2012 Annual Review…

Another year has gone by, and once again it is time to reflect.

Got this idea from Chris Gullibeau of The Art of Nonconformity. He does this each year, and last year challenged others to do the same. Great idea!

Once again, I’ll review three categories:

• JumpToConsulting (www.jumptoconsulting.com)
• EMI-GURU aka Kimmel Gerke Associates, Ltd.  (www.emiguru.com)
• Personal (www.linkedin.com/in/darylgerke)

But first, a quick overview…

The Jump-to-Consulting project is now two years old. The catalysts were questions by my older son, questions by other colleagues, and a fat file for a prospective book. With today’s economy, many people are considering options such as consulting.

I was also intrigued by blogging, and simply wanted to learn more about this Internet phenomena. What better way that to just start a blog. Incidentally, that was the same attitude that got me into consulting. Curiosity, and a desire to learn.

The EMI-GURU project began 30+ years ago, and led to full time consulting in 1987. It has been great fun, and quite successful. I’ve traveled the world, and made a lot of friends along the way.  It allowed me to practice my profession as an Electrical Engineer in a ways I didn’t even imagine as a student or young engineer.

EMI-GURU also provides the grist for JumpToConsulting. Much of what is discussed here is based EMI-GURU experiences. The stuff I talk about is not theory — rather, this is real world and is based on 30+ years in the consulting business.

HIGH-LIGHTS in 2012…

Jump-to-Consulting – The blog is up to 80+ posts. Had hoped to hit 100 posts, but got slowed down with a midyear household move. Still, proved to myself that I can keep a blog going. No burn out, and no plans to stop.

Not many readers (it is a pretty tight niche), but the occasional feedback shows it has helped several make their own JumpToConsulting. So don’t be bashful — your questions and feedback mean a lot, and they do inspire me to keep going. Thanks!

Did two live presentations based on the blog – Consulting for Geeks at DesignCon2012 (San Jose CA) in February, and the Start Your Business Workshop (Chandler AZ) in March. Both were well received, which has me thinking about more in 2013.

EMI-GURU – Celebrated 25 years in full time consulting! Sure don’t know where the time went, but as the saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” It has been a great adventure, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Now have a second partner for our training business. It is a good fit, as they complement (and do NOT conflict) our original long time partner. Done right, partnerships can work well. We’ll look at this topic in a future post.

Did a live tutorial at the IEEE EMC Symposium in Pittsburgh, and published several blog articles at EE Times. A little bit of giving back to the engineering community.

Personal – Moved! Downsized from a house to a patio home. No outside maintenance – gave up the yard and pool for a spot on a pond. Now watch the ducks, fish, and turtles at play from our patio. Best enjoyed with a libation in hand as the sun sets.

Stuck with the workout routine. This is the fourth year, and not being a jock, I’m proud to say I’m still at it. Feel better after each workout, and realize this is very important at this stage in life.

LOW-LIGHTS in 2012…

Jump-to-Consulting – Still no book. Not as many blog posts as hoped, but given the move and other projects, have kept a fairly steady pace.

EMI-GURU – Business still down. Probably a combination of the economy, and the lack of aggressive marketing. If it were a few years ago, I’d be beating the drum pretty loud. After all, continual marketing is crucial for any consulting practice.

But at this stage, I’m content with the business levels. There are a couple of interesting projects on the horizon. The spring classes were down, but the fall classes were decent.

Personal – Not completely settled in the new place. Even though we got rid of a lot of stuff, still have boxes to through. But we’re starting to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Life is becoming more simple. (Per Thoreau…Simplify, simplify…)

LOOKING FORWARD to 2012…

Jump-to-Consulting – Start the damn book! With close to 100 blog posts, there is now plenty of material to draw from — the plan all along. Considering an on-line class, along with some personal mentoring. Nominal fees will be involved to offset the costs of running the site.

EMI-GURU – Focus on the technical classes, an area I really enjoy. As an old codger, there is nothing like seeing a younger engineer (and even an old timer) suddenly “get it.”  Love to share what I’ve learned. Will still passively pursue consulting opportunities.

Personal – Spend time with the grandchildren, along with reading, writing, and just “goofing off.”  Got a few home projects in the works, too.

Wishing you all the best in 2013! And thanks for reading my blog.

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