EP 24 Consulting After 50: Three Models to Bypass the Job Market and Get Paid

Are you over 50 wondering if there is a better path than sending applications into a system designed to filter you out? There is. And it starts with recognizing that your decades of experience are a product that companies will pay for directly.In Episode 24 of the Ageism Survival Guide, host John Stech goes deep on consulting and advisory work as legitimate, high-earning career models for experienced professionals over 50. This is not a side hustle. This is not a consolation prize. It is a proven path built on the one thing the traditional job market consistently undervalues: your judgment.John spent 30 years in global automotive leadership before a 2020 corporate restructuring ended his role. What followed was a pandemic, more than 50 online conferences, two college-level courses, and three consulting opportunity emails arriving on the same morning in January 2021 that changed everything. Six years later, he runs his own LLC, mentors professionals internationally, and works remotely from Southeast Asia.This episode covers three consulting models with honest advantages and real challenges for each.Independent Consulting: Senior professionals are billing $175 to $325 per hour. Learn why business development must occupy 30 to 70 percent of your working time, even while actively delivering for current clients.Project-Based Consulting: Understand why success fee structures put your income at serious risk and why fixed project fees and retainers almost always protect you better. Income can be sporadic and pipeline work cannot wait until a project ends.Advisory Roles: Per-meeting fees. Annual retainers. Plus equity structures that reward your long-term value. Discover why speaking at industry events is one of the most effective business development strategies available to experienced professionals.The global management consulting industry has crossed one trillion dollars and is growing at 8 percent annually. The market needs experienced professionals, even when it pretends otherwise. You've earned this.RESOURCESAARP Workforce Research: https://www.aarp.org/researchAgeism Survival Guide: https://www.ageismsurvivalguide.com/CONNECT WITH USHomepage: https://www.ageismsurvivalguide.com/LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ageism-survival-guideFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ageismsurvivalguideInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ageismsurvivalguide/Discord Community: https://discord.gg/rrdaq48xJ