Grant Writing & Funding 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 https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldingjezreel/
Federal Grants Accelerator: https://www.federalgrantsaccelerator.com
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. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/
Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/
Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship
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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.