Where's The Money Going?

“Don’t tell me what you think, tell me what you have in your portfolio.”

This is a quote from "Skin In The Game", by Nassim Taleb, that came to my mind after a recent call with a financial consultant. Talk is cheap. Following the money is always a stronger sign.

Zig Ziglar used to say that you only need one question to tell if someone was a successful life insurance agent: "How much life insurance do you have?" If you're not willing to buy it with your own money, can you really convince someone else to do so?

I believe the same applies to (almost) every consultant out there:

• If you're in the coaching business but have never hired a professional coach, can you put yourself in the shoes of your prospects?
• If you run an ad agency and don't invest in any kind of ads, do you know what you're doing?
• If you're a D&I consultancy whose staff is composed of people of the same race, gender, age, and citizenship status, can you persuade clients that paying higher salaries for diverse talent is worth it?

Are you putting money where your mouth is?

A consultant who won't hire consulting services sends a strong sign - and not a good one.