- Joined
- Feb 19, 2016
- Messages
- 57
Rep Bank
$1,655
$1,655
User Power: 526%
Hey everyone!
It's been a while since I've updated here on the forum, and I have had a WILD year so far! I'm going to share how I reached $10k+ per month consulting, how long it took me to get there (title might've been a spoiler...), and some insights into how you could pull this off, too. Hopefully this post is helpful to someone!
But first, a little context.
I've been a member of the forum for a long time, but have never really been super active. If you dig hard enough, you can find my previous two intro threads: one when I first found the forum and was an electronic artist manager/club promoter (that didn't go well), and my second "intro" thread after I found the Fox web design thread and subsequently his Facebook group. Coupled with finding the web design thread and finally reading TMF , it's fair to say my eyes were opened to the roadmap from that point. That was back in '15-'16.
My college education is in physical therapy. I've never once used that education. From the time I graduated high school (2011), I put myself in position after position to learn about marketing and advertising. I took several different ecommerce jobs, sales jobs, agency jobs; any place I thought I could further cut my teeth, I worked there. At one point, I even left an agency job to try to start an agency myself (went well for a bit... then not so well. That's worth a thread in itself).
That brought me to 2019, where I was working as a paid search specialist at an ad agency, managing 25 or so client accounts. This was honestly the best job I could have imagined. The pay was good, the benefits were solid, the people were amazing, office location was 10/10. But then...
C0VlD-19: My FTE
Sure, maybe my "f*** this" event isn't as dramatic as some, but it was enough to kick me into gear and change my life for the better. Like many people in the US and around the world, I was laid off in March due to client shortages caused by C0VlD-19. The agency for which I worked was niched completely into an industry that came to a screeching halt, so there wasn't much need for me. Even though I was told I still had a job (when the clients came back), this was a real punch in the face. I had what I thought was the best job ever and I was a textbook great employee. And yet, the universe still managed to find a way to strip me of my source of income. This lack of control was what I label as my FTE. I realized I could do everything right and it was still possible to lose it if I'm not the one responsible at the end of the day.
While most were giving up.
If you've been on Facebook the last few months, you've seen it. Everyone looked at job loss as time to panic, lay down, and wither. I could have very easily done that, especially since I was told I'd have a job in a few months. But the lack of accountability and control forced me to make other plans.
A quick side note, lest I look like an entitled, privileged punk. I am fully aware that not everyone had an easy run through their C0VlD-19 layoffs. I'm not saying literally everyone can attempt, could, or should have attempted what I managed to pull off. I understand that for some, especially those with mouths to feed or zero in savings, a layoff is massively detrimental. (Whether or not I think it's responsible to operate your life while NOT prepared for a layoff is a different point entirely).
Ok, back on track. I spent the first two weeks of my layoff knocking out home projects that I didn't have the time for originally. I painted my kitchen, installed subway tile, renovated my "office" room, built a PC, and landscaped. I used this time not only to make my surroundings more comfortable, but to think and plan. "WTF am I going to do to fix this?" I frequently thought to myself while working on projects.
But I knew what I needed to do all along. I had a silver-platter opportunity to take my second stab at starting a business. This time, instead of a managed marketing agency model, I would do what I do best: consult. Granted, I'd never consulted before. But I always had phone calls with business owner friends and they always told me my advice helped them do X or Y. So I had consulted, I just never got paid for it.
How I Got Started, Even During a Pandemic
The plan I hatched while renovating my home was simple: find three clients of any size and make them an offer they can't refuse. If they sign contracts, I'll give myself a name, file all the paperwork, and formally launch this thing.
I probably sent 50 LinkedIn messages and 50 Facebook messages to local business owners. The messaging was simple. "I know times are tough right now. I am starting a consulting firm and I'm writing because I feel I can help prevent layoffs by minimize your marketing expenses. $500 for a consultation, and if we don't find a way to save on your bottom line while keeping or even improving your marketing results, I'll give every one of those dollars back." If the consult went well, I would pitch bringing me on for regular consulting.
And, pardon my language, a whole shitload of people liked that idea. I probably did 15 or so consultations. Kept my word on a few of them and refunded them. Reality is, COVID really did impact some businesses and it wasn't always possible to find a way to scale back without significantly impacting the marketing returns. The honesty was appreciated and earned me a lot of "When we're healthy again, we're coming to you" type conversations.
But of those consultations, three bit and brought me on as a consultant. I immediately had my three. And I kept my word to myself, filed all my paperwork, and formally launched my business. I was laid off in March, and by the end of May (just short of 90 days), I had three clients signed to extended contracts.
So what do you even do as a consultant?
Remember I mentioned I took any job I could to learn marketing, advertising, and sales? This is where that all pays off.
I've labeled myself as a marketing and communication consultant. A "freelance CMO" of sorts. I work with businesses that need overarching guidance in their marketing strategies. I call the shots, train the teams, allocate spend, and collect a retainer for doing so. In some cases, I also manage the marketing services. I have an ad guy, a developer, a copywriter, and some others I can tap regularly for projects. By the end of the year, I will have likely hired one or all of them (if they want that, that is).
But wait... I'm not a marketer. How could I do that?
Listen, everyone has the potential to have a sharpened skillset. If you're an exceptional accountant, or an HR wiz, or a damn good web designer, or the best toilet cleaner in your city... you're in a position to help someone. Consulting is the fine art of teaching people the things you don't realize they don't know. I second-guessed my way up and down about consulting because I thought, "what information could I possibly give them that they don't know or have access to already?" The answer was, shockingly, a LOT of information.
If you have a skill, the odds are that there are a handful of businesses, some of which may already be in your network, that need your help. Do you have the resolve and the wherewithal to offer these services in a way that proves your benefit? If not... read TMF , or have yourself an FTE. Either/both will help develop that resolve.
Hold on. Consulting isn't fastlane.
Alright, you got me there. I'm not technically waking up looking at every day like a Saturday. I've still got some work to do. What I AM doing, though, is building relationships that can grow either into equity positions (when I've proved my worth enough to the right kind of clients), or into a big enough book of business that I make an exit to a larger consulting firm. Money systems and the Fastlane from there. There's still some work to be done.
THE KEY TAKEAWAYS
And for anyone who made it this far and is wondering... yes, I DID get an offer to reclaim my position. Looking my employer in the face and saying "I'm sorry, but I won't be coming back to the best job I've ever had" was sad, terrifying, and yet the most exciting feeling ever.
Oh, and don't believe that BS about "you're not self-employed, you're just employed by clients." When you prove your worth and manage expectations, your clients view you as a lifeline, not an employee.
Anyways, I hope I haven't rambled too much and that someone finds value in my story! Feel free to ask any questions you might have!
It's been a while since I've updated here on the forum, and I have had a WILD year so far! I'm going to share how I reached $10k+ per month consulting, how long it took me to get there (title might've been a spoiler...), and some insights into how you could pull this off, too. Hopefully this post is helpful to someone!
But first, a little context.
I've been a member of the forum for a long time, but have never really been super active. If you dig hard enough, you can find my previous two intro threads: one when I first found the forum and was an electronic artist manager/club promoter (that didn't go well), and my second "intro" thread after I found the Fox web design thread and subsequently his Facebook group. Coupled with finding the web design thread and finally reading TMF , it's fair to say my eyes were opened to the roadmap from that point. That was back in '15-'16.
My college education is in physical therapy. I've never once used that education. From the time I graduated high school (2011), I put myself in position after position to learn about marketing and advertising. I took several different ecommerce jobs, sales jobs, agency jobs; any place I thought I could further cut my teeth, I worked there. At one point, I even left an agency job to try to start an agency myself (went well for a bit... then not so well. That's worth a thread in itself).
That brought me to 2019, where I was working as a paid search specialist at an ad agency, managing 25 or so client accounts. This was honestly the best job I could have imagined. The pay was good, the benefits were solid, the people were amazing, office location was 10/10. But then...
C0VlD-19: My FTE
Sure, maybe my "f*** this" event isn't as dramatic as some, but it was enough to kick me into gear and change my life for the better. Like many people in the US and around the world, I was laid off in March due to client shortages caused by C0VlD-19. The agency for which I worked was niched completely into an industry that came to a screeching halt, so there wasn't much need for me. Even though I was told I still had a job (when the clients came back), this was a real punch in the face. I had what I thought was the best job ever and I was a textbook great employee. And yet, the universe still managed to find a way to strip me of my source of income. This lack of control was what I label as my FTE. I realized I could do everything right and it was still possible to lose it if I'm not the one responsible at the end of the day.
While most were giving up.
If you've been on Facebook the last few months, you've seen it. Everyone looked at job loss as time to panic, lay down, and wither. I could have very easily done that, especially since I was told I'd have a job in a few months. But the lack of accountability and control forced me to make other plans.
A quick side note, lest I look like an entitled, privileged punk. I am fully aware that not everyone had an easy run through their C0VlD-19 layoffs. I'm not saying literally everyone can attempt, could, or should have attempted what I managed to pull off. I understand that for some, especially those with mouths to feed or zero in savings, a layoff is massively detrimental. (Whether or not I think it's responsible to operate your life while NOT prepared for a layoff is a different point entirely).
Ok, back on track. I spent the first two weeks of my layoff knocking out home projects that I didn't have the time for originally. I painted my kitchen, installed subway tile, renovated my "office" room, built a PC, and landscaped. I used this time not only to make my surroundings more comfortable, but to think and plan. "WTF am I going to do to fix this?" I frequently thought to myself while working on projects.
But I knew what I needed to do all along. I had a silver-platter opportunity to take my second stab at starting a business. This time, instead of a managed marketing agency model, I would do what I do best: consult. Granted, I'd never consulted before. But I always had phone calls with business owner friends and they always told me my advice helped them do X or Y. So I had consulted, I just never got paid for it.
How I Got Started, Even During a Pandemic
The plan I hatched while renovating my home was simple: find three clients of any size and make them an offer they can't refuse. If they sign contracts, I'll give myself a name, file all the paperwork, and formally launch this thing.
I probably sent 50 LinkedIn messages and 50 Facebook messages to local business owners. The messaging was simple. "I know times are tough right now. I am starting a consulting firm and I'm writing because I feel I can help prevent layoffs by minimize your marketing expenses. $500 for a consultation, and if we don't find a way to save on your bottom line while keeping or even improving your marketing results, I'll give every one of those dollars back." If the consult went well, I would pitch bringing me on for regular consulting.
And, pardon my language, a whole shitload of people liked that idea. I probably did 15 or so consultations. Kept my word on a few of them and refunded them. Reality is, COVID really did impact some businesses and it wasn't always possible to find a way to scale back without significantly impacting the marketing returns. The honesty was appreciated and earned me a lot of "When we're healthy again, we're coming to you" type conversations.
But of those consultations, three bit and brought me on as a consultant. I immediately had my three. And I kept my word to myself, filed all my paperwork, and formally launched my business. I was laid off in March, and by the end of May (just short of 90 days), I had three clients signed to extended contracts.
So what do you even do as a consultant?
Remember I mentioned I took any job I could to learn marketing, advertising, and sales? This is where that all pays off.
I've labeled myself as a marketing and communication consultant. A "freelance CMO" of sorts. I work with businesses that need overarching guidance in their marketing strategies. I call the shots, train the teams, allocate spend, and collect a retainer for doing so. In some cases, I also manage the marketing services. I have an ad guy, a developer, a copywriter, and some others I can tap regularly for projects. By the end of the year, I will have likely hired one or all of them (if they want that, that is).
But wait... I'm not a marketer. How could I do that?
Listen, everyone has the potential to have a sharpened skillset. If you're an exceptional accountant, or an HR wiz, or a damn good web designer, or the best toilet cleaner in your city... you're in a position to help someone. Consulting is the fine art of teaching people the things you don't realize they don't know. I second-guessed my way up and down about consulting because I thought, "what information could I possibly give them that they don't know or have access to already?" The answer was, shockingly, a LOT of information.
If you have a skill, the odds are that there are a handful of businesses, some of which may already be in your network, that need your help. Do you have the resolve and the wherewithal to offer these services in a way that proves your benefit? If not... read TMF , or have yourself an FTE. Either/both will help develop that resolve.
Hold on. Consulting isn't fastlane.
Alright, you got me there. I'm not technically waking up looking at every day like a Saturday. I've still got some work to do. What I AM doing, though, is building relationships that can grow either into equity positions (when I've proved my worth enough to the right kind of clients), or into a big enough book of business that I make an exit to a larger consulting firm. Money systems and the Fastlane from there. There's still some work to be done.
THE KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Find every opportunity to learn something useful.
- Life isn't always going to go your way. Sometimes, you can do everything right and still get the short end of the stick.
- That stick I just mentioned? You can chuck it and find a bigger stick. Life is what you make it.
- If you have a skill, figure out how it helps a business, then leverage that as your selling point and entry into working with businesses who need you.
- For the love of God, please wash your hands and don't cough in each others' mouths for sport. Can confirm from personal connections that if COVID goes south, it REALLY goes south.
And for anyone who made it this far and is wondering... yes, I DID get an offer to reclaim my position. Looking my employer in the face and saying "I'm sorry, but I won't be coming back to the best job I've ever had" was sad, terrifying, and yet the most exciting feeling ever.
Oh, and don't believe that BS about "you're not self-employed, you're just employed by clients." When you prove your worth and manage expectations, your clients view you as a lifeline, not an employee.
Anyways, I hope I haven't rambled too much and that someone finds value in my story! Feel free to ask any questions you might have!
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
