April 1, 2009 was the height of the recession. It was also the day I was laid-off. Not good.
In that moment I decided it was time to go to work for myself. I had already written several books and was speaking professionally on the side, and had wanted to make the transition to full time career as a speaker, trainer, and consultant.... but the layoff was a hard push out of the nest.
I have never looked back. There were some very lean times in the beginning, and there was little work to be found as a "trainer", as companies had cut out all staff development in the lean times. But I did find work speaking at industry and association conferences, and the consulting and coaching business filled in some of the holes.
Today I am a working professional speaker who presents at over 50 events per year (57 speeches in 2012), and in 2013 we launched Davis / Hill Solutions LLC, which is a training company that focuses on sales training, business development coaching, presentation skills, and other topics to get employees more engaged in promoting their companies.
I could never have found success without the help and support of countless people in my network. The amount of advice and referrals that have come across my path because of people have made the difference. My wife and kids have been very supportive and have put up with the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey. While it can be a lot of work, there is also amazing flexibility that has allowed us to have some better family experiences.
The past four years have been the most challenging times of my career, but also the most rewarding. Each April 1st I celebrate the anniversary my entrepreneurial life (the irony is not lost on me!).
Have A Great Day.
thom singer
I remember back when you went solo all those years ago - I was a huge supporter because you were sharing such good and fresh ideas. So glad to see you continuing to grow and thrive! Your work is part of what has encouraged me all along - you printed my first blog post EVER as a guest blogger many years ago, and your constant stream of good ideas and encouragement is part of what gave me the boost to start blogging again after a 2+ year hiatus. Keep on keepin' on, Mr. Singer, and here's to another 4 years and many more beyond!
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