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!
The Consulting Reset (MiniSeries): Are You Building the Right Consulting Offer for 2026? Don't Miss These 5 Shifts!
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Are you building consulting offers for the market you think is coming or the one organizations are already budgeting for?
As we move toward 2026, the consulting landscape is shifting in quiet but profound ways. While many consultants are still designing offers around innovation, transformation, and scale, organizations across education, healthcare, HR, nonprofits, and corporate environments are prioritizing something very different.
In this episode, we explore what leaders are actually funding behind the scenes, and why consultants who understand organizational dynamics, culture, and complexity are becoming more valuable in an AI-driven world.
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Budgets have changed. And inside organizations and even in your client's purse and pocketbook, they have already begun to shift that money somewhere else entirely. A lot of us have dramatically underestimated the priorities that many clients and organizations may have right now. Those priorities have shifted. The shift hasn't been very loud. It hasn't been public. Really, when you think about it, a lot of the concerns that have been raised have been behind closed doors and new service types and new internal pressures, new emerging needs, all of these factors have created the desire to make a change, to shift, to move their focus and their priority to something else. And so that is the quiet part that truly is impacting what consulting is going to look like as we move into this next year. So if you need to understand what you need to be focused on and planning next, then stay tuned because we're going to talk about how this landscape is changing and how we actually need to adjust so that we can catch on. So if you're new to the Black Girls Consult 2 podcast, I'm your host, Dr. Angelina Davis, and welcome in. And if you have been tuning in, you know that we are in the middle of a mini-series all about the changes that we're starting to face as we move into 2026. So in our first episode, we talked about what has changed in the market and how the market looks a lot different than it has in the past. But in this episode, what I want to dive into the trends that we are beginning to see. How are clients and organizations beginning to shift and change in ways that really does impact how we need to show up? For women, especially women of color navigating this space, the insights that we have into what truly, truly matters can make the difference in whether or not we're able to land the right client or the client that we desire, and whether or not we're playing in this feast or famine mode, just trying to make things work. We want to understand what is beginning to shift behind the scenes and creating a trend in terms of funding and budgeting and all those things right now. So I want us to think not just about what's happening on the surface level, but what are leaders in education or HR, nonprofits, uh corporate teams, what are they all quietly talking about right now behind the scenes that has become their top priority? Because I think if we're understanding those things a lot better, then it's going to be a lot easier for us to figure out how we need to navigate this space moving forward and to show up differently in 2026. So there are five, I would say, major shifts that I have been noticing that have been happening in the industry. And so I'm not pulling this out of my pocket. I'm actually sharing this from over a decade of experience working in the consulting industry as a healthcare consultant. We've been noticing it in the decisions that organizations are making, in the way that even big consulting firms are moving right now. So the first is that a lot of clients are entering into, I like to term it as the relief economy. There's been a lot that has changed in all of our industries. Just when you think about things such as artificial intelligence and what that has meant to many businesses and to many entrepreneurs, there has been the need to make some rapid shifts very quickly that we haven't seen in the past. And that has become somewhat overwhelming, overwhelming for HR to hire for and how things need to change and shift on the hiring front. It's caused a lot of change in terms of corporations and how they are showing up in their space and the services that they're offering. How are they changing their workflows and readjusting for manpower needs and maybe even downsizing if those needs are being met other ways? And that's just one example. And that's happening on a number of fronts. So there are a lot of clients right now that truly are just craving relief. They're not advertising this because no one wants to make it seem as if they are not capable or prepared for change. But the way that many leaders are talking about their teams is beginning to show a lot of that overwhelm that's occurring. We think about in education, there has been a lot of initiative fatigue. Most teachers are exhausted. They, you have many of them, unfortunately, leaving the profession in record numbers because they are just overwhelmed by the number of initiatives that are being, you know, rolled out and what they're being responsible for, and then also trying to teach and maintain the classroom. That's a huge challenge. We see that same thing play out in healthcare, where you have a lot of new practices that have come into play and things that need to be done in order to get reimbursement. And that creates a lot of overwhelm in that particular industry because, in that space, you also have to begin to prioritize those things because it begins to touch the bottom line that adds more to the plate of many healthcare providers, as well as creating a unique scenario where you have a lot of people even leaving that sector, which we always see as a sector that has been somewhat stable because healthcare is always needed. But the level of change right now is causing a lot of movement, a lot of shifting. So, what does that mean for us as consultants? You know, I was looking into some data, and there was a recent research project from Gallagher that showed that employee retention right now has become the second highest priority for U.S. employers, just ranking behind revenue growth. And what it's what they were saying is that 67% of employers are concerned about the impact of stress and burnout on their organization. And you see this even when it comes to benefits that many organizations are offering right now. They're offering a lot of tools that focus on mental health and focus on reducing stress levels. So we know that this exists. And for us as consultants, we have to think about how we can show up in a way that helps support that priority. Because if the priority is to make things easier, to reduce the stress levels, to improve the mental health of employees, or to help entrepreneurs sustain during these challenging times, what can we build into the services that we provide or the way that we are operating so that we make things easier instead of harder? And so for us, that means providing a lot of support in terms of relieving that stress. And that relief can come in the form of strategies and initiatives that focus on improving their capacity to do work, uh, improving the overall health and wellness of their employees, if they are a corporate corporation or organization. It can also mean providing a level of stability if you're working with smaller businesses, firms, or solo entrepreneurs. So when you're thinking about the offers that you're going to make in pitch in 2026, think about how you can begin to create those that help people who are already stretched in their systems to feel more relief. Another thing that is happening right now that is somewhat tied to what we were talking about with regards to this relief economy is the quiet evolution of culture work. And what I mean by this is that the culture in the workplace is changing. And we saw that initially at the start of 2025 when we began to see the attacked attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI. So at that point in time, DEI was just being ripped apart, right? It became almost like a bad word or bad term to say. We saw a lot of DEI initiatives disappearing. We saw budgets being cut around that. A lot of consultants and clients begin to lose business due to those changes. And then also we saw a lot of the leadership around those initiatives in many organizations, such as chief diversity officers, being let go. So that led to a lot of fear that these principles were going to disappear. But what we've seen over time is that in the organizations where this was truly embraced, it has become a priority to embed it in the work. And so, although many times we may not be able to easily lead with these concepts the same way we have in the past, it doesn't change the work that we're doing. And what we have to think about in 2026 is how do we begin to embed a lot of our work, our frameworks and strategies into our services so that we're achieving the same goals, but not necessarily positioning it in the same way. So this discussion about how the culture of work is changing is valid, not just in DEI, but then also across the board in a number of sectors. So we do want to think about how our culture of work is changing and how we can actually help with that. So I was looking at a study recently that was published by WebMD, I believe. And it was discussing how one in four employees strongly feel that their organization truly cares about their well-being being. So that's one in four. That is technically, at least what they said, the lowest amount since 2022. So there's a lot of people that feel as if their organizations care nothing about them. And there are a lot of employers in organizations that want to improve upon that. They want their employees to feel cared for, they want greater retention of their staff because it's very costly with regards to turnover. They want to decrease the levels of burnout, as I was speaking about, with regards to the relief economy. So these are becoming strategic priorities where they're trying to improve the culture of work. And so whether that is leaning on the side of DEI or if it is leaning into the health and well-being of employees and staff, we have a lot that we can offer from the consulting side if you're working in any of these areas because this changing culture of work is becoming more and more of a priority. How do we handle the hybrid work environment where you still have people that are working remotely and then also those who are going in? How do we improve upon the communication channels when we have those types of environments? And of course, we have a lot of dynamics at play within our society right now that may even be political or uh, you know, uh tied to other aspects of our societal culture that influence the workplace. And while we don't want to often take those on unless you desire to do so, it's important for us to acknowledge that they exist. And if we're able to acknowledge that they exist, we also can be better prepared to speak to and help organizations and clients tackle that impact on their business because they're they're facing that on all fronts as well. So whether that's protecting their reputation or avoiding negative write-ups and stories about their business and that can affect their bottom line, these are all things that we can use to support our work. So when we're thinking about services in 2026, I want us to think more about how we are able to impact the work culture in a positive way. Now, I would say the biggest disruptor right now for everyone is artificial intelligence. So AI is a disruptor, it is a reality of our world moving forward. There is no need to ignore that fact or to try and make it seem as if it's not going to have a major impact on how we practice. It is. But then it's not necessarily a bad thing. We have to create a space where human expertise and the way that we're able to do things with a human touch becomes irreplaceable. Because really, in all honesty, that is the only way to still create a very viable business in the modern era and the new era that we're moving into, and really that we're currently in. You see a lot of organizations reorganizing entire departments because of AI. Yeah, I was talking about before the number of layoffs and the amount of burnout and the fear and the stress around AI and how it's going to impact work for employees and work culture. Does it mean that they're going to still have a job? People are afraid and worried about those things. And companies and clients are as well. And you see this even with the largest consulting firms, where now you see the McKenzie's of the world and Deloitte's reorganizing their entire departments because AI can automate so many things that many of their junior consultants used to do. So this can be a threat. It definitely can be a threat when it comes to consulting if you are leaning solely on providing information to others. But for the consultant that's truly focused on more than just synthesizing data or writing briefs or summarizing resource resources, this is something that you don't need to fear because your work is not just in generating a framework or maybe prepping a presentation. It truly isn't. It is in your lived experience and what you are able to offer in terms of insight and strategy based upon what you know works. And this is the part that we need to lean heavily on. I know when I first started out, I was so worried and focused on giving the right textbook answer. I did not want to be wrong. I thought being a consultant and being trusted meant that I needed to give the right answer every time. That is not the goal. The goal is not to be wrong, but the goal is to focus on truly conveying what the client needs to know in order to navigate a very unique circumstance, understanding the nuance and the complexity around it and how to still succeed. And this is the part that comes with the lived experience. This is the human aspect that AI cannot generate. It cannot, at least as of now. So when you see that 49% of technology leaders saying that AI is fully integrated into their company's core business strategy, that means that it is a priority for them. That also tells us that it needs to be a priority for us. AI doesn't need to be anything that we fear needs to be something that we're starting to incorporate. So as you're moving into 2026, I want you to think about how you can increase the value of the consulting services that you're offering by trying to uniquely utilize AI to your advantage. The thing is, if you're utilizing it, nine times out of 10, you're going to be creating something that cannot be replaced by it because it becomes a tool within the work that you're doing. If we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on this moment, this is where you get to shine. Because as a woman, especially as a woman of color, you have had to navigate a space differently based on your lived experience. You have to understand how to do things a little differently in order to get over the obstacles that you have faced. Take that, use it, lean into it, build off of it. These are the things that are going to be very meaningful as you're thinking about how you position your business in a way that is not consumed by AI. You need to offer something that AI cannot generate. Okay, so we're almost there. Now, when we're talking about AI, this leads us to the fourth thing, which is the fact that measurement with meaning matters. So what we're seeing in the age of AI is that clients can measure outcomes easily. That means that the past of just trusting consultants to do the work and that it's going to pay off, that is in the past. Now we're going to be responsible even more so for being able to show return on investment. So metrics and key performance indicators or KPIs, those types of things are going to be important for us to track. Before it was somewhat optional, you know, it was something that we typically did if we were really mindful of those things, but did not prioritize. Now it needs to be a priority because everything is going to be quantified. And it's going to be important for you to be able to show the value of the services that you offer. To be honest, measurement can be difficult because it's something that you need to be intentional about. You need to be thinking ahead of time about how you're going to measure these outcomes. It may look like tracking improved team cohesion, putting a number or value to that, looking at reducing turnover rates, or maybe it is improvements in the workflow or the consistency of those improvements in terms of how they're being implemented and carried out. Maybe it is the clarity they get in decision making and being able to create some level of scoring around that. However, we are tracking the outcome, we need to just make sure that first and foremost, we're doing the work of tracking. But then also the second piece of this is that we are laying out the metric that we're tracking ahead of time and ensuring that the clients that we work with are aware of that in agreement with that, and that it is a valuable outcome for them to determine whether or not the work that you're doing is impactful, is something that they see as being highly valuable because they are going to more than likely, especially if you're working with a corporate client, be able to pull out data of their own that is going to test what you're saying. And the thing I will tell you is that the more you are able to do this and the better you get at it, the better of a reputation you're going to build, the more referrals you're going to get, and the more business that you're going to have in the long run. And so that may mean investing a little bit more in automations that we need to help us in that work. It may mean determining whether or not we need to have some additional help to compile this data, whether that is a contractor or a VA, but really thinking intentionally about how we can prioritize this in our business moving forward. And then also being able to feed this back regularly. So this is one major shift from previous years and even decades that we are seeing as we get into this AI-driven world, the desire for meaningful measurement and tracking outcomes and data is important. So please, sweet, sweet, sweets, please make that a priority. The last thing going into 2026 is organizations are not being very rigid in their approach. There is a level of flexibility that's occurring, even from the remote work that we have seen in recent years to the ability and the willingness to shift part of their budget for new innovations such as AI. There has been a change in terms of organizations needing more flexibility. There has been a need for entrepreneurs to have more flexibility. If you're working more so on a consumer basis or a B2C model, those things are shifting as well as you see our lives being shifted and changed by a lot of societal changes, whether it's political or it's economic or social. So there are a lot of changes happening right now that we have to be adaptable to. What we're seeing right now is that a Lot of advisory models that also add in implementation into the work and create somewhat of an uh advisory implementation hybrid. Those types of models are working really, really well right now because you are not only just providing the strategy, but you're also helping with implementation. Another is beginning to blend consulting and coaching a bit more because there is some need for not just providing the strategy or the necessary advice or insights in order to move forward, but also being able to coach the client through how to do that in a way that is going to uplift that organization or uplift that client and allow them to succeed more readily. When you think about long-term partnerships, we're seeing models where it's not just project-based, but it is growing beyond that to be something that lasts over years. So it may be an ongoing relationship, maybe a relationship that is something where you're checking in in an advisory role from quarter to quarter instead of it being locked into a project that may fit one, two, or three months. So there are just a lot of changes right now in terms of how our business models can be shaped. And I want us to be very open to being flexible and adaptable and meeting our clients where they are right now. When you think about how the world is changing, we know that static deliverables just won't work. Being able to say that this is what I'm going to offer for everyone in every circumstance, in every situation, I honestly feel like is a losing model. We need to be very dynamic in the relationships that we're building, in the offers that we're creating moving into this new year and thinking about how we can adjust and meet our clients where they are, providing what they need to be successful in the world as it is right now. So that I would say is the last major change that I really wanted to stress as we're thinking about what are the trends going into this new year, because the trends right now are not just centered around whether or not we're bringing on new technology or what we need to talk about. Is this topic hot? Those things definitely are occurring, but these major undercurrents are what's going to truly move your business if you're able to lean into it as we go into this new year. So no matter where you look, you're seeing change. You're seeing change in the culture of work, you're seeing changes in terms of the relief economy, you're seeing the growth and the embedding of AI or artificial intelligence, you're seeing changes in terms of clients wanting more data and metrics. They're desiring greater flexibility and adaptation. But if we are able to embrace all of those things and build those components into the consulting offers that we're creating for this new year, I think we're going to find that we will be very successful in our endeavors, mainly because we're meeting clients where they are instead of trying to force the services that we potentially have succeeded with in the past. So as you're thinking about moving into this new year, I want you to remember first from our initial conversation, the economy is changing, the world is changing. And so we have to think about more skepticism and resistance and caution right now in the marketplace, but then also honoring how we're moving into this new era that looks very different for all of us. And it should not be anything that we're scared about, but something that we're rather excited about because there's so many ways that we can take our expertise, our knowledge, our lived experience, and we win right now as women consultants, but especially as women of color. So if you are thinking about how you can position yourself moving into this new year, I want you to start here. I want you to think about it. And definitely, if you want more help in doing this, this is what I do with clients in order to help them position themselves to win, not only in 2026, but in years to come. Reach out to me, whether it is on Instagram or LinkedIn. I am always available. And definitely you can visit our website at Excel at consulting.com for more information. But until next time, please share this episode with a friend. I hope you enjoy it. Subscribe to the channel, and we'll talk soon. Take care.
