Why Get Involved with a Startup ?

Do people ever just find consultant's profiles on LinkedIn and hire them?

Not "can you connect with people and as soon as they accept your connection hassle them!"
I know people attempt this constantly (and it is very annoying).

It's possible but not common. Remember the most likely clients for consultants are people they've worked with before. Referrals are also very common.

But it is possible that clients will find you online and approach you directly - although for most it's uncommon, unless ... You have some incredibly specialized skills.

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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.

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%!

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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?