Welcome to Profitable Joyful Consulting, where you'll discover how to
multiply revenues without exhaustion, working with perfect clients on
transformational engagements. Host Samantha Hartley shares how talented and ambitious women consultants–just like you!–can build profitable and joyful consulting businesses.
Samantha’s practical and motivating weekly episodes draw on her background in international marketing with The Coca-Cola Company, her 20 years as an independent consultant, and her work with successful women consultants in a wide variety of industries.
Subscribe and make Profitable Joyful Consulting your go-to resource!
Topics you care about:
How to increase revenues without exhaustion. You already know how to grow by working long hours, but that’s not sustainable—or joyful! If you’re
tired of the Revenue Roller Coaster, we’ve got proven strategies to help you double your revenues while avoiding burnout.
How to work exclusively with Perfect Clients on “Transformational
Engagements.” Bad-fit clients are neither profitable nor joyful. We dive into how you can attract, nurture, and retain perfect clients. You'll gain valuable insights about how to break the cycle of short-term projects that keep you living in the land of one-offs so you can create the high-impact, long-term, retainer-based consulting arrangements we call transformational engagements.
What are the fundamentals for having both profit and joy in your
consulting business? Samantha shares strategies for how to get started as a consultant, how to create a consulting brand and compelling messages that will help you to attract clients consistently, how to grow your consulting business with referrals and strategic alliances, how to scale with team and subcontractors, how to set fees for your services, how to write proposals that get accepted, how to leverage your impact with tools and technology, how to sell with integrity, and to make delivery more efficient while still getting results your clients will want to talk about in testimonials and case studies that will sell your services for you. WHEW!
How to cultivate a mindset for success. Samantha brings concrete
examples, client consulting success stories, and actionable tools to
overcome limiting beliefs with powerful intentions, affirmations, and
spiritual practices aligned with your values.
The show’s format respects your time and attention with concise
episodes!
Most episodes in the themed 12-episode seasons feature Samantha sharing practical training taken from her work with clients that you, too, can implement right away in your consulting business. A few times each season, guest experts and fellow consultants stop by to keep you updated on the latest trends and innovations in areas like marketing strategy, pricing, or productivity.
Hosted by: Samantha Hartley
Like many of her clients, Samantha worked in a corporate environment we’d now call psychologically unsafe or even toxic. Even though creativity was “encouraged,” new ideas were considered threatening, and casual misogyny and harassment were ubiquitous. Nevertheless, she built a bridge from there to her first consulting clients and has been self-employed, working remotely, ever since. She remembers her lean years and how she used the exact strategies she teaches on the show to begin to attract clients consistently and learn to get results without overworking. In recent years, Samantha has followed her passion to focus on women consultants and female founders. When we lift up women, everyone benefits!
Learn more here: https://samanthahartley.com/
If you're ready to unlock your full potential as a woman consultant,
increase your profits, and experience the joy of a thriving consulting
business, subscribe and turn on notifications. Join us for ideas and
inspiration at Profitable Joyful Consulting. Your success story begins
here.
Download the free Definitive Guide to Winning 6-Figure Clients at 6FigureClients.com.
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“Sometimes the most productive thing I can do is rest.”
Every time I experience envy of another business owner doing something like working fewer hours or being a digital nomad in Bali, I remind myself: “You’re self-employed! You can do whatever you want.” That’s why, today, I'm preparing to leave on an indefinite sabbatical. if you've ever wondered, “What's a sabbatical, and how do I get me one of those?” this episode is for you.
I once heard a fellow business owner talk about taking a sabbatical. It was the kind of thing that I knew was too soon, but I definitely felt a little bookmark activate in my brain. "That'll be me someday," I thought.
And now, it is!
Earlier this year, I heard the call to take a sabbatical. For a change, a HUGE change—I'm not burned out.
The next iteration of my work and life is coming through to me in divine downloads, but I can’t hear what it is with all the activity around me. So, I’m taking a hiatus from everything except my 1:1 clients.
As I prepare to step away on this indefinite creative sabbatical, I’m diving into what it really means to rest, renew, and create space for the next phase of growth.
In this final episode of Season 20, I share personal stories of burnout, unexpected sabbaticals, and the intentional decision to pause. You’ll learn about the origins of sabbaticals and why creating rest in your business is essential for long-term growth.
Whether you’re planning for a future sabbatical, curious about the idea, or just need to integrate more rest into your routine, this episode will inspire you to rethink how you approach your work.
Key Takeaways:
Why sabbaticals aren’t just for professors (and how to plan your own)
The difference between unintentional and intentional sabbaticals—and what both taught me
How business owners can integrate rest into their daily, weekly, and yearly routines
How to avoid waiting until burnout forces you to stop.
This isn’t just about taking a break; it’s about cultivating a sustainable, joyful business and life. Tune in to this reflective and practical episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting on your favorite podcast app, or listen/read the transcript directly at SamanthasPodcast.com.
The best way to stay in touch with me during my sabbatical, and after, is through my newsletter. Sign up here when you get free tools to grow your consulting business, like the Self-Assessment: The 10 Drivers of Consulting Business Success on The Path to $2 Million™ Visit: http://SamanthaHartley.com/Super
For more tips to help you create a profitable, joyful business without exhaustion, let’s connect on LinkedIn or Facebook.
Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help you grow your consulting business:
🎧 Subscribe to Profitable Joyful Consulting on YouTube and your favorite podcast app:
Manifest Business Success (Exercise)
Season 20 · Episode 236
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 • Duration 13:29
Learn how to create your most amazing year yet with an exercise I love called “The Million-Dollar Dress™👇
On Profitable Joyful Consulting, I teach you how to increase your profits and enjoy your business more. In this episode, you’ll learn how to create your most amazing year yet with an exercise I love called “The Million-Dollar Dress™.”
Sometimes it’s hard to imagine what we want for our future, but a really fun visualization can sometimes help. I use this exercise with my clients all the time to create alignment and help them reach their goals. In this episode, I’m sharing it with you.
You are a powerful creator, and I believe in your ability to create your best year yet! You already have everything you need to be massively wealthy and successful.
Key areas discussed in this episode:
How the idea for this exercise came about many years ago
Reaching our goals and intentions with intangible and energetic alignment
The Million-Dollar Dress™ exercise and how it can help you get clarity about your business
How to pull The Million-Dollar Dress™ exercise into your everyday work
A second creative exercise that can help you support your success this year
Cheers to your most expansive self and your most expansive business this year! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/96ATtrw3y1k or listen on your favorite podcast app to discover how to use this multi-sensory visualization to create it.
“Are you competing when you could be collaborating?”
Have you ever felt unsupported or isolated in your business journey? Many women consultants find themselves trying to figure it all out alone, and that can slow progress. But what if there was a faster, more effective way to grow? It all comes down to support.
In this final episode of the series, we dive into the importance of building robust support networks and how finding your place in communities can help you go farther, faster. This is part six of our series The Feminine Advantage, where we’ve explored topics from balancing masculine and feminine energy to overcoming imposter syndrome.
In this episode, you’ll hear real stories from women consultants who have built thriving six and seven-figure businesses by leaning into their support networks. You’ll hear how connecting with like-minded peers can transform your business and personal life, providing you with encouragement, accountability, and new perspectives. Get ready for practical tips, including a coaching question, a journaling prompt, and an affirmation to take action today.
Key Takeaways
1:25 The Power of a Support Network
7:48 Breaking Free from Sexism (external and internal):
11:00 Embracing (Argh!) Vulnerability in Business
13:42 Building the Team and Delegating for Growth
20:54 Investing in Yourself
23:24 Actionable Next Steps
Community is the gift you give yourself to reach your highest potential. If you're ready to grow and want to experience the power of a strong support network, tune into this episode and take action. Listen to Profitable Joyful Consulting on your favorite podcast app or visit us at SamanthasPodcast.com.
The Drivers of a Successful Consulting Business ⤵️
Whether you’ve been in business for a while and are struggling to get traction, have some traction but are stuck on the revenue roller coaster, or are drowning in client work with no time and capacity to grow the business, these drivers of a successful consultancy will help you create and grow a more profitable, joyful business.
Discover 5 of the 10 drivers of a successful consulting business in this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting (and stay tuned for the next 5 drivers in a part 2 episode!). Some drivers are more important to focus on than others based on where you are in your business, and I break it all down in this episode.
Key areas discussed:
When you start to master these drivers, you’re going to see different results in your business. You’re going to see yourself getting traction, getting off the revenue roller coaster, and coming up for air in your business. Learn how in this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aNMi9ivR6Pc or your favorite podcast app: http://www.samanthahartley.com/blog-podcast.
It’s not just big businesses that struggle with creating a company culture where people want to work and having leaders who can drive the behaviors they want to see.
Small businesses struggle, too. No matter how small your business, it’s not too small to have a culture.
My guest, Brittany Drozd, helps small businesses master leadership and company culture. She empowers agency owners and marketers to become confident leaders, build better teams and catalyze culture change.
Learn how to drive leadership and culture in your business in this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting.
How to position your brand for a more profitable, joyful consultancy ⤵️
Are potential clients confused about what you do? Have you gotten tired of your current clients? Have your specialty or niche changed but you don’t know how to get the word out?
These issues are all examples of brand positioning, how you’re known in the marketplace. What you are known for or known as shapes everything in your business - from the referrals you get to the kinds of clients you work with to the ways you communicate.
In this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting, learn more about what brand positioning is and how to make sure you’re positioned as you choose to be in the market to get the results you want in your business.
Case Study: Most Financially Successful Year Ever with Sherry Quam Taylor
Season 12 · Episode 138
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 • Duration 31:36
My client Sherry Quam Taylor went from being overloaded with 37 clients to making dramatically more than she’s ever made before (and experiencing a ton of joy) doing longer engagements with fewer, ideal clients and getting stunning results.
She’s a consultant who shows nonprofit CEOs how to raise millions more in gen ops dollars so they can fund their strategic plan and increase budgets by 2 to 10x. With Sherry, their teams break free from the limitations of transactional fundraising and reimagine their entire approach to revenue generation, attracting investment-level donors who want to fund their work.
She practically doubled her business and had her most financially successful year ever from working together - and in this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting, she shares how she did it.
One of the things that consultants often come to me struggling with is being overwhelmed in their business. They’re doing client work, working on their own businesses and usually managing a household, on top of navigating the economy and the pandemic and all kinds of things.
Overwhelm happens to all business owners, but it doesn't have to knock you off your game.
There are things that you can do about it if you understand why you get overwhelmed, what you can do when you're overwhelmed, and how you can recognize this as a pattern in your business. Explore why we get overwhelmed and what to do about it in this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting!
Key areas discussed:
Being self-employed can feel like the work never ends. Learn how to get your work (and overwhelm) under control for a sustainable, profitable, joyful business in this episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/Wg9NQ1SXxCI or your favorite podcast app: http://www.samanthahartley.com/blog-podcast.
Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you grow your consulting business:
Case Study: Erin Straza
Season 12 · Episode 136
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 • Duration 22:27
My client Erin Straza was once “just” a copywriter. When she first started working with me, she shared her vision of what more she could do for her clients. Not quite a year later, Erin is bringing transformational engagements to nonprofits and helping them no longer just with copywriting, but with strategic marketing communications.
In this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting, hear how Erin has changed her business by focusing on transformation and working with perfect clients - large enough to really value her services. Erin never had trouble attracting clients, but she was yearning to do deeper work with fewer clients. Now, she’s repositioned herself as a communications strategist and she’s making a bigger impact for her clients. Erin is solidly working in her Joy & Genius Zone™ and, to my delight, she’s grown her revenues dramatically - tripling in two years!
Key areas discussed:
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EpHYJadxuZ0 or listen on your favorite podcast app: www.samanthahartley.com/blog-podcast to hear how Erin has transformed her business by focusing on transformational engagements and working with perfect clients.
WATCH ✅ Case Study Crossing the Million Dollar Mark ➡️
The Client from Hell
Season 12 · Episode 135
Tuesday, November 29, 2022 • Duration 14:38
How to avoid ever getting another client from hell again 👇
The client from hell: we’ve all had them. What can you do to avoid them in the future? How do you prevent yourself from constantly ending up with clients who drive you crazy?
The number one determiner of profit or joy in your business is going to be the clients you work with. In this episode of Profitable Joyful Consulting, you’ll learn how and why consultants end up with clients from hell, what you can learn from the situation, and how to avoid them in the future.
Discover shows related to Profitable Joyful Consulting, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
I have a confession to make. I hate shopping, but I love the way I feel in beautiful clothes. I love to have new looks, and I really don't want to be seen in the same outfits over and over, but I also don't want to clog landfills with more fast fashion. Because I despise shopping, I've been known to buy too quickly and end up with a closet full of things I don't wear.
But everything changed for me when I discovered Armoire. I was heading to a business event in Hawaii and I wanted to look fantastic. I got a gorgeous dress and the cutest jumpsuit. Armir is like sharing a...
For more tips to help you create a profitable, joyful business without exhaustion, follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahartley/ or https://www.facebook.com/samantha.hartley.71/
P.S. Here are 3 ways I can help you grow your consulting business:
🎧 Subscribe to my podcast, Profitable Joyful Consulting
For more tips to help you create a profitable, joyful business without exhaustion, follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahartley/ or https://www.facebook.com/samantha.hartley.71/
P.S. Here are 3 ways I can help you grow your consulting business:
🎧 Subscribe to my podcast, Profitable Joyful Consulting
For more tips to help you create a profitable, joyful business without exhaustion, follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahartley/ or https://www.facebook.com/samantha.hartley.71/
P.S. Here are 3 ways I can help you grow your consulting business:
🎧 Subscribe to my podcast, Profitable Joyful Consulting
For more tips to help you create a profitable, joyful business without exhaustion, follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahartley/ or https://www.facebook.com/samantha.hartley.71/
P.S. Here are 3 ways I can help you grow your consulting business:
🎧 Subscribe to my podcast, Profitable Joyful Consulting
💡 Work with me to multiply your revenues without exhaustion.
Ready to add $150-750K to your business? Click here to book a 10-minute call with my Growth Strategist.
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Get a free month of Jewelry by Rocksbox ➡️
🎧 Subscribe to my free podcast, Profitable Joyful Consulting. You know who subscribes to my podcast? My clients. On YouTube and your favorite podcast app: https://samanthahartley.com/blog-podcast/.
💜 Connect with other consultants in the Profitable Joyful Consulting community.
Ask questions, share insights, find colleagues. — Click here to join: http://bit.ly/3rVPsUo
💃🏻 Work with me to multiply your revenues without exhaustion.
Ready to add $150-750K to your business? Click here to book a 12-minute call with my Growth Strategist: https://calendly.com/jeanette_g/
For more tips to help you create a profitable, joyful business without exhaustion, follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahartley/ or https://www.facebook.com/samantha.hartley.71/
P.S. Here are 3 ways I can help you grow your consulting business:
🎧 Subscribe to my podcast, Profitable Joyful Consulting
LEARN ✅ about the ten drivers of a profitable, joyful consulting business and assess how you’re doing on them ➡️ www.samanthahartley.com/super
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For more tips to help you create a profitable, joyful business without exhaustion, follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahartley/ or https://www.facebook.com/samantha.hartley.71/
P.S. Here are 3 ways I can help you grow your consulting business:
🎧 Subscribe to my podcast, Profitable Joyful Consulting