Episode 26: From Accidental Consultant to Strategic Coach: Building a Clear Path to Profit for Small Business Owners
Are you trapped in the feast-or-famine cycle of consulting, working nights and weekends in what feels like a prison of your own making?
In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Ryan McKinney of McKinney Business Solutions, who helps business owners organize, lead, grow, and profit after transforming his own accidental consulting practice into a thriving business.
Why You Should Listen to (or Watch) This Episode
If you're a self-employed consultant who feels stuck working IN your business rather than ON it, Ryan's journey from "accidental consultant" to strategic business coach offers both inspiration and practical tactics. His signature Breakthrough Blueprint provides a framework for escaping the revenue roller coaster and creating sustainable growth in your consulting practice.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
- How Ryan transitioned from corporate America to building his consulting practice
- The power of listening to your clients to develop your service offerings
- Why your prospective clients need you to ask for their business (and how to do it naturally)
- Ryan's "13th Week Sabbatical" system that revolutionized his business
- The importance of self-leadership before attempting to lead a business
- How to identify when a prospective client is ready for transformation
- Why getting a business coach is the 1 piece of advice for struggling consultants
Listen to These Key Moments:
06:00 - The Accidental Consultant Journey: Ryan shares how he discovered coaching and consulting by following client needs and leveraging his diverse corporate background.
12:30 - Finding Your First 10 Clients: Learn Ryan's remarkably straightforward approach to generating leads through authentic conversations and referrals.
20:30 - Overcoming Fear-Based Decision Making: Ryan discusses how fear-based decisions lead to terrible outcomes and his practice of using affirmations to fortify his mindset.
25:20 - The 13th Week Sabbatical Revolution: Discover Ryan's game-changing approach to working in 12-week sprints followed by a week dedicated to self-improvement and business development.
32:00 - Connecting the Dots to Profit: Ryan introduces his new book "Connecting the Dots: A Clear Path to Profit" and its focus on self-leadership, people leadership, and business mastery.
37:30 - The 1 Advice for Struggling Consultants: Ryan's powerful one-piece advice for self-employed consultants who aren't where they want to be.
Resources and Links Mentioned
- Business Growth Playbook, the 25 things all businesses should be doing to scale wisely (but probably arenā€™t). Get a free copy at MBSBreakthrough.com
- Buy Back Your Time - Dan Martell's book on delegation
- Traction - Gino Wickman's book on entrepreneurial operating systems