Consulting as Path to Financial Independence…

Since it is the Fourth of July, a rant on independence seemed appropriate. After all, it was my overwhelming desire for Occupational Independence that got me into consulting in the first place. When I started my consulting practice, I was NOT Financially Independent (FI) — which I define as being able to quit one’s job […]

Some consulting humor…

10 Signs You Might Be A Consultant… (1) Your largest expense is socks from never leaving the house.  (More wear and tear) (2) Business casual is khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt (3) 3 months of vacation a year just doesn’t quite feel long enough (4) Bean counters panic when they see you (5) Afternoon […]

You don’t need to outrun the bear…

One of my favorite stories, I often share this with wanabee or newbie consultants. It goes like this: Pat and Mike are out in the woods hunting. They hear a lot of noise in the brush, and suddenly a bear appears fifty yards away. They decide to run. But after a few yards, Pat stops, […]

Help Each Other…

As a consultant, you can’t know everything. Sometimes you need to bring in other experts. When you do, it is much easier if you have greased the skids ahead of time. Here is a geek story from my college days. Ernie was an ME (mechanical engineering) student, and a good one at that. However, he […]

Some Engineering Humor…

This is a true story. Not even the names have been changed… Mary (my wife) was at the beauty shop, getting her hair done. She couldn’t help hearing the conversation in the next chair. The discussion centered around the new boy friend of the customer’s niece. Here is a summary of the exchanges: Hairdresser – […]

Top 10 Reasons to Become an Independent Consultant…

With apologies to David Letterman… 10 – MONEY – Can lead to Financial Independence. It ultimately did for me. 9 – PLACE – Choose your own work location. Worked out of my home for the past 30+ years, and must say I really enjoy the commute. The view from the patio is nice too. 8 […]

An Ode To My Engineering Colleagues…

In celebration of Engineer’s Week, February 17-23, 2013… You could not… Drive to work… cook a pot roast… bake bread… take a shower… watch television… make toast… brew coffee… mow the lawn… call your mother… be cool in the summer… wash you clothes… play computer games… listen to your stereo… ride your bike… videotape a […]

You don’t need an MBA to consult…

I’m living proof. No MBA, and in fact, I’m an MBA dropout. But more on that later. This post was precipitated by a post by Martin Zwilling at Startup Professional Musings, where Martin discusses the pros and cons of an MBA for entrepreneurs. His advice is right in the title – Don’t Delay Your First […]

Success Story – Don the Engineer…

Boomers and geeks take note! Close to retirement, and wondering about consulting? My long time friend Don shows you a way. Fresh out of engineering school, Don and I worked together in the late 1960’s at Collins Radio. In addition to both being EEs (Electrical Engineers), we shared a common interest in amateur (ham) radio […]

Starting a consulting practice is easy…

The tough part is making it a success. Recently ran across a blog post on business startups. The author suggested consulting, since it was so easy that anybody could do it. Of course, the author had never started and run a full time consulting practice himself. Go figure. So, time for a short rant… But […]

Season’s Greetings…

Merry Christmas, from our family to yours! Thanks for your support, and for just riding along. Hope you will join us 2013. Peace — Daryl & Mary © 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

Why critics don’t count…

This post was written in response to a troll. Did not post his comment, but he did inspire this little missive.   Did you ever notice that there are no statues for critics? President have them. Statesmen have them. Military heroes have them. Even business leaders have them. But NOT critics. Hmmm… there must be a […]

How long does it take to make it?

I once posed that question to an attorney, about the time we were starting out in consulting. I knew this was not going to be an overnight success, but was curious about what to expect. The attorney had run his own small practice for many years, so I figured he was a good person to […]

On Turning 60…

When making several career changes (including my own Jump to Consulting), I often justified my actions with “Well, I don’t want to wake up one morning and discover that I am 60 years old, and I never did that…” Well, I’m now past 60, and guess what — I am damn glad I took those […]

Don’t wait too long…

When Mary (my bride of 40+ years) came into my office, she looked sad. “Whats wrong?” I asked. “Upon opening a Christmas card,” she replied, ” I just learned that an old high school friend died suddenly this past year. The one we meant to visit. ” Her friend lived in Las Vegas, and for […]

Today – Celebrating 25 years as a full-time consultant…

Monday, October 19, 1987… the day the stock market crashed… was also my first day as a full time consulting engineer with the company I confounded. The crash was scary, but we obviously survived. Now we just reminisce that the first day in business was the worst day in business. It has been better ever […]

Good Advice From a Gazillionaire…

Life is way to short and goes by way too fast. Or, as Bob Parson, the founder GoDaddy says, “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time!” ” See Rule 16. Good advice from a very successful businessman (twice over) who also enjoys life! © 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

A Thought for Today…

Great advice! Saw this today at the gym where I work out. If you REALLY want to do something, you’ll find a way.  If not, you’ll find an excuse. So how about it — do you REALLY want to start your own business? If it is a consulting practice, we’ll help you find the way. […]

You Do Want To Grow, Don’t You?

Not really… Who says you need to grow to be successful? Children grow, but then they stop growing (physically) when they are “grown up.” The question was posed by a fellow business owner in the mid 1990’s. Thanks to new government regulations, our business was booming. Our plates were filled, and other consultants were actually asking […]

From the mailbag…re “Are Engineers Really in Demand?”

This is a response to Jim, who commented on “Are Engineers Really in Demand.” Thought this deserved a blog post, rather than just a response from me. Of all the things that offer consulting opportunities Engineering, with the exception of Civil, is way down on the list. With all the non disclosure agreements and req […]