“You should start your own business.” The person who said this is in his 70’s and was a former pastor for a couple different congregations. I had just gotten done running an all-member church congregation meeting where I’m the current council president. This was our fourth such meeting in a year and at the end, the council was applauded.
I look at the church as a business, as does most of the council. We handle our strategy, projects and operations much like we do at work. We click as a team and though challenge each other, understand the big picture and know we’re here to serve others. In my over 18 years experience, I’ve seen and done a lot, though I’ll be the first to admit there’s a lot more experiences to be had. But ultimately, I consider myself a “helper”, and do enjoy helping others.
“There would be other congregations and non-profits, and probably small businesses, that’d benefit from having someone help take a realistic look at the future and plan for it. Most of us are caught up in the day without the look ahead. I’m serious; you should start your own business. What’s the worst that could happen?” From this dear 70(ish) year old man, and idea was born.
After getting some fantastic coaching from a couple local folks, I started my own LLC called Bridge the Gap Consulting. I say I help bridge the gap between organizational vision and implementation, thus the name. It’s been a project in itself getting paperwork done and submitted to the state, website created, business cards, getting my name out there, etc. I’ve learned quite a bit and the experience alone has been worth while.
Now I’m better enabled to do what I enjoy; helping others be successful. I’ve already helped one small 3 person business create a 2-year road map. I don’t do this full time, just on the side. It’s amazing what ideas come from playing pool at the bar for a few hours!
So, here we go!
Bridge the Gap Consulting, LLC 