For the past 14 years, Lara Jordan has run her own successful consulting firm, where she flexes between being a solopreneur and using a studio model depending on her family needs at any given time. |
Lara spent years leading digital transformation and content production at a top business advisory firm before building her consultancy. In this conversation, she shares how she leveraged that experience to effectively pivot into her next chapter. |
TAKEAWAYS |
Test the Consulting Waters
After I had my first child, I realized I couldn’t be excellent at both motherhood and my job on someone else’s timeline and rules.
I began quietly floating the idea of consulting within my network to gauge interest. The response gave me the confidence to try. At first, I took on a range of projects, but over time I found my niche supporting senior executives through technology transformations and became a trusted partner.
One lesson: be willing to refine your value as you learn where demand exists.
When & How to Bring on Talent
When deciding if I should staff a project, I ask two core questions: Does this work require my specific brain or relationships? Or, does it require strong execution that I can guide and oversee?
When I do need support, I’ve found the subcontractor model reduces risk for everyone involved. I typically source talent through my network, referrals, and even my off-duty circles. For example, I once recruited a woman who had run an auction with remarkable precision—she went on to become an excellent project manager.
Key for Career Advancement: Effective Interaction Across Teams
As you take on broader responsibility, communicating effectively means adapting your message to the needs of creative teams, technical experts, and executives alike.
For delivery teams, what matters most is clarity on outcomes and timing: Users need to be able to do X on this timeline.
For executives, the key question is usually: How does this help grow the business, generate revenue, or reduce costs? I often frame initiatives in those terms—asking whether something is primarily an efficiency play or a growth play. From there, I translate the work into outcomes like, This project is going to deliver X, Y in savings or help accelerate growth in a timeline of X months vs. Y years.