15 years with my own consulting firm, and oh what a ride
I recently hit the 15th anniversary of the founding of Gail Golden Consulting—a time to reflect and celebrate. In the middle of the financial disaster of 2008-09, on May 7, the consulting firm where I was working handed me my severance papers, and I was literally out on the street.
A week later, on May 14, I had a ticket to a large women’s networking event. I couldn’t stand the idea of saying, “Hi, I’m Gail Golden and I’m unemployed.” So, I printed up some cheap business cards. At the event I started talking about my nonexistent company. Do we do coaching? Sure. How about training? You bet. Do we work with teams? Oh, yes. I even invented a research project so I would have an excuse to reconnect with some of the women I met. And the next morning, I thought, “You know, I could actually do that.” And thus, Gail Golden Consulting was born.
Grit and generosity defined the early days
The next six months were among the scariest and most challenging of my life. Remember, it was 2009. But I figured I could offer top-quality service at much lower cost than the big consulting firms, and it was game on.
The best part of this story is the incredible help that poured in. A lawyer offered me free use of downtown office space. An IT whiz built my website for free. My hairstylist did my hair for half price. My first admin worked for free until I was able to pay her. A colleague gave me free sales coaching that enabled me to win my first client, defeating a coach from the consulting firm that had let me go—YES! People offered advice, support, and, most important of all, referrals. By the six-month mark, we were off and running, and we’ve been jetting forward ever since.
Client success, a book and a TEDx talk
Over the past 15 years, it has never been boring. A few of our accomplishments:
We worked with hundreds of business executives, many of whom were promoted to more senior roles.
We helped companies chart their strategic direction and accomplish major change initiatives.
We developed new tools to help our clients understand themselves, think differently, and make substantive changes in how they lead.
We wrote countless articles and delivered keynotes at major international conferences.
We produced a video that won the top prize in “Psycshorts,” a contest sponsored by the American Psychological Association.
My book, Curating Your Life, was published in May 2020. Just as GGC was born in a very tough time, the book also launched at a difficult moment: just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit in full force. The pandemic was a daunting challenge, of course, but we were proud of our ability to help our clients navigate through it and continue to thrive. The book has continued to sell well and is now available in Korean as well as English!
The highlight of 2023 was the opportunity to deliver a TEDx talk. It was great to share the essence of curating your life with a new audience.
Not-so-secret keys to success
People often ask me, “What’s the secret to long-term success in a small business?” Here are my key learnings:
Don’t try to go it alone. Build a peer group of smart people who will help you think about your business and diminish your isolation. Ask for help when you need it and accept help when it’s offered.
Take time to think about strategy. It’s easy to get swallowed up by the multitude of details and daily tasks. I take a “Strategy Day” every six months. Contact me at ggolden@gailgoldenconsulting.com if you’d like to know more about it.
Manage your energy for peak performance. Read The Power of Full Engagement by Loehr and Schwartz and Curating Your Life by Gail Golden, and then put the ideas into action.
Celebrate. Do a dance or eat a cookie, or buy yourself a treat every time you land a new client. Look in the mirror and see how amazing you are. Be grateful for the good fortune that comes your way and take credit for your accomplishments.
It’s been a great ride so far, and the best is yet to come. Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this wonderful journey.
