Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Kirby.
Richard, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After a 25+ year in “Corporate America” in which I changed careers and jobs proactively to increase my income, I was caught up in a major company downsizing during the 2001 recession. I was in my early 50’s and was facing the challenge of mounting a job search in a very weak industry that had poor prospects for job recovery over the next decade. I decided to look elsewhere.
During my career search, I came upon an executive coach who was helping employed and unemployed executives focus their careers and find improved opportunities. Their coaching practice meshed with what I had been doing all of MY career: repositioning my “personal brand” and landing better-paying jobs. I decided to “intern” under this established coach so I could absorb their 15 years of successful experience prior to launching my own coaching practice.
In April, 2002, I hung out my shingle as Executive Impact and had successes with my first handful of clients. To build my business I focused on two things: Providing superior results to encourage past client referrals and business networking.
Here I am 15 years later, continuing to mentor six-figure corporate executives to reach new heights in their careers and income. And the good results and friendships that I produce along the way continue to pay dividends in the form of warm referrals and testimonials.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Transitioning from being a corporate employee to being an entrepreneur is not an easy thing for most people and it was certainly not easy for me. Because this career change was not planned in advance (which I recommend to my clients where possible!), I started my practice with no customers and no employees. It all rested on my shoulders to create a brand, marketing materials, a web site, business cards, etc. I was also the sole business development person, responsible for finding new clients as well as for servicing them.
I struggled to define my market. What did the customers I desire look like?
I struggled with business development. Where could I find potential clients in order to engage them?
I struggled with closing sales. Why would potential clients want to work with me?
I struggle with motivation. As sales were slow to ramp, I questioned why I was doing this and should I abandon this direction and try something else… or may go back and get a corporate job.
About 5 years into it, someone asked me “Do you ever have doubts that you made the right direction going into business for yourself?” My answer was immediate: “Only about a thousand times.”
But, 15 years later, here I am. Every time I complete a successful engagement and a client makes a positive step forward in their career, it recharges my batteries to keep moving forward.
Please tell us about Executive Impact.
Executive Impact is a boutique career coaching and career consulting company serving six-figure executives. We are an educational venture, teaching executives what they were not taught in undergrad or MBA school about how to focus and advance their careers. Along with the education component, we off expert advice that is custom matched to their specific profession, industry, background, and career situation.
Although we have served executives in most professions, we seem to attract the most people in general management (CEO, President, COO), finance (CFO, VP), marketing (CMO, VP), and sales (CSO, VP).
We are most proud of our ability to assimilate a great deal of information about a person and translate the date into a focused career path forward, authentic personal positioning/branding, and powerful networking strategies that produce desired results.
What sets us apart is a specialization on six-figure executives and the resulting wisdom we can share based upon 15 years of concentrated experience.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
When I was around 10 years old, we had frequent baseball games in a neighbor’s back yard. We played with at Wiffle Ball and a lightweight plastic bat, so the ball would not travel too far and the “diamond” was a management size. If you hit the ball over the fence, of course, it was a home run.
I remember enjoying playing and, even though it was a bunch of boys who were competitive, it was always a friendly game. It was exciting and helped us wear off some of our endless energy.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1776 Old Spring House Lane
Suite 100, Dunwoody, GA 30338 - Website: www.executivecareerconsultant.com
- Phone: Office: 678-547-0072 Cell: 770-366-5875
- Email: executiveimpact@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/executivecareerconsultant/?rf=507582992729010
- Twitter: @executiveimpact
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