From Full-Time Employment to Thriving Consultant: Interview with Ryan McGovern

What if I told you that a sales director went from a comfortable W-2 job to building a six-figure fractional consulting business in just a few months—and his biggest obstacle isn't the market, the competition, or even finding clients, but something much closer to home?

Ryan McGovern, reveals why he believes 'myself' is the only thing that can stop him from hitting his goal of earning over a million dollars a year, and shares the counterintuitive strategies that are getting him there faster than traditional lead gen models.

Before you start your next client outreach or networking session, take Ryan's advice and do this one thing: Write down your offer.

Not just a vague description of what you do, but a detailed, bullet-pointed breakdown of exactly what someone gets when they hire you. Include sub-bullets with specifics.

If you can't explain your offer clearly on paper, you won't be able to sell it clearly on a call. Most consultants think they have this figured out because 'it's in their head,' but as Ryan learned the hard way, that's not enough.

Your homework: Get your offer out of your head and onto paper before your next sales conversation. Your close rate will thank you.

Show Highlights with Timestamps

Guest: Ryan McGovern, Sales Haven (Fractional Sales Director)

Total Runtime: 38 minutes

Lead Generation and Marketing Strategy

• [00:03:39] How Ryan generates leads - primarily LinkedIn
• [00:04:00] LinkedIn strategy without Sales Navigator
• [00:04:20] Social media expansion - Instagram, TikTok, Facebook posting
• [00:04:42] Time investment - about 1-1.5 hours daily for lead generation and content

Ideal Client Profile (ICP)

• [00:06:13] Ryan's ICP - agency owners doing $1M+ annually (100K MRR)
• [00:06:37] Focus on digital marketing agencies (SEO, PPC, CRO, web dev)
• [00:07:04] Ryan's background in digital marketing and web design
• [00:07:25] Advantages of understanding clients' world vs. working outside expertise

Learning from Failures

• [00:08:12] Ryan's entrepreneurial journey and early agency experiences
• [00:08:32] Philosophy: "Fail fast, fail often" advice from mentor
• [00:09:00] First agency partnership experience and lessons learned
• [00:09:45] Key lesson: Really know your business partner before committing
• [00:10:37] Second agency attempt - bootstrapping solo
• [00:11:03] Challenge of needing external help and losing oversight
• [00:12:08] Important lesson: Be selective about which "hats" you wear first

Embracing Failure Philosophy

• [00:13:31] Deep dive into embracing failure
• [00:14:02] "Welcome failure to your table" - treating failure as a friend
• [00:14:19] Learning more from failures than successes
• [00:14:26] Professional athletes remember failures more vividly
• [00:15:11] Key advice: Don't make the same mistake twice
• [00:16:04] Accumulating failures as badges of honor

Work-Life Balance in Remote Work

• [00:16:32] Challenges of working from home basement
• [00:16:54] Mentor's advice: Change clothes to create psychological separation
• [00:17:38] The psychological effect of changing clothes between work and family time
• [00:18:12] Difficulty switching from professional to family mode
• [00:19:06] Creating clear delineation moments

The Valley of Despair Framework

• [00:19:24] Introduction to Alex Hormozi's concept
• [00:19:56] Three stages: Uninformed happiness → Valley of despair → Informed happiness
• [00:20:15] Most people quit in the valley of despair
• [00:20:50] Shiny object syndrome in entrepreneurial journeys
• [00:21:21] Cycle of switching between opportunities every 6 months

Warning Signs and Solutions for Valley of Despair

• [00:21:45] Warning signs of being in valley of despair:
  • Constantly questioning if you're cut out for this
  • Obsessing over quick fixes instead of skill building
  • Consuming content without execution
• [00:22:30] How to push through:
  • Reframe failure as part of the process
  • Focus on inputs, not just outputs
  • Seek external feedback from trusted mentors

Building Support Networks

• [00:24:35] Importance of having trusted advisors
• [00:25:05] Finding accountability partners (like AA sponsors)
• [00:25:26] Recommendation: "Fractionals United" community on LinkedIn/Slack

Finding and Working with Mentors

• [00:26:17] How Ryan found his mentor Corey Jackson through LinkedIn networking
• [00:27:08] Timeline: Meeting during end of tenure at SEO company
• [00:27:46] Divine intervention: Lost major client shortly after mentor meeting
• [00:28:25] Transition to Sales Haven opportunity
• [00:28:54] Why mentors are important: Someone who has walked your path successfully
• [00:29:48] Weekly 30-minute mentoring sessions and their impact
• [00:30:04] Key principle: Don't take advice from people who haven't walked your path
• [00:30:37] Corollary: Don't take criticism from people not doing better than you

Dealing with Critics and Jealousy

• [00:30:56] Online critics are typically unsuccessful people
• [00:31:46] Young salespeople facing jealousy from friends making less money
• [00:32:26] "It's lonely at the top" reality

5-Year Vision and Goals

• [00:32:35] Ryan's detailed 5-year plan (reading from written goals)
• [00:33:54] Financial goals: $1M+ annually, financially independent
• [00:34:19] Student loan elimination target: ~$85K
• [00:34:29] Business expansion: High-ticket sales coaching through Revenue Haven
• [00:34:47] Scaling plan: Create courses and employ others
• [00:35:12] Revenue Haven goal: $100M target
• [00:35:29] Family goals: Maximum time with family, no daycare
• [00:36:05] Montessori education approach
• [00:36:21] Ultimate goal: Complete time freedom

Biggest Obstacles and Self-Awareness

• [00:36:45] Biggest obstacle: "Myself"
• [00:37:03] Self-sabotage tendency and fear of success
• [00:37:21] Encouragement for listeners to examine their own fear of success
• [00:37:45] Commitment to not let self-sabotage happen
• [00:38:03] Additional aspirations: Property ownership

Sales Mistakes for Self-Employed Consultants

• [00:38:13] Most common sales mistake: Inconsistency in messaging
• [00:38:40] Problem: Different messages on website, LinkedIn, social media
• [00:39:03] Impact: Prospects don't know what to believe
• [00:39:26] Sales-specific issue: No established offer
• [00:39:46] Importance of having detailed, written offer with bullet points
• [00:40:02] Common failure: Relying on "it's in my head" approach
• [00:40:35] Real example: Failing during pitch because offer isn't defined

Final Advice

• [00:41:00] Get your offer nailed down completely
• [00:41:28] Prerequisite: Understand the problem you solve
• [00:41:39] Must be uniquely qualified to solve that problem
• [00:42:04] Warning: If you don't know the problem, you're not ready