A year ago today, two other NH women and I officially launched Brightspot Consultants, a collaborative specializing in strategy and fundraising consulting for nonprofits. To say I'm blown away by this entire thing is an understatement. I constantly find myself a little shocked that 1) I am a business owner 2) I did this with two other amazingly strong, fierce, and kind women 3) we are successful and 4) we have worked together to define success on our own terms, terms that are true to who we each are and how we want to work.
Beyond those surprises, I also realize that I still have A LOT to learn. I know a lot about nonprofits and fundraising, perhaps enough to be considered an "expert" on those subjects, but that is not always the most important element of being a consultant. Sure, nonprofits want how-to tips, content, and advice, but they also want someone to help them navigate the sticky dynamics of human nature inherent in their work. The nuances of communicating, of helping lead people to the solutions, of facilitating important conversations. That's the expertise I desperately want and am so enormously thankful to have in the form of my two partners. Without them, this would've been a failed enterprise.
The power of collaborating is more clear than ever to me after year one. We each bring our own strengths, experiences, and personalities to the table, hopefully producing a collaborative that is full of knowledge but also full of genuine interest in supporting the sector, improving the work these organizations do, and in turn, making life a little better for our communities. And doing it all kindly and authentically.
I had rejected the idea of being a consultant so many times in my head, dismissing my weaknesses as too critical to be effective in this kind of role. And yes, I'm a work in progress (who isn't still learning after one year on the job?) but I am so happy to be engaged in this work. It's truly a bright spot.
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