SARA ORELLANA - FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
========================================
OPENING: WHAT THRIVING THROUGH MEANS
========================================
AJ: I want to welcome Sara Orellana to our Thriving Through podcast today. Welcome, Sara. I'm delighted to have you.
Sara: Hi, AJ, thank you so much for having me today.
AJ: Well, I want to launch in. I have a question that I ask all of my podcast guests. Actually, I have two questions. I have a new one that I just started. The topic, the name of this podcast is called Thriving Through. So my first question is, what is thriving through? What does thriving through mean to you?
Sara: That means getting up every day and facing every challenge and bump in the road with the confidence of knowing that you will make it through. It might not be in that moment, but you will, and that sometimes you just need a glass of water and a 5-minute break, and that will change your whole perspective, and you'll be able to push right through.
AJ: Love it. Love it. Great mindset.
Sara: Thank you.
========================================
THE PATH TO BECOMING A CONSULTANT
========================================
AJ: Now, the other question I ask everybody is, what was your path to becoming a self-employed consultant?
Sara: It was a really long path. It was really unplanned. I would say that while I kind of have a plan for my life, I've never really had a plan for my life. I just always take every opportunity. So after college, when I landed my first real job, it was in the nonprofit world, and I had the most incredible boss who believed in me, helped me get through grad school, showed me what I could be, and from that moment on, I just moved up through the nonprofit world.
Went to graduate school twice, ran multiple nonprofits, invested a lot in the local community, started lots of nonprofits and coalitions, sat on several boards, sat on state-level boards, and was really proud of where I was. Through that, I also raised my daughter. I think she was 4 when I started the journey. She's now 22.
And somewhere in there, I had a series of very traumatic events that happened that were very intentional, and intentionally done by people, and I was crushed. Just completely crushed. And I should have been able to turn to my parents for help, but was not able to.
And so I did the only thing I needed to do because I was a single parent, and that was to keep pushing through. And because I came out of these very traumatic events without any healing, I went into another traumatic event with a nonprofit where I discovered a lot of non-compliance, a lot of fraud, a lot of mismanagement of funds, and unfortunately had to close down the organization, and was in a very abusive marriage. And at that time, I felt everything just die. I lost who I was, my identity, I had nowhere to turn for help. And so I've never been one to wallow. I don't even know if that's a real word. It might just be something I've made up, but I don't wallow in self-pity. I don't believe in wallowing. I believe in action.
And so, driving home on that first day, I created a plan, and I had two plans. It was write a book or start a business. And I did both. I did both. And that was almost 8 years ago. May 8th will be our 8-year anniversary, and so I started this as a place where I could heal and recover, but continue to do the work I love with nonprofits and small businesses, and I have been really lucky to be able to keep doing that, and hopefully we'll be able to do this until the day I die.
========================================
EIGHT YEARS IN: REALITY VS. EXPECTATIONS
========================================
AJ: Is your business, after 8 years—congratulations, by the way, on 8 years.
Sara: Thank you.
AJ: That's a big deal. Most, I mean, you probably know the stats. Most self-employed consultants or small consulting businesses don't last 5 years, so you have defied the odds. Way to go for that.
Sara: Thank you.
AJ: Looking back over the 8 years, are you where you expected to be?
Sara: Oh, absolutely not. Absolutely not. I started this business thinking that I would be a coach and mentor, and a mediator, and that I would consult with nonprofits, and I want to be very careful how I say these things—that I left my traumas behind, but I wasn't able to, because I have the kind of parents where my mom never let me outshine her, or outgrow her. And she was very controlling, and so she had to be in the business with me.
So, for the first 5 years, it was more than an uphill battle, constantly fighting, lots of negativity. Let's say it that way, that's the very positive way. And so, I had to get the courage to fire both my parents from the company and start over again. And it was really hard starting over again in the same company, and it's taken me the last 3 years to really build up to where I am. But in that, I have learned what I am capable of. I have focused on healing and growth, I have focused on sleep, which is so important, and now I'm in a place where I'm ready to grow the company again, but for the first time ever, we're stable, and I love that.
========================================
TRANSITION FROM CEO TO CONSULTANT
========================================
AJ: So you said when we talked earlier that you spent years as the CEO, got called into failing organizations to turn them around. Walk us through what that transition from turnaround CEO to independent consultant was like.
Sara: It was absolutely phenomenal. It was so freeing, because I did not have a board of directors that I had to show data to 15 times in order to get them to make a decision that was never their decision to make. They were overbearing. I didn't have to play politics, I didn't have to stroke egos, I could make decisions entirely on my own, and it was, for me, the best decision I've ever made, because while it may seem outwardly that I make decisions very quickly, I don't. I have a very internal process of how I make them, and I tend to not talk about decisions while I'm contemplating them and thinking about them, and then I'll only talk to a trusted person to figure out if this is the right decision, and then I make it.
And so having that freedom to be able to do 15 different things to see what works and what doesn't, and then learn from them and move on to the next thing, is phenomenal. That has helped me grow as a person. It's helped me become a better leader, but also allowed me to figure out exactly who I am and what makes me happy. And you cannot underestimate how important that is, because the second I'm not happy in the business, I will close it and do something different.
========================================
LESSONS LEARNED OVER EIGHT YEARS
========================================
AJ: So are there things over the last 8 years that you've learned and that you maybe wish you'd learned earlier?
Sara: Oh, there are so many things. I think the biggest thing that I learned was that you can't take care of other people until you take care of yourself, which is why sleep is so important. It sounds so simple, but when you're exhausted, you don't think right, you don't have mental clarity, you have no energy, you have no drive. And I, about 2 years ago, made it a priority to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, and it has changed my entire life. My productivity has gone up, my mood is better, I'm better to work with, I've developed better relationships. Everything has just improved because I take care of myself first.
The second thing is that I learned to value what I bring to the table. I think when you start off, you really undervalue yourself because you're worried that if you charge more, you won't get the work. But what I've learned is that when you charge appropriately, you actually deliver better work because you have the resources to invest in yourself, to invest in the business, and to provide a higher level of service. And so those two things have been game changers.
And then the last thing is learning to say no. Learning to say no to the wrong clients, learning to say no to opportunities that don't align with where I want to go, and being confident enough in myself to know that when I say no to the wrong thing, the right thing will come along.
========================================
PRICING AND VALUE
========================================
AJ: How did you learn to price appropriately? Because that's something a lot of consultants struggle with.
Sara: It is. It took me a long time. I think what really shifted it for me was when I started to look at what I was delivering and the outcomes that my clients were achieving. When I looked at the return on investment that they were getting from working with me, I realized that I was drastically underpricing myself. And so I started to incrementally increase my rates, and what I found was that the clients who valued what I brought to the table had no problem paying for it. The clients who pushed back on pricing were usually the clients who were going to be difficult to work with anyway.
And so I learned that pricing is also a filter. It helps you attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones. And once I understood that, it became much easier to have confidence in my pricing.
========================================
RECURRING REVENUE AND BUSINESS MODELS
========================================
AJ: You mentioned that you're now stable for the first time ever. What changed to create that stability?
Sara: The biggest thing was shifting from purely project-based work to building recurring revenue streams. I started offering retainer-based services where clients pay a monthly fee for ongoing support, and that has been a game changer. It provides predictable income, it allows me to plan better, and it also deepens the relationships with my clients because I'm not constantly having to sell them on the next project. I'm already working with them, I understand their business, and I can provide more strategic value.
The other thing that contributed to stability was getting very clear on my ideal client. I stopped trying to be everything to everyone and focused on serving a specific type of organization. That made my marketing more effective, it made my sales conversations easier, and it allowed me to build expertise in a specific area that clients are willing to pay premium rates for.
========================================
MANAGING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES
========================================
AJ: You also mentioned earlier that you have a number of proposals out right now and haven't gotten any bites yet. How do you handle that kind of rejection or uncertainty?
Sara: It's not meant to be. It's an incredible opportunity to meet with people, to practice hearing what their challenges are and what they don't say their challenges are, and put together very constructive proposals. And I'm very grateful for them to let me have that practice and that time to grow and to heal, and to continue to just do better and better. So for me, I see everything as opportunities to grow, opportunities to get better, so that when the right thing comes along, I've already had that much practice to get there.
========================================
FUTURE GROWTH AND CHALLENGES
========================================
AJ: What do you see as your biggest challenge as you look to grow the business over the next year or two?
Sara: I have a pretty good strategy, and I know how to manage my time well, so I think it's managing the excitement, and not pushing things before they're ready, and learning to be patient, because maybe this opportunity didn't come through because something better is coming through. So I think patience is going to be my biggest issue, and not forcing things.
And then, as any new endeavor, whenever I start something new, it's being willing to start at the bottom and work my way up. And so, having that tenacity and that determination to continually put myself out there and present myself, and not let the no's exhaust me.
AJ: Good point, I like "not let the no's exhaust you."
Sara: Those are so exhausting.
AJ: Well, and you also mentioned that you have a number of proposals out and haven't gotten any bites from them. How do you handle that?
Sara: It's not meant to be. It's an incredible opportunity to meet with people, to practice hearing what their challenges are and what they don't say their challenges are, and put together very constructive proposals. And I'm very grateful for them to let me have that practice and that time to grow and to heal, and to continue to just do better and better. So for me, I see everything as opportunities to grow, opportunities to get better, so that when the right thing comes along, I've already had that much practice to get there.
========================================
CLOSING QUESTIONS: RESOURCES AND ADVICE
========================================
AJ: We're nearing the end of the podcast, of our time. I have a couple closing questions that I'd like to ask. What's one book, podcast, or resource that's been invaluable to your consulting practice?
Sara: That's a really hard question. So, I'm an avid reader. I listen to audiobooks, and I read all the time. And I've read so many amazing books, and two come to mind, and one of them I can never remember the title for, which is terrible because my bachelor's is in English literature.
But the first book that I was thinking about, it's about how not to own other people's problems, and how to give those problems back to them when they try to give them to you. That was one of the most powerful.
But then—and I have a lot to say on this one, so I apologize—the book that I've read recently that made the biggest impact is "Let Them" by Mel Robbins, and after I finally read it, after so many people had recommended it to me, I felt such a positive, peaceful shift within myself that, in December I turned 46, I made the commitment to myself that I was going to spend an hour every day working on me.
And so what I do is, instead of listening to an audiobook while I work out, I listen to a podcast, and so I started with Mel Robbins' podcast. And so I started all the way down at the beginning at episode 1. I got really sick in there, and so some of the podcasts I've had to listen to 3 times, but I decided when I was really sick, it's about showing up and building that routine.
And so then the other tool is having really strong routines that boost your confidence and allow—and that you have to be tenacious. You have to have that determination, you have to be that dog in the fight, and so just continually showing up, having that routine to show up, show up, show up. Even if you get kicked down, shake it off, show back up again.
AJ: Yeah, I haven't read Mel's book yet, but I like the premise of it. I've heard good things about it, and I am an avid listener to her podcast as well.
Sara: Just amazing. Amazing.
========================================
FINAL ADVICE
========================================
AJ: So, what is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you started consulting?
Sara: That you have to be the biggest believer in yourself and your biggest cheerleader.
AJ: Yeah. Which isn't always easy.
Sara: Oh, it's never easy, but it's a habit, it's a practice. But it took me forever to learn that, and what I learned in that process is, I love rap. I know it doesn't fit, but I love rap. Snoop Dogg put out a rap album for kindergartners. It's all motivational. And it's about believing in yourself and those practices, and so on my really low days, I will listen to that motivational album and be a kindergartener again, cheering myself on, or I listen to some different Eminem songs about never giving up and pushing through. And remind myself that if these guys can do it, I can do it. And that's how I keep myself moving.
AJ: I like it. That's great.
========================================
HOW TO CONNECT
========================================
AJ: And now to conclude the podcast, the single most important question. How can listeners connect with you if they want to learn more about you and your work?
Sara: That is a great question. So, there's lots of ways to connect with me. You can go to my website, which is the number 3, Raptor, like the dinosaur, Consulting, so 3Raptors, www.3raptorconsulting.com. You can message me through that, you can read all of my blogs through there, or message me through LinkedIn, or email me, and it's sara at 3raptorconsulting.com.
I always tell people I'm not hard to find, and I will honestly respond to everybody who sends me a message. I just had a woman reach out to me that sent such a thoughtful message, I had to process for 24 hours before I could send it back, because it was so kind and thoughtful, and I wanted to give that back to her.
But I will always respond back, and if I have a resource that somebody needs, I always tell people, if you're looking for a resource for nonprofits, for board management, volunteer management, please message me first, because I probably have what you need, and it can save you a lot of time, and I'll gladly share it with you. So, LinkedIn, email, or through the website.
AJ: Great. And, for those of you listening, the links to those will be in the podcast show notes. So, Sara, thank you so much for the interview today. Thanks for being my guest.
Sara: Thank you.
AJ: And for all of you listening, until next time, keep thriving through.