A Day in the Life of a Business Consultant and Professor at Lucid Morpho LLC
An executive business consultant's day is a journey of partnership, especially with entrepreneurs facing challenges, whether at a startup or a million-dollar company; Richard at Lucid Morpho LLC focuses on building relationships by asking "what's on fire today?" and working through hurdles, from complex technical issues to fundamental business problems, while maintaining the client's initial optimism and reminding them that "this is like a really cool thing."
Entrepreneurship, Strategic Thinking, Problem Solving, Client Relationship Management, Business Acumen
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. Consulting involves guiding clients through strategic risks, whether they are established companies or startups seeking their first dollar, emphasizing the emotional and challenging aspects of entrepreneurship.
2. A consultant's role is not to have all the answers, but to embark on a journey with the client to find the right solutions, addressing insecurities related to regulation, competition, and scarcity.
3. The daily routine includes identifying the client's most pressing challenges and building a relationship to overcome hurdles, regardless of the technical complexity or simplicity of the business.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of an executive business consultant look like?
I think it's a lot of fun. When I was working for the Brink, which is ASPDC Tech Center, housed at the University of San Diego, you get a client and there's a lot going on. They're talking to you because they're trying to be strategic about risks they've taken.
As an entrepreneur, I've worked for companies that do hundreds of millions a year in revenue, and I've worked at places trying to figure out how to get their first dollar. That bravery, confidence, and risk that comes from entrepreneurship is a wonderful thing, and it's also a scary thing.
So, whether I'm speaking with a roundtable of entrepreneurs or working with one client, it's about them trusting that who I am as a person is genuine and that I have the ability to help them. Being a consultant isn't about having all the answers; it's about going on the journey to find the right answers.
It's also about understanding that challenges often come with an emotional level of insecurity. For example, someone might open a froyo shop not because they love business, but because they really like frozen yogurt. Many people don't start businesses because they love business; they start them because they have a cool idea and are excited about it.
Once you start seeing the challenges around regulation, competition, and scarcity, it can be disheartening. So, for me, a lot of that optimism is about saying, "Hey, this is a really cool thing." It's about keeping that in mind and not sugarcoating things.
I say, "Hey, there are going to be challenges, but let's go on this journey together. Let's work through this and overcome it." This applies regardless of whether it's something technically complex requiring calculus or something as simple as making bricks.
It doesn't have to be about sophistication as we typically think of it, but about how we can provide value and generate utility in the economy. So, with all of that, I show up and ask, "What's on fire today? What's challenging you the most? What problems do you have?"
Then, we build the relationship so we can work on getting over those hurdles.