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 141: When Clients Seek You Out: The Journey from Undervalued to Expert Consultant
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Ever wondered why some consultants command premium rates while others struggle to prove their worth? The answer lies not in credentials alone, but in alignment – finding the perfect intersection between your natural strengths and what the market truly values.
This episode dives into the journey from undervalued service provider to sought-after expert. We explore how many consultants start with a "messy" phase of taking whatever work they can find, and why this approach rarely positions you to communicate your true value effectively. The pivotal shift happens when you transition from accepting random projects to building a business centered around your unique expertise.
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One of the most significant challenges that we face as consultants is being valued for our expertise, expertise, thought leadership, knowledge. All those things are intangible. It's not a product that you put on the shelf, so it's not easy to explain to others why it should be valued, why it does deserve to be compensated with premium rates, why it is important. Those are all things that can be a challenge to express, and when it is challenging, it leaves us in a situation where many times, we become undervalued, and it's not really the fault of our client. A lot of times, our careers are looking for ways to find help. They want to find something that they deem as being valuable and worthy of them making the investment. So it's not that they are working against us or not looking for the solution. However, how we show up and the things that we do also impact whether or not we are perceived that way, and the conversation I want us to have today is about what we can change. I'm a big believer in focusing on the things that we can change or what we can adjust in order to ensure that we reach our goals. So if you have been feeling like you are being undervalued, that your services are not looked upon as favorably as you would like, then this conversation is going to be one I think you want to tune into, because it's me and you, and we're going to have a real chat about what it takes to fix it. 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? 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 Now.
Speaker 1:Many of us start out in consulting in a very similar way. We are looking for a business and we're trying to match our skill set to needs in the market and get our feet firmly planted so that we can grow, and it makes sense to just look for the work that we can find and try to find our fit. Just looking at the way that we start, it's not surprising that we're not in alignment right off the bat. That takes time, and when you are talking about being able to communicate value, buying new alignment is a huge part of that. The messy start of it all is something that we all have to experience. We have to figure out how we fit into the market, what aspect of our lived experience is valuable to others and what type of problems we can actually solve and what solutions we can offer. All of that is like this buildup to creating what eventually becomes the service that we somewhat hang our hat on. So from the beginning, we're already in a situation that is not going to make it easy to communicate value. We're just trying to figure things out, and in that messy startup process of figuring it out you don't have to have all the answers and you may not necessarily get paid top dollar because you're trying to get things off the ground.
Speaker 1:But once you've been in this industry for a while, once you've done the groundwork, once you have paid your dues, then that is a point at which you want to begin to transition from just picking up odd jobs to really build a business that centers around your work, the things that you're good at, what you do well. And when you start to move in that direction, then that's when you are looking for alignment. You're looking for a way to align what you do with the market and then stay in that lane and create something that is going to be recognized over time, or not just being a services offer but really being one of the best services out there. That's part of the process of just starting a business and growing. So if you're trying to be able to communicate value in the most effective way right out the gate, it's not necessarily going to align with your expertise. It may align with what you're doing for others, it may align with some other aspect of the services that you provide, or maybe a deliverable that you're going to give.
Speaker 1:However, once you get to that place where you want to be known for something, where you want to be respected for what you bring to the table that goes beyond what you're actually doing with your hands then that's the point at which alignment takes more of a center role. So we have to start thinking that way. We have to move from it just being finding odd jobs to truly thinking about how do we align ourselves with the industry in a way that allows us to create the seamless connection between what we do and what we offer and what our clients need, the order for you to go from your expertise being overlooked and undervalued to it being something that people seek out, for you to be positioned as an expert, then you're going to have to practice in your strengths, and one of the reasons why I like to stress that is really because whenever you are not in sync with what you do best, you make things more difficult for yourself. Are not in sync with what you do best, you make things more difficult for yourself, and this is true for everyone, for all of us. So think of what it's like to start a new sport.
Speaker 1:If I'm going out and I'm trying to learn how to play tennis or pickleball, neither would I think to. And I'm learning that skill set. It's not a strength of mine. There is a huge learning curve, right, and not only is there a huge learning curve, but I'm not number one good at it. I'm not comfortable in it. I am not showing up confidently in that space when I'm going into matches or tournaments. It's all something new. There is this hard upward grind of it all to get to the point where you're good at that particular sport and build a usable skill set.
Speaker 1:And so if we're going into business with that same mindset of starting something new and we're starting in a place where we have not practiced before, where we don't have that lived experience or we're not good at it, then it's going to be difficult. It's not that you can't do it, it's not that you can't learn these skills over time, but it's going to take a while to get there and we all have to appreciate what comes with the journey. We want people to appreciate our expertise because of all the years of dedication we've put into learning the things that we need to learn into mastering our skill set, so we also have to appreciate the fact that it takes that same type of energy and effort in order to master something new. Whenever you're starting out in a space where things are uncomfortable, it's going to take a little while for it to feel seamless and for you to be able to do the best that you can do. This is one of the main reasons why I feel like leaning on your strengths, leaning on the things that you're good at, makes everything about your journey easier, because then you're not searching to learn more and to get more comfortable in your space.
Speaker 1:What you're doing at that moment in time is then learning how to take what you're great at and just showing people how you practice. It becomes more of a focus on visibility and getting yourself out there and marketing and being seen more so than it is learning. We're going to always be continually learning in our practice, because that's what a practice is. A practice is all about evolution, it's all about growth, it's all about advancement. But you don't want to start off with scratch every time and if you are starting at that very beginning phase, it takes time to get to the point where you are going to practice at such a high level where you're going to feel confident enough to command the room, I would say so know that utilizing your strengths is one of the easiest ways to fast track yourself to success, because what you're carrying with you is not just all of the knowledge and the skills and the experience you've had over the years, but you're also carrying with you the confidence that it took in order to master that and the I would say relief and joy in knowing that very few can actually challenge you in that. So it's a way for you to not only show confidently, but also to stand out. Being in your strengths and creating a strength-centered service is a huge asset to you.
Speaker 1:Now, when you're operating and you're practicing in your strengths, the one thing that you're going to notice is that people are going to start gravitating to you because of that. So they're going to recognize that there are certain things that you do extremely well. I mean, you do these things better than most people and because of that, you are going to experience people starting to pick your brain about certain topics, or maybe they're coming to you with certain projects, or you're being referred by others for specific issues or to provide a particular solution. And if you really pay attention, close attention, to those trends and kind of those patterns, then what you'll begin to see is how others are viewing your strengths and how they view their problem and how it aligns with what you do best. This goes back to that whole element and concept of alignment. The alignment is not just you trying to find your fit in the market and allow your expertise to be the center of focus. It's also others matching what they need in terms of their problem and their concerns and their challenges to what you have to offer. So it's more of a two-way street and when you are able to piece those two things together, that's your winning ticket.
Speaker 1:That's when you're realizing that what I do really, really well is something that other people need, and not only do they need it, but it's something that they value so much that they're telling others about it. It's something that they're willing to invest in. It's something that you can build your business around. But all of this requires us to pay close attention to the signals that we're getting, the various conversations that we're having around the work that we do, so that we can recognize that, yes, I can offer a lot, I can do a lot of different things, but I do have certain strengths that, uniquely, are true to me and are a result of everything that I have experienced and lived through that others recognize as being valuable. And there, my friend, is where we can begin to really lean in, because now we're aligning what we do best with the market. And when we are beginning to align those two things as long as it is something that brings you joy and makes you happy and bits into other elements of your satisfaction as not just a service provider and business owner, but as a person, then you are beginning to find your perfect fit.
Speaker 1:Because what's funny is that what other people value most is not necessarily the things that we would anticipate them valuing. We hang a lot on credentials or maybe our training or some other aspect of the knowledge that we've been able to accumulate, but others find our intangible skills potentially to be even more valuable than a lot of those harder skills and that textbook knowledge. Many times we are pairing together not just what we know, but what we know with the things that we are most gifted in, whether that's in speaking or communication, or being able to analyze something more deeply and critique with emotional intelligence, or maybe you have more of a creative flair and you're able to take something that is more difficult and analytical and complex and turn it into something that others who are not part of that industry would appreciate, and therefore you're helping a business communicate their message more effectively. There are the unique gifts that we have, and then there is the hard-earned knowledge and expertise that we hold, and when those two things collide, that truly is something that is rather unique. That's the part that people see. They see the things that we don't often notice.
Speaker 1:It's another reason why we have to be very cognizant and mindful of just paying attention to the little things, paying attention to the interactions that we're having with our audience, paying attention to the interactions we're having with past clients and understanding what they are finding to be the most valuable for themselves, because it's not about what we see as being valuable but they actually perceive as valuable. But we have to step out of our minds and into their lens so we can see from their perspective. And the more we can do that, the more that we open ourselves up to exploring that side of the equation, the business journey, the more that we are going to grow as a business and as a consultant over time, because we're going to better understand our audience, we're going to have a better understanding of our client's needs, and all of those things help to improve marketing, it helps to improve sales, it helps to definitely improve your positioning in the market. All of these things come together because now you are more mindful of the alignment between what you offer and what people actually desire and need, alignment between what you offer and what people actually desire and need. So this is one key element of being able to get over that hump where you feel undervalued or underappreciated and then moving to a position where you are being seen as the go-to expert and valued for your authority. And I think the last piece of this puzzle is being able to lean into the findings. Once you better understand your audience, once you have acknowledged your strengths and you've centered your services around the things that you do best, then it's time to lean into that. That's where you begin to specialize more deeply into a particular area of practice. And that specialization is not the same I see it at least not being the same as niching down. Typically, when we're choosing a niche, that's a way for us to stand out in the marketplace to pick a particular audience that we're going to serve, so that we are speaking more directly to their needs and their concerns, and it helps us to get our business off the ground. But what I'm talking about here is about leaning into the things that you do best and the recognition that you've had of how that aligns with the market and then choosing that. This is what I will center my business around and specialize in, and the thing about specialization is that it helps you to elevate your practice.
Speaker 1:Think about a generalist in medicine. So this is a family practice physician. This may be, if you're in a hospital, what we consider a hospitalist. This is somebody who is generally looking at everything that is happening in your body and they're identifying problems that may exist or making sure that you're healthy and strong. They are looking at the whole person, but they are also not well-versed in the specifics in terms of a particular disease state. So, god forbid, if anything ever happened and you had an ailment that needed a specialist, then more than likely the generalist, the hospitalist, the family practice physician, the internist those individuals may not be able to help you with that problem to the extent that they need to so that you have the best treatment and that you, if there's something that could be cured, you're cured.
Speaker 1:I like to think about this as the difference between working with your family practice physician and a neurosurgeon. If you happen to need tertiary for some type of finding in your brain, you're not going to trust that with someone who just generally knows medicine. You're going to lean on the specialist, the person who has trained themselves to be able to answer those difficult questions around just one particular organ. And it doesn't make the specialist better than the generalist. But what you're valuing is the fact that they have intricate knowledge of the brain and that knowledge translates into them being able to do more complicated procedures and handle more complicated cases that the journalist cannot, and because of that, that value actually translates into them being compensated at higher pay rate. So they're going to make more money simply because they have specialized in this area.
Speaker 1:It's not just choosing to do one particular thing, it's truly mastering your craft in that area, and this aspect of specialization is what helps to create the expert positioning and authority that we need as consultants, because in a world where AI is starting to really take off and people have knowledge at their fingertips, they're no longer just looking for an answer. They can look that out. They can find that on YouTube, they can find that using ChatGPT. What they need is someone to go even deeper and be able to combine that general knowledge with a lot of the other experiences that they've had throughout life and then be able to handle more difficult, more complicated and complex situations that many times they cannot find through general means. This is our goal as we think about growing our consulting practices and our presence in our industries. We want to be expertly positioned to build and create longevity in our businesses.
Speaker 1:The longevity doesn't come from being able to take on a lot of different random tasks. The longevity comes from being an authority in a particular space, and when you are able to do that, then you almost write your own take, because not only does it take the knowledge and expertise to get to that point, it takes the time, the dedication, the energy and the skill set to also get there, and most people are unwilling to do that, and that's the piece that helps you move from being someone that is chasing down clients and trying to find random work to the person that clients seek out. So to round out our conversation with helping you identify whether or not, right now, you are practicing in your strengths, because this is something that's good to know, because, if you're not, you want to make sure that you're making that shift and adjustment, and if you are, you want to embrace that and figure out how to go further. So there are three questions that I want you to think about, and I wrote them down here so I can just read them out to you and we can talk about what each of these are going to show you. The first is I want you to determine whether or not you feel energized when you're doing your work. A part of being energized when you are working with clients and you're serving others is that often, that energy that you feel is typically because it is something that you enjoy doing one, yes, but then also because you're not doing something that is completely draining you each time that you are carrying out the task. And if it's draining you, it's either one not in alignment with who you are and the things that you enjoy and what you want to create, or it's something that is very difficult for you to execute and therefore it more than likely does not center around your strengths. So, thinking about how you feel when you are working, whether you are finding that joy in that contentment. That is going to be something that helps to cue you into whether or not you are practicing in your strengths.
Speaker 1:Now the second question I want you to ask yourself is when people come to you for help, what patterns do you notice? And this gets back to the alignment of your strengths that you've identified with the need in the market. Are you finding that, when you get referrals, or when that clients come to you and they're inquiring about your services, is there a match between what they're asking for and what you feel are your strengths and do best? Because if there is that alignment, then you are beginning to find your way into your perfect fit in the market. But if there is not that alignment, then there is a disconnect, there's something that's a little bit off. So either they perceive you differently than you wish to be perceived or you have created a business around something that truly isn't your strength or something that you want to do which, once again, is still not in alignment. So you want to focus and think about when others are asking you for things, when others are leaning on your expertise, what are they drawn to that is going to cue you in as to whether or not you are on the right path is going to cue you in as to whether or not you are on the right path.
Speaker 1:And the last thing is and I think this is one of the most critical, especially for consultants, because so much of consulting relies on you being able to hold the room and be confident in the work that you do and confident in the recommendations you provide is do you feel confident and comfortable in your space right now? And if you don't, then there may be some element of you having whether it's insecurity or feelings of imposter syndrome or just questioning whether you have sufficient skills in a particular area to call yourself an expert, and that lack of confidence can signal that you are not in your strengths. Because I will argue that if you're truly practicing in your strengths, you have a strength centered business, then you are going to be more comfortable. You're going to be more confident because it's something that you do well, it's something that you don't have to fight to do. Not only will that confidence help you to stand out in the room and provide the best services, that particular confidence is something that is going to help you become an authority in your space. You're going to be seen differently when you're able to command that room, because you know what you're talking about. So this competence is important, I feel, as if nothing else happens, we need to be comfortable and confident in the work that we're doing, because those are signals that we are in alignment.
Speaker 1:I hope this episode has helped you to see that beginning to find success in consulting isn't all textbook knowledge. It's not just about everything that you learn in the classroom or the degrees that you have and things of that nature. It stems from who you are as a person. It stems from the experiences that you've lived through and how you're able to utilize those strengths to the best, of your ability to address a need in the market. And once you're able to do that, things move with more ease and the progress is more swift because you're not fighting against the current. I want you to really think about how you are practicing right now and if you are not in your strengths, if you are not in alignment with where you need to be and where you want to go, then it's time to cut all losses and align that ship, because the quicker you can make that adjustment to center your work around what you do best and make that adjustment to center your work around what you do best, to find those who need your strengths and then to lean fully into that, the faster you're going to find success in your business in the end and the longer you're going to be able to sustain. So I hope this episode has been helpful.
Speaker 1:If you have enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share with a friend If you listen to the audio version. Leave your rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you're here on YouTube, definitely subscribe so we can have these conversations again and again, and again. But I do want you to know that you are great at what you do, and what you do is more than just the hands-on work. It truly is how you think, how you look at problems, how you address issues that are most challenging for people. So lean into that. Find your strengths, begin to specialize in that area and know that by taking these steps, you're building your business to last for the future. That, then, can bring all sorts of wealth of every kind that you need.
Speaker 1:All right, until next time. 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 excel at consultingcom for more information to support your consulting journey. Until next time, keep breaking glass ceiling. All right, take care. Bye.
