
205. The Free Birds Revolution with Miles Everson, CEO of MBO
02/13/25 • 40 min
In this episode, Melisa sits down with Miles Everson, CEO of MBO Partners, a leading marketplace that connects independent consultants with enterprise and mid-sized businesses. Melisa and Miles dive into the key qualities of successful consultants, sharing insights about common mistakes to avoid and strategies for staying competitive in the fast-evolving independent market. Miles also gives listeners a sneak peek into his book, Free Birds Revolution, where he uncovers the six forces shaping the future of work and how consultants can position themselves to thrive.
Adopting a Mission Mindset
As independent consultants, adopting a mission mindset can be a powerful way to stay motivated and driven. Having a clear mission keeps you focused and helps differentiate you in the marketplace. By framing your work as solving a specific problem or fulfilling a mission for your clients, you align your efforts with their goals, creating real value and impact.
Mistakes Independent Consultants Should Avoid
Avoid justifying why you're working as an independent consultant. Client conversations should focus on the value you're delivering and the results you're achieving, not the method you use to execute your work. Keep your attention on the success you’re creating for your clients and the impact you're making.
Overview of Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work and the Independent MindMiles shares insights from his book, including the six forces shaping the future of work and the qualities that make independent consultants successful. He connects the topics in his book to a trend highlighted in the State of Independence study by MBO Partners, showing how the independent workforce drives demand for specialized platforms and solutions that streamline business operations.
Is your goal to differentiate yourself as an independent consultant with enterprise and mid-sized businesses?
Make sure to listen to episode 205 to find out how.
Full show notes and more information: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-205/
Check out Miles’ book, Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work and the Independent Mind
Review the 2024 State of Independence study conducted by MBO Partners.
Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
In this episode, Melisa sits down with Miles Everson, CEO of MBO Partners, a leading marketplace that connects independent consultants with enterprise and mid-sized businesses. Melisa and Miles dive into the key qualities of successful consultants, sharing insights about common mistakes to avoid and strategies for staying competitive in the fast-evolving independent market. Miles also gives listeners a sneak peek into his book, Free Birds Revolution, where he uncovers the six forces shaping the future of work and how consultants can position themselves to thrive.
Adopting a Mission Mindset
As independent consultants, adopting a mission mindset can be a powerful way to stay motivated and driven. Having a clear mission keeps you focused and helps differentiate you in the marketplace. By framing your work as solving a specific problem or fulfilling a mission for your clients, you align your efforts with their goals, creating real value and impact.
Mistakes Independent Consultants Should Avoid
Avoid justifying why you're working as an independent consultant. Client conversations should focus on the value you're delivering and the results you're achieving, not the method you use to execute your work. Keep your attention on the success you’re creating for your clients and the impact you're making.
Overview of Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work and the Independent MindMiles shares insights from his book, including the six forces shaping the future of work and the qualities that make independent consultants successful. He connects the topics in his book to a trend highlighted in the State of Independence study by MBO Partners, showing how the independent workforce drives demand for specialized platforms and solutions that streamline business operations.
Is your goal to differentiate yourself as an independent consultant with enterprise and mid-sized businesses?
Make sure to listen to episode 205 to find out how.
Full show notes and more information: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-205/
Check out Miles’ book, Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work and the Independent Mind
Review the 2024 State of Independence study conducted by MBO Partners.
Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
Previous Episode

204. Leveraging Relationship Marketing to Fill Your Consulting Pipeline with Sara Macauley
Mastering relationship marketing can lead to significant revenue opportunities in your business.
You might think it either comes naturally to you, or it doesn’t.
That’s not the case.
You can learn and improve your relationship marketing skills, as a path to grow your consulting business.
In today's episode, Melisa is joined by Sara Macauley, principal consultant and owner of Kindred Strategic, a consultancy that works with oil, gas, renewable energy, and software companies to grow their businesses.
Sara's expertise in relationship marketing goes beyond just connecting with potential clients—it's about transforming those connections into meaningful, revenue-generating relationships. In this episode, Sara shares her approach to building relationships that avoids a hard sell and, instead, focuses on truly helping others. Melisa and Sara explain how you can use these strategies to build a strong network and grow your business.
If you're an independent consultant looking to take your networking and client relationships to the next level, this episode provides actionable insights and real-world examples that you can apply to your independent consulting business.
Key Topics Covered:
- What is Relationship Marketing?
- Relationship Marketing Strategies
- Relationship Marketing for Lead Generation
Are you ready to optimize your relationship marketing efforts to grow your independent consulting business?
Make sure to listen to episode 204 to find out how.
Full show notes and more information: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-204/
Companion Resource: 🔗Today’s Companion Resource is The Consultant’s 14-Point Business Health Assessment. You can take the assessment by visiting: www.icassessment.com
FOR MORE RESOURCES SPECIFIC TO THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT —
- Interested in working with Melisa? Visit consultmelisa.com to apply for a consultation and explore coaching opportunities
- "Grow Your Consulting Business: The 14-Step Roadmap to Make Your Independent Consulting Goals a Reality" by Melisa Liberman -melisaliberman.com/book
- Watch my YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/channel
- Connect with me on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman
- Check out my Website - melisaliberman.com/
Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
Next Episode

206. Choosing the Best Lead Generation Strategy For Your Consulting Business Phase
One of the primary focuses for consulting business owners is generating high-quality leads.
What’s the secret to being effective at generating high-quality leads in a way that’s also sustainable and repeatable?
The secret to effective and sustainable lead generation is based on what phase your consulting business is in.
In this episode, Melisa shares how independent consultants should approach lead generation based on the phase your business is in. She explains how to choose the best strategy and warns consultants about common mistakes that could derail your lead generation efforts.
Melisa gives actionable next steps through specific examples in every business phase so you can end the episode inspired and ready to tackle lead generation as an independent consultant.
If lead generation feels like a challenge or your goal is to grow your independent consulting business, the practical advice shared here will give you the tools and inspiration to succeed.
Tune in to learn how to build a lead generation system that works, no matter what phase of business you are in.
Full show notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-206/
Key Topics Covered:
- Choosing the Best Strategy - Follow Melisa’s three steps for choosing the best lead generation strategy for your business phase.
- Mistakes to Avoid - Discover the three common red flags that could derail your lead generation efforts. Learn what is “enough” and the importance of leveraging data to measure success.
- Examples By Business Phase - Learn effective lead generation strategies for every business phase from launching a new consulting business to sustainable growth and scaling.
Is your goal to master lead generation as an independent consultant?
Make sure to listen to episode 206 to find out how.
FOR MORE RESOURCES SPECIFIC TO THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT —
- Companion Resource: Grow Your Consulting Business: The 14-Step Roadmap to Make Your Independent Consulting Goals a Reality. Download the first three chapters at https://www.melisaliberman.com/book
- Work with Melisa: Apply for a Coaching Exploratory call at consultmelisa.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman
- Website: melisaliberman.com/
Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/grow-your-independent-consulting-business-204286/205-the-free-birds-revolution-with-miles-everson-ceo-of-mbo-84097158"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to 205. the free birds revolution with miles everson, ceo of mbo on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy