Playing Your Cards Right: Considering Consulting
In my last Coaching by the Cards installment, I conducted the reading featured using playing cards instead of my standard (and much beloved) Tarot. It was so well-received that I was inspired to feature the playing cards again. I will call these features “Playing Your Cards Right,” (get it?) even though they will still fall under the Coaching by the Cards category.
The column, following the Coaching by the Cards format, is written in a “Dear Abby” style.
With that said, let’s look at the situation submitted by this reader:
Dear James,
I want to make a career change, transitioning from being an employee to becoming self-employed, and I’m considering the idea of becoming a consultant. If I choose to do so, I’d like to know: Will I become a successful consultant?
Thanks,
Considering Consulting
Dear Considering,
I am so excited for you as you transition to self-employment!
I have pulled three playing cards for you. I pulled the cards with the question you stated in mind, and these were the response: King of Clubs, 10 of Clubs, and 8 of Clubs.
The first thing that strikes me is that all three cards are from the suit of Clubs. Clubs, for me, can indicate work, business, and enterprise, which reflects your desire to become a consultant. In your submission, you don’t state the type of consulting you are considering, but Clubs would suggest business and enterprise might be a good fit for you. I also don’t know what the industry is that you are transitioning from, but if it is business-related, then take the transferable skills you have gained and carry them over into your consulting.
When I read playing cards, I first look at the suits of the cards to determine the emotional outlook of your question. Because all your cards are Clubs, from an emotional standpoint, you may become frustrated and impatient when you are faced with the challenges of becoming a successful consultant.
Since Clubs can reflect one’s intentions, I invite you to consider what being a “successful” consultant means to you, as success is somewhat subjective, and doesn’t mean the same thing to everybody. You also mention transitioning, and I also invite you to consider why you are moving from being employed to self-employed (Clubs being about inspiration and motivation). Your intention and motivation will be the driving force of your transition, and you want to be clear about them.
The King of Clubs represents the situation. I love this card being your first card! This King is the CEO, the business leader, the entrepreneur. BAM! Self-employment! Love it, love it, love it!
Also, I’m seeing once again the possible types of people you would be working with as a consultant (other CEOs, business leaders, and entrepreneurs).
The 10 of Clubs, as advice and possible courses of action, first tells me that you need to be prepared to do a lot of work to make your consulting business a success. The 10 of Clubs can suggest a long road of hard work ahead of you.
When you are self-employed, there are a lot of job duties and responsibilities that you will now have to wear the hats and do—many of which you don’t have to consider when you work for someone else.
It’s said that when you are starting a business from the ground up, you will work longer and harder than you ever would being employed by someone else. The 10 of Clubs backs that up (and I can attest to that, as well!).
And while you have the potential to bring in a lot of projects, be careful not to take on too much. The 10 of Clubs warns of overwork, being overburdened, and having too much on your plate. Don’t take on projects bigger than you. You will burn yourself out.
Also, consider that as your business grows, you might have to hire people to delegate tasks to. If you wish to remain a one-person operation, this would suggest outsourcing and sub-contracting.
The 8 of Clubs (in the position of the possible outcome) is a great card! This card suggests rapid growth and development. It is a card of movement and progress. If you commit to this, things will be speeding up—as you launch your business and beyond.
Something to consider would be the online component of your business, as the 8 of Clubs, for me, is an internet card.
Since Clubs can represent our public and private images, consider what “image” you want your business to convey (also known as your “brand”) and the type of online presence you want to have.
Also, consider if traveling will be a consideration, as this card can suggest travel by air.
You asked a question that can imply a yes/no/maybe answer, and the playing cards can give you that answer. When Clubs make up the last two cards in the reading, the answer is basically a “maybe.” It’s maybe, because there is a lot of work involved here (which reinforces what I said earlier with regard to the 10 of Clubs).
The theme of the consultation is revealed when I take the numbers on the cards and reduce them to a single digit. So, in this case, we have 13 (for the King) + 10 + 8 = 31; 3 +1 = 4. As a theme, the 4 can suggest a solid foundation. The building blocks are in place, but again, there will be hard work involved here.
Structure (look at your business model), order (consider your organizational style), being disciplined (no one will be supervising you and making sure the work is getting done), as well as an attention to detail (contracts, agreements, proposals, invoicing, and receipts—all the administrative tasks) will be needed here.
Considering, thank you for sharing your situation with me in this forum. I look forward to you circling back and letting me know how you are progressing with your consulting business!
And there you have it. You have just seen how I consult playing cards in context to a question or situation, using a short three-card spread. And, just as I hope it has been helpful to Considering, I hope you found it informative as well. I would love to hear what you think. You can share your thoughts in the comments section below.
If you have a question or concern that you would like to gain some insight using playing cards (or the Tarot!), and think Coaching by the Cards would be a great forum for it, send me your submission, via e-mail, to james@jameshimm.com, with Coaching by the Cards in the subject line.
If you’re interested in a private consultation with me, check out the information on my Tarot Consultations page and the Tarot Consultation Code of Ethics on my Ethics, Policies, and Procedures page.
Here to help you play your cards right,
James