Lynn Street Shift
When I started this consulting gig in July of 2016, some friends, also current or reforming consultants, gave me a few bits of advice around the business.
In terms of the kind of consultant, they said, you are either doing this as a lifestyle business or are going to try and build something bigger than yourself. I decided that I needed the latter and have enjoyed the 2 steps forward, 1 step back growth progression that LSP has experienced.
They then told me that this would end one of three ways:
You realize that you can’t make it work from a financial or resource perspective.
You end up loving a client so much and the work they do that you go full time.
You end up building something that becomes truly bigger than yourself.
What they didn’t tell me was that there was fourth potential:
4. You experience all three.
The first few months of this experience were amazing, with just me supporting a handful of clients. Money was great, work was challenging and busy, but I realized I wanted to grow. As I brought in support, I learned the challenge of balancing existing clients with future prospects. I learned about managing contract staff (different than managing full time staff). I learned, most importantly, about letting go and letting your staff take on full responsibility (perhaps later than I should have...sorry Karen and Laila...I am thick headed, as you know). And then, over the past 6 months I have watched as LSP has started to become bigger than me.
And then a client offered a full time gig. I struggled with the decision for several months thinking about what I would be leaving if I turned in either direction. Ultimately, I decided to make the leap and on March 5th I will be joining Strada Education Network as SVP of Business Development inside their Commercial Team. This is not a blind leap and was done with an abundance of thought and advisement from those around me including those involved here at LSP.
The last 18 months have been some of the most rewarding of my career. Spending time with clients across industries and sharing their confidence and fears, triumphs and losses have been more formative than I could have ever imagined.
And the time I got to spend with my family was precious. And that includes my extended LSP family, Karen and Laila. My time working with them over the past year was incredibly impactful. I have the fond memories and bruises to prove it. I would call them cheerleaders if cheerleaders were the type to support you at all times while also yelling at you about grammatical errors, the approach for a client and how you positioned a product. Between them both, I have endured abuse by two of the best and am developing a thick skin that will serve me well in the future.
Laila is considering several amazing options in the industries (more to come from her once she makes her own tough decision). Karen is going to be taking on quite a few of our existing clients and is already lining up more of her own under her own banner. And Lynn Street will remain dormant in the shadows until one or more of us decide it is time to come back and enjoy the craze again.
Until that day….
