Seven Figure Consultant with Jessica Fearnley

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Life After Corporate Podcast

209: Close New Clients Every Time You Speak: How to Stand Out and Be Sought After in Your Industry with Deb Boulanger

In this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, I talked to Deb Boulanger, a sought-after speaker, business mentor and thought leader, and an expert in guiding women from corporate roles to successful consulting businesses.

We explored how public speaking can be a powerful and strategic tool for consistently closing new clients. Deb shared actionable tips on audience engagement, crafting compelling offers and the importance of follow-up. We also discussed mindset shifts, preparation and how to avoid common pitfalls like over-teaching.

Whether you’re new to speaking or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you turn talks into tangible business growth.

In This Episode:

[00:00:00] Introducing Deb Boulanger and her transition from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship..

[00:03:08] Deb discusses the unexpected difficulties of starting her own business and learning new skills.

[00:04:43] Exploring the mindset changes required when moving from corporate to entrepreneurial life.

[00:06:06] Conversation about embracing individuality and being different as an entrepreneur.

[00:07:32] Using public speaking strategically to close clients, and the value of both paid and unpaid speaking.

[00:09:30] The common mistake of over-teaching and how it can overwhelm audiences.

[00:10:46] Deb shares tips on structuring talks for impact, including using simple points and stories.

[00:12:30] The importance of pre-launch content, audience engagement, and reverse engineering event goals.

[00:14:32] Discussion on the need for thorough follow-up with attendees and registrants after a talk.

[00:17:21] Tips on using social media, direct messaging, and ensuring attendees have access to event links.

[00:18:50] Advice for speakers on managing perceived audience disengagement and keeping energy high.

[00:20:38] How to address audience pain points and provide new perspectives during talks.

[00:22:28] Deb explains how to transition to offers, the difference between soft and hard offers, and best practices.

[00:26:00] Guidance on making appropriate offers when selling consulting services to organizations.

Key Takeaways:

The allure of paid speaking gigs is strong, but Deb emphasizes that unpaid talks, when delivered to the right audience, can generate far greater business value.
Many speakers try to prove their expertise by overloading their audience with information. This “over-teaching” leaves listeners overwhelmed and less likely to take action.
Success starts long before you step on stage. Effective pre-event marketing and engagement can dramatically increase attendance and conversion.
The offer is where many speakers falter, either by being too aggressive or too timid. The key is to make offers that feel natural and valuable.

Quotes:

“The mindset is totally opposite than corporate, right? In corporate, you're rewarded for something absolutely different, which is fitting in, coloring inside the lines, and in entrepreneurship you're rewarded for being different. So how different can you be? How creative can you be? And coloring outside the lines.” - Deb Boulanger

“The things that you used to aspire to, you now need to be the opposite. And it's actually great news for us because it was never that fun to fit in and be less. Whereas suddenly it's like your job depends on you being more and showing the world ‘this is who I am.’” - Jessica Fearnley

“You can do lots of things, but if you're in the wrong rooms, not speaking to the right audience for your business, it's lovely that you did it, but it doesn't always drive sales.” - Jessica Fearnley

“If you're leading a webinar, if you're speaking from stage, if you're leading a workshop or even if you're on a panel, the primary mistake people make is they want to be seen as smart. They want to showcase their thought leadership, and they end up over teaching, over coaching, leaving the audience overwhelmed or needing to sort it all out so that they can apply it on their own. And that is the first mistake that in our desire to help serve, inform, we end up giving away too much information. People aren't able to take action.” - Deb Boulanger

“Keep it to three simple points, right? Three simple points that people can take away and give them a core premise and a paradigm shift that makes it memorable. And this is where true thought leaders really stand out, because when you ask people at the end of your talk, what was the number one thing you took away? They're repeating back to you your paradigm shift that you left them with.” - Deb Boulanger

Useful Links

Deb:

LifeAfterCorporate.com

Connect with Deb on LinkedIn

Seven Easy Steps to Convert More Clients Today

Expert Pricing Calculator

Ebook - A Free Guide on How to Make More Money, Meaning, and Impact Doing Work You Love

Jessica:

Buy Jessica’s book, Too Much, on Amazon

Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business

Leave a rating and review for the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast

Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business

Guest Bio

Deb Boulanger is a sought-after speaker, business mentor, and thought leader helping high-achieving women leaders successfully transition from corporate careers to profitable coaching and consulting businesses. With a 25-year background in corporate leadership - where she managed multi-million dollar business lines - she now guides women through the complexities of entrepreneurship with proven strategies in sales, marketing, and business growth.

As the CEO of Life After Corporate and host of the Life After Corporate podcast, she shares deep insights on business strategy, overcoming mindset blocks, and building sustainable six-figure businesses. Her engaging, no-nonsense approach has made her a go-to expert for professional conferences, masterminds, and top-ranked podcasts.

208: How to Get Your Brain Back After a Break

In this episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, originally broadcast in September 2023, I dive into the topic of returning to work after a break.

It’s so important to take time off so that we can recharge and avoid burnout, especially as high achieving, ambitious women consultants and thought leaders, but how can we smoothly transition back into work mode

In this episode I share some key strategies to help you prepare before your vacation and how to get your brain back when you return to work, including the value of checking in with yourself and prioritizing self-care during this transition period to regain your natural energy, maximize your productivity and enjoy jumping back into your consulting business.

Quotes:

“We get into the rhythm of work, leads, sales delivery, onboarding, offboarding, and it can suddenly actually feel quite stark to jump out of the business to take a vacation. When we get back, suddenly things feel less certain. Do I really post on LinkedIn that many times a week? What will I say at that meeting? How do I jump back on the horse now that I’ve tumbled off? If you’ve taken a break this summer and you’re feeling the brain fog this week, this episode is for you.”

“One of the key temptations for entrepreneurs is to be always on. It’s so great for us to have that digital detox, to break the patterns that we spend a lot of our weeks wrapped up in online.”

“Take that vacation, have that day off, block off that week. We get so blind to the habits that we’re falling into when we never break them. How many times have you come back with fresh eyes after some time out and thought, ‘wait a minute, why are we even doing this?’”

Useful Links:

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207: Client Showcase: The Leadership First Approach with Amanda HarNess

In this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, originally broadcast in August 2024, I interviewed my wonderful client, Amanda HarNess, an executive coach specialising in leadership development.

Amanda shared her journey from working as an occupational therapist to becoming a successful business owner and coach, adapting and transferring her skills from her previous career.

We discuss the challenges and motivations behind Amanda’s career shift, her signature Leadership First Approach™ and the importance of strong leadership for organisational success.

In this episode:

[00:00:40] Amanda shares about her role as an executive coach in leadership development and her leap from occupational therapy to starting her own business.
[00:03:23] Amanda reflects on her experiences as a good but unsatisfied employee, seeking more influence.
[00:06:38] ‘Realising the Entrepreneurial Itch’ - Amanda describes how her desire for entrepreneurship grew during her career and the impact of COVID-19.
[00:10:58] What advice Amanda would give her past self as she embarked on her entrepreneurial journey.
[00:12:28] Amanda explains her signature framework, emphasising the importance of strong leadership at the top of organisations.
[00:15:00] The value of focusing on leadership to foster positive organisational change.
[00:16:07] Discussion on LinkedIn, content creation and brand photography.
[00:18:55] Amanda reflects on the value of having a startup coach and seeking help early on.
[00:19:38] The necessity of investing in oneself for business success.
[00:26:14] The importance of overcoming past limitations to pursue future goals.
[00:28:11] The parallel growth of personal and business development over time.

Key Takeaways:

One of the most valuable pieces of advice Amanda offers is the importance of trusting your intuition and having confidence in your ideas. She acknowledges that while she has made progress, having a stronger belief in herself earlier on could have accelerated her journey. Amanda also emphasises the significance of investing in yourself, whether through hiring a coach or seeking professional development opportunities. This investment can lead to significant growth in both business and personal life.
Effective leadership creates a strong foundation for the entire organisation. Poor leadership can lead to misalignment and ineffective communication, which ultimately trickles down to the rest of the organisation.
Leaders must be willing to acknowledge their shortcomings and invest in their development to create a positive organisational culture. By focusing on enhancing leadership skills, organisations can foster high-performing teams and achieve their goals.

Quotes:

“I like to say that I was a great employee, but I was also not a great employee, because I either met or exceeded the status quo or the expectations. But I was also still unsatisfied. And so I wasn't one of those employees that just kind of did my work and showed up. I was always pointing out something that could be better and how it could be better, and you know, that wasn't always received well.” - Amanda HarNess

“I felt like I would come up with these ideas or find the things that needed to be changed and just get shushed or someone would smile and nod and then not do anything, and it always felt like I was being held back. And this idea in my mind felt like ‘if I owned my own business, what could hold me back?’” - Amanda HarNess

“If you have misalignment, poor communication, either just bad leadership skills or untrained leadership skills, whatever's happening at the top is going to roll downhill and trickle down in the organisation. … You have to make things strong at the top in order to create the real progress that you want in the organisation.” - Amanda HarNess

“I think a lot of us, we have this thing of like, ‘I can't invest in myself, that would be a waste of money’. But actually the difference that it makes when a business is making money on a regular basis, like those kinds of investments, if you do it properly, it can really make such a huge difference to how the early years of your business actually play out.” - Jessica Fearnley

Useful Links

Amanda:

Visit Amanda’s website to learn more about her approach and services.

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn to get more insights and expert advice.

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Amanda’s Photographer, Danielle Uhl.

Jessica:

The Seven Figures Club

Wealth Dynamics

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Sherry’s website - sherrylukey.com

Guest Bio

Amanda is the CEO and Founder of Business Excelerated. She is a coach and consultant who works with leadership teams of organizations with high stakes environments, helping them to make REAL progress using the Leadership First Approach™. By leveraging her expertise in human behavior, psychology, leadership development, and effective communication, she helps leadership teams close the gap between where they are now and where they want to be.

206: Client Showcase: Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Success and Connection with Sherry Lukey

In this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, originally broadcast in March 2025, I interviewed my wonderful client, Sherry Lukey, an extraordinary executive and life coach who helps successful professionals worldwide unlock their full potential, cultivate meaningful relationships, and create a life of purpose, peace, and presence.

Sherry shared her inspiring journey into the world of coaching, emphasizing how trauma can significantly impact both personal and professional success.

We talked about the disconnect between outward success and internal struggles, especially within corporate environments, plus the importance of creating safe spaces for healing and exploring how the subconscious mind plays a crucial role in shaping our beliefs.

In this episode:

[00:00:00] Sherry shares her journey into coaching, influenced by her family dynamics.
[00:02:59] The disconnect between outward success and internal struggles faced by clients.
[00:06:52] The feelings of isolation experienced by successful individuals in corporate environments.
[00:10:07] The difference between conscious and subconscious minds and their roles in trauma.
[00:11:34] Discussion on the different types of trauma and the ingredients that contribute to it.
[00:13:27] Insights on how early experiences shape negative narratives about oneself.
[00:16:16] Discussion on the disconnect between rational thought and bodily feelings related to safety and trauma.
[00:17:16] How addressing trauma can transform long-standing patterns and behaviors in clients.
[00:18:24] Creating safe environments for deep coaching work and personal transformation.
[00:21:58] Advice on conducting body scans to maintain awareness of emotional states throughout the day.
[00:23:36] Discussion on how women often feel guilt for others' emotions and strategies to overcome this.
[00:24:32] The dangers of taking on others' emotions and the need for clients to experience their own breakthroughs.
[00:26:10] Challenges faced in pricing coaching services appropriately for transformative work.
[00:29:14] Discussion on the disparity in pricing between genders in coaching and the need for women to charge appropriately.
[00:31:59] Sherry discusses her decision to double her prices and the mental challenge behind it.
[00:34:35] The hidden struggles of seemingly successful individuals.
[00:35:06] The value of understanding everyone's unique story behind their success.
[00:36:27] The importance of women achieving financial independence and success.

Key Takeaways:

Healing trauma unlocks success. Many high-achieving women unknowingly hold themselves back due to past experiences that created deep-seated fears around visibility and success.
Trauma isn't just 'big' events. Trauma can stem from experiences that left us feeling shocked, isolated, and powerless - even if they don’t seem significant from the outside.
The subconscious mind runs the show. While we may consciously want success, our subconscious fears can sabotage us - like avoiding opportunities, procrastinating, or feeling deep discomfort when we try to step up.
Women tend to ‘freeze’ or ‘fawn’ under stress. Instead of fight or flight, many women default to people-pleasing or shutting down, which keeps them stuck in unhealthy patterns.
Your next level is waiting - if you’re willing to claim it. Success often requires shifting from ‘Why me?’ to ‘Why not me?’ and confidently stepping into your worth. Once you change your internal narrative, everything else shifts.

Quotes:

“It's certainly something that I think all of us as coaches see, we have clients who come to us and they are so outstanding as individuals. They have this amazing potential, and quite often they have things that are already going really well. But for whatever reason, there are these deep traumas sometimes really holding them back and old narratives that don't serve them, but everything just feels completely tangled up and they can't move forward.” - Jessica Fearnley

“We can heal trauma and we can have patterns that have plagued us for decades. You always kind of know that you're destined for great things, and every time it's in front of you, you manage to swerve. But to actually be able to heal those patterns, it changes everything.” - Jessica Fearnley

“When the subconscious perceives a threat, whether it be real or perceived, that stress response comes on and then your options are fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. And fawn being people pleasing, which is one of the things that women really, really tend to do.” - Sherry Lukey

“What people don't realize is that really a trauma at any level has three ingredients. One is shock, it's sort of like you've been blindsided, something that just totally came out of nowhere, a feeling of isolation and a feeling of powerlessness. And if you have those three ingredients, you end up with trauma.” - Sherry Lukey

“People have to break down to break through. And so by you taking that on, you're actually preventing their breakthrough. And it completely turns it on its head to be like, ‘oh, this is a massive disservice to take this on for someone’ because you subconsciously and energetically, you're actually saying to them ‘you're not capable of handling this. So I'm going to handle it for you’.” - Sherry Lukey

Useful Links

Sherry:

Jessica:

Buy Jessica’s book, Too Much, on Amazon

Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business

Leave a rating and review for the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast

Jessica’s LinkedIn

Guest Bio

Sherry Lukey is an extraordinary executive and life coach who helps successful professionals worldwide unlock their full potential, cultivate meaningful relationships, and create a life of purpose, peace, and presence. Using her unique expertise and Tap into Power Method™, she guides clients to break free from deep-rooted subconscious patterns and biases, empowering them to lead confidently and leave a legacy.

Sherry's expertise has been showcased in top media outlets like Forbes, Beyond the Couch, and the Fearless and Successful podcasts. She captivates audiences with powerful presentations, expertly moderates events, and delivers game-changing insights on panels.

When she's not empowering leaders to lead with greater compassion for themselves and others, you'll find her pursuing her passions for personal growth and pottery in her home studio. She shares a beautiful life in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband of thirty-seven years and takes immense pride in being the mother of adult twin daughters.

205: How to Work With Me in 2025 and 2026

In this episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, I’m outlining the ways you can work with me in 2025 and 2026 if you’re ready to grow your consulting business.

The message I’m hearing again and again is that things have felt uncertain in the world this year, but this is beginning to shift in a lot of markets. I’ve been speaking to B2B consultants at all stages of business who are seeing all these opportunities opening up and I’m so passionate about helping them to take advantage of these opportunities to grow their business - all while working less and earning more.

Tune in to hear more about the stages of a consulting business and how I can help you grow in 2025 and 2026!

Quotes:

“You can work less - fewer hours, fewer clients, less context switching through your week, less time needed on lead gen and sales - and earn more - by pricing your services competitively for the market you are targeting.”

“You might not have realized it yet but one of the biggest determining factors in terms of whether your business will grow further than it has already is you. You are likely the bottleneck to all future progress.”

“Your business doesn’t need to feel hard or attritional. We don’t need to believe the story that in order to grow to 7 figures you have to sacrifice your life or your wellbeing. I love to help consultants make this season of growth feel safer, and calmer and something they are in command of.”

“When we align your services with your Zone of Genius, instead of just your Zone of Excellence or your Zone of Competence, we can create a consulting business that feels fun again, and where you are building the reputation of being an expert at a specific thing.”

Useful Links

Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business

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204: How to Take a Vacation as a Seven Figure Consultant

This week’s episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, originally broadcast in June 2023, is all about taking a truly restorative vacation as a seven figure consultant.

Drawing from my own experiences, I discuss recognizing burnout, tuning into your emotional and physical needs, and intentionally planning time off to maximize rest, highlighting the importance of listening to your intuition during your break and setting intentions for your return.

I also talk about practical tips for managing client communications, setting boundaries, and preparing your business for your absence so you can create a vacation that allows you to recharge, inspire and support both personal wellbeing and business growth.

Quotes:

“My calendar experiment this year has been tapering my work schedule before the very end of term, so I can actually get that breather before it feels like the wheels are about to fall off. And similarly with returning to the office after time away, I'm doing more to really ease into it and make it a gentle experience, rather than the whiplash feeling when you've jumped off the work wagon and you just can't quite get back into it full speed.”

“So often the information we need is right in front of us. But we just can't hear the whispers our body is sending. Are you tired? Are you exhilarated? We need to get way more curious about the depth and variety of our emotions.”

“Create the blueprint and then plan your business around it. Otherwise, you'll find that business expands to fill the space and it will totally sabotage your plans. There's also an important consideration here about how to ensure that the business can run smoothly without you.”

Useful Links

Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business

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203: Making the Most of the Summer Reset

This week’s episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, originally broadcast in July 2023, is all about how to make the most of the opportunity we are presented with during the Summer months for a reset, before we jump into the Fall.

It’s a chance to reflect on the changes you are ready to make in your business – and the things you are ready to leave behind. I share my experience of letting go of money fears, embracing abundance, and building self-trust, and invite you to do the same!

Summer can be a powerful time for business reset and personal growth, using this quieter season to gain clarity on your goals and desires, and to approach the coming months with intention.

Quotes:

“One of the things I love in these quieter seasons is the opportunity to reflect and really look back on the last 6 or 7 months since the holiday season and ask ourselves, what do I want to bring with me into the next season?” - Jessica Fearnley

“We can't just give up a bad mindset habit. We need to replace it with something better. Switch out fear and choose abundance and self-trust instead. ‘I don't need to think about this, because if we end up in a worst case scenario, I will know what to do.’” - Jessica Fearnley

“Never say to yourself that you can’t have something. I ban my clients from using the word realistic. As women, we are way too quick to shrug our shoulders and accept less when we know we are looking for more. If you can’t name your desires to yourself, how will you bring them into being? It starts with getting clarity within ourselves.” – Jessica Fearnley

Useful Links

Episode 153: How to Take a Vacation as a Seven Figure Consultant

Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business

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Free Guide: How To Get Your First B2B Consulting Clients

202: How To Get Your First B2B Consulting Clients

In this episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, I’m sharing practical advice for new and aspiring women B2B consultants aiming to reach their first or next $100K in revenue - including a brand new free resource just for you!

I talk about the common challenges of defining your expertise, identifying your ideal clients, pricing and marketing, as well as the importance of taking action over endless planning!

Tune in if you want to confidently build a successful consulting business and finally embrace your entrepreneurial journey.

Quotes:

“If you build your business right, it will not be difficult to make your first $100K in annual revenue as a B2B consultant.”

“I always say to my clients that the $0-$100K phase of a consulting business can actually feel like the hardest one to crack because you're validating the business. You're selling something sometimes for the first time in your career. And worse than that, you're selling yourself for the first time, which can feel so deeply uncomfortable.”

“So often I speak to women who want to plan it out so that it's perfect, and then when they know it's guaranteed to work, then they'll put it out in the world. And I have to say, with love - no, no and no - this isn't how entrepreneurship works. There are messy workarounds and creative gaps and best guesses that we road test in the real world by talking to people.”

Useful Links

Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business

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