How to Become a Consultant with Nina Everflow

Have you ever dreamed of quitting your 9 to 5 job so you can become a consultant? The dream of becoming your own boss nags at you every other Friday when you get your paycheck. It nags at you when you have to track your hours and sit through tedious meetings. If only you could become a paid consultant so you can control the hours you work, increase your earning potential, and finally live the life you dreamed of.

Nina Everflow was in a similar situation. On the fast track in the world of humanitarian aid and development, Nina was teaching leaders at the United Nations how to manage disasters better when a health emergency changed everything.

From 9 to 5 to Consulting: Chasing the Dream of Being Your Own Boss

“I went to travel to Central Africa for work… it was a seven-day, twenty-four-hour turnaround trip. They do not give you any kind of time to rest before or after you get on a plane. You travel for forty hours. You’re there doing the work the next day, and we had a grueling schedule, and then you’re back on a plane and you go home,” Nina recalled. “That experience put me in the ER. I was in the ER for two days when I got home, because they were so scared that I had some tropical disease.”

The issue, it turned out, wasn’t a tropical illness, but rather, exhaustion. Her back-to-back travel and nonstop work had finally come to a grinding halt. “That was the thing that was just like, I have to change my life. This is not it. I don’t want more of this,” she said.

Discovering Difference Press: A Hybrid Publishing Change Maker

A few months later, Nina discovered Difference Press. She had always been a writer, crafting essays, poetry, songs, you name it. Writing a book was always on her bucket list, mostly to prove to herself that she could accomplish the task. But never did she imagine that writing a book could radically change her career, helping her to become an entrepreneur and consultant to break free from the day-to-day exhaustion of full-time corporate employment. She had been wondering how to become a consultant, but was hesitant to take the leap into unknown territory. With courageous embrace, she put her trust in Difference Press founder Dr. Angela Lauria, whose personality sealed the deal.

“Her energy, the cursing, the bluntness, the obvious success that she had and her support for other people… She had this beautiful energy of, ‘I’m going to tell you it’s possible and get you results,’” Nina said of Angela. She hoped writing a book would prove to herself that she could finish a big project outside her day job.

“I wanted to say, ‘Yeah, I could. It’s totally possible,’” Nina said. “That’s the Nina who showed up for that program.” 

Nina already loved personal development and self-help books, and given her expertise in leadership and education, the genre was a natural fit. She ended up writing a book called Online Learning Wholeheartedly about bringing emotional intelligence and heart-centered compassion to corporate training. This would further position her as a consulting expert.

Ironically, once the book was finished, Nina’s employer refused to let her publish it. Nina was in Washington, DC, attending a Difference Press mastermind when her employer called to let her know that she wouldn’t be allowed to publish the book due to non compete issues. The life of a consultant lingered on the horizon.

Starting Everflow Consulting: Helping Authors Turn Expertise into Online Courses

Though the book never made it to print, Nina was still able to create an exit plan from corporate America. Not long after, Nina became a consultant and started her own company, Everflow Consulting, through which she helps authors turn their expertise into online courses. “I focus on authors who have written books in the self-development, personal development space,” she explained. This includes coaches, therapists, leadership experts, diversity trainers, and more. And using the book she wrote and tools she learned during her time with Difference Press, she now helps those authors to provide not just inspiration and wisdom, but also tangible steps they can take to grow and evolve. 

“I like to help authors move a little bit further from advice-giving and inspiration toward practicality,” Nina said.

Finding Freedom and Fulfillment as an Online Consultant

Today, Nina enjoys a level of freedom and fulfillment she never experienced in the corporate world. Though leaving her stable job was scary, she says it was one of the best decisions she’s ever made. “Working for myself, I get to focus on topics I am passionate about and help people in a way that feels meaningful,” explains Nina. It’s clear that she feels she made the right choice to leave corporate and start her own business.

After beginning this new journey with Difference Press, she believes books and courses are powerful tools for any personal development coach or consultant looking to grow their business and reach more people.

“[Writing a book] is going to be a significant contribution to your bottom line, both about your message and reaching people who need you, and being financially sustainable,” she said.

Diversifying Income Streams as an Online Consultant

With so much shifting in the marketplace, Nina emphasized the importance of having diverse income streams. “You’ve got to know when to offer something and to have options,” she said. “Books and courses are beautiful options for any business.” 

No matter where you are in your career journey, Nina’s advice is to stay open. “Why not write that book or create that course?” she said. “Why not do it right from the beginning, so that you can actually serve in the way you hope to?”

The process of writing a book allowed Nina to gain clarity on what she really wanted next in her career and life. And though never published, she was still able to use the book to gain skills that gave her the courage and tools to ultimately leave that unfulfilling corporate job and create a life that isn’t just authentic, but fulfilling.