MindAbility Consultancy Ltd

I'm a business builder, (business coach), with a flair for growing businesses who fell in love with HR. I understand how vitally important HR is to the success of any organisation, how HR is taken for granted. I want to change that. I want to change the lives of HR and people consultancy founders. 

I help HR and people consultancy founders to build businesses on your terms. I know how tough it can be coming out of a corporate environment to no one. You've spent years understanding business, with little or no exposure on HOW to run a business - now you've been thrown into the deep end! 

I've grown several businesses, represented and run business development teams for rapidly growing companies in the B2B space, as have members of my team. We’ve also had our share of hard knocks along the way, dusted ourselves down and got right back up again!

Our unique coaching systems are all delivered virtually in short, focused sessions, with valuable tools that you can use, long after our programmes have been delivered. Each programme will be tailored to your individual needs. 

Specialist areas include: 
Helping you understand the definition of who you are, your services and what makes you different!
Identifying commercial blockers.
Show you how to sell you/your services.
How to build scalable and realistic pipelines.
We will show you how to measure these. 
Building and delivering scalable sales and marketing programmes.
Show you how to sell value and not time. 

We also blend these vital skills with the following: resilience coaching, conflict resolution, unconscious bias training, internal and external communications, helping business owners through change and dealing with uncertainty.

Who we work with: HR and people consultancy founders who understand business, but have never run their own businesses. Having recently left the corporate world, you are struggling to specify your message, your ideal clients, and are trying to define your packages and want sales.

Business coach for ambitious HR & People Consultancies | Keynote speaker| Podcast host | Author

NeuroLeadership Institute

Research and Solutions Consultant

Connor HR Consultancy

Continuing to support clients from FTSE 100's to rapidly growing SME's from organisational design and change programmes, people development for individuals and teams, plus transition including outplacement, returner to work programmes and retirement planning.

A passion for diversity and inclusion supporting organisations to deliver their D&I agenda.

Senior Client Partner

I support our Client Partner Director in ensuring we support our 400 plus clients across the whole people agenda.

We are experts on people in business and have been providing practical advice and support to businesses and their people for 25 years.

For businesses, we can help you through the whole employee lifecycle:
- recruitment and search
- talent and organisational development
- career transition and outplacement.

We can provide day to day HR services or lead organisational design, people strategy and change management projects. We’re flexible, pragmatic and passionate about helping businesses improve performance through their people.

We don’t just advise you – we actually do the work for you – delivering results so you can get on with running your business. 

For individuals, we can help you to enhance your performance – giving you the confidence and expertise to build a better career if you have to move on.

Some consultants just don’t give you a personal service every time. Your partnership with Connor will be different – you will receive individual care and attention.

To read what a selection of our clients say or to find out more, please visit www.connor.co.uk.

For further information on Connor call 01491 414 010 or email us at info@connor.co.uk.

Client Partner

Sam is the owner of internet marketing agency specialising in online PR and social media.    Despite its fledgling status, the agency has a wealth of experience within its assoicate team and has already won a number of UK and European accounts offering training programmes for social media platforms and online PR programmes whilst developing European wide campaigns within the property and health industry.  

Sam has gained extensive experience in the blue chip and SME arena through working at Sitelynx Ltd and E-Strategy Limited.  Her area of speciality is online PR and reputation management.

Her enthusiastic approach and passion for her industry has led her to extensive training.  She has trained large corporates such as Times Online and Sun Online whilst working for Sitelynx and has developed and launched training schedules for Devon County Council and David and Charles publishing during her time at E-Strategy.

Owner

E-Strategy Limited

I worked with the MD to ensure E-Strategy grew revenues and profitability on a UK basis.  I was responsible for the development of the brand and account management agency wide.

Director

Sitelynx Limited

One of the founding Search Engine Optimisation agencies the UK

Account Manager

Cinnamon Communications

Cinnamon Communications was formed to support clients in two areas: business development consultancy and corporate communications.

I grew the business to a six-figure turnover through targeted networking, strategic marketing, and ensuring I measured and delivered value to my clients.

MD & Consultant 

Weber Shandwick

I was responsible for a portfolio of clients in the tech space which included a number of LBS and satellite navigation early-stage organisations. 

I managed a portfolio of £100k plus clients for the organisation and helped to develop client opportunities using my high EI.  I was keen to learn as much as possible within this role before setting up my own organisation.

Account Director

Open ....

Open was the first interactive television platform in the UK.  I was responsible for the press desk and helping to promote the brand to the B2B and B2C press to support the marketing efforts. This included a three month on the road tour to introduce the concept of interactive television to the UK. 

Open .... was originally called British Interactive Broadcasting and had four major shareholders: BSkyB (where I had previously worked as an EA to the Chief Executive, Sam Chisholm), BT, Matsushita and HSBC.

Press Officer

Hi I’m Sam.

I help HR consultants, Executive Coaches and Benefit Specialists to generate consistent revenue from the right clients.

I do it with MindAbility Business Club, where we:

- Have bi-weekly calls to build your business knowledge
- Get you unstuck from the day-to-day challenges
- Give you a community you can rely on for questions and support
- Encourage collaboration with other specialised business owners
- Share access to our library our training resources

All with the aim of helping you build a consistent business you can rely on.

Some of our community member wins:

🚀 Increased a contract from $10,000 to $25,000
🚀 Increased revenue from $9,000 to $18,000 per month
🚀 Gone from $0 → $270+ revenue in the first 9 months
🚀 Make more money whilst reducing hours worked by 30%
🚀 Replaced their $120k corporate income in less than 3 months

If you need support tailoring our expertise and advice to help you grow your HR / People business…

Send me a DM to sign up for the MindAbility Business Club!

Fractional People People - you rocked it in during Pitch Club!!

You just can’t beat real life connections and learning.

Heart full to bursting!!! Excuse my ridiculous face that’s sheer joy right there!!!!

Sam Eaton

You left corporate to start an HR business - I'll make sure you never go back

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How to build a $250K HR consultancy in your first year 

without burning out or second-guessing every move.

Most HR consultants don’t fail because they lack experience.
They fail because they rebuild corporate life under a new logo.

1.⁠ ⁠They chase clients instead of building a business model.
2.⁠ ⁠They take every project instead of creating predictable income.
3.⁠ ⁠They mistake “busy” for “steady.”

That’s what we’re changing.

16th October, 6 PM (UK) / 1 PM (EST), I’m running a live Masterclass for HR consultants and coaches who are ready to replace their corporate paycheck with something more stable, and a lot more satisfying.

➙ We’ll strip away the fluff
➙ Rebuild your model for steady income and 
➙ Give you the clarity to scale with confidence

All this without losing your sanity in the process.

If you’re ready for predictability, structure, and calm growth…
Comment “PAYCHECK” below and I’ll send you the link, no strings attached

You? Me? And about 100 FPP'ers today right?

Fractional People People - let's goooo!!!!

Samantha O'Neill and I are ready for it - so looking forward to seeing everybody!

It’s been magical!!

From DIsruptHR Dallas 5.0 to finishing with Fractional People People in Chicago and all the events across multiple cities we ran in between.

We’ve met so many of our clients IRL and laughed, cried hugged and listened with intent.

We’ve covered thousands of miles.

Now it’s time for a weekend of rest and being with my family.

I’m exhausted and ohhhhh so grateful for so much. Samantha O'Neill - missing you already 🥰

My best ideas never arrive when I’m staring at my laptop.

They sneak up on me in the most bizarre places.

🚿 The shower
🥘 While batch cooking
✈️ …and most recently, on a flight to the US.

Somewhere between turbulence and bad coffee, I sketched out an idea I’m still building out plus three huge life goals — and exactly how I’ll achieve them. All in a two-hour window at 30,000 feet.

It was quite the ride.

Here’s what I’ve learned: clarity rarely comes when you’re forcing it. It comes when you’re away from the noise, giving your brain space to connect the dots.

So this weekend, step back. Go for that walk, take that nap, let your mind wander. Your next big idea might be waiting in the least “productive” place.

Speaking of which turns out my other productive place is the beach! 🥰

I shared my ideas with Samantha O'Neill over a beach walk in Maine and those ideas just kept coming last weekend!!

Happy weekend you lovely lot 🥰

Yesterday I shared about the power of human connection and networking. Last night at DisruptHR DC  it was such a joy to reconnect with Amanda Freudenthal  one of our Business Clubbers and to meet so many incredible new people.

LinkedIn has been a game-changer in helping me meet brilliant professionals, but these in-person events? They create heart-led, values-based connections that go so much deeper.

When it comes to follow-up, I like to think about connections in three ways:

1️⃣ Relationships – Priceless. The friendships, support, and wisdom we share with each other matter on so many levels
.
2️⃣ Potential Clients – Those ready (or getting ready!) to build their successful HR consulting business—whether that’s now or in 2026.

3️⃣ Collaborators & Referral Partners – Because we can’t be everywhere (even though I try!), having trusted peers who can vouch for us beyond a LinkedIn recommendation is invaluable.

Now it’s time for a couple of days to recharge and refresh… before the next stop: Chicago. ✈️

Fractional People People  - let’s go!

The DIsruptHR Dallas 5.0 vibes were off the scale last night! 

Great to see so many people and THANK YOU to Monyca Brown, Marnie Robbins and Sharon Mumford, SHRM-SCP for being the absolute rockstars that you are in helping organise today.

So for 

ONE

FINAL 

TIME

You have FIVE hours left to get your tickets

Why come? The TedEx style talks - the connections you'll make, the ideas you'll leave with - and the sheer joy of being in a 'can do room'. 

One that will be full of hope - full of learning - and full of some much needed connectivity. 

DALLAS LET'S GOOOOOO!!!!

https://lnkd.in/engjeKgE

Michele Haugh, MSHR-OD Russell Holm Jr Anna LoFaro Julie Develin 🍌 Chigo Ahunanya Gehan "G" Haridy-Ardanowski Rachel Hilary Blanton Janel Yessian, PHR, SHRM-CP Ben Madden Anna Nielsen 🔥Meshell R Baker🔥 Rodney Lawson, MBA Nadine Lavigne Corean C. Kandi Gongora

The fastest way consultants burn out? Acting like staff instead of partners.

A consultant recently shared that she was working 60-hour weeks, replying to client messages at 11pm, and rewriting policies on the fly, all unpaid.

On paper, she was a consultant.
In reality, she was an employee without benefits.

The shift came through structure, not harder work.

1. Scope: No ad-hoc drafting or after-hours emergencies unless agreed.
2. Access: One channel, business hours, 24-hour SLA.
3. Commercials: One rate card across all workstreams.
4. Concentration: No client above 40% of total billings.
5. Termination: 30-day notice. Handover limited to documented deliverables.

Within weeks, her workload eased, margins grew, and client respect increased. Boundaries didn’t push clients away, they built trust.

Consultants are not hired to fill gaps.
They’re brought in to bring clarity, direction, and impact.
The moment they act like staff, that value disappears.

Principle: Let the documents defend the boundary, so the work can speak for itself.

“Everyone I talk to is so much further ahead than me.”

Ever found yourself thinking that?

You’re not alone — and it’s classic negative self-talk.

Especially for HR consultants and Fractional HRs starting out or pivoting, that inner voice gets loud:

“Should I say ‘I’ or ‘we’?”

“Should I have more clients by now?”

“Shouldn’t I already be at $20K/month?”

Having worked with over 200 HR consultants and Fractional HRs here's what I've seen:

Some folks land clients in a week.
Others take months.

NO ONE is behind. Everyone is on their own timeline.

So if you’re reading this and silently nodding — hear this:

No one is better than you.

No one is doing “more amazing things.”

They’re just walking a different path.

So here’s what you can do today — because it’s October 1st, and we’ve still got Q4 to play with:

✅ Follow up with your warm prospects.
“Would love to get started soon — and to have XYZ wrapped up by Thanksgiving, we’d ideally begin ABC this month.”

✅ Call 3 referral partners.
Fellow HR consultants, coaches, legal pros. Here's a suggestion as to what to say:
“I've got a real focus on business development this month and am going to several new networking events. How many new clients are you looking for this month?”

Why? Reciprocity is a beautiful thing and they will then ask you the same.

The trick is to keep 'checking in' throughout October to see how they are doing. 

✅ Find 2-3 business events where leaders hang out.
Think: tax updates, employment law briefings, or local chamber gatherings hosted by CPAs or legal firms. Be where your clients already are and where they will MAKE time to attend. 

And lastly — don’t get stuck on “I” vs “we”.

Use the one that feels real.

Use the one that makes you show up. That’s what clients are drawn to.

What are the rooms that will lift YOU this month? This is mine Fractional People People IRL event and a photo from yesterday. Thank you Elles Skony, Kim Minnick and all the FPP team of organisers! Thank you Samantha O'Neill for being such an awesome partner in crime too!

Building the First Phase of Your HR Consultancy Isn’t About Motivation. 

It’s About Structure.

The first months in business feel chaotic because most consultants don’t have a model to follow.

Here’s the structure my clients use to move from starting out to running a stable, profitable consultancy:

➲ Phase 0 (Days 0–14): Register the business, begin to set your offers and pricing, prepare contracts, and create a simple tracker.

➲ Phase 1 (Days 15–45): Reconnect with 150 people in your network, hold 30 real conversations, and send 10 proposals.

➲ Phase 2 (Days 46–120): Secure 3 ongoing clients, create one strong case study, and review your pipeline weekly.

➲ Phase 3 (Months 5–10): Build consistent lead sources, set up a referral engine, and protect your profit margins.

The consultants who get ahead aren’t “lucky.” They follow a clear structure, supported by peers and a community who holds them accountable at every step.

That’s why the Business Club exists: a community where HR consultants share the exact systems, support each other, and stay on track without second-guessing themselves.

If you want that level of clarity and community, DM me to get access to a limited 7 day pass into the club.

When Becky and I started working together, she’d been in business 18 months.
She had 2 retained clients and her goal was clear:

✅ 6 retained clients
✅ At least 4 project wins a year

The challenge?

She wasn’t your typical HR — Becky is incredibly commercially minded and can close a deal once she's in the room.

But finding the right people to speak to?

That was the sticking point.

Over 4 x focused 90-minute sessions, we got to work:

Clarity on who she really wanted to work with

Profiled exactly where those prospects were hanging out

Set a budget + strategy for key events, associations & visibility moves

Created her hook offer – a 30-day win service to spark fast 'yeses'

Results?

2 new retained clients while we were working together — worth $60K.

3 high-value projects landed after using the same methodology from her network and referral partners.

She’s on track to hit this year’s goals.

And — she’s finally on the road to replacing her $350K corporate salary.

Sometimes, you don’t need more hours — you need more intentionality.

Happy Sunday!

If October has you thinking about how to finish the year strong (or secure those 2026 budgets early)… let’s chat.

It’s the best month of the year to shift from hoping to landing clients.

Ever have one of those weird weeks?

You know the kind I mean...

Everyone seems to be in a strange mood.

Clients go quiet.

Prospects ghost your calls.

Even the coffee doesn’t taste right.

You haven’t done anything wrong...

But everything just feels a bit “off.”

And then — boom 💥

Next week, it's like the universe flipped a switch.

Clients reappear, excited and ready - and it' like that weird week just never happened!

DMs light up with new leads.

Conversations flow.

I’ve learned not to overanalyse the “why" - and my goodness I used to be good at the whole overanalysing piece!

We all have weeks that just wobble.

I don’t label them as failures anymore or blame myself for something that is, frankly, just out of my control!

I just remind myself: It’s a week, not a verdict.

The magic is in the reset.

Next week? New energy.

Fresh momentum.

Another shot to show up and move forward.

Always forwards. Never back. 👣

So if this week’s been “meh” for you — breathe.

Let go.

And remember: momentum returns. It always does.

How HR Consultants Win Enterprise Clients (Without Shiny Words)

Last quarter, one of my clients walked into a boardroom full of executives.
She was ready to sell, but nerves took over. Her instinct? Add more adjectives.

“Transformational.” “Strategic.” “Game-changing.”

The CFO’s face didn’t move.
So we rebuilt her approach.

No hype. No gloss. Just a four-step talk track:

Evidence → Implication → Consequence → Resolution

She walked back into the same boardroom. This time:

1. Evidence: “Attrition has spiked in one function for two straight quarters.”
2. Implication: “That means lost competency, heavier manager load, rising hiring costs.”
3. Consequence: “Delivery deadlines slip. Revenue recognition drifts. Client trust erodes.”
4. Resolution: “Here’s the intervention: manager toolkit, review rhythm, exit-risk pre-commit, focused hiring lanes, 90-day variance reporting.”

Silence…

Then the COO leaned forward and said: “Finally, someone talking about the numbers.”

That contract closed.
The truth? She didn’t get there alone.

We worked through four intensive 1:1 sessions together, shaping her positioning, sharpening her frameworks, rehearsing the talk track, and she had a separate 1:1 with my finance expert to ensure her commercial case stood up to scrutiny.

That combination gave her the authority and confidence to walk into the room, cut through the noise, and win.

One of my Business club members once joked that she found her first retainer in a hotel lobby.

She thought it was luck.

But when we broke it down, it wasn’t luck at all. It was a system.

She had a simple opening line ready: “I work with CEOs to build simple HR systems that keep their teams engaged and performing”. She listened for a pain point, mirrored it back, and stopped there.

Within 48 hours, she’d followed up, shared a short outline of how she could help, and locked in a scoping call.

That same approach has now landed her three retainers in places she “just happened” to be, networking events, a coffee queue, even a linkedIn comment section.

The difference? She wasn’t relying on luck. She had a script, accountability, and a community checking that she used it consistently.

That’s what Business Club provides: the tools and support to turn chance conversations into reliable opportunities.

To prove it, I’m giving a 7-day pass to the first 15 consultants who comment “Community” below. Step inside and see how structure replaces guesswork.

You didn’t leave corporate to work more and earn less.
But that’s where too many HR founders end up.

⇝ Longer hours. Smaller pay-checks.
⇝ Saying yes to everything because “pipeline is fragile.”
⇝ Building slides at midnight and telling yourself it’s just this month.

It’s not a motivation problem. It’s a model problem.

Here are the 3 decisions that flip it:

1.⁠ ⁠Sell outcomes, not hours: 
If the client can’t see the business result, they’ll only see the price.

2.⁠ ⁠Package, then protect:
Clear inclusions/exclusions. Change orders. Office hours. Boundaries ≠ bad service.

3.⁠ ⁠Minimum Viable Prospecting (20 mins/day):
1 ICP post. 2 meaningful comments. 2 warm DMs. Pipeline beats panic.

When my clients make these three shifts, the chaos calms:
fewer projects, higher margins, and work that fits life again.

If you want the exact 6-step framework to price and package your services (with scripts + guardrails), comment WORTH and I’ll DM you the guide.

Sell what you want to sell → it might not land.

Sell what your clients actually want → that’s where the gold is.

When I struggled with sales early on, here’s what I did (and what I now teach my HR consultant clients):

1️⃣ Doubled down on my network.
I made 10 calls a day to people who already knew, liked, and trusted me. But I quickly realised that wasn’t enough — otherwise, I’d have had the sales already.

2️⃣ Got out of my comfort zone.
I signed up for 4–5 events a month. As an extroverted introvert, this was… painful. But my best conversations? They happened in the coffee queue.

3️⃣ Found my referrers.
I figured out who already had the clients I wanted to work with (think accountants, lawyers, benefit brokers). They became my referral partners.

Fast forward to today — these three simple principles have helped my clients replace $250k plus corporate salaries.

Happy Monday everyone - let’s gooooo!!!

Tired of networking that never leads to clients?

Most HR consultants I meet say the same thing:

“I’m showing up everywhere… but nothing is coming from it.”

Here’s what I learned networking without a plan is just noise.

If you want results, you need strategy.

Start with one simple step: go where your clients already are.

How do you find that out?

Ask referral partners where they meet your ideal clients.

	•	Join them at those events.
	•	Look at associations or closed membership groups.
	•	Pick 2–3 industry-specific events a year and go deep.

Networking isn’t about doing more.

It’s about choosing the right rooms and being intentional once you’re in them.

Tomorrow, I’ll share how to turn those events into real business opportunities—not just another stack of business cards.

With AI and tech everywhere, the real edge isn’t knowing how to automate… it’s knowing how to connect.

Zooms and Google Meets are brilliant.

Networking costs — travel, time, energy. I also fundamentally believe the power of meeting in person and the strength of those connections made.

That’s why I treat every networking opportunity like a campaign.

Stage 1: Pre-event prep

1️⃣ Find the event online - follow it across socials. Comment, like, engage.
2️⃣ Message people: “I’ll be there too, would love to say hi!”
3️⃣ For the ones I really want to meet? I share my mobile/cell number.

Then I track it all on a simple sheet.

Because every event is an opportunity — if you’re intentional about it.

Most HR consultants get business through their network and people they haven’t met ….. yet!

How is it the end of September already?!

The leaves are turning, the nights are drawing in... and it’s officially conference season.

And with so many events popping up — here's the real question:

How do you decide which events to attend?

How do you even find the right ones?

From having worked with over 200 HR consultants and Fractional HRs, - most HR consultants, coaches, and independents I speak to go to events designed for them... not for their clients.

That’s where things start to unravel.

If your goal is:

To find new clients
To land bigger contracts
To build warm referral relationships that ACTUALLY refer you business.

Then here’s the filter you need:

Ask yourself - Where do your clients hang out?

(Hint: It’s probably not the latest HR or coaching event unless you are going there to learn.)

Let me break it down:

Your customer is the one who benefits from your service.

Your client is the one who signs the contract and pays the invoice.

So where do they go? What do they care about right now?

One of our HR consultants wanted to break into manufacturing and she'd just moved into a new area (Colorado to Charlotte).

They joined their local Manufacturing Association, attended 3 events, built relationships between the events...

➡️ Result?

4 new clients in just 6 months.

Visibility. Consistency. Intentionality. That’s what works.

So let me ask you:

Where do your clients hang out this autumn?

What's on their minds right now?

Maybe it’s time to skip the “friend-making” events (you’ve got enough friends 😉) and start showing up where buyers are already looking.

This is for the HR consultant who's been quietly wondering... "Is there a better way to do this?"

You’re smart.

You’ve got clients.

Your LinkedIn is active.

And from the outside, it looks like you’re flying.

But inside?

You’re still:

Overdelivering and undercharging
Saying yes to too much
Not sure what your next level even looks like
Wondering why it still feels so hard

This is EXACTLY why I created the Mastermind - I've been there!

It’s not a course.

It’s not a fluffy community.

It’s a 10-week, high-support container for HR consultants who are ready to:

Raise their prices (and actually say them out loud)

Build better boundaries + better offers

Sell in a way that feels natural

Have space, structure, and support to do this right

Here’s what Chris said:
“Sam’s Mastermind helped me restructure everything.
The value far exceeded the cost — and the ripple effect keeps growing.”

And from Elizabeth:
“Every conversation sparked insight. Every connection opened doors.”

There is ONE place left - starting Wednesday - payment plan available - $5,500.

And I won’t give it to the first person who DMs.

I’ll give it to the right person.

If this is your season to scale sustainably — DM me or reply to this email with:

“Tell me more about the Mastermind.”

Let’s talk.

One spot left in the Mastermind — is it yours? One Spot. One Decision. One Big Shift. Every consultant hits a point where things should feel easier — 

Open article: One Spot. One Decision. One Shift. by Sam Eaton • 5 min read

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