Episode 45: From "I'll Get Them Back" to Strategic Joy: How Laura Palacios Built a Thriving Practice Through Program Descaling
Show Notes
Are you struggling to find your niche as a consultant while juggling time management challenges and building a sustainable client pipeline?
In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Laura Palacios, founder of Lia Inspiration and systems thinking consultant specializing in program and project management. Laura's key success factor is her unique expertise in program "descaling" - helping organizations sunset programs with honor and strategic intent, a service most consultants avoid but organizations desperately need.
Why You Should Listen to This Episode
Self-employed consultants will gain valuable insights into how to transform from a generalist "utilitarian" approach to a focused, strategic practice. Laura shares her evolution from reactive consulting driven by emotion to building a mature business with clear positioning, effective networking strategies, and sustainable growth plans.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
- How to identify and develop your unique "superpowers" that differentiate you from other consultants
- The difference between immature and mature approaches to building a consulting practice
- Why program descaling is an untapped market opportunity for consultants
- Effective networking strategies that generate consistent leads through authentic relationship building
- How to balance delivery work, business development, and personal life as a solo consultant
- The importance of financial planning and risk assessment before going full-time
- Brand positioning strategies that make prospects say "tell me more"
Listen to These Key Moments
[01:10] From Layoff to Launch: Laura explains how being laid off motivated her first attempt at consulting with an "I'll get them back" mentality, and how she quickly surpassed her corporate salary.
[03:34] The Mature Approach: Laura contrasts her initial scattered "utilitarian" consulting approach with her current strategic business plan focused on specific superpowers and ideal client problems.
[05:05] The Descaling Superpower: Laura reveals her unique specialty in helping organizations sunset programs honorably, explaining why this overlooked service is desperately needed and how her systems thinking background enables it.
[09:28] Word-of-Mouth Client Acquisition: Laura shares how her first client came through her husband's network and emphasizes the power of being genuine connectors in your community.
[10:32] Coffee as Lead Generation: Laura explains her philosophy that "every coffee can be a lead generator" and how authentic networking through LinkedIn and face-to-face meetings builds her pipeline.
[12:16] The Time Management Challenge: Laura discusses her biggest current challenge - balancing client delivery, business development, administrative tasks, and family life while planning for growth.
[14:30] Bringing Joy to Projects: Laura explains how she differentiates herself by bringing joy to every project, seeing opportunities instead of problems, and fostering collaboration beyond immediate stakeholders.
[16:11] Perfecting the Elevator Pitch: Laura shares her current pitch focusing on "program and project management for scale and descale" and how she's working toward clearer brand messaging.
[22:47] Advice for New Consultants: Laura emphasizes two critical steps before launching - creating a budget to understand financial tolerance and starting with 1-2 clients to learn the process while maintaining financial safety.
Connect with Laura Palacios on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurapalaciosmsol/