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!

  
  

Podcast Summary

In the final episode of Series 2 of The HE Consultant's Toolkit, Karen Heard-Lauréote reflects on the often unspoken realities of working independently in the higher education sector. From working as an outsider and financial uncertainty to relational complexity, self-doubt and shifting definitions of success, Karen explores the nuanced emotional and professional dimensions of freelance and consultancy work in HE. With characteristic candour and insight, she shares the strategies and reflections that help her stay grounded, connected and purposeful between contracts.

Key Takeaways

• Independent work can be isolating; connection requires effort and intentionality.

• Financial instability carries emotional as well as practical implications.

• Consultants can be perceived as a threat or disruption to institutional norms.

• Lack of feedback can breed self-doubt; tracking your own growth matters.

• Success is not always defined by outputs or prestige—values alignment and wellbeing matter.

  
  

  Links to Relevant Resources

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

  My new short course offers practical guidance to help you take the first steps. Find out more at khlconsulting.co.uk/consultancy-course

  • 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 found series two 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: We’ll be back soon with the next series. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!

    
    

Podcast Summary

In this episode of The HE Consultant’s Toolkit, Karen Heard-Lauréote explores the subtle but significant political dimensions of consultancy in higher education. When brought into a university or college, consultants step into environments shaped by power, history, and internal dynamics - and their presence can be misread, misunderstood, or even quietly resisted.

Karen reflects on how she approaches these situations with care, insight, and professionalism. She discusses how to read the informal signals, assess institutional dynamics, and scope work in a way that builds trust rather than suspicion. With particular sensitivity to the current financial pressures facing the sector, she addresses how consultants can avoid being seen as a threat or a cost-cutting mechanism, and instead position themselves as constructive collaborators.

This episode offers a thoughtful look at how to work ethically, respectfully, and with emotional intelligence when the politics are quietly at play - or right on the surface.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Not all politics are visible. Often, the context that shapes your work is shaped by longstanding tensions, informal influence, or unresolved decisions, not just formal governance.
  

• First impressions matter. Pay attention to tone, urgency, who is involved, and how decisions are made. These early cues can tell you a great deal.
  

• Influence doesn’t follow hierarchy. Informal authority can shape outcomes as much as formal roles. Understanding this dynamic is key to working effectively.
  

• Stay within your remit. Be clear about your role and boundaries. Don’t be drawn into internal dynamics that compromise your independence or neutrality.
  

• Anticipate concerns. In a financially pressured climate, consultants may be perceived as threatening. Be transparent about your purpose and take time to build trust.
  

• Hold steady. When things get politically difficult, don’t rush to fix or absorb it. Step back, clarify, or slow down if needed — without losing your professional footing.

• Use tone and timing to deliver difficult messages. Introduce findings in conversation first, offer space for reflection, and provide flexible framing options.
  

• Lead with humility. Approach institutional cultures with respect, curiosity and care. People may be tired, stretched, or uncertain — meet them with patience, not pressure.

Links to Relevant Resources

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

My new short course offers practical guidance to help you take the first steps. Find out more at khlconsulting.co.uk/consultancy-course

• 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 found series two 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 2: Episode 5: We’ll be back soon with the last episode in this series. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!

  
  

Podcast Summary

In this episode of The HE Consultant’s Toolkit, Karen Heard-Lauréote explores the often-overlooked - but vital - skill of turning a vague enquiry or brief into a purposeful and deliverable consultancy project. Drawing on her own experience, Karen discusses how to read between the lines of a client’s request, ask the right discovery questions, avoid common pitfalls, and shape a project that is realistic, aligned, and professionally respectful.

The episode also addresses the risks of giving too much away too early, how to manage scope confidently, and why protecting your intellectual labour is just as important as delivering quality work. Whether you’re new to consultancy or looking to refine your practice, this episode offers both practical strategies and reflective insight into early-stage consultancy conversations.

Key Takeaways

• What’s asked isn’t always what’s meant. Clients often frame their need in technical terms, but the real issue may be cultural, strategic, or relational.

• Use discovery questions to dig deeper. Open questions, silence, and techniques like the Five Whys can uncover the real drivers behind a brief.

• Avoid common pitfalls. Don’t jump to solutions, overpromise, or allow scope to expand without a conversation about time, cost, and purpose.

• Be cautious about sharing detailed approaches. Even with “commercial in confidence” language, there’s a risk your thinking may be used without engagement.

• Offer enough to build confidence—but not a blueprint. A high-level outline of phases or methods shows your value without giving your work away.

• Check the project fits you. Ask yourself whether it suits your skills, capacity, and values. If not, suggest a phased start or recommend a colleague.

• Push back professionally. Reframe vague or unrealistic requests with outcome-focused alternatives that show clarity and leadership.

• Use a clear scoping framework: Listen – Clarify – Frame – Confirm. This supports collaboration and shared understanding from the outset.

Links to Relevant Resources

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

• 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 found series one 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 2: Episode 4: 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 of The HE Consultant’s Toolkit, we explore one of the most uncomfortable - but essential - topics for independent consultants: pricing.

How do you set a fair and sustainable day rate? What do you say when clients push back? And how do you manage your mindset when the money conversation gets awkward?

Karen shares candid reflections from her own consultancy experiences, offering practical strategies for setting your fees, negotiating with confidence, and staying financially resilient during quiet periods.

Whether you’re new to consultancy or still finding your pricing rhythm, this episode will help you approach your value with clarity, professionalism, and purpose.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Your day rate isn’t your old salary divided by 220. Price for value, not just time, and include your non-billable work, business costs, and downtime.
  

• Use others to inform your rate - but don’t simply copy. Your offer and experience are unique.
  

• Tiered or packaged services can give clients choice without undercutting your value.
  

• Pushback is negotiation, not rejection. Be open to scope changes - but protect your baseline.
  

• Use a three-point decision filter: pay, learning/enjoyment, and visibility. Two out of three? Consider saying yes.
  

• Have a BATNA. Know what you’ll do when a project doesn’t land - writing, CPD, business development, or creating content like this podcast.
  

  📣 Calls to Action

  👉 Subscribe and Share If you enjoyed this episode or found Series 1 helpful, please subscribe and share it with your network. It really helps the podcast reach others working in HE consultancy.

  🤝 Connect on LinkedIn I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode. Do you find pricing tricky? What strategies work for you? Feel free to connect and join the conversation on LinkedIn.

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

  
  

  🔗 Relevant Resources

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

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

  • 🤝 Network for Educational Enhancement Consultants (NEEC): Join here

  
  

Podcast Summary
In this episode of The HE Consultant’s Toolkit, we explore the critical skill of time management for independent higher education consultants. With multiple projects, shifting client demands, and the pressure to maintain a work-life balance, effective time management is essential to sustaining a successful consultancy career.

Karen shares personal insights from her own consultancy journey, discussing practical strategies for prioritising tasks, using productivity tools, managing quieter periods, and setting boundaries to prevent burnout. She also highlights common time management pitfalls and provides a simple, actionable framework for consultants to stay in control of their workload.

Key Takeaways

✅ Prioritise tasks effectively – Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to focus on work that delivers the most impact rather than constantly firefighting urgent but less important tasks.

✅ Use productivity tools wisely – Platforms like Padlet and Google Calendar can help manage deadlines and allocate time for focused, deep work.

✅ Schedule downtime intentionally – Rest and recovery are essential. Blocking out time for non-work activities can improve overall productivity and prevent burnout.

✅ Manage quieter periods proactively – Have a BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) by engaging in high-quality, non-client work like research, thought leadership or professional development to maintain momentum.

✅ Avoid common mistakes – Over-servicing clients, failing to build buffer time, and neglecting self-care can all lead to stress and inefficiency. Learning to set boundaries is key.

✅ Follow a structured approach – Regularly review commitments, plan the week ahead, and reflect and adjust to maintain a sustainable workflow.

By adopting these strategies, HE consultants can manage their time more effectively, maintain their professional wellbeing, and ensure long-term success in their consultancy practice.

Links to Relevant Resources

• 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 found series one 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 2: Episode 2: We’ll be back in February with episode 2. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!