David A. Fields is Founder and Managing Director of The Ascendant Consortium, an organization that matches top-tier management consultants with consulting clients.
He is also the author of The Irresistible Consultant’s Guide to Winning Clients: 6 Steps to Unlimited Clients & Financial Freedom.
In this interview, we chronicle David’s consulting journey from the big firm to the smaller boutique, and ultimately striking out on his own.
Then we talk about the concept of “right side up thinking” and the notion that consultants should not differentiate themselves, both of which are key ideas presented in David’s book.
Show Notes
- David shares his backstory [2:12]
- His transition from working at a big firm to a smaller boutique firm [3:45]
- Consulting looks easy from the outside but complex from the inside [4:12]
- How much time should be spent in industry honing skills before making the leap to consulting [4:57]
- Why his first year at a boutique firm was miserable [08:40]
- David’s decision to leave the boutique firm [9:42]
- The steps David took to rebuild his career [14:02]
- How to have the courage to hire a mentor despite setbacks [16:10]
- The dilemma of being a specialist when you need revenue [21:05]
- The benefits of writing a book [24:28]
- What is “right side up thinking” [28:45]
- Why consulstants should NOT differentiate themselves [33:20]
Links
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