Everyone Has a Talent - Leopold Talent Consulting

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in consultancy but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michael Leopold, Founder of Leopold Talent Consulting, located in New York, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Leopold Talent Consulting specializes in educational and career consulting. My clients range from high school students to senior professionals and executives. The educational consulting side is unique in that I combine college admissions consulting with career planning. I don't just help students get into college. I help them discover a great major, develop their extracurricular activities, and build a basic career plan. This is a unique offering you won't find with my competitors. Research shows that over half of students change their major at least once in college, costing significant time, money, and mental energy. I aim to minimize this risk. My students get a complimentary professional career assessment with 20 pages of classes, majors, extracurricular activities, and careers that align with their interests and motivators. I see college and career planning as vital parts of the same process. If a student ends up changing their major in college, they will have a research-driven plan for doing so.

For career consulting, I help people explore career paths and brand themselves for opportunities. I work with recent college grads and mid to senior professionals seeking promotions or career changes. Services include resume optimization, interview prep, salary negotiation, executive coaching, and job search assistance. My clients include:

Ambitious high school students.
Professionals looking to advance in their careers.
People who have no idea what they want to do with their lives (this last group is my favorite type of client!).

There are many great resources to help people build fulfilling careers that match their interests and motivators. A big emphasis for my business is on accessibility and ethics. The world of college and career planning often exacerbates the inequalities between groups. Not everyone can afford an expensive college consultant or professional resume writer. An immigrant family in rural America may not know the ins and outs of U.S. college admissions. I aim to reduce the gap and make this industry more fair and accessible. I take on many clients at reduced rates or pro bono, and I have a special affinity for working with low-income populations, students in rural geographies, and students with disabilities, including neurodiverse students. Anyone can have a free, 30-minute consultation with me before deciding if they want to move forward.

Tell us about yourself

I'm a bit of an anomaly. In high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in human resources consulting and professional coaching. I've always enjoyed coaching others, and I'm interested in the intersection of psychology and business. I earned a B.S. in Cognitive Science at Yale, and I'm finishing an M.S. in Human Resources at Columbia. Academically, I'm interested in how people make decisions, especially when their options are risky, unclear, or just too many. I apply this interest to college admissions and career coaching, helping clients cut through the ambiguity to make smarter decisions.

My career began in corporate HR and HR consulting roles, where I saw the business side of hiring: writing job descriptions, collaborating with recruiters and hiring managers to fill roles, and analyzing Applicant Tracking System data. I saw which resumes landed an interview and which did not. I sought training and became a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), a Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP), and a facilitator of professional psychometric assessments. As a Yale alumnus, I also served as an interviewer for Yale admissions. I further developed my coaching experience by volunteering in a mentorship program that connects current college students with professional mentors.

My business began organically. I started providing freelance college and career planning services almost 10 years ago while an undergrad. As my experience and clientele grew, I formalized my work by launching the business. I'm motivated by the success of my clients. Watching people discover new passions, build confidence, and reach their educational and professional goals is a privilege.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Honestly, my biggest accomplishment at this point is creating the LLC and launching the formal business. This business had been a distant goal for many years; the COVID-19 pandemic was the impetus to pull the trigger and launch it. I'm so glad I did!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

What makes entrepreneurship hard is all the OTHER components of starting a business - tax and accounting, legal, marketing, lead generation, scheduling, building a website / online presence, etc. If I could do the work, I love all day and have a team handle all the other areas, that would be wonderful. But as a new business owner, it's my job to handle these other vital components. It has become easier now that I've built the foundation, but I find my brain is still in 10 different places!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

If you are looking to launch a business but feel you aren't quite ready, freelance work is a good way to start gaining experience and reviews. There are many platforms to promote your services - e.g., Sidehustlestack.co, Contra, Upwork, Freelancer, Flexjobs, Fiverr, People Per Hour.
Make a basic marketing plan! Marketing is typically a large percentage of your expenses, and careful planning is important! Your strategy will likely change as your business evolves, and that's totally OK. But you want to put some thought into your marketing approach first. I've heard many entrepreneurs say they had to increase their marketing budget over time as the original budget was not enough.
Be public. Share your business with others and on social media. You've put so much work into your business; you should promote it. If you rely on referrals and word of mouth to grow your clientele, this can take you to the next level.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.leopoldtalent.com/
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3II0XrS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelleopold/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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