While Small GovCon Solutions was the perfectly imperfect launchpad for my first year, I knew that if I wanted to evolve, I needed help. I was beginning to understand which client relationships felt right and starting to trust my instincts. One instinct was to pivot away from working as a “pair of hands” and instead position myself for greater strategic impact. I was starting to feel burnt out by task-oriented engagements where some clients felt more like a boss than a peer seeking. I was completing tasks versus providing honest feedback and helping identify strategic blind-spots.
Thankfully, my beginner’s mind found wise counsel in the form of a podcast called “Consulting Matters,” hosted by Besty Jordyn. For about six months, I diligently consumed her advice during my morning walks with the dogs. This is where I first heard about the “pair of hands trap.” What a lightbulb moment! Betsy was describing my exact conundrum! I was unconsciously structuring my client engagements as transactional instead of strategic, which felt like an extension of my old job. That’s where the burnout was coming from.
Shortly after, I decided to join one of Betsy’s coaching programs. She didn’t know me yet, but she had already built trust with me through her months of podcast content. Even though I believe I would have continued to grow and achieve success in my business, I knew I could do so more authentically and efficiently if I had a trusted partner to help me see what I couldn’t; to help me avoid mistakes and feel more purpose. I saw the coaching not as an expense, but as an investment in my personal and professional self. And I’m already seeing the dividends pay off.
How often have you found yourself reluctant to ask for help? Hesitant to invest in someone to provide wisdom and insights into what is happening in your business and why? We were not meant to do this all on our own. And despite what you might be telling yourself, you won’t have the perspective and clarity of vision when you are too close to the problem.
I am incredibly thankful for my beginner’s mind, the gift of trust from my ideal clients, and for those who have challenged my short-sighted assumptions and helped me realize how to start writing my next chapter. And this next chapter is coming soon and shall be titled “Leslie Faircloth Consulting”.
If the lessons I shared here resonate with you and you’re tired of spinning your wheels while trying to grow a sustainable and thriving defense company, let’s chat! Book a free discovery call with me and let’s explore what a partnership could look like.
With curiosity, willingness to learn, genuine deep-listening, and investment in your future, I believe we can find new heights together.
