Scored the hat-trick*… meeting THREE of my favorite bloggers/authors/philosophers all in one week. How great is that? Chris Gullibeau – Art of Non Conformity – Chris was in town promoting his latest book, Born For This, already #5 on the NY Times nonfiction list.(To be reviewed in a future post.) Like his earlier two books, […]
It was a year ago this month that my business partner passed away from cancer. To say the past year was stressful would be an understatement. Bill and I were good friends and business partners for almost 40 years. I miss him every day. But life goes on. The fog is lifting, and the paths ahead […]
Just finished gathering my annual tax information, so taxes are on my mind. It gets shipped out tomorrow to my accountant, who (as a consultant) will do the financial magic. Years ago my accountant advised me to keep good records and to keep them clean. One never knows when one might be audited. Sometimes it […]
‘Tis the political season, and all the mudslinging, lies, outrageous proposals. Not sure about you, but it makes me weary, and even a bit concerned. What really scares me is that so many blindly buy into all the political BS. Maybe it is time to put this in perspective with a little rant. Allow me […]
This post is for my fellow geeks. It was inspired by a recent post at LinkedIn Pulse titled “Do You Buy Like an Engineer? Probably Not.” The author points out that many A/E/C (architectural/engineering/construction) firms stumble in their sales efforts when they assume their clients think just like them. If the client is another engineer, […]
Had a recent inquiry on how I handle travel expenses. Here are my policies: Travel expenses are billed at cost – no markup. Some consultants mark up the travel, but I feel this is cheesy. Air fare purchased is normally refundable/changeable. Saves problems if the schedule changes. Out of town travel time is billed at […]
Too many “entrepreneurial” bloggers suggest you simply “follow your passion.” Unfortunately, that alone is not enough. You better be able to make money at it! Here are two stories that illustrate the point: The Ice Cream Store… At a professional meeting some years ago, one of my colleagues said to ask Dick about his ice […]
Here is a reply I left on a LinkedIn discussion, titled “Are you an Ambivert?” The post was by Dr. Travis Bradberry, the co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0. In his article, Dr. Bradberry challenges the conventional pigeon-holing of personalities as either introvert or extrovert. Rather, he points out that most of us are a combination […]
For many years, this was a “trade secret,” but now the story can be told. Simple — we gave them away — for FREE — as a supplement to a leading engineering magazine. And did it ever pay off! The original plan was a twelve part series in Engineering Design News (EDN) in 1994. The […]
You’re intrigued by consulting, but you’re bored with your job. The idea of the same old grind has little appeal. So what else might you try? Ask yourself, “What excited me at ten years old?” Many of you pursued a career that really didn’t interest you, but did it because it was the “right” thing […]
Welcome to a brand new year! Most years I am a bit sad to see the old year end, but this year I am happy to see 2015 out and excited to see 2016 in. The past year has been rough — but life goes on. Even in sad times, life is a grand adventure. […]
Another year about gone, 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 each year challenges others to do the same. Great idea! So as always, I’ll review three categories: JumpToConsulting (www.jumptoconsulting.com) EMI-GURU aka Kimmel Gerke Associates, Ltd. (www.emiguru.com) […]
Wishing you all the happiness of the season, and success in 2016! Sincerely — Uncle Daryl © 2015, https:. All rights reserved.
On the fence about whether to stay or leave your present job? Here is some advice I was given many years ago as a young engineer. In any situation, you have three choices … accept things as they are … change them … or leave… Really quite simple. I applied this test several times, and […]
Writing technical articles (or white papers) can be very effective marketing methods. They create both credibility and visibility at low cost, and can produce high results. With over 200 articles, it certainly worked at Kimmel Gerke Associates! Getting articles published, however, takes time and effort. It may seem mysterious at first, but help is on […]
Here is a reply left at one of my favorite blogs, A Satisfying Journey, where fellow Arizona blogger Bob Lowry muses about trust. He cites a Pew Research survey that shows trust in government is at an all time low. He also cites examples of the lack of trust in institutions, and even marriages. But […]
Time for a mini-rant. With the political season in full swing, the snarky comments flow on the Internet. But as a consultant, not a good idea to publicize your views, no matter how tempting. This post was inspired by a recent comment on a popular business blog. One guy took a cheap political shot totally […]
It depends… If your clients come to your office, it probably makes sense… If you go to your clients, it probably just wastes money. In the first case, a public office adds a level of professionalism, and keeps you out of trouble with home owners associations or zoning boards. But don’t get carried away – […]
Here is a response I sent to a newsletter from Bob Bly, the direct-mail/copywriting guru. Bob is a fellow engineer turned successful marketing consultant many years ago. I subscribe to his free newsletter (and have also bought some products) and find them useful and interesting. The topic that promoted my response was Bob’s recommendation to […]
Here is a salute to my late brother-in-law. It really has nothing to do with consulting, but everything to do with being a gracious human being. It is also a salute to all who have served. Thank you! P.S. – Fifty years ago this week I was a young engineering student on my way to […]
