We are writing a practical guide for independent consultants on how to land clients, especially for those just starting out or rebuilding a pipeline. We want to feature real stories from independent consultants or owners of small consulting firms, giving aspiring consultants a strong foundation for one of the most asked-about facets of starting a business. Selected sources will be credited with a link to the business site of their choice. If you would like to be featured, please provide a brief answer to the following questions. Specific examples are preferred over broad advice. What is your name and the name of your consulting business? How long have you been consulting? Optional: Please provide the business website or LinkedIn profile you would like us to link to. If you have a headshot you'd like included, please attach or link to it. 1. Where did your first two or three consulting clients come from, and where would you tell a new consultant to start when looking for their first clients? 2. What's one outreach message or approach that actually landed you a client, and what made it work? If you have a take on cold outreach, please share it. 3. What's a red flag that makes you turn down a potential client now? Bonus if it's one you learned the hard way. 4. Has a client ever asked for proof of insurance, such as a certificate of insurance (COI), before you could start work? How did that play out? We're looking for firsthand experience from working consultants. AI-generated responses and pitches for products or services will not be considered. We may lightly edit your response for length and clarity, such as using a portion of a longer response or correcting a typo. If selected, we will reach out once the piece is published with a link to your feature. Thank you for sharing your expertise!