Thirty

Beating the work from home trend by 30 years — and what I’ve learned

Let’s talk about March 6, 1992. 

Armed with an Apple Mac Plus and a dream, on that unseasonably warm Chicago morning thirty years ago today I departed salaried work.

Rather than declaring independence, I was simply leaving my first real career job to become a (likely temporary) freelancer.  At the time, I wanted to escape a situation that had led to my getting checked for an ulcer. I was looking beyond the stress for something one could control a little better. 

Although I was unsure, I was energetic and confident that I could do it. I was engaged to be married in three months and was working from my apartment in north Chicago. It was a busy period that prevented me from really stopping to analyze beyond surface, “survive-and-advance” thinking.

Then my phone rang. And has kept ringing. (Well, the texts have kept coming). And now, quite astonishingly, thirty years have passed.

It has been an exhilarating, unpredictable and ultimately rewarding ride: 

• met terrific people and served fun clients
• traveled all over the US and Europe
• sold byline work to media outlets large and small
• wrote three books (with a fourth on the way)
• (In consecutive years) achieved 240% billability & 100% unemployment 

Wouldn’t change a thing. Down times, yes. But also: resilience, hustle, helping, curiosity and ‘finding your own way’… Quite happy to not be taking orders from talentless debs or moody Schleprocks. Totally worth the occasional pain. 

Part of *their* success

In my three decades in and around corporate communications, I have seen what works and what doesn’t. Each relationship starts in that first moment with a client, a potential client—even with a third-party. Clients and prospects can come from anywhere at any time.  Comport yourself accordingly. 

As a consultant or a temporary teammate for a client, you are an ingredient in their success. As such, always be someone who asks questions, is naturally curious about their business, and tries to understand their current situation. (On the other hand, do they listen, and seem open to advice and action?)

Trust comes first. It helps you and your client overcome obstacles and allows people to bring their most effective selves to situations. Build trust early on and you’ll be able to have those important conversations and handle conflicts effectively.

Ultimately though, counsel is what the client is buying.

You are in charge of your life

An aside:  Some years ago, I decided to work full-time again — only to have it yanked away months later by a downsizing. By all accounts it was going well, but the employer had to make a business decision. 

In the meantime I’d said goodbye to a book of business I had built over years. (No, there were no guarantees and yes, I had accepted the risk.)

An “employer makes a business decision” — It happens every day. They look to their analysts to optimize revenue or increase margins. And they will sacrifice people to do so. I resolved that I would maintain my independence.

Managing the relationship

Once you establish a relationship, both parties must manage it over time. When you hire a consultant, you want someone who can tell you, “I know the problem you’re having, and last time I ran into this, here’s what worked.” You want somebody who can say, “Here are the results achieved, and this is what it took to get them.”

Long relationships thrive on effective, regular communication. Ultimately, you will know that the relationship has real value when one of you calls the other, simply for advice or an opinion. About anything.

You run the show, or the show runs you

Looking back, it’s been about taking control of the things that you -can- control. 

Obviously, there will always be clients to deliver for. Focusing where you want to — in my case, on communication, collaboration, research and analytical thinking — you get to be free.

There is high value in being outside of an organizational structure yet permitted into their world as a messaging or communications counsel. You offer more value when you’re allowed to speak truths. And value, in both firms and individuals, is never fee-sensitive.

Here are a few that have resonated for me: