Episode 147: Brilliant but Invisible? Why Your Consulting Business Isn’t Getting Traction

You can be brilliant. Experienced. The one everyone relies on to solve complex problems...

And still feel completely invisible when it’s time to actually win consulting clients.

If that hits a nerve, you’re not alone.

In today’s market, louder, more saturated, and increasingly driven by AI, being “good at what you do” is no longer enough. Visibility without recognition is one of the most frustrating and unspoken challenges high-performing women consultants face.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what’s really happening when your offer is solid, but your traction isn’t.

Because let’s be clear. The problem isn’t your capability. It’s how your value is positioned, communicated, and experienced in the market.

Tune in now and let’s change that.

Ready to Go Deeper?

Want to know why they’re not seeing your genius?

Take the quiz and uncover exactly what’s holding you back:
 https://drangelinadavis.myflodesk.com/authority

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 https://www.linkedin.com/in/drangelinadavis/

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Transcript

Welcome And Podcast Purpose

SPEAKER_00 0:19

And welcome to the Black Girls Controls and BiFast. I'm your housework interim. Ambitious, unstoppable, and ready to make waves in the consulting world. This podcast is your go-to spot for all famous 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 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.

Why The Show Took A Break

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Well, hello there. Welcome back to the Black Girls Console 2 podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Angelina Davis. And I know you're probably wondering, where have you been? Yes, we had to take a little break from the routine very recently, working through a lot of different changes with the podcast, with YouTube. And then, you know, life is always life. But the great part about it is I think that we have come up with a way to make sure that these episodes begin to come out a lot more frequently. I started the year off wanting to get episodes out twice a week. I know I was so ambitious. And that's still my goal. But I think we needed to change a couple of structural pieces on the back end in order to allow that to happen. And then the thing about YouTube is that, and this is for anyone that may be trying to, whether you're starting your own podcast or maybe you're just getting or hopping onto YouTube because it's a platform that really does help us as consultants because people are going on that particular platform in search mode. They're in learning mode. They're typically trying to find answers to their problems. And that's always where we can help. So if you are trying to do that, the one thing I will say is that the YouTube algorithm does require a lot more for you to gain the level of reach that you need in order to grow. And sometimes that may not necessarily align with your podcast goals as you have originally planned it. But that definitely was the case for me. So it's just taking a little bit of restructuring. But I'm super happy that we're closing in on the tell end of that. And I am back able to bring audio episodes, and then there will be also YouTube content. And it won't necessarily be all the same, like I was trying to make it. I think I was trying to come up with a system that was oversimplified, but that oversimplification in this particular instance just wasn't working very, very well with YouTube as a platform, and it was not allowing me to be as consistent with the audio version of the podcast. So now that part is all kind of being worked out and tweaked. So I'm super excited about that. So that's a lot of what has been going on in my world, in addition to the fact that I'm about to have a college graduate soon. I cannot believe that. So that is the catch up for me. I just wanted to make sure that we had this little chat because I have not had an opportunity to just talk freely for a while. And so it feels really, really good to be able to have these moments together.

From Ideas To Real Traction

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Look, I do want to talk about something today that I think is very, very important. It's been coming up a lot more lately for me in conversation with a number of women that I've been talking to is also becoming the framework for a new program that I will be offering as we move forward. And it's how as consultants do we begin to move from this point of brainstorming and truly just gaining traction? How do we get the ball moving? How do we get things rolling, especially now where it seems like the market is very saturated and we're in a world that appears to be more AI-driven by the day? It's hard to think about how we can show up and sell something that is so intangible, like what we know, like our expertise, and actually make a legit business out of it. It can feel very daunting at times. And I think what I'm seeing and hearing from people right now is that there has been a lot of work done to build the consulting business that has been promised by so many people. You see those as all about starting your consulting business and making hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars overnight, or maybe starting a business using only AI prompts or whatever the claim may be. And it is very enticing to fall into the trap of believing that these things happen immediately. And I will say that for some, they may get lucky, and that may be the case. But for most of us, it takes a lot of intentional work in order to build something that not only is successful, not only is able to get off the ground initially, but something that we're able to sustain over time. And that has always been my goal. My goal is to increase the number of women who are able to build thriving, successful, and sustainable businesses around their expertise and their knowledge, because that's something that we as women, especially as Black women, hold. And we are not given the opportunity often to take full advantage of what it can bring to us with regards to freedom, flexibility, and financial gain. So this is something that I think we do need to explore from the lens of the new age of consulting that we're in. We're in a very different time than even when I started. We are now in a space where people who don't have the knowledge or expertise or the experience that you've had for years or maybe even decades are able to look and sound like the real thing. They can start businesses and build platforms that make their level of expertise, which may be a lot less than you, sound very legit. And that can be very frustrating for a lot of brilliant women who are out there trying to do the work. What I found is that many women get stuck in this weird stage where we're getting started, we are building our businesses, we may have one or two clients, but we don't get that traction. And the traction, the momentum that you need to build something that's sustainable takes time. It takes focus. And that's the one thing that we often miss because we are not patient enough to work through the kinks and to overcome the challenges as we face them. We're a little bit too quick to jump to something new. And so that's what I want this conversation to be about is how do we begin to build the runway that we need in order to have the business that we hope to have in the end. That is going to take some intentionality, it's gonna take some strategy, and it's gonna take us having a little bit more patience.

Quick Quiz To Stop Being Invisible

SPEAKER_00 8:35

Okay, so you know your stuff. You deliver transformational results every time you work on a project. I mean, you solve problems that other people can't. You know your worth is more than you're even getting paid. But for some reason, you can't figure out why they don't see your genius. I mean, people know that you're the go-to person, but it's like you're the best kept secret in the room. Well, look, we don't want that to continue to be the case. In order for you to lead in this consulting industry, you need to stand out as a leader. So let's close this gap. And it starts with a two-minute quiz. It's time for you to get clarity to finally claim your place as the premium expert you are. This quiz reveals what's keeping you invisible to the decision makers who desperately need your help. Wanna know what's missing? Simply click the link in the description, take the quiz now, and get your results emailed to you in no time. You're already the expert. It's just time for your business to reflect that.

The AI Brainstorming Trap

SPEAKER_00 9:42

I don't know if you can relate, but what I found is that the blessing and the curse of being a deep thinker is that often you overthink the simplest things. And this is one of the reasons why I think that a lot of the AI technology that we have right now, ChatGPT, Claude, all of these different tools that we use for brainstorming or for even creation or research, whatever you may use it for, perplexity. All of these tools will take you in a loop. If you are using them on a regular basis for brainstorming or to come up with ideas, which I know many of us do, I'm use them as well. I think they're very helpful. But one of the things that it can cause is you to go in this constant iteration loop before you actually even test anything out. And I think that this is a big bottleneck in many of our businesses. I have been guilty of this as well. And so it's one of the reasons why I feel I feel like I can speak to this because it is something that will keep you stuck if you don't pull yourself out of it. Often when we face challenges in our business, we're thinking about what we need to do next. And the initial reaction or response is to move away from what we just tried or what we just attempted to accomplish. And we shift in another direction. We pivot. And many times we pivot or we change or we shift before it's time to do it. And what I found is that we are thinking that many of the challenges that we face are unique to us. That somehow it represents the fact that maybe the offer that we have is not strong enough, or maybe the industry is not responding to our messaging. When in actuality, it can be some aspect of how information is reaching people that's changed. Not necessarily that the offer is bad, not that it is not meaningful, and not that the work is not valuable, but that literally the way that people are receiving information, interpreting information, and categorizing that information is shifted.

Reposition Instead Of Pivot

SPEAKER_00 12:03

And so what that usually means on our end is not that we have to pivot, but it's more that we need to reposition ourselves so that we are able to communicate more effectively with the clients that we want to serve. And repositioning is a little bit different than a complete pivot. Repositioning is all about figuring out how to communicate more effectively again in a world that truly is different. A lot of what we have been able to do before, which was through networking or referrals or relationship building, those things still exist, but they exist in a different way because they're now being influenced by a lot of different factors. So it's not enough to simply rely on what we communicate with one person to translate and to spread the way that it used to. Because people are not just going to their closest colleague or friend for a referral. They're also doing their own research. And they're doing that at breaking neck speed with a lot of these tools that we just mentioned. So we have to navigate this new world in a different way. And that requires us to readjust and reposition so that we're able to capture the demand as it exists in the market currently. And this is something that most people don't even think about. We are so focused on internal changes that we need to make that we are not considering the external factors that are impacting the work that we do. This is part of the conversation I think needs to get more light because what is causing is a lot of brilliant women who have phenomenal offers or talents and skills and programs and things that they're trying to put out into this world. So causing many of us to shift away from those things, to change a little bit too early before we gain the traction that we need. And the one thing that we know about business is that business requires momentum. Sales require momentum. We have to build that momentum. And every time we make a change, we go back to square one. And that's why it feels like such an uphill battle each and every time. So one of the things that we need to do initially is to first recognize that we are possibly using tactics or techniques that need to be adjusted for the world that we are in today. And if you have not been able to better understand what that world is now for you and your industry and your space, then it's time to have more conversations. Having more conversations, getting yourself out there, talking to more people, presenting and selling and pitching to more people will allow you to learn more, especially if you are actively listening to what people are saying and actually sometimes what they're not saying. It allows you to collect the information that you need in order to make the changes necessary so that you're able to communicate your value more effectively.

Make Intangible Value Feel Tangible

SPEAKER_00 15:13

See, that's the one big challenge that we have as consultants that we are communicating value around something that is not tangible. It's not like you're selling a product that you can have someone touch or feel and feel the quality of the fabric or maybe see something that is built and formatted perfectly like a website or some other type of tool. What we are putting out in the world is somewhat intangible. So that means that we need to package it so that it is able to be visualized and understood as a more tangible outcome. And it's that translation that gets lost. It's the inability that many of us have to turn what we do into something that people can actually visualize, see, understand as having a clear and tangible return on investment. That's actually not a very easy task. Although I think it's something that is overlooked. And back when the market was a lot better, it was a lot easier to sell because that skepticism wasn't there. The market wasn't as full. People weren't able to research as easily as they are now. But with things being a lot different, then we have to get a little bit better about communicating the value of what we do. And to be honest, that comes through trial and error. It comes through doing the work, being able to look for the outcomes, understand what has happened, and then try again. It honestly comes from that continual process of development. And I think in our market today, this is somewhat overlooked. People are so focused on going from start to growth to scale that they are no longer thinking about what it takes in order to get to each of those points in the business journey. And I see this very much so in consulting as well as in coaching. So you don't see that as much in many startups because most people who have a startup, they know that they have to go through various iterations before they get to the final product. But we don't go through that same process often when we're in consulting. And I will argue, which may be vastly different than what you may hear from most other people out there, definitely vastly different from many of the business coaches you will hear from, is that it's going to require that same work because what you are selling is still, whether or not you realize it, a product. It's just an intangible product, meaning that you still have to go through these different transitions and levels of business development in order to get to the end result that you desire, which is a sustainable business over time. And so what I want us to start thinking about is how we cannot skip these steps and begin to really work through them in a very focused and intentional manner. Because I think if we get back to that process, it's going to make it a lot easier for us to gain the momentum that we need that makes things simpler. It won't feel like such an up-the-hill battle each and every time because you're understanding that it's not simply get started and grow to a million dollars and scale to the moon. But it is literally building something that is not only something that works once, but is repeatable. And what I mean by repeatable is not that you're doing the same thing over and over again, but that you are able to get the same outcome for your clients over and over and over again. And that's the part that I think many people skip. When you're able to do that, then you move from it being you as just another consultant in your space to you becoming the recognized authority, the go-to person in your industry. And that's vastly different.

Repeatable Results And Quality Improvement

SPEAKER_00 19:12

And here's what I think you will find, and this is really the third thing is that when you begin to focus on improving each element of this process, so improving the communication, improving the overall structure and delivery, improving how you are marketing and selling, when you're improving each of these phases, then you also will improve your business in the process. And this level of improvement is, I think, what gets lost. There's a reason why. There is typically a department in any company or organization that is focused on quality. They're focused on quality improvement. Why? Because quality improvement is what eventually, one, builds a reputation, but two, helps you to build a business that thrives and lasts. And I do believe that's why you see so many people that you once saw in the market that are no longer here. And part of that is because over time they did not focus on this aspect of quality improvement and business development. At the heart of all of it, that is a major player in this game. And so when we're thinking about growth, no matter the stage, it's going to center around our ability to focus in on the things that truly matter, to build the momentum, to give ourselves a runway that allows us to achieve the success that we want. Because without those things, it's going to be really, really hard to keep things going over time. Your message needs to build, your thoughts need to be crystallized, your intellectual property needs to compound, it needs to grow. And when that happens, that's when you achieve those levels that many people desire, aim for. When we look at so many of our thought leaders in the space, I'm not saying that everybody has to or wants to be a thought leader, but I do know that's a goal oftentimes for many consultants, at least many consultants that I've worked with. When you think about getting to that level, it is not a matter of starting something over and over again. It is taking the time to dig in and to work through the difficult moments as you begin to flush out a lot of your theories and your thoughts and your perspective about your industry and about the world. And what I know is that as you do that, it helps you to practice more seamless because you're not communicating something that's new every time. You literally get so used to sharing what you know in a very effective manner because you've done it over and over again. You've looked in people's eyes and you've seen what connects and you see what doesn't. You understand better what drives the result and what doesn't. You know ahead of time what causes the stumbling blocks or the bottlenecks, and you know what doesn't. All of those things help you become that person that people are attracted to, that business is attracted to, that money, because I don't like to just talk theoretically. I know we got bills to pay and businesses to run. So that money is attracted to. All those things come from the repetition, it comes from the focus, it comes from the business development over time. And so I think that this is one thing that has

Building Security In The AI Age

SPEAKER_00 22:49

been lost. And I'm hoping that we can bring back into the conversation because the better that we're able to do this, the more protected and I would say secure we are, even in this age where AI seems to be taking over. When you get to a point where you have built something that cannot be easily replicated, that's when you are building the sustainability and security that you need for time. You want to build something that's going to last. You want to know that what you predict as your budget for next year or even two, three years from now is going to be relatively accurate. You want to be able to go on that vacation, knowing that you have the ability to recoup those funds or have saved it because of your projections have been most accurate. And all of that comes with time. And so I don't know who needed to hear this conversation. I just felt moved because I kept seeing this over and over again. And like I said, I've been working on some things that I want to share that is going to help get you to that point because I know that's the only way that we can change this dynamic and increase the level of diversity in this industry, in this space. And once again, I know that it's possible because there's so many brilliant women like you that are already making an impact and just need the platform to make an even bigger one.

Share The Show And Stay Connected

SPEAKER_00 24:16

All right, guys, I hope this helps. If you enjoyed this episode and this conversation, please share it with the friends, spread the word. The more people we get listening and tuning into the podcast, the more that it'll grow. And until next time, take care. 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 consulting.com for more information to support your consulting journey. Until next time, keep breaking glass silly. All right, take care of it.