Ryan Rouse

Growth advisor to consumer businesses with a focus on every line of the P&L | Previously, Co-Founder at Factor Meals (acquired), CEO at Highkey

Growth-minded CPG leader with deep experience across finance, brand building, and operational leadership.

After more than a decade in finance—culminating in an eight-year tenure at Merrill Lynch—I co-founded Factor_, a ready-to-eat meal delivery company that went on to be acquired by HelloFresh for $277M in 2020.

I joined HighKey Snacks as Chief Marketing Officer and later CEO, guiding the low-sugar snack brand through rapid expansion and an acquisition in 2024.

I'm currently the President of MALK Organics, a fast-growing, near nine-figure brand redefining the plant-based milk category with its commitment to clean, organic ingredients and uncompromising quality.

And I write a newsletter about what it really takes to grow—your company, your mindset, your tolerance for chaos:
​
​• The unfiltered truth about building a brand
• Why “strategy” isn’t always strategic
• What to do when everything feels on fire
• Mindset shifts that keep you sane(ish)​
• Founder mistakes, market moves, and lessons I’m still learning​
​
​Part playbook, part perspective shift.
For anyone trying to grow something—and keep their head on straight.

Sign up using the link here (or below my profile pic above): https://ryanrouse.me/

Vice President | Partner

Data driven investors in early stage consumer brands. 

MALK made the Bain 2026 US Insurgent Brands list 👀 

What I love about this list is it's numbers based (i.e., not a popularity contest.)

• Greater than $35MM in revenue
• Grown at least 10x faster than their category average over the last 5 years
• Maintained positive growth over the past 2 years

A couple other stats that stand out. 

- While the overall market grew less than 2% in 2025, the insurgents captured 36% of market growth.

- Insurgents grew volumes by approximately 55% year over year in a market where overall volumes were largely flat, demonstrating that their growth reflects real consumer demand, not just price inflation.

- Insurgent brands continue to be at the forefront of where consumer demand is accelerating with 44% of the brands featuring natural or organic claims. 

I'm proud of what we're building at MALK. 

And honored to sit alongside the other amazing Brands on this list. 

Let's get after it once again in 2026!

Never been on a Forbes list // President @ MALK Organics // Follow for posts about the highs and lows of building consumer brands from 13+ years in the trenches actually doing it

We’re debuting our new Cleaner Creamers at Expo West.

Organic, dairy-free, and made without gums, oils, or natural flavors. 

One thing we all need at Expo is coffee (duh), so come have a cold brew on us at our Cleaner Creamer Coffee Bar outside of Hall E (S21). 

Or explore the full MALK lineup (and more) at our main booth N322.

Lastly, we're also hosting a happy hour on Thursday 3/5, from 4-5PM — where MALKtinis will also make their debut :)

See you there!

(Full details in the link in the comments)

I turn 47 today.

Five years ago, I wrote a post on my 42nd birthday about entering my prime.

Looking back, I was right. But I underestimated what was coming.

Because every year since then, I've finished even stronger than I started.

Not older. Stronger.

Mentally. Physically. Emotionally.

Patience made me stronger mentally.

I stopped needing everything to happen right now. The urgency that used to consume me is more controlled. The more I let things unfold, the quieter my mind gets. Clearer. 

Acceptance made me stronger emotionally.

I stopped fighting what I can't control. The setbacks, disappointments, and other people's opinions that used to stunt me... I learned to let them pass through instead of take up residence.

Balance made me stronger physically.

I stopped treating my body like it was separate from everything else. Sleep matters. Recovery matters. I'm in better shape at 47 than I was at 37 because I finally stopped grinding myself into the ground.

Focus made me stronger universally. 

I stopped giving F's to things that don't fill me up. Relationships, opportunities, envy of other's people's highlight reels on social media. 

I'm still a work in progress, but recognize and acknowledge that if I'm going to grow, those are the areas that need to be more developed. So I work on them. 

At 22, I thought 47 was ancient.

At 47, I know the truth.

I'm not declining. I'm compounding.

Every hard conversation. Every failure I sat with instead of ran from. Every time I chose the long game over the quick win.

It all stacks.

So if the 22-year-old version of me showed up today, I'd tell him the same thing I said five years ago:

You have no shot against this version of me.

But now I'd add one thing:

You won't have a shot against the 60-year-old version either.

We’re hiring a Director of Finance.

You’ll report directly to and work closely with our CFO Jay Stone. 

MALK is growing fast with a smaller team which means you’ll have meaningful ownership and impact.

It also means we need a builder. 

Someone comfortable operating in the fast-moving, messy world of high-growth CPG.

You’ll partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Category Insights, and Demand Planning to help us understand what’s driving growth and how we invest to scale the business.

We have a culture we protect furiously. 

A group of humans who are all different, but who have common traits. 

Self motivated, open minded, intellectually curious, and cool. 

Last thing I’ll say is this.

This place is special. And will be one of the most fun and rewarding work experiences of your life if you’re the right fit. 

I don’t just believe that. I know it. 

If you’re interested, or know someone great, email hr@malkorganics.com. 

Or text me if you know me.

I've never met a happy person in a hurry.

Last week I looked down and realized I'd eaten an entire lunch without tasting a single bite.

Fork in one hand. Slack in the other. Eyes on the next call starting in 4 minutes.

I couldn't tell you what I ate. I was already somewhere else.

And I thought: what am I actually racing toward?

Look, I get it. Speed wins. 

I've built my entire career on moving fast. I preach it constantly.

But there's a difference between moving with urgency and living in a constant state of hurry.

Urgency is a choice. Hurry is a disease.

Urgency says "this matters, let's go."
Hurry says "this moment isn't good enough. I need to be somewhere else."

Every time you're rushing, you're basically telling yourself: I don't want to be here. I want to be there.

"There" is always some future moment. When the deal closes. When the launch is done. When you're "further along."

You know what you'll find when I got there?

Another "there."

Happiness isn't waiting for you at the finish line.

It's not in the next milestone or the cleared inbox or the lunch you inhaled at your desk.

It's here. Right now. 

Even if "here" isn't where you thought you'd be.

If you can't get your arms around that, happiness will always elude you.

—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

Stop trying to be Steve Jobs.

He's the exception, not the rule.

An entire generation of founders watched the turtleneck tantrums and thought that was the playbook for great leadership. 

It's not.

I've watched brilliant people flame out because nobody wanted to work with them.

Being easy to work with is a competitive advantage.

Nice people make more friends.
Nice people create more loyalty from colleagues.
Friends and loyal colleagues expand your network.
Your network brings more opportunity.

The math is simple.

Be decent.

—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

The relationships will matter more than you think.

More than the wins. More than the exits.

Between Expo and a few trips to Austin, I've been reconnecting with people I've worked closely with over the years.

Different brands. Different outcomes. Different chapters.

But one thing was universally true across all of it.

Real connection got built.

Not the surface-level kind. 

The kind rooted in trust, respect, and genuine love for each other.

I'm grateful to have crossed paths with so many great humans along the way.

And proud as hell to watch them go out and do amazing things.

But the part that hits hardest is this.

They still want to sit down for a coffee and a big hug.

That's the real scorecard.

Not the revenue. Not the valuation. Not the press release.

The people who still show up for you when the chapter's closed.

The chapter ends. The relationships don't.

Build accordingly.


—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

There’s nothing like putting your skills to the test.

I say it to the team all the time. 

No doubt they’re sick of hearing it. 

But getting the chance to put your hard work to the test is a privilege. 

Full stop. 

I’ve worked really hard on my jiu jitsu since picking it up 3.5 years ago. 

And love to compete in tournaments because what better way to test skills than that?

This is me getting a choke submission in the gold medal match at the Austin Open last week. 

Stoke Level = Off The Charts

Really proud of the work I’ve put in regardless of the outcome. 

But winning is pretty sweet.

No alternative text description for this image

I used to think good leaders had an opinion on everything.

Every deck. Every decision. Every damn detail.

If someone brought me something, I had to weigh in. That was my job, right?

Wrong.

I was exhausting my team and myself.

Not everything demands your judgment.

You're actually allowed to say "I trust your call on this."

You can sit in a meeting and just listen. You can let your direct report run with their idea without inserting yourself into every corner of it.

The best leaders I know? They're selective about where they spend their opinion capital.

They know the difference between:

• Things that need their input
• Things that need their approval
• Things that need neither

When you comment on everything, two things happen:

Your team stops thinking for themselves. And you become the bottleneck.

So now I ask myself: Does this actually need me? Or do I just want to feel important?

Most of the time, it's the latter.

Shutting up is a skill. And it might be the most underrated one in leadership.

—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

The best leaders don't announce themselves.

Sure, you can feel their presence.

But when they're with their team, there's no performance. 

No need to remind everyone they're the boss.

Their authority comes from how they listen. How they ask questions instead of giving orders. How they make space for others to shine.

The insecure ones do the opposite.

They interrupt. 
They dominate conversations. 
They make damn sure you know they're running the show.

But real leadership shows up in the room without saying a word. 

People lean in when they speak. 
Decisions get made faster. 
The team moves with confidence.

That's the tell.

If someone has to constantly remind you they're in charge, they probably aren't.

Self reflection is in short supply.

Most people are so damn sure they're right.

I get it. Confidence feels good. Certainty is comfortable.

But what I've learned in nearly 47 years on this planet is the most dangerous thing you can do is stop asking yourself one simple question:

Am I wrong?

Not once in a while. Regularly.

Pick something you're convinced of and argue against yourself. Make the best case you can for the opposite view.

You'll either strengthen your position or realize you need to change it.

Either way, you win.

The people who do this consistently? They make better decisions. They build stronger teams. They avoid costly mistakes.

The ones who don't? 

They get blindsided by their own blind spots.


—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

Your best relationships aren't built in the good times.

They're forged in the shit storms.

When revenue's down. When you're making layoffs. When the product launch flops and everyone's pointing fingers.

That's when you find out who's really on your team.

I've watched partnerships crumble during growth phases that should've been celebrations. And I've seen teams get tighter during crises that should've torn them apart.

The difference?

How you communicate when it's hard. 

Whether you protect respect even when you disagree. If you can trust each other when the path forward isn't clear.

You can't go back to the early days when everything felt simple. When the stakes were lower and disagreements didn't matter as much.

And honestly? You shouldn't want to.

Because every hard conversation, every tense board meeting, every moment you chose trust over ego made you stronger.

The relationships that survive the pressure are the ones worth keeping.

Everything else is just networking.

Intelligence isn't why leaders fail.

They fail because they can't connect.

I watched a VP with all the talent in the world lose his team in 6 months. Not because the plan was wrong. Because no one wanted to follow him.

He couldn't read a room. Couldn't give feedback without destroying morale. Couldn't build trust.

The gap between good and great leadership isn't IQ. It's EQ.

You can be the smartest person in the building and still create a vibe people don't enjoy.

Because leadership isn't about being right. It's about bringing people along with you.

Your direct reports. 
Your counterparts. 
Your boss. 

The hard skills get you in the door. The soft skills determine how far you go.

If you're stuck at a certain level, ask yourself: Is it really your capabilities holding you back? Or is it how you make people feel?

Start there.

No one person can make or break a company. 

Not once the brand becomes the most important "person" in the room.

Can a complete leadership overhaul across the org do it? Yes.

But no single individual, up or down the org chart, has that power alone.

That's actually a good thing.

For employees, leaders, founders, all of it.

Because it means the brand has arrived. It's bigger than any one person. That's the whole point.

But here's the flip side.

One individual, anywhere in the organization, CAN impact the culture in a meaningful way.

And culture? That can destroy a company from the inside out.

The brand might be bulletproof from the outside. But rot starts internally, quietly, one bad actor at a time.

So protect the brand by building it. But protect the company by protecting the culture.

They're not the same thing.

Consuming content doesn't build confidence.

Doing does.

I spent years thinking I needed one more book, one more course, one more framework before I was ready. Spoiler: I was never ready.

The confidence I have now didn't come from any of that.

It came from:

• Launching things that flopped
• Making calls I wasn't sure about
• Building Factor_ with no roadmap
• Getting it wrong, then getting it right

You can watch every YouTube video on swimming. But you don't learn to swim until you're in the water.

Same with business. Same with parenthood. Same with life.

The reps are the education. The failures are the curriculum. The wins are just proof you survived long enough to figure it out.

Stop waiting until you feel ready. You won't.

Start before you're confident. That's how confidence actually gets built.


—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

Most hiring decisions are made by asking "are they good?"

Wrong question.

The right question: "Are they incrementally better than anyone else we could get?"

Because you can build an entire leadership team of talented, credentialed, hardworking people and still have a team of expensive commodities.

They're all good. None of them are that much better than someone else you could go get. 

Example: Your VP of Ops is solid. Keeps things running. But if they left, you could replace them in 8 weeks and the business wouldn't skip a beat.

That's not a person problem. That's a unique value problem.

Same applies to agencies, advisors, fractional execs — anyone you're paying premium rates.

If their contribution is "generally helpful" instead of "uniquely effective," you're overpaying for adequacy.

"But isn't all value good?"

Sure. But good doesn't justify premium compensation or equity or a seat at the table.

Unique capability does.

So here's the filter:
→ What do they deliver that others can't?
→ How much better are they than the next best option?
→ What capability gap would their departure create?

If you can't answer those clearly, you're hiring for credentials, not impact.

And if you're the one being evaluated?

Same test applies to you.

Momentum is the most powerful force in business.

It's intoxicating. And finicky as hell.

When you have it, deals close faster. Hiring gets simpler. Problems suddenly have solutions.

That part is obvious. The part that isn't... 

Your team doesn't feel it the way you do.

They're in the weeds. Focused on tasks. They don't see the pattern you're seeing.

So when momentum's on your side, your job isn't just to ride it.

It's to make sure everyone else feels it too.

Point it out. Celebrate wins. Connect the dots between their work and the results. 

So you can get the most out of it when the winds are at your back. 

Because it can disappear as fast as it arrived.

My newsletter hit inboxes this morning.

Throwing it below in its entirety. 

I send 1-2 emails a week. 

Short, punchy takes from 13+ years building brands.

No fluff. No sponsors. 

Just the stuff I wish someone had told me earlier.

If you like what you see, link to subscribe is in my profile.

—

I had a manager once who was incredible when I first hired him.

Hungry. Coachable. Eager to grow.

But over time he changed. He got comfortable. He stopped pushing.

The problem wasn't him though. The problem was me.

I kept treating him like the guy I hired two years earlier. I wasn't seeing who he had actually become.

We all do this. We meet someone at a certain point in their life. Then we freeze them there in our heads.

But people change. They grow. Or they don't.

Your job as a leader is to actually SEE who someone is RIGHT NOW.

This works the other way too. Sometimes someone on your team has leveled up massively. 

And you're still treating them like a rookie.

That's how you lose your best people.

They outgrow the box you put them in. Then they leave to find someone who sees them clearly.

Look at your team this week with fresh eyes. Ask yourself who has grown that you haven't recognized yet. 

Ask yourself who you've been holding on to out of loyalty to a version of them that no longer exists.

It's a tough exercise. But it's worth it.

Same goes for your kids, your friends, and your partner by the way.

—

Your team isn't underperforming.

You're under-deciding.

I see this constantly. Smart, capable founders drowning in 80-hour weeks while their team sits around waiting for answers.

The bottleneck isn't their talent. It's your inability to make a call and move on.

Every decision you hold onto is a decision they can't execute on. 

Every "let me think about it" is another day of momentum lost.

You hired them to solve problems. But if you won't let them make mistakes, they'll never learn to make decisions.

The companies that scale aren't led by people who make perfect decisions. 

They're led by people who make fast ones, course-correct when needed, and trust their team to do the same.

If your calendar is full and your team's is empty, you're not leading. You're hoarding.

Let go of something today. Make the call. Empower the decision.

Your business will move faster than you think.

Imagine this… Instead of struggling to find clients, you have high-level decision-makers consistently reaching out, eager to work with you.

Sound appealing? It’s all about having a market-validated, irresistible offer coupled with a reliable outbound system to consistently fill your calendar with qualified leads. 

That’s where our proven, four-phase approach comes in.

Phase 1: Craft Your Offer 
First, we work together to package your expertise into a unique offer that speaks directly to your ideal client, positioning you as the go-to solution.

Phase 2: Validate with the Market 
Once your offer is defined, we use a tailored, soft-sell strategy to test and refine it, ensuring it not only solves a key problem but that clients are ready to pay premium prices for it.

Phase 3: Generate Leads 
Next, we install lead generation systems that help you have meaningful conversations with high-quality leads, reliably and predictably.

Phase 4: Scale for Growth 
Finally, using data-driven insights, we scale the top-performing campaigns, maximizing revenue and expanding your client base.

If you’re a new consultant ready to scale sustainably, let’s connect. 

Book a call with me here: https://calendly.com/carlacherry/call-w-carla-cherry

========================================================================

Prior to helping consultants 👉 I was a producer 🤩 for Larry King & more (see below)


Showrunner credits include: 
- Larry King's digital, celebrity talk show (Collector’s Cafe / Ora TV) 300+ episodes
- Larry King's "8-camera, live audience" TV talk show (Collector's Cafe / BiteSizeTV)
- "Inside Versailles" After-Show (Netflix /Ovation / 2017)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* "Inside Versailles" After Show (Creator/Showrunner - 2017) - over 665K views on Facebook 
* “Women of Versailles” Marketing campaign video (Producer/Editor) - garnered major advertising sponsorship from Volkswagen
* Booked celebrities including: Tiffany Haddish, Cheech Marin, Betsey Johnson, Kat Von D, Tom Green, DJ Kaskade, Dick Van Dyke, John Fogerty, Rev Run (Run DMC), Debbie Allen and more on a Larry King hosted talk show.
* Jim Henson's "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas" pop culture throwback video - (Producer/Editor)  2.2 M views - highest video count in Ovation’s history (2017)

Carla Cherry

This is the question that breaks most consultants' brains.

Would your old boss, the one who signed off on $200k vendors without blinking…

Would THAT person pay corporate money for what you're selling right now?

Not "would they think it's interesting." Not "would they take a meeting." 

Would they go to the team and fight for budget to hire you.

If the answer is no, your offer isn't ready.

And I know that stings but sit with it for a second.

Because most of you left corporate with REAL expertise. 

The kind that companies pay $50k, $100k, $200k for when it comes from a firm with a logo and a slide deck.

But then you went independent and immediately shrunk yourself.

You took that same $200k skillset and repackaged it as "$3,000/month coaching" because you didn't know how to sell it without the corporate brand behind you.

That's not a pricing problem, you have identity crisis.

Here's what your old boss actually cared about:

They didn't care about your methodology. They didn't care about your framework or your process or your 6-week timeline.

They cared about ONE thing. "If I bring this person in, does my problem go away? And can I justify this spend to my boss?"

That's it. that's the entire buying decision at the enterprise level.

So ask yourself. Does your current offer solve a problem that a VP or director would lose their job over if it didn't get fixed?

Because THAT'S what corporate money flows toward. 

Be that person and price accordingly.

Carla Cherry🍒

I help people escape corporate → Build an offer → Sell back to corporate. Helped 100+ people leave corporate. Send me a message to make corporate your client!

I disqualify people who want to make less than $10k/month.

Sure it sounds harsh but let me explain why

It's has nothing to do with the number, it's about the mindset behind it.

When someone tells me they want to make $3k or $5k a month, what they're really telling me is: I don't think I deserve more.

I don't think I'm worth it, I'm playing small because playing big feels scary.

And I can't fix that.

I can fix your offer, I can fix your messaging. I can get qualified leads on your calendar every single week.

But I cannot convince someone to believe they're worth six figures when they've already decided they're not.

Most of my clients came from corporate making $250k, $300k+.

They're used to that money, they KNOW they're worth it. 

So when they're sitting at $8k/month as a consultant they're not going "oh this is fine."

They're going "what the hell is the gap here?"

THAT energy I can work with.

That's someone who will do the homework. Follow the process. Push through the uncomfortable parts of selling.

But if someone walks in with a $5k/month ceiling in their head?

I'm just going to be talking at them. Trying to convince them of something they don't believe about themselves.

I learned this the hard way.

So yeah. $10k minimum. Not because I'm gatekeeping.

Because I only want to work with people who already know they deserve more they just need help getting it.

The hardest but best decision I ever made?

Walking away from corporate with nothing but a gut feeling that I was done.

No backup plan, savings cushion or guarantee any of it would work.

But I had 1 thing: A clear line in the sand.

I was done with:

→ Toxic cultures
→ Watching my work get claimed by someone else
→ Building other people’s dreams while mine collected dust

It was terrifying.

I had spent years delivering good results, yet I had no control , not over what I created, how I was treated, or how much I earned.

So I bet on myself.

I took everything I knew about building offers that sell and used it to build my own.

That decision changed everything.

And now my clients use my same systems to close massive enterprise deals!

Ron used my system to add $425,000 in revenue to his data focused consultancy (and he’s not done).

Dominique landed a $120K contract, with her very first pitch.

That’s when it clicked: this wasn’t just theory.

It was a repeatable, profitable, scalable process.

Since then, my clients have closed well over $1M using this system.

But the real win for them and myself is freedom.

We’re not waking up dreading Zoom calls and office politics.

We’re building, selling, and winning, on OUR terms.

The hardest but best decision I ever made?

Walking away from corporate with nothing but a gut feeling that I was done.

No backup plan, savings cushion or guarantee any of it would work.

But I

If you're trying to "convince" prospects to buy from you...

You've already lost the sale.

Here's what's actually happening when you feel like you have to persuade someone:

They're confused.
They don't understand what you do.
They don't know where you fit. 
They can't figure out if you're the person who solves THEIR specific problem.

So they say "let me think about it" and disappear.

You're not getting ghosted because of budget. 

You're getting ghosted because they can't figure out what you actually do.

That's on you.

I use this analogy all the time…

When you pitch yourself like a diner menu listing everything you CAN do, the buyer gets overwhelmed.

Ever been to one of those New York diners with 10 pages? You sit there going "oh god I don't even know what I want anymore."

That's what you're doing to your prospects.

The fix isn't better sales tactics, It's eliminating ambiguity.

Just be SPECIFIC

When you do that, you don't have to convince anyone of anything. 

They look at your message and go "holy shit this person just read my mind."

THAT'S when they raise their hand. 

Not because you persuaded them.. because you described their exact situation better than they could describe it themselves.

The goal isn't a "maybe I'll think about it."

The goal is an undeniable match, hard yes or hard no.

90% of AI projects failed to meet expectations in the last 12 months.
⠀
And yet 90% of enterprises are planning to INCREASE their AI investment this year.
⠀
That tells you everything about where we are.
⠀
The money isn't stopping. The tolerance for slop is.
⠀
CFOs are done with "let's run a pilot and see." They want ROI. They want specifics. They want someone who can actually tell them what happens after the demo.
⠀
Here's what I'm seeing…
⠀
The consulting firms that are going to win aren't the ones slapping "AI-powered" on their website. 

They're the ones building systems that run WITHOUT them. Autonomous. 24/7. Actual decision automation, not just task automation.
⠀
There's a real difference between "we use AI tools" and "our delivery costs dropped 40% because AI runs our backend."
⠀
One is marketing. The other is margin.
⠀
McKinsey is projecting 30-45% productivity gains in customer care alone. That's not hype. That's the floor for what's possible if you actually build it right.
⠀
And the wildest part is automation is making client segments profitable that were completely untouchable before. Smaller deals. Faster delivery. Economics that actually work.
⠀
So the question isn't "should we use AI"
⠀
It's are you building a consulting practice that happens to use AI, or are you building something that couldn't exist without it?
⠀
Because that's the line in 2026.

90% of AI projects failed to meet expectations in the last 12 months.
⠀
And yet 90% of enterprises are planning to INCREASE their AI investment this year.
⠀
That tells you everything about where w

By 2028 90% of B2B buying goes through AI agents
⠀
$15 TRILLION in spend running through software that decides if you even get a meeting
⠀
And most consultants are still sending cold emails like "hey just wanted to circle back"
⠀
The shift is wild. Firms that are winning aren't just adding AI to their stack. 

They're rebuilding the whole pricing model. Outcome based fees for the repeatable stuff. Fixed pricing when scope is tight. Hourly only when it's genuinely custom work
⠀
That's not a tweak that's a different business
⠀
TAM is expanding 10 to 20x for people who are actually positioned for this. 

Because automation made smaller deals profitable. Client segments that used to be a complete waste of time now have margins that work
⠀
All that AI and automation still needs someone who can sit with a CEO and figure out the actual problem. Tech runs execution. You run strategy. That's the job now
⠀
If you're not building systems that free you up for the thinking work you're just going to get outpaced by someone who did

Stop building your offer in isolation for 6 months.

Build the plane while you fly it.

I talk to 20+ consultants a week, and the majority of them have been sitting in a room for 6 months trying to build the "perfect" offer. 

Why? Because they built something nobody asked for.

The alternative is scary but it works: get clients WHILE you're building.

I tell my clients, you should be getting beta clients before you "launch." 

Tell your prospects straight up: you're one of my first.

I'm going to work my butt off to get you results because

 I need the case study. And I'll give it to you at a better price.

That's not unprofessional, that's SMART.

You find out what they actually want versus what you THOUGHT they wanted. You course correct in real time.

We now know within 24 hours if a campaign is working. Not endless months.

And we pivot immediately.

Oh that messaging flopped? Cool, we test something else tomorrow.

That target didn't respond? Great, we double down on the one that did.

Entrepreneurship isn't about arriving.

It's about starting with one client, then two, then three  and perfecting the process as you go.

Waiting until everything is "ready" is just a fancy way of hiding.

Stop building your offer in isolation for 6 months.

Build the plane while you fly it.

I talk to 20+ consultants a week, and the majority of them have been sitting in a room for 6 months trying t

The tech consulting market is about to cross $400 billion

 and IT spending is projected at $6 TRILLION in 2026

And most consultants are still out here charging $3k/month retainers wondering why they can't keep the lights on.

Let me break what this means for your consultancy:

73% of corporate clients now DEMAND real-time visibility into project status. They don't want your monthly recap PDF. They want receipts. They want dashboards. They want to see exactly what their money is doing.

That's not just a trend… it’s the new floor.

Corporate has the budgets. They're actively looking for outside expertise to fill gaps during tech implementations. They literally cannot hire fast enough internally.

So the money is there. The demand is there. The willingness to pay is there.

The problem is most consultants have zero infrastructure to capture any of it. No outbound system. No validated offer. No way to get in front of decision-makers at scale.

You're sitting on a six figure corporate offer and you don't even know it yet. 

$400 billion market and you're competing for crumbs because your positioning is off and your outreach is nonexistent.

That's not a market problem. That's a you problem.

Most "beta offers" fail for the same reason.

(It's not because your offer sucks or your audience is too small)

It's because you positioned it like a FAVOR instead of an OPPORTUNITY.

Let me explain.

I see consultants do this all the time. They spend weeks building something, get all excited, then post on LinkedIn like:

"Hey I'm launching something new and I'm looking for a few beta testers! It's free, I just need your feedback 😊"

And then they wonder why the only people who signed up are their mom, dad and two people who will ghost them by day 3.

Here's the problem with that:

1. "Free" doesn't mean valuable, it means suspicious.

When you say "it's free during beta" you're basically telling people "I don't even think this is worth paying for yet." Why would THEY think it's worth their time?

2. You opened the door to everyone so you got no one worth having.

No filter, no criteria. No specificity. You said "anyone who wants early access" and attracted people who collect free stuff like it's a sport. They were never going to pay you. Ever.

3. You made it about YOU.

"I need feedback" is not a compelling pitch.

That's a chore. You're asking strangers to do unpaid consulting for your business and wondering why they're not jumping at it.

So what actually works? Cap the spots. 

"We're taking 12 people" hits completely different than "sign up for beta." It says "this matters and there's a bar to clear."

Be specific about what they GET. "You get the full program for 90 days. I'll check in at day 30 for a 15-minute call." That's a clear value exchange.

Filter like your business depends on it. You only want consultants doing $10k+/month? SAY THAT. The people who don't qualify will respect it. The people who do will lean in.

Stop calling them beta testers. They're founding members. They're early adopters. They're getting something most people won't have access to for months. Language matters. 

"Beta tester" sounds like you're asking someone to find bugs. "Founding member" sounds like a seat at the table.

The best beta offers I've seen don't even feel like betas.

They feel like getting invited into something valuable before everyone else catches on.

Most "beta offers" fail for the same reason.

(It's not because your offer sucks or your audience is too small)

It's because you positioned it like a FAVOR instead of an OPPORTUNITY.

Let me ex

I watched a client go from "business consultant" to FULLY booked.

ONE change made it happen:

Every consultant I talk to has the same fear

"If I niche down, I'm leaving money on the table"

You've got 15 years of experience. You CAN do a lot of things. So why would you limit yourself?

It’s because when you say "I help companies improve operations" you sound like every other consultant on LinkedIn. 

The enterprise buyer has 49 tabs open and you just became background noise.

But when you say "I help manufacturing companies reduce production downtime by 30% in 90 days using AI-driven maintenance systems"

NOW you're the only person who does that specific thing

The math is counterintuitive:

Broad offer = massive TAM, tiny conversion
Narrow offer = smaller TAM, dramatically higher conversion

I watched a client go from "business consultant" to "I help personal injury lawyers double their caseload by cutting intake from 2 days to 20 minutes"

That lawyer? He was about to quit law from burnout because our client brought in so many leads haha

He's at 50 cases a week instead of 25.

And my client isn't chasing leads anymore, the leads chase her.

The fear of narrowing is really fear of commitment. 

Fear of being wrong about the bet.

But staying broad isn't safe. It's slow death by a thousand "let me think about it" responses.

You're not a generalist anymore, you're an expert who's been hiding behind a generalist label because it feels less risky.

Pick the problem you solve better than anyone

Go so narrow it scares you a little, that's where the money is

Your prospect asks, “So, what do you do?”

And you freeze, then start saying things like:

“I help companies improve operations.”
“I do leadership development.”
“I offer business consulting.”

It sounds professional, but it doesn’t actually do anything, because it’s about you.

The successful consultants I know, flip it.

They say things like:

“I help B2B teams replace inconsistent sales with a repeatable acquisition system that consistently brings in qualified leads without extra ad spend.”

“I help growth-stage companies turn their entire go-to-market into a predictable revenue engine by aligning strategy, messaging, and execution across every department.”

“I help established B2B companies shorten their sales cycle and increase close rates by turning complex offers into simple, high converting sales narratives their buyers instantly understand.”

Now the person on the other side leans in.

They get it.
They feel the pain.
They see the outcome.

That’s the difference between explaining your offer… and getting invited to fix a problem.

If you can’t answer “What do you do?” in a way that makes someone say,

“Wow, we need that,” you don’t have a clarity problem, you have a positioning problem.

Because in consulting, clarity isn’t “cute” it’s clients.

Your prospect asks, “So, what do you do?”

And you freeze, then start saying things like:

“I help companies improve operations.”
“I do leadership development.”
“I offer business consulting.”


Every enterprise deal I've seen close comes down to 1 thing.

Someone on the inside has a problem, they've been trying to fix it with their team for months, it's not working, and now there's a deadline breathing down their neck.

They don't want to learn. 
They don't want a workshop. 
They don't want a "thought partner."

They want someone to walk in and make the problem GO AWAY faster than they could do it themselves.

That's a shortcut, and that's what your offer needs to feel like.

But most consultants design their offers backwards.

They start with what THEY know. "I'm an expert in X so I'll build a 12 week program around X with modules and check-ins and a final deliverable."

Cool, You just described a college course, no VP is buying that. 

Here's how you flip it.

Start with the OUTCOME they're under pressure to deliver. Not the topic you're good at. The actual measurable thing their boss is going to ask them about in the next quarter.

"Reduce churn by 15%."
"Cut onboarding time from 90 days to 30."
"Launch the new vertical by Q3."

NOW build your offer around getting them there as fast as possible.

AI didn't kill consulting.

It killed GENERIC consulting.

Big difference.⠀

In corporate you were rewarded for knowing a little bit about everything. 

That's dead now.

AI can do the generic broad stuff faster and cheaper than you ever could. 

It doesn't sleep, need benefits or complain.⠀

So if you're out here pitching "I can help with your operations" or "I'll come in and fix your team" good luck. 

You're competing with a robot that costs $20/month.

But here's what AI CAN'T do:

It can't walk into a personal injury law firm and cut their intake process from 2 days down to 15 minutes.
It can't double their caseload overnight. 
It can't make the owner say "I'm going to quit law and just do business with you."

The more specialized you are, the more AI becomes your TOOL instead of your competition.

So stop trying to be everything to everyone.

Pick your lane, own the problem.

 Let the generic consultants fight over scraps while you charge $100k to solve something AI never could.

The best consulting offers don't sound like offers.

They sound like a DIAGNOSIS no one can ignore.

Most consultants don't have an offer problem. They have a "why would I pick YOU" problem.

And it's not because you're not good enough. It's because your offer sounds like everyone else's.

"I help leaders with strategic transformation."
"I provide executive coaching for high performers."
"I consult on operational efficiency."

Cool, so does literally every other person on LinkedIn with a headshot and a Calendly link.

Here's what makes an offer feel inevitable:

The person reading it should feel like you've been INSIDE THEIR HEAD.

Not "I help companies grow." But "your sales team is closing at 12% when they should be at 30% and the problem isn't the reps, it's what you're asking them to sell."

THAT makes someone stop. Because now it's not an offer. It's a diagnosis. And people don't ignore a diagnosis.

Second thing, stop making them do math.

If someone has to sit there and figure out what working with you actually looks like, how long it takes, what they get, what it costs, what happens after you already lost them.

Decision makers don't have the bandwidth to reverse engineer your offer.

That's YOUR job. Spell it out, make the next step so obvious it feels like the only logical move.

Thirdly attach it to a COST they're already paying.

"You're spending $40k/month on a sales team that can't articulate what you sell. I fix that in 6 weeks."

Now it's not an expense, it's a correction.

You're not adding to their budget, you're stopping a bleed they already know about.

This is the difference between an offer that gets "let me think about it" and one that gets "when can we start."

And it makes saying no feel more expensive than saying yes.

And most consultants are sitting on offers that COULD feel like that but they keep packaging them like a brochure instead of a solution.

Stop describing what you do. Start describing what they lose by not working with you.

That's when the offer stops being optional.

The best consulting offers don't sound like offers.

They sound like a DIAGNOSIS no one can ignore.

Most consultants don't have an offer problem. They have a "why would I pick YOU" problem.

An

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