Starting your own consulting business can be challenging, but the decision to leave your job and try to make it on your own is always a process. Aga Bajer is the Founder and CEO of a culture strategy firm called Aga Bajer & Associates . She worked with well-known brands like Toyota, Porsche, Citibank, PwC, and many other well-known brands. She is also an author, a keynote speaker, and the host of a podcast called the CultureLab Podcast . On today’s show, she sits down with Michael Zipursky t...
Apr 26, 2021•29 min•Ep. 184
In this bonus episode, Michael Zipursky explains why you shouldn’t focus on consulting proposals if you want to win. Rather, focus on having a meaningful consulting sales conversation with your ideal client. Dive deep into the conversation and really understand their situation, their problems, and their goals. Once you know your client’s needs in and out, you’ll know exactly what to include in your consulting proposal. Tune in to learn more! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Her...
Apr 22, 2021•10 min
Sometimes, one’s love for music will give you more than entertainment. For Gerald J. Leonard of Principles of Execution , this put him on a path toward success in the realm of consulting. Sitting down with Michael Zipursky, he shares how he integrates the musical talents he honed from childhood into his career in consulting, helping scale businesses through programs that actually work. Gerald explains how this experience taught him the importance of getting proper mentorship to continuously impr...
Apr 19, 2021•37 min•Ep. 183
With almost everything being done virtually, Zoom presentations are becoming commonplace. This is certainly an excellent chance for businesses to get out there and make their brands visible and recognizable. But one question is still up for debate: should you charge for such speaking stints? Michael Zipursky tries to answer this by looking at presentation opportunities from a marketing perspective, exploring how you can leverage this to benefit your business the most, not only in terms of making...
Apr 15, 2021•9 min
The greatest challenge of all companies is to figure out and properly implement profitable growth strategies to boost sales and enter the profit zone. Today’s guest is Thomas Michael Hogg , the author of Profitable Growth Strategy: 7 proven best practices from German companies . In this episode, Thomas discusses with Michael Zipursky the key factors that make Germany a leading market leader in the world, how to implement them in your own consulting company, and why it’s essential to have a busin...
Apr 12, 2021•24 min•Ep. 182
Finding your ideal client is an essential skill of running a highly-successful consulting business. You have to identify your greatest passion and identify which type of client will benefit from it the most. Once you find the right kind of client, you’ll become more confident in your marketing and start developing content that speaks directly to them. This clarity comes from knowing who you want and don’t want to attract. In this bonus episode, Michael Zipursky gives quick tips on how you can at...
Apr 08, 2021•9 min
Saying no to revenue is the hardest thing to do, but sometimes you have to do it in order to build a more sustainable business. This is one of the things that Shiv Narayanan learned on his way to generating $2 million in consulting revenue for his B2B SaaS startup. The founder and CEO of How To SaaS , Shiv developed high-performance marketing systems that drive revenue growth. These systems helped him lead his company in a staggering growth from zero gains to seven figures in a span of 18 months...
Apr 05, 2021•35 min•Ep. 181
If you are always struggling to fit all of your work within your limited time, then it’s a clear indication that you need your own consulting team at once. But many people are afraid to do that because of fear of additional work and responsibility. Michael Zipursky explains how to solve this single challenge of building a consulting team through a smooth delegation process. He discusses why appreciating other people's talent and skill is the first step in making your work responsibilities a bit ...
Apr 01, 2021•13 min
Are you thinking of venturing into the unknown to pursue building your own business? Today’s guest is Amanda Hill , CEO of Female Forward . Amanda left her position in P&G to pursue her calling in consulting. Amanda was driven by her servant leadership mentality, passion for learning new industries, and her personal desire to have more time for herself and her children to take the leap of faith outside of her comfort zone. What are the important things you need to know when starting your bus...
Mar 29, 2021•29 min•Ep. 180
What usually happens when you talk to a new client about a potential project is that they’ll buy time to get to know you more to minimize what they perceive as "risk" before moving forward. Did you know you can eliminate this “risk” by giving them a discovery offer? In this episode, Michael Zipursky explains what a discovery offer is. You can prove your trustworthiness and dedication to the potential project by delivering value right off the bat with your discovery offer. Do you want to know how...
Mar 25, 2021•15 min
If you’re a consulting firm and you want to know the hows of business development and expansion, then this episode is for you. Michael Zipursky’s guest today is Tom McMakin , the CEO and Partner of Profitable Ideas Exchange . There are generally two ways to grow your business: getting new clients and deepening your relationship with existing clients. Guess what? Most companies agree that 80% of their revenue comes from existing clients. How then do you deepen and expand your relationship with yo...
Mar 22, 2021•28 min•Ep. 179
An efficient business is a profitable business. On today’s podcast, Michael Zipursky gives a much better understanding of how to create greater efficiency in your business, drawing out from his experience in leveraging systems to grow multiple consulting businesses. Don’t know where to focus your energy? Tune in. What Michael’s about to share is going to be really helpful. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsucce...
Mar 18, 2021•10 min
Relationships lie at the heart of partner networks and business organizations. Michael Zipursky’s guest today is Dr. Sherri Malouf , who recently got her Ph.D. in Human Development focused on studying the relationship between leaders and followers. In this episode, Dr. Sherri explains a tool she developed to help you determine critical unconscious building blocks in your relationships within your organization. Called “Implicit Social Elements,” these building blocks include fairness, status, tru...
Mar 15, 2021•32 min•Ep. 178
It is very important to share your values in order to attract the people that you want to work with the most. But in order to share your values, you need to be clear about what it is that you really value. In this bonus episode, Michael Zipursky explains how consultants can get clarity about their values, share them consistently, and work that message in their marketing content. Listen in as Michael models how this is done by sharing their values at Consulting Success. Love the show? Subscribe, ...
Mar 11, 2021•16 min
Do you want to know how to build effective teams and benefit from conflict? Liane Davey , known as the “Teamwork Doctor,” has worked with 26 Fortune Global 500 companies. She joins Michael Zipursky to share how you can be a valuable asset to your team. Don’t be afraid to tell your clients or colleagues what they don’t want to hear, especially when you know they’re doing it wrong, so you can help them make it work! But that’s only half of it! The other half? Be fun to work with! Care for the peop...
Mar 08, 2021•34 min•Ep. 177
In the vast ocean that is the internet, making yourself seen is not that easy, not only because of the tight competition but also of the ever-changing and evolving algorithms. So what are the most practical and effective ways to leverage your content despite these complications? Michael Zipursky presents seven steps on how to make your content creation process actually reach your audience and make a real impact on their behavior and mindset. He shares the secrets on navigating social media, part...
Mar 03, 2021•18 min
Many consultants shy away from pricing their services at a certain amount, thinking they don't deserve it. A. Nicole Campbell, the CEO of Build Up Advisory Group, tells you otherwise. In this episode, she joins Michael Zipursky to share with us her journey into starting her own consulting firm and explains how you can price your consulting services according to the value you provide to your clients. She then takes us through the learnings she has picked up along the way and the processes that he...
Mar 01, 2021•33 min•Ep. 176
Given what's happening globally, offering remote services has become the new approach for many industries. There's an opportunity here for every consultant, advisor, and any other professional offering their services. However, one noticeable trend is that many of these professionals are starting to discount their fees, including consultants. Michael Zipursky answers an important question on today's podcast: should you lower your consulting fee when you’re doing all your work through a video conf...
Feb 25, 2021•9 min
As a consulting firm, how can you differentiate yourself and stand out from the noise to attract your ideal clients? Charles Demontigny , the founder of Fluxion , has some great nuggets of wisdom for you in this episode. Sitting down with Michael Zipursky, he shares his career journey with us—from leaving a company that got acquired to starting his own—and what he did to position himself for success, especially at the beginning of building his business. Charles takes us through the importance of...
Feb 22, 2021•34 min•Ep. 175
Many people leave their corporate jobs to go out on their own and start a consulting business. But what if it’s the other way around and you find yourself with a very lucrative job offer, should you take that offer and leave consulting? On today’s podcast Michael Zipursky tackles this question. Continue building your income without being pulled down. Learn when you should leave consulting or stay for good in this episode. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the C...
Feb 18, 2021•10 min
Consulting contract comprises the consultant's and client's commitment to be fulfilled, such as the deliverables and fees. Michael Zipursky brings a leader in consulting services, Karen Jenkins , the President and CEO of KRJ Consulting , to talk about how she entered the consulting world and how to win and deliver high-value consulting contracts. Karen shares how she carries her marketing skill set to the consulting business and the mindset she acquired from the lessons in her journey, leading t...
Feb 15, 2021•36 min•Ep. 174
For many business owners, their business is the culmination of their life's work and a primary source of wealth. Therefore, you will want to maximize the value through a combination of planning and timing when thinking about how to sell it later on. On today's show, Domenic Rinaldi is with Michael Zipursky to discuss how to build a solid exit plan and start for a sale before the company wishes to transition out. Domenic, the managing partner of Sun Acquisitions , shares his journey on how he cam...
Feb 08, 2021•34 min•Ep. 173
You can’t create more time in a day, and yet some people accomplish a lot more than others. Why? One of the most common reasons is that they delegate tasks. They don’t do everything themselves. On today’s show, Michael Zipursky presents an exercise that you can go through to identify opportunities to use systems to take your consulting business to the next level. This is a process he’s gone through multiple times and one you’d keep doing over and over as you look to make more strategic shifts an...
Feb 04, 2021•14 min
Leaving a corporate job and taking the leap of faith to be on your own can be both scary and exciting. Anne Sugar definitely went through all those emotions when she made the decision to leave the corporate world to start her own coaching and consulting firm, advising top leaders at companies including TripAdvisor, GM, Delta, and many others. To create positive action in the coaching process, Anne employs a two-pronged approach for a successful engagement – combining a goal-based process with ev...
Feb 01, 2021•35 min•Ep. 172
One of the greatest things that hold consultants back is the fear of taking imperfect action. Too often, we get obsessed about how everything should perfect before we even think about starting something even as simple as a webinar. We want to be sure enough people will attend and that every last detail is in order. Guess what? It will never be perfect. Not every person you reach out to will be attending that webinar of yours. But there is still so much you can get from just moving forward with t...
Jan 28, 2021•10 min
Why should branding matter to consultants? After all, it wouldn’t matter what specific messaging you’re putting out as long as you have that intent to help people, right? Dead wrong. In this episode, Michael Zipursky and his guest drum in the importance of honing down into a niche and becoming an expert in it to be able to expand your earning potential. Steve Morris is an advisor, author, and speaker who has worked with thousands of business leaders since 1994. Steve’s educational background had...
Jan 25, 2021•39 min•Ep. 171
Retaining clients is undoubtedly challenging for many businesses, and that’s why Michael Zipursky was shocked to learn that one of theirs has been with him for ten years! For him, this boils down to the influence of follow-ups. He explains how they could have the opportunity to lose connection with this client, but follow-ups allowed them to keep the curiosity and engagement burning. He, therefore, challenges everyone to check what kind of follow-ups they are currently doing and how this could s...
Jan 21, 2021•10 min
We all have the potential to change our lives better than it is now. But, admittedly, many of us need guidance on how to achieve that. In this episode, Nick Jankel shows you the power of transformational leadership. He joins Michael Zipursky to tell us all about it with his experiences and the wisdom gained through that as a leadership coach, speaker, and consultant. He also shares his own start building an innovation agency and how he was able to reach out to well-known organizations. Nick then...
Jan 18, 2021•42 min•Ep. 170
Many successful companies look to support their growth through marketing. Yet, many consultants are still hesitant to invest in this important business aspect. In this episode, Michael Zipursky takes you deep into marketing, particularly of the importance of your customer’s lifetime value. This growth metric proves to be particularly helpful if you wish to not only get your clients' stay but also to identify what you need to do to market more. Are you investing well in this area? Join Michael in...
Jan 14, 2021•10 min
Many for-profits and nonprofits are making a lot of impact in the world without getting the attention that they deserve. But getting attention is not just something to feel good about; you need to build it intentionally if you are to spread word about your good deeds, get more revenue and be able to help even more people. At The Boreland Group , CEO Jennefer Witter and her team help organizations capture more than their fair share of that attention using a variety of PR tactics that have worked ...
Jan 11, 2021•43 min•Ep. 169
