Clever Counsel #22 - Why it’s worth it
Fair warning - this is a long one, and a bit personal. Feel free to skip if this kind of thing isn’t for you!
I don’t talk much about how my life transformed for the better when I became a consultant. It’s a little “look at me” - and it’s not practically helpful for people trying to build their pipelines. Mostly I like to share tips and strategies.
But I think it’s important to occasionally share why I put in all this effort to keep my business humming, why it’s better than any full-time job I ever had, and how much happier I am working for myself. I think it can help to hear success stories like mine - if you're just starting out, or trying to grow, it makes your dream feel more achievable.
I assure you that anyone, with enough focus, resilience and ingenuity - applied over an extended period of time - can see similar or better results.
So here's my story...
I left standard full-time employment in 2015. Up until that point, these things were normal parts of my life:
60 and 70 hour work weeks spent in the office in professional dress. 45-60 minute commutes, cramped alongside scores of others just like me. Having to be on-call after hours, pressured to respond to my email late into the evening. Going into the office on weekends, just so I could get my head above water. Navigating office politics, corporate bureaucracy and executive egos. Working alongside and for people I knew were morally corrupt (and working with some really wonderful people, too - all of whom struggled with the same challenges I did). Riding waves of adrenaline during big campaigns, events and crises - then sinking into extended lulls of formulaic corporate sameness. Performing at my highest level day in, day out - always trying to get ahead. Receiving minimal raises and promotions (which always came with heaps more responsibility). Feeling physically and mentally tired, overworked, unhealthy. Mining all my creative energy for a faceless company that didn’t care a fig about me. I was also unceremoniously laid off twice during those FTE years - each time proving that there really is no such thing as “job security” when you’re beholden to the whims of an employer.
That was my reality prior to launching my consultancy. It’s the current reality for hundreds of thousands of professionals just like me. You may have a similar backstory.
Now let’s look at my life over the last several years, working for myself. This is my new normal:
A 40-hour work week is extremely rare, and always my choice (usually when I’m really excited about a project, or being paid handsomely for the time). I have no commute, no dress code, and I work from wherever I like - my home office, local coffeeshops and libraries, the beach, the mountains. I have a revolving door of longtime clients I feel both a personal and professional connection with - truly great people who do great work. I choose my projects, and I say no to inquiries frequently. I work in rhythm with my natural energy and mood. I enjoy variety and no two days are the same. I regularly take several weeks off at a time. After my first 12 months of hardcore business-building effort, I matched my full-time income. I’ve grown that figure every year since. I maintain a “no assholes” policy for my clients and partners - if you treat me or anyone else poorly, I’ll never be in a room with you again. Every single week I have ample time for a wide range of activities outside of work: I spend a lot of time outside with my husband and dogs, I work on my personal writing projects, and I run a small side business reselling thrifted clothing. I’m physically and mentally healthy. I’m excited to go to work each day. And I feel a deep sense of job security knowing that I can always rely on myself. No matter what.
I made this life possible by applying the tips and strategies I share here in Clever Counsel, in my LinkedIn content, and in one-to-one coaching sessions. There's no secret to it. It's a process that anyone can learn and follow. If you do it consistently and for long enough, you'll reap the rewards.
If you haven't already, it would be good to write out a vision for what life can and will be like once you’ve built your consultancy to be exactly what you want.
You’ll need that vision when times get tough. When you face rejection after rejection. When no one engages with your content or replies to your emails. You’ll need to be able to conjure the feeling you’ll have later. A clear picture of the life you’re creating for yourself. That picture will spur you to continued enthusiastic action. It will push you forward, forward, forward. It will be your rallying cry.
