Biggest Challenges Faced by a Business Consultant and Professor at Lucid Morpho LLC
Richard's biggest challenge is prioritizing work that is meaningful, drawing on a childhood lesson about procrastination to actively seek clients with "that passion" and excitement for their business ventures. This focus on passion is driven by a desire to make time for teaching and finishing a PhD, rather than taking on every project out of fear of failure.
Prioritization, Meaningful Work, Passion, Client Engagement, Time Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Richard Clarke
Business Consultant and Professor
Lucid Morpho LLC
College of Charleston
University of San Diego (MBA, MS Finance, PhD)
Economics
Education, Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain
Consulting
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Prioritization is key to managing a busy workload and avoiding procrastination, drawing a parallel to a childhood experience with homework.
2. Early in his career, there was a tendency to accept any project out of a fear of failure, which evolved into a more selective approach focused on meaningful work.
3. The ideal client possesses a visible passion and excitement for their business, indicating a higher likelihood of success and a more fulfilling engagement for the consultant.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge then in your role?
What is your biggest challenge in your role?
My biggest challenge right now is that life gets busy, or we make it busy. We're always feeling that way. I remember in Mrs. Cook's fifth grade class, we'd get homework on Monday that was due the next Monday. She wouldn't ask how we were doing unless we brought it up.
That was the first time I realized procrastination catches up to you. For the first half of the year, it was always Sunday night. I was grinding through homework at 10 or 11 years old. I remember that feeling to this day, and I didn't like it.
For me, it's about prioritizing and taking work that I think will be meaningful. I remember starting in this space and just saying yes to any project because I didn't want to feel like a failure or that I couldn't do it. Now, I'm finishing a PhD and I love teaching. It's one of the coolest things I've ever gotten to do, and I want to keep getting better at it.
The clients I take now, I look for a certain fire. I met with a classmate and her client a few times last semester. He had a mobile car wash company, and another had a moving company. It doesn't matter what they're doing; it's about their passion and excitement to do it.
The challenge is finding that passion versus just seeing something as a hobby. While hobbies can work out, you want to find someone who will also finish the race.