that's why I started creating a curriculum for myself, and I fell in love with this whole idea of having a personal growth curriculum. With this whole idea of having a personal growth curriculum, what it helps me to do is to create a focus plan for how I'm going to bridge the gaps that exist that I've identified, that I need to fill in order to move forward. It allows me to stay focused so that I'm not chasing after the next shiny object or I'm not getting distracted without actually building that skill set, that I'm focused on gaining the knowledge, the information and the skills that I need in order to move forward, forward.

Speaker 1: 15:08

And when I think about how I approach this, I really do just try and keep it as simple as possible. So I start with what my ultimate goal is. What is it that I'm trying to achieve? And that goes back to those gaps that we were previously mentioning and talking about. Once I identify a gap exists, I then start to investigate well, okay, this gap exists, but how do I fill this gap? What are the things that I need to learn, or the things I need to accomplish or set up in order to bridge the gap that I have identified. Do I need more predictable revenue? Do I want more freedom? Do I need a scalable offer? And whatever this goal is, that's what's going to guide me in terms of determining my priorities and what I actually want to not only invest in in terms of money, but invest in in terms of my time in learning.

Speaker 1: 16:03

And then, once I'm able to identify what the goal is, I focus on what matters most, which is what is the most important thing that I need to learn in order to fill that gap, because not every gap needs to be addressed right away. You may have a list of 10 gaps that you have identified, but maybe only three of those really impact your bottom line, or maybe three are going to be most important for you to take your next step, to achieve your next big goal. That's where you have to focus your time, your energy and your resources, because you want to make the biggest impact that you can right now. Then, once you are able to identify what to focus on and what's your priority, now you can choose your resources wisely, and this is about whether or not you feel like you can bridge that gap yourself, and maybe you want to go the free DIY route and listen to podcasts or maybe YouTube videos or whatever information you can consume, read books, etc. In order to build that skill. Or maybe you want to do it a lot faster, and so doing it faster may mean hiring a coach or joining an online group program or maybe even being in something like a mastermind.

Speaker 1: 17:20

The point is that your ability to most effectively choose your resources is going to be based upon the skill gaps that you have to fill, or the systems or mindset gaps that you have to fill, and also what you're going to focus on and how quickly you want to achieve the result, and then, after that, you want to be able to set milestones. So you want to break this curriculum out into small, actionable steps so that you're taking action as you move along through the year. You don't want to set a goal and then look up a year from now and you have not made any progress. Each quarter, each month, needs to be a step forward in you achieving the ultimate goal and truly bridging that gap and building those skills. So when you have a curriculum. You're no longer reacting to every new idea that comes along or every new shiny object. You are following a roadmap. You have a personalized roadmap and guide that helps you walk through this process so that you can identify what you need to do in order to build a better business. And, last but not least, you always have to remember that growth is not linear, that you want to commit to progress, but not perfection.

Speaker 1: 18:43

This goes back to this whole peeling back and breaking away the facade. We're not worried about things looking perfect. We're worried about trying to bridge the gaps that exist, and there are going to be roadblocks, there are going to be setbacks, there are going to be moments that don't necessarily go as planned, but we need to keep going and we need to also appreciate the fact that it takes a while to build skills, it takes a while to establish systems and to break through mindset blocks. All these things take time. So show yourself grace, be able to focus on what you need to accomplish and what you need to do day to day in order to move you closer to those goals, and accept that at times that progress may be slower than you desire and at times it may be fast, but at the end of the day, as long as you continue to take steps forward, you're going to reach your goal, and if there's one thing that I've learned from all of this, is that building a successful consulting business isn't about what it looks on the outside.

Speaker 1: 19:49

If you focus only on looking perfect and being the perfect business, and that there is out there, then you are not going to reach the level of success that you are intended to reach, because we all have areas that need to be built up. We all have various gaps that exist that need to be filled, and when we're able to do that honestly and transparently, then we will actually create something that's far greater than we would have ever imagined, and not only will it align with who we are in the vision that we have for ourselves, our lifestyle and our business, but it's going to help you live the life that you truly want. So by taking inventory, identifying your gaps and creating this curriculum for growth, you're not just building a business. You are at the beginning of building an actual legacy, so let's commit to this together, and, as you move into this new year, I want you moving through the curriculum that you've designed for yourself so that you can actually be farther along by the end of the year. I hope that helps. Until next time, take care.

Speaker 1: 21:04

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 ExcelAtCons at consultingcom for more information to support your consulting journey. Until next time, keep breaking glass ceiling. All right, take care.