The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants

Last fall, a client told me she would have paid $10,000 for an experience I had only ever offered inside my year-long mastermind. I could not stop thinking about that comment. It led to a decision I'm announcing in this episode. For the past several weeks, I have been quietly inviting current clients, former clients, and a few select consultants to something I have never done before. The room is almost full. Five seats remain, and today I'm opening them to you. Compass Live is a two-day, in-person strategic planning experience for nonprofit consultants, happening September 24-25, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. Over two days, I'll share more of my intellectual property than I ever have in a single container: my frameworks for scalable offers, scalable operations, scalable team, and scalable mindset. We will review your entire business, surface the gaps holding you back, and you will leave with a one-page strategic plan for 2027. Real decisions made: what to sell, what to charge, and what to stop carrying. All of it finished in September, before the craziness of Q4, so you start January already knowing exactly where you're going. Your seat includes a kickoff call on Zoom before the event, two full days of facilitated planning and masterminding with me and a hand-selected room, catered lunches from The Café at Thistle Farms, and a post-event accountability call to keep your year-end sprint on track. This room is specifically for nonprofit consultants with $200K to $1M in revenue who have a consulting firm, or the desire to build one, and who want a 2027 fueled with growth. Everyone in the room is already selling, already serving multiple clients, and brings 10 to 20 years of career experience to the table. In this episode, I also share my insider secret about why attending the FIRST time someone hosts an event is one of the smartest moves you can make, two real decisions that came out of our mastermind planning retreat last fall, and why my team's decade of hosting live events (15 retreats and a multi-day conference we grew year after year) is a skill our friend AI cannot replicate. 🧭 Learn more about the event here 📞 Want to talk it through first? Book a 25-minute call with me Have a question? Send me a DM on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieeckdahl/ 🎙 Podcast home: nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

You built a team. So why does everything still run through you? A year ago, Frances Roen was so stretched she had to step out of an Impact Collective Mastermind retreat session to cover client work. In this returning-guest episode, she comes back to share what happened after she made the hard calls: rebuilding her team, her systems, and her offer around the firm she actually wants. This year she is on track to more than double her revenue. Here is how. Where are you in your journey right now? DM me on LinkedIn and tell me. Work With Coach Natalie 🎯 Book a 90-Minute Intensive. Let's build your scalable offer together. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. https://nataliemba.com/intensive 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching. Six months of high-touch support with Slack access between calls. Limited spots. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind. The year-long program Frances was part of. Two in-person retreats, group calls, a training library, and private coaching. New members invited to join in September and January. ☀️Connect With Frances: LinkedIn Fundraising Sol Website Related Episodes #61: Frances Roen's first appearance #94: The Loop - Maxed Out, Pipeline Thin, and Stuck in the Middle #95: Why Your Clients Are Too Small 🎙 The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast home. https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

You know your retainers have a ceiling. You have even picked your specialty. But your calendar is full, your fractional clients still need you, and you are stuck on one question: how do I actually start to move to a scalable offer? Fractional retainers feel safe, but that steady monthly model is the thing capping your business. Moving to scalable high-ticket projects sounds like a leap you cannot afford while clients still depend on you. This episode is the practical one. The three steps to take to begin the transition. Send me a DM on LinkedIn. Tell me where you are in your journey to a scalable offer! Work With Coach Natalie 🎯 Book a 90-Minute Intensive ($997) Let's build your scalable offer together. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in-person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙 The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

If you've been quietly wondering whether the shifts you're feeling in your business are temporary, or something bigger, this episode names it. All markets mature eventually and push generalists to specialize, but AI is speeding this process up at breakneck speed. In this episode, you'll hear the 5 things that happen in every commoditizing market, why being stuck in the middle is the most dangerous place to be right now, and the 3 moves to AI-proof your consulting business before AI eats the bottom and middle of the market. Work With Coach Natalie 🎯 Book a 90-Minute Intensive Let's AI proof your business. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in-person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙 The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

You keep saying yes to small organizations whose missions you love. The dollars are precious. The ED is exhausted. You have the exact skill set they need. And every yes is keeping you stuck. In this episode, I share why you need to shift upmarket and the difference it will make in your own company as you build a scalable consulting firm. Work With Coach Natalie 🎯 Book a 90-Minute Intensive Let's build your scalable offer together or solve a team issue. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in-person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙 The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

You are at maximum capacity. Your calendar has no whitespace. You know you need help, but you cannot justify hiring yet. This is the loop. It is not a discipline problem. It is a structural bind almost every consultant building a scalable firm hits at some point. In this episode, our fictional consultant Fiona is experiencing THE LOOP, and we uncover two real paths through it. If you are feeling the loop in your own business, the best first step to working with Natalie is a 90-minute intensive. You bring the loop. You leave with a clear next move and a focused game plan. If it is not worth every penny, Natalie will refund you. One-on-one coaching spots are also currently open. Work With Coach Natalie 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Let's build your scalable offer together or solve a team issue. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

What if you could go from GENERALIST fundraising consultant to a FOCUSED firm with a SCALABLE offer - in just five months? That's exactly what Robin Engle, CFRE, founder of Abundance Catalyst, has done. In this client success episode of the Fractional to Scalable series, Robin shares how she built a scalable Major Gifts offer, narrowed her niche to movement organizations, climbed "Cringe🏔Mountain" on LinkedIn and why she chose to invest in coaching early rather than spend years figuring it out alone. If you've been stuck in the messy middle of multiple services and too many client types, this one is for you. Connect with Robin Engle Website: abundancecatalyst.org LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robin-engle Join Robin's email lis t: fundraising tips built for social justice and advocacy organizations Resources and Books Mentioned Ep 62: Land Clients on LinkedIn with Sara Royf's Relationship-First Method Connect with Sara Royf, LinkedIn DM strategy Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell Joe Sacco, graphic novel journalism ( Palestine , Safe Area Goražde on Sarajevo) Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis Ann Rule, true crime author Work With Coach Natalie 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Let's build your scalable offer together or solve a team issue. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. [no risk, 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the intensive] 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

Building a scalable consulting firm means making moves that grow your business. It also means saying goodbye to people and clients you genuinely love. This episode is about that grief. And why it is a sign you are building something that matters. Let's Work Together 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive If you are facing big decisions about your clients or team and need clarity on your next move, this is the fastest way to get there. You will leave with a clear Game Plan and my Sales Forecast Tool. 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

Here is what nobody tells you about building a scalable consulting firm: it gets harder before it gets easier. In this episode, I walk you through what I call the messy middle, the transition phase where you are straddling two business models at once, still delivering inside the old one while trying to build the new one. I share why progress feels invisible even when you are doing everything right, and the moment almost every consultant hits where they wonder if it would just be easier to go back. If you have been feeling pulled in every direction and questioning whether this is all worth it, this episode will name what you are experiencing, remind you why you started and encourage you to go the distance. ➥ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieeckdahl/ Let's Work Together 🎯 Book a 90-Minute Intensive : Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. nataliemba.com/intensive 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching - A six-month customized program that guides you on the next best steps for your business. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (next enrollment Jan 2027): A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in-person retreats, group calls, training library, and private 1:1 coaching. Natalie's Website https://nataliemba.com/

You're fully booked. Your clients rely on you. Your revenue looks strong. So why does it still feel like you can't grow? In this episode, I share a story about Fiona, a fractional fundraiser, and her friend Steph, who built a capital campaign firm with a team. Their conversation reveals what's really keeping many nonprofit consultants stuck and why it's not a time or capacity issue. If you've been thinking about hiring, reorganizing your calendar, or just "working more efficiently," this episode will challenge that approach and help you see a different path forward. ➥Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieeckdahl/ Let's Work Together 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

If you have been building your business through fractional work, you may be feeling the tension of what comes next. In this episode, I walk you through what it actually looks like to move from a generalist, founder-dependent model to a more specialized and scalable consulting firm. We explore why this transition does not happen overnight, how to begin testing a specialization without disrupting your current revenue, and the mindset and leadership shifts required to move forward with intention. I also reference the four consulting business models from the previous episode so you can better understand where you are today and what it takes to move to the next level. If you are starting to sense the ceiling of your current model but are not sure how to shift, this episode will help you see what is possible and what it really takes to get there. Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieeckdahl/ Let's Work Together 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

In this episode, I walk through the four primary consulting business models and how each one impacts your revenue, capacity, and long-term growth. If you have reached a point where your business feels full but not scalable, this framework will help you see why. I also introduce the Consulting Model Matrix , a simple way to understand how your business is structured today. The X axis represents how your work is priced, from time-based to outcome-based. The Y axis reflects how dependent your business is on you, from founder-led delivery to a model where a team can deliver work independently. I also share why many fractional consultants plateau, how to identify your current model, and what actually unlocks the next level of growth toward a more scalable firm. Mentioned in This Episode 🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieeckdahl/ 🚀Book a 90-Minute SCALABLE OFFER Intensive: https://nataliemba.com/intensive 🎧Listen to the podcast: https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast Scalable Offer Episodes: 74: Why Everything Starts with Your Scalable Offer 80: Inside the $200K–$400K Stage (Growing Pains Series) 66: Do You Have a Scalable Offer? (Scalable Series #1)

There is a stage in your consulting business where things look successful… but feel increasingly fragile. You may be operating as a fractional leader, a trusted generalist, or the go-to problem solver for your clients. Revenue is steady. Your calendar is full. But every new opportunity requires more of your time. More customization. More of you. Growth starts to feel heavy. You begin to sense a ceiling. Not because you lack talent. Not because you are not in demand. But because the model itself depends on your personal capacity. In this episode, I unpack one of the most important decision points nonprofit consultants face as they grow. Do you continue expanding through effort and availability? Or do you make structural changes that shift how your business works? The decisions you make at this stage affect your pricing, your positioning, your team, your visibility, and your quality of life. Move too slowly and you cap your impact. Move too quickly and you destabilize what you have built. This episode also begins a new series exploring the distinct phases of growth consultants experience as they evolve from founder-driven, custom work toward building something more durable and scalable. Each phase requires different decisions. Different courage. Different leadership. If you are feeling the weight of growth and wondering what needs to change next, this episode will help you name it and navigate it. 🚀Book a 90-Minute SCALABLE OFFER Intensive https://nataliemba.com/intensive

*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:7579be24-3f02-4035-91c4-1e8d60aba6e1-8" data-testid= "conversation-turn-18" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Hiring your first W-2 employee changes more than payroll. It changes how you lead. In this episode, I'm joined by HR expert Tiffany Slater of HR TailorMade to talk about what actually shifts when you move from an all-contractor model to a hybrid team with employees. We discuss expectations, accountability, performance conversations, and the infrastructure your firm needs as you step into real team leadership. If you currently have one employee, are about to hire your first, or feel like your hybrid structure is getting messy, this episode will help you understand what changes and how to lead through it with more clarity. Links Mentioned Dr. Tiffany Slater Website: https://www.hrtailormade.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyslater Natalie Eckdahl Website: https://NatalieMBA.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieeckdahl/ The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast: https://NatalieMBA.com/podcast Let's Work Together 🎯Book a SCALABLE OFFER 90-Minute Intensive Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept start) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching.

Sales does not have to feel awkward, pushy, or unpredictable. In this episode, I'm joined by my friend and trusted sales expert Nikki Rausch. We unpack her Selling Staircase framework and talk about how to confidently lead a sales conversation from introduction to close. We cover buying signals, permission-based leadership, circleback calls, and simple closing language that prevents ghosting. If you are ready to move from hoping a prospect says yes to confidently guiding the conversation, this episode is for you. Connect with our Guest Nikki Rausch 💡 Free Training Mentioned Website LinkedIn Sales Maven Podcast Connect with your host Natalie Eckdahl Website LinkedIn The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Let's Work Together 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching.

After 12 years, 2 podcasts and 711 total episodes, I took my longest break from podcasting. It was not planned. It was not strategic. And it taught me something important about leadership, margin, and what consistency is really for. You will learn what was happening behind the scenes in Q4, why I chose to pause, what shifted in my business as a result, and the unexpected breakthroughs that came from creating space. If you are a nonprofit consultant building a scalable firm, this conversation will likely resonate more than you expect. You will also hear what is coming next on the podcast, including interviews with: Sales expert Nikki Rausch Dr. Tiffany Slater on Hiring Employees Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieeckdahl/ Let's Work Together 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has one opening available. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

What happens when your consulting business no longer needs you in the work but needs you to lead the leaders? In this final episode of the Growing Pains series, I break down what it really takes to build a Scalable Firm . This phase, often experienced somewhere between $1M and $3M in revenue, is defined by adding leadership layers, stepping fully into the CEO role, and creating the operational clarity required to support a growing team. I share why letting leaders lead is essential, how complexity increases as your client base and team expand, and what can happen when scalable operations are skipped. I also close with a final vignette of Jean, our fictional consultant, to illustrate what this stage can look like when it's navigated with intention and strong leadership. This episode is for nonprofit consultants who want to build a firm that creates real impact, supports their life, and actually works. Better Together! 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (for Sept 2026 or Jan 2027) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Includes two in person retreats, group calls, training library and private 1:1 coaching. 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has two openings available. After these are filled, a waitlist will open. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

The $700K–$1M stage is a pivotal moment for many nonprofit consulting firms. Visibility increases, stronger talent begins to find you, and leadership demands rise in ways that often feel heavier than expected. This is the phase where achievement must shift from personal client work to team success, and where many consultants plateau without meaning to. In this episode, I unpack what actually changes at this level, including the move toward a full-time team, the need to simplify and refine your offer, the importance of operational and financial maturity, and the leadership and mindset shifts required to stop rescuing the business and start leading it. This stage is not just about growth. It is about evolving into the kind of leader your business now requires so growth becomes sustainable instead of exhausting. Better Together! 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has two openings available. After these are filled, a waitlist will open. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind (Apply by Dec 31) A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

The jump from four $400,000 to $700,000 looks simple on paper, but it is one of the hardest phases to navigate. In this episode of the Growing Pains series, I walk you through what happens when your consulting business reaches this stage, where scalable operations, stronger systems, and early full-time hiring become essential. You'll hear the stories of two fictional consultants, Riley and Jean, who both begin this phase in the low four hundreds but experience very different outcomes. Their experiences illustrate why some consultants get stuck here and what helps others move forward with clarity and stability. What I share on the podcast is a just a tip of the iceberg of what my clients get access to! Better Together! Book a 90-Minute Intensive Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has two openings available. After these are filled, a waitlist will open. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast

If your consulting business is between $200K and $400K, it may look successful from the outside but feel surprisingly unstable on the inside. In this episode, I break down why Phase 2 is one of the most challenging stages of growth and why so many consultants feel stretched thin, busy, and at the edge of their capacity. You will also learn what needs your focus in this phase so your business can become more predictable and less dependent on you. This episode will help you understand what is normal, what to expect, and how to move forward with more clarity and confidence. Be sure to follow or subscribe so you do not miss the next episode in the Growing Pains series where scalable operations becomes the focus. Let's Work Together! 🎯Book a 90-Minute Intensive Decide on your scalable offer, get out of overwhelm, and leave with a clear Game Plan. 💡 Private 1:1 Coaching Natalie currently has two openings available. After these are filled, a waitlist will open. 💫 Apply to the Impact Collective Mastermind A high-touch, year-long mastermind for nonprofit consultants earning $200K and above. Applications are open now. 🎙The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants Podcast Home https://nataliemba.com/The-Biz-of-Nonprofit-Consultants-Podcast