Dale Gibbons

Escape the rat race by turning your experience and skills into a 7-figure consulting income.

You’ve spent years building expertise.

Now it’s time to finally own your calendar.

I’m Dale Gibbons, and I help seasoned professionals turn their experience into high-ticket consulting businesses. 

I work with corporate escapees, exited founders and military veterans who know they’re capable of more than another 5 years in the corporate grind. 

You don’t have to be:

- At the mercy of an employer’s decisions
- Drowning in conflicting advice and tactics
- Chasing referrals that aren’t worth your expertise

You already have 90% of what it takes. My role is helping you reach that last 10%. 

Anyone who has a genius zone can build a consulting business that funds freedom and legacy.

Over the past 18 years, I’ve coached hundreds of consultants and coaches to: 

✅ Build premium consulting offers based on transformation, not time

✅ Fill workshops that generate qualified leads on autopilot

✅ Convert without pressure using my Benevolent Servant Leader™ sales framework

✅ Systematize delivery and scale through proprietary frameworks and group programs

The result: Businesses that create freedom.

I’ve built a solid, repeatable system that attracts qualified leads, clearly shows your value, and converts trust into premium, long-term engagements.  

Here’s what clients say:

- “Dale helped me replace my corporate income in 90 days.”
- “This system gave me my confidence, and pipeline, back.”
- “I finally feel like I’m running a business, not just doing client work.”

If you’re considering consulting as your next chapter and are:

❌ Unsure how to get consistent, high-value clients
❌ Struggling to explain to leads your premium pricing
❌ Drowning in tools but not seeing traction

I’d be glad to show you a better way. 

DM me if you’d like to hear more.

Or, if you’d prefer to see the system in action first, watch this quick video: 
https://bit.ly/businessbreakthroughadvisors_Video

Let’s build the consulting business that funds your freedom and gives you your life back.

CEO and Owner

We help business advisors (and those who want to be) use AI to create a reliable 6-figure+ income and leave the rat race forever.

Most consulting problems don't come from a lack of experience.

They come from a lack of practice.

You can memorize all of frameworks that are available out there.
But what matters is how you apply them in a real situation.

Sometimes you walk into a meeting feeling fully prepared, and when a client is in front of you, all that knowledge goes out the window.

A new problem might come up, or they don't react to a proposal like you thought they would.

It'll often catch you off guard and trying to solve it in real time.
It happens to every consultant, no matter how long you've been in the game.

At the end of the day, we're human. It's natural that situations are unpredictable.

You can't expect things to go the way you want all the time. And you can't memorize one script for every situation.

What separates effective consultants from those who freeze is that they can stay steady throughout any curveball.

That's why practice matters just as much as preparation.

When I'm coaching other consultants, we walk through plenty of potential scenarios they might face with a client.

We go over everything from leadership conflicts to organizational drama, and use what we've learned to practice our responses in real situations.

The most important part is learning to stay grounded when something unexpected comes up.
That way, no matter what the client might say, people are ready to respond.

The more we get involved with problem-solving, the easier it gets to apply in real life.

That's a skill any consultant can count on.

On Thursday, January 8, I'm hosting a live webinar to talk through what's changing in consulting and how experienced professionals can build a successful practice.

If you're serious about doing this work at a high level, this is where to start.

📅 Thursday, January 8
⏰ 1:00–2:00 PM ET
🎥 Live Webinar + Q&A

Save your seat here:
👉 https://lnkd.in/g-jEGn6S

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

Consultants don't stall because of inexperience.

They stall because of underdeveloped skills.

Many consultants reach a point where the business is steady, but trapped under a glass ceiling.

Even though they're trying to grow, something keeps holding them back.

Sometimes, it can be solved by investing in learning or a new tool.

But what a lot of consultants don't realize is that their skills are crucial to their growth.

If you want to grow your consulting business to the next level,
there are a few key skills that are worth paying attention to:

C - Clarify
↳ Help clients get clear on the real problem underneath the symptoms.

O - Observe
↳ Slow down and notice patterns, constraints, and tensions that others miss. Then you can act.

N - Navigate
↳ Guide conversations and decisions calmly. That's how you build a strong rapport with your client.

S - Systemize
↳ Document the parts of your process that work. Iterate what doesn't. 

U - Uncover
↳ Reveal what clients are avoiding, missing, or underestimating, then help them address it directly.

L - Lead
↳ Always show up prepared. Do your research before client calls to come up with the best steps forward.

T - Transform
↳ Change how your client's business operates for the better. 

A - Align
↳ Bring key players onto the same page so everyone knows how impact is being created.

N - Negotiate
↳ Make agreements that protect value and create mutual commitment between you and the client.

T - Trust
↳ Earn it by doing what you say you will consistently and to a high standard.

You don't need to be flashy to do your best work.

Being reliable, straightforward, and helpful is what builds for clients to trust you.

When you're known for these traits, you become indispensable.

If you're not sure what part of your consulting practice you need to work on,
I've built a quiz to help you uncover the blind spot.

It'll give you a personalized roadmap of your next steps.

You can take it here: https://lnkd.in/gve8CjUu

Which one of these skills do you think is most important?

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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The work you want starts with one decision.

Be bold enough to make it.

I've done my time in large corporate settings. I swapped family time for work, reached the top of the ladder, and checked all the boxes I needed and more.

There were parts of the work I loved doing, but it wasn't always as fulfilling as I thought it should be.

I'll be honest, I stayed in corporate for years longer than I should have. It wasn't until I got fired that I finally got an important wakeup call:

You don't need a corporate title to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.

What I loved most was helping people see their problems clearly, give them helpful suggestions, and improving their businesses.

What I didn't love was trading autonomy for approval, or time with my family for endless meetings.

That realization didn't make building a consulting business easy, but it did make clear what was important to me.

Many others are drawn to consulting for similar reasons.

It's not an escape from hard work. If anything, it asks more of you.
But it's the kind of work that you're satisfied with when your head hits your pillow at the end of the day.

You choose the problems you work on. You work directly with people you want to help. You get to see the impact of your work happen in real time.

For a lot of folks, that's the difference between stress and fulfillment.

If you've ever wondered if there's something more meaningful for you out there,
consulting might just be the next step in your career journey.

I've built a quick quiz that'll help you determine if you're ready for that leap.

You'll know exactly what stage you're at now, and what it'll take to move forward.
You can take it for free here: bit.ly/ConsultingQuiz

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

Image credits to Felix Bertram.

Consultants who grow to 7 figures know what to avoid.

These mistakes are what trip up talented people.

Many consultants hit a point where things feel steady, but they know their business isn’t where they want it to be.

What they don’t realize is that some of the habits that helped them grow are now the same ones holding them back.

Those habits will keep them stuck at that plateau until something changes.

Over the years, I’ve narrowed it down to six main personas:

1. The Free Giver
↳ You spend hours giving free advice in the hopes it turns into paid work.

2. The Generalist
↳ You try to solve all sorts of different problems, so no one sees you as the expert.

3. The Over-Deliverer
↳ You cram too much into every engagement, which trains clients to undervalue you.

4. The Discount Dealer
↳ You drop your price at the first sign of pushback, which hurts your margins and authority.

5. The Lone Wolf
↳ You try to do everything yourself, which stalls your growth.

6. The Tactic Chaser
↳ You chase every new marketing trick, never building a consistent growth engine.

Recognizing the most common pitfalls is the first step.

The next step is making the necessary changes.

I've explained how to fix each of these problems in the image below.

If you're still not sure where you might be stalling in your business,
I built a quiz to help.

My consulting archetype quiz identifies your current growth phase,
and gives you a roadmap to fixing your biggest blind spot.

It takes a few minutes and is available for free here: https://lnkd.in/gve8CjUu

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

I didn't wake up one day and decide to become a consultant.

But looking back, the signs were already there.

There was a point, though, when I realized the work I was doing no longer fit the role I was in.

But still, I stayed longer than I should've, until one day my manager pulled me aside and said, "You don't belong here."

I had a tendency to push for the best outcome, get involved in key decisions, and think of solutions beyond what corporate wanted.

He saw in me what I didn't realize at the time and let me go.

Turns out, that firing was a blessing in disguise.

I had to pull up my bootstraps and build something that worked for my season of life.

Today, I've helped hundreds of consultants who've had similar stories (minus the firing).

They outgrow their roles and want to make a bigger impact for small businesses.
Consulting is just the avenue to do it.

If any of this feels familiar, you may already be closer than you think:

1. You're pulled into decisions
↳ You're asked to weigh in before key decisions are made, not only after work is assigned.

2. You've challenged leadership
↳ You've disagreed with senior leaders and can do it without damaging relationships.

3. You're given undefined problems
↳ You're handed situations without clear scope or answers and expected to bring structure.

4. You think in business terms
↳ You naturally consider revenue, cost, risk, and trade-offs.

5. You've outgrown your role
↳ Your role no longer reflects the level of responsibility or judgment you already carry.

6. You're limited by the system
↳ Politics, slow decisions, and rigid processes frustrate you more than the actual work.

7. You want to be paid for judgment
↳ You care less about title progression and more about being valued for your perspective.

Consulting isn't always a leap into the unknown.

For experienced professionals, it's often an honest way for them to do work they're already passionate about, but without the red tape.

If you're still unsure about whether this path fits where you are right now, 
I'm running a live session covering:

→ Why 20+ years of experience is a strong foundation for a consulting career.
→ How to make the switch from charging hourly to monthly retainers.
→ How to stop being overlooked and command the fees your experience deserves.

If you're clear on how you work, but unsure what comes next, this will help.

📅 Thursday, February 5, 2026
⏰ 1:00–2:00 PM ET

Save your seat here: https://lnkd.in/gkrG4fUb

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

Tools only take your consulting business so far.

The rest of your impact comes from your skills.

I've seen consultants who, on paper, have their business entirely figured out.

They've got great funnels, messaging, and the perfect positioning,
but they still get tripped up when working with clients.

What a lot of them don't realize is that you can have all the tools in the world,
but if you don't overcome some crucial skill gaps,
you're clipping your business’s wings.

I've spent a lot of years coaching other consultants through these problems.

These are the ones that come up the most:

1. Leading a Decision
↳ You explain problems clearly to clients, but don't know how to guide them to a clear yes or no.

2. How They Come Across
↳ Failing to realize your tone, pace, or when you hesitate can work against you.

3. Quiet Authority
↳ You either undersell yourself or talk too much instead of trusting your experience.

4. Clear Thinking
↳ Jumping to solutions before slowing down and really thinking the problem through.

5. Follow-Through
↳ You know what works, but you don't do it consistently enough to see results.

6. Pricing From Impact
↳ Pricing based on comfort or history instead of the result you create.

7. Emotional Control
↳ You struggle to stay steady when outcomes are uncertain or slow.

All of these skills are important.

You don't need to work on all of them at once.

Identify the biggest obstacle and start there.

Look over your previous client calls.
Note the parts of your business where you struggle most.

That's how you can start working on what's holding you back.

If you're not sure which skill you should focus on first,
I built a quiz to help you focus.

It shows your consulting archetype, your biggest blind spot, and how to fix it fast.

You can take it for free here: https://lnkd.in/gve8CjUu

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

You didn't leave corporate to work 12-hour days.

Yet for a lot of consultants, that's the reality.

Building a business can give you control over your daily life.
But client work, admin and managing systems can eat up your hours.

Many folks have swapped out one daily grind for another. Only this time, it's one of their own making.

I've been there. My early days were filled with never-ending tasks. And I knew I couldn't keep it up if I wanted to spend quality time with my family.

If you're in the later season of life like I am, you can't outwork Father Time.
And you won't get your younger years back.

What you can do is take ownership of the time ahead.

You can use a simple system for this: 

The 8+8+8 rule:

8 hours of hard work.
8 hours of good sleep.
8 hours for everything else that makes life worth living.

That last 8 hours break down into:

3Fs: Family, friends, and faith.
3Hs: Health, hygiene, and hobbies.
3Ss: Soul, service, and smiles.

Of course, there'll be some days when work demands more time from you. 

Life can't always follow a strict schedule.

But if you're consistently working more than 8 hours, 
now's the time to take a good hard look at your clients and systems and see where you can clean things up.

Because sacrificing the other 16 hours of your life means that you're building another job you can't escape.

You've already done your time. 

You've earned the right to build a business that works for you.

If you need help clarifying where you're stuck and what to work on,
my quiz gives you your consulting archetype and a personalized roadmap of next steps.

You can take it for free here: https://lnkd.in/gve8CjUu

What's one thing you'd like to do if you had another hour of free time in your day?

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

Being highly skilled doesn’t always translate into being influential with clients.

I've heard plenty of stories where clients hire talented consultants but resist every proposal put forward.

And honestly, I've been through my fair share of battles in that area too.

Getting past that hurdle comes down to building real rapport with the client.

Here are six key principles to build that skill:

• Reciprocity
People become more open after you give them something of value first. Use your expertise to point out the gaps they've overlooked.

• Consistency
↳ Clients prefer decisions that align with what they already said yes to. Stay steady in your emotions and how you work.

• Social Proof
↳ Folks will turn to other people to help with decisions. Explaining specific outcomes they can expect will reduce that uncertainty.

• Likability
↳ People listen more closely to those they enjoy working with. Build a strong rapport, and reinforce it with results.  

• Authority
↳ If you can explain problems clearly and calmly, you'll reduce client's need for justification. 

• Scarcity
↳ People take decisions seriously when timing and access have limits. Set clear boundaries to prevent momentum from stalling.

Together, these components position you as the first person a client goes to for a solution.

Your previous roadblocks start to come down, and you shift from "just another consultant" to a key asset in their business.

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

I stayed in corporate for years longer than I should have.

Even though the cage door was wide open.

Visual credit to Lise Kuecker

We're all given this blueprint for how we're meant to live our lives.

Get a good education, put in your 40 hours a week for decades, clmbed up the ladder, and then you'll be successful.

I followed that path for 15 years. I felt exhausted and trapped.

But at the same time, I had a wonderful wife and two young boys to provide for.
If building my own business failed, how would I be able to look them in the eye?

It felt safer to push my own feelings aside, stay in my job, and stay the course.

But fate had other ideas.

One day, my manager pulled me into his office, leaned against the door and said,
"You don't belong here, and we both know it."

The company was changing, and he saw that my skills and potential wouldn't benefit from me staying there.

That forced me to face my fears and work on my consulting business.

It was a struggle in the beginning.

But when you're confronted with no other option, 
you truly see what you're capable of.

I didn't realize it at the time, but getting fired was the best thing that could have happened to me.

I began doing more work that felt fulfilling and impactful.

My expertise was helping real businesses make changes for the better.

And honestly, that's what all good work should be about.
Using your knowledge to serve people who need it most.

Not wasting time dealing with meetings about meetings and political maneuvering.

If you've been feeling the same way, don't wait until corporate America shows you the door.

You already have enough expertise to build your own way out.

I've made a short video explaining how three converging forces are creating the biggest consulting opportunity in modern history.

You can watch it here: https://lnkd.in/gq8WMWNt

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

Controlling your calendar is what draws many folks to consulting.

But freedom without structure creates chaos.

Needless to say, I appreciate being able to take a day off without going through the red tape.

That doesn't make the rest of my work something I can just breeze through.

On your own, you don't have a boss making sure you're finishing your tasks on time.
If you're not careful, a "quick" bit of admin can swallow your whole day.

Here are some of the time frameworks that keep you on track:

Eisenhower Matrix
↳ Sort your tasks by urgency and importance.
↳ If it's urgent, do it now. If it's neither, drop it entirely.

Eat the frog
↳ Do the task that carries the biggest risk or impact for your client first.
↳ Block 60-90 minutes first thing to knock out a solid version.

Pickle Jar Theory
↳ Put your biggest deliverables in first, then fill gaps with smaller tasks.
↳ Protect deep-work time for what matters most. Admin and email can fill the cracks.

1-3-5 Method
↳ Plan each day around one big outcome, three medium tasks, and five small wins.
↳ This keeps you realistic about capacity instead of overcommitting out of ambition.

Pareto Principle (80/20)
↳ Identify the 20% of activities that drive 80% of your results, then double down on those.
↳ Review weekly to make sure your effort matches your impact.

Everyone will have a framework or two that works best for them.

Give a few of them a try and see what helps you get work done.

If you've been growing your consulting business or getting off the ground this year,
I'm running a live session that could change your trajectory.

On Thursday, February 5, I'll be covering:

→ Why 20+ years of experience is a strong foundation for a consulting career.
→ How to make the switch from charging hourly to monthly retainers.
→ How to stop being overlooked and command the fees your experience deserves.

If you're clear on how you work, but unsure what comes next, this will help.

📅 Thursday, February 5, 2026
⏰ 1:00–2:00 PM ET

Save your seat here: https://lnkd.in/gkrG4fUb

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
♻️ Repost this to help out your network.
➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

- Napoleon Hill

I'll always advocate for seeking knowledge from books.

And "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill is one of those books every consultant should have in arm's reach.

Here's an overview of the biggest lessons:

Results = Clarity x Belief x Persistence x Action

All four components are necessary to building a strong independent consulting practice.

The 5 Core Principles Hill covers:

1. Define chief aim
↳ Vague goals produce vague outcomes.

2. Belief shapes behavior
↳ What you believe determines what you attempt.

3. Persistence
↳ Most people fail because they stop too soon.

4. The subconscious mind
↳ Repeated thoughts determine your level of success.

5. Mastermind principle
↳ Growth accelerates around higher standards.

I agree with Hill heavily about the subconscious mind.
Our thoughts impact our behavior, and those determine what outcomes we can achieve.
It's a cycle that looks like this:

Thoughts: What you tell yourself daily
↓
Habits: What you repeat without thinking
↓
Actions: What others can see
↓
Results: What you end up with

If you want to stop the head trash and build more mental resilience,
you have to watch out for certain traps:

❌ Making vague goals
❌ Waiting for luck
❌ Quitting early
❌ Fear of criticism
❌ Changing direction constantly

Instead, build a system that lets you move forward and grow:

✅ Define one clear aim
✅ Act before feeling confident
✅ Let effort compound
✅ Expect resistance
✅ Stay the course

Books like this don't become classics by accident.

It's a reminder that your results come from your mindset.

Consulting exposes your thinking fast.

There isn't a boss to hide behind or a structure handed to you.
Building up that mental resilience can make all the difference in how much you succeed.

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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McKinsey's CEO says the firm now has 60,000 employees...

25,000 of them are AI agents.

When I first read the news, my reaction wasn't excitement or concern.

It was a simple question:

Who's accountable when the advice doesn't work?

Clients don't hire consultants for reports or recommendations.

They hire them because they want someone who delivers transformation.

And they expect the person guiding them toward a decision can understand the context, apply their judgment, and stand behind their reasoning.

AI can generate options quickly. That part is impressive.

What it can't do is own the outcome.

It can't sense when a CEO is hesitant but won't say why.
It can't navigate the internal politics that determine which decisions get made.
It can't take the heat when things go sideways.

That only happens when a human is accountable.

I'm not anti-AI. I use it every day.

But I use it as a tool, not a replacement for the thinking and accountability clients are paying for.

Ironically, McKinsey's choices might be the best thing that's ever happened for independent consultants.

You understand the distinction between using tools and being replaced by them.

Consulting without human ownership is just information delivery. And information on its own has never been worth premium fees.

If you're building a consulting practice, you're not competing against AI.

The goal is to use it wisely, while you remain the person who thinks, decides, and takes responsibility for the result.

I built a short quiz to help you spot any blind spots and what to focus on next:

https://lnkd.in/gdpuK7XC

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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"Anyone can be a consultant if they work hard enough."

I learned firsthand that's not true.

I'll admit, before I went down this path, I believed the same thing.

I was fired from my old corporate role for being "too entrepreneurial."

So I thought if I kept doing what worked before, clients would come flooding to my consulting business.

Instead, I got crickets.

I learned very quickly that being good at your job and running a business aren't the same thing.

Hard work alone won't get you the premium clients you want in your business.

It also takes:

Clear positioning
↳ If you sound like everyone else, prospects compare you by price, not by value.

The right timing
↳ Entering a market when demand is rising makes positioning yourself easier.

Systems & leverage
↳ The right system stops you from trading hours for dollars.

Focused offers
↳ Trying to help everyone with every problem means you help no one.

Emotional discipline
↳ There'll be rejection, slow months, and doubt. Having mental resilience is crucial.

Consistent lead flow
↳ You can't wait until the pipeline dries up. Have a system that encourages outreach every day.

When all these components work together, you're on your way to building a 7-figure+ business. 

But none of this works if you believe any head trash you tell yourself.

"I'm too old to start."
"The market's too crowded."
"I don't have enough credentials."

Without belief and mental resilience, you won't do any of the things that actually create results.

I've made a short video that explains some of the biggest myths about consulting,
and the three converging forces that are creating the largest consulting opportunity in modern history.

You can watch it right here: https://lnkd.in/gq8WMWNt

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

AI won't replace your human expertise.

But staying curious can grow your business.

Thanks to Paul Evans for pulling this together.

I've been learning about AI for a few years now.

When you've been in business as long as I have,
you learn very quickly how important it is to keep up with new tech. 

A lot of consultants are scared about what AI might mean for their business,
but once you start exploring, you realize it's not as complicated (or smart) as people make it out to be.

AI can never replace your human expertise. 

And the right tools can help you make parts of your business run much smoother.

If you're curious (and you should be), 
here are 6 free resources that can help you learn the basics:

1️⃣ OpenAI Academy
→ https://lnkd.in/eery3kCQ
→ These are short, practical lessons from the folks who built ChatGPT.

2️⃣ Perplexity Labs
→ https://lnkd.in/eTCxgvug
→ Perplexity is like ChatGPT, but it'll cite its sources and give deeper context.

3️⃣ Claude from A to Z
→ https://lnkd.in/ekQaWccX
→ An overall guide on how to use Claude effectively.

4️⃣ Gemini Prompting
→ https://lnkd.in/eJK6gdgF
→ Google breaks down how to give Gemini (and other LLMs) the best prompts.

5️⃣ Guide to AI Agents
→ https://lnkd.in/eE7bVh5n
→ This teaches you how to use AI for specific, repetitive tasks.

6️⃣ Deep Dive into LLMs
→ https://lnkd.in/e2pP3JJh
→ This video fully explains how AI actually "thinks" and how to use it to your advantage.

You don't have to become an expert and master every tool out there.

Take a moment to think about what's taking up the most time in your business,
and see if there's a tool or process that could make things easier.

To make the process easier, I've built a quiz that assesses your stage of growth,
your biggest roadblock, and how you can move forward.

You can take it for free here: https://lnkd.in/gve8CjUu

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

There's one signal every consultant should watch for.

It protects your revenue and your best work.

If any single client represents more than 20% of your income, that's not a problem to solve by turning down good work.

It's a sign that your pipeline needs attention.

When one client becomes too large a share of your revenue, your behavior changes, whether you notice it or not.

It feels tougher to challenge a bad decision.
You soften your language to avoid friction.
If they push boundaries, you might let things slide because the relationship feels too important to risk.

Your advice gets filtered through income protection instead of professional judgment.

The answer isn't to say no to good clients or cap your growth.
The fix is to build so you're never dependent on any single relationship.

A healthy consulting practice:

→ Spreads revenue across multiple clients.
→ Keeps an active pipeline even when things feel full.
→ Grows through addition, not restriction.

That structure gives you the freedom to give every client your honest best, without fearing the consequences.

I'd love to hear what you folks think about this.

And if there's something else you think might be holding your business back, I've built a quiz to help you uncover it.
It'll show you your current growth phase, what your biggest roadblock is, and what are the next steps forward.

You can take it here: https://lnkd.in/gve8CjUu

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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How Client Concentration Quietly Destroys Leverage

Most consultants get pricing backwards.

They focus on experience, not impact.

One of the biggest pricing mistake I see consultants make is waiting to "earn" the right to charge premium fees.

I've heard all the reasons over the years:

"I need more consulting experience."
"I need to start low and work my way up."

That's the fastest way for prospects to choose someone else.

This thinking is everywhere in the consulting world,
and it keeps talented people stuck in the "apprentice trap."

Most likely, you've already got plenty of experience under your belt as an employee.

And clients don't care about how long you've been consulting.
They care about the profit you can make for them.

While you're undervaluing yourself, consultants with half of your experience get double your paycheck.

It's the Premium Pricing Paradox.

When you price yourself like a discount consultant, clients assume that's what you are.

When you price yourself like someone who unlocks serious outcomes, they assume you're worth listening to:

• Business owners take you more seriously.
• You attract serious clients who want their problems solved.
• You skip the credibility-building phase.

When you lead with profit impact instead of credentials, clients are able to see the contrast.

Show a business owner they've got $300K in trapped profit,
and your $3K monthly fee looks like the bargain of the century.

Highlighting that potential with your tools and expertise is the key to justifying your prices.

You'll know you're getting things right when:

• Clients ask you about timelines and execution, not your fees.
• They take implementation seriously.
• They refer you to other business owners at the same level.
• You feel confident in your value proposition.

If you're not sure where your pricing matches the problems you're solving,
that's usually a clarity issue, not a confidence one.

I've made a short video about how to build a predictable $30-$50k monthly revenue as a consultant to help get you started.

You can watch it here: https://lnkd.in/e8eXXRjq

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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Very few people make it through life without regrets.
The real question is: 
How many are you willing to carry?

Nearly every consultant reaches a point where they feel stuck. 

Not because they lack the skills to reach their next goal, 
but because they don't have the confidence to just go for it.

The head trash they carry ends up being stronger than their potential.

Often it sounds something like this:

"I'll wait until I feel ready."
"It's not the right time yet."
"I don't have enough experience."

I've been there before. That head trash affects everyone.

What I've learned the hard way is that waiting always leads to one of two outcomes:

You eventually make the move and realize you spent years worrying for no reason.

Or you never make the move, and you're left with the quiet regret of knowing you stayed smaller than you needed to.

The only outcome that's proven to help you reach your goals is to take the next step,
even when you don't feel ready.

Consultants don't regret:

→ Charging for outcomes over hourly rates.
→ Trusting experience over credentials.
→ Saying "no" early on.

But they do regret the slow compromises:

→ Underpricing their expertise.
→ Taking on misaligned clients.
→ Saying "yes" to everything.

You can avoid that regret by working through the head trash.

It's not easy, but it's how you build a business that you're proud of.

If you're at that crossroads right now, 
pay attention to what feels intimidating.

Make a plan to move forward and stick with it.

It'll pay off in the long run.

If you want help seeing what's holding you back, and how to move forward,
I've built a short quiz.

It'll give you a personalized roadmap of the next steps you need to take.

You can take it here: https://lnkd.in/gve8CjUu

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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Dr. Mike wasn't a rookie when he came to me.

He still chose to level up.

He runs an excellent coaching practice for executives, teaches at the graduate level, and consults when it fits him.

There was a tough, but fair system in place, which held his clients accountable to do the work they promised.

Yet, even with all his experience, he chose to work with me because he wanted to sharpen his edge with AI.

AI is changing how consultants operate.

It won't replace us, but it can multiply our impact if we leverage it properly.

I've helped a lot of consultants like Dr. Mike use AI to:

→ Streamline the unscalable parts of their work.
→ Sharpen their positioning and delivery.
→ Stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly shifting market.

All while retaining the unique human experience that your clients come to you for in the first place.

AI won't replace you. It makes your expertise run faster.

The consultants who succeed over the next decade are the ones who adapt now.

If you want to see which growth path fits your style and what might be holding you back,
take my quiz here: https://lnkd.in/gve8CjUu

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM and let's chat.
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

Corporate doesn't always value decades of experience.

In consulting, that's what sets you apart.

If you've spent 20+ years building real experience, it can be frustrating to feel like the world has stopped seeing it.

You know how to lead.
You know how to make key beneficial decisions.
You know how businesses actually work.

And yet, corporate America has a strange relationship with people in your position.

You're invited to the table later than you used to be.
You're still relied on, but less often trusted to drive the direction.

Nothing is said outright, but the message becomes harder to ignore.

Your experience is seen as expensive or out of step.

To small and medium-sized businesses, it's exactly what they're looking for.

They want judgment, perspective, and someone who's been through enough cycles to know what matters and what doesn't.

That's what I call the Gray Hair Premium.

And it's becoming more valuable by the day.

On Thursday, February 5, I'm hosting a free live training session where I'll walk through how experienced professionals can turn decades of hard-earned knowledge into premium consulting fees.

During the session, we'll cover:

• Why companies spending billions on AI are still struggling
↳ And why they're actively seeking seasoned consultants to guide transformation.

• Why most consultants stay stuck at hourly rates
↳ And the 4-word shift that changes everything.

• What never to say in a discovery call
↳ This phrase makes prospects see you as a vendor instead of an advisor.

• Real transformations with previous clients
↳ Who started with zero consulting experience.

• The "Category of One" positioning technique
↳ That makes price comparisons irrelevant.

This isn't a session where I'll tell you to reinvent yourself to succeed. 

I'll be teaching you how to position your unique experience so the right clients recognize your value.

Event details:
📅 Thursday, February 5, 2026
⏰ 1:00–2:00 PM ET

You can save your seat here: https://lnkd.in/gkrG4fUb

📨 If you're ready to book a call, send me a DM with the word "ready."
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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

You don't need to be fearless.

You just need a starting point.

When Sean first reached out,
he knew he wanted to make the leap into consulting.

But like a lot of professionals, he wrestled with self-doubt.

He had the same questions I'd seen time and time again:

- "Is my experience valuable enough?"
- "Could I really build a business of my own?"
- "What if I fail?"

Together, we worked through those doubts one by one.

Weekly calls gave him clarity and structure.
My frameworks gave him practical next steps.
He built his confidence after realizing he wasn't alone.

It was rewarding to see his transformation week by week.

As he learned, he gained clarity on his path.

Soon, he wasn't just an employee trying to "figure things out,"
he was a consultant with the skills to transform businesses.

He's more confident than ever before.

I've spent decades building businesses, coaching consultants,
and refining the exact systems needed to help people like Sean.

If you’re thinking seriously about what the next phase of your consulting practice should look like, I’m hosting a live session on Thursday, January 8.

I’ll walk through what’s changing in the consulting market, and what experienced professionals need to do to build something durable and profitable in this environment.

📅 Thursday, January 8
⏰ 1:00–2:00 PM ET
🎥 Live Webinar + Q&A

You can save your seat here:
👉 https://lnkd.in/g-jEGn6S

What's one lesson that experience has taught you?

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➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.

Wife & Mother of 7 | Venture Capital | Scientist | TOP 30 Patent Drafters | United States Patent Examiner | Violinist | Polyglot | STEM Children's Author | #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law

Kathryn Vatt is a scientist, former USPTO Examiner, and devoted wife and mother of seven, with over 25 years shaping the future of innovation. Recognized as one of the Top 30 Patent Drafters and Prosecutors and the #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law, Kathryn has built a career at the intersection of science, law, and business—helping inventors, startups, and global companies turn creativity into competitive advantage.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Biology) and Johns Hopkins University (M.S. Biotechnology), Kathryn is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor in Patent Law at the Franklin Pierce School of Law, one of the world’s leading IP programs. Her rare cross-disciplinary background gives her both the scientific insight and the legal strategy to protect ideas at the highest level.

At the USPTO, Kathryn examined thousands of patent applications, conducted exhaustive prior art searches, and made determinations that shaped industries and influenced global innovation. After leaving the Patent Office, she founded Vatt IP Management, where she develops bulletproof IP strategies, drafts airtight applications, and supports litigation teams in defending patents. She also mentors engineering and life science students through Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute and judges international startup competitions, nurturing the next generation of innovators.

Her entrepreneurial vision extends to her ventures:

My Startup Shield™, a founder-focused program that helps startups secure their innovations before they pitch. It protects ideas at the earliest, most vulnerable stage and positions founders to raise capital with confidence

My AI Examiner™, the world’s first proprietary patent search platform that combines examiner-trained AI Patent Examiners with Kathryn’s own human review. Unlike conventional tools, it doesn’t just search faster—it “thinks like an examiner,” offering inventors and startups clarity, precision, and strategy.

MyKidVentors™, a STEM-inspired children’s book series born from her seven children’s real “What if?” questions. Through these imaginative stories, she nurtures curiosity in the next generation, showing that every big invention begins with a single question.

For Kathryn, the same motherly instinct that guides her family fuels her professional mission: to protect, guide, and nurture startups with care, strategy, foresight, and integrity. She believes innovation doesn’t just start in labs or boardrooms—it starts in the curious minds of those brave enough to ask, “What if?”

Kathryn V.

FALL IN LOVE...

with the process.

If you’re building something right now,
here’s the shift that changes everything:
Fall in love with the process, not the results.

Results are unpredictable.
They’re delayed.
They show up on their own timeline.

The process is what you live in every day.
Consistency isn’t about intensity.
It’s about showing up when it’s boring.
When it’s quiet.
When no one is watching or applauding.

Founders don’t burn out because they’re doing too much.
They burn out when all their hope is tied to an outcome
instead of the work itself.

When you love the process,
progress stops feeling fragile.
Missing a day doesn’t feel like failure...
it feels like life.
And you simply come back the next day.

Consistency compounds.
Small steps add up.
And over time, the work begins to shape you
as much as you shape it.

So if today feels slow,
if momentum feels distant,
if the results aren’t there yet...
stay.

Keep building.
Keep learning.
Keep becoming.

Fall in love with the process.
The results will meet you there. 💛

Founder Friday 💫

Some founders build with brilliance.
Some build with courage.
And every once in a while, you meet someone who builds with both brilliance and heart.

Rachel Buchanan is one of those people.

Rachel has been working in blockchain since 2017...long before trust, verification, and integrity became buzzwords or regulatory requirements. 

She didn’t wait for permission. She didn’t chase what was fashionable. She stayed true to what she knew mattered.

That clarity is why she’s now building IntegraLayer, focused on certificate integrity, verification, and trust. Not because it’s trendy. But because it’s necessary.

But here’s what I want people to really know about Rachel.
She is not just thoughtful and brilliant...she is kind.
She is steady.
She leads with integrity in how she builds and how she shows up for others.

That’s why it meant so much that she entrusted the protection of her intellectual property to me. That kind of trust is never taken lightly. 

I’m truly honored and so happy to welcome her as part of the moatly Crew™ 😊 .

And this moment is also a reminder of how meaningful real connections are.
Thank you to my beautiful friend, Bettina Briz, for introducing us, and to founders Kevin Jurovich and Timo Gehrke of Hubble, for introducing Bettina to me in the first place. 

The ripple effect Hubble creates through authentic human connection is genuinely life-changing. One introduction can change the entire trajectory of a founder’s journey.

Rachel, I’m cheering you on!! Not just as a founder, but as a human.
The world needs more builders like you.

#founderfriday #womenfounders #kindnessinleadership #trustbydesign #moatlycrew™ #moatly™ #hubble #buildingwithheart

One of the things I respect most about thoughtful investors
is when they’re honest about what they’re really looking for.
David Y.’s post is spot on.

At the very earliest stages, investors aren’t betting on a polished product.
They’re not betting on traction, revenue, or perfect data.
They’re betting on the person.

Because at pre-seed, almost everything is unfinished.
The product will change.
The strategy will evolve.
The plan will break...more than once.

What doesn’t change as easily is the founder’s ability to keep going
when nothing is guaranteed.

And here’s the part I love most:
The kind of “swagger” that actually matters isn’t loud.
It isn’t hype.
It isn’t performative confidence.

It’s quieter than that.
It’s the steadiness of someone who is aligned with a purpose bigger than their pitch deck.

Someone who, “treats the company as a vehicle, not an identity.”
Someone who keeps building when no one is clapping yet.

As a former patent examiner and now someone who works closely with founders, I see this same pattern over and over again.

The founders who endure aren’t the ones chasing validation.
They’re the ones making progress in silence.
Learning.
Adapting.
Following up with substance.
Showing up again after the fifth setback.

So if you’re a founder feeling discouraged by a slow response, a long diligence cycle, or a quiet room...
this may not be rejection.
It may be observation.

And sometimes, the most important thing you can do
is exactly what you’re already doing:
keep going.

That kind of inevitability?
It can’t be faked.
And the right people notice.

I’m a VC who hates most VCs. I live to help people identify and scale their gifts.

A pre-seed truth most founders miss:
Investors aren’t betting on your product or idea.

Our firm spoke with 10,000+ founders over the last 3 years.
We invested in 25 of them.

That’s <0.2%.

We’re not unique.
That ratio is normal at the pre-seed stage.

At pre-seed:
- The product is usually incomplete
- Revenue is often $0
- Data is thin or non-existent

So what are investors actually evaluating?
The founder.

More specifically?
Swagger.

Not pitch polish.
Not hype.
Not “founder energy.”

Pre-seed swagger is quieter.

It’s the strength that shows up when a founder is aligned with something bigger than the company...and treats the company as a vehicle, not an identity. 

At pre-seed, investors aren’t really asking:
- “Is this the best idea?”

They’re asking:
- “Is this person inevitable?”

Inevitable doesn’t mean certain.
It means disciplined enough to survive uncertainty.

BUT swagger doesn’t replace execution.
It signals who will still be executing after the first five failures.

And that's why good pre-seed investors take their time.

The delay isn’t always disinterest.
It’s often a test.

At pre-seed, we’re watching:
- Do you keep building without validation?
- Do you follow up with substance, not pressure?
- Do you show progress when no one is watching?
- Do you adapt… or just re-pitch?

What founders experience as “foot-dragging” is often pre-seed diligence in motion.

Early investing isn’t about moving fast.
It’s about identifying who keeps moving when nothing is guaranteed.

That’s who gets funded at pre-seed.
And that’s where real swagger comes from. 

---

If this resonates, Founder Chapel is where we unpack this kind of founder formation.

Link in the comments.

31-27 🐻 

"Good, better, best!
Never let it rest!
Till your good gets better,
And your better gets best!"

Not as pressure.
Not as perfection.
But as a reminder.

This isn’t just a post-game locker room chant. 
It’s something all of us can carry…whether we’re riding a wave of success or sitting quietly in a lull.

Because becoming doesn’t stop when things are going well.
And it doesn’t end when momentum slows.

Good means you’re here.
Better means you’re willing to grow.
Best isn’t a finish line…it’s a direction.

Some seasons are loud with wins.
Others are quiet with reflection.
Both matter.

And in both, the invitation is the same:
keep becoming.

Not by rushing.
Not by burning yourself out.
But by staying open.
By learning.
By choosing to show up again, exactly as you are…still caring, still trying.

Wherever you are right now…
celebrating or recalibrating…
this motto holds true.

Good. Better. Best.
A reminder that growth is ongoing,
and that we are never done becoming. 💛

DON'T WALK THE DESERT ALONE

I am resharing my friend Kevin Jurovich’s post because what he is building is truly invaluable for founders.

What he shares about those early days, learning on the go and wondering whether the struggle meant failure or growth, is a season so many founders live through quietly. It takes courage to speak about that part of the journey with honesty.

What stands out most to me is how he turned that experience into something generous. Instead of keeping those lessons to himself, he is creating space for founders to hear the truth behind building a company. The uncertainty. The doubt. The moments where continuing feels hard.

Founders Uncovered feels like an offering to the people still in it. A reminder that difficulty does not mean you are doing it wrong. Often it means you are doing something that matters.

By sharing real stories from people who have built before us, Kevin is helping founders feel less alone and more capable of staying in the work. That kind of encouragement can change everything.

So proud of you, Kevin. This is going to help a lot of people. Cannot wait for Season 1.

👉 Join the list for Episode 1. https://lnkd.in/gi2NaDMf

Co-founder, CEO at Hubble | Lifelong optimist

Back in 2019, I used to walk around SoMa in San Francisco listening to founder podcasts, trying to figure out if what I was feeling was failure…or just the process.

How I Built This, Masters of Scale, then later Lenny’s Podcast and My First Million. That was my founder education.

I was obsessed with learning from people who came before me.

Because when you’re in the desert as a founder...trying everything, hitting dead end after dead end, it helps to hear that the people you admire went through the exact same thing.

Behind every “overnight success” are years of doubt, false starts, and almost quitting.

That’s why I’m excited to announce the launch of Founders Uncovered.

I’ve teamed up with Drew Glover and Nick Madrid, CFA at Uncovered Media to host a podcast focused on the real stories behind building companies...the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable parts we usually skip.

There are so many incredible founders out there quietly changing the world. Their stories deserve to be told.

Season 1 drops next month. Our hope is that you walk away feeling educated, inspired, and a little more optimistic that you can get it done too.

One conversation can change everything.

👉 Join the list for Episode 1. I’ll send it the moment it drops.
https://lnkd.in/gi2NaDMf

Can’t wait to see more founders win. 🚀

#startups #entrepreneurship

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