I'm still an employee. Software engineer at Wells Fargo. And I run Forte Web Designs on the side.
This isn't the typical consultant story. Most people quit their job to go all-in on consulting. I didn't. Probably won't anytime soon.
Here's what actually changed when I started consulting. And what I expected to change but didn't.
What changed: I stopped thinking like an employee.
When you're an employee, you do what you're told. Someone assigns you work. You complete it. You get paid the same whether the work makes the company $10 or $10 million.
As a consultant, you think about outcomes. You're not paid for your time. You're paid for solving problems. The better you solve them, the more valuable you are.
That shift in mindset happened fast. First consulting project, I caught myself building something exactly as requested even though I knew a different approach would work better.
Stopped myself. Explained the better approach to the client. They appreciated it. That's when I realized. I'm not here to follow instructions. I'm here to deliver value.
That mindset actually made me better at my day job. I started questioning requirements more. Proposing better solutions. Thinking about business impact instead of just technical implementation.
What changed: I became comfortable with uncertainty.
Employee life is predictable. You know your paycheck. Know your schedule. Know what's expected.
Consulting is unpredictable. Don't know when the next client will come. Don't know how long projects will take. Don't know if this month will be busy or slow.
First few months, that uncertainty was stressful. Kept wondering if I should be doing more to find clients. Worried about pipeline. Overthought every decision.
Eventually I accepted it. Some months are busy. Some aren't. Clients come in waves. That's normal. Stressing about it doesn't change anything.
Having the day job helps. I'm not dependent on consulting income. Takes the pressure off. Lets me be selective about projects instead of desperate for any work.
What changed: I had to learn business skills.
As an employee, someone else handles sales, contracts, invoicing, taxes, marketing. You just do your job.
As a consultant, you do all of it. You're the salesperson. The accountant. The marketer. The legal department.
I had to learn how to price projects. How to write contracts. How to handle client expectations. How to invoice. How to set boundaries. How to say no.
None of that came naturally. I'm a software engineer. I like building things. Not negotiating contracts or chasing payments.
But you can't avoid it. Part of being a consultant is running a business. Even if you're a solo consultant. Even if it's side work.
I made mistakes. Underpriced early projects. Didn't set clear scope on others. Let clients push deadlines around. Normal learning curve stuff.
Got better over time. Realized most of this isn't complicated. Just unfamiliar. You learn by doing.
What didn't change: The actual work.
I expected consulting work to be fundamentally different from employee work. It's not.
I'm still writing code. Still solving technical problems. Still debugging. Still testing. Still documenting.
The context is different. Clients instead of managers. Projects instead of features. But the day-to-day work? Basically the same.
If anything, consulting work is simpler. Smaller scope. Clearer goals. Less bureaucracy. No meetings about meetings. No performance reviews. No corporate politics.
Just: here's the problem, solve it, deliver it, move on.
What didn't change: The hours.
I thought consulting would mean working all the time. Side hustle grind. Nights and weekends.
That's not how it works. At least not for me.
I work my day job. 40 hours weekly. Then I do consulting work. Maybe 10-15 hours weekly. Sometimes more if I have an active project. Sometimes less.
But I'm not pulling all-nighters. Not working weekends unless I choose to. Not sacrificing sleep or health or personal time.
Consulting doesn't have to consume your life. It can. If you let it. But it doesn't have to.
I set boundaries. Clients know I have a day job. They know I'm not available 24/7. They're fine with it. Because I deliver good work on reasonable timelines.
What didn't change: The imposter syndrome.
I thought once I had paying clients, I'd feel confident. Legitimate. Like a real consultant.
Nope. Still feel like I'm figuring it out as I go. Still doubt myself before calls. Still wonder if I'm actually qualified to charge what I charge.
But I've learned that's normal. Every consultant feels this way. Even the successful ones. Even the ones who look confident.
You just do the work anyway. Deliver value. Help clients. Build trust. The imposter syndrome doesn't go away. You just get better at ignoring it.
Would I recommend this path?
Depends what you want.
If you want freedom and control and the ability to choose your projects, consulting is great. Even part-time consulting gives you that.
If you want stability and predictable income and not having to think about business development, stay an employee. Nothing wrong with that.
For me, the hybrid model works. Day job provides stability. Consulting provides variety and learning and extra income. Best of both.
I might go full-time consulting someday. Maybe. But there's no rush. This works for now. Lets me build the consulting business slowly. Without the pressure of needing it to pay all my bills.
If you're thinking about starting to consult on the side, do it. Don't wait until you're ready. You'll never feel ready. Just take one small project. See how it goes. Learn as you go.
That's what I did. Still doing it. Still learning. Still figuring it out.
That's consulting.