I was a consultant for 23 years before I joined OpenSesame as their VP of Engineering. Now, three years later, I’m returning to consulting.

I enjoyed my time as VP. It gave me the opportunity to see my work play out over the long term, and it gave me fresh insights into the demands faced by executives.

So why return to consulting? Put simply: impact. I have the ability to see below surface symptoms to the interconnected web of causes and effects that lead to organizational outcomes, and the ability to change that system to make a difference. As one participant said about my work, “It was like a race had started... it was amazing.”

Making these systemic changes was just one part of my VP role. I also had career development, hiring interviews, business reviews, coordination meetings, strategy off-sites, and more. All important! And necessary for long-term success. Still, my calendar was packed. I’d like to say that I averaged 25% of my time on my key initiatives, but it was probably less.

As a consultant, when I’m working with a client, all my time is focused on their top priority. It’s faster. Much faster.

The power dynamic isn’t to be underestimated, either. As a VP, it’s always going to be an uphill battle to get folks to see past the title. They’ll bias towards protecting my time and hiding bad news. As a consultant, people want me to hear their perspective. They know it’s a safe way to make a difference.

I’m proud of my tenure at OpenSesame. We accomplished so much. We broke down silos, raised the bar for technical excellence, and focused engineering behind the company’s top priorities. I introduced a whole new approach to product engineering accountability. Oh, and the whole AI thing, too. I’ve got a whole list of stuff I’m eager to write about.

And I’m happy to return to consulting. I like the impact I can make. If that’s something that your company needs—if you’re missing strategic opportunities, and the fixes you’ve made haven’t helped—then let’s talk.

I’m available for speaking and podcast appearances, too. And I’m finally catching up on my email backlog! Maybe that’s the best thing of all.

Thanks, OpenSesame, for allowing me to spend three years with you. I’m looking forward to what’s next.