How To Thrive As A Solo Consultant with Amy McDougal
Dec 9, 2024
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Amy McDougal, President and Founder of CLEAResources, pivoted from a flute performance degree to build a six-figure legal compliance consultancy. She shares her unique journey and discusses how blending personalized legal approaches with structured consulting frameworks allows her to effectively serve varied clients. Emphasizing innovative networking over digital marketing, Amy reveals the importance of clear communication and building trust. With insights on creating hybrid offerings and fostering an abundance mindset, she inspires solo consultants to thrive and grow their practices.
Amy McDougal's transition from a flute player to a compliance consultant exemplifies the importance of leveraging unique backgrounds to identify market gaps.
Her emphasis on building strong client relationships through innovative, personalized services highlights the critical role of effective communication in consulting success.
Deep dives
Unexpected Career Path
The speaker's journey into compliance consulting began unexpectedly, with a background in flute performance leading to law school. This pivot was influenced by a call to serve in the military, following a family tradition, which provided valuable legal experience as a judge advocate in the Air Force. While working as in-house counsel for a government contractor, an opportunity arose to build a compliance and ethics program, which sparked a newfound interest in preventing legal issues before they arise. This shift frames compliance as a proactive measure, likening it to primary healthcare that emphasizes prevention rather than simply addressing problems as they occur.
Business Formation and Client Acquisition
Building the consulting business involved starting with existing clients from her previous role, ensuring a seamless transition. The speaker leveraged strong relationships and familiarity with the compliance needs of these clients to offer tailored consulting services rather than traditional legal fees. As a former military attorney, she gradually developed marketing skills, including crafting an elevator pitch and engaging in public speaking to enhance visibility. This proactive approach led to referrals and positioned her uniquely in the market as a compliance expert who can navigate customized solutions, reconciling legal insight with consulting frameworks.
Tailored Solutions and Client Engagement
The speaker identified a gap in the market for compliance solutions that were not entirely productized or custom but offered a hybrid approach, resonating well with clients. Engaging with a diverse clientele, from small family-owned businesses to large corporations, allows her to tailor compliance programs based on specific needs and risk profiles. This flexible engagement model ranges from providing fractional chief compliance officer services to project-based work and hourly arrangements, catering to various client capacities and preferences. Emphasizing the value of these customized offerings enables clients to understand the benefits of compliance investment, which often outweighs the costs associated with legal violations.
Lessons from Military Experience
The military experience has significantly shaped the speaker's approach to leadership and teamwork within her consulting practice. Key lessons include the dual importance of leadership and followership, with effective followership being crucial for team success and client relationships. This perspective encourages a collaborative mindset that fosters strong relationships with clients, allowing for deeper connections and shared goals. The speaker also advocates for an abundance mindset, suggesting that viewing success as shared rather than competitive enhances both personal and client outcomes.
How exactly does a flute player end up building and running her own six-figure consulting business? Amy McDougal, President and Founder of CLEAResources, shares her journey from earning a BM in Flute Performance to leading a thriving legal compliance consultancy.
After a chance entry into law and military service, Amy discovered her passion for preventive legal risk mitigation. She created a niche by blending the personalized approach of a lawyer with the structured frameworks of a consultant, bridging the gap between costly law firms and off-the-shelf solutions.
To reach such high level clients as General Counsels and CCOs, Amy uses innovative, network-driven tactics, emphasizing direct communication over digital marketing. Her clients range from family-owned businesses to global corporations, all seeking effective compliance programs, and she compares compliance to the essential investment in physical security, highlighting its critical yet unquantifiable value. Drawing upon military lessons like followership and an abundance mindset, Amy remains a solo consultant who delivers high-quality, personalized services, and whose referrals and focus on comfort fuel her sustained growth and success.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to identify market gaps and create hybrid consulting offers
Marketing strategies for reaching niche client profiles (e.g., General Counsel)
The power of analogy in communicating the value of preventative services
The importance of both leadership and followership in consulting
How to build a successful business on your own terms
Want to learn how we can help you grow your consulting business? Schedule your free Growth Session Call today! www.consultingsuccess.com/grow
Mentioned in this episode:
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