We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachana Patel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachana, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start on the operational side – do you spend more of your time/focus/energy on growing revenue or cutting costs?

As a fractional CRO, I carefully balance both growing revenue and cutting costs, recognizing that they are intrinsically linked. This is the advice I follow myself and give to my clients time and time again.

One clear way to navigate this balance is by evaluating the time and energy you invest in different tasks. For example, a client wanted to create their own website to save money. Building the website they envisioned would have taken them 60 to 80 hours, even with templates and tutorials. I advised them to hire a professional and spend a few thousand dollars instead. This allowed them to focus on revenue-generating activities rather than getting bogged down in website development.

Similarly, just last night, I spent over an hour updating my business social media page (it was a stressful hour!). I realized it would take me three more hours to get it the way I wanted. However, a social media manager could have done it in 30 minutes for a few hundred dollars. This morning, the first thing I did was start looking for a social media manager!

Ultimately, it’s crucial to recognize that time is money. Don’t try to save money at the expense of your time. Hire the right talent to support you so you can focus on revenue-generating activities. Avoid cutting costs for a short-term win, as this will hinder your long-term growth and efficiency.

Rachana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I entered the world of sales much like everyone else—by chance, just after business school. What was meant to be a short stint of a few months turned into a thriving career when I saw remarkable success within the first year, and I never looked back.

Over the course of a decade, I worked in corporate environments in both London and New York, and I truly loved what I did. Starting my own business was both exciting and terrifying, but I persevered and have since reaped the rewards of my efforts. This journey has allowed me to share my knowledge with my clients and help them succeed in their businesses.
Throughout my career, I noticed that many entrepreneurs and business owners struggle with selling, a skill that came naturally to me and one I refined during my corporate years. I developed various systems and processes for both B2B and B2C businesses to help them achieve success.

I soon realized that there were many people, particularly within the creative space, who needed to fine-tune their sales skills to monetize their craft. These individuals were severely underserved, and I saw an opportunity to make a difference.
My brand is a female-owned, minority-owned company, a stark contrast to the corporate world I operated in for over a decade. I thrive on challenging the status quo and offering fresh, new expertise.

My mantra is simple: I want my clients to make significantly more money than their initial investment with me. I have this written in my journal and read this every morning and night because working with my clients is one of the biggest privileges and joys in the world for me. I am committed to giving back and providing them with everything they need to succeed.

It’s important for people to know that my brand and my work are built on trust and integrity. I go all out for my clients, ensuring maximum profitability and revenue generation. Nothing is impossible for me—if my clients need something, I will always find a way to deliver.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

My entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy have been shaped by many different experiences, and I’ve been truly blessed to have had wonderful managers during my corporate years who helped me develop my business skillset. They instilled in me strong values and effective ways of operating with clients, which I carry with me to this day. I always encourage others to seek out a mentor, as it can make a profound difference.

In addition to mentorship, I love connecting with other entrepreneurs and learning from their journeys. The Business Mindset Collective has been instrumental in this for me, providing a space to engage with and learn from like-minded individuals. Through this platform, I participated in private coaching and an online course that helped me elevate my mindset and sharpen my business and entrepreneurial skills, driving success within the first year of my business. I’m still very active in the community and have even found some of my clients through it.

I also find inspiration and guidance through reading. I’m particularly drawn to the works of Alex Hormozi, Brian Tracy, and Cal Newport, and I’ve been following Myron Golden on YouTube for a while. One of my all-time favorite books is “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, which I find incredibly meditative and inspirational.

Most importantly, my entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy are deeply rooted in my meditative practice. Meditation has shaped my outlook and keeps me grounded. I rely on the Calm app for my daily meditations, both morning and night. In entrepreneurship, having a calm and focused mind is essential—you need to stay centered and consistent to succeed.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy I’ve found for growing my clientele has been simple: be authentic, consistently deliver, and always overachieve on client expectations. All of my private fractional CRO work has come through referrals and word of mouth—a blessing I don’t take for granted. Remarkably, none of my clients have left; they’ve all stayed on and renewed their programs with me.

Given the demand and my limited bandwidth, I’m now taking on only select fractional CRO work for clients. To continue making an impact at scale, I’m also creating a group cohort. This approach allows me to work with more people efficiently and cost-effectively while still delivering the high level of service and results that my clients expect.

At the heart of my success is always putting the client first. That’s been the most effective strategy for growing my business and maintaining strong, lasting relationships with my client

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zekariconsulting.com/
• Instagram: zekariconsulting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachanapatel1/
• Other: https://www.zekariconsulting.com/cohort-b2b
  https://www.zekariconsulting.com/cohort-b2c