Episode 73: From $15 to $800 an Hour: How to Price Your Consulting Services with Confidence
EPISODE 74 SHOW NOTES
Struggling to charge what you're worth? This sales consultant went from $15 to $800 an hour by learning one critical lesson about confidence and pricing consulting services that most self-employed consultants miss.
In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Brandon Mahoney, Director of Partnerships at Launch Point Labs and Independent Consultant at Mahoney Consulting. Brandon specializes in helping mission-driven organizations build predictable, repeatable, and profitable sales systems, and he's navigated multiple pivots in his consulting journey from solo practitioner to agency founder and back again.
Why You Should Listen to This Episode
If you're struggling with pricing your consulting services, battling imposter syndrome, or wondering how to market customized consulting offerings, this episode will transform how you think about your value. Brandon shares the exact pricing evolution that took him from undercharging at $15 per hour to confidently commanding $800 per hour for complex projects. More importantly, he reveals the mindset shifts that made this transformation possible and the free audit strategy that converts two out of three prospects into paying clients. Whether you're just starting your consulting practice or looking to level up your pricing and client acquisition, Brandon's hard-won lessons will help you build a more profitable and sustainable consulting business.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
• [Overcoming False Humility in Consulting] How to distinguish between genuine humility and false humility that costs you clients, and why stating your proven expertise with confidence isn't arrogance but necessary for client trust and mental load relief
• [Consultant Pricing Strategy Evolution] The exact pricing journey from $15/hour to $800/hour, including the brother's advice that changed everything and why underpricing signals lack of confidence to potential clients
• [Converting Prospects with Free Audits] How to use a systematic six-pillar audit methodology to win consulting clients without showing proprietary playbooks, achieving a 66% conversion rate from discovery calls to paid engagements
• [Standing Firm on Your Expertise] A real-world story of disagreeing with a CEO's outdated approach and how confidence in your methodology led to a 281% increase in outbound opportunities in just 90 days
• [Marketing Customized Consulting Services] Practical strategies for promoting consulting services that are inherently custom-built, including leveraging LinkedIn and job boards to identify prospects actively seeking sales expertise
• [Project-Based vs. Hourly Consulting Pricing] When to use retainer models versus project-based pricing, and how to price consulting projects based on value and complexity rather than just time invested
Listen to These Key Moments
[00:00] Introduction - Brandon's path to becoming a self-employed consultant during the pandemic
[01:31] Overcoming Imposter Syndrome - The challenge of false humility and learning to state proven expertise with confidence
[05:00] The LaunchPoint Labs Pivot Story - From solo consultant to agency founder, the challenges of fulfillment, and the decision to return on new terms
[13:00] Building Your Personal Brand Alongside Agency Work - Why maintaining separate consulting identity matters and how to balance both commitments
[16:38] Pricing Evolution: $15 to $800 Per Hour - The journey from severe underpricing to premium rates and the mindset shifts that made it possible
[22:04] Standing Up to Clients - The story of disagreeing with a CEO about sales strategy and achieving 281% growth by trusting your expertise
[27:02] Marketing Customized Consulting Services - The challenge of selling bespoke services and the free audit methodology that solves this problem
[28:00] The Six-Pillar Sales Audit Process - How to offer free audits that demonstrate value, uncover pain points, and convert prospects into clients
[32:04] Discovery Call Strategy - Using initial conversations to identify leadership and management gaps that prospects don't expect you to address
[33:14] Client Conversion and Growth Strategy - Converting 2 out of 3 discovery calls into clients and growing small engagements into larger projects
[35:12] The Reality of Consulting Work - Why consulting is significantly more work than employment and requires showing up every single day
[37:19] Future Vision and Lifestyle Design - Balancing current client work with the dream of training the next generation of ethical sales consultants
[38:50] Rapid-Fire Wrap-Up Questions - Essential resources, advice for new consultants, and how to connect with Brandon
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
"Good Leaders Ask Great Questions" by John C. Maxwell - Brandon's favorite book on the power of listening and asking meaningful questions in sales and consulting
About Brandon Mahoney
Brandon Mahoney is Director of Partnerships at Launch Point Labs and an Independent Consultant at Mahoney Consulting. He specializes in helping mission-driven organizations build predictable, repeatable, and profitable sales systems. Starting his consulting journey during the pandemic in early 2020, Brandon has worked with organizations ranging from startups to a $2 billion company, helping them navigate mergers and acquisitions, build sales playbooks, implement CRM systems, and develop high-performing sales teams. His approach combines systematic sales methodology with genuine relationship-building, and he's passionate about helping good people build great businesses. Brandon recently relocated from Portland, Oregon to Delaware to grow Launch Point Labs while maintaining his independent consulting practice.
Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorsales/