The 'Consultant' sauce isn't a secret
Well, not anymore.
If we're being honest, freelancing can be pretty sweet.
Work when you want, pick the projects you want, avoid all that office drama.
Not having to deal with Mitch at the front desk, daily. Or his burnt popcorn stinking the place up, daily.
Pretty sweet. Until it’s not.
But at some point you have to start hustling. You're either so busy trying to hit too many deadlines and managing client tasks. Or you’re petrified chasing projects because you have none of those.
One day it hits you, that you’re running in circles. Doing too many things, the kind that require completely different parts of your brain because they don’t go together or relate to each other in any way.
I remember too many times when days looked something like this:
Client A an SEO-focused blog post for a cannabis accounting software
Client B facebook ads for an organic skincare ecommerce store
Client C helping a family friend build and launch their real estate website
Client D assessing a google analytics report to find out how much traffic came and converted from the live LinkedIn webinar we hosted last week, recruiting recruiters
Freelancer 1 Reviewing social media posts for an upcoming course launch and funnel for helping busy moms find the time to journal
Freelancer 2 Communicating throughout the day with a VA working on too many different things too
Sure, that might be a look at 2 or 3 different days. Because no way would I be able to do all that task pivoting and be effective at any of those all in one day.
But even broken up over several days. It’s too many things that don’t go together at all.
You can make decent money living like this.
But can you be happy?
That’s why I recommend to every freelancer, focus on what you do well, really well.
Then let someone who doesn’t know how to do it pay for your advice and guidance.
When you do something every day, day in and day out, there’s usually someone coming behind you that would likely pay you to learn how you do it. Or how they should do it.
Would you consider for a minute, then, that you’re a consultant?
Bear with me, it’s not the leap that you think it is. We know the differences between a freelancer and a consultant.
But do you know the secret to the difference?
How You Think
It's your mindset.
It boils down to freelancers are in a mindset trap. Do you focus on getting work, banging it out, delivering. Then it’s “what do you need next?”
Consultants focus on “creating value.” They don't just bill hours. They solve important problems. They know what comes next, they don’t ask.
And often they're expensive. So wouldn't you rather be one of those?
But “I’m not an expert,” you say.
You don't have to be an expert to start your consultant journey, you just have to start it.
Because when you go from freelancer to consultant, you stop living project to project. You're starting to build a real, sustainable income as you become the expert along the way.
"But I don't have a degree or any credentials"
Me neither. But I became an expert in some things along the way.
That's the other part of the secret sauce they don't want you to know: You don't need a fancy title or MBA (or any degree at all for that matter) to take on the consultant mindset.
What I mean is… if you can:
stop thinking about hours and start thinking about impact.
ditch the “more work is better” mindset and focus on high-value work.
think like a partner, not a “for hire” helper.
Then you’d make a fine consultant
Maybe an amazing consultant. So what are you lying in wait for?
Step out of the freelance mindset. Get off the hamster wheel.
Start seeing yourself as a consultant.
I put together a free kit that will help you.
Get the kit
It's called the 5 Mindset Steps to help you go from Freelancer to Six-Figure Consultant, a Level 1 guide for rewiring your approach to work, income, and clients.
I call it a kit because there's mindset shifts and steps and activities with AI prompts to build you a one-page summary. It's a whole thing to help you uncover:
Who you are, to whom and why anyone should give a damn.
Honestly, I’ll probably turn it into a workshop, it’s that impactful.
Your consultant identity, if you will. And it’s totally free.
When you get these mindset shifts, think of them as your first next step to being a great consultant. Then use the AI prompts and Take Action steps to help you define and refine your new consultant identity.
How you turn your gigwheel hustle into a real consulting business is…
You sign up for the free "5 Mindset Steps" and get started. And stay tuned this week and next week for more tips on “consultant thinking”.
Because the faster you think like a consultant, the faster you get paid like one.
Niiiiice 😎