Summary:

In this reflective closing episode of Series 3, Karen explores the emotional and strategic dimensions of building a consultancy or freelance practice where you are the brand. From managing visibility to handling rejection, setting boundaries to staying authentic, this episode offers grounded insights into what it means to work in a way that reflects who you are and sustains you for the long haul.

Key Takeaways:
You are the brand and that brings both visibility and vulnerability
Authenticity doesn’t require overexposure choose what and how you share
Rejection is hard, but not always personal timing and fit matter too
Visibility is part of the job not vanity, but contribution and connection
You can shape your practice intentionally and it’s worth pausing to reflect on how

Links to Relevant Resources:

• Thinking about going freelance or setting up a consultancy in HE?

• • My short courses offer practical guidance to help you take the first steps. Find out more at khlconsulting.co.uk/courses

• KHL Consulting Website: www.khlconsulting.co.uk

• LinkedIn Profile for Karen Heard-Lauréote: www.linkedin.com/in/profkhl

• Network for Educational Enhancement Consultants: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14409504/

Calls to action:

• Subscribe and Share: If you enjoyed this episode or are finding this series or previous ones helpful, please subscribe and share it with your network.

• Connect on LinkedIn: I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s podcast, so feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/profkhl

• Look Out for Series 4 Episode 1: We’ll be back soon with the next episode. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!

Podcast Summary

In this episode, Karen Heard-Lauréote reflects on one of the most important and most difficult aspects of running a consultancy or freelance practice: recognising when you're at full capacity and how to say no with care and confidence.

She explores the signs of overload, the quiet guilt of turning down work and the long-term value of becoming more selective. Drawing on lived experience, this episode offers practical strategies for protecting your time, energy and quality of work while maintaining relationships and your professional reputation.

This one’s for anyone who’s ever said “yes” out of obligation, and later wondered how to claw back time for what matters.

Key Takeaways

• Over-commitment has a cost: Every “yes” uses up your creative, emotional and physical energy, not just your time.

• Capacity can be subtle: The signs you’re over capacity aren’t always dramatic. They can be subtle signs, such as brain fog, irritability, or a tendency to procrastinate.

• Saying no protects quality: Turning down work helps ensure the work you do take on gets your full attention and care.

• You can say no without burning bridges: Being honest, prompt, and helpful (such as recommending someone else) helps preserve relationships.

• Project stacking is risky: Overlapping work can lead to blurred focus, deadline collisions, and compromised delivery.

• Pause before you accept: Ask yourself whether the work aligns with your energy, values, and future direction.

• • Space enables sustainability: Saying no makes room for the non-billable work that sustains your practice, like writing, reflection, or rest.

  
  

  Links to Relevant Resources

  
  

• • Thinking about going freelance or setting up a consultancy in HE? My short courses offer practical guidance to help you take the first steps. Find out more at khlconsulting.co.uk/courses
  • KHL Consulting Website: www.khlconsulting.co.uk
  • LinkedIn Profile for Karen Heard-Lauréote: www.linkedin.com/in/profkhl
  • Network for Educational Enhancement Consultants: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14409504/

  
  

  Calls to Action

  
  

  • Subscribe and Share: If you enjoyed this episode or are finding this series or previous ones helpful, please subscribe and share it with your network.

  • Connect on LinkedIn: I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s podcast, so feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/profkhl

  • Look Out for Series 3 Episode 3: We’ll be back soon with the next episode. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!

  
  

Podcast Summary

In this opening episode of Series 3, I reflect on one of the quiet but critical challenges of working independently in HE: balancing client delivery with the development of your own consultancy or freelance practice.

When you’re deep in delivery mode, business development can slip off the radar. And when you’re focused on visibility, networking, and strategy, it’s easy to worry that you’re not “earning” your time. This episode explores that tension and offers practical, sustainable strategies for building a practice that supports you, not just one that keeps you busy.

I share lessons from my own practice, questions I revisit when I feel stuck, and a few systems that help me maintain the ongoing balance between working in the business and working on it.

Key Takeaways

• Balancing delivery and development is not a one-time task; it’s a recurring rhythm that needs tending.

• It’s easy to slip into reactive mode when you’re busy with client work, but setting time aside for your own business is essential to long-term sustainability.

• You don’t need to do everything; just focus on a few strategic activities you can do consistently.

• Guilt is common, especially when business development feels intangible or self-indulgent. But it’s part of the work, not a distraction from it.

• Tools, habits, and boundaries can help, but so can reframing what counts as legitimate work in your week.

  
  

  Links to Relevant Resources

  
  

  • Thinking about going freelance or setting up a consultancy in HE? My short courses offer practical guidance to help you take the first steps. Find out more at khlconsulting.co.uk/courses

  • KHL Consulting Website: www.khlconsulting.co.uk

  • LinkedIn Profile for Karen Heard-Lauréote: www.linkedin.com/in/profkhl

• • Network for Educational Enhancement Consultants: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14409504

  
  

  Calls to Action

  · Subscribe and Share: If you enjoyed this episode or are finding this series or previous ones helpful, please subscribe and share it with your network.

  · Connect on LinkedIn: I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s podcast, so feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.

  · Look Out for Series 3 Episode 2: We’ll be back soon with thenext episode. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!