Biggest Challenges Faced By An Advisor At An Independent Consulting Company
Mike's biggest challenge is achieving work-life balance, stemming from a lifelong drive to excel ("I always wanted to be the best"). The advisor's five-year plan aims to achieve satisfaction, defined not only by financial success but also by prioritizing time with family and disconnecting from work during leisure.
Work-Life Balance, Goal Setting, Time Management, Stress Management, Career Satisfaction
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Mike Sims
Advisor
Independent Consulting Company
Penn State University, 2020
Executive MBA, UCLA, June 2023
Economics
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
Veteran
Video Highlights
1. Mike's biggest challenge is finding work-life balance, as his drive for excellence extends to all aspects of his life. He continuously seeks improvement, but acknowledges the need to define what constitutes “success” and satisfaction beyond professional achievements.
2. He describes his struggle to limit work hours, even setting and failing New Year's resolutions to reduce his workload. This highlights the demanding nature of his consulting career and the potential for burnout.
3. Mike's long-term goal is to achieve a sense of satisfaction that encompasses financial security and significant personal time with family, free from the constant demands of work. This showcases the importance of setting realistic, long-term goals and prioritizing personal well-being in a demanding career path.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
These are really good questions. I would say the biggest challenge is being satisfied. I love what I do, I love the people I work with, and all these things, but I have a personality where I'm never satisfied.
Throughout my entire life, I always wanted to be the best. I wanted to be the best baseball player, the best cyclist, and the best operator when I was in the Marines. Now, I don't know what I want to be the best at.
I've always wanted to be the best father, which of course, I am. But out here, there's so much that's unlimited. There's a balance where at some point in your life, you have to say, "Should I continue? How much should I work right now?"
What am I getting out of this by working another two hours tonight? If I do that for the next six months, will I actually get anything out of it? At some point, it just becomes a lot of work and not a lot of satisfaction. So, work-life balance is probably the hardest thing for me.
When New Year's came around, I made a bunch of New Year's resolutions, essentially to work a lot and reduce the amount of people I talk to. I totally failed that. So now, I'm extending out my plans. Instead of having one-year or two-year plans, I have five-year plans. It's just more realistic to get there.
Five years from now, I want to be satisfied. What satisfied looks like to me is lots of money in the bank, of course, but then enjoying other things. Not working, taking time off work, not bringing my laptop when I'm snowboarding, and not checking my phone 50 times a day when I'm around my kids. Those are the hardest things to do that I want to fix moving forward.