Fielding Lost $100K in One Week: How This Federal Grant Writer Rebuilt Her Business for 2026

Fielding Lost $100K in One Week: How This Federal Grant Writer Rebuilt Her Business for 2026 What does it look like to move from fully booked grant writer… to true CEO? In this powerful mentorship case study, Holly sits down with Fielding Jezreel , CEO of Jezreel Consulting and founder of the Federal Grants Accelerator, to unpack what changed when she decided to stop operating like a contractor and start thinking like a business owner. After nearly a decade in business, and seven years before joining the Grant Professional Mentorship , Fielding had already navigated the messy middle. She was referral-based, fully booked, and successful on paper. But she knew something needed to shift. From doubling her revenue in year one… To losing $100,000 in contracts in a single week… To launching a brand-new federal grants program and community… Fielding shares how pricing strategy, systems, accountability, and a growth-minded community helped her not just survive disruption — but build something even stronger. If you’re an experienced grant writer ready to step fully into your role as CEO, this episode is for you. ABOUT OUR GUEST Fielding Jezreel is the CEO of Jezreel Consulting and founder of the Federal Grants Accelerator. A federal grant specialist, she has been in business since 2016 and built a thriving referral-based consulting firm before expanding into training and community-based education. After years of operating without even a website, Fielding launched an in-person federal grants training that later evolved into the Federal Grants Accelerator — an online curriculum and community designed to help grant professionals confidently navigate federal funding. She is known for her thought leadership in the federal grants space, her candid conversations about money and business ownership, and her active presence on LinkedIn where she engages in meaningful discussions about the nonprofit and funding landscape. CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST LinkedIn: Connect with Fielding Jezreel Federal Grants Accelerator: In This Episode, We Discuss: What prompted Fielding to join the mentorship after 7 years in business The mental shift from “contract grant writer” to “business owner” Why being in a growth-minded peer space matters at higher revenue levels The importance of unapologetically discussing money in the grant profession How fixing pricing doubled her revenue in year one Streamlining service delivery to eliminate overwhelm and increase capacity Why systems matter — even if you don’t want to build a large firm Losing $100,000 in revenue in one week — and how she navigated it Building business savings and financial runway for stability Pivoting from in-person training to launching the Federal Grants Accelerator Launch strategy, sales confidence, and coaching support The power of accountability and community over three years in mentorship Why coaching is critical when you’re ready to level up as a CEO OTHER RESOURCES: Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox. Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST Favor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a review on iTunes or your podcast listener? This helps others find the podcast and I read each and every review! “Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week. Thanks for listening! Warmly, Holly Rustick Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.

You can listen to Fielding Lost $100K in One Week: How This Federal Grant Writer Rebuilt Her Business for 2026 online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Fielding Lost $100K in One Week: How This Federal Grant Writer Rebuilt Her Business for 2026 is an episode from Grant Writing & Funding by Grant Writing & Funding.

This episode is 21:11 long.

This episode was published on Mar 10, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Grant Writing & Funding when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.