The Society of Professional Consultants

The Society of Professional Consultants (SPC) is a professional development organization for independent consultants, solo professionals, and entrepreneurs. We offer networking, mentoring, and education for our members. The SPC facilitates virtual networking and workshops for both new and experienced consultants from around the world. Our membership is limited to solo consultants and business owners.

We encourage our members to collaborate, share best practices, and learn from each other. The SPC is not a referral network and we don't require our members to refer business to each other.

The SPC welcomes and encourages participation in our community by consultants of all ages, backgrounds, and identities. We are committed to promoting and sustaining a culture that values mutual respect, tolerance, and learning. Our standards of conduct page has more information about our policies and member responsibilities.

Virtual Panel Discussion - Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET

Thriving as an Independent Consultant

This workshop is for consultants who are considering going independent, building a new practice, or evolving an established one.

Independent consulting isn’t a static career; it’s an evolving practice. From finding clients to managing projects and building relationships, thriving as a solo consultant requires more than just expertise in your field.

So, how do successful consultants build sustainable, rewarding practices?

On Wednesday, May 13, three experienced independent consultants, of varying tenures, will compare perspectives from building and running their own consulting businesses. They’ll talk candidly about why they chose the independent path, what has changed in their thinking over time, and the adjustments that helped their businesses grow and thrive.

Our panelists will discuss:

• Why they decided to become independent consultants
• What they believe about independent consulting now that they didn’t believe when they started
• Where clients really come from over time
• How to recognize when it’s wise to turn down a project, even amidst uncertainty
• Best practices for managing your energy so you can truly thrive in your own business

After attending this panel discussion, you’ll walk away with practical ideas you can apply immediately to your own consulting journey.

There’s no charge for this workshop, but advance registration is required. A recording will only be available on demand for registered attendees or current SPC members.

Reserve your spot today!

About Our Panelists:

Liz Steblay is an author, mentor, and nationally recognized expert on solopreneurship — helping mid- and late-career professionals create the independent careers of their dreams.

After stumbling into self-employment in 2004, she quickly discovered the rewards: more income, less stress, a lower tax rate, and more quality time with her daughter. In 2009, she founded the ProKo Agency, a multi-million-dollar business that matches world-class independent consultants with Fortune 500 clients.

Committed to paying it forward, in 2016, Liz created the Professional Independent Consultants of America (PICA) — an educational organization that helped over a thousand solopreneurs launch and grow their own thriving businesses.

Today, Liz shares her expertise through speaking engagements and her best-selling book, Succeeding as a Solopreneur: Six Keys to Taking the Leap, Winning Clients and Building Wealth, a practical roadmap for anyone looking to build a thriving career on their own.

Dave Seaton is an independent consultant, entrepreneur, and founder of Chicken Dinner Club — the online learning community for ex‑corporate consultants who want to build a steady stream of clients. He created the Club to share the repeatable systems he has used for years to consistently attract and onboard consulting clients.

After leaving a 21‑year corporate career, Dave established his independent consulting practice, Seaton CX, serving organizations across industries that include healthcare, cybersecurity, telecom, and education. He helps his clients strengthen customer experiences and operational performance. His work with both corporate leaders and independent professionals gives him a distinctive perspective on what today’s consultants need to confidently win client engagements.

He launched Chicken Dinner Club in 2024 to empower independent consultants with a modern, disciplined methodology for business development. By leveraging social media, artificial intelligence, and authentic communication, he equips consultants to navigate the transition out of corporate life and build independent practices with confidence.

David Norman, CMC®, FIMC, CMC-AF, is a seasoned business consultant with over five decades of management consulting experience. He's spent fifteen years as executive coach, and seven years as Certified EOS Implementer® supporting organizations striving to build enduring cultures and sustainable growth. He has consulted with public and private enterprises of all sizes, including nonprofits and government agencies.

For over twenty-five years, David has also taught at the McColl School of Business at Queens University and at Pfeiffer University. He writes extensively on leadership, strategy, and organizational growth and is the author of the book Supercharge: A New Playbook for Leadership.

Today, he serves as Secretary of IMCUSA and as Chair of the Board at the IMCUSA Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that fosters ethics education. David chairs The Consultants Peer Group, and in his spare time operates a lavender farm with his wife Louise near Lansing, North Carolina.

About Our Moderator:

Becky Frayer is the Founder and CEO of Behavioral Fusion, LLC, and a brand strategist with more than 25 years’ experience driving growth inside Fortune 100 organizations (Procter & Gamble and Allstate). She integrates Behavioral Science with business strategy to influence consumer decision-making and accelerate brand performance for marketers, insights professionals, sales leaders, designers, and product developers.

Becky has worked across consumer-packaged goods, retail, technology, and healthcare, strengthening some of the largest brands in the world. Her applied expertise has unlocked hundreds of millions of dollars in business growth and cost savings by translating behavioral insights into actionable strategy.  She has been an independent consultant since 2023, offering training and workshops, project-based expert assessments, and advisory services, all in service of understanding and impacting human behavior.