We created a new Women in Consulting member benefit late in 2009, the WIC Mentoring Program. Our successful six-week pilot run ended in mid-October. The pilot included seven mentees who agreed to help us test the new program. These were WIC members who were interested in the program, but also ready to invest some time (and do some homework!) in order to apply the information we shared with them to help improve various aspects of their businesses. Desiree Lehrbaum (Lumen Consulting) and I … [Read more...]
How to Make 2010 Your Best Year Yet…Without Breaking Your Neck
January 24, 2010 By 1 Comment
I had the pleasure of attending WIC's general meeting last Thursday, where Kate Purmal shared insights into how we can make 2010 our best year yet...without breaking our necks! I particularly like that last part! As part of the networking exercise, everyone was asked to answer the following question: If you could choose between the following, which would you choose: You double your revenue in 2010 but work the same amount of time You keep your revenue at the current level but work … [Read more...]
Jumpstart Your Business for 2010
November 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
It seems that the recession is finally ending. But if you’re like me, my business took a beating and I have some major planning to do to be poised for opportunities in 2010. However, it seems so overwhelming to do it all by myself. Luckily, WIC has a workshop on December 1st that can help me – and you – be ready to take advantage of the business upswing. Seven experts are available to explore all aspects of our businesses, in a one-to-one setting, and help develop the best strategic … [Read more...]
Should I Become a Consultant: Part II
October 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment
In Part I of "Should I Become a Consultant," I wrote about understanding what a consultant's life really involves, exploring the waters a bit, answering the question about whether the entrepreneurial life is right for you, and researching the field that interests you, whether its marketing, management, sales, or some other field. Next, research specific areas and ways you can help clients. What Problems Can You Solve Well? Think about the types of problems you want to solve, the … [Read more...]
Should I Become a Consultant: Part I
October 8, 2008 By 1 Comment
With the current economic uncertainty, more and more people will likely be contemplating a consulting career. Odds are, if you're reading this blog, either you know someone who's entertaining the idea or you, yourself, are considering making the move. So, what's the first step in deciding to become a consultant? Start asking questions. Understand what's involved. Explore your options. Some may think it's easy to start, manage, and grow a consulting practice, while others may be frightened by … [Read more...]
Learning from a Retrospective
October 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Big Companies and Post-Mortems At a Fortune 500 company where I used to work, the project team would convene after a project ended to conduct a post mortem. I used to think "How morbid" -- to view a project like a dead body. But often we'd find out that we should've done something differently. We'd also congratulate each other on what went well. And then years later at the same company we'd ask our consulting teams to conduct a retrospective at the end of an engagement (preferably with the … [Read more...]
Building Your Advantage Through Consultant Learning
October 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Developing a Competitive Edge as a Consultant... ...for me, it's constant. I'm always building skills, content, and knowledge in my field. And then there are other areas of expertise, such as marketing (honing my website for the 50th time, for example) or running my business (tipping my balance sheet, etc.), or expanding my business (making very passive income, for instance). I frequently develop these through gotchas, tips, and best practices. Finding Consultant Learning and Development … [Read more...]
