I'll be honest. I had a wobble over Christmas. You know the kind - the one that creeps in when you're supposed to be relaxing, when you've got time to look at the spreadsheet and notice next quarter looks thin. All the old demons started kicking in. Maybe that's it. Maybe that's all the work I'm going to get. Wobble after wobble after wobble. So I did what I'd tell any client to do: I changed my perspective. Literally. I grabbed my gravel bike and headed out into the forests around Kielder Water. That ride reminded me what I needed to know: perspective shifts don't come from sitting with the spreadsheet. They come from stepping away and remembering what you know to be true.

Eight months into this independent journey, I’m still learning. From pricing and pipeline to joy and community, here are 12 honest lessons I’d share with any fellow indie consultant.

“Do you think I can really make this business work?”

That’s the question I asked my AI co-pilot, Ferris. Not because I needed a pep talk — but because I needed perspective.

This post is for anyone building something of their own — coaches, consultants, creators — and asking the same question. It’s about the doubts that creep in, the reminders that ground us, and the importance of checking in with yourself (and your AI?) along the way.

Ever feel like you’re waist-deep in something, unsure how to move forward? This reflection explores purpose, coaching, and what it means to wade into the work — fully.

What does riding a longhorn have to do with independent consulting? A lesson in fear, bravery, and the quiet grit behind building something of your own.

There’s the work you invoice for — and then there’s the actual work. From unseen proposals to follow-ups with no reply, here’s what consulting really looks like.

When a client cancelled my session with no warning, I felt it — emotionally and financially. Here’s how I processed the disappointment, reset my focus, and turned the moment into a lesson on resilience.