After you read this long About Me page there's a contact form at the bottom. If you don't want to know all this, just scroll on down and send me a message. If you don't want to scroll, click here.
In the years I’ve been consulting and coaching I’ve had the
privilege of working with hundreds of people in a variety of settings –
individual and group coaching, workshops, retreats, corporate offices, schools,
and more. As I’ve looked back on these experiences one group of clients has emerged
as a favorite.
These are the people who have taken the courageous
direction of being a one-person organization.
- Some have been freelancers offering
their skills and talents in support of other people, businesses and organizations.
- Some
have been culture creators like artists, filmmakers, musicians, performers and
authors.
- Some have been other coaches and consultants who bring their insights
and knowledge to the fore in helping others reach for their best possibilities.
- Still others have taken the real definition of entrepreneurship to heart, coming
up with products and services in answer to real world problems in the
marketplace.
One thing I share in common with this group of people is the desire to work
primarily alone. You are my tribe.
We enjoy large blocks of quiet time when we can allow our imagination to tour vast landscapes of possibility. We love the time to bring this imagination to the page, the tune, the script, the image, and to the world through whichever media showcases our capabilities. Many of us identify as introverts, although the meanings associated that word have become misunderstood and too vague to really capture what we're about. We simply enjoy making our contributions from a place where we have free and unlimited access to our inner space - a room with a door, a table for one at a coffee shop with earbuds at the ready to let people know we're not available to chat, or on a quiet patio with our laptop, a summer breeze and cold iced tea.
This isn't to say that we're anti-social. In fact we love people and we want to make a positive difference for them. We'll attend networking meetings, but we may be there for two hours and forget to hand out our business cards and flyers, then go home and take a long nap to recover. For some of us social media is a chaotic and upsetting place to be, so when a marketing guru suggests that it's the only way we can reach customers, we fear we may not be able to be in business for long. And working solo often means that we wear all the hats in our business - the conceiver, the visionary, the strategist, the decision maker, the system developer, the producer, the marketer, the seller, the packer, and the shipper, not to mention the accountant and administrator. It can all be a bit overwhelming...OK, more than a bit...like totally OVERWHELMING!
I can describe all of these circumstances because they are my own. They are familiar. I left my last full-time salary in 1997 and have been a seat-of-the-pants businessperson ever since. I've had a few part-time jobs along the way that either felt like they were important places for me to be, or that filled in a cash flow gap as I was learning how to build my own business. I started consulting in 1996 when a friend asked me if I'd bring my conflict resolution skills to a retreat he was facilitating to help some corporate executives keep from killing each other as they went through restructuring. This was a strange world for a guitar player from Wyoming to end up in, but I found that I loved the work and the depth of interaction with the people I served. So I sought out mentors and training from some of the best I could find. They encouraged me to consider coaching as my primary skill set because I loved to be engaged in conversations that had a lot of depth and meaning and I had the ability to offer succinct and targeted feedback.
I’ve worked in all four of the roles that my clients tend to be in - freelancing as an
advertising jingle writer and voiceover artist; contributing to the culture as
a musician and songwriter; coaching and consulting on topics like career
transitions, business startup, marketing, and sales; and as an entrepreneur
creating education, training, and support programs for individuals and
organizations, as well as running several of my own businesses. This body of
experience and the training I’ve received through mentorship programs,
professional associations and in the so called trenches has given me a
foundation of resources allowing me to quickly identify all the critical facets of a
problem or concern, then immediately and effectively respond.
The most important things that I contribute to my clients
are a high level of personal and professional empathy, having been flying solo
in my own career for so many years, and a thorough understanding of both the
big picture of being a company of one, and the details that can often be
confusing, frustrating and overwhelming. The perspectives I bring to you are
supported by experience. I also believe that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all
template that I can prescribe as an easy solution to all your problems. Your
career and business are as unique as a fingerprint. I help you envision possibilities,
filter out your options and discern your best next steps. There is an adventure
at hand.
The situations where my experience and qualifications make
the biggest difference are:
- ·
People who may have reached a dead end or burnout in their
conventional career and are considering the leap into a more self-directed field.
- ·
People who are confident in their creative
talents, skills or ideas but who need help translating that into a sustainable
income.
- ·
People who have been disappointed in the outcome
of participating in coaching programs designed for more the socially engaged personality.
- ·
People who know in their hearts that they are
here for a bigger reason than just showing up at a workplace every day but aren’t
sure how to bring that purpose forward.
- ·
Most of all I’m looking for you who work best in solitude with ample access to the inner riches of your own imagination
and creativity.
The situations I am not the best fit for include:
- ·
People who find reasons not to take action, and
make excuses instead of being open to reasonable suggestions and willing to
take moderate risks.
- ·
People who deflect responsibility for their actions
and blame other people and circumstances for their situation.
- ·
People who expect me to do their work for them.
- ·
People who aren’t willing to be courageous, and experiment in the
face of challenges.
- ·
People who are looking for a guru with a proven
system for success. I’m a Jedi, not a guru. Use the Force.
- ·
People who have no visible sense of humor or who
can’t tolerate mine.
Your results can only be guaranteed if you actually take
initiative, discover your gifts, generate your own vision and do the work that
needs to be done. If you are ready for that commitment, I’ll be with you every
step of the way.
Most of my training has been through mentorships, apprenticeships
and on-the-job experience. I have been certified as a small business consultant
by the Larimer Small Business Development Center and the Loveland Business
Development Center. I have a bachelor’s degree in music and business that didn’t
really prepare me for any of this. The best ways to find out more are to take a
look around this website. Listen to some of the podcasts, download some of the
freebies, or watch a video or two. And if you really want a first-hand experience,
join one of my free calls. You can request notifications of upcoming calls and events in the contact form at
the bottom of the page.
Here are some nice things people are saying:
“Every solopreneur truly needs a business coach to provide
outside perspective, see challenges and opportunities, be cheerleader and
celebrate your wins with. Franklin was just that kind of coach for me and
helped me grow my business to six figures. He was generous with his time and
encouragement, but also gave me tough love and hard truths when I needed it. I
credit his insight, expertise in creating online courses and copywriting skills
to the growth in my one-on-one coaching and online program over three years. I
highly recommend the investment in a business coach, specifically with
Franklin, to help you get there so much faster and have a lot more fun building
your business.”
Sari Kimbell, Founder and CEO, Food Business Success https://www.foodbizsuccess.com/
“As a coach and advisor, Franklin Taggart is as wise as he
is supportive. He has a unique ability to see the various sides to any business
or career option and to help you discern from discussion which of those
directions might be best to pursue. He never dictates your course of action,
rather he listens carefully to what motivates you and digs deep to uncover your
personal strengths and then offers suggestions for how you might meet your
goals based on what he hears. It’s all quite encouraging and empowering. As a
solopreneur, most decisions and strategies fall squarely on my shoulders, as
does most of the work. It’s been a huge benefit to work with someone who can
help steer me in the right direction by offering astute observations and
creative solutions to keep me focused on doing my best and most efficient
work.”
Teresa Funke, Author and Publisher of Bursts of
Brilliance for a Creative Life https://www.burstsofbrilliance.com/
“Franklin Taggart has pragmatically changed my professional
identity more than anyone else—and in a fraction of the time. His genius is his
attention and perception, his art of listening underneath my desires and
frustrations to discern my unique service, aligned with my core human values.
This clarity of professional self—inextricable, really, from personal self—has
streamlined my marketing efforts, from website presentation to social-media
presence to product offerings. Franklin is truly a champion of others’ grandest
expressions in the world.”
Marj Hahne, Poet, Writer, Editor, Teacher https://marjhahne.com/
