DEAR COLLETT
Consulting Never Left Me. Because I Never Wanted It To.
On the loneliness of being the fixer, the joy of being the call someone makes, and the skill that never belonged to a company.
One thing I never stopped doing after I left my corporate job was consulting.
When I left I assumed my consulting work would look exactly like my career. I would help companies in the CRO, biotech, and pharma world grow and scale their business development efforts. Looking back that always came so natural to me. I can look at a problem and see the solution almost immediately.
Early in my career I was probably too nervous to speak up when I saw it. As I grew I realized the real challenge was not finding the solution. It was getting people to accept it.
Not everyone wants to hear the truth. They want the easy way. The quick way. The way that does not hurt anyone's feelings.
They want the way that does not eliminate any positions, or offend anyone to the point that they might leave — even when that would be the best thing for the company. Let's not ruffle any feathers. Even though this is a business and not a support group for adult babies.
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When I started consulting I learned three things very quickly.
1. Consulting is lonely. You get so invested so fast. You want to meet everyone, hear about the challenges, find ways to help. But you are still an outsider. Some people are guarded. Some are afraid to share everything. Some are simply afraid of you. I know that feeling myself — why are these consultants here, why do they ask so many questions?
2. A good consultant is deeply invested in the outcome. Their name is tied to it. They are a fixer by nature. And when you do not get to see the final outcome it is genuinely hard to walk away.
3. When the solution is so clear but you cannot confirm the recommendation is being followed fully, it is stressful in a way that is very hard to explain.
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But here is another kind of consulting I love. The kind where people know they can always call me. On the fly. No agenda. Sometimes no charge. Because I genuinely enjoy helping people solve things.
I can consult you on finding the perfect couch.
Answer: The Lounge II from Crate and Barrel. It's the best.
I can consult you on how to be more confident in the boardroom.
Answer: Start with what you wear. It changes everything. Trust me.
I can consult you on how to handle the co-worker who is always mouthing off in meetings.
Answer: "That's an interesting thing to say out loud." Say it calmly. It will stop them in their tracks every single time.
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That skill does not belong to a company. It belongs to me.
Consulting never left me because I never wanted it to. The people I respect most in business have always had one thing in common. They see the solution before everyone else in the room. The ones who changed my career were not afraid to say it out loud.
I spent 25 years learning to do the same. And then I left my corporate job and realized that skill does not belong to a company. It belongs to me.
What I did with it next is the part of the story I have been building toward this whole time.
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