We recently connected with Mary (MJ) McConner and have shared our conversation below.

Mary (MJ), appreciate you joining us today. Please tell us about starting your own firm and if you’d do anything different knowing what you know now.

Inclusive Excellence Consulting, LLC is a full-service diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee that I founded in December 2021. I have had the pleasure of working in the DEI and international education sectors for over 14 years and decided to take the entrepreneurial leap of starting my own consulting firm to follow my dream of helping individuals and organizations maximize the power that equity and inclusive diversity brings.

Since I have worked in the DEI sector for several years, the transition from working as a vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion for a university to being a founder and principal consultant of my own DEI consultancy was a somewhat smooth transition as I was able to begin working with clients right away. However, as a new business owner, there were several key things I had to learn about how to run my own enterprise. I don’t come from a traditional sales background, therefore I initially struggled with closing sales out of fear of coming off too pushy. I also had to learn how to develop business plans, figure out how to make my brand standout from my competitors, and develop services my clients wanted. With the help of mentors and enrolling in different classes geared towards helping entrepreneurs navigate the startup phase, I was able to gain access to education and resources to help me excel as a business owner.

For any young professional who is considering starting your own business, know that there are lots of resources and mentorship programs you can utilize to help you successfully get your business up and running.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Inclusive Excellence Consulting, LLC is committed to developing human-centered, data-informed services and solutions that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the organizations and individuals we serve. Our clients range from Fortune 500 corporations to nonprofit organizations to institutions of higher education. Our signature services include in-person and virtual workshops and training, strategy development, leadership development, organizational culture and climate assessments, equity audits, and one-on-one DEI coaching. Through these services, Inclusive Excellence Consulting helps both individuals and organizations maximize their potential for exceptional success in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Speaking engagements have been one of the best sources for me to reach new audiences and find new clients. As an educator and trainer, I particularly enjoy creating opportunities for facilitated learning and discussion. Therefore, participating in paid speaking engagements has been the ultimate win-win scenario for generating prospective leads. For those who enjoy public speaking, I highly recommend speaking at conferences and events where your ideal clients will be.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

There are a lot of great practitioners and consultants in the equity and inclusion sector. Thankfully, I have been able to lean into my experience as a former educator and researcher to build my reputation as a thought leader in the field. Thought leadership is a great way to showcase your knowledge and expertise. Whether you choose to write articles, blog posts, and white papers or use social media platforms like LinkedIn to share valuable content and engage with your audience, thought leadership positions you as an expert and authority in your field.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ieconsultingfirm.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/inclusiveexcellenceconsulting/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087222567101
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-excellence-consulting-llc/

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Orgill, Inc., BBB of the Mid-South, University of Toledo, Society for Diversity, UCAN of Memphis, Marcus D. Porter