The ROI of Clarifying Your Brand Positioning: Lessons from My Work with Katie Anderson

When consultants ask me if clarifying their brand positioning and refining their messaging really creates revenue, my answer is simple: absolutely. This isn’t just a “nice-to-have” marketing exercise—it’s one of the most powerful investments you can make in your business.

In this episode of Consulting Matters, I sat down with my client and friend, Katie Anderson, to unpack her journey from hourly contractor to sought-after thought leader and premium brand. Her story is a perfect example of how investing in your positioning transforms not only your income but also your impact.

From Internal Consultant to Global Thought Leader

Katie didn’t start her career with a straight line into consulting. She began in health policy research, then transitioned into healthcare process improvement, eventually becoming a director of a continuous improvement department. After moving into external consulting, she took a leap of faith to build her own practice.

When her husband’s job took them to Japan, Katie embraced the opportunity to deepen her expertise in Lean and people-centered learning cultures. That experience became a major differentiator in her brand and ultimately led to her award-winning book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn.

Katie’s story illustrates something I tell all my clients: your differentiators often come from your lived experiences, but you need clarity and intention to turn them into brand power. 

Why Messaging Matters More Than “Just Marketing”

When Katie and I first met, she was already successful. She had a bestselling book, speaking engagements, and a strong reputation. But her messaging wasn’t aligned with the clients she truly wanted to serve.

Coming out of the pandemic, Katie wanted to shift from marketing to individuals to serving organizations with transformational impact. That pivot required a new way of framing her offers, her proposals, and ultimately her brand positioning.

I always remind consultants: your words create the bridge between your expertise and your client’s willingness to invest. Without clear messaging, opportunities slip through the cracks—even if you’re amazing at what you do. 

From Hourly Contractor to Strategic Partner

One of the first things Katie and I worked on was moving away from hourly and workshop-based pricing into a partnership setup model.

Instead of selling “a workshop for X dollars,” Katie began co-creating proposals that addressed her clients’ deeper goals—like organizational transformation, leadership development, and long-term cultural change.

That shift did two things:

• Increased her revenue (sometimes 10x).

• Elevated her role from contractor to trusted advisor.

This is one of the biggest mindset shifts consultants need to make. You’re not selling tasks. You’re structuring partnerships that deliver outcomes. 

The Power of Narrowing Your Niche

Like many consultants, Katie originally wanted her message to resonate with all leaders. But the real breakthrough came when she got crystal clear on her primary audience: operational excellence, lean, and continuous improvement leaders.

By speaking their language and naming their specific challenges, Katie was able to stand out in a crowded market. Her credibility skyrocketed because she wasn’t just “a leadership consultant”—she was the consultant for people-centered learning cultures within lean and operational excellence.

That’s what I want every consultant to understand: niching down doesn’t limit you, it gives you the authority and clarity to attract the right clients. 

Testimonials That Sell: Beyond Endorsements

Another part of our work together was transforming Katie’s testimonials. Many consultants collect endorsements like: “She’s inspiring” or “Great workshop.”

While those feel good, they don’t create ROI. What sells is value-driven testimonials that show the transformation and results your clients achieved.

When we reframed Katie’s testimonials to highlight outcomes—like accelerated learning, culture shifts, and improved leadership effectiveness, they became powerful proof points of her ROI.

Tip: Always ask clients not just what they enjoyed, but what changed for them because of your work. 

The Tangible ROI of Positioning Work

Katie’s investments in clarifying her brand and messaging have paid off in real ways:

• She commands higher fees with confidence.

• She’s secured keynote opportunities on global stages.

• She’s leading transformational Japan experiences for leaders worldwide.

• Most importantly, she’s created deeper impact without working harder.

That’s the power of positioning: it multiplies your income and influence by aligning your message with your market.

My Takeaway from Working with Katie

Katie often talks about the “chain of learning,” and I see our work together as part of a “chain of impact.” By helping her clarify her message, I get to play a role in helping her help leaders build people-centered learning cultures.

And this is why I love what I do: consultants and coaches are needed more than ever. But to make the difference we’re called to, we must make it easier for clients to see our value and find us.

Next steps:

•  If you’re struggling like Katie was with articulating the value of what you do, here’s where to start to overcome it. Pay attention to the people you’re drawn to help and the problems you’re motivated to solve and ask yourself some questions about why these matters to you. What do you see is possible for them that they don’t see yet for themselves? What difference will that change make? And if you need someone to help you do this, book a discovery call with me here.
•  The real value, the real ROI of doing positioning and messaging work isn’t about marketing. It’s about mindset and getting out of your own head and getting into the clients you want to serve. That is where the real source of clarity and confidence comes from.
•  Head on over to my website at www.betsyjordyn.com where you’ll find lots of free resources to help you take the next step. I have a free audio training on “Playing Small to Playing True”, several downloads, including a messaging guide and my discovery meeting scripts, that Katie uses to get the results she enjoys today. And of course you can learn more about my highly personalized strategic brand partnership programs.
•  And if you’re a lean practitioner – tune into the bonus episode that Katie and I recorded on the why it’ so hard to get leaders to get the value of what you do and ideas on how to fix it. 
• You can also explore Katie's transformation here!

If you enjoyed this blog post, you may also like:

• How to Use Your Love for Learning to Take Bigger Risks with Katie Anderson
• Lean: The Unsung Hero of Employee Engagement That Actually Works
• Rethinking Everything We Know About Employee Engagement
• Flawless Consulting in Action: Peter Block on Power without Authority & Social Change

About my guest: Katie Anderson is an internationally recognized leadership consultant, professional speaker, and learning enthusiast, who inspires and equips purpose-driven leaders create organizational learning cultures that foster innovation, engagement, and continuous improvement. A skilled change agent, Katie has empowered tens of thousands of global leaders across diverse industries to transform their cultures and accelerate individual and organizational impact. Katie is the author of the bestselling book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn, which has received multiple international awards, including the Shingo Publication Award, and has been translated into over eight languages. Katie is also the host of the transformational leadership podcast Chain of Learning®. Katie holds a BA with honors from Stanford University and was a Fulbright Scholar in Australia, where she received her Master’s degree in public health policy. A global citizen who has lived in seven countries, Katie regularly hosts an immersive Japan Leadership Experience for global leaders looking to deepen their knowledge of people-centered leadership and operational excellence.

About me: Betsy Jordyn is a brand messaging strategist and business mentor for purpose-driven consultants and coaches. With a background in organizational development—including a consulting career with Disney—she helps experts clarify their unique value, position themselves strategically, and build businesses that deliver impact, income, and personal fulfillment. Connect with Betsy Jordyn to clarify your message, elevate your brand, and attract the clients you're meant to serve. Start here → https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services