At 54, I chose the unknown
In corporate life, you can be well positoioned and highly experienced — and still feel how quickly the ground can shift: priorities and management changes, restructurings happen, roles get redefined, and “security” becomes a yearly negotiation.
That’s why more executives quietly ask themselves a future question:
If I ever wanted to step out — could I translate what I do into a clear, credible consulting business?
To make this practical, here are four questions that separate “I have a lot of experience” from “I can turn this into a clear offer in the market.” Not as a test — as a mirror.
Therefore, let me ask you…
Question 1: Can you describe, in one clear sentence, the business problem you solve today — for which type of client — and why you would be the obvious choice tomorrow as an external advisor/consultant?
Question 2: Do you have an offer that a potential client can understand, evaluate, and say yes to — without you having to explain it for 20 minutes first?
Question 3: Do you have a way to consistently start and maintain conversations with the right people — and move those conversations toward a decision?
Question 4: When someone looks you up before deciding whether to reach out — what do they find? Does it build trust before you even speak?
Most executives I speak with can't answer all four. Not because they lack experience — but because no one ever showed them how to translate that experience into a structure that works.
→ That's exactly what we do in my free live webinar, From Executive to Entrepreneur. One focused hour — and you'll leave knowing precisely where your gaps are and what to do about them first.
And keep on reading — I'll tell you how I got here.
Let me introduce myself to you so that you understand why I can give you some valuable advise in such a crucial moment in life…. I'm Dieter Brandt. After 30+ years as a senior executive and expat, I took that leap at 54 — and started my own consulting business as solopreneur before I founded Brandt & Partners.
It didn't start with a plan. It started with a feeling I couldn't ignore anymore. As a reader of my newsletter you know what I am talking about.
Interestingly, I usually gave the impression that I was the executive who always knew the way forward.
But when my corporate chapter was ending, the doubts were real.
After all those years with just one company, I didn't want to go from #1 to #2, 3, or 4. I didn't want another hamster wheel either. And I didn't want politics anymore.
I loved what I did. But strategic things changed, and so I had to accept that the time had come to close that chapter.
And there was the dream I had for some years already: Somewhen I wanted to build my own company — have more liberty, ownership, and freedom for the next phase of my life.
A dream, however, doesn't erase doubts and fear. It gives you a reason to move through them. I wasn't ready for big risks. But I was ready to take responsibility.
How I found my starting point
I didn't start with "What can I sell?"
I started with: What would I have expected as a customer?
The opportunity wasn't to be louder. It was all about going the extra mile — with relevance, preparation, understanding, and respect. And in a unique way.
Not theory. With experience from both sides of the table.
How I learned to start before being perfect
Corporate life trains you to ship when everything is polished, approved, complete, and risk-reduced.
Building your own business is different. Waiting for 100% becomes a convenient excuse.
What I learned to apply was simple and somehow new for me:
Start at 80%. Listen. Learn fast. Improve.
The market rewards clarity and movement — not perfection in silence. Tools help (AI, automation, content). But tools can only help when you move!
An interesting aspect
There was something else that inspired me when I restarted at 54:
my business opened me a strategic field I could build on—learning from real conversations with CEOs, owners, candidates, experts, and decision-makers. For you and me in the consulting business, this is both a truly inspiring opportunity and a necessity to stay fresh in your mind and up-to-date when it is about the market trends and needs.
I always loved to truly understand about what companies struggle with. You perceive their pain and see trends early. You understand where your experience creates real value — in ways you sometimes hadn't imagined before.
But this, however, only happens when you're visible and accessible.
If people can't find you, nothing starts.
How I moved through the doubts
Doubts and fear don't disappear before you start. They get smaller when you move.
Showing up — at industry events, on LinkedIn, in conversations that matter.
Confidence came step by step:
→ Start from the customer's perspective → Build what you would have valued yourself → Start at 80% and improve in motion → Learn. Adjust. Keep going.
The leap wasn't risk-free or easy. But staying in a chapter that no longer fit would have been the bigger risk — and the harder thing to accept later.
You don't only build a company.
You build a new version of yourself.
📅 On May 27th, I'll show you exactly how those four questions map to a system — and how you can use it to build your next chapter with clarity.
It's free. It's live. And it's a good first step. You will be with many other executives at this cross-road of their life. Come join us!
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