The list of choices as I see it are:
- CMO at large department company (which for me is at a professional services firm)
- Marketing, Networking or Leadership consultant
- Professional speaker or author
- Leadership/firm mentor
- Create a training program or trainer for an existing training company
- Sales and/or marketing for a company selling to the professional services industry
- Freelance marketing contributor (such as writing, graphics, project management)
- Doing something completely different and maintaining a satisfactory lifestyle
There may be other directions, but to stay specifically within the professional services industry these are the most choices.
Each choice comes with advantages, limitations, skill sets and an individuals desire. For instance, being an account or sales executive has never been attractive to me. No gonna happen. On the other hand, being a trainer or mentor feels like a great fit.
For me, a choice is at hand – what is next? If you have ideas, let me know, or wait to find out which direction I choose.