My podcast appearance with Jonathan Stark + my DOGE strategy
Hi all,
Not returning to the newsletter just yet but thought I'd send out a link to an interview I did with Jonathan Stark on his podcast, Ditching Hourly.
https://podcast.ditchinghourly.com/people/dale-davidson
Jonathan advocates for getting away from hourly billing in your independent consulting practice. I agree, but I discuss why that's difficult in government contracting but why it might be okay anyway, particularly if you're jus getting started.
He's a great follow for those of you who want to work for yourself as an independent/solo consultant/business types.
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I also wanted to discuss my approach to DOGE and all the government budget drama.
My work has not been impacted for now. My contracts are funded and I have to work onsite in a SCIF anyway so the end of remote work doesn't impact me.
But if it does eventually come for me, that's okay. I'm actually considering leaving government contracting, or at least, personally doing billable work, anyway. Being onsite in a SCIF all day, even if it's well paid and afford more autonomy than being a W2 employee, is not the vision of life I have for myself
I'm not exactly sure what comes next, and I suspect quite a few government employees and contractors will be in the same spot in not too long.
But I do have faith that there is a benefit in being disrupted and having your life as you know it crash down around you. It's not pain free. But the disruption can point you in a direction that is more aligned with who you are and the life you were meant to live.
I've gone through several cycles of 1099 gigs/extended time off and each time I come back, my tolerance for government contracting work goes down. That's a clear signal I need to do something else. [Perhaps I should spend time fixing my own typos.]
I'm going to go into a "wait and see mode" and not try to force anything.
I don't know if it will work out or work out in the way I expect it too, but that's my strategy for now.
In the meantime, if there is anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to reach out.
Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.