Here is a reply I left on a private forum on personal finance that I thought might be of interest. The questions was “What do you say when people ask if you are retired?” In my 70s I probably look the part. I collect SS and my RMD. But I still dabble with my consulting […]
So asked fellow blogger Cubert at Abandoned Cubicle in a recent post. Cubert is a 40 something engineer who is (by design) a year from Financial Independence and retirement. In this post, he expresses concerns about being bored and more in retirement. Perfectly normal to get the jitters as one approaches the cliff. Remember the same […]
Time for another success story. This one is about Ken Wyatt, who started his engineering consulting business upon early retirement, and who consults in the same area as me. Do I consider him a competitor? No more so than a doctor considers another doctor a competitor. He is a friend and valued engineering colleague, and […]
Got this pearl of wisdom over dinner with a client. A fellow engineer who had become a director for a defense contractor, we were discussing how engineers were attracted to solving problems. He paused, and said: “It is is not enough to merely solve problems. We must anticipate them as well. Something I always emphasized […]
Not sure when it happened — or when I even first realized it had happened. But one day I woke up and recognized that I was no longer a young warrior, but rather had become an old warrior. So what’s the difference? And does it matter? Well, the old warrior’s main purpose is to now […]
So you’re approaching retirement, and wondering what to do next. Or maybe you’re already retired, and getting bored out of you mind. After all, you can only do so much golfing or fishing (see Karl the engineer.) What next? How about consulting? If you enjoyed your career, you just might like this. After a long […]
As promised in a recent post, here is Marty Zwilling’s “success story.” His story should be of special interest to boomers, as he started his consultancy after he retired – the first time. Geeks too – he was part of the team behind the IBM PC. Marty specializes in helping new entrepreneurs get started. Thus, […]
Here is a recent comment I left at the Art of Non-Conformity, a favorite blog by Chris Gullibeau – author, entrepreneur, and world traveler (he visited EVERY country in the world by age 35.) If you haven’t discovered him, now is a good time to do so! The topic was The Virtue of Insecurity, where […]
So asked the Dean of Engineering to a bunch of freshman engineering students almost fifty years ago. The class was Intro to Engineering, an overview of what we were getting ourselves into. When he asked the question, most of the hands in the room went up. “Well”, he replied, “if you REALLY want go get […]
Here is some boomer humor that arrived recently via an E-mail. A C-130 was lumbering along when a cocky F-16 flashed by. The jet jockey decided to show off. The fighter jock told the C-130 pilot, “Watch this!’ and promptly went into a barrel roll followed by a steep climb. He then finished with a […]
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 […]
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 […]
Like it or not, age often matters in marketing a consulting practice. Age also matters in customer perceptions, as evidenced by the following examples. Real Life Story # 1 – Floyd, a fellow engineer, was going to law school at night. At the time, he was in his mid 40s, and I was in my […]
When dealing with prospects or clients, age is a very important parameter. One size (or approach) does not fit all. According to many authors, there are four major age groups that coexist today, each with their own distinct culture and ways of doing things. All were influenced by the conditions when they were growing up. This […]
Roger Boisjoly, P.E. – Truthteller This success story is a shining example for all consultants — not just engineers. Roger is best known for trying to stop the Challenger Space Shuttle Launch in January 1986 due to his concerns about faulty O-rings in the rocket boosters. Although often referred to as a whistleblower, Roger prefers […]
Gene K. Baxter, Ph.D., P.E. – Baxter Engineering I met Gene a dozen years ago through a professional group in Phoenix. A mechanical engineer, Gene specializes in forensic consulting (accident investigations, product failures, etc.) Typical clients are attorneys or insurance companies that need a professional to investigate and assist in legal proceedings and, if it […]
A retired engineer does the math… Every time I tell Karl’s story, it bring me joy. My engineering colleagues always love it, too. You see, when some big company bureaucrats (BCBs) tried to stick it to Karl, he struck back and won. Karl didn’t intend to consult. Nearing retirement, he alerted his company that it […]
Consulting Success Stories will be sprinkled throughout the blog, so we can learn from others how they achieved their success. These are tales of those who have succeeded at consulting (or small business in general.) Many are acquaintances, but feel free to send me your stories too. This is one of my personal favorites. Here is […]
