Episode 76: Jenny Watzka – Building a profitable consulting firm while traveling full time
Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people
09/02/19
•30m
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Jenny Watzka worked at a Big 4 consulting firm for three years before ditching her 9 to 5 (or in her case, 9 am to 10 pm) after the sudden death of her father. Surrounded by doubters and naysayers, she successfully built her own profitable consulting firm while traveling full time.
Jenny helps business owners around the world ditch the daily overwhelm and grow their companies through automated workflows, internal system development, effective leadership and communication training.
You can reach Jenny by email at hello@jennywatzka.com.
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Episode 75: Rachel Werner – Consulting, Motherhood and Entrepreneurship
August 26, 2019
•30m
After working for years in the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors, Rachel Werner founded RBW Strategy, her women-owned consulting firm based in the Washington, DC Metro area. She's an expert in the full lifecycle of grants activities, and currently provides fundraising, project management and strategic planning support to nonprofit, public sector and for-profit clients. She is also an award-winning business owner who was recently recognized as a SCORE Client of the Year!
On this episode, Rachel shares:
- Why she transitioned from working at a Big 4 management consulting company after having her first child
- How her experience prepared her to become an entrepreneur, build her client base, and differentiate her business
- What it was like starting her business while pregnant with her second child
- The preconceived notions she had to overcome about having a home-based business
- How she defined her work/life boundaries as an entrepreneur, and found support from other entrepreneurial mothers through an accelerator called Her Corner
- Her experiences pitching and working with her clients
- Her advice for new entrepreneurs
You can find out more about Rachel at her website www.rbwstrategy.com, on LinkedIn or by emailing rachel@rbwstrategy.com .
Rachel's full bio:
Rachel Werner, Owner and CEO of RBW Strategy, a women-owned consulting firm located in the Washington, DC Metro area. She has over 16 years of experience in the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors. Due to her experience as a project manager, grant seeker and grant manager, she has expertise in the full lifecycle of grants activities, and currently provides fundraising, project management and strategic planning support to nonprofit, public sector and for-profit clients. Since the beginning of her career, she has helped to garner over $32 million in grants and contracts and has managed over $2 billion in grant funding. She graduated from Vassar College with a Bachelor of Arts and received a Master's Degree in Public Administration from New York University's Wagner School of Public Service. She has also obtained a Certificate in Grants Management (2012), is a certified Project Management Professional (since 2014), and is a Certified Grants Professional (since 2010). She is actively involved in the Grant Professionals Association and regularly conducts in-person and online trainings, most notably at the Grant Professionals Association Annual Conference, the National Grants Management Association Annual Conference, CharityHowTo, Candid, Center for Nonprofit Advancement and Catalogue for Philanthropy.
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Episode 77: Michelle Tillis Lederman – The Connector's Advantage
September 9, 2019
•35m
Michelle Tillis Lederman, one of Forbes' Top 25 Networking Experts, is the author of four books including the #1 new release, The Connector's Advantage. She is also the CEO of Executive Essentials, which provides customized communications and leadership programs for Fortune 500, non-profit, university and government clients. She is well known for helping people connect, work better together and advance their individual impact.
On this episode, Michelle shares her career journey and valuable advice about networking, including:
- How she found her calling for coaching, communications and training while working in finance
- How she embraced opportunities to practice what she loved on the job, before taking the plunge into entrepreneurship
- Her experience as the only woman on the trading floor and global venture capital team
- The six types of relationships you need for a successful career and life
- How she evolved her work from a practice to a business
- The importance of having a clear "ask" when you're networking and building relationships
- Tips for introverted networkers – and why they are often some of the best networkers out there!
Connect with Michelle at her website www.michelletillislederman.com and learn more about her latest book, The Connector's Advantage – including some book bonuses, a BOGO offer (Buy One Gift One), and free gifts from Michelle for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners!
You can also find Michelle on social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Michelle's full bio:
Michelle Tillis Lederman, CSP, PCC is known for her energetic, engaging, and authentic presentations. An expert on workplace communications and relationships, Michelle's mission is to help people work better together and advance their individual impact. She is an accomplished speaker, trainer, coach, and author of four books including the #1 new release The Connectors Advantage and the internationally recognized, The 11 Laws of Likability.
Michelle, named one of Forbes Top 25 Networking Experts, is a connection creator and CEO of Executive Essentials, which provides customized communications and leadership programs for fortune 500, non-profit, university and government clients. Her clients include JPMorgan, J&J, Deutsche Bank, Michigan State University, MetLife, Sony, Ernst & Young, the Department of Environmental Protection, and Madison Square Garden. Passionate about education, Michelle served as an Adjunct Professor at NYU, on the faculty of the American Management Association, Lehigh Executive Education, and Rutgers Executive Education.
A former finance executive and NYU Professor, Michelle is a regular in the media appearing on CBS, NBC, Fox, NPR, CNBC, the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, Working Mother, US News & World Report, MSNBC, Forbes and USA Today among many others.
Michelle spent a decade in finance with positions in audit, M&A, financial consulting, VC, and hedge fund investing. She received her BS from Lehigh University, her MBA from Columbia Business School, and her coaching certification from iPec and holds the PCC certification from the International Coaching Federation. Michelle earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation for the National Speakers Association. Executive Essentials is a certified Women Business Enterprise.
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