PICA Member Spotlights

Q&A with independent consultants who successfully “made the leap” and created the consulting career of their dreams

 

Q: Could you please introduce yourself and tell us the name of your business and your consulting specialty?

A: My name is Wendy Kleinfeldt, and my business is Wendy K Consulting, LLC. I am a leadership and fitness coach, helping women fall in love with the strongest version of themselves.    

 

Q: How long have you been independent?

A: I’ve been independent since April 2023!

 

Q: Why did you become an independent consultant?

A: I always knew that I was not long for the corporate world. My personality, strengths, and values are not fully realized in the confines of corporate America. I value authenticity, beauty, autonomy, and purpose in what I do. Plus, I have a bit of a defiant side that says, “says who?” So being in a structured environment is not the best for me. It took me a while to embrace the fact that what may be more fulfilling for me is something that I’ve been too scared to explore. At my last employer, I was so unhappy. It was the most money I had ever made in my career, and I had felt useless. I knew I didn’t just want to go somewhere else and experience the same rat race all over again. I knew that if I wanted a different outcome for myself, it was time to do something different, something bold.

 

Q: How did you “make the leap”?

A: Honestly, it was the privilege of having a really well-paid job that set me up with some financial cushion to get started. I had also saved a lot of cash in my 20s, which gave me extra confidence about taking the leap.

 

Q: How did you get your first client?

A: Most of my clients have been referrals – whether they referrals passed to me or someone had passed my name to a friend of a friend. I wish I could say that it was my impeccable sales funnel, but my direct outreach has only been a small percentage of my business.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about making the leap to solopreneurship or who is just starting out?

A: If you’ve been a good employee for a really long time, take some time to unlearn some of those behaviors. As an entrepreneur, you are the expert and must present yourself as someone who confidently provide solutions. As an employee, I had to learn to over-collaborate, acquiesce to people around me, and not seem too sure about myself. (Also some racial and gender biases intertwined in that.) You’ll be surprised how much of “employee behavior” is engrained in you.

Focus on providing a great experience for your clients. I was really worried about marketing and branding in the beginning. And while people do notice these things, they ultimately care more about how you build your rapport with them and the quality of what you deliver.

And….as scary as it can be, don’t do work that doesn’t align to what your goals are. Look, I get it. You need to make money, and you can have some flexibility around what you are willing to do for different clients. However, if a certain project is going to take a majority of your efforts down a path that you’ve told yourself that you don’t want to take anymore, then be bold enough to tell yourself “no.”

Q: What’s surprised you the most about being self-employed?

A: How freeing and not scary it is. If you have an itch, go for it! Oh, and you’ll need to figure out your tech stack.

Q: What’s been your biggest challenge, or, what have you had to figure out and how did you do it?

A: Getting new leads or clients is a challenge. It’ll be a while until I get to the stage of having to turn down projects, but this is the long game. We don’t get rewarded for our work on a biweekly basis. We have to build our network. Nurture our connections. And show up as authentically as possible.

Q: What does the word “solopreneur” mean to you?

A: I actually don’t like this word too much. We are small business owners, entrepreneurs. We’re striking out on our own without the “promise” of the next paycheck. I don’t agree with the delineation of running a business on your own or whether you have a team. You can be powerful in both structures.

Q: What is something that many aspiring solopreneurs think they need that they really don’t?

A: You don’t need to have everything figured out. Even if you do, you’ll end up pivoting and transforming your practice eventually. This is also a game of creativity and agility.

Q: Is there a particular quote or saying that you use as personal motivation?

A: There are several quotes I like depending on my state of mind. Here are a few…

“Growth and comfort do not coexist.” – Ginni Rometty

“You don’t have to believe everything you think.”

“Gratitude is the highest form of being.”

“It’s hardest right before it gets easier.”

Q: What’s next for you and your consulting business?

A: That’s a great question. My practice has evolved so much since I started it in 2023. I’m slowly moving away from consulting and focusing more time and energy on bringing leadership and fitness under the same framework. It’s a work in progress, especially as I just moved from Oregon to Arizona. I have a lot of grounding to do with the local business community, and I’m keeping an open mind and heart to opportunities.

Q: How can people find out more about you or your business?

A: I love meeting new people!

You can find me in the following ways: my website, LinkedIn, email, and on Instagram @wendykconsulting.

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