Expect to learn why the single word you use in the first meeting decides whether a nonprofit will hire you, why struggling programs and struggling books almost always travel together, how long to budget before consulting replaces your salary and why negotiating down to thirty hours beats quitting outright, why a CEO with no finance background can get the right interview questions from AI but still cannot judge the answers, what changes when your team gets big enough that someone actually wants the job everybody else hates, why half of all nonprofit consultants claim to do strategic planning and what that does to your chances, why a narrow niche beats fancy words in a crowded market, and why a first-draft contract plus a lawyer's review beats a ten thousand dollar engagement and much more…

Over the past three years, I invested between three to five hours every single week on LinkedIn. I wrote posts, analyzed metrics, engaged with sector news, and tested different formats. I didn't do it blindly—I love to write. As an introvert, sitting behind a keyboard, sharpening an argument, and publishing it to a digital room feels comfortable. It avoids the awkward small talk of networking mixers and the friction of cold outreach.

My actual experience after hundreds of hours on the platform? LinkedIn is the icing on the cake, not the cake itself.

When people consider making the leap from a traditional full-time W-2 role to independent consulting, they often ask me about the financial upside. I give everyone the same candid answer: I cannot promise that you will make more money.

I also cannot promise a stress-free existence. In fact, clients usually hire consultants when things hit the fan, meaning you will absolutely encounter your fair share of drama and stress.

But if you value autonomy, flexibility, and control over your life, the independent consulting lifestyle offers something a traditional 9-to-5 rarely matches. Here lies the reality of that lifestyle—the incredible perks, and the hidden trade-offs.

All financial reports, even when they’re a mess, have a story to tell and valuable data for any leadership candidate.

Good habits in one context can ruin you in another.

I never imagined that I’d be good at bringing in good clients and definitely never thought that I’d enjoy it. I ended up doing it “my way” and it worked!

When I started consulting, I imagined it would take a couple of years before I brought on affiliate consultants. Instead it only took a few weeks for me to move beyond a “single shingle” practice.

Being able to call on a large team has made such a big difference in the way I lead.

I had no idea how awesome my personal network was. It took Covid-19 to find out.

How I got my consulting practice started and the big decisions I had to make along the way.