AI is here, and its message is clear: Whatever you know, AI knows better or can do faster. It's reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, eradicating entire professions and even industries. Consultants are next. But there is a bright future in leading the revolution.

It's not just an option - it’s necessary for survival. Those who leverage AI with an AI-First Strategy will thrive; those who don’t will fade into obscurity.

The Unprecedented Opportunity - and Risk - Presented by AI

For niche and boutique consultants, AI can be an unprecedented opportunity for growth or a quick death. We are witnessing a scale and pace of change never seen before in history. It’s already happening.

As Sam Jacobs, Co-Founder of Ammo.com predicts, AI adoption among small businesses is set to grow rapidly in 2024, enhancing efficiency and reducing manual errors in areas like marketing, HR, and customer service. And this guy sells bullets.

Even quality control in manufacturing is now...

I know how much harm school counselors can do. When ours sent us her plans for 8th grade, I went into hyper-control mode. No counselor should ever work with my son without my preview and approval.

The year before high school is crucial. Bad decisions will lead to poor course choices and missed opportunities. The psychological impact of poor counseling can extend into adulthood, affecting self-esteem, mental health, and overall satisfaction in life.

As a Behavioral Theorist and Strategic Interventionist, I’m aware of the risks posed by ineffective or negligent counselors. But my challenge was not knowing my rights as a parent - and I had no time to read all 192 pages of "The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs."

In just 15 minutes, I knew my rights

That’s where ChatGPT came in. In just 15 minutes, I knew my rights, identified where they were violated, requested specific actions to remedy, and set clear boundaries.

Here is how I did it:

I downloaded...

Unpack the future trends shaping a lucrative year for independent consulting powerhouses

2024 has all the signs to become the best year yet for solo consultants and boutique consulting firms. The year is going to be filled with more opportunities than ever. There will also be challenges for some, especially if you have a small client base and can’t seem to grow it any further or you are trying all of the marketing tactics that seem to work for all of the other businesses but don’t work for you.

The big picture

US businesses will continue to grapple with increasingly complex challenges. While there are many, I keep my eye on these top three to look at for consultants:

E-commerce and Digital Marketing

Brands will be focusing on this despite economic uncertainties, with a spotlight on adapting strategies, experimenting, and honing in on profitable avenues. An essential part of this growth will be managing privacy correctly.

Trends suggest a push by consumers for...

Control is an important topic for high-performing consultants, because if you feel out of control, or you control the wrong things, you can end up feeling uncertain, disappointed, or unfulfilled.  

We can only control so many things in our lives, right? But what things should we focus on that will make us feel MOST happy, alive and fulfilled? We'll try three... 

- Control Your Outlook and Character 

- Control for New 

- Control for Fulfillment  

Many people don’t feel fulfilled with what they are doing because they (a) don’t choose to do it in the first place, or (b) don’t get to be involved in the full process of creating something—they aren’t involved beginning to end so they never experience the joy of completion or accomplishment. 

We begin changing this here.

Here is the single most powerful strategy that enables you to upsell and cross-sell your services. But most consultants overlook that opportunity. It has been a core strategy for my consultancy to grow small projects to six- and seven-figure accounts.

It’s the Business Review Advantage.

Most service providers are afraid of it. They feel that reviewing the business relationship with #clients could expose them and could bring all the mistakes, flaws, and grievances from the past back to the present.

But the opposite is true. Clients appreciate transparency, accountability, and our leadership in managing the relationship. The more mature the client, the more they value the Business Review Advantage - and as a result, will often increase work with you or refer you to their colleagues and peers.

It might already be too late. If you have not done it yet, do it now: Pre-plan 2023 with your clients.

For Corporate Clients: Budget planning season is on. You want to make sure you are a...

I just got a bill from my accountant with charges for preparing and filing my taxes. They charge $250 per hour.

That leaves me with two questions:

Why $250 per hour?

Why so many hours?

Every time my accountant bills me, I am near having a fit.

I always, always have that undercurrent feeling of uncertainty. For some reason, it costs $4,000 every year to do my taxes. Why?

I have no idea if all these hours are justified, if all deductions and exceptions were applied to the max, or how accurate my tax report is.

I trust them, but …. that subtle discomfort and doubt are always there when I need to fork over .

And that is how a lot of #consulting work is being done these days.

I have news for you. It’s changing.

In times of uncertainty, that subtle discomfort starts turning into a heightened state of aggravation.

The old model of charging dollars for hours is no longer bearable. Consulting #clients want to:

Achieve specific results within a short period,

Get those...

If you feel overwhelm. If it's hard for you to get everything in your consutling business done.

When your company and team are 100% dependent on your being in the business.

When you fear your business is plateauing because of too many competing priorities.

Then maybe it's time for you to get clarity on your business motivators.

They are called the 5 Ps:

- Product
- Positioning
- Prospects
- Profits
- Processes

You need to be aware of all five, but usually only one or two need attention right now.

Or one or two get you the most results.

Focus on these two and have the discipline to blend out the rest.

That means:

- Unsubscribe from all newsletters that do not pertain to the one or two business motivators that you have picked.

- Cancel all meetings that have nothing to do with your top two Ps.

- Be clear on what you want to achieve for the top two Ps by the end of the week. Review them every day.

- Make a list of all the activities that you absolutely MUST do to move a project forward (not...

If you have clients who haggle and squeeze every ounce of energy out of you ...
When you experience scope creep without more billing ...
When you feel exposed because one client takes most of your time and selling falls by the wayside ...
Consider that maybe it is time to upgrade your clients.
When it comes to finding high value clients, most consultants and business coaches market to prospects in terms of the pains they help their clients alleviate.
That is absolutely the WRONG approach.
Such messaging resonates with business owners and executives who are struggling or even flat out failing.
They are in a scarcity mindset: Not enough money. Out of time. Insufficient resources. Broken processes. Limited budget.
Prime Target Clients have a growth mindset.
Here is how to communicate differently in your social media and marketing to upgrade your clients.

When it comes to building your authority, most consultants believe that they need to write a book to attract a following – and paying clients.

This is absolutely the WRONG approach.

I wrote a best-selling book. I paid a book coach an insane amount of money. It made bestseller status. 

When I approached publishers and publicists, their first question was: ‘What’s your platform?’

You see, the publishing industry has changed. They produce, print, and distribute your book – but YOU will need to do the marketing.

You already need to be an authority with a following to get published.

If you aren’t already, publishers may even ask YOU to buy a few thousand books so that at least their costs are covered.

So, don’t waste your money and build your authority first – and faster than you can with any book.

Building your authority is a process.

It’s all about knowing …

• Whether or not there is demand for your service
• If there are...