From Exec to Consultant: My Personal Journey
Sharing a podcast where I tell more of my story moving from operator to consultant + more info on when I'm offering group coaching.
Hey there,
After some positive feedback and questions about my personal journey coming out of last week’s newsletter, I thought it would be a good time to bring back a podcast that I did earlier this year with now friend, Limor Bergman Gross.
This became one of those conversations where we both forgot we were recording, and I hope it adds some more color to my personal story moving from operator to full-time consultant.
Limor is building “From a Woman to Leader”, a space for women navigating all of the mess of leadership transitions and career pivots. Check out the episode below.
We covered everything from my transition out of an intense operating role while pregnant, to why building a website before landing your first client is just procrastination in disguise. If you’re thinking about going independent, or you’re already a few years in and wondering if you’re doing it “right,” this episode is for you.
What you’ll get from this episode
My weird career journey (4:01)
I talk about my path from the music industry to tech to consulting, and how my core skill of being “backstage support for creative geniuses” translated across all of it. Spoiler: you don’t need a perfect background to make this work.
My “why” for consulting (10:30)
Being pregnant with baby number three while working insane hours was my forcing function. I did _not_ want to slow down, but I needed the model to change. Your “why” will be different.
Step away from your title and no-one will get hurt (23:59)
How to deconstruct your corporate roles to find what you’re actually good at versus staying boxed in by your title. This is where most people get tripped up when trying to position themselves as consultants.
The truth about your first contracts (26:41)
I reached out to my warmest network first, and those early projects were poorly defined at best. But here’s why that was actually okay and what I wish I’d done differently about contract length.
Why your website can wait (28:28)
This might be controversial, but building a logo and perfecting your LinkedIn before you have a single client conversation is procrastination that feels like productivity. I explain what you should do instead.
The joy of self-direction (29:43)
Freedom isn’t just about setting your own schedule. It’s about molding your work, pursuing what interests you, and collaborating with people you actually want to work with. Once you taste this, it’s hard to go back.
Should you actually do this? (31:09)
My litmus test: can you name 3 to 5 people who trust you and would sponsor you into opportunities? If yes, and you feel compelled, give it a shot. If not, maybe stay where you are and keep building those relationships.
I’ve written about several of these topics in more depth. Check out my piece on positioning if you’re struggling to articulate what you actually do.
Join me in January
And if you’re past the “thinking about it” stage and ready to build your consulting portfolio, I’m opening up a small group coaching circle in January. It will be limited in size and curated to allow for strong cross-group learning and networking. We’ll work through positioning, proposals, pricing, and all the tactical stuff that keeps you stuck. Join the waitlist below:
This podcast conversation reminded me why I love this work. After three and a half years, I’m still figuring things out, but I’m also more convinced than ever that becoming “unhireable” was the right move.
<3
Amanda
P.S. If you listen to the episode, let me know what landed for you. I’m always curious about what resonates.