Do You Want It So Bad You Can Taste It?

Published September 4, 2012 | By daryl

When people tell me they are thinking about consulting, I often share this story with them. It helped me on several occasions, including making my own personal JumpToConsulting.

In high school, I worked as a “soda jerk” at the drugstore in our small town. Since we were next door to the town doctor, he often stopped by for a soda or malt. He was an interesting fellow, and we would chat about various things.

One time, I asked what prompted him to go into medicine. He suddenly got serious, and then responded:

“I don’t know where this conversation is going, Daryl, but if you are thinking about medicine, let me share some advice. I love medicine, and I’m glad I chose to go this route. But is was a lot of work — much more than I ever thought it would be.

So, if don’t want it so bad you can taste it, don’t even start.”

Actually, I wasn’t interested in a medical career, and had already decided on engineering. But it was not going to be easy, either academically or financially. His advice often rang in my ears as I pursued my engineering studies at the university.

Did I still want it so bad I could taste it? The answer was always yes.

Almost twenty years later I made my personal JumpToConsulting, as a full time consulting engineer. There had been a lot of work to get to that point — and like the doc, it had taken more effort that I thought it would.

There had been a false start a few years earlier, and then, on the first day in full time practice, (October 1987), the stock market crashed. It was panic time. What should I do? Grovel perhaps, and try to get my old job back? But then I recalled the old doc’s advice:

Did I still want it so bad I could taste it? The answer was still yes.

That was 25 years ago. The consulting part of my career has been particularly satisfying and rewarding. It wasn’t always easy, and it was even scary at times.

But overall, it has been great fun.

So, if you are thinking about making the JumpToConsulting (or any business venture for that matter) ask yourself if you are REALLY committed.