Selling Without the Ick

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How Pedro Girardi Landed Clients Without Pitching

Is it possible to land clients without pitching your offers? 

Yes, it is. And Pedro Girardi joined me from Rome to talk about it.  

After working as an associate at BCG, Pedro decided to relocate to Berlin and join Delivery Hero as the Manager for Global Sales. He also worked for Red Bull as part of their strategy team that focused on soccer investments. 

Pretty cool, right? 

But Pedro still hit a few bumps before ultimately finding success as an independent consultant. 

In this interview, he takes us on a career journey and shares three things that make an indie successful. 

This was a fun one, so I suggest watching the full episode here:

You left BCG after just a year and a half of working there. What led to that decision, and how did you navigate your next move? 

Pedro: I joined Delivery Hero, a global food delivery company based in Berlin. Part of the decision was personal – I’m a dual citizen, Brazilian and Italian, and I wanted to move to Europe. Berlin was a startup hub at the time, and I saw a lot of opportunity in tech. 

I didn’t have the job lined up before I moved, but I landed one quickly through networking. I first applied for a role with a former BCG consultant, didn’t get it, but then they introduced me to someone else who was hiring for a role that was a better fit. 

The BCG transition team was also a huge help. They connected me with companies, helped me benchmark my salary, and explained how German contracts work – very different from the U.S. I was surprised by how much support I got, considering I was just an associate from the Minneapolis office.  

I also did a lot of cold outreach, even to McKinsey and Bain people. I figured they’d be open to responding, and they were. That experience showed me you don’t have to limit yourself to one network when making a career move. 

After Delivery Hero, you transitioned into independent consulting. Was that planned, or did it just happen? 

Pedro: It was completely unplanned. My path to independent consulting had two big bumps. 

After Delivery Hero, I was supposed to join a startup they were funding. But just two weeks before I was supposed to start, they shut it down due to cost-cutting. Suddenly, I was without a job. They offered me my old role back, but I decided to take my severance and move on. I took some time off and thought about my next step. 

Then, out of nowhere, Red Bull reached out. They needed someone who spoke Portuguese, English, and German, had experience in multiple markets, and had a consulting background.

That led to a role in their strategy team, focusing on soccer investments. It was a great opportunity – until the CEO changed, the company restructured, and I was let go again. That was the second time in a year I found myself back at square one. 

So I started networking again. On my second or third call, someone said, “I know a company that needs a management consultant right now. Can you start next week?” And just like that, I had my first independent consulting gig. 

That first project came entirely from my network – I wasn’t actively looking for it. 

You seem to handle career transitions effortlessly, and work seems to come to you instead of the other way around. What do you think makes independent consultants successful in the long run? 

Pedro: Three things: resilience, inbound opportunities, and staying visible. 

First, resilience. I don’t see career bumps as setbacks – just part of the process. When I tell people my story, they say, “Wow, you landed on your feet,” but to me, it was just the next step. I kept moving forward.  

Second, people come to you. The best independent consultants don’t spend all their time chasing leads – most of their work comes through their network. If you’ve done good work, people will remember you. I didn’t expect this when I started, but looking back, almost all my projects have come from former colleagues, fellow consultants, or people I worked with before. But that only happens if people know what you’re doing. 

Then we have the third thing – staying visible. I try to be active on LinkedIn, but beyond that, I make sure to keep in touch with people I genuinely enjoyed working with. One small thing I do is send handwritten holiday cards every year. People love that, and it keeps me top of mind in a way that doesn’t feel transactional. 

You don’t need hundreds of connections – just more or less 10 strong ones. If you nurture those, you’ll always have work. It’s a long game of building trust and staying connected. 

What We Can Learn from Pedro Girardi: 

1. Visibility leads to opportunities. Pedro didn’t have to actively “sell” his consulting services through cold outreach, because his closest connections brought him work. He credited his opportunities to staying visible on LinkedIn, his network, and his personal habits of keeping in touch. 

2. Treat yourself like a startup. Independent consultants aren’t just freelancers, they’re businesses so they need to run themselves like one. This means creating a structure and managing finances strategically. 

3. Don’t overestimate the risk. Many consultants hesitate to transition into independent consulting because of the risk of failure. In reality, having strong skills and a solid network can make a world of difference.

🚨 Chart Crimes!

Some of the worst charts lack data. 

But this one has too much going on at once. 

Consultants – I’m sure you can relate to being this busy. Go take a break. 

Remember, the path to success is paved with continuous learning and embracing fresh perspectives.

Let's stay connected, share ideas, and elevate your consulting business.

Stay curious, friends.

The 2×2 is brought to you by Keenan Reid Strategies

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