Reflections On My First Year of Consulting
It's been a year since I left my full-time, stress-inducing job, that was, at the same time, deeply rewarding and genuinely fulfilling, to become a consultant. Now twelve months in, I've learned a lot about myself: I love structure, I love working with others, and I love solving problems, big and small. The question I've been trying to solve is how to build a new "occupation" that holds onto everything I loved about my old career while making room for a new normal.
What the New Normal Gave Me
My new normal started as a more balanced existence, one that let me focus more on my family, whether my grown children liked it or not. It gave me space to finally take care of myself with exercise, whether I liked it or not, most mornings. And underneath all of it, it gave me something I hadn't had in years: time.
I've put that time to use volunteering at my local public school and serving on the board of a school I'm genuinely excited about. It's allowed me to stretch and grow in ways I hadn't anticipated and, if I'm honest, more than a little scary. I now have to pitch and sell my own skills, to individuals looking for coaching and to schools that need training for their staff.
Selling myself is not something a 24-year classroom veteran is naturally built for, but I'm learning. And the most rewarding part of this whole shift has been the people: new faces, new school sites I'd never set foot in before, educators I'm meeting for the first time all across the city I call home, San Francisco.
Rediscovering San Francisco
The last time I actually lived in San Francisco, I was in my twenties, raising a young family in the late '90s. Being back here now, in my fifties, is something else entirely. I get to rediscover this vibrant city, finding places I've never been, and just as often standing in front of an old one, telling my children stories about who I was and what this city looked like when I was their age. There's something quietly moving about narrating your own history back to your kids in real time, on the actual sidewalk where it happened.
The Parts That Aren't Easy
Not everything about this new normal has been smooth. Building my own schedule sounds like freedom, and mostly it is, but it isn't always easy . I'll admit I sometimes miss the schedule of a school day, the way it structures a life for you whether you ask it to or not.
There are a lot more Zoom meetings than I ever expected, and after years of resisting them on principle, I've made peace with the efficiency of a Google Meet. Also, I've had to get comfortable being the guest at school sites rather than the familiar face, a real adjustment after 24 years at the same school, where I knew every hallway and every name.
Maybe the biggest shift has been rediscovering a skill I hadn't needed in a long time: initiating connections. When you're a full-time educator, "I'm too busy" is always available as an excuse, and it's usually true. But I let a lot of relationships quietly lapse over the years because of time and, frankly, exhaustion. I don't have that excuse anymore. So now I'm the one reaching out, and initiating the walk, the drink, the lunch. And it's amazing how much of my life has reopened simply because I started asking.
Where I've Landed
So here's where I've landed, one year in: my "new normal" isn't new anymore. It's just my life now. I'm grateful for the chance to grow and redefine who I am in this current chapter, as a consultant, a coach, a presenter, and as a person still figuring out what this version of myself is capable of.
I welcome new friends, new experiences, and new conversations. If you're an educator, a school leader, or just someone I haven't caught up with in a while, I'd love to connect. Reach out. Let's grab that walk, that drink, that lunch. I promise I'll show up.