Allow me to introduce you to Kim Herbert
Monday: MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels
Each Monday, I feature independent professionals with outstanding insights and experiences with the hope that you might be inspired by them.
As someone who supports independent professionals, I’ve seen that while each of them is unique in their approach, they are similar in terms of fulfilling their clients’ needs and building genuine assets and relationships.
Today, I’m excited to share with you a motivational note from Kim Herbert. Kim is a phenomenal problem solver who founded her own consulting firm, KHH Consulting, in 2019. Her focus is on building relevant workflows and developing transparency for enterprise initiatives to drive consensus, solve hard questions, and positively impact culture change.
Kim also specializes in bringing a unique perspective to help companies solve complex technology, data, and process problems to energize growth and enable organizational success.
To learn more about how Kim is becoming a leader in the industry, I encourage you to read her own statement of purpose below.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Kim Herbert: KHH Consulting
I am Kim Herbert and I am a Technology Governance and Management Consultant at KHH Consulting, the company I started about two years ago.
My specialties include IT strategy, governance, delivery, marketing, and operational expertise to help drive measurable business value to my clients.
I am relatively new to being an independent contractor, as I’ve only been in this career for about two years. However, I’ve been thinking about this for a very long time because I wanted more personal freedom and for the work, I wanted to be able to dive deeper into details, while also maintaining a strategic mindset.
In my journey as an independent, I feel very fortunate that I have a husband who I can call a real partner in life. He is deeply supportive of the changes in my career and thought processes. He appreciates that it’s really a time for me to start building out longer term plans for what I want to do in an independent career and how I can support our family. I would not be able to do all these things without his encouragement.
On Taking The Leap
One piece of advice that resonated with me when I started considering the independent sector happened when I met up with a friend who owns an engineering company. I remember talking to him when I was still at my last full-time job. I told him I dreamed of building something great on my own. He told me―and this is something I’m really NOT good at―that once I decide to do that, I have to really put myself out there and, I will be surprised at how many people will want to help me.
What he said still rings true up to this day, and it’s something that I’m still pushing myself to do because it doesn’t come naturally to me, especially in times when I tend to become too introspective or introverted.
Looking back, I wish I had not been skeptical because I, too, have the desire to help others. One of my memorable experiences as an independent was during my last business engagement. I was able to make an introduction for a former client-side colleague and help him land in a new place.
It feels really good to help someone in that way.
Myths About Being Independent
One of the misconceptions I’ve heard about being in an independent career is that people perceive it as a lack of commitment, like independents are not really going to be as hardworking or as effective because they’re not directly dependent on an organization.
Based on my experience, and from working with independents, in the past, that’s simply not true. We are exceptionally committed, and I find the work truly engaging because we’re so much freer from the typical distractions of a large enterprise or corporation. I actually find I work more effectively because I am more flexible and have more control.
On The Challenges Of Being Independent
On the other hand, one of the challenges I face as an independent, aside from trying to find time for myself to not just sit in front of a computer, is dealing with employment taxes and other administrative and legal items.
Payroll and other business compliance aspects are a real pain. These are some of the obstacles that kept me from starting my own business earlier because they were too overwhelming for me.
The good thing is I don’t see them as overwhelming anymore, just irritating at times.
I don’t regret deciding to become an independent and start my own business because now, I’m much more comfortable in my career and more authentically confident of what I’m capable of bringing to an organization.
Learn more about Kim Herbert and KHH Consulting here.
Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Monday’s MicroBusiness Marvels!
