Is Consulting More Risky than having a “Job” ?
Is consulting risky – specifically is it more risky than having a full time job?
The conventional wisdom says “yes” – and is absolutely wrong! Maybe it was “once upon a time but it isn’t now.”
If you have a job and lose it, you are unemployed – it’s binary: “job” or “no job.” And unfortunately people lose their jobs, especially during difficult times.
Consultants typically have multiple clients. If you lose a client, you still have others. Typical consultants have 3-6 clients per year. If one client doesn’t have any work for you, perhaps they “fire” you, go out of business, or are having a difficult time, you still have work from other clients.
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The 3 Most Influential Books (I’ve read in a long time)
Here are the three most influential books I’ve read in a long time, possibly ever. It might sound like hyperbole to say they’ve changed my life, but they absolutely have significantly influenced my life in a positive way.
Links to all three are below:
https://teddemop.com/linchpin Linchpin by #SethGodin
https://teddemop.com/launchbook Launch by #JeffWalker
https://teddemop.com/BestYearEverBook Your Best Year Ever by #MichaelHyatt
Linchpin got me excited to do important work, important to me and to many others.
Launch gave me a formula (or blueprint if you prefer) to use to do and help release this work to the world, based on time tested and scientifically valid research and principles.
That’s all good and well, but without some organization and planning nothing happens.
I’ve never put much effort, very little in fact, in planning for myself yet I’ve done pretty well.
Interestingly I’ve long done strategic planning for clients, extremely well based on feedback and results, but haven’t focused on it for myself, for my career and life.
Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt changed all that!
It has a simple and very flexible framework that simply works! A framework that among other things to set and move towards goals important to you while letting you have flexibility and freedom going forwards.
100% is Easy, 99% is Hard
Success is far more likely when you are fully committed!
It doesn’t matter if it is about passing a certification, running, writing a book, or anything else.
Here is quick video of me after a have just completed running 20+ miles a week for 140 weeks in a row. Why? Because my health matters.
When something matters, whether it is professional, personal, or something else, 100%, being committed, makes a difference!
If you are doing 99% percent it is easy to slip to 98%, 97%, 80%, and much much lower!
Constant effect, even though progress may not always seem 100% upwards, is easy with some commitment.
Not trivial, but much easier than 99%!
The Hardest Part of Starting Consulting
What is the hardest part of starting consulting?
Getting Clients? Nope although that is obviously important.
(more here on getting clients: https://successfulinfosecconsulting.com/).
What is the second hardest thing? And what can do you do about these things?
The hardest part – is YOU.
I know I flip flopped back and forth when I decided, between “I’m going to start consulting” and “Who am I to do this?” Feelings of “I’m too young” or “I’m too old” and more are common. Some of this is imposter syndrome which is normal. What do you do about this?
Are Entrepreneurs Risk Takers?
Are Entrepreneurs risk takers? The answer may surprise you!The answer, no surprise, is “It Depends.”
A great many entrepreneurs are rick adverse, and know exactly how much risk their ventures entail – and everything has risk, including having corporate job and going to the supermarket.
Some entrepreneurs are willing to accept a large amount of risk, and although there are exceptions, generally know that they are.