11
Do You Still Want to Be a Consultant?
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
Helen Keller
November 11. Best day of his life. Yessiree! It’s the day he jumped off the treadmill and stopped bucking traffic snarls every day.
Lambert had a traditional start in life. He worked summers at his dad’s hardware store, went to college, got a job, got married. He always knew he wanted to be an independent consultant, but it became harder to envision a move when his company continued to give him promotions, increased his salary, provided great benefits, and always gave him a shot at developmental opportunities.
Of course, there was also the other side of the story. All these incentives came with long hours, increased stress, daily traffic congestion, lots of travel, and completing work that no longer excited him. He knew that making the move from the corporate world into consulting would ultimately make him happier. He wanted to control his destiny, but it was going to be difficult for him and his family to lose the stability.
Before he made the leap, he was doubt-laden! But today he was proud of the time he’d spent researching what it would take to make the transition as smooth as possible. He started meeting with consulting vendors and friends and asked them lots of questions. At first he didn’t share his plans with them, but one evening over bourbon, his golf buddy, Adam, caught on and said, “Hey man, are you planning to jump ship? Become a consultant like me?” So the jig was up and Lambert admitted what he was thinking about. Adam asked, “Have you told Cheryl and the kids what you’re thinking?” When Lambert said no, Adam responded, “Look! Ya gotta tell them. This is a big change. Once you clear it at home, I’ll share all the trade secrets.”
So that started a weekly Thursday night meeting between the two. Cheryl was fine with Lambert’s decision—especially since Adam was providing some coaching. She even offered to go back to her job at the bank now that the kids were in their teens. Adam was great. He’d shared a roadmap with Lambert that presented a combination of information and homework to do between meetings.
Adam suggested that Lambert and Cheryl agree on how much of an income they needed to survive by looking at his current salary and the expenses. The result surprised them. They didn’t lead an extravagant lifestyle, so the amount didn’t seem astronomical until Adam pointed out some of the other things Lambert would be on the hook for: health insurance, life insurance, retirement savings (which his company had been paying), self-employment taxes, and office expenses. Lambert started to panic, but Cheryl suggested that they immediately start saving and earmark the money for the business.
Adam was patient as Lambert determined exactly what he would do and for whom, what he’d name his business, and why he wanted to work out of his home. He was less patient as Lambert pushed back on talking to his manager about a bridge period in which Lambert would finish up some of the projects he might be working on when he made the transition. Adam had to push Lambert to start planning for his first clients before he quit his job. Adam had shouted, “What do you think? The clients are just going to fall into your lap on your last day of work?” Lambert acquiesced to making a list of 100 people he knew and preparing an announcement that would be sent the day after he left his current job.
Adam helped Lambert identify an accountant and an attorney, select a business entity, develop a business plan, and open a business checking account. Lambert looked a bit shocked one Thursday evening when he realized that he really would be in charge—completely in charge. If he wanted a raise, he’d have to charge more. If he wanted to be promoted, he’d hire a couple of employees. If he wanted to go to the annual conference, he could—as long as his credit card wasn’t maxed out!
When Adam suggested he join the local Chamber of Commerce, Lambert realized he needed to meet with his manager soon and work out a transition plan with him. He finally made the big move the night that Adam forced him to name the worst thing that could happen. Lambert acknowledged that the worst thing was that he wouldn’t be able to find clients; he’d close the business and go back to his old job.
Now, here he was one year into his company with a new marketing plan targeted to larger companies on the outskirts of Chicago. Lambert knew that owning his own business was not for everyone, but it was right for him. He had even received a job offer from one of his clients seven months into his new role. He was flattered, of course, but he turned it down.
His own consulting company. What a deal! It wasn’t until the previous month that he realized that growing up in an entrepreneurial family (his father had owned the store and his mother had been a self-employed home RN) had probably had an effect on his strong need to be his own boss. He decided it was in his genes. Life didn’t get much better than this!
■ ■ ■
The most important reason to become a consultant is because you want to do it. If you have reached this chapter and the disadvantages don’t discourage you and the challenges excite you, you are ready to develop an action plan that will take you into the world of consulting.
The most important reason to become a consultant is because you want to do it.
This chapter provides an example of a week in the life of a consultant. It raises lifestyle issues that do not fit neatly into other chapters. One of the most salient reasons for becoming a consultant is that you can create the lifestyle you choose. Therefore, this chapter provides visioning exercises that will help you to clarify your future.
If you answer the chapter’s title question with a “Yes!” there is an action plan you can use to begin the planning and execution of your consulting practice. It provides a structure to take you from “I want to be a consultant” to “I am a consultant!”
Finally, if you are not quite ready, this chapter’s Fast Fifty exercise will start you thinking about what you can do next to move “closer to ready.”
A Week in a Consultant’s Life
It is Saturday afternoon and I am completing this book on my laptop at home. I have written several books and recognize how crucial it is to get this book in on time. I am several hours behind my original schedule today because I was on email for four hours this morning. It seems that most of my clients respond to and initiate email around the clock, every day. I’ve had my consulting business for over 30 years. I grew the business to a large number of employees and subcontractors. I had two offices, one in Wisconsin and one in Virginia, for 20 years. I wasn’t happy in a managerial role and gently downsized my business to where it is now: me, a couple of support staff, and subcontractors when I need them for special projects. I sold my office building in Wisconsin and moved to Virginia.
I will leave on Sunday on a late flight to attend a quarterly meeting at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), where I am on the board of governors. Following that meeting, I’ll head to New Orleans, where I will facilitate two sessions for ATD’s CORE4 conference. ATD is the Association for Talent Development and my professional organization. And then on to Washington, D.C., for meetings with clients. I am fortunate that travel this week keeps me on one coast.
Although this book isn’t due until the end of the week, I must complete this manuscript today or tomorrow since I will be immersed in my other obligations. If I do require more than today to finish, my husband will most likely attend a birthday party for the wife of his flying partner alone.
I could take the manuscript with me tomorrow, but I have learned that, if I do, I will not work on it. Therefore, if I am not near completion, I will call my walking partner and cancel our walk along the beach Sunday morning. I try not to cancel with friends too often, but when someone else is counting on me to come through—like my editor is for this book—I need to adjust. I hate to cancel the walk because I’ve had very little exercise the past two weeks. I’ve been sequestered away writing with too little sleep and too many calories. I’ve published over 80 books and the one thing I’ve learned is that writing can be detrimental to your health!
I can look out my window to a beautiful view of the Chesapeake Bay, which is sometimes distracting and sometimes inspiring. If I look around my home office, I see the stacks that represent several major client projects I will complete over the next couple of months, two book projects I have started, a series of webinars I am designing for a client, and a book-writing retreat I will conduct.
In my briefcase I have a 3 × 6-inch leather-bound annual calendar. It is scribbled full of notations, phone numbers, meeting times, color-coded notes for each client, and locations. I have about eight various colored files—each representing a different project.
There are five blue files, each one representing a client project. One is a three-day team-building session that will be held in Arlington, Virginia. Two blue folders represent year-long projects that I am completing with two private companies. The projects are different and address learning, talent development, change, and Lean Six Sigma. I need to contact both clients this week. Since I will be in New Orleans, I will most likely make those calls in the afternoon when I finish my meetings, since both are on the West Coast. The fourth file belongs to a group of cyber gurus for whom I facilitate a monthly full-day meeting. The fifth blue file represents a design project with a client near Chicago. As I scan the work, I am reminded that I need to design questionnaires and conduct interviews for the design project and the team building. I muse that those five blue folders represent more work than I would have been expected to produce internally in a year. Politics, policies, meetings, and other things prevent internal employees from being as productive as I can be as an external consultant.
There are two green folders, each one representing a volunteer project. I am working with ATD’s certification institute to revise the credential for the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance. The second volunteer effort is a presentation entitled “Memory, Motivation, and Mindsets: How Do You Make Learning Stick?” that I will make at a conference in Singapore. Although I am getting a stipend, the association that hired me was not able to pay my typical fee. Speaking at this conference has led me to client work in the past, so I considered it an investment and accepted the assignment.
A gray folder represents a special project. I am the consulting editor for a publisher. Since agility and innovation have become the norm in companies, we want to explore how to tap into the topics and produce something that is practical and useful in today’s workplace. I have a list of potential contributors and I’d like to try to reach the editor for a discussion sometime this week.
Pink folders represent marketing. One pink folder contains creative ideas for our Christmas mailing—one of our key marketing activities. The second folder contains the list of 94 experts who contributed to two books I recently wrote: ATD’s Foundations of Talent Development and ATD’s Action Guide to Talent Development. We are designing a gift for this stellar group.
An orange folder holds three proposals for which we are awaiting responses. I am carrying them with me in case one of the companies calls and wants something clarified. I am nearly positive that we will not be awarded one of them—I am certain that the company had already preselected the vendor they want to use. However, because they needed a minimum number of submissions, we were caught up in the action. I have never been sure if procurement departments realize that it takes anywhere from four to 20 hours to write a good proposal. I know they can’t tell us that someone has already been preselected. But what a waste of time—and in a small organization like ours, no one has extra time.
The yellow folder contains my expense sheet, last week’s financial report, the year’s income projections, and the monthly expense/budget sheet. These four pages, combined with my calendar, contain enough data for me to make a number of decisions. I keep the spreadsheets on a memory stick as well, in case I need more information while I am on the road. Also in the yellow folder are several real estate descriptions, since I am interested in investing in another piece of real estate.
I have also packed the latest issues of Harvard Business Review, TD, Fortune, Fast Company, and the book Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI by Paul Daugherty and James Wilson. I can’t wait to dive into this book, since this is the direction our companies are going. I hope I find some insight. This is my airplane reading.
Stuck among the folders is a small brochure advertising an e-learning conference. It’s Elliott Masie’s Learning 2018. It’s only a couple of weeks away. My thought process is something like this: “I should go. The fee is high. But the lineup is great. Laura Bush and Dan Pink will be speaking. I’m too busy. But I deserve a break. It’s too late to plan anything around the trip. Some of my favorite people will be there. But I really should get that marketing campaign designed. The networking would be great for me. But I will lose a couple of billable days. I will gain knowledge that I need to help my clients. I’ll think about it on the plane.”
Speaking of planes, I spent an hour figuring out my schedule for next month and turning it over to our travel agent to schedule. It seems to take longer and longer to book my own tickets, so I just let the experts do it. The pocket of my briefcase holds a spare stash of business cards, some cash, and my cell phone. I just downloaded my boarding pass on my phone. My small wallet that holds everything I could ever need (I gave up carrying a purse 30 years ago) is also tucked in the front of my briefcase.
I have several lovely leather briefcases, but I continue to use my black nylon Lands’ End model. It is light and easy to swing on my shoulder as I drag one or two suitcases on wheels through airports from coast to coast.
As an added thought, I stuff a dozen catalogs (Lands’ End, Bloomingdales, Gumps) in my briefcase (you can always stuff one more thing in it). I like travel. And I like flying. Really!
Even with the stricter travel rules, I like the hustle and bustle of busy airports. I like the takeoff; it gives me a surge of energy. I like the freedom to be unavailable so that I can read without interruption or distraction. I read books (fiction and nonfiction), catch up on my reading of professional journals, and shop. Shop? Yes. I love catalog shopping and find that flights are a great time to thumb through catalogs and rip out pages that picture gift ideas. Later I’ll make final decisions about which items to purchase for others or for myself.
I need to plan for the week. When I arrive in Greensboro I will go straight to the hotel. I have an early-morning meeting at CCL. I am working on a special project as a part of my board responsibilities. I have dinner planned with one of the staff and we’ll be talking books and writing. The board meeting lasts two days, after which I will hop on a plane and fly to New Orleans. When I arrive in New Orleans I’ll need to scout out the presentation rooms since I have activities that are dependent on the way the room is set up. I am pleased that my first session is right after the opening keynote. I have substantial set-up for that session and the placement allows me to put everything out on tables and get organized. I will be up by 5:00 and in the training room by 7:00. My session starts at 9:00.
Thursday night I have promised to meet a colleague for a late dinner. She lives in the New Orleans area and hinted at some potential project. I am not sure if she wants to hire me or pick my brain for ideas. Either way, it’s okay. I give a significant number of ideas away. Some consultants chide me about it. But I like challenges, and helping others is good for the soul.
That night I will fly to Washington, D.C., on the redeye. I try not to do this too often, though it was my preference in my early years as a consultant. I need to be with a client on Friday morning for a meeting that starts at 10:30. So I will drop my luggage off at the hotel, freshen up, and head to the meeting. That evening I will probably have dinner with someone from the company. It may be a late night—dinners with clients usually are.
A quick one-hour flight will take me home Friday evening. I’ll stop at the office for an hour to check the stacks of messages that have accumulated. Usually there are a few checks to sign. I’ll arrive at my door about 11:00 p.m.
This was a particularly heavy travel week. On a typical day I enjoy the newspaper on the deck with a cup of chai and arrive at the office before 8 a.m. Also, I usually hold Friday as a catch-up day. I return phone calls, proof proposals, finish old projects, start new projects, write letters, write a half-dozen notes to clients and colleagues, add my opinions about office issues that concern others, and just catch up on everything else. I typically leave the office around 6 p.m.
Sometimes I stay home on Fridays to work on projects that require more concentration and perhaps go into the office for an hour or two mid-afternoon. A heavy travel schedule makes it difficult to schedule appointments at the dentist and doctor or even to have my hair cut. I count on my staff to make the calls to obtain the appointments. Traveling also makes it difficult to schedule social time with friends. I count on my husband to plan our evenings on the town or to know where the best jazz band is playing. If planning were left up to me, it would be too late to schedule anything, and our friends would all have plans with other people who do not travel.
After reading these paragraphs you may have some questions. Let’s tackle some potential questions, as each represents an aspect of the consultant’s lifestyle that you may wish to consider before becoming a consultant.
- Why is she writing a book and why is she so intent on finishing it? Consultants write books as a marketing tool, to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise, and to share something with the rest of the world.
I write for the joy of writing. Unless you have a best-seller, you will not make money from the book itself. Self-published authors claim that they do make money, but then you need to deal with distribution and other hassles I don’t want. I am intent on finishing it on time because I said I would. As a consultant, you will want to build trust with everyone you meet. Everyone is a potential client, and everyone is a potential reference for a consultant. Why do a book at all? Being published is equated with expertise for some, and this allows you to charge a higher fee. I had a once in a lifetime experience this past August when one of my books, The Art and Science of Training, made it to the number-one spot on the Washington Post’s best-selling nonfiction list. It was only at that spot for a week, but that was enough for me. I write for the joy of writing; as a consultant, you may write for other reasons.
- Why doesn’t she take her laptop and finish the book next week? Consultants owe their clients their undivided attention when they are working for them.
When I work with a client I am completely absorbed by the work at hand. I rarely think about the other projects in my briefcase. I am focused completely on the client for whom I am working. It’s difficult to go back to a hotel room after focusing for up to 12 hours on one client and switch gears to write a proposal or even a letter, let alone a book! The long hours require some downtime. If you go out to dinner with a client, you can expect a late night.
- Why did she spend four hours on email on a Saturday and why is she traveling for business on Sunday? Weekends may not always be free for consultants. They often see Saturday morning as a catch-up time.
I try to make myself available to all clients at any time. Everyone I work with is busy! I try to keep up with email myself when I can and sometimes schedule telephone calls on the weekend. It is frequently impossible to find a time when two of us can meet in person or by phone. Some of my clients want to talk on weekends and evenings, though I try to discourage it. Other consultants prefer to talk on weekends more often. The Sunday travel is my choice. If I travel on Monday I have lost another billable day. If I schedule a Monday–Tuesday assignment, I could still easily be available for a Thursday–Friday assignment if necessary. In this case the board meeting was planned to start at noon on Monday, but I wanted to meet with my colleague before, not after. As a consultant, you will need to determine how working or traveling will affect your weekends and your lifestyle. You will also want to consider how you will choose to balance being available to clients and still respecting your personal lifestyle.
Are You Motivated Enough to Conquer Niagara Falls?
Annie Edson had led a difficult life. Although she was a teacher, she’d fallen on hard times. She traveled from Michigan to Mexico City searching for work, to no avail. Motivated and determined not to die in the poorhouse, Annie cooked up a scheme to build her wealth.
On October 24, 1901, her 63rd birthday, she hopped in a barrel with her lucky heart-shaped pillow to become the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Her motivation paid off and she became the first person to conquer the falls. Annie lived 20 more years. What does it take to get you motivated?
Perhaps you’ve started your dream of becoming an independent consultant, but things may not be going as you originally planned. There is too much work, not enough hours in a day, and too little income. You may feel insecure and frustrated. Perhaps you are ready to give up. Don’t! Frustration, uncertainty, and self-doubt are all parts of the journey. Before you give it all up, try the advice here to keep you going.
- Fuel your vision with action. Identify three things you will do each day to get you closer to being a consultant.
- Take a break. Perhaps you just need to get away to see it from a different perspective.
- Get advice. Make a date with another consultant, your mentor, or a coach who can help you see what you are missing.
- Change your perspective. Referring to Carol Dweck’s work, see your challenges as an opportunity to grow. Tell yourself, “I haven’t mastered it quite yet.” There is power in the word yet.
- Revisit your “why.” Review the purpose for making the switch. Are you looking forward to living a more purposeful life? Getting out of the rat race you called a job?
- Right-size your expectations. Think about what is reasonable to accomplish at this point. Sometimes it just takes time.
You don’t have to go over Niagara in a barrel. There are safer ways to rally your motivation.
- How often does she cancel social plans for work? Consultants do not work a typical workday or workweek and may need to switch social and work times around.
I rarely cancel social plans after I make them. However, I must admit that it takes a concerted effort to schedule social activities. I have to think about them a week in advance and put them on my calendar. When I arrive back in town on Friday evening, it is usually too late to plan weekend activities. On the positive side, I have the option to build social time into my workweek. I do not need to ask anyone for permission to take an afternoon off for a haircut. I can add a day to my New York trip for shopping. I can browse in a bookstore on a Wednesday morning as long as I choose. As a consultant, you will have total freedom to set your own schedule. You’ll still work hard—but it’s your schedule.
- How does the setting affect her work? Consultants choose where they will work.
My surroundings affect my work greatly. I need the sun and water and a view when I am creating, developing, or designing something new. As a consultant, you will be able to select where you want to live. As long as you are a short drive to an airport, you can live anywhere. One of the best things about my move to Virginia is a shorter drive to the airport. It takes 15 minutes, as opposed to an hour when I lived in Wisconsin. If you decide you do not want overnight travel, you will need to live near your clients.
- How often does she work at home? What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? Consultants can choose to have an office and work only there, choose to work out of their homes, or any combination of the two.
I complete any work that requires creative input in my home office, where I have a separate room furnished with a desk, equipment, and supplies. My office, however, is better equipped, and most of my resources (think books and research papers) are there. In addition, I have staff at the office to support me when I experience a computer glitch or need assistance. These factors sometimes make it easier to work at the office. I have a fax machine, printer, and copier in each location. I travel about 70 percent of the time. Of the remainder, I probably work half at my office and half from home. You will need to determine how having an office in your home will affect your lifestyle. The benefit is that I have total privacy. The drawback is that I can easily be distracted by a half-dozen personal projects.
- Why does she refer to the color of the folders? Consultants are always on the go. They need to find ways to have an office-in-a-bag.
The colored folders display what I have to do at a glance: blue for projects, green for volunteer work, and so on. The color coding also simplifies filing and retrieval. Other things that round out my office-in-a-bag include a miniature stapler, Post-it Notes, paper, pens, highlighters, small scissors (small enough to be acceptable to be carried on a flight by TSA), an address and phone listing of key contacts, cash, comb, breath mints, lipstick, a Tide To Go stain remover pen, an extra pair of pantyhose, spare frequent-flyer coupons, and a throwaway rain poncho. I think you can imagine why I need each item. As a consultant, you will determine how much time you will live on the road, out of your car, or at home. In any case, know that you will be busier than you originally expected. Decide how that will affect your lifestyle and what you can do to prepare for it.
- Why does she use a paper calendar rather than an electronic schedule? Consultants are usually bouncing from project to project; they need to find ways to be organized.
I personally like to be able to pull my calendar out in a restaurant, the back of a taxi, or anyplace else without depending on my mobile phone. One calendar tracks both professional and social engagements. My friends are all over the United States, and I like to schedule visits with them in conjunction with my travel schedule. I like to see everything I’m doing over several months at the same time. That said, technology allows you more flexibility than you could ever imagine. You will want to determine how technology will affect your lifestyle and what you must do to keep yourself organized. Do what works best for you.
- Why does she refer to her volunteer work? Consultants can be role models for giving back to the profession and their communities.
I volunteer because it is good for my soul. I like to volunteer. I did not get where I am without hundreds of generous people giving me something—a lead, a reference, an idea, time, encouragement, or a chance. Volunteering and helping others enter the field is my way of giving back to a profession that has given so much to me. And, on rare occasions, the work leads to potential clients. Although that is possible, that is not the reason you should volunteer. I dedicate a specified number of days each year for volunteer work. Think about how some volunteer or pro bono work can fit into the lifestyle you are creating.
- Why does she carry the financial information with her? The financial data tells a consultant if the mortgage will be paid next month.
I carry it with me so that it is readily available if I need to make decisions. Besides, it really amounts to only four pieces of paper that are updated weekly or monthly. They are printed directly from the computer, and I toss old ones away as I receive updates. If I need additional data, it is available on my laptop if I have it and the memory stick in my briefcase. You will need to determine how you will be able to fit data analysis into a schedule that dictates that you will not always be at your desk.
- What’s significant about the reading materials? Consultants typically read a lot to stay on top of the profession.
What is significant about my reading list is what is missing, more than what is there. Although I have a good selection of professional reading, I typically pack a good fiction book for balance. Not taking a fiction book signals that this is a busy month. As a consultant, you must determine how you will keep up with all your reading.
- Why can’t she decide about attending the conference? Consultants owe it to their clients to stay on top of issues and solutions.
I know that I need to gain knowledge. I know that I need to attend a conference like the one described. As you read, there are always issues and events that will tug at you. Every argument is viable. You must determine how you will make decisions like this one. The lifestyle you choose will be a factor to help determine which is more important: feeding your brain or feeding your bank account; taking a break from work or catching up on work; capitalizing on an opportunity to hear leaders in the field or capitalizing on an opportunity to market to clients on your list.
- Why the discussion about a briefcase, purse, and luggage? Consultants have many things to juggle.
I try to simplify, simplify, simplify! That means ensuring that I have whatever I need wherever I go, but not one thing too many. Simplifying does not mean eliminating everything. If it rains and I don’t have a poncho with me, I will need to scurry around solving a different problem. That’s not simplifying. I keep a suitcase packed with all the basics; I avoid checking luggage to save time and to avoid the hassle of lost luggage. New rules make it harder and harder to live with only carry-on luggage, but it is possible. See a later question for more details.
If I do need to check luggage, I always have what I need for the first 24 hours with me in my carry-on bag. I need wheels on my luggage so that I can cruise through airports to ground transportation without being dependent on a porter. You will want to look at the lifestyle you now lead to determine how consulting will add complexity or how it could simplify it. Ask yourself if you have the physical stamina for the rigorous travel that may be required.
- How much equipment will she pack in her briefcase? Most consultants carry laptops to use for development and research, plus a cell phone. Some have additional equipment.
I have learned to travel with just my cell phone, although it is turned off while I am with a client. The greatest drawback of instant social contact is that some people believe that you will receive it, read it, and respond immediately! This is not possible when I am with clients, since I do not wish to take time away from them. Therefore, I usually have my associates monitor my email when I am with a client all day. Again, there are pros and cons to all the technological equipment available and you will need to determine what you will require to be efficient.
The greatest drawback of instant social contact is that some people believe that you will receive it, read it, and respond to it immediately!
Tip: Monitor and manage your calls.
Have someone you trust at your office monitor your calls and email while you are with a client. You owe it to your client to be fully present when working with them. Yet others will expect an instantaneous answer. All your clients appreciate your focused attention when they are paying for your time.
I do not want to take my computer on every plane I board. I travel with my laptop if I need it for design, writing, or for a presentation; otherwise it stays at home. Travel has become so inconvenient that I have limited the technology I schlep around with me. And when I do take a laptop, I am more interested in saving my back than how large the screen is. I have found a couple of laptops that weigh only a couple of pounds and do not need their own separate case. They are wonderfully light and serve my purpose beautifully.
- What’s all the fuss about airplanes? A consultant’s travel can take up time, reduce productivity, and affect his or her personal life.
It is not uncommon for me to visit both coasts in one week. I am on an airplane every week and because I do not live near an airport hub, I change planes for most trips. One trip often means four airplanes. Yes, I rack up frequent-flyer miles—over 5,000,000 and still counting. But the drawback that will affect your lifestyle is the difficulty in maintaining balance. Consider two simple things: food and exercise. You really must work hard to eat a healthy diet and exercise while on the road. How will you approach travel as it affects your lifestyle?
Rules about what we can pack in our carry-on luggage have stymied my travel a bit. I still take only a carry-on whenever possible. Here’s what I have changed. I purchase the smallest size toothpaste for travel and ask the hotel front desk for additional toothpaste upon check-in. I switched to a solid deodorant and perfume stick. I also pack the fragrance samples found between magazine pages (men, they are available for you, too). When I must, I drop in to the local drugstore to pick up hairspray and other items that do not have a dry or solid substitute.
- Why are the details of her schedule significant? A consultant’s schedule is usually hectic.
The week that I described is pretty typical. I don’t try to get my week down to 40 hours. I don’t think I will ever try. I love what I do, and I have created ways to build things other than work into my work schedule. Who do you know who can shop in New York City one week and in San Francisco the next? How many employees can take time off for a haircut or to browse a furniture store during the week? Who do you know who can work at home by choice? Who do you know who could take a stack of journals and sit next to the ocean to catch up on his or her professional reading? Although I may have worked over 50 hours in addition to travel time in one week, I will have many opportunities to balance those hours. Your lifestyle could change dramatically based on schedule alone. Will you have your family’s support for a dramatic change?
Your lifestyle is yours and yours alone. Decide what you want your lifestyle to be as a consultant. Let’s try some visualization activities to help you clarify what you want your consulting lifestyle to be and to help you plant that lifestyle firmly in your mind so that you are more likely to create it.
Tip: Take it with you when you travel.
Download your favorite book or podcast to your phone for your travel. Interested in leadership? Check out Halelly Azulay and her podcast series. You can download and subscribe to The TalentGrow Show: Grow Your Leadership and Communication Skills by Halelly Azulay on iTunes.
Visualizing Success
A friend of mine was a high school state champion tennis player. Her coach required her to spend hours visualizing success. She visualized herself completing specific strokes perfectly. She visualized herself winning a match. She visualized herself as a champion. Coaches of many other sports use visualization as well. They ask athletes to close their eyes and visualize what the pass feels like leaving their hands, what the wind feels like against their faces, what the ball looks like going through the hoop, what the crack of the club against the ball sounds like.
You can do the same thing. You can be your own coach. Of course, before you do that you must have a clear picture of the kind of future you want. Turn to Exhibit 11.1. This exercise will help you determine how you want to live and work—how you want to spend your time. Find a quiet place—one where you are sure you will not be interrupted by a phone call, a visit, or a nagging chore. Take at least an hour to complete the exercise. Take more time if you can. Put it aside. Sleep on it. Feed your subconscious by thinking about it before you sleep. Then dream about it. Pull it out again and fill in more details. Now discuss it with your significant other. Make additions or deletions.
Exhibit 11.1 Visualize Success
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Take a few minutes to imagine a successful future for yourself. Think in terms of three to five years. Describe your successful future. Part I. Professional
Part II. Personal
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Place your visualization exercise in a safe place, perhaps in your end-of-the-year tickler file—or perhaps you want to give your dream one year. Make an appointment with yourself one year from now to review your desires. Schedule your appointment just as you would schedule an appointment with a client. Really! If you don’t schedule it, you’ll forget it. Realize that you may not have achieved all that you identified. Realize also that some things may have changed. In any event, you will most likely learn much about yourself and what is important to you.
Create a “successful future” file to keep your ideal future in front of you. You may wish to place your Visualize Success exercise in the folder. However, because pictures speak louder than words, shout your future by collecting pictures such as the following and keeping them in a file:
- Magazine pictures of people engaged in a hobby you want to begin.
- Snapshots of you and your family or friends having fun together.
- Pictures of the results of something you want to find time to do, such as a gourmet meal you want to try cooking or a handcrafted oak desk if you want to try woodworking.
- An advertisement for the condo you want to purchase.
- Cartoons that depict your special situation.
- A travel flyer advertising a vacation spot you want to visit.
- A picture of the scene you want to view outside your office window. (For years, my picture was of the Chesapeake Bay!)
- A dollar bill with a larger figure written on it representing the amount you want in your savings account!
Periodically sit down with your file to remind yourself of what success looks like to you. It will keep you focused on your future. I guarantee it!
Taking Action
I subscribe to the belief that everyone should love what they do and do what they love. Money will follow in one way or another. Life is about passion.
Is Fear of Failure Holding You Hostage?
Consulting can be unpredictable. But if fear is stopping you from moving forward, preventing you from following your passion, you may be giving up the biggest reward of your life. Sure, there is fear in change: fear of the unknown, fear of failing, fear of being judged.
Let’s be reasonable. How often have you failed in your lifetime? If you are considering becoming a consultant, you’ve likely had very few failures. Oh sure, there was the time you and your frat brothers decided to have the fireball express zoom out the second story window of your frat house—on fire, of course—on Halloween. Yeah, that was a failure. And if you can remember others, it is only because there were so few of them and we always remember our vivid failures better than our successes.
This book provides you with step-by-step guidance for what you need to do, and you are developing a sound business plan. Your mentor (you do have a mentor, don’t you?) will stop you from doing something stupid. Get moving. Dale Carnegie said, “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
Try reframing your fear. Tell yourself that you are doing what’s right for you, that it is exciting and forward-leaning. You will be more successful by moving than stagnating, so find something you can do every day to move closer to your dream.
I nearly drowned when I was a kid, so it’s natural that I’d have a fear of water (well, that’s what I tell myself). I also love swimming. To get over my initial fear, I dive into the deep end of the pool first. Getting that nasty feeling of fear out of the picture allows me to enjoy swimming. I’m not saying you should dive in without a plan, but I do think you can take actions that move you forward.
Do you remember Adam’s tactic with Lambert at the beginning of this chapter? He asked Lambert to name the worst thing that could happen. You can do the same. If fear is holding you back from taking the plunge into the deep end, think about your actions and name the worst thing that could happen to you. Perhaps the worst thing is not trying. …
I once heard a speaker say that only 2 percent of all Americans have the discipline to achieve their dreams. Of those who do not achieve their dreams, 23 percent do not know what they want and another 67 percent know what they want but do not know how to make it happen. The remaining 10 percent know what they want and how to get it but lack discipline to follow through. In which category will you be?
If one of your dreams is to become an independent consultant, turn to Exhibit 11.2. It provides you with an outline to begin to put your plans on paper. Why not start today?
Exhibit 11.2 A Consultant’s Action Plan
Get Ready, Get Set …
Perhaps you have read this far in this book. You’re interested, but you are not quite ready. Perhaps you think you need a little more experience. Perhaps your financial situation is not stable enough to take the risk. Perhaps you are satisfied with the job you now have. But someday. …
What can you do? Don’t lose the spark. Turn to Exhibit 11.3 and list 50 things you can do to move closer to becoming a consultant. List everything that comes to mind as fast as you can, such as read another book, join a professional organization, interview a consultant, take a course, attend a conference, invent a name for your consulting practice, identify a client with whom you would choose to work. All suggestions are good. Don’t pause to judge or prioritize them now. Just write. Ready, set, go!
Exhibit 11.3 Fast Fifty
| Instructions: List 50 things you can do to move closer to becoming a consultant. | |
| 1. | 26. |
| 2. | 27. |
| 3. | 28. |
| 4. | 29. |
| 5. | 30. |
| 6. | 31. |
| 7. | 32. |
| 8. | 33. |
| 9. | 34. |
| 10. | 35. |
| 11. | 36. |
| 12. | 37. |
| 13. | 38. |
| 14. | 39. |
| 15. | 40. |
| 16. | 41. |
| 17. | 42. |
| 18. | 43. |
| 19. | 44. |
| 20. | 45. |
| 21. | 46. |
| 22. | 47. |
| 23. | 48. |
| 24. | 49. |
| 25. | 50. |
What can you do with your 50 ideas? It would seem natural for you to begin to put a plan together for how to go from here to there. The New Quick Start Guide, another book in this series, can help you simplify the planning process by providing you with a series of questions, a list of ideas, and plenty of room for planning.
Remember, it takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. So go ahead. Wish on paper and it becomes your plan.
Wish on paper, and it becomes your plan.
For the Consummate Consultant
This book has been filled with ideas and suggestions to answer your concerns and questions. It has even presented the difficulties of consulting. If you still want to be a consultant, don’t let anything hold you back. Find your focus, collect your confidence, and start acting on your action plan! Practice persistence, perseverance, and patience to achieve your passion. You will be successful. I look forward to seeing you on the consultant trail.
It’s All About Focus. You start with a vision for your consulting business and then funnel all the ideas down to what you will do, with whom, where, and why. Your focus will lead you to a good strategy. Your focus will be even better if you know when to say no. The tighter your focus, the faster you’ll grow.
Stop-Doing List. Make a stop-doing list—all those things you’ve been doing for years—in order to find time to do all the new things you want to do.
Have Plan B. Always have a Plan B. That’s just common sense. However, be sure to give Plan A a complete chance. Give it time. Give it tactics. Give it positive energy. Don’t panic too soon before you switch to Plan B.
A Bonus for the Consummate Consultant
Fly High and Remember the Reality. You’ve chosen to follow a different path. Good for you. The reality of it is that you are going against the wind. And, you do realize that an airplane must fly against the wind in order to take off—right? So turn into the wind. Meet the challenges and resistance head on. File your flight plan. And take off! You are sure to land successfully at your destination.