Coming Back From Failures, Setbacks, and Mistakes

Like most small-business start-ups, most new consultants close their doors within two years. They make mistakes, and they experience setbacks and failures that they can’t overcome. Some consultants, though, not only survive their missteps and failures, but eventually thrive.

This month we have invited three successful longtime consultants who have done just that. They will share their journey forward, from the mistakes they made, the setbacks they confronted, and the failures they had to overcome, to their eventual success. They will touch upon:

• Lessons learned
  
• Mistakes that can be avoided
  
• Mindsets necessary to endure and overcome failure.
  

About Our Panelists:

Jim Connell’s company, Custom Software, is dedicated to helping customers understand and manage their data. Jim began developing software in 1984. While working as a school psychologist, he wrote code to help him interpret psychological testing results and write reports. Later, when he moved to the business world, he created database applications to manage financial assets and foreign-exchange hedging at Fortune 500 corporations. He relies on his finance and psychology background to understand customer requirements and build robust systems. He regularly presents technical sessions aimed at professional developers and database end users. He is currently serving as president of the SPC.

Carl Harvey is the founder and principal of Success & Self-Esteem, a sales development company that helps companies put in place the processes and practices that support a sales culture of achievement and accountability, and works with salespeople and those who sell to develop the selling skills and psychological competencies required for sustained selling success. He is also a member of the National Speakers Association and is a much sought-after speaker on self-esteem, sales development, and sales management.

Bruce Katcher, PhD., is an industrial/organizational psychologist, consultant, author, and speaker. He received his doctorate from the University of Maryland in 1983. His award-winning book, “30 Reasons Employees Hate Their Managers,” was published by the American Management Association. AMACOM also published his book, “An Insider's Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice.” Bruce has a long history of mentoring new consultants and is a former president of the SPC.

Vic Taylor founded Turning Point Solutions after a successful 25-year career in the electronics industry. TPS is a project management company focused on disaster recovery, small business computing, and construction management. Vic’s skills in project management plus his background in construction ensure that his clients’ projects come in on time and within budget. Vic served as president of SPC from 1996 through 1998.

Steve Balzac, president of 7 Steps Ahead, LLC, and a former president of the SPC, will moderate the panel.