We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steven Benoy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steven below.

Steven, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump into the story of starting your own firm – what should we know?

GOLDEN RULE = Add more value than you are receive (*always*)

When I first started, it was just me, a dream, and an empty schedule (read: no clients). I nearly fell into the trap of “playing business” by focusing on things like the website, networking, LinkedIn, rate structures, marketing and contracts. But I quickly realized that this self-centered, activity-without-value approach leads nowhere.

Advice =

1. IDENTIFY YOUR SUPERPOWER. Understand what unique skills you bring to the table. For example, I’m not in the NBA for a reason—it’s all about recognizing where you excel.
2. FIND PROBLEMS. Look for areas where others lack the time, resources, experience, or desire to solve issues themselves. That’s where you can step in.
3. GIVE IT AWAY. If you can’t fill your schedule early on, offer your services for free. If no one’s biting, your rate is $0—don’t let past compensation or competitors falsely inflate your worth. If clients stick around when you start charging, you’re onto something.
4. PLAN TO FAIL. Instead of fearing failure, set a goal of trying—and potentially failing—every day. Each failure was a lesson that helped me refine my approach and get closer to success.
5. STOP NETWORKING. “Traditional” networking—grabbing coffee or beers with successful people—doesn’t always lead to growth. Instead, find a nonprofit organization (NPO) to work with that could use your help and use your craft to add value to them. Add value first-hand and be so impressive that people come to you.

Steven, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My journey began with a simple, unwavering obsession: to serve small businesses. At seven years old, I launched my first “business” mowing lawns and walking dogs. Little did I know, those small acts of service would lay the foundation for everything that followed. As the years passed, I climbed the corporate ladder, leading large teams and navigating the complexities of executive leadership.

When the opportunity arose to pivot to work at a small business, I was quickly reminded that small business owners are the hardest-working people around, yet they often have the least support and resources. While a few lucky breaks allowed that business to thrive and expand nationwide, I found myself tweaking the corporate playbook to support fellow small business owners on the side—for fun.

This led to the creation of what I call the “anti-consultant” consultancy. Anyone who’s worked with traditional consultants knows the frustration—they often attempt to be the smartest person in the room, charge exorbitant fees for a PowerPoint presentation, and lack practical experience in executing strategies. Our goal was to flip that script.

In early 2020, during the height of the pandemic, I decided to turn this small side project into my primary focus. Since then, Crafted Consulting has partnered with dozens of organizations, from single-owner operations to businesses with several hundred employees.

At Crafted Consulting, our commitment is simple but nonnegotiable: we add real value through dedicated service. We support small business owners with rapid team and operational assessments that lead directly to actionable solutions for growth and improvement.

Our services encompass leadership development, talent recruiting and transitions, operational improvements, process standardization, HR frameworks, and hands-on daily support in the trenches. TLDR = bring clarity and accountability, ensuring the right people are in the right roles and that every step we take together drives meaningful progress.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

In the beginning, I believed that expensive marketing campaigns, self-promoting social media, and incentivized referrals were the only ways to grow our business. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was wrong (yet again). After our first year, we stopped focusing on traditional marketing altogether. Instead, we chose to obsess over delivering real impact through our services and the quality of our partnerships. By pouring everything into delivering real value, word of mouth took over and we are now 100% referral based. This has allowed us to become selective about the partners we work with.

This approach all started with the idea of “giving it away” in those early days—and it’s a principle we still hold onto. The more you give, the more (work) you receive. It’s a simple truth we’ve built our success on.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Honestly, my team would probably have better advice on this since I’m still figuring it out myself (read: far from perfect). What I’ve learned from them is that “clear is kind.” We don’t wait for useless annual reviews or let frustrations fester—we just tackle issues as they come up. We try to course-correct each other in a supportive but straightforward way every day. It keeps everything out in the open, so I always know where they stand, and they know where I’m coming from too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.craftedconsultingusa.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenbenoy

Image Credits

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