How to Build a Public Health Consulting Business

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/

How to Build a Public Health Consulting Business

Sign up for the FREE Public Health Consulting 101 Workshop: https://www.publichealthclub.com/public-health-consulting-training [https://www.publichealthclub.com/public-health-consulting-training] Join The Public Health Club and access millions in consulting opportunities, workshops to help get you started and a community of professionals and resources to help you get to the next level | https://www.publichealthclub.com/ [https://www.publichealthclub.com/] Starting a public health consulting business doesn't require a perfect website, a full team, or years of prep — but it does require the right foundation. In this solo episode, Dr. Des breaks down exactly how to build a public health consulting business, drawing from her own journey of launching Strickland Health Consulting seven months pregnant and landing her first contract before her daughter was born. You'll learn the minimum experience you need, why an LLC matters (and what it protects you from), the two assets that are non-negotiable before you apply anywhere, and the two paths to landing your first client. No fluff, no gatekeeping — just the real starting point. In This Episode, You'll Learn 1. Why you need at least five years of direct work experience before you start consulting — and how to translate any niche into contracts 2. The real reason to form an LLC before you sign your first contract (hint: it's not about looking professional) 3. How to pick a consulting niche even if you can do "all the things" 4. The two minimum assets every new public health consultant needs before applying anywhere 5. The two paths to landing your first client: marketing your services vs. applying to RFPs — and how to choose 6. Where to find 80+ non-federal RFPs every single month as a club member 7. Why you don't need a website to make hundreds of thousands in consulting Resources Mentioned 1. Subcontracting to Six Figures  [https://www.publichealthclub.com/course]— Dr. Des's signature course for building and landing consulting contracts; join the waitlist  2. Most In-Demand Consulting Skills Report  [https://www.publichealthclub.com/resources]— free download at publichealthclub.com → Resources → Free Resources 3. Vanessa Da Costa's Consulting Resume Workshop — available on-demand inside The Public Health Club 4. Dr. Des's Digital Portfolio Workshop — available on-demand inside The Public Health Club 5. The Public Health Club — publichealthclub.com [https://www.publichealthclub.com/](7-day free trial) 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/

What Do You Do After You Graduate?

▶ Join The Public Health Club You graduated — now what? The Public Health Club has everything you need to land your first public health job: resume workshops, a digital portfolio workshop, career coaching, interview prep, the Public Health Pivot course, and a community of professionals who actually want to see you win. Seven days free, then $29.99/month. 👉 Start your free trial at publichealthclub.com Graduation is a milestone — but nobody tells you what the job search actually looks like on the other side of it. In this episode, Dr. Des breaks down the full post-graduation playbook for public health grads at every level: when to start applying (hint: six months before you walk across the stage), what the hiring timeline really looks like at large organizations, how to build a resume that gets callbacks instead of silence, why you need a digital portfolio and what goes in it, and the job titles in health economics and biopharma that your professors never mentioned — but that you can absolutely get with your degree. She also shares the story of her own first public health interview, why she knew she didn't get the job the moment she left the room, and what she changed to start getting offers. In This Episode, You'll Learn 1. Why Dr. Des recommends starting your job search six months before graduation — and how to handle it if you get hired while you're still in school 2. The full hiring timeline at large organizations (it's longer than you think — and now you'll know what to expect) 3. What an outcomes-based resume actually looks like, with a concrete public health example 4. Why you need a different resume for every track you're applying to — data, policy, program management, evaluation 5. What a digital portfolio is, how it differs from a resume, and what to put in it as a new grad 6. How to use AI to build your resume — and why you need to know what a good resume looks like before you let AI touch it 7. The six-figure job titles in health economics, outcomes research, and real world evidence that public health grads are overlooked for — and how to get them 8. Dr. Des's first public health interview story: what went wrong and what she did differently after Resources Mentioned 1. The Public Health Club — publichealthclub.com (7-day free trial, then $29.99/month; career coaching, mentorship sessions, workshops on demand, job postings, consulting opportunities, 12+ Impact Lead chapters) 2. Resume Development Workshop (two versions on demand) — inside The Public Health Club 3. Building Your Resume with AI Workshop — inside The Public Health Club; includes Dr. Des's custom GPT and Claude skills for resume building 4. Digital Portfolio Workshop — inside The Public Health Club (AI-updated version coming soon) 5. Interview 101 Workshop — inside The Public Health Club (revamp in progress) 6. Public Health Pivot Course — inside The Public Health Club; teaches how to translate PH skills into healthcare, biopharma, and adjacent industries using their language and keywords 7. Career Coaches inside PHC — office hours available for career and consulting coaching; Khaliah Fleming, Allie Piatkowski, Kristi Brown, Vanessa Da Costa 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 2. Instagram @the_publichealthclub https://www.drdesshow.com/ https://www.publichealthclub.com/

Public Health Careers You NEVER Knew Existed!

Join The Public Health Club to access the Public Health Pivot Course to help you pivot into different industries, along with resume development workshops, mentorship and more! https://www.publichealthclub.com/ [https://www.publichealthclub.com/] 🎙️ Episode Summary In this National Public Health Week episode of The Dr. Des Show, we’re diving into one of the most important conversations in the field right now—nontraditional public health careers. If you’ve ever felt boxed into government roles, nonprofit work, or underpaid positions, this episode will open your eyes to what’s possible beyond the traditional path. Dr. Des breaks down how public health professionals can leverage their skills in consulting, tech, entrepreneurship, strategy, and beyond to build careers that offer both impact AND income. This episode is your permission slip to think bigger about your career—and your earning potential. 🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode ✔️ What “nontraditional public health careers” actually mean ✔️ Why traditional public health roles often limit income growth ✔️ High-paying, nontraditional career paths you should consider ✔️ How to pivot your skills into consulting, business, or tech roles ✔️ The mindset shift required to explore new career opportunities ✔️ Why public health professionals are uniquely positioned for entrepreneurship ✔️ How to align your career with both purpose AND profit 💡 Key Takeaways (Career + Income Strategy) 1. You are NOT limited to traditional public health jobs 2. Your skillset is transferable across multiple high-paying industries 3. Nontraditional paths often lead to more flexibility, freedom, and income 4. The biggest barrier is not opportunity—it’s awareness and mindset 5. 2025–2026 is a major opportunity window for public health professionals to pivot 🧠 Real Talk Moments This episode addresses the realities many public health professionals face: 1. Feeling stuck in low-paying roles 2. Lack of exposure to alternative career paths 3. Burnout in traditional systems 4. The fear of stepping outside the “expected” career track Dr. Des challenges listeners to stop playing small and start exploring opportunities that align with both their skills and financial goals. 👩🏽‍⚕️ About Dr. Des Dr. Desiree Strickland is the Founder & CEO of The Public Health Club, where she helps public health professionals build careers that increase their income, expand their impact, and create long-term wealth. 🚀 Resources & Next Steps 👉 Join The Public Health Club to learn how to pivot into consulting or entrepreneurship 👉 Follow Dr. Des for weekly insights on career growth + income building 👉 Share this episode with someone ready to explore nontraditional opportunities ⭐ Subscribe to The Dr. Des Show ⭐ Leave a review to support more public health professionals ⭐ Share this episode with a colleague who needs to hear this Join The Public Health Club! https://www.publichealthclub.com/ [https://www.publichealthclub.com/] https://www.drdesshow.com/ https://www.publichealthclub.com/

AI for Public Health Entrepreneurs: 3 Workflows That Save Hours Every Week

🎥 WATCH THE FREE AI WORKSHOP REPLAY Dr. Des walked through her exact AI workflows live — and built a working website on the spot using AI. Watch the full replay free. 👉 https://aireplay.publichealthclub.com [ https://aireplay.publichealthclub.com] 🚨 The 4-Day AI Intensive starts May 11 — doors close May 6 4 days live with Dr. Des. Building websites, custom GPTs, AI employees, and the automations she runs every day. Replay included. 👉 https://aicourse.publichealthclub.com [ https://aicourse.publichealthclub.com] Most public health professionals are using AI wrong — or not at all. In this episode, Dr. Des breaks down the 3 ways she's using AI to run The Public Health Club and her consulting business: automating her CEO weekly reset, replacing repetitive VA tasks, and building custom GPTs for her team. She also explains why she's moving from ChatGPT to Claude (Anthropic), what an "AI employee" actually is, and how solo public health consultants can run their businesses like a team of ten — without hiring one. IN THIS EPISODE - The 3 main ways Dr. Des uses AI in her public health business - How to automate your weekly CEO reset in 5 minutes - Why she's switching her team from ChatGPT to Claude - The Otter + Claude + Asana workflow for automatic team action items - How to build custom GPTs for email copy and proposal writing - Why "human approver" is non-negotiable in every AI workflow TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Why public health is slow to adopt AI 03:30 — Large language models 101 08:15 — Use #1: Automating your CEO weekly reset 09:00 — Use #2: AI as your virtual assistant 14:00 — Otter + Claude + Asana team workflow 16:30 — Use #3: Custom GPTs for your team 18:15 — Why prompting alone isn't enough 21:30 — Inside the AI Intensive 23:25 — How to join before May 6 RESOURCES - Free AI Workshop Replay: https://aireplay.publichealthclub.com - The AI Intensive: https://aicourse.publichealthclub.com - The Public Health Club: https://publichealthclub.com - 2026 Most In-Demand Consulting Skills Report: https://publichealthclub.com/free-resources - Tools: Claude, ChatGPT, Otter, Asana, Circle, Claude Design CONNECT WITH DR. DES - https://publichealthclub.com - Instagram @the_publichealthclub — 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/