Unlocking Independent Consulting with Heather Eisele - Executive Coach

In this episode of Flipform Thinktank, JP Garcia sits down with Heather Eisele, an experienced executive coach and principal consultant - currently at Caylent. With a wealth of knowledge in helping executives understand and adopt Agile practices, Heather shares invaluable insights into building and refining Agile strategies within organizations.

After that, Heather flips the script and asks JP several questions about being an independent contractor. JP, then, gives key points to consider for each question.

🔗 Connect with Heather Eisele:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathereisele/

Topics Covered:
▪️ Introduction to Heather Eisele and her background in consulting and Agile coaching.
▪️The importance of agility in modern businesses and how to implement it effectively.
▪️Practical steps for finding clients, structuring contracts, and building lasting relationships.
▪️The role of executive coaching in enhancing organizational agility.
▪️Tips for balancing personal and professional life as an independent consultant.

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|====TIMESTAMPS (not available for Shorts)====|
0:00 - Introduction: JP Garcia and Heather Eisele
3:01 - Understanding and Implementing Agility
5:13 - Executive Insights: The Need for Agile Coaches
7:06 - Organizational Level Change: A Holistic Approach
9:04 - Overcoming Practical Challenges in Agile Adoption
10:13 - Question 1 - In the beginning, do I need to need to narrow my scope to my "perfect client?"
11:24 - Consideration 1 - Pricing Strategies and Client Engagement
14:04 - Consideration 2 - Contract Negotiations and Legal Considerations
14:38 - Question 2 - Do I need an MSA (Master Services Agreement)?
18:09 - Question 3 - Do you prefer to have one big client or 10 little clients?
19:49 - Question 4 - As an independent, are you working more than you are comfortable with?
22:00 - Consideration 1 - Multiple Cell-phones
22:37 - Consideration 2 - Honor your time boundaries and time-boxing
25:26 - Question 5 - How much client travel do you do?
26:02 - Example benefit of client visits - Learning the Refinery Value Chain more deeply
33:04 - JP's Perspective on "Staff Aug (Staff Augmentation)"
34:36 - Question 6 - How do you prepare for tax time?
35:01 - Suggestion 1 - Hire a payroll service
38:08 - Suggestion 2 - Export Business Checking activity and send to CPA
39:10 - Suggestion 3 - Retirement Plans - Solo 401K for solopreneurs
42:53 - Question 7 - How much time do you spend managing the CPA, lawyer, etc?
46:47 - Question 8 - Do you think that social media is driving business for you?
48:35 - Question 9 - How do you determine whether of not you are ready to "go indie?"
54:30 - Opportunities manifest in ways you don't expect

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