Consulting Tips from Lilo & Stitch

“Earth people do this every day, so why to bother?” asks Jumba.

“Because if everyone gave up, nothing would get done,” answers Lilo.

Who says you can’t learn anything from cartoons? 😉 While brushing my daughter’s hair this morning, Lilo’s wisdom floated into my consciousness, compelling me to write a blog post that was already on my to do list.

Just yesterday, the latest quote on my Women’s Advantage calendar read “Success is a result of diligence, not just intelligence.” (Brenda Nixon) Upon seeing the quote, I thought, “true—but it’s also a matter of perseverance. That would make a nice blog post.” And I promptly added it to my blogging idea list…where it probably would have lingered if it wasn’t for Lilo reminding me of its importance.
The Power of Perseverance
Consulting is a hard gig. It’s not for everyone. Don’t get me wrong. I love consulting—it suits my personality better than a corporate gig—but you have to have a “stick-to-it, go-get-‘em, in-it-for-the-long-haul” attitude to be successful and happy.

There’s no guaranteed paycheck (okay, so in today’s economy, that’s true for every career, but you know what I mean). You have to sell yourself (harder to do when you’re socialized not to brag). Not only do you have to keep up on the latest-and-greatest in your field, you need to be ahead of it. You’re often wearing a lot of hats (although you should offload as many of those as possible). You get the idea—and if you’re a consultant reading this, you’ve probably been nodding your head the whole time, going “yeah, yeah.”

So to be successful as a consultant, you need intelligence, yes. You need diligence—if you’re not thorough, attentive, meticulous, etc., you’re likely to have some very unhappy clients. And you may be equally unhappy with the projects/clients you take on as a result.

But…if you don’t have resolve and determination—the Big P—you’re missing a key component that will help you get through the challenges that are a natural part of running your own business.

The “Big P” is what allowed “The Little Engine that Could” to make it over the hill. He had perseverance in train loads. (Another example of how motherhood helps you in business.) 😉 And perseverance is what will help you thrive as a consultant. Actually, it will help everyone, but this is a blog for consultants and small business owners. 😉

So, to slightly revise Brenda Nixon’s quote: “Success is a result of diligence and perseverance, not just intelligence.”

What are some of your favorite “ence” words? Confidence and eloquence are two of mine.