Serenastyle Blog

The last time I talked to Kevin, he was still focusing on Yap’d, a point rewards program for students and local businesses in Berkeley. By the time I decided to feature Yap’d, he said he had shifted most of his time and energy to a new gig, Management Consulted. It’s a blog that only started in December but has now over 400 subscribers. No, actually, it’s not just a blog—there’s also The Consulting Bible and a resume and cover letter editing service. Kevin has edited over 50 resumes and helped people land careers at major consultant firms. Well why did he leave McKinsey? How did he gain a significant readership in such a short amount of time? What has he learned from consulting that is applicable to entrepreneurship? What impelled you to start Management Consulted and how have you marketed yourself to reach the blog's current level of success?

There was an obvious market need when I started Management Consulted. Relevant, targeted advice for prospective consultants is simply non-existent. Pick up any Vault Guide and you'll quickly realize it's generic and out-of-date. I learned a lot during my time in the industry and wanted to share that experience with others. Plus the aspects of running a site—writing, marketing, the incremental progress of building a product—really appealed to me. I've relied heavily on SEO and word-of-mouth to grow traffic. It all points back to the need for this type of advice and professional help—about half of my traffic is organic. The other half comes because I try to build great relationships with the consulting blogosphere—commenting on other blogger posts, inviting them to interview on my blog, and so forth. There are also a few niche forum-related resources where I participate heavily, answering questions and providing advice, and that helps drive targeted traffic back to the site. I’ve also recently started focusing on some additional marketing methods—such as Facebook advertising—and giving talks about recruiting and consulting at universities. Both of these have played well, and giving the talks has been a great way to meet readers in-person.

Blogs, books, Bibles, Bain, BCG…help me out.

Thanks for mentioning The Consulting Bible! I've had more buyers than I anticipated since launching it in January, and will be releasing an updated version in a few weeks. I basically poured every little insight I had about conquering interviews and getting offers into that ebook, and I'm hoping with future editions that it will become the "Bible" for all things consulting-related. On the topic of ebooks, I'm finishing up a book of interviews. My Life as a Consultant interview series has generated a lot of interest. People have just been fascinated in learning about the personal stories, so I'm publishing another ebook with 30 or so new interviews with firms all across the map (McKinsey, Bain, BCG, and others).

If I were interested in going to b-school one day and working at a consulting firm beforehand, I’d get my hands on a copy of the “Bible”. You're no longer at McKinsey and now you're just running Yap'd and Management Consulted. Why go from a notable firm to the dangerous start-up life?

I'm a late-blooming entrepreneur. Certain aspects of that lifestyle—the risk-taking, the "shoot first, aim later" approach, the love of uncertainty and novelty—have always been a part of my personality. But the wherewithal to get out there and start a company didn't materialize until I spent time in corporate America. McKinsey was a great experience—I learned at the highest levels of business and met inspiring, successful people. But after two years, there was no doubt I had to try my hand at entrepreneurship. Originally, the question was whether to join an established startup or go-it-alone. I recruited for a lot of startups, but something just didn't feel right. I thought I could learn a lot more striking out alone—and for now, it's paid off.

Has anyone seen Kevin’s latest tweet or kept up with his Facebook statuses?! He’s all over the place. Literally.

I travel because I love it personally and it's a great way to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and promote my businesses. In terms of endeavors outside of Management Consulted and Yap'd, there are definitely a few in the works. My liability has always been spreading myself thin because I have so many interests—but I figure you can relate :).

I’m also spread thin as a…crepe. What makes running a blog more satisfying than working a stable job? The control you have over every single detail, the feedback/comments you get, the people you meet online?

It's two things: Having a voice and perspective that I can share with a large audience. I've always enjoyed the whole "teaching" aspect of it Building personal connections with readers, fellow bloggers, and business partners. That's why I love the internet—it's dramatically lowered the barriers to meeting new people and staying in touch with old friends.

I love the Internetz too. Lastly, have any of the skills you've learned as a consultant helped with entrepreneurship?

No doubt. One is communication. Consulting taught me how to say more with fewer words and how to focus on insights and the truly important stuff as opposed to just rambling. Two is goal-focus. What I mean is to think about your goal - to visualize exactly what you want to accomplish - and work backwards to figure out how to get there. I used to just jump into things and figure them out as I go. Having a goal orientation clarifies many steps you have to take, and you learn how to take the straightest path. Finally just business protocol. Knowing how to manage people, run meetings, establish business partnerships, etc. These are all process elements that are critical to effective businesses.

Are YOU (yes, you, the one reading) interested in going into consulting now? Give Management Consulted a try.