Chapter 1: Why I Founded My Own Consultancy After Years in Corporate Roles

Welcome to Paradigm Swift, a series where I share candid insights from my professional journey through corporate America and entrepreneurship. In these chapters, I'll offer the unvarnished truth about career transitions, corporate dynamics, and building your own path—lessons I wish I had paid closer attention to earlier in my career.

The short answer to this inaugural prompt is that I was let go. It was a first and it stung. In fairness, however, the company took a chance on me for a position I didn't have a seasoned background in, gave me an opportunity when others likely wouldn't have, taught me a lot about a business I hadn't yet been intimately exposed to, and was exceptionally gracious when we made the separation official. I have an incredible amount of respect for the people I worked with and got to know, and I’m confident they'll continue to accomplish great things.

When you find yourself in this situation toward the end of the year in corporate America, it can be especially difficult to quickly find a replacement job. For those who've been in this position, you know that for the last few months of a calendar year and the few months of the following calendar year, many hiring organizations undergo what some call a "hiring frost," or even a "hiring freeze," in which headcount is drastically slowed or altogether frozen as businesses comprising the enterprise finalize next year's budgets, fire on all cylinders to meet ambitious end-of-year project timelines (more on this quandary in another chapter), and burn midnight oil to recognize as much revenue before the stroke of midnight on New Year's.

I oversimplify, of course, but the point is, there are a lot of competing priorities at the end of the year—anyone remember the holidays?—and as much as we all like to think we're well-rested and ready to hit the ground running on January 2 or 3, we all really need another month or two to get back into the swing of things as a collective unit. All this to say that for those who find themselves without employment during this window, it can be a very uncertain time.

It was unequivocally an uncertain time for me. I knew it wouldn't be easy to find work. A recruiter who I deeply admire has often told me of the infamous hiring frosts and freezes. So, in addition to applying for roles referred to me by my network, scouring LinkedIn for viable positions, scheduling networking calls and meetings with former colleagues, and taking time to think outside the box, I decided to start my own consulting business. First, it's quick and easy to start your own company (thanks, America!). Secondly, I knew I had something to offer. I'd realized it many times over the course of my career—times when I'd be in a meeting at a client site, or on a call with a partner or colleague and I'd feel that unmistakable sense of excitement as we accomplished something great together that couldn't have been done individually. It's a great feeling.

Quick footnote: If you're well into your career and you haven't experienced it yet, you might consider a change.

The problem is, once you experience this feeling, you want more, and personally, I never did satisfy my appetite. The type of consulting engagements I worked were generally too bureaucratic to consistently and routinely experience that feeling. Working in tech proper, I felt it more frequently, but it quickly became less so once the company I was working for was acquired.

So, finding myself where I was, and thinking long and hard about what to do, therein lay the epiphany: Start consulting in technology-focused businesses or projects at early, aggressive, or transitory stages to maximize the benefit for both myself and those I work with. Specifically, I could leverage my expertise in technology advisory, product leadership & management, and enterprise software consulting to help companies navigate their growth challenges without the bureaucratic friction I'd experienced in larger organizations. My approach would combine technical knowledge with strategic insight, focusing on optimizing resources and streamlining development processes.

There was a practical lens to consider, too. In the midst of uncertainty, take a risk. If I didn't take a risk, there would be no potential reward. In this case, the reward I seek most is helping people and companies grow to be something greater. And in pursuit of this endeavor, I hope you can learn some things from me in the process—things that you can avoid learning the hard way. Be sure to read the next chapter for more opportunities to do so.

-Chris