Should I Stay or Should I Go...Independent

I didn’t dive into consulting. I looked at the pool for a while, looking for swimmers, then dipped my toe, then actually got wet. Now, four years later, I’m confidently calling myself a consultant—it’s a path I’m happy to have taken.

Maybe it was lucky maybe unlucky, but while I was on maternity leave after the birth of my second child, the start-up where I was Director of Brand Marketing laid off most of the marketing department, including me. I was relieved. I had been working 60 hours a week, plus evenings for email, and couldn’t imagine doing that with a 12 week old and a 3 year old at home. I was also panicked. I hadn’t planned on leaving the workforce—I always saw myself having a career. But I didn’t know anyone who seemed to have a good part-time gig. And even if I found something, working half-time (for half-pay) would force us to change our lifestyle, something my husband and I were reluctant to do.

I had heard a rumor that a woman from my business school class had gone independent, was working two-thirds time and making more than she had been earning as a Director of Product Management at a good-sized company. Although I didn’t know her really well, I gathered my courage (I was desperate) and called her, laying out my situation in graphic detail. I asked her every dumb, rude, obvious question I could think of:

She was nice enough to answer them all, patiently (and I am generally happy to answer the same questions for new consultants). She confirmed the rumors about her success, described every little detail of her business, and gave me enough information that I felt comfortable enough to try consulting. I gave myself 3 months to find a project, and gave myself a low bar: If someone in the marketing department at a company would pay me over $X/hour, for something qualifying as marketing (I wouldn’t walk their dog, for example—I have my pride) I would do it--and re-evaluate in 90 days.

The first 30 days went by and I got 2 small projects—the first was for options only at a pre-funding startup and lasted one week, so it really didn’t count (no $) the second was a 6 week marketing communications project—not my strength, but hey—they paid me and seemed happy with the work. Late in my 3 rd month a friend called and asked me to do a 2 week project at a large public company with him. That project turned into 2 years of work at the company, and over 12 discrete projects.

At that point, I evaluated and decided to commit for another 3 years. I focused my message, invested in a website, and started actively networking. That was 4 years ago. I can’t imagine doing anything else now.

Today, I have a thriving consulting practice. I have childcare from 8-4, M-Th with a goal of spending about 20 of those hours on work. The rest of the time is for errands, breakfast dishes and family business. There are bad days and good days, but definitely more good than bad. I earn more than I ever did in a corporate job, and I love nearly everything about my business—especially:

Will I ever go back to corporate America ? I don’t think so. I have found a way to add value, make a living and challenge myself in a way that is inspiring and more fun than I ever imagined.

Robbie Kellman Baxter is a principal at Peninsula Strategies ( www.peninsulastrategies.com ), a Silicon Valley-based strategy consulting firm. Robbie helps companies evaluate growth opportunities by examining the competitive landscape, by analyzing the industry as a whole, and by talking with prospects and customers. Robbie honed her analytical skills as a consultant in Booz-Allen & Hamilton, and has had key roles at a number of Silicon Valley startups, including Edify (now S1), ePronet, and most recently at myCFO, an online wealth management firm serving the very affluent, where Robbie established and built the marketing function as an early member of the management team. Her clients, who range from startups to industry leaders, have included Netflix, Yahoo, PayCycle, Zoomerang, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle. Robbie graduated with honors from Harvard College and received her MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.A longtime resident of the Peninsula, Robbie lives with her husband Bob and three children aged 8, 5, and 2.