Her First Year as a Self-Employed RCIC: Confidence, Niche and Pricing with Cosima McDonald

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In this episode of Talk with Olena, I sit down with Cosima McDonald, RCIC, one of the most inspiring RCICs I’ve met this year, to talk about leaving full-time employment and building her own immigration consulting business in 2026.

We dive into the confidence it takes to go out on your own, how to stop seeing a paycheck as the only kind of security, and why the first months of slow growth are actually the best time to build your systems and foundations.

You’ll hear how Cosima chose spousal sponsorship as her first service line, why she prefers fewer clients and more complex files, how she decided on her second service line, and what she realistically charges for spousal sponsorship.

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Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction & welcome Cosima
 2:44 – Why she didn’t go solo right after licensing
 4:04 – Professional confidence vs. business confidence
 8:23 – Surrounding yourself with the right people and redefining security
 13:04 – Leaving full-time employment in March 2026
 15:55 – Why a slow start is the time to build your systems
 19:20 – The six-month gestation period and posting every day
 21:18 – Biggest challenge and biggest win
 23:19 – Choosing a niche: why spousal sponsorship
 34:59 – Real numbers: what you can charge for spousal sponsorship
 38:00 – Advice for RCICs thinking about taking the leap in 2027
 42:24 – Closing thoughts