Good Lord...what a year. And it's followed by a year that is pronounced 2020 won (2021)! And then 2020 too (2022). Yet, rather than wallow in the potential of three years of the 2020 Pandemic, I thought I'd list things I am thankful for last year:
Family
Shelter
Health
PPP Loans
More to come on this topic as last year blew up and I never blogged...other than my first one when I published the original site. Unlike so many people I know, my business actually improved a little from 2019 to 2020 but it's time to focus on business development again, so I am hoping to post here more often.
For those of you wondering what I do - the answer is pretty much anything that makes sense to my clients and me. A few years ago, a friend of mine gave me a book titled, "Getting Naked" and it outlined an approach to consulting that resonated for me, so I've adopted the philosophy of the book when people ask what I do. I tell them, "I like to get naked."
Nope you're not on a porn site - getting naked means being transparent and open and using my experiences and wisdom to help other people. It also means that I walk away from work or potential clients if I don't think I can help.
In short, I serve other people and do anything I can to help their business succeed - as they defince success, not me. And in the course of this approach, I become engaged and invest my time and talents in your success. And it also means, I do things for free. In other words, I'm not looking for excuses to bill you and I am never looking at my watch or the phone when I am present with you.
So, what does it look like from the perspective of my clients? For some of my clients it means handling financial issues, for some of my clients it's developing strategy and measuring success, for some of my clients its listening to them vent and helping them navigate work and personal problems and for some it is developing a transition or exit strategy (including the sale). Heck, I've got a couple of clients who tell me I'm their therapist (and probably less expensive :))
Sometimes it seems like I am the last Generalist on the Face of the Earth but it gives me a unique perspective to bringing the wisdom of an experienced executive to a business who needs help, but doesn't really know where to begin or what to ask.