How to Partner on a Public Health Consulting Contract (and Not Waste Your Time)

How to Partner on a Public Health Consulting Contract (and Not Waste Your Time)

▶ Free Workshop: Public Health Consulting 101 Partnering on contracts is one of the fastest ways to go after bigger opportunities — but only if you do it right. Dr. Des is teaching a free live workshop — Public Health Consulting 101 — on June 16th AND June 17th. Come with your questions. Leave with a plan. 👉 Save your seat at https://www.publichealthclub.com/public-health-consulting-training Resources Mentioned Free Contract Partnership Playbook — Interview questions, MOU guidance, and everything you need to structure a consulting partnership. Free inside The Public Health Club at https://www.publichealthclub.com/ Six Figure Public Health Consultant Playbook — Workbook companion for the PHC Consulting 101 class. Free inside PHC at https://www.publichealthclub.com/ Public Health Consulting 101 — Free live workshop, June 16 + June 17. Register at https://www.publichealthclub.com/public-health-consulting-training Subcontracting to Six Figures (S26F) — Open now for PHC members. General public doors open June 16th. https://www.publichealthclub.com/course Partnering is one of the smartest moves you can make when going after a contract — but most people do it wrong. In Day 4 of Public Health Consulting Week, Dr. Des breaks down how to identify the right partner, why complementary skills matter more than shared ones, how to structure the relationship legally before a single dollar is awarded, and what needs to be in writing before anyone starts the work. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why you should look for complementary skills — not duplicate ones — in a partner How to properly vet a potential partner before committing to a joint proposal Why you should always apply under one business name (and what prime awardee vs. subcontractor means) What a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is and when to use one What needs to be in a formal contract once you've been awarded funds Why project management experience is one of the most valuable assets a consultant can have Timestamps [00:00] Welcome to Day 4 — and why partnering is one of Dr. Des's favorite topics [01:30] S26F update — open for PHC members today; general public June 16th [03:00] The most common partnering mistake people make in the PHC community [04:30] How to identify exactly what skills you need in a partner [06:00] Complementary vs. duplicate skills — and why the difference matters [07:30] How to vet a partner: Google Form + 30-minute interview [09:30] Apply under one business name — prime awardee and subcontractor explained [11:00] What an MOU is and why you need one before the award [12:30] What to include in a formal contract once funds are awarded [14:00] Payment terms, deliverables, and hour tracking — handle it upfront [15:30] Free Contract Partnership Playbook + Six Figure Consultant Playbook inside PHC Frequently Asked Questions How do you find the right partner for a public health consulting contract? Start by reviewing the RFP and identifying exactly what skills it requires that you don't already have. Then look specifically for someone who fills those gaps — not someone who does the same things you do. Post a specific ask, collect applications via a Google Form, and do a 30-minute interview before committing to anything. Should two consultants apply under separate business names? No. Apply under one business. The client will cut one check and work with one point of contact — two separate business names on a contract creates confusion and can hurt your chances. One person serves as the prime awardee; the other operates as a subcontractor underneath them. Decide who takes which role before you submit. What is an MOU and do you need one when partnering on a contract? An MOU — Memorandum of Understanding — is a legal document that outlines the terms of your partnership before any money changes hands. It has no financial obligation attached, but it establishes who is responsible for what. Once you're awarded the contract, follow it up with a formal subcontractor agreement that specifies payment amounts, timelines, deliverables, and how hours are tracked. About The Dr. Des Show The Dr. Des Show is the go-to podcast for public health career development, consulting, and entrepreneurship. Hosted by Dr. Desiree "Dr. Des" Strickland — DrPH, public health CEO, and founder of The Public Health Club. https://www.drdesshow.com/ https://www.publichealthclub.com/

How to Find Your Public Health Consulting Niche

Resources Mentioned Free Niche Development Worksheet — Helps you identify your consulting specialty and articulate it clearly to clients. Free inside The Public Health Club at https://www.publichealthclub.com/ Free Skills Translation Guide — From Day 1. Translate your PH skills into consulting language. Inside PHC at https://www.publichealthclub.com/ Free RFP Go/No-Go Checklist — From Day 2. Inside PHC at https://www.publichealthclub.com/ Public Health Consulting 101 — Free live workshop, June 16 + June 17. Register at https://www.publichealthclub.com/public-health-consulting-training Subcontracting to Six Figures (S26F) — Doors open June 16th. Six weeks, step-by-step. https://www.publichealthclub.com/course How to Find Your Public Health Consulting Niche | The Dr. Des Show Ep. [#] Trying to do everything in public health is exactly what's keeping you from landing contracts. In Day 3 of Public Health Consulting Week, Dr. Des breaks down what a consulting niche actually is, why being a generalist works against you, and the two questions that will help you identify your specialty fast. She also tackles the myth that multiple revenue streams mean doing five things at once — and why it almost never works that way. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why "I do health equity" is not a niche — and what to say instead How being a generalist gets your proposal skipped over The two questions that reveal your consulting niche Why doing work you actually enjoy makes building a business significantly easier How multiple revenue streams actually develop — and why you start with one How to talk about your niche confidently in networking conversations and at conferences Timestamps [00:00] Welcome to Day 3 — and why niche is today's focus [01:30] What a niche actually is and why public health training works against us [03:00] Why "I can do everything" loses contracts [04:30] The two questions: what do you like to do, and what are you good at? [06:30] How Dr. Des's own niche evolved — from health equity trainings to PHC [08:00] Multiple streams of revenue: the real way it happens [09:30] How to talk about your niche in a live networking moment [11:00] Free Niche Development Worksheet inside PHC + S26F doors opening June 16th Frequently Asked Questions What is a consulting niche in public health? A niche is the specific service you offer — not a topic area, a deliverable. "Health equity" is a topic. "Health equity-focused program evaluation for nonprofits" is a niche. Clients hire consultants for specific projects, and if they can't quickly identify what you do and how it benefits them, your proposal gets passed over. How do I figure out my public health consulting niche? Start with two questions: What do you actually enjoy doing in public health? And what do other people consistently come to you for or compliment you on? Where those two answers overlap is usually your niche. If you're still unsure, the free Niche Development Worksheet inside PHC walks you through it step by step. Do I need multiple services to build a consulting business? No. Multiple revenue streams almost always start from one strong one. Pick the service you do best, build a track record with it, then branch off from there. Trying to launch multiple offers at once splits your focus and makes it harder to win anything. Start with one. Get a client. Then grow. About The Dr. Des Show The Dr. Des Show is the go-to podcast for public health career development, consulting, and entrepreneurship. Hosted by Dr. Desiree "Dr. Des" Strickland — DrPH, public health CEO, and founder of The Public Health Club. https://www.drdesshow.com/ https://www.publichealthclub.com/

How to Know If an RFP Is a Go or No-Go

Free RFP Go/No-Go Checklist — Inside The Public Health Club. Download at https://www.publichealthclub.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqblRySGZLcGJUdjVISUltaWNuSDhCVU9jZ2kyUXxBQ3Jtc0ttbEdmcTduV2h1NDNhbW9nU2JRVDJmNVh1VkRhdmFqYTU4UDAwdl9JNEYwdllnUVU0VjIxTV9QQ2VVRFVsajhZT1FBQm9MYXpTal9iSG9aZ1JuZVUwRzhSTFNreVFMOW1QQ1pfUjVsMXlBWVMzUl9Zaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publichealthclub.com%2F&v=XWqGsRNkMK0] Free Skills Translation Guide — From Day 1. Translate your PH skills into consulting language. Inside PHC at https://www.publichealthclub.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnl2TFRlbWtMa1RVSUctQzctZGZqa08tdjM1Z3xBQ3Jtc0ttTTVWdWtkeGx4dnBMdVFJX284TkNMcVh2NHFXRVJUcFhwMzNaU3lIUk1mZ1A4OE5wLW4tbVI5OUItWW5QYVRBN08xV2lYLUpmV2lQNGl2eDFPUVZzUTV6YlBZeFlxTVlzWGlsbHdSbHJ4NkpYNXFvTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publichealthclub.com%2F&v=XWqGsRNkMK0] Digital Portfolio Workshop — Learn to build a portfolio that gets you hired. Inside PHC at https://www.publichealthclub.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXVkWl9oZkZZVE1pNXNSQU1FYlNpN3d1bXFUQXxBQ3Jtc0tuYWZHWG9IRjVwQ0l4UVQzaU43Y2JDUHRQWWdvSWZmR2pLS3E1blUtUGp3WE81NGRqaVJGNHVYeDRDWlQxRVlMSzZKTnhfWFZRNVoxYjZ6eEY1VndldDAtR1RqRS0ycUtuTExvblFhVnBkdndxYmExUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publichealthclub.com%2F&v=XWqGsRNkMK0] Public Health Consulting 101 — Free live workshop, June 16 + June 17. Register at https://www.publichealthclub.com/publ... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjBGZ05qTmxEQ0FPOG1sWXp6a2ZiNVl1aTg0Z3xBQ3Jtc0tuVTN6MER2SDAyVE9faG5HaUZiQkY0UXlpVV96bUY4ODBKc2toOFllUjBBLUZac1FxQnhYOExuSmFya1p0eFpwYW1HbkVFaTUyQURWbXZaVldhZ3B6RkhXM2RsSDBzdE1PTU5vV1hjS3A1Z2lJeUtrUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publichealthclub.com%2Fpublic-health-consulting-training&v=XWqGsRNkMK0] Subcontracting to Six Figures (S26F) — Dr. Des's six-week course for landing your first contract. https://www.publichealthclub.com/course [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjhwLU1wa1lkOGF1U0llVGswQzF5OU9ONU0wZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttX1dsbVpEbDlSWFAtU2FNaEpsVlRlblRXWEUwbDBIUW5pT0FiUjNXNHJNbWRmSUQxenl5dkV5VThpaXAtVHJHSmkxSGstOUkza25UWFpFdXJIb3VTNGlWV016VmJ5N1BXTzBSZlZlbV9fVXF3REJScw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publichealthclub.com%2Fcourse&v=XWqGsRNkMK0] Not every RFP deserves a proposal. In Day 2 of Public Health Consulting Week, Dr. Des walks through the exact questions to ask before you invest time writing a submission — from whether you actually have the expertise to whether the budget is even worth your time. She also covers when and how to partner with colleagues on larger contracts, and why vetting your partners is just as important as vetting the opportunity itself. In This Episode, You'll Learn The difference between "can I do this" and "can I prove I've done this" — and why it matters Why public health consultants need at least five years of direct experience before pursuing contracts How to evaluate whether the client type matches your background What to do when the budget doesn't match the scope of work How to assess whether the timeline is realistic before you commit How to partner with colleagues on contracts — and how to vet them first Frequently Asked Questions How do you decide if an RFP is worth responding to? Run it through four questions: Does it fit your expertise? Can you prove you've done this work before? Does the budget match the scope? Does the timeline work? If you're thinking "I could probably figure this out" — that's a no-go. Clients hire consultants to come in and lead. They don't have time to train you. How much public health experience do you need before consulting? At minimum, five years of direct public health work — not school, not occasional volunteering. Consulting clients are paying for expertise they can deploy immediately. They need you to come in, do the work, and deliver. Less than five years makes it hard to demonstrate that level of independence. Is it okay to partner with a colleague on a consulting contract? Yes — partnering is one of the best ways to go after larger contracts. But vet your partner the way you'd vet a hire. If they're working under your business, your name and reputation are on the line. Meet with them, assess their work, and confirm they can deliver before you attach your name to a joint proposal. About The Dr. Des Show The Dr. Des Show is the go-to podcast for public health career development, consulting, and entrepreneurship. Hosted by Dr. Desiree "Dr. Des" Strickland — DrPH, public health CEO, and founder of The Public Health Club. https://www.drdesshow.com/ https://www.publichealthclub.com/

How to Start Speaking the Consulting Language| For Current and Aspiring Public Health Consultants

Resources Mentioned: Free Translation Guide — Translates your public health skills into consulting language for nonprofits, health systems, and private organizations. Free inside The Public Health Club: https://www.publichealthclub.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUlLRXVkYjJYOU11dHhDX0EzcGVGbGR3TjFPZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsWGUyS2RiUFJudnpscEVEM2FvMHpSejNtUG5EWWo0VXl4TlRfSmkya2V3Tm85bVllMUJseTQ4eWZUcGxHdV9kejN6cDAyQ1ZRQkZpQTdrdjZxNVZUUEtJc0l6OHRQSXdJYUVNZW9jc0xrRS1sOUhpNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publichealthclub.com%2F&v=Rq7ZkkXrQqk] Public Health Consulting 101 — Free live workshop, June 16 + June 17. Register at https://www.publichealthclub.com/publ... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0dZZVNJQ3BBYU1ZWGhGamJqR1lmZGV5WVQwQXxBQ3Jtc0trSVIzRXl1dUhmM1NucmtiSzk4S2Z5MkdSUWtuWUJsaW9CeXJwUlMxQWhEQXUzTTBDbEtWQ1hGY3laVmdaTnBUa091VEFzeEFYcWxkZ01iLWNkUkFGdU5Xb2M3WC1MODRQSnFrMVExdTh1Qk1jUk9ZWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publichealthclub.com%2Fpublic-health-consulting-training&v=Rq7ZkkXrQqk] Subcontracting to Six Figures (S26F) — Dr. Des's six-week course for landing your first contract. Learn more at https://www.publichealthclub.com/course [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2VQLVc3blFnSjZNQjZubFlwOWQ5b0ZIWHhzd3xBQ3Jtc0tuaGNzRlRTRUxraUd5ZWJRX255V3FtTzBFR2c3S1ZVMXh1b3p6VDFzaFNkUW56X2Jfd0kyQTdsNzMwbDBheXVvUE14S2s3UzBPNHpuZDdVTFJ5ZS1mQzh2TnNaeGJnQmtmeUMxY3ZCRDE2b3RpV3VBdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publichealthclub.com%2Fcourse&v=Rq7ZkkXrQqk] The fastest way to lose a consulting contract before it starts? Walk in talking like you're applying for a job. In this episode — kicking off Public Health Consulting Week — Dr. Des breaks down the language shift every new public health consultant needs to make, why your grant-writing instincts will backfire with nonprofits, and how two S26F students translated their skills into a $67,000 contract for a library. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why switching from "I" to "we" is the first move you need to make as a consultant How to translate public health terminology into language your clients actually use Why writing proposals like a federal grant will get you rejected by smaller clients The two paths to landing contracts — and which one Dr. Des shifted toward after burning out on RFPs How public health skills like strategic planning and facilitation transfer to non-traditional sectors What Dr. Des's first three contracts looked like — $40K, $7K, $85K — all while fully employed Frequently Asked Questions How do you start speaking the consulting language as a public health professional? Shift from "I" to "we." Refer to your business by name — "Strickland Health Consulting provides..." — even as a solo consultant. It positions you as a business, not a job applicant. Exception: when a client specifically requests a solo contractor. Why do public health consultants struggle to win contracts with nonprofits? Most PH professionals are trained to write long federal grants. Smaller nonprofits can't absorb a 50-page proposal — and academic language signals a mismatch. Write shorter, outcome-focused proposals and translate your terminology. "Impact reporting" lands; "evaluation" often doesn't. Do I need to leave my full-time job to start consulting? No. Dr. Des's first contract — $40,000 — came while she was fully employed. Her second was $7,000, her third was $85,000, all alongside a full-time job. The best time to start is while your salary still covers the bills. https://www.drdesshow.com/ https://www.publichealthclub.com/

Why You're Not Landing Public Health Consulting Clients | The Dr. Des Show

Register for the Public Health Consulting 101 Training on June 16th & 17th: https://www.publichealthclub.com/public-health-consulting-training [https://www.publichealthclub.com/public-health-consulting-training] Join The Public Health Club | publichealthclub.com [https://www.publichealthclub.com/] Why You Haven't Landed Your First Consulting Client | The Dr. Des Show If you're a public health professional who keeps applying for contracts and coming up empty, the problem probably isn't your qualifications — it's a few fixable mistakes you don't even know you're making. In this solo episode, Dr. Des breaks down the real reasons public health consultants struggle to land their first client or build consistent work: writing proposals like federal grants, leading with credentials instead of outcomes, and showing up without a portfolio that actually proves what you can do. She also shares how to use AI tools to sharpen your one-sentence pitch and why getting out of the house to network might be the most underrated move in consulting right now. In This Episode, You'll Learn 1. Why treating a nonprofit proposal like a federal grant application is costing you contracts — and what to do instead 2. How to lead with your expertise (not your degrees) when you're in the room with potential clients 3. The one-sentence pitch formula that makes your services instantly clear to non-technical buyers 4. How to use AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to build a client-specific portfolio fast 5. Why your resume and portfolio need to be outcomes-based — not task-based 6. The mindset shift around rejection that keeps Dr. Des applying even after "no" Resources Mentioned 1. Subcontracting to Six Figures [https://www.publichealthclub.com/course] — Dr. Des's consulting course; join the waitlist at the link below 2. The Public Health Club — publichealthclub.com [https://www.publichealthclub.com/] (7-day free trial; RFP opportunities, workshops on demand, mentorship sessions) 3. Claude — AI tool Dr. Des uses for proposal writing, portfolio building, and pitch refinement (claude.ai) 4. ChatGPT — voice recording feature recommended for dictating and refining your one-sentence pitch 5. Wisper — AI voice-to-text tool for recording your pitch in any software; installable on desktop About The Dr. Des Show The Dr. Des Show is the go-to podcast for public health career development, consulting, and entrepreneurship. Hosted by Dr. Desiree "Dr. Des" Strickland — DrPH, public health CEO, and founder of The Public Health Club. Connect with Dr. Des: 1. Join The Public Health Club: publichealthclub.com [https://www.publichealthclub.com/] 2. Instagram: @DesireeCourtneyJ [https://www.instagram.com/desireecourtneyj/] | @the_publichealthclub [https://www.instagram.com/the_publichealthclub/] 3. LinkedIn: Dr. Desiree Strickland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdesireestrickland/] | The Public Health Club [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-public-health-club/] https://www.drdesshow.com/ https://www.publichealthclub.com/