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Time to Move On???…

Dear Reader,

I have decided to cease my regular bi-monthly posting at JumpToConsulting. I will also discontinue the free monthly teleconference for now.

Is this permanent? Don’t know yet, but after eleven years and 350+ posts, it is time to reevaluate. So we shall see.

I will post from time to time as the spirit moves. Still have some posts on the back burner (including a series on troubleshooting) but these will be intermittent.

As I continue to slink into retirement, there are other things I’d like to pursue. Those may include the long considered book, and recording my technical classes now that I have mastered on-line presentations. Also just goofing off…

To those of you who have enjoyed the blog and benefited from it, it has been a sincere pleasure to share my views on consulting and life in general, and to see several of you make your own JumpToConsulting. Bravo!

Finally, I greatly appreciate your support and camaraderie. Should you have questions or comments, feel free to drop me a line. The site and email address will remain active.

With warm regards,
Uncle Daryl


 

© 2023, https:. All rights reserved.

2022 Annual Review…

Time to look back on 2022… and look ahead to 2023. Got this idea years ago from The Art of Nonconformity, and have done it each year since.

As always, I’ll review three categories:


JUMPtoCONSULTING…

Looking Back.. The blog is now TWELVE years old with over 350 posts. What started as an experiment with blogging exceeded my expectations.

It has been great fun as I found I enjoy writing and sharing ideas. It has also been gratifying to help several launch their consulting careers. Just today, I have a Zoom call to help another engineering colleague make his JumpToConsulting. Exciting!

In November, supported a Consulting Workshop here in Phoenix. Sponsored by the IEEE Consultants Network, the goal was to reactivate the local chapter. Presented my one-hour intro, and listened to several other great talks. We will now see if the chapter takes root.

Blog posts were down, and the monthly teleconference and newsletter still on hold due to lack of interest. No progress on an on-line class or book.

Looking Ahead…Where to from here? Not sure. Maybe JTC has run its course — twelve years for a blog is a LONG time.

But I still enjoy it, and will keep the site up for those who find it useful, with new posts as the spirit moves. The on-line class still intrigues me, and I now have an account with Ruzuku, a popular training platform. The outline is done, so this may well happen in 2023.


EMI-GURU…

Looking Back…  I continue to slink into retirement. Only a couple of on-line classes and on-line consultations in 2022. Although EMI-GURU has been immensely satisfying, I must confess my interest is definitely waning. Time to let the younger engineers pick up the ball 🙂

Looking Ahead… All consulting is now referred. Still offering training, and still available for quick questions that can be handled in a phone/Zoom call.

Two multi-day public classes, to be offered on-line partnered with the Applied Technology Institute. For dedicated in-house classes, please contact me at EMI-GURU.

  • EMC in Military Systems – Offered since 2012 with over 2,000 past students.
  • Design for EMC – Offered since 1992 with over 10,000 past students

Considering an on-line series using the dozen or so short presentations done in the past.

PERSONAL…

Looking Back…  A few setbacks in 2022, but life is good. We lost Sami the rescue mutt, but found Priscilla to fill the hole in our hearts. Had some minor health issues, but now on the mend. Mary has fully recovered from her broken leg in late 2021.

Looking forward… Continue learning/implementing on-line programs; spend time reading/writing; and travel in our little RV. Fire up the ham radio, play with Priscilla the Shih Tzu, and just goof off.


Wishing you all the best in 2023 — and THANK YOU for your interest in both JumpToConsulting and EMI-GURU!  Peace… Uncle Daryl


© 2023, https:. All rights reserved.

2021 Annual Review…

Another year has flown by, but I suspect many of us are happy to move on to 2022. Here is hoping better times lie ahead…

Got this idea years ago from The Art of Nonconformity, and have done it each year since.

As always, I’ll review three categories:


LOOKING BACK ON 2021…

Jump-to-Consulting – The blog is now ELEVEN years old with over 340 posts. Little did I know it would go on this long. But I’m now at a crossroads, deciding where to go next. So we will be taking a pause to regroup.

As such, the Monthly Teleconference is also on hold. Attendance has been hit and miss, probably a result of weak marketing on my end.

EMI-GURU – Has morphed into a part-time training firm. No longer consulting, I refer almost all inquiries to colleagues. Still available for quick questions (my way of saying thanks.)

All classes are now on-line. No more travel (yea!) This year saw a mixture of public and in-house classes. Thanks to being on-line, we had attendees from around the world (India, Brazil, and Germany along with the US.) Fun to do and classes also bring in “fun money.”

Teaching is a long time passion – nothing like seeing a student suddenly “get it.” And it adds great synergy to consulting. 

Personal —  Thanks to Covid shots, we made it back to MN this summer. We even had a grandkid reunion when the CT crew visited the MN crew – great fun!

Later in the summer, Mary broke her leg — weird accident, 911, ambulance, surgery, and three weeks in convalescent care. Thankfully now almost fully recovered, but that put a damper on the end of summer. Now back in AZ.

Sami the rescue mutt continues to bring joy as a “personal therapist”, along with daily exercise as a “personal trainer.”


LOOKING FORWARD to 2022…

Jump-to-Consulting – The blog and monthly teleconference are on temporary hold for now. More details here. 

Still planning a short multi-module class on how to start/build/operate a small consulting practice.  An expansion of the free webinar, and envisioned as five or six one hour modules. Details here. 

Thinking a pilot class with live webinars, followed by a recorded version on a learning platform. The pilot will be interactive, at a reduced fee. Attendee feedback and ideas will help refine the class.

Drop drop me a line if you are interested in participating in the pilot.

EMI-GURU – Future classes will be on-line. Both in-house and public offerings. No more travel, plus classes available to a wider audience. Two multi-day classes, reformatted for on-line:

  • EMC in Military Systems – currently partnered with the Applied Technology Institute
  • Design for EMC – currently partnered with inCompliance magazine.

Over 12,000 students have attended these classes. Planning some webinars, and a one-day “EMC Design Workshop.” The latter has been done for two mini-symposiums, and was well received. Watch EMI-GURU for more details, or contact me here.

Personal – Finally off HOA board, after shepherding a million dollar renovation as board president. I was happy to share my consulting skills and experience, but weary of dealing with a few self-centered “terminally unhappy” homeowners. Not sure I would do it again, but it was an interesting experiment in civic responsibility.

Plans are to continue learning and implementing on-line programs; spend time reading/writing; and travel again in our little RV. Fire up the ham radio; play with Sami the Shih Tzu mutt; and just goof off.


Wishing you all the best in 2022 — and THANK YOU for reading my blog.


© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Happy Holidays 2021…

Sami says “Hey, its Christmas…”


Thank you for your interest in my work at both JumpToConsulting and EMIGURU.  Wishing you the joy, peace, and happiness of the season… and all the best in 2022!

From our house to yours — Uncle Daryl, Mary, and Sami the Shih Tzu.


Please visit us in 2022 as we figure out where to go next…

See “Time to Move On?”


 

© 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

Taking a Brief Sabbatical…

Time for a brief break here. The goal has been 2 posts per month, supplemented with the free monthly teleconference. We will resume the schedules soon.

No cause for concern – I have a backlog of post ideas that should easily carry us though the summer. Just a bit harried here as we prepare to make our annual migration to cooler climes and grandkids.

Fully vaccinated and ready to go after being hunkered down for fourteen months. Packing up the little RV which will let us maintain some isolation while enjoying the trip.

Questions on consulting? Send me an email or search through the 300+ posts. Or joins us at the next teleconference scheduled for June 14 on Zoom.

Best wishes — Uncle Daryl

PS – Good news – finally leaving the HOA board after five years. This will free up more time for JumpToConsulting and other fun retirement stuff. It has been interesting, but not sure I would do it again. Petty negative people can drag you down, even if just one or two.


 FREE Monthly Teleconference

Join us with your questions – or just listen in learn

“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting”

Register Here


 

© 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

Happy Holidays 2020…

Sami says, “Please have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…”


Thank you for your interest in my work at both JumpToConsulting and EMIGURU.  Wishing you the joy, peace, and happiness of the season… and all the best in 2021!

From our house to yours — Uncle Daryl, Mary, and Sami the Shih Tzu.


he FREE Monthly Teleconference is Back!

Join us with your questions – or just listen in learn

“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting”

Register Here


 

© 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

You don’t need to be Financially Independent to start a consulting practice…

No, you don’t need to be fully Financially Independent (FI), but you should have enough in the bank to last you six months to year. That is exactly what I did — the second time around – and it finally worked.

My first attempt was precipitated by a layoff/firing. I had been moonlighting, and decided to try full time consulting as the itch was pretty bad.

Although I had some savings, it was not enough. The economy was down, so after about three months I (wisely) threw in the towel and climbed back into the corporate womb.

As a result, I do NOT recommend starting a consulting business after a layoff unless you can survive financially for six months to a year.

My second attempt a couple of years later was planned in advance, with at least six months money in the bank, plus commitments from future clients. The unplanned event was the stock market crash the first day in business, but thanks to my financial reserves I succeeded.

Even on the second attempt, I was not yet fully FI. That came a few years later. But with enough F-You money in the bank, I felt confident and succeeded. The timing was good, and I’m not sure it would have been as successful had I delayed my jump a few more years.

My point is this — you don’t need to be fully FI to start — you just need enough to get you to positive cash flow. You also need a vision of why and what your are jumping into!

In recent years the FIRE (Financially Independent Retire Early) movement has taken off. I enjoy following the financial adventures of FIRE bloggers, and applaud the fiscal prudence they advocate and follow. (It works — I followed that path myself.)

Unhappy with their current jobs, however, often the emphasis seems to be on the Retire Early (RE) part of FIRE, with little thought of what to do next.

Hating your current job is not a good business plan, consulting or otherwise. Better to focus on what you want do with your life, not on what you want to escape. Jump TO… not FROM. That can take some serious soul searching, but in the end is worth it.

Finally, give some thought to WHO you want to serve. That is the essence of consulting – serving clients by solving problems and/or helping them achieve dreams.

Figure that out, and I’ll do my best to help you with the mechanics of making your own JumpToConsulting. 

Cheers,
Uncle Daryl


The FREE Monthly Teleconference is Back!

Join us with your questions – or just listen in learn

“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting”

Register Here


 

© 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

2019 Annual Review…

As the year ends … it is once again time to reflect and look forward. 

Got this idea years ago from The Art of Nonconformity, and have done it each year since.

As always, I’ll review three categories:

But first, a quick overview…

The JumpToConsulting project is now NINE years old. What started out in 2010 as questions from my son, has now expanded to almost 300 posts on how to start,build, and maintain a small consulting firm – along with a webinar and an e-book.

Many of the blog posts are the result of your questions, so please feel free to ask. Your questions and feedback inspire me to keep going. 

JTC has been a labor of love. After thirty two years as an independent full time consulting engineer, I’m happy to share what I have learned — even as I am still learning 🙂

JTC has also been fun. A good way to learn more about about blogging and writing. That curiosity and drive to learn is what led me to consulting in the first place.

The EMI-GURU project is now over FORTY years old (part time since 1978 — full time since 1987.) It also has been great fun, and quite successful. I made a lot of friends, traveled the world, and am comfortably “semi-retired” – whatever that means.

EMI-GURU  let me to practice my profession as an Electrical Engineer in a ways I could not even imagine as a college student or young engineer. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Much of what is discussed here is based EMI-GURU experiences. The stuff I talk about is not theory — rather, it is real world and based on those 40+ years of consulting!

LOOKING BACK on 2019…

Jump-to-Consulting – The blog is now almost 300 posts. The blog has helped several new consultants. That includes both genders – consulting is a great way to break glass ceilings and stereotypes. Along with a great way to become independent and free – the big driver for me.

Took a “blogging sabbatical “over the summer, but am now back in the saddle. Also cut back on the MONTHLY TELECONFERENCE  (“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting.”) which was a was a bit disappointing — unsure whether to continue. (Note – The Teleconference is back – Register Here.)

Continued working on the class to develop on-line classes. So watch this space for future developments.

EMI-GURU – Continued to wind down the consulting firm, as it morphs into a part-time training firm. No longer consulting, I refer inquiries to colleagues.

Taught several in-house classes this year, with a public class  in July. Also prepared and presented a one day workshop for my local IEEE EMC Society chapter in April.

Teaching is a long time passion – nothing like seeing a student suddenly “get it.” And it adds great synergy to consulting. 

Personal — Continued the semi-nomadic life of heading north to MN in the summer (where there is family) and heading south to AZ in the winter (where there is no snow.) Enjoyed an RV week in New Mexico with friends on the trip north.

Sami the rescue mutt continues to bring joy as a “personal therapist”, along with daily exercise as a “personal trainer.” But, like Uncle Daryl, she too is starting to slow down 🙂

LOOKING FORWARD to 2020…

Jump-to-Consulting – Continuing with plans to develop and present some on-line classes. 

The first topic is “So You Want To Be a Consultant” (an expansion of the free webinar) envisioned as five or six one hour modules. (Scroll down to “Courses”for details.)

Thinking a pilot with live webinars at first, with additional group discussions for each module. Will include a reduced fee for the pilot.

Watch the blog for more details. Better yet, drop me a line if you are interested in participating in the pilot.

EMI-GURU –Ramping down the live on-site classes. At the same time, considering going on-line based on existing course materials. Serve more potential students with little or no travel.

Will remain involved locally with the IEEE EMC Society. Looking at one or two public classes.

Personal – Finally leaving the HOA board, upon completion of a million-dollar renovation project. Happy I was able to share my consulting skills and experience, but weary of dealing with a few “terminally unhappy” homeowners. Time to move on to more satisfying activities.

Plans are to continue to learn about and implementing on-line programs; spend time reading/writing; and travel in our little RV. Fire up the ham radio; play with Sami the Shih Tzu mutt; and just goof off. Life is good here!

Wishing you all the best in 2020 — and THANK YOU for reading my blog


The FREE Monthly Teleconference is Back!

Join us with your questions – or just listen in learn

“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting”

Register Here


 

© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.

Happy Holidays 2019…

Sami says “Feliz Navidad…” 



Thank you for your interest in my work at both JumpToConsulting and EMIGURU.  Wishing you the joy, peace, and happiness of the season, and all the best in 2020!

From our house to yours — Uncle Daryl, Mary, and Sami the Shih Tzu.


PS – For your holiday enjoyment, here is an Arizona version of Winter Wonderland — lyrics only, you need to supply the tune. 

© 2019 – 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

Go Have Some Fun…

That is what my doctor told me this week during an exam when I commented I was a bit stressed and down in the dumps. She kindly chided me and said you sound like my dad (a year younger than me). She then said she sees this a lot in older men, particularly those struggling with retirement.

The light went on. While I’m not struggling with retirement, I was struggling a bit with what to do next — as in what is the next challenge? (Soon leaving the HOA board, and all the toxic “terminally unhappy” residents.)

So I jumped back into my blog, and a project to develop on line classes. Stuff I’d put aside, but fun for me. Starting to consider other fun stuff too, like mid-week getaways or local sightseeing. Playing with the 71 Bug. Or???

Guess what? The cloud lifted, the energy returned, and life is good again.

Happy Holidays Everyone!


This post is based on a comment left at RJ’s Corner, a blog by a retired fellow engineer. 


 

© 2019 – 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

An Update From the Head Shed…

By now it is obvious the blog sabbatical continues. But the plan is to get back in the saddle, sharing ideas and advice on how to start/build/operate a small consulting practice.

Life has a habit of getting in the way. Nothing serious — just some unanticipated twists and turns that take up time.

  • Got re-elected to the HOA board. Was planning to leave, but wanted to make sure the million dollar renovation continued. Place is looking great and units are selling like crazy, much to the chagrin of the nay-sayers.
  • Joined a national board for consulting engineers. We’ll see how this works for time, but it is staffed by people I respect and admire. Hope to help set some more engineers free to enjoy the consulting life.
  • Been working on getting classes on line. Both a consulting intro course, plus archiving the technical classes and presentations from my engineering consulting firm. Took a class last year on the subject – now mastering the details.
  • Doing live technical classes and events. About one a month. Very satisfying as I still enjoy teaching about my engineering speciality — often for old clients.
  • Finally, fun family stuff. Partied when the oldest grandchild graduated from high school. Woo hoo! A couple of family related trips coming up this summer.

Also, I guess I was getting a little burned out. But I have a list of blog posts in the wings (or at least in my head) and hope to be back “on the air” soon. Thanks for riding along!


 

© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.

Food for thought…

Some words of wisdom…

When the client has beaten upon you long enough,
Give him what he asks for instead of what he needs.
This is very strong medicine, and is normally required but once.

(Author unknown)


Still on a blogging “sabbatical” here, but planning to resume regular programming soon. 

© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.

How I Sold JumpToConsulting for $5 Million…

And you thought I was just taking a sabattical, right? Well, secret negotiations were going on, due to close on April 1.

Apparently blog sales are hot, as Mr. Money Mustache (a favorite blogging engineer who preaches financial independence) today reported the sale of his blog for $9 million. At 500 posts, he netted $18,000 per post, while my 300 posts netted but a paltry $16,666 per post.

Either way, not to bad for a couple of engineers who broke free of their corporate shackles. So if you are still sweating it out in a cubicle and want to get rich, start blogging!

OK, by now I’m sure you have figured out this is an April Fool’s spoof. No, I didn’t sell the website, nor did MMM. And I plan to soon rejoin the blogging ranks, along with other on-line stuff on how to start/build/operate a small consulting practice.

But in the meantime, if you crave freedom like MMM and me, start (today) plotting and planning your escape to independence – financial, occupational, and locational. Both of our blogs can help, but you still need to take action.

Like MMM, I wish you badass success (even if you are not a badass engineer.) And thanks, MMM, for the inspiration for this blog post.


Join us for our next FREE monthly teleconference.

“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting”

Register Here


 

© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.

Time for a Sabbatical…

So began a recent post at Satisfying Retirement, a favorite blog I follow. The idea resonated — perhaps it is time to take a break here too.  

Not quitting — I’ll be back. In the meantime, there will be occasional posts. I still have a list of over 100 potential topics, with more ideas bubbling up all the time.

After eight years and almost 300 posts, I still enjoy sharing ideas on consulting. But like Bob at SR, it sometimes feels like work, something I try to avoid in my own “satisfying retirement.” Yes, I still teach my engineering classes, but only a half dozen time a year. Enough to be fun, but not enough to feel like a real job. And I no longer consult if it means getting on a plane.

Like Bob, I need a break from this and other self-imposed obligations, such as an HOA (homeowner’s association) board.

The timing is good — I have one more HOA meeting, and then I’m off the board. It has been an interesting three years and much has been accomplished, but still challenging at times.

Not bad – I learned new ways to handle negative people, made some new friends, and got to work with some really positive people who cared. But time to move on.

*** Update *** Decided to run for the HOA board again to help keep the momentum of several critical improvement projects, but at a lower level of effort. We have a good team and it is fun to see the progress.  Just like challenging consulting projects 🙂

So what will I do next?

The first goal is to move forward on two course development projects that have been pushed aside by the HOA activities.

A year ago I enrolled in a program to develop on-line classes. Two broad objectives here. The first is to convert my live engineering classes to on-line. The second is to develop some on-line classes on starting/building/operating a small consulting practice. 

Finished the program (including a pilot webinar) and now ready to implement what I’ve learned. It will take time, but I’m excited about the challenge. Stay tuned.

A second goal is to figure out what I want to do next. Maybe finally set up the garage workshop, or jump back into the ham radio hobby. Or hop in the RV — we already have an event in May with friends in New Mexico.

Read more books — especially American history, a topic that has long fascinated me. As a challenge, a friend read the biography of every US president. Took him two years, but he thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m intrigued by the idea.

Maybe write the book on consulting that was in the the back of my mind when starting the blog. With almost 300 posts, there is plenty of grist for that mill. Already co-authored three books with my late business partner, so this would be just for fun.

There are the grandkids, of course, but four of the six are teenagers, and two more not far behind. One graduates this year, and two more next year. They still bring great joy, but are moving on with lives of their own. As we must too.

So thank you to all who read, follow, and support my efforts. For now, I plan to keep the free monthly teleconference going, but the posts will be irregular. Feel free to drop me a line with questions, or to let me know how you are doing.

Some food for thought below:

Tell me,
What is your plan
to do with your one
wild an precious life?
— Mary Oliver (The Summer Day)

Regular blogging will reconvene at some time in the future.

Best wishes,

Uncle Daryl

P.S. Special thanks to Bob Lowry of Satisfying Retirement for being a catalyst. As Bob is also in Phoenix, we’ll be sharing ideas in a few weeks over lunch.


Join us for our next FREE monthly teleconference.

“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting”

Register Here


 

© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.

2018 Annual Review…

Another year gone… and once again time to reflect… and to look forward. 

Got this idea years ago from The Art of Nonconformity, and have done it each year since.

So as always, I’ll review three categories:

But first, a quick overview…

The JumpToConsulting project is now EIGHT years old. What started out in 2010 as questions from my son, has now expanded to over 275 posts on how to start,build, and maintain a small consulting firm.

Many of these posts are the result of your questions, so please feel free to ask. Your questions and feedback inspire me to keep going. And stick around — new things coming.

JTC has been a labor of love. After thirty years as an independent full time consulting engineer, I’m happy to share what I have learned — and am still learning 🙂

JTC has also been fun. A good way to learn more about about blogging and writing. That curiosity and drive to learn is what led me to consulting in the first place.

The EMI-GURU project is now over FORTY years old (part time since 1978 — full time since 1987.) It also has been great fun, and quite successful. I made a lot of friends, traveled the world, and am comfortably “semi-retired” – whatever that means.

EMI-GURU  let me to practice my profession as an Electrical Engineer in a ways I could not even imagine as a college student or young engineer. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Much of what is discussed here is based EMI-GURU experiences. The stuff I talk about is not theory — rather, it is real world and based on those 40 years of consulting!

LOOKING BACK on 2018…

Jump-to-Consulting – The blog is now over 275 posts. The blog has helped several new consultants. That includes both genders – consulting is a great way to break ceilings and stereotypes. Along with a great way to become independent and free – the big driver for me.

Produced a WEBINAR titled  “So You Want To Be a Consultant” via the IEEE (Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers) consultants group. Based on presentation given at several technical conferences. (FREE)

Published my first E-BOOK  titled “Consulting for Geeks” also via the IEEE (my professional society.) Twelve relevant blog posts. (Not FREE, but very inexpensive — even more so if you are an IEEE member.)

Launched a MONTHLY TELECONFERENCE (OK – most months) titled “Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting.” (If you haven’t joined us, we’ve had several productive conferences. (FREE.)

Continued with the NEWSLETTER, but may change the format. Still fooling around with that project. Nevertheless, please sign up to get announcements of other activities. (FREE.)

EMI-GURU – Continued to wind down the consulting firm, as it morphs more fully into a training firm. No longer consulting, I refer inquiries to colleagues. However, taught several in-house classes this year, with a public class scheduled in February.

Teaching is a long time passion – nothing like seeing a student suddenly “get it.” And it adds great synergy to consulting. 

Personal — Continued the semi-nomadic life of heading north to MN in the summer (where there is family) and heading south to AZ in the winter (where there is no snow.)

Sami the rescue mutt continues to bring joy as a “personal therapist”, along with daily exercise as a “personal trainer.”

LOOKING FORWARD to 2019…

Jump-to-Consulting – Got some exciting plans. Signed up for an in-depth class on developing and presenting on-line classes.

The first topic is “So You Want To Be a Consultant” (an expansion of the free webinar) envisioned as five or six one hour modules. (Scroll down to “Courses”for details.)

Live webinars at first, with additional group discussions for each module. Plans include a workbook so you can tailor you own personal “JumpToConsulting.” Will include a fee.

Will continue with the FREE monthly teleconference titled “Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting.” May add some short mini-webinars to stir discussion. Still working this out.

Watch the blog for more details. Better yet, drop me a line!

EMI-GURU – More plans here. Continue teaching technical classes, but not more than once month. At the same time, plans are to go on-line based on existing course materials. Serve more potential students with little or no travel.

Will remain involved locally with the IEEE EMC Society. Plans include presenting a live one-day mini-symposium in Phoenix in April.

Personal – Continue with learning and implementing on-line programs, spend time time reading, writing, and traveling in our little RV. Fire up the ham radio. Play with Sami the Shih Tzu mutt, and just goof off. Life is good here!

Wishing you all the best in 2019 — and THANK YOU for reading my blog!

© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.

Happy Holidays 2018…

Sami says “Please have a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2019…” 

Thank you for your interest in my work at both JumpToConsulting and EMIGURU.  Wishing you the joy, peace, and happiness of the season, and all the best in 2019!

From our house to yours — Uncle Daryl, Mary, and Sami the Shih Tzu.

© 2018, https:. All rights reserved.

Develop Multiple Income Streams… or Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket…

This post was inspired by Bob Bly, a favorite marketing guru, who just happens to be an engineer — and who shares his common sense advice through a regular newsletter.

Here was his post:

Subscriber MF writes:

“Right now I am having a very slow month — slowest in the history of
my firm.

“Bob, how do you or others manage the psychology of ups and downs
in business?”

This answer to this question has two parts.

First, instead of “managing” your worry and concern, why not just
get rid of those anxiety-causing slow times altogether?

And yes, there is in fact something you can do to either totally
avoid slow times … or failing that, certainly minimize their
frequency and duration, so it becomes a non-issue.

It’s my “double pipeline” lead generation strategy.

In a nutshell, you figure out how much lead-generating
self-promotion you need to generate enough inquiries to keep you
busy.

And then you do twice that amount of marketing!

By doing so, you will have two times as many potential new
clients and projects as you need.

So if Prospect W doesn’t come through, you don’t agonize over it
— because Prospects X, Y, and Z are waiting in the wings, ready
to pull the trigger on your services.

Second, have multiple streams of income.

That way, if your primary business gets soft for a time, then
instead of worrying about it … or sitting around with nothing to
do …

…you focus one of your other profit centers until the lull in
your main business is over.

That way, you are still productive — and you still have money
coming in.

Now, admittedly, these two strategies don’t actually address the
“psychology” MF asked me about.

But consider: You can use the first tactic to prevent or reduce
to near-zero slow times.

And with the second, you don’t really care if your main profit
center is in a slump, because you can stay active and profitable
with your other money makers.

In other words — problem solved.

Alfred E. Neuman famously asked: “What — me worry?”

And now, you don’t have to.

Sincerely,

Bob Bly

And here is my reply to Bob. We occasionally share comments, just as we share an interest in engineering, marketing, and running our own businesses.

Hi Bob,

Like MF, our business slowed to a trickle 25 years ago. This after five years in business by which time we thought we had it figured out. It was a bit scary.

But rather than panic or give up, we reassessed the business. So my late business partner and I adopted a “portfolio” approach for our engineering consulting firm.

Starting in 1987, we had focused on two markets — defense (where we had a lot of experience) and personal computers (exploding at the time.). But in early 1992 both markets came to a screeching halt. Not only that, our two largest clients cut back too.

Upon examination, we realized we had been doing a fair amount of medical electronics. So we initiated a three prong marketing approach:

  • Approached a leading medical magazine and and offered to write tutorial articles
  • Got involved in a medical electronics professional group
  • Made some good contacts at the FDA.

Six months later business was back on track.  A publisher approached us about a book based on the articles; we were invited to participate in some trade shows;  and referrals started coming in from the FDA and others. The result — credibility and visibility in a new market.

We later replicated this approach in several other areas. As engineers, it was not that difficult — we already knew 95% of what we needed to know — the remaining 5% was unique to the industries but was easy to learn with a little bit of effort. Thus, the “portfolio.” Over the years, when one area was down, another was up.

At the same time, we decided to add training to our services, in addition to design and troubleshooting. Although it took considerable effort to get this off the ground, we eventually trained 12,000+ students over 25 years, yielding over $12 million in revenues (not all profit as we had promotional and fulfillment expenses, but still very worthwhile.) That added another pipeline to our revenues.

We also developed a software package with useful engineering tools unique to our niche. Although not as successful financially as the classes, it did bring in occasional beer money. The latter a nod to our German heritages (Kimmel und Gerke…)

Feel free to share my story as a bit of encouragement. Too often people see downturns as setbacks and even give up. In our case, it got us our of our comfort zones, and on to bigger and better things.

Not too bad for a couple of goofy electrical engineers just trying to make a living on our own terms 🙂

Want more info about Bob? Check out his Success Story here, or visit his web site at www.bly.com.  BTW, he has around 60,000 followers, and his newsletter is FREE.  He does sell books and more, but all useful and very low key. He even offers a guarantee if you are not satisfied.

I’ve never met Bob in person, but hope to do so at some time in the future. Until then, I will continue to enjoy his marketing insights and will share them from time to time. 


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Tell stories … not just facts…

This post was inspired by Michael Katz, Chief Penguin of Blue Penguin Development.  I subscribe to his free bi-monthly newsletter, and suggest you do so too. Great marketing ideas (and even classes) for solo entrepreneurs.

In a recent newsletter, Michael opened with this great story, where he recommended using stories to illustrate ideas. Since I like and use stories in my training classes, I sent him the following comment:

Hi Michael,

Here is a quick story. I’ve been telling stories as real world examples in my engineering training classes for many years. But I often wondered if it was effective or just boring people.

That was until Phoenix blogging colleague and friend Pamela Slim pointed out research showing we humans remember stories even if we forget facts.

So I started telling people at the beginning of the class that I would illustrate key points with stories, and why I was doing so.

End of class reviews typically include comments like “loved the stories; great stories, and more.” So I no longer worry.

Which brings me to another quick story. As an engineering student 50+ years ago (where has the time gone?) a favorite professor told the story of a researcher at Bell Labs who discovered a new semiconductor electronics effect.

What made the story interesting was the researcher had a PhD in forestry – he was originally hired to study telephone poles.

At the next exam, the prof asked about the “XYZ” effect. For some reason I could not remember, but I wrote it was discovered by a Bell Labs researcher with a PhD in forestry.

The prof gave me full credit with a note on the exam saying “not the answer I was looking for, but you were obviously listening in class.”

He had many other fascinating stories that I still remember, and think of him whenever I tell a technical story in my classes.

Thanks for sharing your stories!

Just got back from a class. Many positive comments about the stories, and how much students appreciated my sharing real world experiences, rather than just pumping out facts and equations.

Stories also work with general consulting recommendations. They can prove a point, while also reinforcing your credibility. Sometimes you need to convince a client to try something they don’t really want to do — success stories can help!


More MichaelKatz info here:

Resource Review – The Likable Expert Gazette (January 2013)

Writing Magazine Articles – An Interview with the Blue Penguin… (September 2016)

Some Marketing References… (September 2017)


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  • “Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting”
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  • Bring you questions, or just listen and learn from others 

 

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From the mail bag… Handling phone calls…

Long time friend and recent returnee to the consulting ranks wrote:

Just got an unusual series of email inquiries from a prospect:

  • I’d like to talk to you.
  • Sorry, I’m going on a trip. Let’s connect in a week.
  • I’d like to talk to you tomorrow.
  • Sorry, I’m busy so I’d like to talk to you next week.
  • I’d like to spend an hour on the phone with you. Oh, we currently have no budget for consulting.

I told him I’m on vacation and can’t talk with him for an hour at the moment. Hopefully, I won’t hear back. He clearly does not value my time.

I agree. No consideration — no budget. Not a good potential client. Don’t call him back.

BTW, I just tried something for a one hour consultation that worked well. It was an EMI question, so I explained I no longer traveled for consultations (I still do for training.)

I asked for some details so I could refer him, but I added I’d be happy to answer any quick questions ( a few minutes) he might have.

He felt he needed more time, and asked could he pay for that? I said OK – CC or PayPal, and we talked for a hour followed up another hour of research. No problem paying — no rush — and no guilt about imposing on me.

 A colleague has a policy of offering a half hour, and then letting the client decide if it was worth it and whether to continue. I did the same here — suggested if not happy he did not owe me anything.

He told me how much he appreciated the help (and my “policy”), and asked if he could call again. It all worked out well, and I now have a new “phone client.”  Not a lot of $$$, but it will buy dinner out a few times.

I reworked the EMIGURU web site to reflect that. My past policy was always “no charge” for phone calls, but some would go on for a while. I still do that for old clients or friends. But I think this might be a good way to handle new inquiries, and weed out those not serious.

Steve added:

Good advice. I’d add “If a prospect wants to set up a 1-hour phone call with an open agenda, quote them a 1-hour consulting fee. They’ll quickly self-sort into prospect or suspect buckets.”

Give it a try and see how it works for you.


There is a wonderful Chinese proverb that goes like this…

‘A single conversation across the table with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books.

 — Graham McGregor – The Expensive Marketing Solution

Got a question or comment?  Send me an e-mail and I may share it with our readers.

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