Cash in on your wisdom

Over 50? Wisdom is your reservoir of value.

Last week I wrote about ageism. In that article I reflected on where I think people over 50 have the greatest amount of value they can offer the workplace. (Whatever the workplace is these days.) Here it is, the reservoir of value, if you will:

1.??Your value is in your wisdom.

2.??Your value is in your objectivity.

3.??Your value is in your scars.

4.??Your value is in your viewpoint.

5.??Your value is in your failures.

To me, this overtly obvious. I see our members and hear their stories and in each and every one there is an absolute truth that comes out: The life they have lived to this point, made stronger by their failures and scars, has created an amazing reservoir of wisdom. Often when I tell people that their true superpower is their wisdom, they say "aw shucks, that's nice of you to say." I don't mean it to be a compliment but it is often taken that way. And I wonder why? I often wonder why some people pass by this so quickly? Why they don't look at their wisdom gained for what it is, an amazing tool that can be accessed to solve complex problems at a moments notice. Then I realized (because I am as dense as a wet Oak log) it is because no one ever asks for it. Wisdom is complex. People don't know how to ask for wisdom. Job postings don't say Wisdom wanted. No one asks you how much Wisdom do you have? They ask you for how much experience you have instead, and 99% of the time that simply means how many years do you have behind you? As if Time and Wisdom are equals. Wisdom doesn't fit on a time sheet. It's not something you can put in a scope of work. It's not a line item. It's not a deliverable. And yet there it is, wisdom, delivering the most amount of value of anything we offer each and every day. In fact, for it to be made useful (And charged for) it is up to you to draw it out when it is needed. We are so used to charging by line item, hours and scope we often forget that the true value we bring is our wisdom. I encourage each and every one of you to always remember that. Much success lies in how you access your wisdom.

How can I make this complex lesson practical for you the fractional pro? I think it's a simple as this: The next fractional opportunity you have, simply write the problem areas you will solve in your contract, and that you will charge $7500 per month to do so. (Or so) If you are a fractional COO, those will be ops problems. CFO, finance problems. CMO marketing problems. And so on. That's it. One page. From there, you just need to deliver the goods month in and month out by tapping into your greatest asset that is unique to you and no one else, your reservoir of wisdom.

LinkedIn works hard for you. Dial in.

Honestly, LinkedIn is more of an experience than a page these days. And that's how you should think about it. It's where people go to?experience?you. There's a way to get that right, and our guest this month,?Anne Pryor,?is THE best guide to get you there. Join us for our monthly sesh September 30th, 4-5 pm to learn how to get your LinkedIn presence right. To move forward in the new economy, particularly as a fractional, consultant or freelancer, your LinkedIn page truly matters. Want a little headstart? Connect withAnne on LinkedIn?here.

Sept 30 on Zoom, 4-5 pm.

The start up energy is here.

Session one: Let's talk about the side hustle.

On Monday September 20th we'll be on a panel sharing what we know about making money in the new economy. For those of you who have hit a ceiling or have squeezed all you can out of the job search, this one's for you. There is a great living to be made as a fractional exec with the skills you already have. Best of all, clients need you. Join us as we connect the dots with a great panel on this red-hot subject.

Monday Sept 20 2 pm.

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Session two: The career pivot.

Millions of executives are in the middle of a pivot. Covid opened our eyes to the way we work and we didn't like what we saw. Long commutes. No loyalty. Toxic work culture. Long, long hours. Work over family. As we adjusted to work from home, we saw a new way to work without all of that baggage. And now we can't unsee it. Join us as we talk about pivoting at just the right time.

Join us Weds the 22nd at 2:30.

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Get your start up rolling FAST.

It's a funny thing. Once you decide you want to be independent you want to get there as fast as you can. With speed in mind, we bring you the Indpendedent Career Masterclass. A full day power session where you enter with the idea of starting your own thing, and exit with the plan in hand.

Our MasterClass?is offered once per quarter with seating limited to 20 for optimal immersion for each student. Breakfast, lunch and refreshments provided.??$750.

Register here.