consulting
WHY BLACK KETTLE
You know something is wrong, that's why you're here, or you're just checking out my website judging me - that's cool too. To understand 'Why Black Kettle,' you must identify why you're here. Are you curious? Do you know your business or yourself has more potential but need to see the clear path to your destination? Perfect - that's where I was in Spring 2019. I was searching for a partner, advice, and guidance. I didn't know at the time what I was looking for. I knew I was new, fresh into entrepreneurship - I was running into issues and crises for the first time every day. I needed a shoulder to cry on, someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to call me on my bullshit and share their relevant experience to avoid common pitfalls, encourage specific ways of thinking etc. I could go on, but you get the idea. I want to be for you the person that I didn't have.
Now, Why Black Kettle? You may have gotten the insinuation by now, but to be precise. I'm a hypocrite. Ouch. That hurts to say, write, and express. But it's true - I've made so many business and life mistakes and learned so many hard lessons. But there's hope. I may only be partially in the clear, but I have something to offer—experience, knowledge, blah blah. I'm the pot calling the kettle black. You're the kettle - covered in soot, dirt, and rust - things that can be polished and refined to live the life you thought you would be when you launched out on your own. I'm the pot - equally dirty, broken and covered in soot. This tongue-in-cheek play is to acknowledge that I am not coming at you as a guru with all the answers - but as someone who has similar shared experiences and can advise based on my own success and failures. It is to acknowledge that my learning isn't done - and never will be. You need a partner - someone who can offer practical advice, solutions and tips to navigate your own unique set of circumstances. So let's hop on a free 30min call - see if we're a good fit, prove yourself right, that you don't need anyone, you don't need help, you got this - or not, maybe you'll be surprised? Put yourself in a position to achieve what everyone doesn't believe you can do. Let's meet, learn, and get you where you want to be.
WHAT WE DO
You're in - you've decided that yes - I need Eric. Sweet - let's do this. What do we do? Where do we start? Well - what do you need? You might not know entirely, and that's okay. I've put together a place to start as a way to say this is what we do. We meet one on one. Via Zoom, in person, if time allows for large projects or if you're local. We set a designated time, a standing meeting, ideally weekly - to review your broad goals and, more specifically, your objectives and directives. We chat for an hour; it's structured. I will send you what I am curious about, so you can cram read it 5min before our appointment. I know how it works… We identify together major pain points in your business and life because, let's face it, I can't fix all your problems, and you can't even do that - that's why we're meeting. We go through the process, identify, plan, and do. Identify the problem, plan out a solution and do the work. I'm a crucial component for you regarding accountability, offering ideas and solutions and refining these ideas together based on your unique situation. I don't tell you the problem, give you an answer and tell you to do the work. We get to the root causes of the issues, collaborate on possible solutions - explore all the rabbit holes where they may lead, plan a course of action and finally figure out how this will get done. Occasionally, I can physically get involved, pop the hood and replace the alternator. Setup a phone system, onboard you with new software etc. etc. - But the most potent aspect of our time together will be holding your feet to the fire, being the thorn in your side and pain in your ass that you need to force follow through on the commitments you make during our sessions.
In addition, I can be made available for on-the-fly phone calls where you 'brain dump' and offload ideas and things from your mind; I record them and squirrel those away for a future meeting to discuss and work on. We can work on projects, ie you're having issues with customer service within your organization - and you need someone to do a training event, work one-on-one with staff on certain issues, etc. This is where flexibility comes into play. We meet to identify the pain points and find those solutions - sometimes, the best course of action is my direct involvement - often, the answer and the solutions are locked inside you, and we draw those out together when we meet. Then I ensure we follow through on this for max performance, efficiency and traction on items as we move forward.
HOW WE HELP
Where do you want to be? We help you reach your goals - man, that sounds so cliché and lame. But it's true - tell me where you want to be, and we will work together. That's how we help. Obviously, there are practical items mentioned in 'What we do,' but how we help is different in that the end game of 'help' is a feeling. We work together to relieve stress and anxiety and feel secure. Really, what I'm 'selling' is a feeling - that you're not alone, that you can do this, and support to get there. You tell me what you want, and there is a pretty consistent formula on how to get there - which we work through. At the end of the day, I'm teaching you how to fish, not just giving you fish - I'm providing a hand-up, not a handout. Let's do this together so that you can go forward with confidence, leadership, and, generally, the skills to run your organization and live the life you thought you would have when you started this circus.