You're aiming to excel in strategy consulting. What steps should you take to become a successful freelancer?

To excel in strategy consulting as a freelancer, start by building deep expertise in a niche area. Early in my career, I focused on energy auditing and site evaluations, which helped me stand out in that field. Identify a sector where your skills are in demand and continuously refine your knowledge. Earn relevant certifications, like a CSM or CSPO, to boost your credibility. This focused expertise will not only make you more competitive but also allow you to deliver high-value insights to clients, positioning you as a go-to consultant in your niche.

Well for starters, you should know what you're talking about and you should be very good at implementation. You can actually build expertise in two different ways: 1. By personally doing something over and over again until you figure out what works and what doesn't. 2. By observing and learning from someone that is an expert in the field and knows exactly what works and what doesn't. Option 2 was the path I chose. I was able to skip years of trial and error and now I'm able to offer truly transformational value to my clients.

Moving into strategy as a freelancer, without demonstrable experience in strategic roles is hard. Build up a portfolio of projects and collection of case studies before you take the leap into self-employment. Even if you're a generalist, try to find a niche approach, positioning or superpower that you can show deep expertise in - as your "entry point" into a client relationship, and then let your broader skills shine as you deliver beyond the brief.

You will never be an expert at everything. You can get very good though. That gap is where your network will come in and help you. For example, I have a group coaching program, where I bring in other coaches and consultant to coach alongside me. I firmly believe in offering the most amount of value to my clients, and if I know someone else can offer them that, why wouldn't I bring someone else who knows something I don't?

Worry less about defining your brand, and focus on building a portfolio of commercial impact. That's what clients really care about, not how many likes you've got, or what your website looks like. Your reputation becomes your brand, and being known for effective work and impact is ultimately the goal.

You should absolutely charge wisely. But you need to charge something that you firmly believe is right. If you think your prices are too high, than your clients will feel that when you're speaking with them. Charge what you think you're worth, and for the value you bring. There's nowhere that says you can't increase your fees later when you get some more belief in the value you bring. There's also no shame in offering some free or low-cost items to get your name out there. I have a group coaching program that I'm giving away right now for $2,500/month. And I truly mean giving away because the transformational strategies I teach are incredibly valuable that I know very soon I'll be doubling that price. Hope this helps.