By Doug C. Brown | Authority Magazine | February 14, 2021
“You need a network: in consulting at least 75% of your work will come through referrals, which means your first few jobs are crucial. Many of those jobs or referrals will come through your network. The touchpoint may be a connection of a connection, but your network nonetheless. The first year, the jobs I secured were referrals from my mentor and his wife. They referred me to smaller clients and nonprofits, which helped me get my feet wet. When I landed in that small, rural town I mentioned, I went on about six coffee chats per week to meet people who I though could connect me to other people. One of those people recommended that I reach out to the big client I eventually landed. You never know where a casual conversation will take you, so don’t lose sight of the power of a network!”
As a part of my series called “Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started My Consulting Business ”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Attia Qureshi.
Trained at Harvard and MIT, Attia Qureshi helps organizations cultivate an inclusive, collaborative, and united culture by creating lasting behavioral change in their workforce. Drawing from her experience working in Silicon Valley startups, consulting for billion-dollar corporations, and launching two businesses of her own; Qureshi works with her clients to identify the root of the problem and create a custom program of facilitation, training, and coaching. Additionally, Attia is an adjunct professor of negotiation at MIT Sloan, the co-author of a book on negotiation coming out in the Fall of 2021, and has ongoing conflict resolution work in cocaine-producing regions of Colombia.
