For a lot of independent consultants, $500K feels out of reach. Or it feels like the wrong goal, because you assume it'll mean longer hours, less time off, and a consulting business you can't sustain.

For other independent consultants, $500K is just normal. Some of them get there working about 25 hours a week.

In Episode 289, Melisa Liberman breaks down the six components that independent consultants earning $500K a year have in common.

She explains why she has you plan for $600K when your goal is $500K, and what a swim coach's story about missing a qualifying time by 0.01 seconds has to do with it.

She shares one four-month project that created $9.35 million in client value, and why a $500K consulting business has to create value on that scale.

You'll learn why you don't need to be the best-known name in your field to have enough opportunities in your pipeline to be selective.

Melisa also explains why so many independent consultants still see themselves as the earner they were in corporate, and how that keeps their revenue right where it was.

Plus, you'll hear the actual beliefs of $500K earners:

"500K is not exceptional."

"More revenue does not have to mean more work."

"I don't need the whole market."

And why some consultants who reach $500K slide right back.

If you've been telling yourself $500K isn't for you, listen to this one before you decide.

Timestamps for Key Moments:

[00:28] Why $500K doesn't have to mean more hours
[05:29] The 0.01 second lesson for your revenue goal
[09:27] The client value number behind a $500K business
[15:00] How to become sought after in your circle
[17:20] What happens to your identity after corporate
[21:41] What $500K earners believe, and why some slide back
[26:25] The kind of action $500K earners take

Resources Mentioned:

Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-289

Companion Resource: Grow Your Consulting Business Book and Toolkit. Download free at melisabook.com or consultingbusinessbook.com, or buy on Amazon.

Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 87 - Risk-Free Pricing Strategy for the Independent Consultant: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-87/

Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 213 - Four Components to Create 50K Months: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-213/

Want More?

• Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman
• Get Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book
• Visit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/
• Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman

Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

You put in the work to find the opportunity.

You had the conversations. You went through discovery. Maybe you've already sent a proposal. The potential client seemed genuinely interested, and now nothing is happening.

Getting told no is not the hardest part of running a consulting business. The hardest part is the deals that go quiet.

In Episode 288, Melisa Liberman walks through the seven specific reasons consulting prospects stall before they get to a decision. Not the obvious reasons. The ones that are easy to misread while you're inside them. She starts with the most common (not talking to the actual buyer) and ends with the one she calls her favorite: the reason that, once fixed, makes the other six easier to solve.

She also makes a case most consultants resist: you created the stall. Not as a way to blame yourself, but because if you created it, you can fix it.

Each reason comes with the diagnostic questions to ask when a deal goes quiet, so you stop reacting emotionally and start addressing the actual root cause.

If you've got deals in your pipeline right now that should have moved forward and haven't, this episode is exactly where to start.

Timestamps for Key Moments:

[00:00] Why stalling deals are harder to handle than hearing no
[00:04] Companion resource: Lead Gen Sprint at www.ConsultantSprint.com
[00:07] Overview of all seven reasons
[00:08] Reason 1: The right buyer isn't involved
[00:11] Reason 2: Mistaking interest for buying intent
[00:13] Reason 3: They care, but not enough to act now
[00:15] Reason 4: Being interviewed instead of leading
[00:23] Reason 5: No clear sales process
[00:27] Reason 6: Misinterpreting the stall
[00:32] Reason 7: Too much riding on one opportunity
[00:35] How to diagnose the root cause and put this into action

Resources Mentioned:

Companion Resource: The Consultant's Lead Gen Sprint. Enroll at www.ConsultantSprint.com

Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-288

Want More?

• Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman
• Get Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book
• Visit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/
• Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman

Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

When Brian Hansen left corporate to start his consulting business, he assumed his network would help him land clients.

It didn’t happen that way.

His expertise was clear. He had more than 15 years of experience. He knew the type of problems he could solve.

But his existing network didn’t include enough of the B2B SaaS CEOs, founders, and investors who were most likely to need his help.

So Brian had to build a new way of creating consulting opportunities.

In Episode 287, Melisa Liberman sits down with Brian to unpack how he’s been building his consulting business since leaving corporate, including what it looks like to serve primarily US-based clients while living abroad in Malaysia.

Brian shares how he landed his first client through a relationship he intentionally developed outside his existing network, why relying heavily on referrals started to feel too reactive, and what he changed when he decided he wanted a more proactive and repeatable approach to business development.

But this episode isn’t about replacing referrals.

It’s about building a consulting business where referrals are one source of opportunities instead of the entire strategy.

How do you expand your network when your current contacts aren’t your ideal buyers?

How do you proactively create demand?

How do you know which business development activities deserve your time?

Brian shares how he thinks about all of these questions, including the mindset he relies on to navigate the uncertainty that comes with building an independent consulting business.

If you’re still relying on referrals and timing to determine where your next engagement comes from, this episode is for you.

Timestamps for Key Moments:

[00:28] Introduction to Brian Hansen and building a business beyond referrals
[04:13] Running a US-based consulting business from Malaysia
[09:40] What happens when your existing network isn’t enough
[27:44] What Brian learned after losing a proposal
[32:38] Managing the mental side of an unpredictable consulting pipeline
[39:31] Brian’s advice for consultants who want more predictable lead generation
[42:01] Mindset, manifestation, and continuing to take action

Resources Mentioned:

Companion Resource: The Consultant's Lead Gen Sprint. Enroll at www.ConsultantSprint.com

Brian Hansen Consulting: www.brianhansenconsulting.com

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bhansenconsulting

Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-287

Want More?

• Melisa's Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisaliberman
• Get Melisa's Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book
• Visit Melisa's Website: https://www.melisaliberman.com/
• Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman

Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.