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Announcing Office Move Or Relocation
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September marks the 28-year anniversary of CareerLab—and we're celebrating by moving to newer offices, just a bit south of Park Meadows, and a short hop from the new light rail terminal at Lincoln Avenue. The new headquarters is a block from my house, so I can walk to work, which I never do.

My first office, which was a spare bedroom in my first house, consisted of a desk, lamp, small bookcase, and rocking chair. Home computers hadn't been invented yet.

We grew to occupy 3,500 square feet of class-A space, linked by a computer network with all the latest hip-and-happenin' gadgets. And our client list grew by leaps and bounds.

I remember adding Coors as client number 12. At last count, we've been honored to serve 300 more. And revenues grew from startup to $1,000,000 in 1995—all with only four consultants. In 28 years I figure I've spent 25,000 hours talking to folks about their careers and leadership teams, and helping them move to the next higher level.

We hosted ExecuNet [an executive networking group] for five years, and the TOP-12 [Human Resources leaders in Colorado] for three years. I sold 100,000+ of my first book 200 Letters for Job Hunters, then we made it available by subscription online. Amazingly, it's still selling in both venues. I was amused to learn you can get a used copy for $.52 on eBay. [Shipping is $3.94.]

Now, I write a monthly leadership column for the Denver Business Journal. And through SEAK (www.seak.com) I'm presenting national seminars for physicians who want to leave clinical medicine. Our August program in Cape Cod drew 100 attendees, and another is planned for Chicago in November.

I use the Birkman Method (an assessment tool) a lot, both for high-level career transition, executive coaching, and management teams. It's perfect for setting high-school/college-age kids on the right path.

What matters most to me in all this is my relationship to good friends like you. Thank you for bringing smiles to my face, giving me moments of joy—and for just being you. Without your support, encouragement, and friendship, I couldn't have done it.

So, the next time you hitch the light rail down to Park Meadows, look me up. I'll be the guy in the rocking chair-playing video games on the computer.

New Address Co-ordinates
CareerLab® O: 303-790-0505
TW Telecom Building F: 303-790-0606
10475 Park Meadows Dr, STE 600 wsfrank@careerlab.com
Lone Tree, CO 80124 www.careerlab.com

Wishing you success and happiness,

William S. Frank

 

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William S. Frank, M.A., President/CEO
25 Reasons I love consulting.
by William S. Frank
  1. Brand. You are your own brand, and you can define it any way you want. For many years, I provided outplacement to the ex-employees of Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield service corporation. When departing employees left the company, they didn't request outplacement in their severance package. They said, "I want Bill Frank."
  2. Demand. The world will always be full of terrible problems that need solving.
  3. White Hat. I can be a helper and get paid for it.
  4. Pay. I can be paid to do things I'd gladly do for nothing.
  5. Variety. Every day is different.
  6. Happiness. At this stage of my career, I only work for people I respect and care about. If a client micromanages me or is otherwise no fun, I complete the assignment and replace them.
  7. Talent. I'm using 110% of my talents and stretching myself to the max.
  8. Change. I can change my focus any day I want. If you're a McDonald's franchisee, you don't say, "Hey, I've got this great idea for a meatball sandwich—let's try it out today." In consulting you can adjust your focus hour-by-hour, as long as your clients still understand and appreciate what you do.
  9. Income. No one else would pay me as much as I pay myself.
  10. FUN. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.
  11. Retirement. I can write and consult as long as I am physically and mentally capable. Peter Drucker worked into his 90s, and when asked which book was his best, he said: "My next one."
  12. Job Security. Although clients come and go, no one can come into my office and say, "Pack up your stuff . . . You don't work here anymore." In 29 years, I've only had one employer: ME.
  13. Travel. I don't have to travel unless I decide to. I travel if it's both FUN and profitable—or at least FUN.
  14. Commute. I live five minutes from my office, a corner office in an upscale six-story tower. In winter, I leave a heated garage at home and drive to an underground heated garage at work. There's seldom time to hear even one song on the radio.
  15. Vacation. Consulting is more fun than vacation (except on Wailea Beach in Maui).
  16. Friends. I have developed hundreds of close acquaintances and several lifetime friends.
  17. Time. I can work as much or as little as I like: four-hour days or 18-hour days. (Of course, my income will reflect that.)
  18. Employees. I can work with employees, subcontractors, partners, or alone—I've done it all.
  19. Passive Income. I've developed several products that provide "mailbox money." I earn while I'm sleeping.
  20. Ethics. I've never had to violate my values or personal code of ethics. I've never had to lie, purposely deceive or harm others, or promise things I can't deliver. I go to bed with a clear conscience. That doesn't mean there's never any conflict. But the conflict is conducted according to generally accepted business practices.
  21. Virtual. My career is fairly portable. With the Internet, e-mail, cell phone, and FedEx, I can work nationally, even internationally from my office—or anywhere in the world.
  22. Purpose. I make a difference in peoples' lives every day. I see it in their faces, hear it in their voices, and read it in their thank-yous.
  23. Experience. Every painful or joyful life experience makes me a better consultant. So does every person I meet or book I read. Grey hair can be good in consulting.
  24. Structure. I have to work very hard, and the clients expect superb results—but I get to structure my days, weeks, months, and years.
  25. Boss. Most of the time, I love my boss.
As I was posting these letters online, I realized I want to communicate my love for consulting. It's just a great business. The single letters, taken together, may create a picture of enjoyment, but in a burst of creativity I listed some of the reasons consulting is such a good fit for me—and perhaps for you, too. They are not prioritized; this is just how they came out.