One of the most challenging aspects of my transition to life at Squidoo has been managing the clients from my previous consulting business.
Being a consultant means that you take an active interest in the success of your clients. You want their business to flourish. So here I am, after the hurricane, calling them to say that I can no longer serve them. Many of my clients relied on my intimate knowledge of their IT/IS infrastructure. While they were happy that I received such a high profile job offer, they were mortified at the thought of their own future.
Luckily I had a plan of action. I began training a trusted colleague to serve as my replacement. This was not an easy task. We could spend a solid month discussing the client roster, and the work I've done for them. But neither of us had the time. I'm in the middle of launching Squidoo, and he's busy trying to make sense of the projects that are suddenly being thrown his way.
It's a tremendous project, but one that I have to complete faithfully. We're stumbling along, and I can't thank my clients enough for being patient. I make every effort I can to not burn bridges in life. Because sometimes the shortcuts we take can make our lives more difficult in the end.
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