Chronicles of a Midlife Reset

Well, not much.

More maddening, not nervous I guess.

I have started to have some success getting some work, consulting here and there, getting back some industry activity, and branching out into new areas and business sectors.

I (and I am sure lots of us have the same experience) have had issues with getting reimbursed in a timely manner, getting people to return calls or emails, dealing with people ghosting me after two or three productive exchanges (when did that become a thing?).

I am nervous about the general state of the way things are because I don’t see opportunity for people my kids age being what it was even for me, and especially the opportunity those older folks had.

Objectively, there was time when you could raise a family, buy a home, work at a steady job, and retire with few if any cares with little or no college education.

That is long gone.

When I first left my old position, I was approached by a couple of companies wanting me to do a few things for them, assist with a couple of key tasks, help on targeted initiatives, etc.

I was hoping to take some time off but dealing specifically with an old industry colleague at a struggling association I felt the opportunity was there to assist with one effort, and that the time necessary to accomplish these goals would be no more than 15 – 20 hours a week.

We negotiated an appropriate consulting rate, based on my experience and skills, and the limitations of the organization. Everything started out well. They and their members were very pleased.

There was an on-boarding and familiarization process, as you need to get to know all the key players, the organization cycle, the rhythm, and everything else that gets a functioning group moving. It was more involved initially, as was to be expected, but that should not have set the bar for continued engagement, as I made plain in every conversation.

It appears that the members that I was dealing with mostly were not informed that I was in fact a part-time consultant, so my relationship quickly devolved to dealing with questions and issues far beyond what I was supposedly tasked with. It was plainly an annoyance to some members that I was not available to discuss their concerns at 8:00 on a Thursday evening for example, or to discuss the planning around a social event on the schedule.

As well, practically, the meeting schedule alone I was handed to deal with took up the full allotment of billable hours, so I had no idea how to address other concerns or demands. Prioritization became a point of contention.

It quickly became apparent that if this organization wanted my services and expertise, they should either pay a fair rate for it, or otherwise convey to their membership the parameters of our relationship. As much as I wanted to, I would not assist with other issues as I would end up working for $20.00 an hour.

And, I was not a sales person for educational events, training sessions, or similar programs.

They did nothing to clarify this with members, so I started to pull back on doing little outside of what my initial agreement was. To the frustration of everyone involved.

Lesson: Consultants, be firm in what you are doing and your rate of compensation. Do not go necessarily above and beyond, unless you and your client have a fair agreement of what you are trying to achieve, and documentation of how it is being accomplished. Always be very clear about your scope of work, and what you have been retained to do. Do not just allow extras to be added on.

Stick to your scope.

This is a bit of a test (to see how embed videos and images). So forgive the occasional pop cultural post

But I have loved this band since I first heard them when I was 13.

As fresh and vital today and the day they came out

Associations in North America (especially within Canada) have become more challenging in which to operate in due to shrinking industrial footprints and consolidation, membership recruitment challenges and revenue issues, and the lack of (frankly) individual or company membership interested in participating. People are spread too thin to have the time and the inclination to take part in these industry groups anymore it seems.

I’ll devote some additional posts to why I think there are a specific lack of engagement regarding competitive issues, why members don’t feel they are getting an ROI, why they think they can do thing internally (but don’t), later…

I am not blaming anyone, that is simply a reflection of the state of running leaner operations, where you don’t have dedicated staff assigned to liaise with organizations anymore. Too few people wearing too many hats so to speak….

However, I have noted two things that potentially will be of issues if not now, down the road, probably sooner than later:

1. I have been contacted by industry participants looking for advice or assistance with issues (codes, standards, regulatory, etc.) regarding their specific products and applications. Now that the trade associations are no longer supporting any activity in Canada, these services are no longer available in Canada. This is a real loss, as also as companies have scaled back their own staffing and services, their in-house ability to address these issues is also limited. So their products have barriers to usage.
2. I still get many enquiries from potential customers of copper and copper alloy products. But again, not being involved (or frankly compensated) in this space, I don’t have the time or ability to pass these on to the appropriate company or wholesaler to address, nor to begin answering any of the technical questions those callers may have. A bit sad, but everyone does move on. But who does, and each missed contact represents a missed sales or specification opportunity.

Two sides of the same coin, the result of which is lack of connection between customers and suppliers and more importantly the continued ability to use and specify the products concerned. If one day a code or standard changes, or some regulation gets passed, and industry was too thin to notice, yikes….

Welcome to my blog, I hope you like the journey.

Hi, and welcome to my blog. I’m Steve.

I’m here because, well, my organization was shut down and I was let go. I have been looking for a similar position, or a consulting situation, or sales, management, oversight, whatever, for the last 12 months.

I won’t blame this (as you’ll see) on ageism, or the market or whatever. I have lots of skills and experience, that anyone (I think) would find useful either full time or on a contract basis.

A bit about me.

I have been involved with the North American and international metals industry via their national representative trade associations for over 25 years. I have also been involved with numerous connected organizations, NGOs, government bodies, and educational and training organizations. I know this and competitive industries, the various participants, and the market forces at play in a wide range of product sectors. I have also come to know the broader competitive playing field and participants in those segments as well, understanding the driving forces of material choice and product selection across a range of application areas.

So why start this? This blog is about a few things, primarily to document what it is like to be widely experienced and dedicated professional seeking a new position, and all that entails. Working with recruiters, companies, crafting revised CVs, creating web sites and new Linkedin profiles, and all that stuff. I think, especially in late 2022 and into 2023, a lot of people are in similar situations, and maybe we can benefit from those discussions.

It’s also an opportunity to comment and publish my thoughts on a wide range of business and market items. I have been involved with building construction and architectural applications, wire & cable and other electrical applications (like busbar), tube & fittings, HVAC, antimicrobial, green and sustainable applications, and mining and extraction. This also includes all the functional areas (like standards, regulatory issues, government relations, trade shows, marketing campaigns, etc.). I hope this is both of interest and generates discussion, as I welcome any questions or commentary.

As well, I wish to note, I firmly believe in the need for things like ESG and DEI efforts, and will not being using this space as one to rant about how unfair the present market is for folks like me.

Lastly, all work and no play make for a dry creative and reading experience. I will be adding the occasional general interest post which I hope readers like, dislike, or simply shake their head at. Regardless let me know. And I like to teach and help people. So you want an opinion on you arch. school home work, or your training requirements for your plumbing tag, I will try to help.

Thanks again for stopping by.