You think what you know is “just common sense” after 30 years in your field. But that knowledge—the stuff you take for granted—is exactly what companies desperately need and will pay premium fees to access.
I’m Going to Guess Something About You
Right now, you’re thinking: “Sure, consulting sounds nice. But what would I even consult on? I was just doing my job. It’s not like I have some special knowledge.”
Here’s the thing: You’re wrong about that. Completely wrong.
And I can prove it.
Think about the last few months before you retired. How many times did someone—a younger colleague, a new hire, maybe even your boss—come to you with a problem?
Not because it was in your job description. But because you’d seen that problem before. You knew the pitfalls. You could save them weeks of trial and error.
That happened constantly, right?
That’s expertise. And it didn’t retire when you did.
My $1,200 Wake-Up Call
Let me tell you about my first consulting client.
Three months after I retired, I ran into a former colleague at the grocery store. We grabbed coffee.
He was now VP of Operations at a mid-sized manufacturing company. And he was drowning.
They were implementing a new ERP system—the same system I’d implemented twice in my career. Once successfully, once disastrously.
He said, “I wish I could just pick your brain for a few hours. We’re making decisions and I have no idea if we’re heading for a cliff.”
I almost said, “Sure, happy to help” and left it at that. Free advice over coffee.
But something made me pause. Maybe it was remembering yesterday’s conversation about my expertise still having value.
So instead I said: “I’d love to help. My consulting rate is $200 an hour. I think we’d need about six hours to map this out properly.”
There was this moment of silence. I thought I’d blown it.
Then he said: “Done. When can you start? If you can save us from the mistakes you made, that’s worth ten times what I’m paying you.”
That was $1,200. For sharing knowledge I thought was “just common sense.”
The implementation went smoothly. They avoided three major problems I’d warned them about. Each one would have cost them $50,000 or more.
He called it the best $1,200 he’d ever spent.
I called it the moment I realized my expertise was actually worth something.
What You Need to Understand About Expertise
Here’s what changed my entire perspective on what I had to offer:
- What Feels Obvious to You Is Invisible to Others
You’ve spent 30 years in your field. You’ve made mistakes, learned lessons, developed instincts.
When you look at a problem, you see patterns. You know what works and what doesn’t. You can predict outcomes three steps ahead.
You think this is normal because everyone around you at your level could do it too.
But here’s what you’re missing: There aren’t that many people at your level anymore. Most of them retired. Or moved on. Or stayed in corporate jobs.
The people running companies right now? They’re smart, capable, and missing 20 years of your pattern recognition.
What’s obvious to you is a revelation to them.
- Companies Need Experience More Than Credentials
When I started consulting, I worried: “I don’t have an MBA. I don’t have certifications. Why would anyone hire me?”
Then I realized: They’re not hiring credentials. They’re hiring results.
They have MBAs. What they don’t have is someone who’s:
- Implemented an ERP system
- Managed a merger
- Restructured a department
- Navigated a crisis
They don’t need theory. They need: “Here’s what happened when we tried that, and here’s what actually worked.”
That’s what you have. Battle scars. War stories. Hard-won wisdom.
- Your Expertise Lives in Three Places (And You’re Only Thinking About One)
Most people think expertise means technical skills. The specific tools, systems, or methodologies of your job.
That’s part of it. But it’s actually the smallest part.
Your real expertise is in two other areas:
One: Process and systems thinking. You know how to diagnose problems, design solutions, implement change, and measure results. That transfers across industries.
Two: People and organizational dynamics. You know how to navigate corporate politics, manage stakeholders, build consensus, and get things done through others. That’s universal.
A CFO’s technical skills are specific to finance. But their process thinking and people skills? Those work anywhere.
- The Market Is Bigger Than You Think
You might be thinking: “Sure, my old company might hire me. But that’s one company.”
Wrong calculation.
There are:
- Thousands of companies in your industry
- Plus adjacent industries
- Plus companies outside your industry that have the same problems you solved
And they all need what you know.
Not full-time. Not permanently. But for specific projects, specific problems, specific transitions.
That’s the consulting market. And it’s massive.
Your Expertise Audit (Do This Today)
Take 15 minutes and answer these three questions:
Question 1: What Did People Constantly Ask You About at Work?
Not your job duties. The stuff people came to you for specifically. The “Hey, can I pick your brain about…” questions.
Write down three topics.
Question 2: What Problems Did You Solve Repeatedly?
Think about the last five years of your career. What kept showing up? What were you the go-to person for?
Write down three problems.
Question 3: What Mistakes Did You See Others Make That You’d Already Learned to Avoid?
Think about new hires, younger colleagues, or other departments. What did you see them struggling with that you’d already figured out?
Write down three mistakes.
Now Look at Your List
Nine things total.
Every single one of those is marketable expertise.
Every single one of those is something a company will pay you to help them with.
Your expertise isn’t hiding. It’s right there in front of you. You’ve just been taking it for granted for so long that you forgot it has value outside your old job.
Tomorrow, we’re going to talk about why your age is actually your competitive advantage—not the liability you think it is.
Talk Tomorrow
Hit reply and send me your expertise audit. I want to see what you came up with. And I’ll tell you if you’re undervaluing anything.
If this helped you see your experience differently, forward it to another retired professional who needs to hear this.
— Bob
P.S. That $1,200 consulting project led to three more projects with that company. And two referrals to other companies. Total revenue from one grocery store conversation: $18,400. Your network is more valuable than you think.
