What happens when a skilled grant writer finally owns her expertise? In this episode of Grant CEO, I sit down with Daphney Jean, founder of SMJ Consulting, to talk about what it really looks like to step into your power as a grant writing business owner.

After years of underestimating her impact and saying things like “I only got them $500K,” Daphney shifted how she positioned her expertise and services.

The result? Higher retainers, stronger renewals, and better-aligned clients.

You’ll hear how Power and Positioning allowed her to stop wasting so much time onboarding new clients and start charging higher rates with confidence and a proven ROI. This conversation is a must-listen if you’re ready to charge confidently and scale sustainably.

In this episode:

00:03:07 Grant Writer Power

00:10:29 Confident Pricing Decisions

00:14:22 Niching With Intention

This podcast is produced by Ideablossoms.

Connect with Daphney Jean:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphneyjean1/

Website: https://www.smjgrantconsulting.com

About DeaRonda Harrison:

DeaRonda Harrison is the founder of June First Firm and host of the Grant CEO podcast, a show for experienced grant writers ready to step into the role of strategic, confident CEO of their own scalable business. With over a decade of experience, she’s helped nonprofits secure more than $45 million in funding.

Today, DeaRonda coaches grant writing consultants on pricing their services, setting boundaries, and moving from freelance grant writer to CEO. Through her You Are the Prize™ Framework, she helps grant professionals build sustainable, profitable grant writing businesses.

Grant CEO Assessment: https://grantceo.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dearondaharrison/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearondaharrison/

Website: https://junefirstfirm.com/

Let me guess, when you dreamed about starting your own grant-writing business, you did not dream about working long hours, answering emails late at night, or saying yes to every little thing that client asks you. Am I right?

Grant CEO is the podcast for experienced grant-writers and grant consultants who have mastered their craft (and even reached the big 10K months) but are now struggling to run a grant-writing business that feels true to their values, goals, and dreams.

I’m DeaRonda Harrison, founder of June First Firm and creator of the You Are the Prize™ Framework.

I’m here to help you ditch the grind and step fully into your role as the CEO of your grant writing business.

Each week, we're diving deep into one of the five pillars of my proven framework — Power, Pricing, Packaging, Positioning, and People.

Whether you’re exploring grant-writer retainers, raising your pricing, or looking to hire a team member, this podcast gives you the tools, mindset, strategies, and motivation to grow from grant-writer freelancer to Grant CEO.

It’s time to stop overdelivering, undercharging, and working nights and weekends.

It’s time to run your grant writing business like a CEO.

About DeaRonda Harrison:

DeaRonda Harrison is the founder of June First Firm and host of the Grant CEO podcast, a show for experienced grant writers ready to step into the role of strategic, confident CEO of their own scalable business. With over a decade of experience, she’s helped nonprofits secure more than $45 million in funding.

Today, DeaRonda coaches grant writing consultants on pricing their services, setting boundaries, and moving from freelance grant writer to CEO. Through her You Are the Prize™ Framework, she helps grant professionals build sustainable, profitable grant writing businesses.

Grant CEO Assessment: https://grantceo.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dearondaharrison/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearondaharrison/

Website: https://junefirstfirm.com/