The Upside

These 3 Fiascos Almost Took Down Our Biggest Launch

Back in September 2019, way before COVID was a word understood in every language around the world, I decided that I was going to create a digital accelerator that would help more people build thriving consultancies.

 

Little did I know that six months later, the country would be thrown into an almost fully-remote workforce where parents were fumbling through their kids’ virtual school during the day while meeting work deadlines at midnight.

 

This unsustainable lack of balance, subsequent layoffs and the realization that most people really can work outside of the office—and (gasp!) the company will survive—led to an unforeseen acceleration of the flexible work movement.

 

As the CEO of a company that has been at the forefront of this revolution, I knew that 2020 would be a pivotal year for The Upside. 

 

But the launch of our new accelerator program didn’t happen without a hitch. Here are the three fiascos that almost took down the whole darn thing.

The Tech Gifts That Kept On Giving

The Election That Ruled All

The Juggle That Got Real, Real Fast

In The End...

Ultimately, this is a perfect example of what I’ve always said about entrepreneurship: persistence and resilience in business is often what separates the companies that survive and those that don’t.

 

Running a business can look glamorous and easy from the outside. But any successful business owner will tell you that what goes on behind the scenes is far from the pretty final product you see as the customer.

 

When quitting isn’t an option, you might encounter times when you have to scrape yourself off the pavement and keep moving forward. But always remember: forward in any direction is still forward!

Want more resources to help your consultancy thrive?

There are two great ways we can work together:
 
Are you a consultant looking to expand your network and advance your business? Then The Upside Membership is for you.
 
Are you an early-stage consultant (or on the fence about leaving your 9-5) and want a bootcamp-style program to build a thriving consultancy? Then The Upside Accelerator is for you.
 
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Erin Halper

About the Author

Erin Halper is the founder and CEO of The Upside and the leading authority on independent consulting. Since launching The Upside in 2017, Erin has helped thousands of professionals transition from corporate life into consulting to achieve flexibility, autonomy, and a renewed sense of purpose in their careers.

Erin has been a frequent speaker at Columbia, NYU, Harvard, and Brown and has been featured as a leading future of work expert on dozens of podcasts as well as in Forbes, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Crunchbase and many more.

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