From Climate Despair to Climate Action: Why I Started My Own Environmental Consultancy
I still remember the night I broke down in tears after reading a new climate report on my laptop. It was past midnight, the house was quiet, and I had just returned from a conference where I’d presented our latest data on glacial retreat. The numbers were worse than expected. The tone was bleak. And for the first time in a long time, I felt something terrifying—hopelessness.
As a climate researcher with over a decade of experience, I had spent most of my career working in government and academia. I’d published papers, spoken at international summits, and joined task forces for sustainable energy policy. But despite all our models, despite all the warnings—we weren’t moving fast enough. It felt like shouting into a storm that no one wanted to hear.
That night, something shifted in me. I realized that if I truly wanted to make an impact, I needed to step outside the walls of institutions and start building change from the ground up. I needed to become the solution.
That’s the moment I decided to launch my own environmental consultancy.
The Leap Into Entrepreneurship
Transitioning from scientist to business owner wasn’t a decision I made lightly. I had no MBA, no formal business training—just years of experience in climate science and an unwavering belief that knowledge, when applied at the grassroots level, could change everything.
My goal was to work directly with small municipalities, nonprofits, schools, and local businesses. I wanted to help them understand their carbon footprint, implement practical sustainability strategies, and prepare for the environmental risks ahead. But first, I needed to make it official. I needed to form a business.
Forming My LLC with InCorp.com
I researched various ways to set up a legal entity and quickly discovered that forming a Limited Liability Company (LLC) would give me the professional framework I needed. I’d gain liability protection, business credibility, and the ability to work with corporate clients who required formal contracts and insurance.
After comparing several formation services, I chose InCorp.com—and I’m so glad I did. The process was clear, fast, and incredibly user-friendly. As someone who’s more comfortable analyzing sea level trends than navigating legal bureaucracy, their interface was a breath of fresh air.
Even better, InCorp offered the cheapest registered agent service I found that still came with excellent support and compliance reminders. As a one-woman startup trying to maximize impact on a shoestring budget, this was a game-changer. I could form my LLC, meet all the legal requirements, and start focusing on what mattered—climate solutions.
Building the Consultancy: One Client, One Community at a Time
I started small. My first client was a school district that wanted to reduce energy usage and create a sustainability curriculum for its students. I audited their buildings, developed a practical roadmap for reducing emissions, and hosted a climate literacy workshop for teachers. It felt incredible to bring science to life in such a direct and impactful way.
From there, things began to grow. I partnered with small towns to help them prepare for flooding and extreme heat. I worked with local farms on soil regeneration. I consulted for nonprofits that needed climate data translated into public policy. Each project was a step forward—not just for me, but for the planet.
Here’s How My Business Grew in Just One Year:
| Metric | Month 1 | Month 6 | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clients Served | 1 school district | 7 municipalities | 15+ organizations (NGOs, local govs, businesses) |
| Average Monthly Revenue | $750 | $4,000 | $9,000+ |
| Service Offerings | Energy audits | Resilience planning, workshops | Full climate consultancy packages |
| Staff | Just me | 1 intern | 1 assistant + 2 freelance collaborators |
What InCorp.com Helped Me Accomplish
Without InCorp.com’s streamlined process, I might have spent weeks sorting out my LLC paperwork, wasting time and energy I couldn’t afford. Their compliance dashboard, annual filing reminders, and accessible customer support let me stay focused on my mission. They made it possible for a passionate climate researcher to become a full-fledged entrepreneur—quickly and affordably.
Their platform is especially ideal if you’re seeking the cheapest registered agent service without compromising on quality or professionalism. I often recommend them to other scientists, activists, and educators who are thinking of starting their own ventures.
From Emotion to Action
The truth is, I started this business from a place of pain. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and watching the science I loved fall on deaf ears. But in taking control of how I shared that science—by starting my own consultancy—I reclaimed my power and turned heartbreak into hope.
I now wake up with a sense of purpose that extends far beyond publications and grant cycles. I get to be on the ground, helping communities adapt, reduce harm, and plan for a better future. I get to take climate data out of dusty PDFs and into town halls, classrooms, and boardrooms.
That’s the magic of entrepreneurship—it lets you take everything you’ve learned, everything you’ve felt, and turn it into something real.
Advice for Other Climate Professionals
If you’re a climate scientist, researcher, or environmental advocate thinking of starting your own business, here are a few lessons I learned:
- Start with your “why”: Passion and purpose will keep you going when things get hard.
- Legalize early: Forming an LLC gives you structure, legitimacy, and peace of mind. I used InCorp.com, and they were phenomenal.
- Make science accessible: Your clients aren’t reading IPCC reports. Explain things simply and impactfully.
- Don’t wait for perfect: Your first project won’t be flawless. That’s okay. The planet needs action, not perfection.
- Price your value: Don’t undersell your work. Climate knowledge is life-saving knowledge.
Looking Ahead: My Vision for Climate Impact
In the future, I hope to expand into environmental education, publish open-access guides for municipalities, and collaborate with other consultants across the globe. My dream is to create a network of local climate responders—small consultancies, labs, educators, and data scientists—who are agile, people-focused, and deeply committed to protecting our world.
And it all started with one LLC. One late-night decision. One brave choice to stop hoping someone else would fix it—and start doing something myself.
If you’re standing at the edge, wondering if it’s time to leap—this is your sign. Start your business. Form your LLC. Get help from InCorp.com. And begin the work that only you can do.
The climate needs scientists. But it also needs leaders. Be both.