Profitable Joyful Consulting - podcast cover

Profitable Joyful Consulting

Samantha Hartleysamanthahartley.com
Welcome to Profitable Joyful Consulting, where you'll discover how to multiply revenues without exhaustion, working with perfect clients on transformational engagements. Host Samantha Hartley shares how talented and ambitious women consultants–just like you!–can build profitable and joyful consulting businesses. Samantha’s practical and motivating weekly episodes draw on her background in international marketing with The Coca-Cola Company, her 20 years as an independent consultant, and her work with successful women consultants in a wide variety of industries. Subscribe and make Profitable Joyful Consulting your go-to resource! Topics you care about: How to increase revenues without exhaustion. You already know how to grow by working long hours, but that’s not sustainable—or joyful! If you’re tired of the Revenue Roller Coaster, we’ve got proven strategies to help you double your revenues while avoiding burnout. How to work exclusively with Perfect Clients on “Transformational Engagements.” Bad-fit clients are neither profitable nor joyful. We dive into how you can attract, nurture, and retain perfect clients. You'll gain valuable insights about how to break the cycle of short-term projects that keep you living in the land of one-offs so you can create the high-impact, long-term, retainer-based consulting arrangements we call transformational engagements. What are the fundamentals for having both profit and joy in your consulting business? Samantha shares strategies for how to get started as a consultant, how to create a consulting brand and compelling messages that will help you to attract clients consistently, how to grow your consulting business with referrals and strategic alliances, how to scale with team and subcontractors, how to set fees for your services, how to write proposals that get accepted, how to leverage your impact with tools and technology, how to sell with integrity, and to make delivery more efficient while still getting results your clients will want to talk about in testimonials and case studies that will sell your services for you. WHEW! How to cultivate a mindset for success. Samantha brings concrete examples, client consulting success stories, and actionable tools to overcome limiting beliefs with powerful intentions, affirmations, and spiritual practices aligned with your values. The show’s format respects your time and attention with concise episodes! Most episodes in the themed 12-episode seasons feature Samantha sharing practical training taken from her work with clients that you, too, can implement right away in your consulting business. A few times each season, guest experts and fellow consultants stop by to keep you updated on the latest trends and innovations in areas like marketing strategy, pricing, or productivity. Hosted by: Samantha Hartley Like many of her clients, Samantha worked in a corporate environment we’d now call psychologically unsafe or even toxic. Even though creativity was “encouraged,” new ideas were considered threatening, and casual misogyny and harassment were ubiquitous. Nevertheless, she built a bridge from there to her first consulting clients and has been self-employed, working remotely, ever since. She remembers her lean years and how she used the exact strategies she teaches on the show to begin to attract clients consistently and learn to get results without overworking. In recent years, Samantha has followed her passion to focus on women consultants and female founders. When we lift up women, everyone benefits! Learn more here: https://samanthahartley.com/ If you're ready to unlock your full potential as a woman consultant, increase your profits, and experience the joy of a thriving consulting business, subscribe and turn on notifications. Join us for ideas and inspiration at Profitable Joyful Consulting. Your success story begins here. Download the free Definitive Guide to Winning 6-Figure Clients at 6FigureClients.com.
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Episodes

Is a Sabbatical Right for You?

“Sometimes the most productive thing I can do is rest.” Every time I experience envy of another business owner doing something like working fewer hours or being a digital nomad in Bali, I remind myself: “You’re self-employed! You can do whatever you want.” That’s why, today, I'm preparing to leave on an indefinite sabbatical. if you've ever wondered, “ What's a sabbatical, and how do I get me one of those? ” this episode is for you. I once heard a fellow business owner talk about taking a sabbat...

Dec 10, 202412 minSeason 20Ep. 237

Manifest Business Success (Exercise)

Learn how to create your most amazing year yet with an exercise I love called “The Million-Dollar Dress™👇 On Profitable Joyful Consulting, I teach you how to increase your profits and enjoy your business more. In this episode, you’ll learn how to create your most amazing year yet with an exercise I love called “The Million-Dollar Dress ™ .” Sometimes it’s hard to imagine what we want for our future, but a really fun visualization can sometimes help. I use this exercise with my clients all the t...

Dec 03, 202413 minSeason 20Ep. 236

Sell More from the Heart

“If you have love and have empathy for and excitement about your audience, then you can love sales and enroll the people who are absolutely the best possible fit for you.” So many consultants are repulsed by selling and struggle to make it feel good to them. They think of it as a necessary evil. When they do that, they miss out on everything that is possible with a different point of view. Selling truly is one of my favorite parts of my business. I love making a meaningful heart connection with ...

Nov 26, 202424 minSeason 20Ep. 235

Elevator Pitch Exercise

How to answer “what do you do?” 👇 On the Profitable Joyful Consulting podcast, I teach you how to increase your profits and enjoy your business more. In this episode, you’ll learn how to answer the frequently-asked question, “What do you do?” Over the last several years, there's been a backlash against elevator pitches as being inauthentic, awkward, and reducing someone to their profession. Of course, there are many facets to a person, not just their work. But we still need to be able to explai...

Nov 19, 202420 minSeason 20Ep. 234

How to Increase Your Consulting Fees

“I want you to command prices that are commensurate with the value you are bringing your clients.” I see male consultants charging $300,000+ for an engagement, but I’ll see a woman consultant really struggle to say a number like $30,000 for similar work. There are tons of reasons for that (which we’ll get into in this episode), but the bottom line is: I want you to charge what you want for your services. I want women consultants to ask for hundreds of thousands of dollars and get it. And you can...

Nov 12, 202425 minSeason 20Ep. 233

Why We Self Sabotage

How to overcome self-sabotage as a consultant 👇 On Profitable Joyful Consulting, I teach you how to increase your profits and enjoy your business more. In this episode, you’ll learn how to overcome self-sabotage. What would be possible for you if you didn’t get in your own way? What kind of results could you get in your business and for your clients? I had a client who was writing her speeches the night before big keynotes - and they never went as well as she wanted them to. I once was in the h...

Nov 05, 202443 minSeason 20Ep. 232

Work Smarter, Not Harder

How to deliver client work with ease 👇 On Profitable Joyful Consulting, I teach you how to increase your profits and enjoy your business more. In this episode, you’ll learn how to deliver client work with ease. Ted is frustrated by clients who always want to see him in person. The travel there and back eats up valuable time he could be spending elsewhere. And many times the meetings could be done remotely or even by email. When Beth lands big new engagements, she’s excited, but then it sinks in...

Oct 29, 202422 minSeason 20Ep. 231

What Makes a Transformational Engagement?

On the Profitable Joyful Consulting podcast, I teach you how to increase your profits and enjoy your business more. In this special encore episode, you’ll learn what defines transformational engagements and what they could look like in your business. Most consultants do project-based work. They come in, work for three or six months, and solve a problem with a beginning, middle, and end. (And truthfully, we probably solve a smaller problem, which then leads to the discovery of new problems.) This...

Oct 22, 202416 minSeason 20Ep. 230

Learn to Receive More Profit and Joy

Learn how to receive exactly what you want in your business 👇 In this encore episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting, I teach you how to increase your profits and enjoy your business more. In this episode, you’ll learn exactly how to receive what you want in your business. Is it difficult for you to achieve your goals? Do you find that some of them simply elude you, despite your best efforts? Your ability to receive is one of the things that either facilitates or blocks you from bringing in wha...

Oct 15, 202420 minSeason 20Ep. 229

How to Create Your 3-Part Client Attraction System

“Build your brand and being consistent enough in your marketing that you attract your own leads. I’ll show you how.” On the Profitable Joyful Consulting podcast, I teach you how to increase your profits and enjoy your business more. In this episode, you’ll learn how to create a three-part client attraction system. A system is a repeatable process you do that gets predictable results. I find that many consultants don’t have systems in their marketing - they’re winging it, or they market when they...

Oct 08, 202422 minSeason 20Ep. 228

How to Build a Robust Support Network

“Are you competing when you could be collaborating?” Have you ever felt unsupported or isolated in your business journey? Many women consultants find themselves trying to figure it all out alone, and that can slow progress. But what if there was a faster, more effective way to grow? It all comes down to support. In this final episode of the series, we dive into the importance of building robust support networks and how finding your place in communities can help you go farther, faster. This is pa...

Sep 17, 202426 minSeason 19Ep. 227

How to Defeat Imposter Syndrome

“ Feeling unsure doesn’t make you an imposter, it means you’re curious. ” Imposter syndrome—is it just a buzzword or a real challenge women face in the business world? In this episode, we dig deep into the reality of imposter syndrome, uncovering its roots and exploring how it uniquely affects women entrepreneurs. In this fifth episode of the six-part series The Feminine Advantage , we confront the phenomenon of imposter syndrome head-on. Joined by expert voices, we examine the pervasive feeling...

Sep 10, 202432 minSeason 19Ep. 226

How Women Are Transforming Leadership Dynamics

“It's perfectly effective to be heart-based.” -- Cheryl Jekiel. Is there a distinct way that women lead, different from their male counterparts? In this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting , we delve into the idea that women possess unique leadership qualities that can revolutionize how we think about leadership. Drawing from the experiences and insights of four of my clients and two colleagues, we explore the profound impact of leading with empathy, collaboration, and heart. As part four of...

Sep 03, 202431 minSeason 19Ep. 225

Overcoming Communication Challenges Women Face

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou In this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting , we explore the delicate balance between feminine and masculine energies in communication. Building on the previous two episodes in our series "The Feminine Advantage," we delve into how women can harness both energies to navigate emotionally-charged situations and achieve desired outcomes. I’ll...

Aug 27, 202429 minSeason 19Ep. 224

Mastering Decisions, Boundaries, and Action in Leadership

“ The way we, as women, can help heal the masculine in the world is by balancing our feminine energy with it—modeling healthy masculine behaviors and qualities in ourselves for the women and men in our lives. ” Are you a brave and confident female leader, yet you find yourself hesitant when it comes to reaching out to potential clients or posting on social media? Do you struggle with delivering tough feedback or setting boundaries in your business? These challenges often stem from an imbalance i...

Aug 20, 202429 minSeason 19Ep. 223

Balancing Masculine & Feminine Energy in Business

Learn how to harness your unique feminine qualities for a more holistic approach to success. “That is the feminine advantage. We get ahead by leaning into what makes us different from business as usual.” Do you ever feel like the only way to get ahead in your business is to be a more masculine version of yourself? Maybe you find yourself downplaying your natural strengths because they don't fit the traditional business mold. Welcome to episode one of The Feminine Advantage: An Empowering Series ...

Aug 13, 202426 minSeason 19Ep. 222

The Feminine Advantage: An Empowering Series for Women Consultants

“Now, more than ever, we get ahead by leaning in to what makes us different from business as usual.” Are you a woman consultant? Let's be honest, being a woman in business comes with its own unique set of challenges, but also so many opportunities. I invite you to a special 6-episode series exploring the experience of being a woman in business. If you are 100% committed to building your dream business on your own terms, but looking for the right support and guidance, this is for you. Key Takeawa...

Aug 06, 20241 min

Get Noticed by Potential Clients

“Stop hiding, be brave, and go big.” Do you feel like your business is one of the best kept secrets in town? Do you try to get in front of people but fall short? I have good news and bad news for you today. The good news is you do not have to be everywhere to get all the clients you need. But the bad news is, if you're like most consultants, you're not nearly as visible as you need to be for them to find you and work with you. In today's episode, we're talking about strategic visibility; how to ...

Jul 30, 202443 minSeason 18Ep. 221

How to Build an Effective Team

“One of the great pleasures of owning my own business has been building relationships with my team members.” Women consultants fall into different camps when building a team for their consulting businesses. Those who are doing everything themselves because they either believe they can't afford to hire team members or that no one else can do things as well as they can. “ I'll figure it out” camp. And they probably can! Women are amazingly capable. They can multitask, are multi-passionate and mult...

Jul 23, 202427 minSeason 18Ep. 220

Positive Mindset Tips

“Mindset is actually the greatest determiner of success, far more than skills or talents.” If there is anyone who's done a 180 degree turn on mindset, from thinking it was total nonsense to thinking it's absolutely everything, it’s ME. I clearly remember the days I would think I don't have any limiting beliefs. Boy was I wrong. But the great news here is that it’s completely possible to change that. In fact, it’s imperative that you do. In my experience, mindset will get you further than skills ...

Jul 16, 202438 minSeason 18Ep. 219

Transform Your Relationship with Money

“I want you to be rich. I want you to be financially free. I want you to have access to whatever you want in your life.” One of the topics I get questions about most from my clients and community is money. There's so much to cover about money, and I've covered a lot of it! But I couldn’t possibly expect you to dig through over 200 episodes to find the gold. So I’m here this week to save you time and help you make all the money you’d ever need – and want. This episode features key moments from fi...

Jul 09, 202423 minSeason 18Ep. 218

ICYMI: Key Moments of Season 18

“This is the most important three minutes of the season, and possibly of the show.” Here we are! We’re at the end of Profitable Joyful Consulting Season 18. Can you believe we’ve been together for four years and 216 audio and video episodes! If you’re new here, we talk about all the ways to become a more profitable, joyful consultant, tackling topics like finding perfect clients, selling $100K+ engagements, discovering your consulting brand identity, packaging and pricing your services, deliveri...

Jul 02, 202417 minSeason 18Ep. 217

5 Hard Truths for Women Consultants

“ You have to believe - more than anyone out there - that you are the one to do this work, that you're the one who can solve their problems, that you are the one who can build this business. ” What do you have to do to be successful? Can you really earn a million dollars as a one-person business? I get these questions all the time from women consultants; from my actual clients, potential clients, from aspiring consultants, and even from longtime consultants. Today, I have some really hard truths...

Jun 25, 202422 minSeason 18Ep. 216

What’s an Escalation Clause?

“An escalation clause assumes that when the value you bring your client increases, your rates also increase.” A viewer writes, “Have you ever priced your engagements with an escalation clause that allows you to raise the price as the business grows, with your assistance, of course?” I love this question! An escalation clause is a sophisticated pricing strategy, so this is an advanced episode. I break down what an escalation clause is (and is not), why you want to use one, and how you present an ...

Jun 18, 202413 minSeason 18Ep. 215

When is Enough ENOUGH?

What will it take for you to align your revenue goals with personal freedom? Find out on this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting on YouTube or your favorite podcast app: www.samanthaspodcast.com . Related Episodes: ➡️ Financial Principles for Consultants https://samanthahartley.com/financial-principles-for-consultants/ ➡️ What Are Your Non-Negotiables? https://samanthahartley.com/what-are-your-non-negotiables/ ➡️ Self-Care for Entrepreneurs https://samanthahartley.com/self-care-the-secret-o...

Jun 11, 202411 minSeason 18Ep. 214

Consulting Websites: The Definitive Resource

“When your perfect clients come to your homepage, I want them to say "I'm in the right place.” Let’s talk about websites for consultants. What do you need to include? What do you need to leave out? What does each page need to have on it? In this episode, we’ll go through exactly what you need to do to have a consulting website that will help you land clients. I was so excited to get this question from a viewer. “How do I turn my website from an expensive online brochure into something that's act...

Jun 04, 202433 minSeason 18Ep. 213

Land Your First 5 Perfect Clients

“Perfect clients give you energy when you work with them. You're more energized and excited than before you started.” How do I get clients and is there really such a thing as perfect clients? Not only am I answering those questions, but I will show you how to land your first (or next) five perfect consulting clients. Before you dive into the nuts and bolts, my first piece of advice would be to just start. There’s someone around you with a need. What’s broken in their business is exactly aligned ...

May 28, 202419 minSeason 18Ep. 212

Are You a Woman Consultant?

Are you new here? Welcome! Let me introduce myself: I am Samantha Hartley, and I do one thing. I help women consultants multiply revenues without exhaustion by working with perfect clients on transformational engagements. If you're a woman consultant listening, then I have a question for you: Are you getting the results that you want? Or do you suspect you're doing it the hard way? 👎🏻 Are you under earning relative to your potential? 😩Do you feel like you're already working as many hours as y...

May 23, 20242 min

How to know if YOUR genius zone is what they need

“How do I know my genius zone is what people need? Find out what's out there, what they've tried, and whether you have a way to solve a problem that is relevant, resonates with them and makes sense.” This season, I’m answering listener questions. Today’s is: How do I know my genius zone is what people need and how do I find my offerings and hone them and simplify them? First of all, these are great questions. I'm going to share with you some various ways that you can figure out what your genius ...

May 21, 202414 minSeason 18Ep. 211

How to Avoid 4 AM Freak-outs

“Freak-outs are going to happen whenever you're susceptible to that irrational, fear-based voice.” Do you get the 4:00 AM freak-outs? “ Oh my God, there's not enough money. That client's going to fire me. Am I healthy? Am I sick? Is the world going to end?” Let's talk about how to get your brain under control so you can get good sleep and build your business. Being woken up at 4:00 AM (or insert your own freak-out time here) is so disruptive to our daily lives; it’s pointing to an issue that rea...

May 14, 202418 minSeason 18Ep. 210
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