Success Through Resilience

Today in 5 minutes or less:

🎯 How One Consultant Turned No’s Into Wins

🤯 OnlyFans Creators Top NBA Players and Craft Breweries in Revenue

But before we go there…

I had a great time chatting with the Team at People Leaders about fractional consulting and how it’s an ideal solution for leaders who need someone with strategic capabilities without hiring them full-time.

Make sure to check out the episode here and explore more of their insightful content.

How One Consultant Turned No’s Into Wins

How did you meet your first client?

Vindali Vartak spent all of her time in the healthcare industry, mostly in value-based care. Her leap to consulting hasn’t been an easy journey, but she managed to secure multiple clients (in one year) through perseverance and resilience.

Now, she’s President of Arvian Consulting.

In this interview, Vindali takes us through her early journey as a consultant and gives us some golden nuggets from which every new independent consultant can benefit.

Watch the full interview to hear Vindali’s story about resilience:

Tell us about your background before becoming an independent consultant. What was that transition like and what are you doing now?

Vindali: I’ve been in the healthcare industry all my life. I started as a dental surgeon and then chose to go into management. I worked for Fortune 500 companies, mostly in value-based care where providers are paid based on the patient’s health outcomes instead of the individual services.

Also within that space, I’ve done advanced analytics including predictive analytics and AI-related work. I’ve also done program management, complex population management initiatives, and total cost of care initiatives. I also have a background in product management and strategy, as well as experience in contract negotiation.

Last year, I leaped into being an independent consultant using all my expertise.

My experience within value-based care offers providers, payers, insurance companies, and digital health tech companies how to succeed in that environment as it’s very dynamic, and not everybody is ready.

Getting that first set of clients can be hard for people. How did you build such a business so quickly?

Vindali: It’s been a tough journey. When I started, I was a little unclear about where to focus on.

My first client came out of networking and talking to people. When you meet with the people and the connection feels right, then both parties know to move ahead. My second one happened through my ex-manager. They invited me to their space to help with everything I could.

After that, I hit a pause.

I wasn’t getting any clients, so I did what I would have done in the non-profit world. I have 15+ years of experience as a volunteer in the non-profit world, so I know that fundraising can be difficult.

From that fundraising experience, I learned that you have to reach out to 100 people before you get 20 to say that they will meet with you. Then, maybe 10 of those conversations actually happen and a few of those sign up and show up.

So I’m used to not taking “no” personally because it doesn’t always mean no; sometimes, no means not for now. It’s not a personal reflection; some things just aren’t a match and it will push you in a different direction. 

On my journey as a consultant, I realized I needed to meet with those many people. My aim was to meet with them, understand what problems they were facing, and see if there was an opportunity there.

But there was also a point where I was getting scared, so I tried interviewing for jobs. And that’s where I found my third client – from a job opportunity.

My growth as a consultant happened through a combination of networking, being flexible with my time, and just following through. And I feel good about the fact that I have 4 clients. But scaling up is the next level and that’s going to take something else. We’ll see how that goes.

Let’s talk about resiliency. You pushed beyond what most people do and that ultimately led to success. What did you do?

Vindali: I take a lot of notes during my conversations with people. When you talk to so many people, it’s important to note things that made me feel connected with the person I was talking to. It may not have been an opportunity at that time, but there was something that struck me in that conversation; a chance or place to help them with their business sooner or later.

Second, you can give people time to decide without asking for a contract. Sit with them for 2-3 hours just to talk. If you can’t pay me yet, I can give a few pointers and there will be enough for you to carry on about 6-7 months. You can come back if you need to.

But there were also times when I would go back and think I needed to find a job because the “I need a paycheck” habit is hard to break. I interviewed for a couple of positions but I didn’t get the role.

But I remembered the conversation. I had liked the company and the people. I knew there were opportunities in that role where I could make a difference.

So I went back to the hiring manager, the CEO of the company. I felt there was a genuine need for my experience and skills, so he considered bringing me in. He connected me to the person they hired and we started working together.

The way I see it is that I get to do meaningful work in the environment that I want to be part of while getting paid for it. I want to tap into my expertise, culture, and people who are important to me.

From that conversation, I understood that responding to people attempting to reach out is a sign of a good leader. Instead of declining the call, he picked up and said “Yeah, let’s see how to make it work because I think there are pieces you can bring value to.”

So at the end of the day, nobody determines your value. You know what you bring to the table.

I’m still learning and honing the art of selling on the value proposition of my skills. I’m sure there are places where I didn’t do a good job of it and hence didn’t get it. But at the end of the day, it’s either learning, redirection, or wrong timing. It will happen someday and that’s how I go in talking to other people.

Lauren: Adding to that, even if you get the “no,” the next steps should be to figure out where the connection lies, tie it to your expertise, and bring that back with a magnifying glass. That gets you to the next conversation. For me, that’s a huge learning and I’ve never done that before. If I get a no, it’s okay.

Sometimes, I notice that they haven’t made the same connection I had with their business model. I believe it’s my responsibility as the consultant to go back with a magnifying glass and show them what I saw.

What We Can Learn From Vindali Vartak:

1. No doesn’t always mean no. Rejections are either learning, redirection, or wrong timing. Vindali’s client was from a job opportunity, so instead of thinking about how to make clients say yes, focus more on how you can help them solve their problems.

2. Be methodical when networking. Instead of just talking to people without a plan, Vindali treated networking like a project. She had a process that involved taking notes, following up, and going back to her conversations. The rigor she had with her process added value to her proposition when she followed up with people again.

3. Find the connection. Sometimes, clients haven’t made the same connections you’ve noticed yet. Find the connection you can make for them and make it obvious.

OnlyFans Creators Top NBA Players and Craft Breweries in Revenue

Learning that OnlyFans creators earn more than all NBA players combined is unexpected.

As a long-time NBA fan, I think that’s wild. 

For some perspective, I asked ChatGPT to tell me about other markets that are worth $5 billion. Here's what it came up with:

• Pet Supplements

• Plant-Based Meat

• E-Sports

• Craft Beer Industry

• Online Tutoring

• Meal Kit Delivery

The OnlyFans creator market being bigger than the E-Sports and Craft Beer industry means that there’s a lot of money to make off of OnlyFans creators.

There, I said it.

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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