Start That Consultancy (AI Can Help) 🧭
Part 1 of 3: Your guide to getting started this summer!
💜 Hey M(AI)VENS,
Lately, I’ve found myself having conversations with women who are standing at a crossroads.
One friend called me recently, unsure about her next career steps. She’s working remotely for a corporation and doing well by most people’s standards. But the leadership culture is shifting. Some decisions being made just don’t sit right with her anymore. She’s wondering: Do I polish up my résumé and apply elsewhere? Or… do I start planting the seeds for something of my own?
She called to ask how I built my own consultancy (I work with executives and organizations to build powerful membership groups). I shared some snippets of what I’ve learned over the past decade and what I’d do differently if I were starting over today.
And earlier this week, another woman from my network, who I hadn’t spoken to in a while, reached out to say she has taken the leap. She launched her consultancy and is now in the “building” phase, looking for introductions and figuring out how to grow her book of business.
Both of these women are at different stages, but what they have in common, and maybe what you do too, is that quiet hum of what if I worked for myself?
This series of M(AI)VENS is for women like them. Like us! It’s for all those thinking about taking your skills, your voice, and your purpose, and turning it into something of your own.
Consider using this summer to explore what that might look like, with some help from AI, and a lot of encouragement from each other. If I were starting my consultancy today, this is how I would approach it. I put this consulting guide together with insights from my own personal and professional experiences, and then layered in AI to bring it to life.
By the way, if you’re looking for deeper connection this month, our May book club pick 📚 is below, and M(AI)VENS Premium has officially opened! Join us for thoughtful convos, fresh ideas, and real talk about how AI can make work (and life) feel a little easier with a crew of brilliant women by your side.
Let’s dive in!
Step 1. Discover Your Zone of Genius (with AI as Your Partner)
Before you can launch a consultancy, you need clarity on your zone of genius. This is your unique blend of strengths, experience, and passion that sets you apart. So first, let’s uncover what you’re uniquely good at.
✨ Reflect & Gather First
Take a few quiet minutes to write your responses to these questions in a blank digital document:
What kinds of projects or tasks make you feel alive?
What do people frequently ask you to help with or advise on?
What’s a professional win you’re especially proud of, and why?
When have you felt in flow or most confident in your work?
Next, gather the following and paste it as text into the same document:
Your resume. A fancy, polished version is not necessary for this exercise. It’s for your eyes (and ChatGPT’s) only. So, as long as it covers the basics of your professional experience, you’re good.
Linkedin bio, if you have one.
Bonus: any personality or strength assessments you may have taken (like StrengthsFinder, Myers-Briggs, etc.).
The depth of information here is super important because ChatGPT is most effective when given rich context. This is what you’ll build on moving forward.
🧠 Feed It into ChatGPT
Once you’ve gathered it all into one document, use this enhanced ChatGPT prompt to discover your zone of genius:
I’m exploring starting a consulting business and want help identifying my zone of genius where my experience, skills, and passions intersect. Here’s a compilation of career background and personal reflections:
Resume: [Paste it here]
LinkedIn bio: [Paste it here]:
2-3 professional accomplishments I’m proud of: [List them]
What others often ask me for help with: [Add your thoughts]
What I love working on: [Your reflections here]
If you’ve taken personality or strength assessments (like StrengthsFinder, Myers-Briggs, etc.)
Based on this, please provide me with:
The key themes or patterns in my strengths
Potential consulting services I could offer
Any niche areas or client types that might be a great fit
Format your response as a list.
📝 What to Expect from the Output
ChatGPT will likely return a list of themes it sees in your strengths, a few consulting ideas, and potential client types. Some of it may immediately click, and some may surprise you.
Look for patterns, phrasing that resonates, or even phrases you’d naturally use to describe yourself. You don’t have to take it all as gospel, but it’s a powerful mirror. Focus on anything that feels aligned or exciting to explore further.
🙋♀️ Get a Second Opinion from a Real Person
Once you have some AI-generated ideas and have narrowed it down to 2-5, invite feedback from a trusted friend, mentor, or former colleague. Forward a list of consulting opportunities you’re exploring, and ask:
“What here sounds most like me? What do you think is missing?”
Make it fun and engaging. Ask to schedule a call, a “walk-and-talk,” or meet for coffee (your treat!), and reflect on what resonates and why.
Step 2. Explore Your Market Demand
You’ve uncovered your strengths and the type of consulting work you might enjoy. Now it’s time to make sure there’s actual demand for it, and that people are willing to pay for what you offer.
In my experience, this part is often overlooked, especially by women who are passionate about helping others or doing meaningful work. But here’s the truth: a business, even a purpose-driven one, needs to generate revenue. You need to be compensated for your expertise and doing some research now will help set your consultancy up for sustainability and success.
🧠 Use Perplexity for Market Research (Here’s Why)
For this step, I recommend using Perplexity.ai instead of ChatGPT. While ChatGPT is fantastic for brainstorming, Perplexity is designed for real-time internet research, pulling data from up-to-date sources and giving citations so you can go deeper.
You can use Perplexity to:
Research industry demand for the type of consulting you’re considering
Find out what kinds of consultants are being hired right now
Learn how others in your niche are pricing or packaging services
Explore trends and emerging areas in your expertise zone
🔍 Research Prompts to Try in Perplexity:
Copy and paste any of these to get started (feel free to swap in your area of interest):
🟣 “What types of consulting services are in high demand in [industry] in 2025?”
🟣 “What are typical rates or pricing models for [your skill] consultants?”
🟣 “Who hires [type of consultant]?
🟣 “What are the top challenges businesses face with [topic you’re great at], and how do consultants help solve them?”
🟣 “Emerging trends in [your niche] consulting and opportunities for growth”
You could also ask:
“What skills are most sought after by organizations hiring fractional consultants or advisors in [your field]?”
A fractional consultant is someone who provides their expertise to a company on a part-time or project basis. It’s like having a senior leader on the team without hiring them full-time. For example, a small business might bring on a fractional Chief Marketing Officer when they need high-level strategy but can’t afford a full-time hire with benefits.
📈 Analyze: Is There a Fit Between What You Can Offer and What’s in Demand?
With research in hand, ask yourself:
Do businesses or individuals pay for the problem I can solve?
What proof do I have that this niche is generating revenue?
Is there a clear pain point I can help fix, and who would pay me to fix it?
You may also discover that you need to adjust your offering to align better with demand.
💬 Real $ Talk:
Women often launch businesses they’re passionate about, but don’t plan the revenue piece. Passion matters. But please, don’t ignore profitability.
This doesn’t mean you have to chase trends or do work that drains you. It means identifying where your gifts meet a market need is where consulting magic happens. Once you’ve found a few high-demand areas that intersect with your skill set, try asking Perplexity:
“What are examples of successful consulting businesses in this space? What kinds of services or packages do they offer?”
This research will be helpful as we move on to Part 2. Modeling after real businesses can help you shape your own early offerings, while still keeping it unique to you.
Congratulations!
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve done more than just think about starting a consultancy. You’ve taken your first real steps toward making it happen.
Know someone else who’s been quietly thinking about stepping out on her own? Maybe she’s brilliant, burned out, or just waiting for a sign.
Send her this guide. Tell her: “I thought of you when I read this.”
Let’s help more women turn their ideas into action and expertise into income!
In next week’s edition (Part 2), we’ll take what you’ve uncovered and start shaping it into a confident, compelling consulting offer, including how to use AI to write your offer, set your pricing, and get ready to share it with your first potential clients.
This is the part where things start to feel real. 💼💡
Cheyenne 💜
Founder, M(AI)VENS
📚 M(AI)VENS Book Club
A curated collection of stories featuring bold, brilliant women.
ICYMI, this month, we’re reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It’s a powerful memoir about growing up in a deeply unconventional family and learning to find strength, resilience, and self-reliance in the midst of chaos.
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