Kevin Weber:
Fired and Thriving
Kevin Weber was laid off from his dream job at AWS on the same day as his wedding anniversary. What followed was an unexpected leap into entrepreneurship that began with a spreadsheet, a phone call, and a whole lot of hustle.
Bio
Highly strategic and technical. I am a result-oriented Cloud Architect with proven experience assessing a company’s internal processes, strategies, information systems and workflow procedures to optimize and enhance business performance. I carefully align Information Technology strategies with business objectives to reduce costs, improve information flows, report to stakeholders/managers, train and guide employees regarding system issues, and mitigate risks associated with information. I am continuously serving as a key role in spanning architecture definitions and governance for growing organizations.
Topics
- How to turn unexpected layoffs into career pivots
- Building a one-person consulting firm from scratch
- Navigating the emotional fallout of job loss
- The power of professional networks in times of crisis
- Freelance vs. full-time: What most people don’t realize
- Packaging and pricing your expertise as a consultant
- Running a business solo without burning out
- Finding your identity after losing your dream job
- The mindset shift from employee to business owner
- Keeping consulting work fulfilling without scaling
Guiding Questions
- What was going through your mind the day you got laid off from AWS?
- How did your network play a role in launching your consulting business?
- Can you walk us through how your first client found you?
- What was the hardest part about transitioning from employee to business owner?
- How do you define success now compared to when you worked at AWS?
- What’s been your biggest challenge running a one-person firm?
- Why have you chosen not to scale beyond a small team?
- How do you structure your day to stay productive without burning out?
- What advice would you give someone afraid of leaving a corporate job?
- How did this experience change your professional identity?