Thriving Through

E108 Summits as a Lead Generation Machine | Bill Boone

Most self-employed consultants rely on the same tired lead generation tactics but the consultants who break through to six figures use a strategy that most of their peers have never considered. In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Bill Boone, Owner of B Squared Marketing LLC and Chief Curator of Best Online Businesses. Bill is a subject matter expert on designing and running virtual summits a powerful but underutilized lead generation and authority-building tool for self-employed consultants. Why You Should Listen to This Episode If you've hit a ceiling on your consulting income or you're tired of the unpredictability of feast-or-famine revenue cycles, this episode will show you why summits are one of the most effective ways to build authority, generate qualified leads, and create a predictable path to six-figure consulting fees. You'll learn how to run a summit without needing a massive existing audience, how to position yourself as an expert, and how to fill your pipeline with ideal clients, without relying on networking, cold outreach, or hope. What You'll Learn in This Episode • Why Summits Are a Lead Generation Game-Changer for Consultants. Most self-employed consultants overlook summits entirely, but they're one of the most effective ways to generate qualified leads, build your email list, and position yourself as an authority in your niche without starting from zero. • How to Run a Summit When You Don't Have a Huge Existing Audience. You don't need 10,000 subscribers to run a profitable summit. Bill shares the mechanics of how to structure a summit and what makes it work regardless of your current reach. • The Role of Your Ideal Client Avatar in Summit Success. Knowing exactly who you're trying to reach and why they need what you offer is the foundation of a summit that actually generates business. Learn how to get specific about your ideal client so your summit attracts the right people. • How Summits Build Authority and Credibility Faster Than Other Strategies. When you curate other experts and create a valuable experience for your audience, you position yourself as a leader in your space. This translates directly to higher fees and more selective client relationships. • The Direct Connection Between Summits and Revenue. Bill breaks down exactly how summits convert to paying clients and why they're one of the fastest ways to move from inconsistent income to predictable, multi- six-figure revenue. • How to Find Your "One Thing" as a Consultant. The real leverage in consulting comes from deep specialization. Discover why narrowing your focus actually multiplies your income and makes you happier in your work. About Bill Boone Bill Boone is the Owner of B Squared Marketing LLC and Chief Curator of Best Online Businesses. With over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, and business development both in corporate roles at IBM and Oracle and as a self-employed consultant Bill has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and consultants use virtual summits to generate leads, build authority, and create predictable revenue. Bill holds an MBA from UCLA and is passionate about helping self-employed consultants break through income plateaus by finding their unique expertise and marketing it effectively. Connect with Bill Boone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billboone/ Most consultants don't have a client attraction system. Do you? You've got expertise. The question isn't whether you can do the work—it's whether you have a system that consistently brings clients to you. Book a free Client Attraction System Assessment with AJ. On the call, you'll get clarity on: ● Whether you have an actual system for attracting clients or if you're still relying on hope, referrals, and networking ● Which part of your process is broken: how you're finding prospects, how you're staying top-of-mind, or how you're converting them into clients ● The one change that would shift you from reacting to the market to leading it. This assessment is right for you if you're making less than $100K, know you should be at $150K or more, and want to stop guessing about why you aren't getting new clients consistently. This isn't a sales call. You'll get a straight diagnosis of where your system stands and what needs to happen next.

E107 Lessons for Independent Consultants: Why Expertise Alone Won’t Grow Your Consulting Business

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Jonathan Spector, Founder of Converge Strategic Partners. Jonathan brings decades of experience in consulting and business development across federal, state, local, and private-sector clients including time leading practices inside a large global firm before going independent. Why You Should Listen to This Episode If you've ever told yourself that your network will eventually deliver clients, this episode is the wake-up call. Jonathan is candid about something most self-employed consultants quietly believe but rarely say out loud, that being good at the work is supposed to be enough, and that a strong network should equal a full pipeline. He shares why those assumptions break down once you're independent, what he's learning about the difference between accepting work and building a practice, and how he's finding ways to get in front of senior leaders without doing the LinkedIn marketing dance. If you're under $100K and wondering why your relationships aren't translating into consistent revenue, you'll see yourself in this conversation — and you'll walk away with a clearer picture of what actually has to change. What You'll Learn in This Episode: • Why a Network Is Not a Pipeline: Jonathan explains the moment he realized a deep network of relationships does not automatically generate qualified conversations, and why this single distinction sits at the root of most consultants' inconsistent income. • The Trap of "If I'm Good, the Work Will Come": Why being strong at delivery is not the same skill as building a consulting business — and how blurring the two keeps consultants stuck for years. • Are You Building a Practice or Just Accepting Work? The question every self-employed consultant needs to answer honestly, and what changes when you stop being opportunistic and start being intentional. • Business Development From a Company vs. On Your Own: Why landing work as an executive at a firm is a completely different game than landing work as an independent, and the infrastructure most consultants underestimate. • Speaking, Webinars, and Workshops as a Pipeline Strategy: Jonathan shares how he uses conferences, executive breakfast clubs, and webinars to get in front of qualified leaders without cold outreach or daily LinkedIn posting. • Focus vs. Fear of Missing Out: "You can do anything, but you can't do everything." Why narrowing your focus feels like closing doors, and why it's actually how you open the right ones. Connect with Jonathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jospector/ Work with AJ: Is your revenue reflecting your expertise? Probably not, and here's how to find out why. Book a free Revenue Diagnosis Call with AJ. On the call, you'll find out: • Whether you have a lead generation problem, a nurturing problem, or a conversion problem, and which one is costing you the most revenue right now • Why your current approach keeps your income from reflecting your expertise no matter how hard you work • What has to change to reach multi-six figures with predictable monthly income and high-paying clients This call is right for you if you're making less than $100K and know you should be at $150K or more, and you want a straight answer, not more trial and error. This isn't a coaching session. It's a diagnosis. Book Your Call Listen if you want to: ✔ Start your own consulting business ✔ Transition from corporate to self-employment ✔ Improve your networking and outreach strategy ✔ Build confidence in your personal brand #ConsultingBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Freelancing #CareerGrowth #LinkedInTips #SelfEmployment #Podcast #ThrivingThrough

E106 Thriving Through Leadership, Personal Growth, Branding, and Purpose-Driven Business Building

In this episode of the Thriving Through podcast, Frank Clark shares his journey from corporate America to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of thriving through growth and consistent improvement. He discusses his transition to self-employment, the marketing strategies he employs to build his business, and his vision for scaling Encore Leadership Advisors. Frank also highlights the significance of public speaking in branding, the challenges of managing multiple ventures, and offers valuable advice for candidates navigating today's job market. Takeaways Thriving is about consistent improvement and growth. Frank's corporate background laid a strong foundation for his business. The leap to entrepreneurship was driven by a desire for independence. Marketing and sales are crucial for business development. Building a strong team is essential for scaling a business. Public speaking enhances brand visibility and credibility. Time management is key when juggling multiple ventures. A daily routine of gratitude and exercise fuels success. Embracing technology is vital for career advancement. Encore Leadership Advisors focuses on providing talent solutions. Connect with Frank: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-m-1bbb092b/ Work with AJ: Is your revenue reflecting your expertise? Probably not, and here's how to find out why. Book a free Revenue Diagnosis Call with AJ. On the call, you'll find out: • Whether you have a lead generation problem, a nurturing problem, or a conversion problem, and which one is costing you the most revenue right now • Why your current approach keeps your income from reflecting your expertise no matter how hard you work • What has to change to reach multi-six figures with predictable monthly income and high-paying clients This call is right for you if you're making less than $100K and know you should be at $150K or more, and you want a straight answer, not more trial and error. This isn't a coaching session. It's a diagnosis. Book Your Call Listen if you want to: ✔ Start your own consulting business ✔ Transition from corporate to self-employment ✔ Improve your networking and outreach strategy ✔ Build confidence in your personal brand #ConsultingBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Freelancing #CareerGrowth #LinkedInTips #SelfEmployment #Podcast #ThrivingThrough

E105 How a PhD Scientist Built a Fully Booked Consulting Practice Without a Sales Strategy

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Charla Marshall, Founder and Principal Consultant of DNA-ed Services, LLC. Charla is a forensic geneticist and former Deputy Director of the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory who built a thriving consulting practice in one of the most niche scientific fields in the world, entirely through reputation, without a sales strategy. Why You Should Listen to This Episode: If you're a self-employed consultant struggling with inconsistent income, a thin pipeline, or the pressure to constantly market yourself, Charla's story will reframe everything. She went from government employee to fully booked consultant in just 9 months, not through cold outreach or a marketing funnel, but by leveraging deep specialization and a reputation built over a decade of high-stakes scientific work. In this conversation, Charla gets honest about what she doesn't know (business, taxes, sales), how she's thinking about revenue diversification, and what it really looks like to build a consulting practice that supports the life you actually want. What You'll Learn in This Episode: • How Deep Niche Expertise Eliminates the Lead Generation Problem: Charla explains how being the go-to expert in a highly specialized field, forensic genomics, meant clients came to her before she ever had to go looking for them. • Why 'Fully Booked' Isn't the Finish Line: Now maxed out at 50+ hours a week across 3–4 retainer clients, Charla is confronting what comes next, and why even a thriving hourly practice can leave you financially exposed. • The Revenue Diversification Challenge Every Successful Consultant Faces: Charla shares her thinking about moving beyond hourly retainers toward books, speaking engagements, and brand partnerships, and why she's approaching it organically rather than forcing it. • How to Build Business Credibility When You Have Zero Business Background: From filing an LLC to doing her own taxes with TurboTax and ChatGPT, Charla walks through the scrappy, resourceful approach she took to figure out the business side from scratch. • The Lifestyle You Can Actually Build as a Self-Employed Consultant: Charla describes the real day-to-day of a thriving consulting practice, including walking the beach on weekday mornings and being present for her kids in ways that were impossible in her government role. • Why Consulting Success Is Repeatable, If You've Put in the Work: Charla makes the case that if you've genuinely 'peaked' in your field, done the work, built the reputation, earned the credibility, transitioning to consulting is less of a risk than it feels. About Charla Marshall: Charla Marshall is a forensic geneticist with a PhD and a decade of federal government experience, including serving as Deputy Director of the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, where she led a 11.5-year project developing DNA sequencing techniques to identify Korean War soldiers. She is the founder of DNA-ed Services, LLC, a specialized consulting firm focused on forensic genomics technology transition. In just 9 months, Charla went from launching an LLC as a side project to fully booked across 3–4 retainer clients, entirely through reputation and word of mouth. • Connect with Charla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charla-marshall-242a8367/ Work with AJ: Is your revenue reflecting your expertise? Probably not, and here's how to find out why. Book a free Revenue Diagnosis Call with AJ. On the call, you'll find out: • Whether you have a lead generation problem, a nurturing problem, or a conversion problem, and which one is costing you the most revenue right now • Why your current approach keeps your income from reflecting your expertise no matter how hard you work • What has to change to reach multi-six figures with predictable monthly income and high-paying clients This call is right for you if you're making less than $100K and know you should be at $150K or more, and you want a straight answer, not more trial and error. This isn't a coaching session. It's a diagnosis. Book Your Call Listen if you want to: ✔ Start your own consulting business ✔ Transition from corporate to self-employment ✔ Improve your networking and outreach strategy ✔ Build confidence in your personal brand #ConsultingBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Freelancing #CareerGrowth #LinkedInTips #SelfEmployment #Podcast #ThrivingThrough

E104 How One Fractional Consultant Beat Rejection Fatigue and Designed a Business on Her Own Terms

What does it really mean to thrive in your career and life? In this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast, Deepa Patel shares her journey from corporate layoff to building a successful self-employed consulting business, and how taking control of her schedule changed everything. Deepa breaks down the reality of entrepreneurship, from fear, uncertainty, and rejection fatigue to building a strong client pipeline, standing out in a crowded market, and creating a flexible lifestyle on your own terms. If you're considering freelancing, consulting, or leaving your 9–5, this conversation offers practical insights and an honest look at what it takes to succeed. In this episode, you’ll learn: • What “thriving” really means beyond productivity • How a layoff can become a powerful turning point • The biggest mistakes new consultants make (and how to avoid them) • How to get clients through authentic outreach (without relying on AI) • Managing income uncertainty and rejection fatigue • Building a pipeline, retainers, and referral-based revenue • How to stand out and confidently pitch yourself Deepa also shares her mindset on marketing, why solving problems beats selling, and how to build a long-term, scalable consulting business. Connect with Deepa Patel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepa--patel/ Listen if you want to: ✔ Start your own consulting business ✔ Transition from corporate to self-employment ✔ Improve your networking and outreach strategy ✔ Build confidence in your personal brand #ConsultingBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Freelancing #CareerGrowth #LinkedInTips #SelfEmployment #Podcast #ThrivingThrough