No, this does not contain bad news. But it does contain some perspectives from the medical community (professional consultants,) and more. Warning — Rant to follow. Last week, my wife fell down and broke her hip in a freak fall. The result was a trip to the local emergency room, followed by emergency surgery. The good […]
Been busy here, but wanted to share this thought that I just ran across: Today is a gift, it’s why it’s called the present. Don’t let it go to waste…Do stuff that matters! The FREE Monthly Teleconference is Back! Join us with your questions – or just listen in learn “Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting” […]
Ran across this on the Internet (where else?) and wanted to share. Such wisdom by Kurt Vonnegut: “When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of “getting to know you” questions […]
This post was prompted by a particularly obnoxious political email (which I’ve dubbed “hate-mails”.) When asked to delete me from future mailings, that just escalated things. Some people are just plain rude. With all extreme political polarization, you may have received similar unwanted missives. The simplest approach is to block the offender’s email, but in […]
This post is in response to a question posed by the AICN (Alliance of IEEE Consultant’s Networks.) A company posted a “consulting position” on the Consultant’s Finder that sounded a lot like an employee (W-2) search. This prompted a discussion by members is this was appropriate for the site, and whether a consultant should even […]
Since this blog is about independence, July 4 is always a special day here. No, this is not about politics or waving the flag — rather it is about living life on YOUR terms (not those of anyone else.) Decided to recycle my July 4 post from ten years ago. I’ve surprised myself that the […]
Good advice from Craig Thompson, JD/EE/PE, an engineering colleague turned attorney. I first met Craig many years ago as an engineer in Minnesota. He now practices patent law in Texas. These five tips are from a recent mailing (comments are mine.) (1) Create – and Use – Strong Contracts. We used a few simple two page […]
From a favorite curmudgeon and fellow engineer, Bob Bly: Dear Direct Response Letter Subscriber: Many times throughout my adult life I’ve been given unsolicited advice: On parenting … from friends who don’t have kids. On investing … from people who have less money than you do. On business success … from people who make less money […]
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 […]
During our most recent FREE Monthly Teleconference, questions were raised about insurance. This led to an interesting discussion I thought best to share here. But first, let me share some personal opinions on insurance. These are based primarily on an insurance class I took as an undergraduate engineering student. Although not a technical class, looking […]
Good news from the head shed here at JumpToConsulting. Mary and I both got our second COVID shots (Pfizer.) No adverse effects, other than a mild headache which was alleviated with Advil. My advice — get your shots! The sooner we all do so, the sooner we get back to “normal”, whatever that was. Frankly, […]
Here is a follow on to a recent post about a marketing experiment shared with my colleagues at Teach Your Gift Pro. Thought I would share a recent marketing experiment – a free one hour “Lunch & Learn” for as a sample of a multi-day technical class. Reminded me of a movie trailer.Worked well — we […]
This personal story that dates back to 1977, when it hit me it was time to make a career change. That would ultimately lead to my JumpToConsulting ten years later. Wistfully gazing out the airplane window as Waikiki receded below — where Mary and I had just spent the week basking in the tropical December sun and playing […]
For over 25 years, training was an important part of our consulting business. Financially rewarding, too. But I must confess we didn’t plan it that way… Here is the story, as shared with colleagues in a program in which I participate. (Teach Your Gift Pro by Mirasee.) My first encounter with Mirasee was in 2018, […]
This just showed up in my email –it made my day! I hope it makes yours too… Hi Daryl, I had a video chat with you quite a few months ago. I finally have a moment to breathe and thought I would give you an update (whether you want it or not…haha). I decided to resign from […]
As the year ends and another begins, it is once again time to reflect and plan. 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 (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 […]
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 […]
Here is a “Pearl of Wisdom” from fellow engineer and blogger at RJ’s Corner. In these politically tumultuous times, this really resonated with me. Is it about me, or is it about you? “The single biggest thing I learned was from an indigenous elder of Cherokee descent, Stan Rushworth, who reminded me of the difference […]
This post was inspired by a recent post at Consulting Success, titled Our 10 Guiding Principles:Inside our Consulting Business and Life. It resonated with me, and got me thinking about the principles that guided Bill Kimmel (my late business partner) and me at Kimmel Gerke Associates. The first three (Do Some Good – Have Some […]
Time for a Mini-Rant… In 1968, my wife and I were denied our right to vote. I am still annoyed. We were married in June that year, and moved to a new state for both of us. Thanks to a Catch-22 were were not allowed to vote in November, as we had not met an arbitrary six-month […]
