You’ve had an extraordinary military career, kept our country safe, and inspired hundreds with your leadership ability.
What’s next?
If you are a high-autonomy person, like me, building your own coaching or solo-consulting business could be a meaningful, joyful, and profitable next career.
You also want to do more than grind away at work. You have family, community, and other priorities you want to support.
Working for yourself seems like a great fit.
“I want to work for myself … but I don’t see how it would work.”
It’s scary. Uncle Sam made sure that paycheck arrived biweekly without fail. As a consultant, you’ll ask people to pay you. How uncomfortable is that?
On top of that awkwardness, how do you get people to know that you are in business, what you can do for them, and why they should trust you.
The golden handcuffs can chafe.
The sense of mission is not the same, so your tolerance for long hours, work-travel, mediocre bosses, and a poor work environment are lower. It’s why so many people in our shoes get frustrated with post-military life.
Do you want to have the freedom and autonomy to pursue the other priorities that are so important to you?
Identify how you help people
Find the people who can use your help
Show them your expertise without coming across as a self-promoter
Bring them on as joyful clients without feeling pushy or awkward.
I’ve captured all of this into a simple program called
I offer the live program semi-annually. We meet once a week for 90 minutes by zoom for 9 weeks to discuss each lesson, go over your assignments, and create action steps that get results.
Most people say that the program pays for itself within the first few weeks.
If the timing is not right for the live program, you can join the self-directed program at your own pace and time
You watch a short video each week that outlines each step in the process.
You apply what you learned in an assignment that helps you grow your business.
You get my coaching and advice, along with the support of a terrific peer group.
If something isn’t working right for you by the end of the program, I’ll keep working with you until it does at no additional cost.
If you are not succeeding by the end of this program, then one of us is not doing their jobs and I guarantee you that it won’t be me.
Like you, I’m a high autonomy person and was ready to be my own boss.
I decided that I could figure it out on my own. I’m a smart guy, I can read a few books, and be as successful as so many others who’ve had less experience.
At first, things went well. My existing relationships created some excellent opportunities, and I figured that I was well on my way to a million-dollar business.
And then those contracts ran their course and there was nothing waiting. Crickets.
I made all sorts of mistakes trying to supercharge my business – expensive digital marketing failures, awkward cold calls, yucky self-promotion.
I found out why lone wolves starve – they double-down on stupid.
I was a good consultant, but I wasn’t very good at being a good consultant.
I was making most of the available mistakes and creating new ones.
I finally invested in making myself good at being a good consultant and that investment has paid dividends many times over.
There are so many people like you and me who’ve had exceptional military careers and will be extraordinary consultants.
You just need a practical way to make it all work.
First things first: clarify your mission and value proposition to attract the right customers for the right reasons.
Take control of your time, talent, and energy so that you build a thriving business and advance the priorities that matter most to you.
Develop a prospecting and marketing process that works for you and brings value to your clients.
Develop a clear and compelling brand so people recognize the value you provide even when you are not around.
Overcome obstacles and roadblocks so that you get moving and avoid second-guessing.
Determination versus Drift: Develop action steps that keep you on the determination curve towards success; recognize the warning signs of the drift towards comfort zones and mediocrity.
Simplify. Develop a simple, agile, executable business model to meet your customers' needs and adapt quickly in a dynamic market.
Implement a sales process that fits your values and creates win-win opportunities for you and your clients.
If you’ve done the work and something is not working right for you by the end of this program, I’ll keep working with you until it does – at no additional cost.
Schedule a call to see if the program is the right fit.
I only accept people who are coachable, have an abundance mentality, and want to help people.
Don’t miss the opportunity to grow a second career that is as impactful and joyful as your first, and allows you the freedom and autonomy to meet your priorities – family, community, vacation, etc.
You’re a winner. Get rid of the golden handcuffs and bet on yourself.
If you are unable to participate live, beginning with the self-directed Expert Consulting Mastery System is the perfect choice for you to build your consulting business or boost your existing business at your own pace.
You get access to the same video training and assignments without the interaction and live coaching sessions. You also go to the top of the waitlist for the next live program and receive a credit for the amount you invested in the self-directed program.
© 2024 Chris Kolenda