Musings on Milestones
This year is a big year for milestones for me and my company. Like many journeys, you don’t realize how far you have come until you look back and see that you are a long way from where you started. In 2018, I launched my consulting company, Rogue Tulips Consulting, which means this year is the 5th anniversary. Wow! And that 5-year period includes the pandemic lockdown which sent my company back to day one (like a lot of solopreneurs). It was tough and discouraging but I’m still here. September 18, 2023 is the anniversary of the day that I filed the incorporation papers and so far, so good.
What some may not remember is that on that same day in 2018, I also filed incorporation papers for another company, The 501c League. Originally, the League was an experiment in creating a virtual association for nonprofit professionals that was affordable and served the membership. We had some momentum, but the pandemic lockdown put an end to the experiment. But, the League evolved into an education program for nonprofit management professionals with an emphasis on the Certified Association Executive (CAE) exam and ongoing education for our profession.
It turns out that was a great way to go and now the program is well-established as a resource and supportive community for nonprofit professionals. Some journeys take you into different territory, and as Robert Frost wrote, “I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference.” The League led me back to something I’ve always loved which is sharing knowledge and experience with others. There are several teachers in my family so I’m sure that influenced me.
Another milestone this year is that it is the 20th anniversary of when I first started consulting. My first consultancy was called CS Association Services (never let a focus group name your business). I loved it as it was my first “real” foray into entrepreneurship. I remember how thrilled I was to be invited to Chicago to meet with staff at ACHE about my first ever proposal submission! Although I had a lot of experience in chapter relations, and that was what the project was about, I couldn’t believe it because I was a brand-new consultant with no track record. When I asked Thom Freyer (he was the ACHE staff person leading the project) why I was invited for an interview he replied, “You wrote a nice proposal.”
The ACHE project led to another project with them to help develop a chapter leadership manual, and it also introduced me to Dean West, Founder of Association Laboratory. He was the lead contractor and I was the subcontractor for the chapter relations project. We worked well together so I subcontracted with Association Laboratory for a few years (which was a great learning experience) and then in 2008 was offered an expanded contracting role. It was great being part of a team (at least part of the time) and getting to know other consultants.
Like most people, when I was a little kid, I didn’t say “When I grow up I want to be an association executive.” I wanted to be an FBI agent. While I may not have become a government agent, I took those attributes of curiosity, research focus, and strategic investigation into what became an extremely interesting career.
If you take the road less traveled, I recommend two things: make sure you enjoy your own company, and make sure you are wearing good shoes.
