E2. You’re Not “Just” a Grant Writer: The Power Shift Every Grant CEO Must Make –with Daphney Jean

What happens when a skilled grant writer finally owns her expertise? In this episode of Grant CEO, I sit down with Daphney Jean, founder of SMJ Consulting, to talk about what it really looks like to step into your power as a grant writing business owner.

After years of underestimating her impact and saying things like “I only got them $500K,” Daphney shifted how she positioned her expertise and services.

The result? Higher retainers, stronger renewals, and better-aligned clients.

You’ll hear how Power and Positioning allowed her to stop wasting so much time onboarding new clients and start charging higher rates with confidence and a proven ROI. This conversation is a must-listen if you’re ready to charge confidently and scale sustainably.

In this episode:

00:03:07 Grant Writer Power

00:10:29 Confident Pricing Decisions

00:14:22 Niching With Intention

This podcast is produced by Ideablossoms.

Connect with Daphney Jean:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphneyjean1/

Website: https://www.smjgrantconsulting.com

About DeaRonda Harrison:

DeaRonda Harrison is the founder of June First Firm and host of the Grant CEO podcast, a show for experienced grant writers ready to step into the role of strategic, confident CEO of their own scalable business. With over a decade of experience, she’s helped nonprofits secure more than $45 million in funding.

Today, DeaRonda coaches grant writing consultants on pricing their services, setting boundaries, and moving from freelance grant writer to CEO. Through her You Are the Prize™ Framework, she helps grant professionals build sustainable, profitable grant writing businesses.

Grant CEO Assessment: https://grantceo.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dearondaharrison/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearondaharrison/

Website: https://junefirstfirm.com/