income

Not ready for retirement? Maybe it’s time to start a consulting or coaching business

Starting your own business isn’t exactly for the faint of heart, but with so many talented executives trying to figure out what’s next – for many the next logical step is to join the world of Entrepreneurship. We’ve been doing a ton of research lately on what is holding people back from starting their own businesses – specifically people who could easily transition from working in Corporate America to becoming a coach or consultant. From what’s holding them back to what they think the perks will be – the information was enlightening.

Leave behind a legacy. For many, it’s not about the money but about leaving something lasting behind for the next generations to benefit from. Sure, they’ve left an impact at the companies they’ve worked for, but that’s just not enough. They want to share their knowledge and experiences with the world. Becoming a coach or consultant allows you to mentor and help others achieve what you have.

Ease into retirement. For many people who have worked a 9 to 5 job in Corporate America for longer than they will care to admit, adjusting to retirement just doesn’t sound appealing. They still want to contribute to society, have a purpose, and feel like they are making a difference. We find many individuals create a “Side Hustle” working as a consultant on a part-time basis while they ease into the work free world.  Truth be told – some just keep on working because they love it!

Work with who you want. When you work for someone else, choosing who your coworkers are and what clients you serve probably isn’t your decision. BUT when you start your own coaching or consulting firm, it’s on your terms. In addition to choosing your own hours, you can also decide if you want any employees or prefer being a one-person show. You also get the freedom to choose who your clients are, what you want to charge, and what the terms are. It’s a Win-Win.

Fear of failure. This is an interesting one. Regardless of how old or how much scar tissue you have, fear of failure just doesn’t go away for some. Of course, starting your own business is scary, but for most, they just don’t know where to start or never really thought it was something they could do. With so many resources out there to help, is regret really an option?

It’s all who you know. Many executives don’t realize that they already have a gold mine of connections that they have amassed over their decades in their corporate career. For some, even working as a consultant for their current company may be an option. Once you spread the word on LinkedIn and in your networking circles, you may be surprised just how many people want to work with you.

It’s never too late. Starting a business doesn’t have an age restriction. Bob Parsons started Go Daddy at age 47, Charles Randlett Flint was 61 when he started IBM, and Colonel Sanders was 62 when the KFC franchise was born. As the saying goes, age is just a number. It doesn’t prevent you from going after your dreams or goals, and it certainly won’t prevent you from starting your own business. After all, those decades of experience count for something!

Did you know that people spend 80% of their life building someone else’s business? So why not spend some time building yours? Create your own legacy and do it on your terms. And if you need a little help along the way, or even getting the business off the ground, we are here to help hold your hand through the process and maybe even give you a nudge every now and again.

Are you ready for your next adventure?

Not ready for retirement? Maybe it’s time to start a consulting or coaching business Read More »

Not ready for retirement? Maybe it’s time to start a consulting or coaching business

Starting your own business isn’t exactly for the faint of heart, but with so many talented executives trying to figure out what’s next – for many the next logical step is to join the world of Entrepreneurship. We’ve been doing a ton of research lately on what is holding people back from starting their own businesses – specifically people who could easily transition from working in Corporate America to becoming a coach or consultant. From what’s holding them back to what they think the perks will be – the information was enlightening.

Leave behind a legacy. For many, it’s not about the money but about leaving something lasting behind for the next generations to benefit from. Sure, they’ve left an impact at the companies they’ve worked for, but that’s just not enough. They want to share their knowledge and experiences with the world. Becoming a coach or consultant allows you to mentor and help others achieve what you have.

Ease into retirement. For many people who have worked a 9 to 5 job in Corporate America for longer than they will care to admit, adjusting to retirement just doesn’t sound appealing. They still want to contribute to society, have a purpose, and feel like they are making a difference. We find many individuals create a “Side Hustle” working as a consultant on a part-time basis while they ease into the work free world.  Truth be told – some just keep on working because they love it!

Work with who you want. When you work for someone else, choosing who your coworkers are and what clients you serve probably isn’t your decision. BUT when you start your own coaching or consulting firm, it’s on your terms. In addition to choosing your own hours, you can also decide if you want any employees or prefer being a one-person show. You also get the freedom to choose who your clients are, what you want to charge, and what the terms are. It’s a Win-Win.

Fear of failure. This is an interesting one. Regardless of how old or how much scar tissue you have, fear of failure just doesn’t go away for some. Of course, starting your own business is scary, but for most, they just don’t know where to start or never really thought it was something they could do. With so many resources out there to help, is regret really an option?

It’s all who you know. Many executives don’t realize that they already have a gold mine of connections that they have amassed over their decades in their corporate career. For some, even working as a consultant for their current company may be an option. Once you spread the word on LinkedIn and in your networking circles, you may be surprised just how many people want to work with you.

It’s never too late. Starting a business doesn’t have an age restriction. Bob Parsons started Go Daddy at age 47, Charles Randlett Flint was 61 when he started IBM, and Colonel Sanders was 62 when the KFC franchise was born. As the saying goes, age is just a number. It doesn’t prevent you from going after your dreams or goals, and it certainly won’t prevent you from starting your own business. After all, those decades of experience count for something!

Did you know that people spend 80% of their life building someone else’s business? So why not spend some time building yours? Create your own legacy and do it on your terms. And if you need a little help along the way, or even getting the business off the ground, we are here to help hold your hand through the process and maybe even give you a nudge every now and again.

Are you ready for your next adventure?

Not ready for retirement? Maybe it’s time to start a consulting or coaching business Read More »

From the 9-5 Grind to Consultant – How do you know when the time is right?

I’ve met so many people who are frustrated and unhappy in their jobs/careers and they long to be their own boss. Sunday anxiety, Monday morning blues and Friday euphoria are the norms.  Sadly only a minute few will ever take the steps to get to the holy land of Entrepreneurship.

When I ask “Why?”, I get a slew of what I’ll call excuses.  I’m here to debunk the myths and give you some “real talk” on what it takes.

  1. MYTH: Not Enough Money REAL TALK:  I’ll push back and ask “So, what IS enough money for you to have the life you want?”  No one can ever give me a real dollar amount.  What it comes down to is fear of the unknown and the unwillingness to make some luxury sacrifices.  No, you will never really have enough money because most people, the more money they get the more they spend and it’s a vicious cycle.  Which goes back to the sacrifices.  In order to leave your full-time job with benefits, most start-up entrepreneurs have to give up a few things.  (Take my income reality test here)
  2. MYTH: Not enough Time REAL TALK:  Everyone has 24 hours in the day, out of that you should sleep for 7-8 hours.  Most people work for 8 hours a day, toss in some commuting and dealing with life things – say another 4 hours.  That leaves 4-5 hours every day that you can be working on getting what you want.  Most people waste a ton of time on things that aren’t going to serve their purpose of getting out of their 9-5 job.  Sure reading a good book is fun, binge-watching Netflix is as well, playing video games, cellphone games – the list goes on.  Make it a priority, just like eating and sleeping
  3. MYTH: Not Ready. REAL TALK:  Like having enough money, you will never be ready.  What you do need to know that DONE is better than PERFECT and you have to start somewhere.  Eat the elephant one bite at a time versus trying to eat it all at once.  You don’t need the fancy office now, hell you don’t even need business cards – all you need is you and maybe a notepad and pen.
  4. MYTH: If I fail, my life is over.  REAL TALK:  Every entrepreneur I know (including myself) has failed more times than they care to think about (including yours truly).  Failure is just part of the process, accept it in fact embrace it.  The more you fail, the more you learn.

Regret is a horrible thing.  Putting off until tomorrow rarely works, because tomorrow you’ll put it off again, and again until tomorrow doesn’t come.  I’ve seen it too many times.

As the famed Wayne Gretsky said – “You miss 100% of the shots you never take”.

From the 9-5 Grind to Consultant – How do you know when the time is right? Read More »

From the 9-5 Grind to Consultant – How do you know when the time is right?

I’ve met so many people who are frustrated and unhappy in their jobs/careers and they long to be their own boss. Sunday anxiety, Monday morning blues and Friday euphoria are the norms.  Sadly only a minute few will ever take the steps to get to the holy land of Entrepreneurship.

When I ask “Why?”, I get a slew of what I’ll call excuses.  I’m here to debunk the myths and give you some “real talk” on what it takes.

  1. MYTH: Not Enough Money REAL TALK:  I’ll push back and ask “So, what IS enough money for you to have the life you want?”  No one can ever give me a real dollar amount.  What it comes down to is fear of the unknown and the unwillingness to make some luxury sacrifices.  No, you will never really have enough money because most people, the more money they get the more they spend and it’s a vicious cycle.  Which goes back to the sacrifices.  In order to leave your full-time job with benefits, most start-up entrepreneurs have to give up a few things.  (Take my income reality test here)
  2. MYTH: Not enough Time REAL TALK:  Everyone has 24 hours in the day, out of that you should sleep for 7-8 hours.  Most people work for 8 hours a day, toss in some commuting and dealing with life things – say another 4 hours.  That leaves 4-5 hours every day that you can be working on getting what you want.  Most people waste a ton of time on things that aren’t going to serve their purpose of getting out of their 9-5 job.  Sure reading a good book is fun, binge-watching Netflix is as well, playing video games, cellphone games – the list goes on.  Make it a priority, just like eating and sleeping
  3. MYTH: Not Ready. REAL TALK:  Like having enough money, you will never be ready.  What you do need to know that DONE is better than PERFECT and you have to start somewhere.  Eat the elephant one bite at a time versus trying to eat it all at once.  You don’t need the fancy office now, hell you don’t even need business cards – all you need is you and maybe a notepad and pen.
  4. MYTH: If I fail, my life is over.  REAL TALK:  Every entrepreneur I know (including myself) has failed more times than they care to think about (including yours truly).  Failure is just part of the process, accept it in fact embrace it.  The more you fail, the more you learn.

Regret is a horrible thing.  Putting off until tomorrow rarely works, because tomorrow you’ll put it off again, and again until tomorrow doesn’t come.  I’ve seen it too many times.

As the famed Wayne Gretsky said – “You miss 100% of the shots you never take”.

From the 9-5 Grind to Consultant – How do you know when the time is right? Read More »