What Happens When Smart Consultants Play Small

You stare at your calendar. Another week. No consults booked.

You're busy delivering, thinking, solving. But the growth? It's not showing up. Not like it should.

And maybe, just maybe, you've wondered: "Is this it?"

You're not alone. It's likely you built an expert business, but you're stuck inside a freelancer model.

The Psychological Pull to Stay Small

There's a psychological pull to stay where you are even when you know it's not working.

It's the Abilene Paradox in action: when everyone around you is stuck in the same patterns, you stay silent, assuming it's the safest path.

Then there's the Ostrich Effect - where it feels easier to avoid the uncomfortable data altogether. You delay looking at your calendar, avoid tracking consult conversions.

And the Allais Paradox: you cling to the certainty of what you have, even if it's limited, instead of betting on a better outcome that involves risk.

All of this is normal. Predictable, even.

But none of it will build the business you say you want.

Let's Not Pretend: You Know You've Been Playing Small

There's a moment every consultant hits. You've read the books. Joined the webinars. Tried the frameworks.

But here's what no framework can do for you: Make the decision.

The decision to stop playing it safe. To stop pretending you need more clarity. To admit with radical honesty that what's missing… is belief.

I've seen it firsthand. Three consultants. Same training. Same access. Same week.

One says: "This training isn't simple enough."

The other? "This is too much."

Neither makes a move.

Then the third? She steps up. She adapts. She says, "Let's go."

That's the difference between a consultant and a LEADER.

A Tale of Two Consultants

I'm reminded of a famous Wall Street Journal letter about two young men who graduated from the same college. Twenty-five years later, one is a manager of a small department, and the other is the president of the company. The difference? The knowledge they acquired and how they applied it.

I often envision a future for my clients that's grander than they dare to dream. They see the stars; I see the moon FOR THEM.

But when I present that vision, the question becomes: Who is responsible for attaining it?

I can guide, support, and strategise, but I can't take the leap for them.

What Playing Bigger Actually Looks Like

Instead of:

This isn't marketing. This is leadership.

The Invisible Cost of Playing Small

Let's talk numbers:

- If you're working 50+ hours and still feeling "invisible," that's your lifestyle leaking opportunity

The cost of staying small? Massive. Invisible. And totally avoidable.

So What Do You Build Instead?

You build clarity - not just about what you do, but about who you are in the market.

You stop asking: "What do clients want?" and start declaring: "This is what I stand for."

You stop waiting for permission to play at your real level.

Playing small isn't a strategy. IT'S A DECISION. So is building something bigger.

You don't need anyone's permission to play at your real level. But you do need to decide to take the wheel.