Black Belt Startup with Feras

What would you do if your paycheck disappeared tomorrow?
More than 20 years ago, mine did. I was laid off from a Silicon Valley startup with a young family, a dry job market, and eventually our savings and 401(k) started disappearing.
Entrepreneurship wasn’t the dream. It became the path forward.
Seven businesses later, including an 8-figure consulting firm, I’ve learned some lessons I wish I understood back then, from building financial runway and learning to sell to developing the confidence to create opportunities from nothing.
I’ll break down 7 lessons from 20+ years as an entrepreneur, share some of the mistakes behind them, and discuss how you can apply them if you’re starting or growing a business.

Fake deadlines. Pressure tactics. Artificial discounts. “Let me check with my manager.”
These tactics may show up in negotiations, but they’re not how I believe consultants should sell. 
I’ve had a lot of opportunities to learn this, including making plenty of mistakes myself.
In the final session of my three-part series on professional, win-win negotiation, we’ll cover the sales negotiation gimmicks consultants should avoid, how to recognize when a client is actually negotiating, and how to respond professionally without automatically giving something away.
We’ll also work through real client scenarios and apply my Golden Rule of Negotiation.
What do you do when a client asks:
"Can you knock 10% off?""Can you add one more deliverable?"Can we have Net 60 terms?"
We’ll apply the Golden Rule to price, scope, timelines, and payment terms.

“Can you lower the price?”“Can we add one more deliverable?”“Can you finish two weeks earlier?”“Can we pay you Net 90?”
If these questions make you uncomfortable because you don’t want to become pushy or “salesy,” you’re not alone.
A consulting negotiation can move in several directions, and price is only one of them.
In the second of my three-part series on professional, win-win negotiation, I’ll walk through 7 practical ways to negotiate without feeling like a salesperson, covering price, scope, timelines, payment terms, capacity, and client promises.
We’ll work through real consulting scenarios, including an expensive mistake I made with a global brand, and I’ll show you how to respond when a client pushes back without automatically giving something away.

“What if I lose the deal?”“What do I say if they push back?”“Am I charging too much?”“Should I just give them the discount?”
If you’ve had these thoughts before a client negotiation, you’re not alone. Most consultants spent years developing their expertise, not learning how to sell and negotiate it.
In the first of my three-part series on professional, win-win negotiation, I’ll walk through 5 Negotiation Prep Steps to Win More Consulting Deals, including how to prepare your boundaries, listen before reacting, build trust, and set expectations before they become negotiation points.
I’ll also work through real consulting scenarios and share my Negotiation Preparation Checklist to help you prepare for your next client negotiation.
 

Most professionals spend years learning how to do the work.
Far fewer learn how to sell it.
I recently read The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, and several ideas stayed with me, especially his emphasis on learning to build and sell, taking rational optimistic risks, and choosing hard actions that create an easier life over time.
Those ideas apply directly to anyone building a consulting business.
In this podcast, I’ll show you how to turn your expertise into an offer, test the market without taking reckless risks, and develop the sales skills needed to win clients consistently.
We’ll also discuss the uncomfortable decisions many new consultants avoid, and why those decisions often determine whether the business moves forward.

Thinking about leaving corporate to start a consulting business? Or have already started but feeling stuck?
When you leave the corporate world, one thing changes immediately: Your expertise is no longer enough.
When you leave corporate, you leave the ship and you step into your own boat. Your expertise built the boat. Sales and marketing are the oars. If you don't row, you drift.
Some of the topics we'll cover include:
How do I land my first consulting client with no sales experience?
Should I specialize in one niche or offer multiple services?
How should I price my consulting services?
Can I build a consulting business while keeping my full-time job?
Why are prospects ghosting me after outreach?

Most entrepreneurs have heard of the term "growth mindset."
Far fewer know how to actually develop one.
In this podcast, we'll move beyond the theory and focus on practical application. You'll learn six concrete steps to develop a genuine growth mindset, overcome the fixed thinking that holds many founders back, and apply these ideas directly to your business.
I’ll be covering:
- Why successful entrepreneurs think differently- How to recognize your fixed-mindset triggers- Why your internal dialogue matters more than you realize- Six practical steps to build a growth mindset- Real entrepreneurial examples and coaching scenarios- Live audience Q&A
Whether you're thinking about starting a business or you've recently launched one, this workshop will help you approach challenges, rejection, sales, and uncertainty with a healthier and more productive mindset.

Have you ever caught yourself saying, "I'm just not good at sales," or "Maybe I'm not cut out for entrepreneurship"?
Those statements may feel like facts, but they're often just a fixed mindset talking.
In this podcast, we'll explore how successful founders think differently, why smart professionals often get stuck after leaving corporate, and the practical steps you can take to build a true growth mindset. 
I'll work through real entrepreneurial scenarios, answer your questions live, and I'll help you apply these ideas directly to your business.