career Coaching & Business development consulting Services

I am a business professional with over 30 years of professional services industry experience.  I have worked in many countries and has presented on a variety of issues at various conferences, webcasts, and live training.  I have learned from many of the leading professional services practitioners and have served as a mentor to many staff people throughout my career. I have worked at firms that were start-ups to large global entities and have led and grown several professional services practices from scratch. Throughout my career, I have taught and mentored colleagues with the goal of helping them develop professionally. 

In addition to my professional career, I have actively been involved with and served on the board of many non-profit entities over his lifetime. I enjoy traveling the world, meeting new people, and learning about cultures and societies. In both my professional and personal capacity, at my core, I enjoy helping people.

I am frequently sought out for his professional insights as well as just sound feedback to other professionals facing various challenges.  If you or your company are facing challenges in the areas of career advancement, business development, mentoring and networking, I am available to consult with you. 

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR ACCOUNTANTS AND FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS

Some of my insights and experiences have been captured in my book, EARN TRUST By Changing Selling Into Helping, a business book that shares practical tips for business development and networking. These tips are observations that have been learned through years of business consulting experience and are presented in a story format through discussions and interactions among a small group of characters. This guide provides insight into ways to help each other and earn the trust of our customers and clients. By adjusting our outlook to view selling as a form of helping, we may find that our work becomes a more enriching and satisfying experience and we are able to grow our own success as well as our client’s.

Hopefully, the lessons conveyed will serve as a useful guidebook to mid-career and experienced professionals who are looking to expand their networks and develop business opportunities through helping their clients and earning their trust.  A critical review of your business development activities, social media presence and CV language may help improve your potential business development opportunities.

Link to EARN TRUST website: www.earntrustbook.com

CAREER COACHING & MENTORING FOR ACCOUNTANTS AND FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS

I believe that my purpose as a seasoned professional is to help other professionals through sharing what I have experienced and learned. With over 35 years of experience, I have held a variety of roles in the accounting and consulting professions. These roles include:

· Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

· Big 4 Auditor

· Corporate Controller

· Internal Audit Director

· SEC Enforcement Accountant

· Forensic Accountant

· Leadership positions

· Interim Chief Compliance Officer

· Entrepreneur

· Book Author

· Podcast Creator and Host

· Business Start Up

· Career Coach 

· Mentor to Staff

· Non-profit Board member

These positions and the experiences obtained while serving in them have provided me with an extensive exposure to career growth, management challenges and obstacles, transitioning from government to private practice, and business development experiences.

Throughout my career, I have served as a mentor and coach to staff and colleagues. By taking the time to listen and explore what possibilities are available, I have helped numerous professionals deal with issues and worked with them to advance their career in their chosen direction. My coaching style is based on maintaining a positive mental attitude with reinforcing yet encouraging discipline.

My purpose and passion are to help fellow accountants and financial consultants to obtain the most satisfaction possible in their career path and business success. I wrote the book, EARN TRUST Changing Selling Into Helping, to assist professionals with the often-challenging work of business development and networking. I received great feedback from the book as individuals found something that they related to and hit home and were grateful to benefit from my tips and practices.

So regardless of where you find yourself in your accounting and consulting career, you will likely face forks in the road that require thoughtful decisions, are in need of some independent feedback on your strengths and areas for improvement, considering a transition from government service to private practice, and may be looking to find ways to increase your business development results.

My coaching is primarily focused on working on a one-on-one basis with individuals who are searching for guidance and insight when dealing with the successful next steps in their careers. To begin to improve your career, we have an initial complimentary strategy session, and then a course of action is developed and mutually agreed to and executed over weeks or months. A successful outcome is based on both the coach and the client putting in the maximum effort required to change and grow. 

In a coaching relationship, the coach and client collaborate to plan, prioritize, analyze, and develop solutions to the client’s challenges. The coach/mentor supports the client in clarifying objectives, setting priorities, defining specific goals, creating actionable plans, maintaining focus, and overcoming obstacles. This is achieved through powerful questioning, structured guidance, constructive feedback, and skill-building strategies. 

“A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are." - Ara Parseghian

Please reach out if you, or your company, are interested in having a complimentary, 15-minute strategy session to see how we may help you. Please leave your name and contact information at 202-203-0239, or send an email to jim@barrattconsultinggroup.com.