What if the biggest obstacle in your consulting business… is your own management approach?

Most independent consultants left corporate to get away from bad managers, but end up recreating that dynamic for themselves.

In this episode, Melisa uncovers the #1 management mistake she sees independent consultants make again and again: becoming a “ghost manager” in their own business.

She walks you through the five components of being a good self-manager so you can stop unintentionally sabotaging your business and start building consistent, high-quality results.

You’ll learn to recognize where you’re disappearing, how that ghosting erodes confidence, and what it looks like to actually manage yourself like a high-performing business owner, not just a delivery engine for your clients.

If you’ve been over-indexing on client work and neglecting your business, this episode is your blueprint for getting back in the driver’s seat.

What you will learn in this episode:

[05:15] The “ghost manager” pattern and how it’s quietly stalling your growth and causing overwhelm
[11:08] The difference between self-leadership and self-management, and why you need both to run a thriving business
[14:35] Five key components of a good manager, tailored to independent consultants
[15:02] How to implement planning, systematizing, ownership, protection, and coaching in your own business, even as a solo operator
[30:45] A reflection framework to identify where you’re holding yourself back (and what to do about it)

Tune in to Episode 234 for practical strategies and mindset shifts to become the kind of manager you actually want to work for.

Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-234/

Related Resources

• Join the waitlist for Melisa’s Business Brain Journal, https://www.melisaliberman.com/growth-atlas-products
• Companion Resource: Read Melisa’s book, Grow Your Consulting Business: The 14-Step Roadmap to Make Your Independent Consulting Goals a Reality, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSXJBGVB
• Related Podcast Episode: Episode 233 - The Big Leadership Mistake Independent Consultants Make, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-233
• Work with Melisa: Apply for a Coaching Exploratory call at https://www.consultmelisa.com

Want More?

• Get Melisa’s Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book
• Visit with Melisa’s Website: www.melisaliberman.com
• Follow on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman
• Get Notified When Melisa’s Products Launch: https://www.melisaliberman.com/growth-atlas-products

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.

If you're like most independent consultants, one of the reasons you left corporate was to get out of managing. You wanted to avoid the team drama, the politics, the performance reviews.

So it makes sense if you’ve put “leadership” in the rearview.

But here’s the trap: when you assume leadership no longer applies, you create a blind spot that quietly undermines your consulting business.

In this episode, Melisa explores what happens when consultants opt out of leadership, not intentionally but by default, and how that decision limits your growth, momentum, and confidence.

She redefines what leadership looks like as a business owner. It’s about leading yourself and your business with direction, consistency, and purpose.

You’ll walk away with:

• A new, more relevant definition of leadership that fits your role right now
• A five-part self-leadership framework you can use immediately
• Specific ways to take the lead in your business, even if you’re a team of one

Inside the episode:

• [04:58] How the “I don’t lead anymore” mindset keeps your business reactive
• [11:13] Five self-leadership traits that fuel consistent growth and sustainability
• [13:32] What it actually means to be the visionary in your business
• [16:47] How to stay motivated without relying on external validation
• [18:56] Why opportunity generation depends on your ability to lead yourself
• [21:22] What it looks like to build trust in your own leadership, not just your client work

If you’ve been operating like a one-person delivery machine, this episode will show you how to shift into the leader role, the one that actually drives results.

→ Open the show notes for the five self-leadership traits and reflection questions to start applying this right away. https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-233/

Related Resources

• Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-233/
• Join the waitlist for Melisa’s Business Brain Journal, https://www.melisaliberman.com/growth-atlas-products
• Companion Resource: Read Chapter 16 in Melisa’s book, Grow Your Consulting Business: The 14-Step Roadmap to Make Your Independent Consulting Goals a Reality, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSXJBGVB
• Related Podcast Episode: Episode 188 - Thinking of Yourself as a Managing Partner: A Gamechanger for Your Consulting Business Results, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-188/#more-2518
• Work with Melisa: Apply for a Coaching Exploratory call at https://www.consultmelisa.com

Want More?

• Get Melisa’s Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book
• Visit with Melisa’s Website: www.melisaliberman.com
• Follow on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman
• Get Notified When Melisa’s Products Launch: https://www.melisaliberman.com/growth-atlas-products

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.

If you want to run a consulting business that feels lighter and more in your control, you need to start thinking like a million-dollar business owner, before your business is anywhere near that level.

This is part two of my series on the Million Dollar Mindset.

In part one (Episode 231), we covered the first two pillars of the million dollar consultant’s mindset. Today, we finish the two-part series with the remaining four ways of thinking that separate a $200K consultant from one who can confidently generate and sustain a $1M consulting business.

These aren’t abstract concepts.

You’ll hear how to approach demand creation, pricing, IP development, and resilience in a way that keeps you utilized with fulfilling work, your fees aligned to value, and your confidence intact, even when the business throws you curveballs.

What you will learn in this episode:

[12:15] Demand ownership – taking full responsibility for lead flow instead of waiting.

[18:44] Value-centric pricing – anchoring fees to the client’s outcomes, not your hours.

[24:58] Asset thinking – turning your expertise into repeatable frameworks, tools, and systems that build leverage.

[29:45] Growth resilience – moving forward despite fear, rejection, or uncertainty.

By the end, you’ll know exactly which of the six pillars (from Episodes 231 and 232) needs your attention next, and how to start shifting into a million-dollar mindset today.

Tune in to Episode 232 to hear the final four (of six) pillars of the $1M Independent Consultant Mindset and learn how to leverage this mindset to accelerate your consulting revenue growth and hit your business goals.

Related Resources

• Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-232/
• Join the waitlist for Melisa’s Business Brain Journal, https://www.melisaliberman.com/growth-atlas-products
• Related Podcast Episode: Episode 231 – The Million Dollar Mindset for Independent Consultants (Part 1), https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-231/
• Work with Melisa: Apply for a Coaching Exploratory call at https://www.consultmelisa.com

Want More?

• Get Melisa’s Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book
• Visit with Melisa’s Website: www.melisaliberman.com
• Follow on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman
• Get Notified When Melisa’s Products Launch: https://www.melisaliberman.com/growth-atlas-products

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.