Meet Dr. Eliza, an expert facilitator with over 20 years experience

Meet Dr. Eliza Howard, Ph.D., an expert facilitator, speaker, academic researcher, and writer with 20 years experience in the higher education, media, and corporate sectors. She helps clients develop strategy, culture, and policy. She is also available for speaking and emceeing duties.

Get to know more about Eliza in our interview.

Tell us a little about yourself and your business?

I’m a freelance consultant, facilitator, researcher and writer. I have 21 years of experience in the higher education, corporate, and media sectors. I run bespoke and standard workshops and team retreats, develop team and organisational strategy, coach professional skills (including public speaking, writing, elevator pitches, networking, planning, and productivity), conduct private research, write and ghostwrite.

I am also a mum to three boys (6-year-old twins, and a two-year-old)

What inspired you to make the leap and go out on your own, and when did you first start working for yourself?

I have run my own business—Flish Consulting—since 2018. After building facilitation, consulting and writing expertise for other people for many years,  I was keen to go out on my own to allow me to work with a wider variety of people in a greater number of industries and businesses. I also wanted the flexibility to be there for my family when they needed me. My twins were born prematurely, and it was difficult to be there for them while completing a traditional work week.

Tell us about your experience of working for yourself?

Working for myself gives me the ability to work with an exceptionally wide variety of people. I love this! I think I learn as much (if not more) than I give to the world. I could not ever be in a job where I am not learning and developing professionally and as a human. I am very grateful to my clients for their trust in me, and for sharing their own passions.

What’s your best piece of advice for someone wanting to make the leap?

Know what your ultimate goal is and work towards that goal. It is important to have both focus and passion. For potential clients to understand exactly what you can offer them, you must understand this yourself.

Best tips for winning new business?

Give the best possible customer service and word of mouth will spread!

What has been your favourite project to date?

Every project My favourite is helpings teams develop practical strategy and purpose. I love seeing how much a team can evolve in  just a day or a couple of days of working with them, and then following up months later to see strategy succeeding and being impactful. Seeing positive strategies being developed and implemented is golden!

What is a business win you’re currently celebrating?

This year I was named a LinkedIn Top Voice for Gender Equity. That was a huge honour and has given me comfort that what I write about is useful and needed. I am very grateful to have been recognised in this way.

What led you to join Freelancing Gems?

I have followed FG for a while.  I am now looking at scaling up my business, which has so far developed entirely by word-of-mouth referrals. I am very much of the philosophy that women should support women, so it seemed like a perfect fit—and it is! I am very excited about the opportunities that FG offers in terms of networking and professional development.

What is one word you would use to describe Freelancing Gems?

Exciting!

What’s next for your business?

Getting the word out there further afield and developing relationships with more clients. I ultimately want to hire a specific colleague (hi Aileen!) I worked with in days past. It would be great to have the business at a stage where I am able to bring her on board.

Get in touch with Eliza if you would like to develop strategy, culture, and policy in your business. You can connect with her on the Gem Directory.

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