What's Your "Unfair Advantage"? Jennifer Stapleton on Turning 20 Years of Nonprofit Connections Into Fire and Bliss

Episode SummaryJennifer Stapleton left a senior communications executive role at a national nonprofit at 46 to launch Fire and Bliss, a consulting firm that now helps foundations and well-funded nonprofits with crisis communications and fundraising strategy. This episode answers a question every experienced professional should ask before going out on their own: what is your "unfair advantage" — the accumulation of experience, insight, and connections that no one else can easily copy, replicate, or purchase on the open market? Stapleton explains how two decades of nonprofit and philanthropic relationships became the foundation of her business, why she launched without a website, why deliberation without action never produces clarity, and how she navigated the "messy middle" between early friend-referred clients and a sustainable, sellable business. She also shares candid numbers on pricing mistakes, losing money in year one, and why women should charge at least twice what they think they should charge.Guest BioJennifer Stapleton is the founder of Fire and Bliss, a communications and fundraising strategy consultancy serving foundations and well-funded nonprofits. Before starting her business, she spent nearly two decades in nonprofit and philanthropic communications, holding senior executive roles at organizations including Pew, Freedom House, and Bread for the World. After reaching the top of the traditional nonprofit communications ladder and finding it unfulfilling, she left her executive role in the wake of January 6th and the pandemic, relocated from Washington, D.C. to Colorado, and built Fire and Bliss from a mountain-cabin meditation session into a six-year-old firm specializing in crisis communications planning and fundraising consulting for the nonprofit sector.Key TakeawaysYour unfair advantage is the experience, insight, and connections no one else can easily copy, replicate, or buy. Stapleton didn't set out to build Fire and Bliss around her network — but roughly 90% of her business over six years has come from friends or friends of friends built during two decades in nonprofit and philanthropic communications.You don't need a website, brand, or logo to start a consulting business — you need a name, a clear offer, and a list of people to tell. Stapleton launched Fire and Bliss on word-of-mouth alone and didn't build a website until roughly 18 months in.Deliberation doesn't create clarity — action does. Borrowing a metaphor from business mentor Chuck Blakeman, Stapleton compares starting a business to sailing without a map: you move, hit obstacles, adjust course, and that's how clarity is built, not by planning from the shore.Price at least double what you're thinking, and expect trial and error. Stapleton lost money in year one, broke even in year two, and didn't feel financially solid until year three; she now recommends a project-based (not hourly) pricing model for clarity with clients.There is no "messy middle" shortcut — you have to learn business development. After the early wave of friend-referred clients dries up, sustainable growth requires deliberately investing in yourself through cohorts, mentors, and peer business communities rather than working in isolation.FAQWhat is an "unfair advantage" in business?An unfair advantage is the combination of experience, insight, and connections a person accumulates over their career that no one else can easily copy, replicate, or purchase on the open market. It's not a negative or anti-competitive concept — it's the unique foundation someone already has for starting a business, often without realizing it. Jennifer Stapleton's unfair advantage was two decades of relationships built across nonprofit and philanthropic communications, which became the primary source of clients for Fire and Bliss.Do I need a website to start a consulting business?No. Jennifer Stapleton launched Fire and Bliss using only email and word-of-mouth outreach to her existing professional network, and didn't build a website until about a year and a half after starting the business. A website, logo, and brand are refinements that can come later — what you need first is a clear offer and people to tell about it.How much should I charge when starting a consulting business?Stapleton recommends charging at least twice what you initially think you should charge. She underpriced her services in year one, lost money, and had to revise her pricing strategy multiple times before settling on project-based pricing, which gives both the consultant and client clarity on deliverables instead of debating hourly rates.What is the "messy middle" in starting a consulting business?The messy middle is the stage after the early rush of clients from friends and existing contacts dries up, but before a consultant has developed real business development skills. Many new consultants get through their first one to two years easily on referrals, then stall because they don't yet know how to generate new business systematically.Is it risky to leave a stable job to start a business in midlife?Stapleton argues that in-house jobs offer a false sense of security — salaries, benefits, and titles can disappear overnight through layoffs, grant cuts, or reorganizations. Starting a consulting business does require learning new skills, but it isn't inherently less secure than staying employed.Resource StackFire and Bliss (Jennifer Stapleton's communications and fundraising consultancy): fireandbliss.comChuck Blakeman — business mentor whose "boat without a map" philosophy (action drives clarity, not deliberation) is referenced in the episodeKami Gildner — business network/cohort connection referenced as a source of peer learning and community for entrepreneursFire and Bliss free advice newsletter — sign up via the "Free Advice" button at the bottom of fireandbliss.comBuild Your Own Boat Substack — full written profile of Jennifer Stapleton's story, part of the broader Build Your Own Boat storytelling projectWhere to Find Jennifer StapletonWebsite: fireandbliss.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbcstapleton/Free Advice newsletter: Sign up at the bottom of fireandbliss.comAbout Build Your Own Boat Build Your Own Boat is a podcast series hosted by Janine Vanderburg — award-winning three-time entrepreneur and anti-ageism advocate — featuring women who have launched new entrepreneurial ventures in midlife and beyond. The series is part of a larger storytelling project that includes a Substack publication and a forthcoming book, all built around one goal: changing the narrative about who entrepreneurs are and making women in midlife and beyond visible as builders of wealth, freedom, and possibility.