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Damon Chen

You're too good to be this invisible.

If you're a junior or mid-level professional drowning in job applications with zero callbacks - or a senior professional who knows you could crush it as a consultant but have no idea how to get started - I get it.

The frustration is real. You're qualified. You've done the work. 

But somehow: If you're early or mid-career: You're one of 500 applicants for every decent role while the best jobs seem to go to people who "knew someone." 

You're stuck in the application black hole.

If you're a senior professional: You've got 20+ years of expertise but consulting feels like a gamble. Will clients actually pay you? How do you find them? Can you really make this work?

Your family's watching. Your confidence is taking hits. 

And you're wondering what you're doing wrong.

Nothing. You just need a system that actually works.

My Story In 2014, I walked away from 22 years in corporate (Unilever, Nokia, Cargill) to start consulting. Terrified? Absolutely. 

But I had a plan. I turned my last employer into my first client. Tapped my network smart. Got my first new client within 2 weeks, and later worked with clients like PVR INOX, Mother Dairy, Altudo, Voltas, and Plantronics. 

Here's How I Help Junior & Mid-Level Professionals: My N.E.X.T. methodology gets you out of the application trap. My clients land roles with 30-100% salary jumps - not by applying more, but by becoming the person companies hunt down.

Senior Professionals (40+): I help you turn decades of corporate experience into a profitable consulting practice. Whether you're planning an exit, facing a layoff, or thinking about post-retirement income, I'll show you how to attract clients who value your expertise and pay accordingly.

After 22 years in corporate and 11 years coaching, I know what works and what's just noise. 

Ready to stop being invisible? 

Let's talk: hello@vikramanand.com

Vikram Anand

My client called me at 9 PM on a Thursday evening. I was helping my younger son with his homework.

"I need your help. My board presentation is in 48 hours and it's a mess."

"Send it over tonight, and I'll take a look" was my response.

He said. "Can we work on it now?"

I took a breath.

"Rajeev, send it over. I'll study it properly tonight and we'll fix it on a call tomorrow morning. One focused hour will do more than three rushed ones right now."

Silence.

He wasn't used to this. Most vendors would've said yes immediately.

"Okay," he said finally. "9 AM?"

"9 AM."

I went back to helping my son with his homework.

The next morning, one hour, deck completely turned around.

Walking out of that boardroom he sent me a message.
"I've never had a consultant who pushed back on me and still delivered."

That pushback wasn't arrogance.

It was 25 years of knowing that good work needs the right conditions, not just good intentions.

That's what corporate experience actually gives you.

The confidence to know what works. And the calm to say it out loud.

Most senior professionals I know think they're "too old" to start something new.

They're not too old. They're just finally ready.

If you're 45+ and quietly wondering whether your corporate years can become something independent, drop a comment or send me a DM.

No pitch. Just a real conversation.

#CorporateToConsultant

I help experienced professionals navigate career transitions — from securing senior roles to building profitable consulting practices.

Your title will not save you outside your office walls.
There. I said it.

And I say this with a lot of respect for what you've built.

You've spent 15, 20, maybe 25 years climbing. Director. VP. SVP. Each promotion felt earned. Because it was.

Inside your company, your title does real work.

Meetings happen because you're in the room. Budgets move because you approve them. People listen because the org chart says they should.

That's not seniority. That's the organization working for you.

Now imagine you leave.

No company email. No designation on the door. No institutional brand backing your name.

The market outside doesn't ask "Were you a Senior VP?"

It asks "What exactly do you solve? For whom? And why should I pay you — specifically you — to solve it?"

That's a completely different question.

Most people stepping into consulting for the first time are not prepared for it. Not because they lack expertise. 

But because for decades, the system brought opportunities to them.

Outside, you go find them yourself.

The good news — and I genuinely mean this — is that your experience is real and it is valuable.

It just needs to be repositioned. Not simply presented.

Your title opens zero doors on the outside. Your clarity about the problem you solve — that opens everything.

If you're thinking about making the move to consulting, what's the one thing you're most unsure about? Ask me in the comments.

#CorporateToConsulting

103 connection requests in my LinkedIn inbox. This morning alone. 

Zero notes. Zero introductions. Not even a "Hi."

Just a blank request. Like a knock on the door with no one standing there.

I accept some of them anyway. Because maybe, just maybe, this one will start a real conversation.

Spoiler: Less than 1% do.

The rest connect, go silent, and show up six months later asking for a reference, a referral, or "just 30 minutes of your time."

Here's what I've noticed after 30+ years in corporate and consulting:

The people who build real relationships on LinkedIn don't spray connection requests like confetti.

They treat every connection like the beginning of a conversation.

So if you're trying to build a meaningful professional network — here are 3 things that will actually work:

1. Write a note. Always. Two sentences. Why you want to connect. What you found interesting about their work. That's it. It takes 45 seconds and it's remembered forever.

2. Engage before you ask. Comment on their posts. React genuinely. Show up before you need something. People remember who was around before the ask.

3. Start a conversation, not a transaction. Your first message after connecting should not be a pitch, a request, or your CV. Ask one genuine question. 
Listen to the answer.

Networking isn't collecting names.

It's earning attention — one real conversation at a time.

What's the most memorable connection request note you've ever received? Drop it in the comments. 👇

I wanted to get out of the 9 to 5. I wanted to get into independent consulting. I was scared.

Until I developed my escape plan and hedged my risks.

My video explains what I did. Watch time 1 min.

Thanks to Viraraghavan Sankaran & Aseem Soni

#CorporateToConsultant

"Is this your final number?" Kavita looked at my proposal and then looked at me, surprised.

She was the marketing director at a SaaS startup in Gurgaon, and I was a new independent consultant at 45.

I nodded confidently.

She slid it back across the table. "You're undercharging yourself."

I'd quoted ₹80,000 for a three-month strategy engagement.

I drove back home to Noida that evening confused.

I had 22 years of experience behind me. Led teams. Managed ad budgets worth tens of crores.

But the moment I became a consultant, I'd priced myself like a fresher desperate for work.

Because honestly? I thought I was.

Here's what I hadn't figured out yet:

In corporate, someone always told you what you were worth.

Your grade. Your band. Your increment letter.

In consulting, nobody sends you that letter.

You write it yourself.

Kavita didn't hire me that day. But she gave me something more valuable.

The courage to never underprice myself again.

#CorporateToConsultant

taplio

The Battle

Damon Chen

Vikram Anand

Followers

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Performance ScoreVikram Anand's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Damon Chen

Vikram Anand

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Vikram Anand's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreVikram Anand's LinkedIn Performance