There are few life choices we make that have more consequences than that our choice of career. That choice impacts our financial situation, our life satisfaction and our sense of purpose.
The decision to start my own consulting practice in 2004, was, in retrospect, was a brilliant choice. I couldn’t see, at the time, all that this career would offer to me. Now, over a decade later, I can better articulate exactly what consulting as a career choice has done for me (and can do for others).
In my book, Owning It: Take Control of Your Life, Work and Career, I share six reasons that professionals are increasingly choosing independent consulting careers as a good choice. You can download that chapter at no cost here, but in short, the six reasons I articulated are control, flexibility, fewer office politics, the ability to make more money, to choose the type of work you do and to choose who you work with.
Looking back over this list, there is one overarching theme that connects all these reasons together. In one word that is: Freedom.
Freedoms of a Consultant
In my 16+ years of consulting, I’ve had the freedom to do work in the way I want to. My practice and focus have evolved over time, and with each evolution gotten closer and closer to the kind of work that uses my skills, taps into my passions and offers my gifts to the world.
The freedom to manage my own time has enabled me to do things that would be unthinkable in an employment setting. I’m certain no employer would have been cool with the amount of time I carved out of working hours to support friends and family or to clean up after a tornado hit our home or take time to write two books. Or even with my whacky work schedule, where I may work three long days and take frequent long weekends.
Looking back, I can also see how important the freedom to align my earning power with my life has been. There were several years when faced with a failing business my husband had started, I could double down and keep us in solvency. There have been other periods where I could lighten my load to focus on things that were more important than earning power, like the final years of my parent’s life, the arrival of twin grandchildren and getting two books out into the world.
As a creative and innovator, the freedom to try and to fail is something I keenly value. Trying something new with employers requires approvals and funding and proposals and scratching around for support. Trying something new as an entrepreneur is much more expedient. I’ve had some rousing successes and some unexpected failures. And although I don’t relish the failures, I’ve come to learn over time that not every new venture will be a rousing success right out the gate. I’ve gotten more and more comfortable taking the risk to try something new, knowing that it may be fabulous or it may be futile. Yet out of each and every program, idea or approach that was not an immediate hit – was a spark that came back, over time in a better version.
Which brings me to the final freedom, the freedom to do it on my own terms. I have strong beliefs about working with my clients with integrity – and never have to account for anyone other than myself on how I approach a project. I make my own way, the way that resonates with me. The values that I live day in and day out are those that I deeply hold.
Yes, my consulting practice has given me great freedom to do these things and many more. Yet, make no mistake, with the freedom to do all these things in my working life – there is a reciprocal responsibility. I’d be remiss to share with you only the benefits of consulting as a career and not the price one pays for those benefits.
Eleanor Roosevelt said it this way:
“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.”
So yes, let me be clear. The freedom of consulting is balanced by the responsibilities. As adults, we know that every choice has consequences. There is no “free lunch”. None of my consulting peers skate through their practices enjoying the freedoms with taking on the responsibilities of going it on your own.
Responsibilities of a Consultant
Let me share what those responsibilities are. For me, first and foremost is to do my best work for my clients. That means, even if I underquoted an engagement, I still deliver. That means there are days like tomorrow, where I’ll leave the house at 3:30 am to get to the airport to be with a client several states away. That means that if I’ve missed something in the proposal phase, I still stay true to achieving what we agreed upon.
There is also the responsibility to run a sound business. Clients don’t magically appear, I must do some type of marketing to keep work flowing. It falls on me to ensure that taxes are paid, insurance is secured and that I’m in compliance with applicable statutes. When payables are due, they must be paid, even though my receivables aren’t on their way for another sixty days.
A responsibility I take quite seriously is to live in integrity – for myself and for my clients. Which means turning down work I’m not equipped to do. Which means having tough conversations about the work we are doing. This means being able to change course when your current approach is not delivering for your client.
Another responsibility is to continue to hone your craft. You need to decide what skills are critical for your success and then invest time and money into acquiring those skills. This is not a career where you can coast; your clients expect the best.
And finally, the biggest responsibility is to accept the inherent risks that come with self-employment. There will be economic booms and then a bust. Your income may fluctuate year to year. You may lose that big project you had counted on. Or you might land that big project and need to find a way to bring on a team to help.
Bottom line: there are no guarantees, no regular paycheck, no one footing the bill for your training, no one making sure your income taxes are withdrawn and paid.
Are you called to consulting?
While having my own consulting practice is perfect for me, it is not for everyone. I’ve seen plenty of very intelligent, hardworking, emotionally intelligent people plunge into going out on their own, and within less than a year, realize it is not for them. I meet regularly with people in transition from one employer to another who “consult” in between regular jobs yet are terribly eager to find their next company to work for.
That consulting is good for some and not for others is not a condemnation. Those who do best while gainfully employed are no better or worse as professionals or people than those who can’t ever even imagine being employed by a company on a full-time basis.
It is like the difference between a cactus and a fern. Both are wonderful plants in their own right. But both have very different needs for climate, soil, water, and sunshine.
It is my hope that if you are considering consulting that you do so clear-eyed and sober. That you celebrate the freedoms it brings but also recognize the responsibilities. That you know yourself well enough to make the right choice.
And I also hope that if you do want both the freedom and the responsibility of a consulting practice, that you interact with Katie and me to see if we can help you on your journey.
Here are a few of our resources that can help you on your journey:
