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
Jun 6, 2024 • 34min
10: [client success] The Impact of Niching with Youth Development Research Expert Alicia Lynch, PhD
What happens when you move from being a generalist to positioning yourself as an expert? My client Alicia Lynch, PhD of Lynch Research Associates is here today to share her incredible journey of transitioning her business from doing research for any type of organization to focusing her business on youth development research. She also shares how her innate love and inspiration from all children fuels her mission. 💡We delve into the power of niching and how it transformed her consulting business, enabling her to surpass revenue goals and create clarity in every part of her business from branding on their website to what to post on LinkedIn to which events to attend. Update: A few weeks after we recorded this, two different organizations reached out to Alicia to discuss collaborating on large projects and shared that her website gave them clarity that Lynch Research were the specialists they were looking for! Connect with Alicia on LinkedIn Visit Alicia’s Website Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn 💡Apply for the Impact Collective Mastermind for Established Nonprofit Consultants 📋 Snag our new guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what you think about this new podcast by leaving a review.
Jun 3, 2024 • 19min
09: Subcontractors - Maintaining Profit and Control
Join us in this episode as we provide actionable tips and real-life examples to help you balance fairness to subcontractors while ensuring your business’s success. Two critical issues when working with subcontractors is preserving profit and control. We find that nonprofit consultants tend to be overly generous, especially with peers, but this can impact your business’s bottom line and your grip on client relationships. The good news? Elizabeth and I are here to share strategies to navigate these challenges. We cover effective rate negotiation, maintaining client control, and handling tough conversations. 💡Apply for the Impact Collective Mastermind for Established Nonprofit Consultants Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn 📋 Snag our new guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what you think about this new podcast by leaving a review.
May 30, 2024 • 43min
08: [client success] How She Empowers Her Team and Wins Grants for Cities with LaKeesha Morris-Moreau
My client LaKeesha Morris-Moreau is a natural leader and I loved learning more about how she empowers her team. Join us as we chat about how she established BellTower Consulting Group while she was working at a nonprofit and has grown to a team of 7. Since we started working together, LaKeesha shifted from offering grant services to any organization to specializing in grant writing and support services primarily for cities. Her team has grown significantly in the last few years, including hiring full time employees. You will enjoy LaKeesha’s tranquil and charming personality and her humbleness around her success. Connect with LaKeesha on LinkedIn Visit LaKeesha’s Consulting Website 📋 Snag our new guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what you think about this new podcast by leaving a review. Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn 💡Apply for the Impact Collective Mastermind for Established Nonprofit Consultants
May 27, 2024 • 25min
07: Scope Creep with Nonprofit Clients
One of the most universal issues Nonprofit Consultants face is Scope Creep. This is when clients ask you to do tasks and projects beyond your original work agreement (assuming you have one 😬). There are ways to prevent scope creep from the beginning of an engagement and also ways to change course if you are already knee deep in projects you never intended to say yes to, but already did. 🎉 The good news is that we LOVE helping clients through this and to maintain boundaries in relationships with clients. Join my colleague Elizabeth Cook and I talk as we cover how to set boundaries, how establishing policies makes things easier, and how to handle difficult conversations with clients. If you're seeking valuable tips to maintain a sustainable business while serving your mission, you won't want to miss this episode! 📋 Grab our guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make. Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what you think about this new podcast by leaving a rating and/ or review.
May 23, 2024 • 17min
06: I Don't Know How to Scale This
What is the next step in growing your nonprofit consulting business? In this episode, I’m joined by my team member Elizabeth Cook, who coaches alongside me in our programs. We cover five key obstacles that might be holding you back and share actionable tips to overcome them. 📋 Grab our guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make. Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn Read “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what you think about this new podcast by leaving a rating and/ or review.
May 22, 2024 • 39min
05: [client success] Part 2- From Accidental Consultant to 6 Team Members with Rachel Cahill
You will enjoy this update episode as I interview Rachel Cahill in Spring 2024, one year after we recorded episode #4. As with many nonprofit consultants, she is an accidental business owner. In this episode, I dive deep into HOW Rachel became a consultant and she shares that she doubled her team in the last year from three to six team members. She also discusses the importance of maintaining a vision and being selective with projects to ensure meaningful impact. I especially enjoyed hearing Rachel’s passion for the anti-hunger advocacy and policy work she and her team champion. Her company, Rachel Cahill Consulting (RCC) is a specialty policy and advocacy consulting firm serving anti-hunger and anti-poverty organizations across the United States. Connect with Rachel: LinkedIn Website Connect with Natalie: LinkedIn Website 📋 Snag our new guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what you think about this new podcast by leaving a review. 💡Apply for the Impact Collective Mastermind for Established Nonprofit Consultants
May 22, 2024 • 34min
04: [client success] Part 1-How She Hired BOTH at Home and the Business with Rachel Cahill
A year ago (Spring 2023), I interviewed my client Rachel Cahill about how she expanded her capacity in her business by hiring BOTH in her business and her home. If you’ve been looking for permission to get support where you really need it, then this episode is for you. Rachel shares about the mindset issues she encountered along her hiring journey and the challenges and benefits she has experienced, including being able to take on more projects and have more impact to those experiencing food scarcity. Her company, Rachel Cahill Consulting (RCC), offers numerous services to anti-hunger organizations, with a focus on increasing nationwide access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through administrative and legislative advocacy for long-lasting policy change. Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn Visit Rachel Cahill Consulting Website 📋 Snag our new guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what you think about this new podcast by leaving a review. Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn
May 16, 2024 • 22min
03: The Nuances of Positioning for Nonprofit Consultants
Positioning might seem like a straightforward concept, yet many nonprofit consultants struggle with it, reaching plateaus in their growth. In today’s episode, my team member Elizabeth Cook and I dive into why nonprofits consultants can succeed without initial strong positioning, and why establishing a clear niche and specialization is crucial for scalability and defining your business's trajectory. You’ll hear insights into turning broad capabilities into sharp, market-targeted skills, focusing on creating a sustainable, profitable, and enjoyable business (the pillars in my Enduring Business Model). Additionally, we unpack a super practical approach to refining your positioning, which might just revolutionize how you see your consulting practice. Join us to get your positioning questions answered and your strategy sharpened! 📋 Snag our new guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what you think about this new podcast by leaving a review. Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn 💡Apply for the Impact Collective Mastermind for Established Nonprofit Consultants
May 16, 2024 • 22min
02: The Nonprofit Client Lifecycle
Nonprofit consulting has its own unique cycle of client interaction, and understanding it can be transformative for your consulting practice. In today’s episode, we dive into the Nonprofit Client Lifecycle framework I've designed. We discuss each stage – attract, engage, convert, onboard, deliver, grow, and nurture – and why mastering this cycle is crucial for anyone consulting in the nonprofit space. Additionally, we explore the nuances of funding sources in the convert and grow stages and how they critically impact the continuity and scope of consultancy projects. Finally, I share practical steps towards identifying and strengthening your weak links within this lifecycle, aiming to enhance both your client’s experience and business outcomes. Tune in, reflect on your current practices, and then join us on LinkedIn to continue the conversation! Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn 📋 Snag our new guide on the 5 Mistakes Even the Smartest Consultants Make! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let us know what you think about this new podcast by leaving a review.
May 16, 2024 • 19min
01: Your Business is NOT a Nonprofit
Navigating the world of nonprofit consulting can be a challenge, especially when balancing profitability with service quality. The discussion emphasizes the need for a for-profit mindset, outlining essential strategies for operational efficiency. Listeners learn about a client rating scale to boost service delivery and maintain work-life balance. Insights from a recent conference reveal the importance of enjoyment alongside sustainability. Finally, actionable steps help consultants evaluate their business success effectively.
