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Episode 145: Navigating A Shifting Market

• Dr. Angelina Davis • Season 4 • Episode 145

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A slower economy, tighter budgets, and unpredictable algorithms don’t have to stall your growth. We take a clear-eyed look at what’s changed and map a calmer, smarter path forward—one that keeps your mission intact while giving you permission to change the route. If buyer anxiety is stretching sales cycles and your marketing feels scattered, this conversation gives you practical ways to streamline, clarify, and sell in any economy.

Connect with me at Dr. Angelina Davis on Instagram or LinkedIn, and visit excelconsulting.com for resources to support your journey. 

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SPEAKER_00:

Hello and welcome to the Black Girls Consult 2 podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Angelina Davis, and I am so glad to be back on this mic. You know, it has been a minute since we've had a real just deep conversation about what's been going on in the industry, uh what's been going on in my business and in the world of podcasting, especially, and what may be going on in your life right now. And so I want this episode to be just a really laid back session to chat through some of what has really been changing as we get closer and closer to the end of this year. If you listen to this episode in real time, then it is October of 2025. So we are moving closer and closer into the holiday season. I don't know if it is like this in your area, but where I live, everything is starting to turn over to not quite Christmas yet, but definitely the Thanksgiving flair. So a lot of plans for family meals and a lot of beautiful decorations outside. There's still some Halloween stuff out, but you know, more and more people are leaning into the holiday season. And right now in our economy, things have been a little bit all over the place. I wouldn't necessarily say it's been turbulent. I think it's just been uncertain. And that uncertainty is leading to a lot of anxiety for a number of people. Right now, we're in the midst of a government shutdown. And so there are a lot of people that work for the government or different agencies, such as TSA. I went flying uh last week to go visit my older daughter in Connecticut. And it was a long line getting through TSA when we were at the Atlanta airport, and I know that we're feeling that all over the country, from people having to show up to work and not be paid. So there is a lot of uh anxiety, I feel like a lot of us have, not just for those who are actually actively going through those difficult moments, but then also those of us who may not be facing that right now, but concerned about loved ones that are, or worried about what the future may hold. So that uneasiness definitely rattles, uh, I would say most people. I know it rattles me a bit. And that has a huge impact on the entrepreneur space and the business market and how clients are feeling about buying and at just how we're showing up now. And then with so much changing in the online space, all of the algorithms are algorithming right now. They're doing their own thing. And so, for many, many of the platforms that you may have trusted to get your message out there and to market your business are just not performing like they used to. And that presents another challenge of either finding a new way to market and promote your business, or alternatively, learning how to navigate many of these challenges and have them work in your favor. So there's a lot. There is a lot. And in this episode, I want us to begin to unpack some of that because I want you to walk away from this episode feeling better. I needed to have this session with myself the other day because I was starting to really stress out over some things. And I had to step back and really put my, you know, coaching and strategist hat on and put myself in the chair. I call myself to the front of the of the owl and really do some deep dive and deep work on what I am trying to accomplish, where I'm trying to go, and how I am going to get there. Because I think for many of us, we have goals and uh missions that still need to be accomplished and will be accomplished. We're not changing those. But the one thing that came to me when I was thinking through a lot of the things that have been going on right now in my life is that the mission and goal doesn't change, but the path to get there was never set in stone. And although if you're like me, you're very disciplined and you're used to laying out a plan and following it to the T, not getting distracted, trying to stay focused, trying to stay, you know, moving forward because that's what we always encourage our clients to do. Sometimes there comes a moment where we do have to make a shift. And that shift is not necessarily pivoting and changing to something totally different. It is literally just looking for another path and another route to get to the same goal or mission. And so I want to talk through a little bit of what I've been thinking about. And I'm hoping that maybe this conversation helps you think through some of what you've been experiencing in your business as well. 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 table? What if we channeled our talents into guiding each other towards the success we deserve? Welcome to the Black Girls Consultant Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Antonina 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 goal-to-spot for all team 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 ditch out real talk of 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. Okay, so things are a little different than they have been in the past. We are in a space right now where money is not easily flowing. And what I mean by that is that there are a number of opportunities that don't exist right now due to, for instance, government and business rather budget cuts. So maybe many of the requests for proposals that you previously saw have been closed, or maybe there are not as many that are currently available. Uh, I've even noticed uh from going to a conference very recently that attendance at some of the live conferences is down. And I know from speaking to other colleagues that a lot of this is because there is not the financial uh backing from employers or businesses to fund those trips and the attendance, because that goes up into the thousands of dollars. Also, uh, what we're seeing right now is just people being a little bit more cautious when it comes to their buying and trying to make better decisions. I think we all are because things are so chaotic right now in the US. If you're listening to this in the US, so that changes a lot for a growing and developing business of any type. And definitely when it comes to consulting, where you are often not selling a tangible uh product, then it can be even more challenging because what it's going to do is force you to be able to communicate this need more clearly so that it's recognized as a must-have, something that is urgently needed and required, and actually get someone to move forward and take action to work with us. So the dynamic of selling in this particular area of era that we're in right now is changing. However, I want to give all of us uh kind of like a reminder that, and I posted this uh as a thread very recently as a joke, but seriously, if you have thousands of people spending their hard-earned money to go see someone like Ray J, which look, I love Brandy's brother, and I love Ray J and all his shenanigans are definitely over the top. But I think we can all agree that that's not necessarily an urgent must-have, but it's a reminder that people will make space and room for the things that they truly want to do, want to accomplish, and want to achieve. And that's true for consumers, that's true for businesses, that's true for corporate and enterprises. Across the board, if something is needed and if you're able to make a convincing uh argument or lay out uh a reason and a rationale for why someone needs to move forward with working with you, then it is going to happen. So I want to just right now have us to just take a deep breath. Inhale, exhale, and know that yes, things are a little different, but we are still out here thriving and moving forward. So I don't want uh to scare us at this moment, but just a reminder that we need to start thinking a little bit differently when it comes to how we are moving forward and growing our businesses. One of the things that I've been thinking about a lot lately is how do I accomplish my end goal and just look at the different ways to get there. So for me, it's increasing the number of successful women entrepreneurial consultants that achieve longevity in this space. That has always been my goal from the very beginning. So everything that I do and have offered from this podcast to courses to coaching to whatever it may be, strategy sessions, et cetera, have all centered around helping women entrepreneurs get to uh their uh desired levels of success. And what I hope to be is part of that journey. For some, it's been part of that journey and getting started. For others, it's been part of that journey that has taken them to leaving their nine to five and going into their business full-time as entrepreneurs. Uh, so whatever role that I have been able to play along that journey, I have been so blessed to do so. And that is why I do this. Um, and as I thought about that, it really made me step back and consider how do I want to and need to show up moving forward? Because I'll be honest, it has been a lot to try and keep a lot of things afloat, multiple offers and uh different levels of clients, different platforms from podcasts to LinkedIn to Instagram to you know, email. I have been doing quite a bit. And so I've been in the season very recently of thinking of how to streamline and to scale back so that I can be more focused and intentional in creating the offers and the content and the messaging and all the things necessary for the business uh at a higher level. So sometimes moving forward is not about adding more to your plate, but it's actually about how much you can remove. That was a hard thing for me to learn because I have always been one to put the most into the day. As a matter of fact, my friends know if you call Angelina on a weekend, probably by 10 a.m., I have already done like 20 things and been out the house since early morning. And I used to, you know, not think twice about that. It was just how I have lived for so long, just getting the most done possible in a short period of time. But we're not meant to run like that forever. That is meant for short stints, uh, maybe when you have a certain project that you're working on or a certain goal that you're trying to achieve on a short time frame. But on the longer horizon, for us to be sustainable and have sustainable businesses that achieve longevity, we need to begin to focus in on those things that move the needle the farthest and not necessarily uh waste so much time on things that are not impacting our bottom line directly. So as you're thinking about your business, I want you to think about some of the things that you can cut out right now. Are you doing too much to try and show up online? Meaning, are you on too many platforms instead of just focusing on one or maybe two? Are you trying to offer too many things to too many people instead of focusing on one particular ideal client or audience and tailoring your offers to optimize the lifetime value for that uh individual client that you're serving? Are you focused on what is gonna help you grow your uh authority and brand in your space? Or are you spreading yourself so thin that people don't really know what to come to you for? If you are leaning into doing that deeper work, that will pay off. It's gonna pay off tremendously because this is the part that I think many of us forget, and I had to remind myself of too. It is very easy to get started in business. So that's why you see a lot of people they get started, they tend to work with similar audiences and offer similar products or offer similar services and promise similar outcomes because that part, that initial start, that initial journey is the easier part of the journey. It's not completely easy. I'm not saying that it's something that doesn't take a lot of effort, but compared to what's required to get to the other side, where most people are trying to get to and what they're trying to reach, it is easier. So what is missing are those offers and those services that cater to those individuals that are a little bit further along, that have reached what Seth Godin would say is the dip, the space where they are starting to run into those difficulties and they are not able to see easily how to get to the other side where they're thinking about whether or not they should give up or if they should pivot. Think about how you can lean into these other areas of practice. How can you show up beyond where everybody else is competing? Because there are so many people in that space that are looking for help. And to be honest, more than likely that's where you're better suited to serve those clients because you do have that higher level expertise that you're not putting to use fully right now. So it's not about completely abandoning what you've been doing, but think about how you can elevate your offers and your services to cater at the next level. And although that is going to narrow the pool of people that are going to meet your criteria in order to be an ideal client, you are also going to narrow the competition. So, yes, there are fewer people, but there are fewer people that you have to compete with as well, making it a bit easier for you in the long run. So, in this environment where people are more skeptical and more unsure and they are more cautious with their spending, they are expecting a lot more. We have to start thinking about how we can not just provide the fluff, not just tell people what they want to hear and the million-dollar dreams, but how can we take them on a journey to their next step where we can prove through data and outcomes a return on investment for what they are actually investing in? That is going to be the key right now in this particular economic environment. So I want you to think about scaling back, conserving your energy, focusing in on those things that truly are going to move the needle, and then focusing on how you can elevate and begin to address those gaps in your market that you see that are not currently being answered. And oftentimes it actually may be the place where you just were. Now, something else that has been a huge frustration of mine and other clients as well, and even colleagues, is the difficulty of marketing your business in order to reach more people. So no matter if you're working in the consumer space, if you're working business to business, or if you're working in kind of like with corporate enterprises, you still have to get your name out there. People still need to know what you offer and how you are able to serve them. And if you're unable to get that information in the right hands, it's going to be very difficult for you to land more clients. So this is how we begin to rely very heavily on referrals because when we can't get the marketing to work, the alternative is to lean back on people that we know in our networks. And we should do that. That is always something we want to do. That should always be a part of the plan. But you still need to have a way to attract clients to your business without the generosity of others. I always like to remind my clients of this because when we rely solely on referrals, we put ourselves in dangers or harm's way. Think about what we're facing right now. Like I said in the coming economy, the uncertainty that is surrounding everyone. Well, if you're leaning solely into one or two clients that have been with you for a very long time and you have acquired them through referrals, what if they face difficulty? Right? They're going to have to scale back or cut back. What are you going to do? Or maybe you finish a project and they decide not to go in that direction and they want to move a different way. And although you have done great work and they love you and they want to continue to work with you in some capacity, maybe you're unable to serve them in the new direction or path that they're about to take. So what do you do in those instances? You need to have a pipeline that's continuing to grow so that you don't have to go through the dreaded feast or famine mode that most people will tell you is inevitable in consulting. I don't believe that it has to be. I do think that we can prepare for those moments. It doesn't mean that you won't have ups and downs and ebbs and flows in business. That happens in any business. But what I'm saying is that you don't have to watch everything dry up because it takes a long time to build that momentum back. So there needs to be some way to continue to market your business. Marketing is just a part of business. It's something that we have to plan and set aside resources and time for in some capacity. So many of us have leaned into platforms such as LinkedIn, or maybe we have leaned into Substack more recently. Maybe you are still on Instagram or other other social media channels, YouTube. And the one thing that's been happening in many of these instances, probably less so with YouTube, is that the algorithms have been changing a lot. We know Instagram, for instance, has changed. I feel like they change every other day. So it's hard to know how to successfully navigate this space unless you are dedicated, you're dedicating your time solely to understanding that platform and knowing how to navigate it. So that would be hiring somebody who could uh begin to do that work or help you with that work. But then part of the challenge with that is that even if you hire someone who is an expert in that area, they still need your messaging. They still need to understand your positioning, they still need to be able to effectively communicate your values. So what I've watched and seen are a number of consultants. I was actually speaking to a colleague uh not long ago that had invested over$10,000 in advertising and it had not been fruitful. And of course, part of the frustration goes to the person that was hired. And I do believe that sometimes we can not have the best contractors that we're working with. But many times the problem is not the contractor. It's the fact that you may not have an optimal message that resonates with your market. And not having an optimal message and not having an optimal positioning will put you at a disadvantage because then you're just making content, but that content is not strategic, nor is nor is it aligned or purposeful. So, what I like to teach my clients uh to do because I know that as consultants, there is a lot of work to be done. So you're trying to serve clients, you're trying to uh still take care of your families, and uh if you if you have families or loved ones, or maybe you just want the free time to vacation and do other things, you need help in order to get these things done. So I teach the expert messaging model, and I want to share this with you because you can take this and you can use this right now to get your messaging doubt in so that you can begin to hand this work off to others if you need to, or you can use it as a reference uh for yourself. But the expert messaging model is broken down into four different uh components or areas of which you need to focus. One is your personal code. So I want you to think about this it as your core beliefs, your values, the things that define you as an individual. The one reason why you need to outline this uh more strategically is because you need to think about what others need to know about you in order to align with your business or with your service. So, what do you want to share about who you are and what you believe in and how you approach your work that will help them connect with you and resonate with you as a person first? Because as a consultant, we really do have to lean on a personal brand more than a business brand, right? Because people are relying on your expertise, what you have lived through, the knowledge and the experience that you hold, all of those things are what they are trusting in. That is what they are believing in and buying. So, with that being the case, they need to know more about you. So that's one aspect of it. Now, when you get to the other categories or the other areas to focus on, the next is philosophy. So because you are sharing strategy and you are doing a lot of the critical thinking and analysis around their businesses, then they need to understand how you solve problems. What's your approach? What's your actual philosophy on your industry? How do you see things uh currently that may be happening in your industry? Do you agree with it? Do you disagree with it? What is the way that you would approach that problem or those issues? Those are things that are going to help to set you apart. Another aspect of this is outlining the proof. And this is more than just testimonials. This is literally the tangible evidence that will demonstrate that you know what you're doing. The reason why this is important is because remember, I always like to remind people that as consultants, what we are selling in all actuality is something that's intangible. So what we have to do is to convert that into something that's more tangible for people to grasp. Because most often people think about buying a product, something that they can hold in their hands, something that they can feel. And so we need to translate what we do into something that they will better understand. And so this is how we do that through the proof aspect. And so you have to think through this process. How do you begin to communicate your education and accomplishments and tie that into the work that you're able to do for them as a consultant moving forward and why they should find value in that? And then the last is your prescription. So these are the solutions that you're offering and that you're crafting for many of your clients. And this often leads into having more of a productized model in the future, but really it's just thinking about your one-of-the-kind solutions, your frameworks, the way that you are approaching things that's vastly different from what others are speaking to in your industry and in your market. When you begin to outline these things, your personal code, your philosophy, proof, and the prescription, that messaging model will create a template for others to work from. So even if you are using a contractor or you're outsourcing, you're giving them what they need to use as talking points, what they need to use to create content, what they need to use to make sure that what they are communicating in the content that they're creating or what they're putting out in emails or whatever work they're doing for you, that they can do that in alignment with your brand and with what you are trying to communicate right now in this current climate. So this is important for you to kind of get the ball moving. And if you're doing this for yourself, it makes it super easy because now you have something to refer to. You don't have to drum up ideas every time you turn around and you want to post on LinkedIn or you need to send an email to make sure that you're doing follow-up and continuing to communicate with those you may have connected with via networking or maybe on your interest list as a potential future client or any of those things. You can lean back on this document and use that moving forward to make everything a lot easier for you. And this is all part of that simplification I was talking about that was going to help you to work at a higher level. So, this is another thing that is helpful right now and that I'm even finding helpful right now. I'm going back right now, as we're talking, I have been going back the past, I would say, month or so, just going through a lot of my positioning for my offers and for my business, things that I'm communicating and really tailoring it to the climate that we're in right now, that I stated before, is more sophisticated, more skeptical, and uh ready to see and hear more meaningful uh outcomes. So, in order for us to do that, we have to think through this process and intentionally build that in. And I've been thinking about how do I make things align with the urgency that they're feeling right now? How do I speak to their uncertainties and anxieties that they have currently? How do I get to know my ideal client better as they are right now? And I think that's part of the disconnect that many of us are feeling is that we are going off of how we may have understood our clients years ago in some cases, or even months ago. Things are changing so rapidly with the growth and the spread of artificial intelligence and other modern tools with the economy, with so many dynamics changing at a rapid pace. It's important that we continue to improve our messaging, optimize our positioning so that we can land the clients that we need. So, right now, if you have not done this work, I need you to lean into this space because this right here is going to be what is going to help you uh really navigate through any type of economic uncertainty or even a downturn, if that were to happen. We're not wishing that, but if it even if that were to happen, you're going to be able to overcome that because you're prepared. And this is all a part of having a more resilient business, of which, as women, especially as women of color, we have to be more resilient. We have to think and be ahead of the game when it comes to a lot of these things, because these are the areas. That takes us down, to be honest with you. This is how we end up oftentimes not being able to survive the market and the challenges. So this is just another area to lean into to make sure that you're able to market effectively, that you're able to reach more people, reach your audience, and connect with your current audience on a greater level, because you do have buyers right now that you have already talked to at meetings, that you've already networked with, that you have already been communicating with, that only need a slight push in order for them to buy. And this is a part of the business. You have to market and sell your expertise. So let's make sure that we are doing that. Last but not least, I really do want to just touch on the fact that I have had to spend more time just taking care of myself and finding time to mother myself. And many of us are mothers. And if we aren't mothers, we're aunties. And if we're not aunties, then we are best friends. That's always holding it down for everybody. How do I know that that's the truth? Because I know you. I know that you are someone that is always giving, always giving to other people, always the one that everybody goes to with all of their struggles and all their needs, even outside of your business. So I know that you need to take time for yourself to listen to your body, to listen to how you've been feeling. For instance, for me, I have been feeling very tired lately. The other day, I went to sleep. Well, actually, I got home and I went and showered and I got ready for bed. It was dark already because, of course, it's getting closer to winter time here where I am. And I didn't even look at the clock, got into bed, looked to set my alarm, thinking that it was much later than it was, and it was 7:59. Like it was literally before eight o'clock. And if you know me, that is highly unusual. I am one that doesn't go to sleep typically until probably like one, sometimes even two in the morning, because I'm always up doing more work or doing other things. So I was exhausted. And in that moment, I told myself, because I was debating, oh my gosh, it's so early. You don't need to lay down this early, like this is not you. But the part of me that has been working toward mothering myself better, nurturing myself better, uh really made me go to sleep. And that night I got like nine hours of sleep, which I haven't gotten probably in years, years, and felt so much better as a result. I want you to take the time to start listening to your body, listening to what you need right now. Do you need that time off to just have a day thinking about absolutely nothing but maybe I don't know what food you want to eat or if the sky is blue or purple? Like, do it. Give yourself the time and the space to recharge. That is what is going to help you show up even better for your business and for your clients moving forward. Also, I want you to spend time doing the mental work to remind yourself how doggone badass you are because you are great at what you do. And sometimes it doesn't feel like that when things may not be going our way and things are more difficult than they have been in the past because maybe things were easy before and now they it just seems like although it's working, it's just working with a lot of effort. Remind yourself. Nothing has changed about the expertise you hold, about how talented you are, how gifted you are, how much you are able to offer. Nothing has changed about that. You just need to remind yourself of that because sometimes you won't have that external validation. And so that internal support needs to be there. And this is why I like to just do so much work uh with clients in that area, especially when it comes to uh, you know, you hear me talk about this often if you follow me on other channels, but corporate conditioning and corporate trauma, because there's so much that we've learned over time from our life in corporate or working a nine to five or even in academia or through our academic journey that worked then, and that's why we have been successful, but that is also part of the reason why navigating this entrepreneurial journey has become more challenging. And when we recognize the source of that, the fact that it is not a failure on our end, but it's a result of what we have been trained to do for so long, it totally changes the game and opens the door to so many more possibilities. So I want you to take time to nurture and mother yourself, to make sure that you are appreciating and acknowledging the gift that you bring, and then also recognizing those things that are showing up in your everyday journey that have been successful for you in the past that may not necessarily be working for you right now, and consider how you can adjust and being open to change, being open to learning new things, being open to being the student again. I have definitely been one that's I'm a lifelong learner, so I I tend to lean into that space probably more than others. Um, I'm not saying that you have to just go out and buy 10 billion courses and do all those things, but just be open to how you're approaching everything right now because the world is changing and you are changing as a person, and it's okay to be uncertain about that. It's okay to be uneasy with that, but to also know that you're resilient and that you're going to navigate all of that with grace and eventually with ease. And we're going to come out on the other side of this, more successful and happier and thriving because, like I said before, what is my mission and my goal? My goal and my mission is for you to have a sustainable business, not just to start a business, to sustain it, to achieve longevity. That's the part that we're missing. We have a lot of women. If you look at any stats uh that you can find about uh women, especially women of color who start businesses, a lot of us start, very few of us make it to the other side and make it to our destination. So we are all about achieving the goal, achieving the mission. So stay focused on that. And until next time, take care. We'll talk soon. Thank you for tuning in to the Black Girls Control 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 subscription and longevity of women in consulting. And you can help us do just that. Also, I'd love to hear from you to let's connect at Dr. Angelina Davis on Instagram or LinkedIn. You can spell at consultant.com for more information to support your consulting journey. Until next time, keep breaking glass filling.

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Dr. Angelina Davis

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