

The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants
Natalie Eckdahl, MBA
Are you a Nonprofit Consultant pulled between making an impact and running a profitable business? Join Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, on a podcast crafted just for you.
With 25 years of diverse experience as a management consultant, market researcher, small business owner and business coach, Natalie shares practical strategies to balance purpose and profit.
Through engaging discussions, trainings, and client stories, Natalie covers everything from pricing and proposals to maintaining client boundaries and tackling hiring and leadership hurdles. Her talent for simplifying complex ideas ensures you'll leave each episode with actionable insights to propel your consultancy forward.
But it's not all about numbers – Natalie also stresses the importance of mindset and resilience as a small business owner. As a mom of 3 and caregiver, she cherishes time with loved ones. With her guidance, you'll gain the confidence and clarity to overcome obstacles and reach your business goals while creating a fulfilling personal life.
Whether you're a seasoned consultant or an accidental entrepreneur, this podcast is your roadmap to success. Tune in and let Natalie help you unlock your full potential as a Nonprofit Consultant – and maybe even skip a step or two along the way.
With 25 years of diverse experience as a management consultant, market researcher, small business owner and business coach, Natalie shares practical strategies to balance purpose and profit.
Through engaging discussions, trainings, and client stories, Natalie covers everything from pricing and proposals to maintaining client boundaries and tackling hiring and leadership hurdles. Her talent for simplifying complex ideas ensures you'll leave each episode with actionable insights to propel your consultancy forward.
But it's not all about numbers – Natalie also stresses the importance of mindset and resilience as a small business owner. As a mom of 3 and caregiver, she cherishes time with loved ones. With her guidance, you'll gain the confidence and clarity to overcome obstacles and reach your business goals while creating a fulfilling personal life.
Whether you're a seasoned consultant or an accidental entrepreneur, this podcast is your roadmap to success. Tune in and let Natalie help you unlock your full potential as a Nonprofit Consultant – and maybe even skip a step or two along the way.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 27, 2025 • 26min
74: Why Everything Starts with Your Scalable Offer
Your scalable offer is where everything starts. It informs your operations, your team, your pricing, and your client experience. In Episode 67, I introduced the concept of a scalable offer, and the response was overwhelming (in a good way). Clients and listeners have been rethinking how they structure their services, teams, and operations around this one idea. In this follow-up episode, I go deeper into how to design a scalable offer that creates more freedom, profit, and impact. I share why I no longer teach building a business around your Zone of Genius (and what to focus on instead), how to identify when you've built a "menu" instead of an offer, and what it looks like to narrow your focus even when it feels uncomfortable. You'll also hear real examples from consultants who've done this work—from fractional fundraisers and grant consultants to strategic planners—so you can see how these shifts play out in practice. Mentioned in this episode: Book a 90-Minute Intensive: NatalieMBA.com/intensive Decisions and a plan in one session, plus my Sales Forecast Tool and a focused Game Plan. Clarity Guarantee: Not worth the investment? Request a full refund within 24 hours. Apply for The Impact Collective Mastermind Program: NatalieMBA.com/impact-collective (after you apply you'll book a call with me to see if the program is a mutual fit) Referenced episodes: Ep 8: LaKeesha Morris-Moreau on niching to serve cities and counties Ep 50: Christine Schweitzer on refining a scalable grant writing firm Ep 61: Frances Roen on shifting to capital campaign strategy Ep 63: Jennifer Hunter on specializing in strategic planning

Oct 20, 2025 • 21min
73: From $300K to $1M+ ➡️ What a Scalable Consulting Firm Really Looks Like
If you're bringing in $300K or more, you've already built something successful. But what got you here won't get you to $1M—and it definitely won't get you more time, ease, or freedom. In this episode, I walk through what a scalable consulting firm actually looks like, from the offer that fuels it to the team and leadership shifts that make growth sustainable. You'll hear the story of two fictional consultants—Riley and Jean—and see exactly what changes when you stop being the business and start leading one. 📸See Photos from The Impact Collective Mastermind Retreat Want help applying this to your firm: Book a 90 minute Intensive. NatalieMBA.com/intensive Decisions and a plan in one session, plus my Sales Forecast Tool and a focused Game Plan. ***Clarity Guarantee. Not worth the investment? Request a full refund within 24 hours. 🔗 Apply to Join the Impact💫Collective Mastermind (12-month program) Next enrollments: January 2026| September 2026 ☎️Book A Complimentary Call - Let's see if we are a fit! For consultants who have revenue above $200K a year. 📩 Get my newsletter.

Sep 29, 2025 • 14min
72: Size Matters
If growth feels stalled, the issue may not be your pricing or pipeline. It may be the size of the clients you serve. I explain why "too small" clients quietly drain profit and momentum, then share three signals you are downmarket and simple steps to reposition without abandoning your values. Listen to learn what to change, why it matters, and how to make your next sales conversation easier. Want help applying this to your firm Book a 90 minute Intensive. NatalieMBA.com/intensive Decisions and a plan in one session, plus my Sales Forecast Tool and a focused Game Plan. ***Clarity Guarantee. Not worth the investment? Request a full refund within 24 hours. 🔗 Apply to Join the Impact💫Collective Mastermind (12-month program) Next enrollments: January 2026| September 2026 ☎️Book A Complimentary Call - Let's see if we are a fit! For consultants who have revenue above $200K a year. 📩 Get my newsletter.

Sep 15, 2025 • 21min
71: What Got You Here, WON'T Get You There (Scalable Series #6)
You got here by being the go to expert who does it all. That same approach is now the ceiling. In this episode, I show you what must change in your offer, operations, team, and mindset so your firm can run without you. We also check back in with our fictional consultants Riley and Jean. Same talent, very different weeks. Which one sounds like you right now? Want help applying this to your firm Book a 90 minute Intensive. NatalieMBA.com/intensive Decisions and a plan in one session, plus my Sales Forecast Tool and a focused Game Plan. ***Clarity Guarantee. Not worth the investment? Request a full refund within 24 hours. 🔗 Apply to Join the Impact💫Collective Mastermind (12-month program) Next enrollments: January 2026| September 2026 ☎️Book A Complimentary Call - Let's see if we are a fit! For consultants who have revenue above $200K a year. 📩 Get my newsletter.

Sep 8, 2025 • 13min
70: Build It Before You Need It - Why a Scalable Consulting Firm Matters (Scalable Series #5)
Most consultants don't think about scalability until it's too late. By then the options are often shutting down, taking a job, or rebuilding from the ground up. In this episode, I share three stories that illustrate what happens when a business depends on one person to hold it all together. You'll also hear why a scalable consulting firm isn't just about growth, but about protection and possibility. You'll learn: Why waiting to scale can leave your business fragile What protection and possibility really mean for consultants. The four key facets of a scalable consulting firm. How scalability creates margin in your time, money, and energy. This episode will help you reflect on the foundations of your own consulting business and what might need to shift before life interrupts. 🎧 Listen now and start building it before you need it. Mentioned in this episode: Book a 90-Minute Intensive: NatalieMBA.com/intensive (This includes access to my sales forecasting tool, one of my workshops and my custom coaching tool which helps us anaylze your business in a way you may never have before. Our prework allows us to hit the ground running and accomplish in 90 minutes what can otherwise take months to acheive. It will be the best $997 you'll ever spend on your business!) ☎️Book A Complimentary Call - Let's see if we are a fit! For consultants who have revenue above $200K a year. 🎉Work with Me! MASTERMIND 📌 Apply to 1:1 Coaching (6-month program) For consultants with revenue greater than $100K per year. 🔗 Apply to Join the Impact💫Collective Mastermind (12-month program) Next enrollments: January 2026| September 2026 For experienced nonprofit consultants with revenue from $200K to $1M, who want to build a scalalbe consulting firm! Connect With Me: 📩 DM me on LinkedIn if you're thinking about joining the next mastermind or just want to connect!Tell me you listen to the podcast.

Aug 26, 2025 • 22min
69: Do You Have A Scalable MINDSET? (Scalable Series #4)
Mindset blocks aren't always obvious. But they might be running your business. If you've been revisiting the same decisions, putting off your next hire, or waffling over your pricing, the problem might not be strategy. It might be mindset. In this episode, I walk through the Scalable Mindset framework and check in with the two fictional consultants we have been following, Riley and Jean, whose weeks look radically different based on how they respond to fear, capacity, and growth. ☎️Book A Call - Let's see if we are a fit! For consultants who have revenue above $200K a year. 🎉Work with Me! MASTERMIND 📌 Apply to 1:1 Coaching (6-month program) For consultants with revenue greater than $100K per year. 🔗 Apply to Join the Impact💫Collective Mastermind (12-month program) Next enrollments: September 2025 | January 2026 For experienced nonprofit consultants with revenue from $200K to $1M, who want to build an enduring business! Connect With Me: 📩 DM me on LinkedIn if you're thinking about joining the next mastermind or just want to connect!Tell me you listen to the podcast.

Aug 18, 2025 • 13min
68: Do You Have A Scalable TEAM? (Scalable Series #3)
Are you the bottleneck in your business? Is your calendar packed with back to back appointments and constant task switching? Does every project depend on you? Have you mastered bringing in work, yet dread saying yes to one more client? Join us as we check in with our fictional consultants, Riley and Jean, to show how the same talent can lead to very different weeks when the business is set up differently. You will see that a scalable team is the engine that expands capacity without adding more of you. It sits on top of a repeatable offer and solid operations. When those foundations are in place, the team works independently, meets deadlines, anticipates client needs, and protects your calendar for true CEO work. Sounds dreamy, right? 🎉Work with Me! Book A Call - Let's see if we are a fit! For consultants who have revenue above $200K a year. MASTERMIND 📌 Apply to 1:1 Coaching (6-month program) For consultants with revenue greater than $100K per year. 🔗 Apply to Join the Impact💫Collective Mastermind (12-month program) Next enrollments: September 2025 | January 2026 For experienced nonprofit consultants with revenue from $200K to $1M, who want to build an enduring business! Connect With Me: 📩 DM me on LinkedIn if you're thinking about joining the next mastermind or just want to connect!Tell me you listen to the podcast.

Aug 11, 2025 • 15min
67: Do You Have Scalable OPERATIONS? (Scalable Series #2)
Operations can be your greatest growth asset or your biggest roadblock. In this episode, we return to Riley and Jean to see how their very different approaches to running their consulting businesses are playing out. One is stuck in complexity and constant firefighting. The other is building something that runs smoothly, even when they step away. We will explore what makes operations truly scalable and why it matters so much once you start to grow. You will walk away with a fresh perspective on where your own systems might be slowing you down and what to focus on next. Listen now to see which consultant's week feels more like yours and what could change if you focused on scaling simplicity. 🎉Let's work together!! MASTERMIND 🔗 Apply to Join the Impact💫Collective Mastermind (12-month program) Next enrollments: September 2025 | January 2026 For experienced nonprofit consultants with revenue from $200K to $1M, who want to build an enduring business! 📌 Apply to 1:1 Coaching (6-month program) For consultants with revenue greater than $100K per year. Connect With Me: 📩 DM me on LinkedIn if you're thinking about joining the next mastermind or just want to connect!Tell me you listen to the podcast.

Aug 4, 2025 • 24min
66: Do You Have A Scalable OFFER? (Scalable Series #1)
Most consultants hit a ceiling. A scalable offer breaks it. If you're a consultant who wants to grow but still feels stuck in client delivery, don't miss this episode. You'll hear about two consultants. One is stuck managing everything. The other has space to think, lead, and grow. I break down what makes that shift possible. We walk through what a scalable offer actually is and why it matters. We're not talking about theory. We're talking about the difference between staying at capacity and building something that can run without you. I've helped clients make this shift again and again. It's one of the most important changes you can make if you want to lead a business that supports your life and has even MORE IMPACT! 🎉Let's work together!! MASTERMIND Next enrollments: September 2025 | January 2026 🔗 Apply to Join the Impact💫Collective Mastermind (12-month program) For experienced nonprofit consultants with revenue from $200K to $1M, who want to build an enduring business! 📌 Book a 90-Minute Intensive: NatalieMBA.com/intensive Open to ALL consultants at ALL levels. Connect With Me: 📩 DM me on LinkedIn if you're thinking about joining the next mastermind or just want to connect!Tell me you listen to the podcast. 💛 Enjoy the episode? Follow/Subscribe to The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants so you never miss an episode.

Jul 28, 2025 • 48min
65: [client success] Two Conversations a Week: How Kyle Huelsman Turned Strategic Outreach into a Full Pipeline
WHAT IF TWO CONVERSATIONS A WEEK COULD FILL YOUR PIPELINE? Listen in as Impact Collective Mastermind member Kyle Huelsman of Advocacy Rising turns two STRATEGIC weekly conversations with ideal clients into a consulting firm overflowing with work and options. IN THIS EPISODE, KYLE SHARES the "two conversations" rule that keeps his pipeline warm how co-creating scope with a prospect turned a $5K idea into a contract 10x's larger how consistent revenue gave him the confidence to hire a full-time Senior Associate You'll hear the mindset shifts, practical steps, and quick wins that moved Kyle from hustle to momentum. If you need more consistency in your business development, his story will spark ideas you can use right away. Press play to discover what happens when steady outreach meets consultative selling. Then share your biggest takeaway with us on LinkedIn. Connect with Kyle: Linked In Advocacy Rising Website 🎉Let's work together!! MASTERMIND 🔗 Apply to Join the Impact💫Collective Mastermind (12-month program) Next enrollments: September 2025 | January 2026 For experienced nonprofit consultants with revenue from $200K to $1M, who want to build an enduring business! 📌 Book a 90-Minute Intensive: NatalieMBA.com/intensive Open to ALL consultants at ALL levels. Connect With Me: 📩 DM me on LinkedIn if you're thinking about joining the next mastermind or just want to connect!Tell me you listen to the podcast. 💛 Enjoy the episode? Follow/Subscribe to The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants so you never miss an episode.


