One of the things I teach in my coaching programs is that you can position your nonprofit consulting firm in the marketplace by specializing by the work you do, niching by who you do it for, or both! Our guest today has found success by specializing! Leah Roman, of Roman Public Health Consulting, joins me to share her path from accidental consultant, who did lots of different types of work for public health nonprofits, to SPECIALIZING in e-learning solutions for adult learners. While...

Does having a referral based business make you feel like you don’t have control when it comes to managing your leads? Have you been feeling like there is something you are missing? Or maybe you feel like you need to create a better "marketing plan" in order to get that steady stream of clients you need.  Relationship marketing is a great way for Nonprofit Consultants to build strong connections, come from a place of service and gain CONSISTENT client leads from referrals.  This week,...

What happens when you move from being a generalist to positioning yourself as an expert? My client Alicia Lynch, PhD of Lynch Research Associates is here today to share her incredible journey of transitioning her business from doing research for any type of organization to focusing her business on youth development research.  She also shares how her innate love and inspiration from all children fuels her mission. 💡We delve into the power of niching and how it transformed her consulting...

Join us in this episode as we provide actionable tips and real-life examples to help you balance fairness to subcontractors while ensuring your business’s success. Two critical issues when working with subcontractors is preserving profit and control. We find that nonprofit consultants tend to be overly generous, especially with peers, but this can impact your business’s bottom line and your grip on client relationships. The good news? Elizabeth and I are here to share strategies to navigate...

My client LaKeesha Morris-Moreau is a natural leader and I loved learning more about how she empowers her team. Join us as we chat about how she established BellTower Consulting Group while she was working at a nonprofit and has grown to a team of 7. Since we started working together, LaKeesha shifted from offering grant services to any organization to specializing in grant writing and support services primarily for cities. Her team has grown significantly in the last few years, including...

One of the most universal issues Nonprofit Consultants face is Scope Creep. This is when clients ask you to do tasks and projects beyond your original work agreement (assuming you have one 😬).  There are ways to prevent scope creep from the beginning of an engagement and also ways to change course if you are already knee deep in projects you never intended to say yes to, but already did. 🎉 The good news is that we LOVE helping clients through this and to maintain boundaries in relationships...

What is the next step in growing your nonprofit consulting business?  In this episode, I’m joined by my team member Elizabeth Cook, who coaches alongside me in our programs. We cover five key obstacles that might be holding you back and share actionable tips to overcome them. 📋 Grab our guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make.   Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn  Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn Read “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what...

You will enjoy this update episode as I interview Rachel Cahill in Spring 2024, one year after we recorded episode #4. As with many nonprofit consultants, she is an accidental business owner. In this episode, I dive deep into HOW Rachel became a consultant and she shares that she doubled her team in the last year from three to six team members. She also discusses the importance of maintaining a vision and being selective with projects to ensure meaningful impact. I especially enjoyed...

A year ago (Spring 2023), I interviewed my client Rachel Cahill about how she expanded her capacity in her business by hiring BOTH in her business and her home. If you’ve been looking for permission to get support where you really need it, then this episode is for you. Rachel shares about the mindset issues she encountered along her hiring journey and the challenges and benefits she has experienced, including being able to take on more projects and have more impact to those experiencing...

Positioning might seem like a straightforward concept, yet many nonprofit consultants struggle with it, reaching plateaus in their growth. In today’s episode, my team member Elizabeth Cook and I dive into why nonprofits consultants can succeed without initial strong positioning, and why establishing a clear niche and specialization is crucial for scalability and defining your business's trajectory. You’ll hear insights into turning broad capabilities into sharp, market-targeted skills,...

Nonprofit consulting has its own unique cycle of client interaction, and understanding it can be transformative for your consulting practice. In today’s episode, we dive into the Nonprofit Client Lifecycle framework I've designed. We discuss each stage – attract, engage, convert, onboard, deliver, grow, and nurture – and why mastering this cycle is crucial for anyone consulting in the nonprofit space. Additionally, we explore the nuances of funding sources in the convert and grow stages and...

It is complicated to serve nonprofit clients while running a for profit consulting business, especially when you were previously an employee in the nonprofit sector. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Elizabeth Cook, who coaches with me in our group coaching program. Our mission is to help you stay in business!  We dive into my ENDURING BUSINESS model and share why each pillar is critical.  Have you guessed that one of the pillars is profitability? 📋 Snag our new guide on the 5 Mistakes...

Are you a Nonprofit Consultant pulled between making an impact and running a profitable business? Join Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, on a podcast crafted just for you.  With 25 years of diverse experience as a management consultant, market researcher, small business owner and business coach, Natalie shares practical strategies to balance purpose and profit.  Through engaging discussions, trainings, and client stories, Natalie covers everything from pricing and proposals to maintaining client...