PICA Member Spotlights
Q&A with independent consultants who successfully “made the leap” and created the consulting career of their dreams
Q: Could you please introduce yourself and tell us the name of your business and your consulting specialty?
A: My name is Sue Larson and my company is Sue Larson Consulting. My specialty is executive and team coaching – working with leaders and their leadership teams to align and drive business results while sustaining a thriving culture.
Q: How long have you been independent?
A: I’ve been independent going on 18 months, but this is my second stint. I was also independent 10 years ago but ended up going back internal after 8 months.
Q: What inspired you to “go for it” and become a solopreneur?
A: I was laid off 18 months ago from a senior level OD role at Microsoft and was trying to decide if I should go back internal or if I should go independent again. I started getting consulting and facilitation opportunities from my network and one of the opportunities was a long-term gig, which meant it would be difficult to apply for and interview for internal roles while committing to the project. This caused me to dig deep and think about where I was in my career and if now was the right time to go independent. I also have a very supportive spouse who had been a stay-at-home dad for the last 15 years and he was willing to go back to work to ensure we had health benefits. This took a lot of pressure off of me in terms of revenue and has allowed me to ease into being a solopreneur.
Q: How did you “make the leap”?
A: I committed to a long-term facilitation contract which ensured I had some revenue coming in while communicating to my network that I was available for consulting and contract opportunities. I also set myself up to be able to invoice at my previous company which made it much easier to reach out to my contacts there and let them know I could quickly take on opportunities. I also joined PICA after learning about it from a colleague which provided the support and encouragement to keep moving forward.
Q: How did you get your first client?
A: My first client turned out to be the company I contacted to be able to invoice at my previous employer. As I was talking with them about how to get set up as a vendor, the account manager was viewing my Linked In profile and by looking at my experience, thought I would be a good fit as a facilitator for their leadership development programs. This is the opportunity that was the catalyst for me taking the leap. My second client was a start-up tech company that was looking to build organization design capability in their leadership team. This came through a referral from someone I had worked with previously.
Q: What’s one thing you know now that you wish you’d known before you started?
A: When I went independent 10 years ago, I was not prepared for the work that it would take to build my business and the stress I experienced in “being billable.” I found myself thinking about our family vacations as billable hours and I didn’t like that mindset so I realized at that point in my career, with the age of my kids, it wasn’t the right time to go independent. Now, 10 years later, with all of us in our family being 10 years older, it is more doable. So the advice I would give is to make sure you have the means to support a decrease in your family income while you are building your business. This could mean counting on your partner’s income or having enough savings to augment your income for a year or two. Knowing that my business income is not our sole source of income relieved the pressure and shifted my mindset to focus more on the type of projects/contracts that I want vs doing any and all projects because I need the income.
Q: What’s surprised you the most about being self-employed?
A: That an organization like PICA existed to help solopreneurs like me as we navigate the ups and downs of getting our businesses going. It has been a pleasant surprise to broaden my network with other PICA members!
Q: What’s been your biggest challenge?
A: My biggest challenge is staying motivated and focused when my week isn’t filled with billable time. I find that when my calendar is not full I tend to find other things to fill my time. So I schedule time in my calendar to work “on my business” vs “in my business.” “In my business” is my client-related, billable work including proposals, projects, client meetings, etc. “On my business” includes business development, marketing, writing, bookkeeping, etc. Making sure that I have meetings in my calendar that focus “on my business” ensures that I continue to grow my business.
Q: What does the word “solopreneur” mean to you?
A: I had not heard this term until I joined PICA, but I love the combination of “solo” meaning you are the business, and entrepreneur which is focused on building a business in new and unique ways.
Q: What is something that many aspiring solopreneurs think they need that they really don’t?
A: I have yet to build my web site. When I went independent 10 years ago, I first focused on defining my company name, brand, services – I had a great web site. I thought that all of that showed how committed I was to my business and being independent. But having all of that didn’t mean I was committed to being a solopreneur. This time, I’m letting the market and my network speak to me about how my expertise can turn into billable services. I’m more focused on defining a niche (thank you PICA) vs providing a broad variety of generic services.
Q: Is there a particular quote or saying that you use as personal motivation?
A: I tend to reach out to my staunchest supporters in my network when FUD surfaces. These are the people who are true believers in me and my capabilities and always have positive, motivating words to keep me going.
Q: What’s next for you and your consulting business?
A: One thing that being a solopreneur has ignited in me is my passion for group/team facilitation combined with executive coaching. I am launching a Vistage Chair practice where both of these passions come together and I’m excited to be working with small-medium sized CEO’s and business owners in the Seattle area. And yes, I am working on my website!
Q: How can people find out more about your business?
A: You can find me on Linked In or feel free to email me directly at sue@suelarsonconsulting.com.
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