@[email protected] Just have coffee at favorite consulting firms and start talking. Big or small, international or local. Focussed on non-profit or otherwise. Consider what skills you'd look for in a consultant and be honest with yourself. Find a firm that handles acquisitions if it's not in your skillset or find a firm where you can learn this. Don't be afraid to jump in.
this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2024
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@[email protected] sounds like a soul source contract with a well equipped specialist, er I mean sole source.
@[email protected] I don't know if there is a glide path for it that doesn't start with talking about this hypothetical with a wide range of people - generally a head hunter and then a bunch of CFO/CEO/COO’s who hire consultants that fit the persons demographic skill set. I spent some time trying to figure out if I was going to go the consultant path and ended up on the same track as before but I think I easily could have stood up my own practice.
I'd tell your friend to just start talking with everyone in their network where it was reasonable to do so.
@[email protected] consider joining one of the big consulting firms. I expect that they would like your expertise and contacts
@[email protected] Seriously, buzz up @[email protected]. She's head of vCISOs at Cisco, and is honestly one of only a handful of human beings in the industry I would go work for. She knows a boatload about consulting as a CISO.
@[email protected] I would suggest to your friend that they think twice before doing that. Consulting is like being a CISO but you have more stakeholders to report too.
@[email protected] consulting as a vCISO? Or you mean moving back into some kind of SME type consulting?
@[email protected] learn how to do consulting, it’s just a different profession from what she did so far. I guess she had years of learning and experience for her current job in management. With the same amount of learning and experience she surely can excel in another field.
@[email protected] Independant consultant or working for someone like Accenture?
Very different routes :)
@[email protected] step 1 is defo start listening to the Consulting Success Podcast
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvN5N188CHCQmrSIxzKfhSuntXtGhE3wd&si=-ZiGYKCJBiDG75nq
@[email protected] So your ’friend’… I’d start off at a reputable consultancy firm and go from there.
I’d done it for years and CISO, CTO etc. is highly sought after for vCTO, vCISO services, but also the wider skill set as it applies to projects and transition/transformation work.
After that, it should be relatively easy to distance yourself from the firm, but many stayed on books as our consultants, for a slightly higher rate, while doing their own thing.
I know one guy took two or three large contracts a year in locations he wanted to go on vacation to, he basically lived out of his suitcase and lived the ‘gap year’ life while acting as one of our international consultants.
Why does he want that. Does he like pain, and dumpsterfires?
@[email protected] It's actually pretty easy and inexpensive to get the business side of things set up so that all the contracts can be put under the business.
@[email protected] IMHO? take some time off, then find a consulting firm you'd like to work with.
otoh if they want to start their own firm, follow what @[email protected] is saying.
@[email protected] There are lots of good ideas in this thread. I have been a consulting/fractional CFO for over 20 years. My “been there done that” observations are:
There are many ways to deliver consulting services, but usually they break down into one of two categories. Either as a fractional CxO or a consultant CxO. (Fractional basically means you have authority, but only work part time. I.e. have leadership responsibility and more control over your time). Consultant basically means you work on a project of some sort. (I.e. fix this problem)
Then there are a couple of ways to get organized. Either as part of a firm (Accenture, etc) or set up your own firm. If you are part of a firm like Accenture they will run sales and you will get “assigned” projects. The firm typically also has a dedicated sales teams (helpful if you are not used to selling yourself)
If you create your own firm, then you will need to network and find your own clients. Usually harder to get started, and can be intimidating. But if you are an extrovert and have a lot of contacts not that hard. (At least that is my theory, I am an introvert)
I worked for several different consulting firms for a numbers years. And jumped to clients several times, then back again. It was helpful before I had a lot of experience and developed a network of people with whom I could network. But, the drawback is the firms take a cut of what the client is charged. And, you will get pressured to do projects you don’t like/want. So, you give up some control and $ to outsource sales/admin.
I started my own firm several years ago and did the fractional thing. Much more rewarding as I get to pick my clients and I have more control of what I did every day. Even jumped to one client full time. (Shouldn’t have, but everyone makes mistakes. Live and learn!! Now I am re-starting.)
My advice is, first figure out what you like/are comfortable doing vs what you do not like doing. Then, figure out the structure (other firm vs your own vs partner with others, etc) that works for you.
Personally, I like developing people to become CFOs, CHROs, CISOs, CCO, etc. But I absolutely HATE having my day consumed with meetings. Days filled with meeting just suck the energy from me. So, I took the fractional path and created my own firm. I have no employees, but partner with others who have taken a similar path. Gives me the opportunity to screen clients, define the scope of the services I provide, define the requirements for working with me, and I get to work with people I trust. (FYI, telling CEOs you shouldn’t work with them is a surprisingly effective sales technique)