46. Building Your Consulting Sales Pipeline with Paul Bakker
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Paul Bakker joins The Evaluation Couch to share his insights on how a sales pipeline can support an evaluator's independent consulting business. Paul explains how he tracks different types of leads—open RFPs, vendor-of-record opportunities, and sole-source contracts—assigning the likelihood of these materializing into contracts. He shares how he has used a sales pipeline to project his income and guide business development efforts. He emphasizes the importance of networking, building relationships, and diversifying sources of work to maintain income stability and mitigate...
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45. Turning Learning Into Action: Building Evaluation Capacity with Allison Prieur
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Allison Prieur joins Maria to discuss her experience participating in the Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge (EC3). Allison shares how she overcome her hesitation to apply to the program and how this experience has changed her evaluation practice. Maria and Allison share their reflections on applying the learnings from EC3 in their practice including the successes and challenges they face as they both try to build evaluation capacity in different settings. Resources: Learn more about Allison's consulting here: Learn more about The Evaluation Capacity Case...
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44. Three Times I Almost Stand In The Way Of My Own Career Growth
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Maria discusses how our brains are designed to make meaning out of our experiences and our place in the world. She shares three personal stories when she held narratives that hindered her career growth. She shares how building her confidence, expanding her knowledge of the field of evaluation, and an unexpected life experience can shift these beliefs. The episode concludes with advice and resources to help others identify and overcome their own limiting stories including Maria's free workbook to become a confident evaluator. Download Maria's free workbook Evaluator...
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43. Why and How To Detach Your Identity From Your Job Title
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Maria shares the importance of detaching one's identity and self-worth from job titles. She discusses how job titles are arbitrary, often don't reflect actual skills or responsibilities, and can negatively impact mental health by fostering unhealthy comparisons. She offers practical tips on how to focus on one's achievements, skills, and contributions instead of job titles, and how to effectively communicate one's value in different contexts. Maria uses her personal experiences and examples to illustrate the harmful effects of over-identifying with job titles and provides...
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42. Redefining Compensation Practices in Evaluation: A Conversation with Corey Newhouse and Komani Cedano
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Corey Newhouse and Komani Cedano join Maria to share their experiences and practices to improve compensation in their businesses. They share their personal journeys, challenges faced, and steps taken towards transparent compensation practices, including setting salaries, yearly raises, and benchmarking. They both highlight the need for transparency, equity, and continuous improvement in compensation policies. The episode also offers practical advice for both evaluators and business owners hoping to promote improved compensation practices within evaluation.
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41. From Passive to Proactive: Improving Your Job Search Strategy
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Maria discusses the importance of adopting a proactive job search approach instead of a passive one to improve employment outcomes. Maria shares four key strategies to improve your job search process: obtaining real-world information about posted jobs, proactively exploring opportunities, accessing the hidden job market, and using strategic visibility. Each of these are detailed with examples from Maria's career and tips to help you implement them into your job search strategy. The meta-analysis referenced in this episode is found .
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40. Reflections from the Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge (EC3)
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Maria shares how her participation in the Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge (EC3) was a turning point for her career. EC3 is an experiential learning program hosted by the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. This program focuses on developing evaluation capacity building skills while supporting real organizations through tailored plans. For four months, Maria represented her organization and worked closely with academics to shape the case challenge provided to participants. In this episode, she discusses four key reflections: embracing curiosity,...
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39. The PhD Dilemma: My Experience In Academia
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Maria reflects on her experiences in academia and how they’ve shaped her perspective on whether a PhD is needed for a career in evaluation. She shares the moment she first recognized the deep-rooted imposter syndrome in the evaluation community for those without a PhD. She shares her personal academic journey, including a challenging master’s thesis in Peru, experiences with supervision, and ethical dilemmas in research. Maria explores her decision-making process of whether to pursue a PhD, weighing career impact, intellectual curiosity, and financial costs. She closes the...
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38. Five Career Reminders Grief Has Given Me
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Maria reflects on her experience of losing her beloved dog and the deeper impact it had on her sense of identity. She draws parallels between how her dog Safi shaped her identity and how our evaluation careers shape our identities. She discusses why change can sometimes bring its own kind of grief throughout our career. She shares five key reminders this period of grief has given her: prioritizing what truly matters, embracing self-care, valuing intentional learning, leaning into your support network, and letting your core values guide you.
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37. Cathexis Consulting on Being a B Corp
The Evaluation Couch
In this episode, Melissa McGuire and Liz Martin of Cathexis Consulting reflect on their journey as a certified B Corporation. Cathexis, an independent evaluation firm based in Canada, has been B Corp certified since 2019. This episode describes what it means to be a B Corporation and why the certification matters. Melissa and Liz share insights from Cathexis’s own certification process, including their learnings and the improvements they’ve made in their social and environmental practices. Listeners will hear examples of initiatives Cathexis has implemented, and how being part of...
info_outlineIn this episode, Melissa McGuire and Liz Martin of Cathexis Consulting reflect on their journey as a certified B Corporation. Cathexis, an independent evaluation firm based in Canada, has been B Corp certified since 2019. This episode describes what it means to be a B Corporation and why the certification matters. Melissa and Liz share insights from Cathexis’s own certification process, including their learnings and the improvements they’ve made in their social and environmental practices. Listeners will hear examples of initiatives Cathexis has implemented, and how being part of the B Corp community has supported their growth. The episode wraps up with practical advice for organizations considering the path to certification.
Resources
Learn more about Cathexis Consulting here and check out their Reconciliation Action Plan 2022-2024.
Learn more about the B Corp Certification here.