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There are three (3) letters in this series, grouped under "Canyon Ranch." Canyon Ranch is a world-renowned health and fitness spa. I read an article in "Fast Company" magazine that featured the medical director of Canyon Ranch. I was convinced that he and I could provide referrals to one another.

The programs at Canyon Ranch get people to the point of wanting to change their careers, and I'm in the career-success and life-happiness business. I sent him this e-mail. After two follow-up letters and two phone calls, he referred me to the general counsel [lead attorney] of a major Hollywood studio, and I became her career strategy advisor.
 

Subject: Great Job! Fast Company — ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Date: 28 Jun 20— 17:42:15 -0600
From: "William S. Frank" <wsfrank@careerlab.com>
To: Dan Hoffman

Dan,

I read your story, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, with great interest. In our workaholic, voicemail-jail culture, it's hard to succeed and still keep a balance. Not hard—it's darn near impossible.

It's obvious from ENOUGH IS ENOUGH you're working miracles in people's lives, and that's tremendously gratifying. You must be very proud of your efforts and your results! This is one of the nicest articles I've read in years.

From the article, it sounds as if many of your clients' problems are career problems. I couldn't help thinking it might make sense for us to team up in some way.

Since 1978—for more than 20 years—I've been a career consultant to more than 200 US corporations. My clients are senior executives and professionals in the $100,000 to $5.0 million salary range, typically age 40+. They are bluntly terminated by their employers—thrown out-or they are suffering what I call "repetition burnout."  (Also called "Is That All There Is Syndrome.")

I help them reposition their careers and replace their incomes, usually in something more exciting, less stressful, often higher paying. A much better fit, along the lines of what you suggest.

For example: An IT Manager in a high-stress merger environment was earning $100,000 when he was unceremoniously fired. Five years later earns $375,000 as a consultant, lives a slowed-down lifestyle, works when he wants, and has never been happier. That wasn't an overnight victory—but those are typical of the results I get.

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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.