What made you want to do the work you do? Please share the full story.
I started Mazzawi Consulting because I believe Small to Medium Organizations deserve high quality information and services that the big corporations have access to.
I specialize in helping small to medium service-based businesses streamline operations and scale without chaos. I developed a framework called SCALE – Simplify, Clarify, Align, Lead, and Execute. I support organizations in uncovering inefficiencies, reducing overhead, and building sustainable growth structures that align with their goals.
For example, I’ve helped clients cut manual work and labor costs by 10%, recover 5% in lost revenue, and automate workflows to reduce project planning time. If a company’s feeling stuck in the messy middle of growth, that’s where I come in
Tell us 3 surprisingly easy and 3 surprisingly difficult things about your job.
3 Surprisingly Easy Things About Being a Business Transformation Consultant:
Spotting Inefficiencies:
Once you’ve done a few projects, identifying broken or outdated processes becomes second nature. It often surprises clients how quickly you can see what’s not working.
Talking improvements and scalability:
Leaders are usually excited at the idea of transformation – on paper. Selling the vision is often easier than expected, especially if you speak their language (e.g., ROI, scalability, customer experience). But it talking the talk is easier than actually walking the path.
Reusing Frameworks and Tools:
Many challenges repeat across industries. Once you build a solid toolkit (change plans, stakeholder maps, communication templates), you can adapt and reuse it with minor tweaks.
3 Surprisingly Difficult Things About Being a Business Transformation Consultant:
Sustaining Momentum After the Kickoff:
Initial enthusiasm fades fast. Keeping people engaged through months of change—especially middle management – requires serious effort.
Getting People to Let Go of Legacy Habits:
Change resistance isn’t always loud. It’s often subtle, like quiet quitting, skipped meetings, excuses, or “this is how we’ve always done it.” Culture change is much harder than process change.
Balancing Quick Wins with Long-Term Goals:
Clients want fast results and deep change, which often conflict. Managing expectations while building solid foundations takes diplomacy, prioritization, and constant communication.
What are the 3 things you like best about your work and why?
1. The Impact I Make
Helping small to medium-sized companies become more efficient and scalable is incredibly rewarding. There’s a unique joy in showing people they no longer need to manually track operations on spreadsheets, pinpointing revenue leaks and designing new processes to solve for it, or watching a nonprofit team light up when they realize a few simple process tweaks can help them reach twice as many people. I’ve seen firsthand how transformation work doesn’t just make a business better, it makes people’s workdays less stressful and more meaningful.
2. The Work Itself
I genuinely enjoy diving into the mess. Whether it’s untangling a broken workflow, rethinking a customer journey, or mapping out a full transformation roadmap, I find satisfaction in the process of figuring things out. I have one client tell me I make the chaos of transformation less chaotic. There’s something deeply fulfilling about building clarity out of complexity, and not only helping leadership teams see the “why,” “what,” and “how” of the change ahead, but actually walking the path with them.
3. The People I Work With
What makes every project different and exciting is the people. From ambitious founders to overwhelmed managers to change-resistant teams, each stakeholder brings a new perspective and challenge. I love navigating those dynamics, building trust, and coaching teams through the uncomfortable parts of change. When you finally get that “we did it” moment as a team, it’s worth every bit of resistance along the way.
What are your greatest 3 skills and how have they helped you succeed?
1. Active Listening Without Projection
I focus on truly understanding my clients’ pain points and vision instead of jumping to conclusions. This helps me uncover root causes and design tailored solutions. For example, when a client said, “I don’t know what my next step is,” I asked the right questions, mapped out all possible scenarios, and created a process that gave them clarity and direction.
2. Thick Skin and Empathy
Transformation is tough, and emotions run high. I’ve learned not to take client frustration personally. Instead, I coach them through the discomfort, knowing resistance often masks fear or fatigue. Staying calm and supportive has helped me build trust and keep projects on track, even in tense situations.
3. Creative Problem Solving
Thinking differently is essential in transformation work. At one company, poor communication between siloed departments led to missed revenue. I designed a solution that integrated three systems, automated reconciliation, and appointed internal champions, resulting in a 5% revenue boost
Tell us about a time you were dead wrong about something.
Early in my career, I was leading a system implementation for a client. The discovery phase went smoothly – great collaboration, engaged stakeholders, and positive feedback. But once we moved to the implementation and training phase, things fell apart. I’d schedule training sessions, people would confirm, then not show up.
At first, I took it personally. I assumed I had done something wrong, that maybe I wasn’t engaging enough or they didn’t see value in what I was offering. But I was completely wrong. The real issue wasn’t me, it was resistance to change and a breakdown in internal communication. Leadership hadn’t clearly communicated how the new system would benefit the team: less manual work, one source of truth, no more juggling spreadsheets.
So I hit pause on the training and started having informal conversations with team members. I focused on listening, addressing concerns, and showing how the system would make their work easier. Once they understood the “why,” everything changed. Over 70% showed up to the next training session, and adoption improved dramatically.
That experience taught me a valuable lesson: transformation isn’t just about tools and timelines, it’s about people, trust, and clear communication.
How do you get yourself out of a funk? Please share the details.
Getting out of a funk – especially as someone who leads and solves problems for others, requires a mix of self-awareness, intentional action, and a bit of grace toward myself. Here’s my approach:
1. Name It Without Judgment
Sometimes we’re not burnt out – we’re just misaligned, bored, or depleted. I ask myself:
– Am I tired or uninspired?
– Am I avoiding something or needing rest?
– Am I disconnected from purpose or just overwhelmed by tasks?
Naming it clearly can point to the right fix.
2. Shrink the Problem
When everything feels heavy, simplify. Choosing one small, meaningful task that moves things forward, can make a big difference. For example:
– Revisit my client wins or testimonials
– Brain dump everything in my head
– Tidy my workspace to reset my mental space
– Chat with my husband or a friend (someone I consider a sounding board).
3. Change the Environment
Sometimes the funk isn’t internal, it’s my space, energy, or routine. I try:
– Working from a different location
– Taking a walk with my huskies
– Blocking a “creative reset” day with zero meetings
4. Reconnect with Purpose
Pull out an old journal, vision board, or client story. I remind myself why I am doing this. Purpose is fuel and when I tap into it, even small tasks feel meaningful again.
5. Talk It Out
This sort of ties back to shrinking the problem – especially talking to someone. It is inspiring and humbling when people say “me too”. It makes me feel less alone or frustrated and helps brainstorm solutions. Normalizing the funk makes it easier to move through it.
What do you value most and why?
I value honesty above all else, especially in business. It’s the foundation of trust and long-term reputation.
Once, an NGO approached me for help with an operational issue. During discovery, I quickly identified the root cause and explained the solution. When they asked if I could implement it, I said no because it wasn’t within my expertise. Instead, I advised them on the type of role they needed to hire.
Being honest with clients, even when it means turning down work, is essential. It protects both their outcomes and my integrity. I’d rather walk away than deliver something I can’t stand behind.
What are 3 of your goals (could be mix of personal and professional)?
1. Guide More Small and Medium Businesses Through Successful Transformation
At Mazzawi Consulting, my mission is to help SMBs streamline their operations and scale sustainably. I want to reach more founders and leadership teams who feel stuck in the chaos of growth, offering them clarity, structure, and a clear path forward. The goal isn’t just to fix processes, but to build businesses that thrive with less stress and more impact.
2. Empower Individuals Through Affordable, High-Quality Tools
Through my Etsy store, Empowify (https://empowify.etsy.com), I’m committed to creating simple, practical digital products – templates, planners, and trackers – that make personal growth and business planning accessible. Not everyone is ready or able to hire a coach or consultant, and that’s okay. My goal is to give people the resources they need to take action on their own terms, at their own pace. Knowledge and empowerment shouldn’t be a luxury.
3. Give back to the community by supporting NGOs as a Board Member to Maximize Their Impact
Long-term, I aspire to serve on the boards of mission-driven NGOs. Many nonprofit organizations are deeply passionate but lack the operational efficiency to scale their impact. By bringing my expertise in systems, process design, and transformation to the nonprofit space, I hope to help these organizations expand their outreach, improve sustainability, and ultimately serve more people, without burning out their teams.
What is your favorite book and why?
My favorite book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It beautifully captures a lesson I deeply believe in, that sometimes, we go on long journeys searching for answers, only to realize what we were seeking was within us or within our reach all along.
This mirrors the essence of my work, whether I’m guiding businesses through transformation or creating empowering tools on Etsy. Often, my role is to help people uncover what they already have: clarity, purpose, and potential. The systems and strategies are important, but the real magic lies in helping others see what’s been right in front of them all along, and giving them the tools and confidence to act on it.
The journey of discovery, whether personal or professional, is what drives everything I do.
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
Take the leap. Trust your ideas. Follow your heart – even if it doesn’t make sense to others yet.
For the longest time, I hesitated to start my Etsy store. I had the idea, the vision, and even the tools, but I kept overthinking it. Once I finally launched, I realized: yes, it takes effort and time, but every sale means I’ve helped someone on their journey. That’s worth everything.
The same applies to my consulting work. Early in my career, I stayed quiet in rooms where I had solutions, because I believed (or maybe I was taught) seniority automatically meant more knowledge. But I’ve learned that experience doesn’t always equal insight. Speaking up respectfully and with confidence changed the game for me.
Starting a business isn’t easy, and yes, the path can feel uncertain. But entrepreneurship isn’t lonely when you surround yourself with the right people: those who think big, lift each other up, and believe there’s room for everyone to grow.
So to my younger self: Start sooner. Speak up. And trust your instincts and that you’re more capable than you think.
Are you willing to be a mentor? If yes, what is the best way to reach you?
Yes I would love to be a mentor. I can be reached at rmazzawi@mazzawiconsulting.com and 437-981-4440
Just for fun, what is your favorite dessert?
Anything with chocolate would satisfy my sweet sweet tooth.