Most consultants spend their first few years trying to look polished. Nel Taylor took the opposite route - and it's the reason the right clients find them.
Nel Taylor is the founder of Now This Consulting and one of the most talked-about speakers from Cindy's Fractional/Shift summit. On this episode of Fracture, Nel shares how a public past became a business asset, how they went from almost no income for most of a year to $111,000 in signed work in a single month, and what to do when you suddenly have more proposals out than spots to fill.
The short answer: Nel's clients find them because Nel is open about their history - it filters out organizations that wouldn't be a fit before they ever reach out. When a dry spell hit, Nel paired daily journaling and affirmations with action and a lot of generosity toward their network, and signed six projects in August. Now they protect that momentum by delivering excellent work and being upfront with prospects about capacity.
How can your personal story become an asset as a consultant?
Your story becomes an asset when it shapes how you do the work, and when you choose how it's told. For Nel, that choice came the hard way.
Nel was unhoused from 14 to 18, working as a street performer at the Saturday Market in Portland, Oregon. A circus school for unhoused youth recruited them, and the program helped Nel get into their first apartment and their first job. Then the organization turned Nel into its poster child. They told their story at galas, met with major donors and made asks - unpaid. An event manager prepping them for an appeal speech told them that if they cried, people were 30% more likely to give.
"It felt like my story was no longer my own," Nel said.
That experience pushed Nel into fundraising with a mission: change the practices that had harmed them and the communities nonprofits serve. They later found Community-Centric Fundraising and now serve on its North American Council.
Nel didn't get to keep their history private. Background checks showed felonies. A Google search pulled up mugshots and videos of old gala speeches. So they embraced it fully - and found that as nonprofits started hiring more people with lived experience, their background made them more hireable, not less. Those experiences built the foundation for the work Nel does now.
Does being open about your past cost you clients?
Probably, but you'll never miss them. Nel put it plainly: "I'm sure that there are many people who have chosen not to hire me because of my background, but I have no idea because they don't come to me."
Being public works like a bat signal. The organizations that reach out are already comfortable with who Nel is - and often, that's exactly why they reach out. One of Nel's best-performing LinkedIn posts in a long time opened with "I was a very organized drug dealer" and told a story about spreadsheets, onboarding processes and realizing you're in the wrong career.
Cindy pointed out that this is one of the big differences between consulting and employment. In a workplace, showing up as your whole self can backfire. As a consultant, you're calling in the clients who want what you bring.
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What should you do when your consulting income dries up?
Keep doing business development, even when work is good - and if you're already in the drought, combine mindset work with action. Nel learned both lessons in 2026.
In January, a contract was abruptly terminated. Nel hadn't been doing business development while the work was steady, and with their practice rooted in equity and DEI work, American nonprofits had become nervous about spending on it. Until August, Nel brought in roughly $10,000 total. There were no savings and no family safety net. Bill collectors called all day.
Going back to a job was never on the table. Instead, Nel decided to try what they called "all the white girl woo-woo manifestation stuff" - despite being "too punk rock for that." They read widely (they recommend Denise Duffield-Thomas for consultants) and paired mindset work with what they call inspired action.
Day to day, that looked like this:
Pages of journaling and affirmations. Nel wrote statements like "people want to hire me" and "I deliver excellence for my clients" over and over. They connect this to cognitive behavioural therapy - rewiring the brain's pathways through repetition.
A deal with the universe. Nel asked it to close all the doors that weren't for them, which took the pressure off. When a door closed, they let it go and moved toward the ones already open. (Finding two four-leaf clovers while walking the dog didn't hurt.)
Noticing opportunities. Nel points to the reticular activating system - the part of the brain that decides what's worth your attention. Once they were looking, they started spotting opportunities that had probably been there all along.
In August, Nel signed six new projects worth $111,000 for August through December - more money than they'd ever made. "I'm drinking the Kool-Aid," Nel laughed.
Cindy, who admits she almost failed a university course because she refused to do the journaling assignment, connects this to locus of control: when we believe we can influence outcomes, we act in ways that do.
Why does generosity work better than networking for consultants?
Generosity works because it skips the transaction. Cindy sees it all the time in the NFN community: consultants approach each other with "here's how you can help me, here's how I can help you." That's an exchange, not generosity.
Nel started practicing generosity in their personal life first, with people who couldn't give anything back. When they had nothing to give, they sent silent good wishes to strangers while driving. It made them happier.
Then they brought it to their professional circle:
Sharing friends' posts any time they didn't have something of their own to promote
Saving and DMing posts to give them a boost on LinkedIn
After a workshop promotion ended, reaching out to every person who'd shared it - including people they didn't know - to ask, "What do you have going on? What can I share?"
Nel finds this an easier way to network. You don't have to figure out how to make it mutual. You just ask what you can do. Cindy's version is a gratitude challenge: thank the people who've had a positive influence on your life or career, and that's it.
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How do you handle more proposals than open spots?
Be upfront about your capacity before anyone signs. Nel had one remaining spot for year-end fundraising work and several proposals out. Instead of going first come, first served, they told each prospect they had one spot and were in conversation with other organizations.
That expectation made it easier to say no. It also let Nel nudge the project they were most excited about. They worried it would sound arrogant. Instead, one of the organizations Nel turned down replied, "Wow, that shows how good you are and how important your work is" - and asked to book Nel for January. (With a deposit, of course. Nel doesn't trust a waitlist without one either.)
Nel set a hard limit on how many contracts they'd take, because their top priority is delivering excellence. Cindy agreed that delivering excellent work is the real game of business - and it's what feeds your reputation and your next round of clients.
Nel's next challenge is falling in love with the practice itself: the meeting agendas and deliverables, not just the thrill of signing contracts. At 33, they realized they'll be doing this for the next 30 years, and they want the kind of commitment that keeps a movie star with millions in the bank coming back to film another movie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nel Taylor?
Nel Taylor (they/them) is an organizational equity strategist and ethical fundraising consultant with 15+ years in nonprofits. They're the Founder and Steward of Now This Consulting and serve on the North American Council of Community-Centric Fundraising.
Should nonprofit consultants share their personal story publicly?
That's your call, and it's worth making on your own terms. For Nel, being open acts as a filter: organizations uncomfortable with their background don't reach out, and the ones who do often hire them because of it.
How did Nel Taylor book $111K in one month?
After months with almost no income, Nel combined daily journaling and affirmations with focused action and generosity toward their network. In August, they signed six projects worth $111,000 running through December.
What is the reticular activating system?
It's the part of the brain that filters what deserves your attention. Nel credits it for helping them notice consulting opportunities that were already out there once they started looking for them.
How can consultants practice generosity without expecting something back?
Share other people's work, ask what someone has going on and how you can help, or simply thank people who've influenced your career. Skip the "I'll help you if you help me" trade.
How do you say no to a consulting client without losing them?
Set expectations early. Let prospects know your capacity and that you have other proposals out. Nel's honesty turned one declined project into a booking for the new year.
Where can I find Nel Taylor online?
Visit nowthisconsulting.com for workshops and their newsletter, connect on LinkedIn, or follow @nowthisconsulting on Instagram.
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Want clients who hire you because of who you are, not in spite of it? Join Cindy for a free conversation on how to replace your nonprofit salary with just three clients a year - save your spot here.
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