for brilliant scholars who know the system works—just not for them…
The System Wasn't Built for You. Your Consulting Practice Will Be.
Translate the expertise you already have into consulting work that pays what it's worth — in 12 weeks.
What if the expertise you already hold — the research, the teaching, the pattern recognition, the quiet brilliance — could become the foundation of consulting work that actually funds your life? This program builds the bridge. Your existing expertise is the foundation.
There's a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from doing everything right in a system that was never going to reward you.
You've published. You've taught. You've served on committees about committees. You've mentored students, built curricula, and led equity work that the institution needed, but never resourced. And still, the math won't work.
The ground never steadies.
The misalignment between what you give and what you receive just keeps widening.
Most “leaving academia” advice starts from the assumption that the goal is to exit. It helps you reframe your CV, identify transferable skills, and maybe even secure a role elsewhere. Other programs assume you already think like a consultant, price your work with confidence, and know how to build something people will actually pay for.
What’s missing is the middle: the mindset, habits, and community required to move from being institutionally defined to becoming self-directed—able to create options, not just search for them.
The Consulting Futures Lab exists to close that gap. Not by pushing you out of academia—but by expanding what’s possible alongside or beyond it.
I know—because I lived in that misalignment for years.
Eleven teaching awards. Published research. EDI leadership across multiple institutions.
And still: underpaid, overextended, working within systems where decision-making was increasingly disconnected from the realities of teaching and research, and the list goes on.
What I needed wasn’t just a way out. I needed options. Flexibility. The ability to decide how, where, and under what conditions my expertise would be used.
I didn’t leave with a corporate offer or a safety net. I left with my expertise—and a deep, quiet refusal to keep shrinking.
Today, Rare Talent Consulting serves clients like UPMC, VersaFi, ATB, and the Ontario Cannabis Store. The difference wasn't new skills — it was translating the ones I already had into impact organizations recognize and pay for.
That translation process is what this Lab is built to guide you through—step by step.“Collaborating with Rachel has been one of the most energizing parts of my professional life. ... She’s not afraid to challenge old assumptions or routines, and she invites new ways of thinking about meaning, stories, and possibility. Working with her feels like shifting from ‘following the prescribed path’ to actually creating multiple path possibilities.”
What would it mean to let go of...
Being the institution's most overqualified, underpaid asset — and being expected to feel grateful for it
Watching colleagues with less expertise earn more because they learned to play "industry" and you were never given the tools or language
The “selling out” narrative that keeps you frozen — as though the institution was ever truly aligned with your values
Coffee chats and informational interviews that feel productive in the moment but ultimately lead nowhere
The growing suspicion that the “right time” to leave passed two contract renewals ago
The exhausting belief that you need to do more, learn more, or become someone different before you're allowed to begin
Client RESULTS
What becomes possible when the translation happens
"Rachel's ingenuity as a coach and a scholar is unparalleled. As a coach, she is insightful and kind. Because of Rachel's guidance and perceptive questions, I can articulate my goals in ways that I would not have been able to on my own."
"This was a great experience for me! I really benefitted from the structure and the help with organization. I would wholeheartedly recommend taking advantage of this service to my junior colleagues."
Dr. Jordan Lynton | Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University
Dr. Morgan Faeder | Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Neurology, UPMC
"I was very happy and impressed with Rachel's expertise, dedication and commitment to not only meeting, but exceeding my employment needs. I will definitely be reaching out in the near future for additional services, and also referring my friends and colleagues to Rare Talent Consulting.”
Dr. Tope Adefarakan | Assistant Professor, University College at the University of Toronto
how it works
The Portfolio Pathway™ — from expertise to portfolio in three phases.
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Refine and compile your Consulting Futures Portfolio — expertise translation, offerings, visibility assets, and a 90-day roadmap for what comes next.
You won't start from scratch. You'll start from everything you already know.-
Develop that translated expertise into consulting-ready formats: service outlines, positioning, pricing, and a pitch narrative that reflects your values — not a corporate template.
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Examine your research, teaching, and institutional work to uncover the consulting value already embedded in it. Begin building the language to articulate what you bring — on your terms.
EVERYTHING YOU UNLOCK TODAY
EVERYTHING YOU UNLOCK TODAY
9-Module Workshop Series — Dismantle the academic narratives quietly sabotaging your consulting potential and rebuild from your actual expertise, at your pace ($1,500 value)
Consulting Futures Portfolio Template — Five professional templates that become one cohesive document — your consulting portfolio ($500 value)
6 Bi-Weekly “Office Hours” (Coaching Sessions) — Workshop-style portfolio reviews with Dr. La Touche and Lily Frimpong. On your real work. Specific and practical ($1,500 value)
3 Guest Bonus Sessions — Practitioners who walked this exact path share what worked, what didn't, and what they wish they'd known ($450 value)
Private Community — Not a networking group — a curated, intimate space with alumni access ($400 value)
90-Day Momentum Plan — Your post-Lab roadmap for whatever comes next (included)
Total Value: $4,350+
Pilot Rate: $999 CAD + tax | Or 3 × $333 CAD + tax
Full rate beginning 2027: $2,500 CAD
The identity work, the skills translation, the portfolio, the coaching, and the community — all in one place.
Meet the Founder
Hey there — I'm Dr. Rachel La Touche
Sociologist, educator, consultant — and someone who spent years doing everything the institution asked of me, while quietly recognizing how misaligned it was with my sense of value, impact, and integrity.
Leaving didn’t resolve that overnight. Building a business has been far more challenging than I expected—and also more expansive, more sustaining, and more aligned than anything I experienced inside Higher Ed. Both things are true at once.
That’s the shift no one really names: you can leave what wasn’t working without stepping into something easy—and still be building something better.
Today, I’ve worked with organizations like UPMC, ATB, VersaFi, and the Ontario Cannabis Store—on terms I chose, from places I chose to be.
The Consulting Futures Lab is the space I needed when I was where you are now. I’m glad it finally exists.
MORE RESULTS
These reflections come from scholars navigating different paths—and finding new ways to articulate, trust, and use their expertise.
"She was also very helpful in identifying some of the subtle and unwritten rules when it comes to academic dossiers (e.g. framing, formatting, and language) and these were things that I would not have been able to learn through independent desk research."
Dr. Aaliyah Brown"I walked into my job talk with added confidence as a result, and was offered the position shortly thereafter. I'd highly recommend her to anyone seeking a mentor, consultant, and advocate when navigating the job market."
Dr. Zach Richer, Assistant Professor | Teaching Stream, University of Toronto
"I don't know if this will make sense or was intentional, but I found the exercises/reflection /especially the Mad Libs, actually made me take my work a little less seriously, which really helped to take some of the pressure off of trying to make my explanation/justification 'perfect'. This was my biggest takeaway, really"
Workshop Participant, Owning Your StoryWHO IT'S FOR
A quick check — is this your moment?
You’ll Thrive in this program if:
You're a scholar whose expertise the institution never compensated fairly — and you're done waiting for that to change
You want a structured, honest path to consulting — not more career exploration
You're willing to hold multiple truths: that misalignment is grief and relief, doubt and clarity, all at once
You want to build in community — small, intentional, and real
Respectfully, this isn’t the right fit if:
You already have a consulting practice and want an advanced strategy
You're shopping for credentials
You expect transformation without participation
You’re seeking cold outreach and hustle tactics
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. The Lab is specifically for scholars exploring consulting, not established practitioners. If you've done informal advisory work, that counts. If you haven't, that's exactly what the program is designed for.
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You don't have to be. Many participants will build consulting alongside their academic work, or use the Lab to explore whether consulting aligns with their next chapter. There's room for uncertainty here.
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Approximately 2–3 hours. The program is 70% asynchronous with bi-weekly live “office hours” (coaching sessions).
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No. You leave with a professional consulting portfolio — a tangible, shareable asset — not a certificate.
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Pilot participants are co-designing the program. The $999 CAD rate reflects that partnership. Your feedback shapes future cohorts. The full rate beginning in 2027 will be $2,500 CAD.
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Yes. $999 CAD in full at enrollment, or three monthly payments of $333 CAD + tax.
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Absolutely. The program is fully online. Pricing is in CAD.
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You keep your portfolio, your momentum plan, and your alumni community access (1 year post-enrolment)
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That clarity is valuable. The Portfolio Pathway translates your expertise into professional assets that work whether you freelance, join a consultancy, partner on projects, or take your positioning into a different role in industry..
Imagine if…
Your expertise worked for you — not for an institution that was never going to return the favour.
You had a portfolio in hand, a community beside you, and a path forward you designed — not one you inherited or tolerated.