Episode #153 How to Find Your First 5 Public Health Clients

Overview

Are you a public health entrepreneur struggling to find your very first clients? You have the expertise and the drive to serve, but connecting with the organizations that actually need your help can feel like the biggest hurdle. In this episode of Public Health Entrepreneurs, Dr. Charlotte H. Huntley shares 10 proven strategies to help you land those crucial first five clients. Whether you are navigating post-2025 industry chaos or just launching your consulting business, these practical steps will teach you how to leverage your existing network, offer low-risk entry points, and prioritize real conversations over waiting for a website to generate leads. Tune in to learn how to position yourself as the exact solution your community needs right now!

Takeaways

• Solve for the "Now": Why you must get crystal clear on your audience's current reality and position yourself as the solution to their post-2025 challenges (like capacity constraints and resource limitations), rather than what they needed two years ago.

• Tap Your Existing Network: Your first clients will likely be former colleagues or project partners who already know and trust your work; learn how to reach out to them directly without feeling awkward.

• Design Low-Risk Entry Points: How offering a trial period, pilot program, or initial assessment can significantly reduce client hesitation, get your foot in the door, and lead to larger engagements.

• Provide Value Upfront: The strategic way to use free high-level webinars, checklists, or frameworks to prove your expertise before ever asking for their business.

• Collaborate for Referrals: How partnering with professionals who offer complementary services (like federal vs. local grant writing) can create a powerful mutual referral engine.

• The 80/20 Outreach Rule: Why you must focus 80% of your energy on direct conversations and networking, and only 20% on your online presence, because passive social media posting won't bring in those first five clients.
  

Resources For Public Health Entrepreneurs

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Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in public health consulting or other type of business for a while, we provide support for public health entrepreneurs through our podcast and mastermind group program. We serve public health entrepreneurs in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and California as well as other parts of the United States and worldwide.