In transit

Former Legal Marketing editorial board member David Wallace adjusts to life after law-firm marketing.

It’s a whole new world, as Katie Price and Peter are merrily warbling at the moment. In the two months since leaving the safe environs of Shepherd and Wedderburn to set up as an independent business strategy and marketing consultant, there have been many new experiences, some expected and some not. Having spent six years living and breathing the Shepherd and Wedderburn brand, I knew it would be hard to let go. At the moment I’m in transit, consulting to them for two days a week until a replacement is appointed, so letting go hasn’t quite happened yet. Separation anxiety on hold, perhaps.

Working from home, I had expected discipline to be a challenge, but Trisha and co haven’t been watched once. It must, however, be admitted that lunch is scheduled around Kaye Adams at 12:30. The only discipline problem is starting work straight after getting out of bed and then getting sucked in, ending up still in pyjamas at midday.

As expected, the stimulation from meeting with and working for businesses in other sectors has been fantastic – variety really is the spice of life. Being back in the front line, out meeting businesses daily, is a welcome change from my former role. The only downside is a potential coffee addiction caused by too many meetings in cafes and hotels.

Other experiences have come as a bit more of an unwelcome surprise. Having proudly finished my first project for my first client, a recruitment firm, at midnight one day, I proceeded to set up my brand new printer to print the presentation to be delivered the next morning. Not a natural with such products and impatient to get to bed to be fresh for the early morning meeting, brute force was used at one point – and it broke. After panic and some strong language, it finally occurred that other people have printers, too. I’m not sure if my friend was too happy about being woken up in the early hours, though.

In preparing my very first tender, I was shocked to find myself doing everything we advise against – too much about me, not enough about the client, and so on. Cobbler’s bairns syndrome. And with only an hour to go until the deadline for delivery to the potential property client, I realised that I had no A4 envelopes left – no well-stocked stationery cupboard anymore. A mad dash to the local post office and an anxious 15 minutes wait behind a gaggle of grannies chatting away to the counter staff ensued, but the tender got in with seconds to spare and, happily, was won a week or so later.

Having also suffered a broadband fault that put me out of business for a full day, I now appreciate the IT and facilities professionals much more.

David Wallace is an independent business strategy and marketing consultant. He can be contacted at djwallaceuk@btinternet.com