At a certain stage, visibility stalls on LinkedIn. 

Posts are consistent. Offers are clear. Comments are thoughtful. 

And yet, traction is limited. 

The right people might be looking, but not quite leaning in. 

If you’ve been in the game for long, you might notice that your LinkedIn content starts yielding diminishing returns. 

Not because the insights aren’t solid, but because trust is increasingly earned off-platform. 

Once this starts happening to you, a simple PR strategy might be the key. 

LinkedIn does a remarkable job at amplifying ideas. But without a meaningful signal behind them, even strong posts might feel like they’re stuck on loop. 

Platform rewards consistency, but not necessarily authority. 

Engagement often stays confined to familiar circles. And for anyone trying to expand their reach beyond the echo chamber, this has become a problem. 

We’ve seen firsthand how the external credibility of a good PR strategy can change that equation. 

When a podcast host invites someone to speak, or a publication chooses to feature your voice – the trust transfer is almost immediate. 

Most traditional PR pitches follow a familiar (and often, unappealing) format – high-cost retainers, long commitments, and zero guarantees. 

Not exactly independent consultant friendly. 

But here’s where Tracy Samantha Schmidt could help us indie consultants out. 

A former journalist with Time and Chicago Tribune, Tracy now runs The PR Accelerator – designed for founders and consultants who want visibility without the fluff.

No buzzwords, No vague roadmaps.

Just a sharp strategy and clear execution. 

Learn more about what we did and how it helped us in this interview.

During our engagement, we: 

And it worked. 

One of our articles landed me an interview with Fast Company and Forbes. 

Because of that, my engagement on LinkedIn took a new tone.

Sharing a quote or article meant instant credibility – not performative, but professional. 

What I think is the biggest benefit of our engagement with Tracy is that it brought clarity to our own messaging. 

Tracy’s approach didn’t stop at media placement – she helped us articulate who we are and why it matters in a language that better landed with the people we serve. 

That work rippled outward: copies had better direction, case studies were more compelling, proposals felt more aligned, and internal alignment improved. 

We were even able to incorporate the messaging into our website refresh. 

For me, this was a huge marketing win. 

The clarity it gave us fed right back into the content we continued to share on LinkedIn – with more confidence, sharper angles, and a clear sense of what we exist for. 

There’s a misconception that visibility only comes from volume. 

But consultants can spend years building authority post by post – and still be overlooked. 

Fortunately, a single piece of third-party recognition can cut down that time. 

PR gave us credibility, but LinkedIn gave us reach. 

Those two worked far better than either one did.  

If you’re already showing up on LinkedIn, PR doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking.

A focused message, a few right placements, and a thoughtful way to share them can shift perception fast. 

It doesn’t require a big-name publicist – just a message worth sharing and the right partners to help shape it. 

Because sometimes, the difference between a smart consultant and someone worth hiring is a single line at the top of a post: 

“As seen in Fast Company.” 

Build instant credibility online with polished, on-brand visuals — no designer needed.

👉 Get it here.

My transition to indie consulting didn’t include a calendar full of clients. It never does. 

Gone are the days when a project lands on my desk and all I need to do is to meet with the client. 

When I took the leap, it was up to me to find these clients and sell them my services. 

It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary for my business to survive. 

My secret? A little change in mindset, some outreach, and a system in place. 

Here’s how I moved from doing to selling – and how you can too. 

Without the support of a dedicated sales team, many indie consultants are intimidated by the idea of selling projects on their own. 

Mainly because of their lack of experience working in sales or a “salesperson” personality. 

But what most of us don’t realize is that we all engage in sales – regardless of our job title. 

Think of the time when you were convincing colleagues about an idea or pitching a solution in a boardroom.  

Daniel H. Pink calls these persuasive activities non-sales selling in his book, To Sell Is Human. 

He believes that ‘selling’ is a fundamental part of human interaction. 

And once you put things in a different perspective, you’ll realize that everyone has the capability to sell – you just need to frame it in a way that feels comfortable and natural.

How do you introduce yourself to clients? 

If you say something like, ‘I can do a lot of things,’ then you’re doing it wrong. 

Admittedly, I also made the mistake of branding myself as a ‘generalist’ early in my career as an indie consultant. After all, I could – and still can – do a lot of things and do them well. 

I was capable, versatile, and a problem solver. 

But these words didn’t mean anything to the people I haven’t served yet. 

They don’t know what exactly my expertise is, so they can’t immediately see how I’m the best person for the job. I spent too much time telling them what I did.  

Then, I realized something: successful consultants were masters of their niche who get things done with speed and quality – and that’s exactly what clients want.

Instead of offering a broad list of services, these masters focused on a single pain point for a specific set of clients.  

And that’s how they found people who have problems they could help solve. 

I learned from that, so now I say: 

I help B2B execs “find the yes” for 8-figure+ investments by making things simple. 

Referrals increased by a lot because my network knew what I did, making it easier for them to connect with me whenever they needed my help – or at least introduce me to other people who have problems I could help solve.

Another great piece of advice I learned over the course of my long career as a consultant is that I need to focus on the clients first. 

They need to feel understood, so I treat them like the most important person in the room using ‘The Gretchen Mentality.’ 

Gretchen is an amazing friend of mine who I’ve known for over 30 years. She isn’t a consultant, but she has an incredible skill of engaging others in a conversation. 

You can talk to her for two hours and have a great time. It will feel like the most engaging conversation ever, until you realize that you don’t know anything about her – because all of her questions have been about you. 

She focused all her energy and attention on you. That’s why everybody loves her. 

I thought it was amazing, so I started adapting it to client conversations. 

Once I used The Gretchen Mentality to focus the conversation on the client’s questions, their problems, and their lives, I truly understood what they’re facing. 

From there, it was easier to connect how I could help and talk about the outcomes I achieved for others – and how I can do the same for them. 

After knowing what to say to potential clients and how to engage in conversations right, the next step is finding where my ideal clients are. 

Cold calls booked me a meeting or two, but what worked best were referrals. 

Ask any indie consultant about their first client and they’ll probably tell the story of how they landed it through their network. 

So, pick up the phone, make a few calls, take someone out for coffee or lunch, and then let them speak freely until something comes up. 

For every 10 calls you make, 2 of them will be warm leads. 

Don’t like the idea of selling projects? A little change in mindset might help out: 

Selling is more than just transactions – it’s about moving people toward better decisions. 

Focus on listening, uncovering problems, and communicating unique values. From there, you’ll start building trust and winning clients – without ever feeling like “selling” them anything. 

Why is this so accurate?

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.

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