READING TIME: 5 MINS
In August 2018, at the tail end of graduating with an MPhil. in Conservation Leadership from the University of Cambridge and equipped with new perspectives on conservation and leadership skills, I was terribly lost.
Should I go back to a full-time job? After 8 long years (pretty much my entire 20s) of working with conservation organisations, this somehow felt like a step backwards. I left my job for systemically embedded reasons (such as projects being donor-driven and not needs based) that were unlikely to have disappeared over the single year in which I lived in an academic bubble. Nonetheless, I applied for jobs, interviewed, was rejected, and did some rejecting of my own, because this was what I thought was expected of me.
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Should I take a break and travel? I did do this in a manner of speaking. I traveled around Europe, eventually abusing the hospitality of a close friend and parking myself in Italy for seven weeks. 200 odd gelatos later, I was rapidly eating through most of my savings. I realised I couldn’t financially sustain all the unplanned travel. So, I retreated to India, and the safety of parents home, to continue deliberating my life.
Should I continue consulting? I did eventually do several short-term consultancies to sustain myself. As uncertain and insufficient as the income was, I enjoyed being in control of my own time. Importantly, I realised that I was often being given the freedom to collaboratively shape the work in ways that could be more impactful. This, I thought, was something I would make work. This, I realised, was a risk I was prepared to take.
Strategic Risk-Taking.​
I learned from my father to write down my thoughts in order to work through big decisions. Below is a snapshot of my thought process.
The Cost of Inaction​
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Returning to a job cycle I dislike
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3 weeks of vacation a year (the timing of which often doesn’t coincide with family & friends’ time off)
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Always wondering “what if?”​
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The Reward of Inaction​
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The safety of a pay-check
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Nobody will judge me for staying
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My life will remain relatively comfortable
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The Cost of Action
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Reduced income (for an unknown period)
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Inability to build my savings in the short to medium-term
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If I fail, I’ll need to find a new job to support myself
The Reward of Action​
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Much higher earning potential
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Ability to choose what I work on
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Align work with my passions, and creativity
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Ability to develop a better work/life balance
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Enabling Factors.
Eventually I decided to start my own consultancy (I won't lie, part of it was the "punny" name my brother came up with, i.e., EcoNiche!). There were some key factors that enabled me to act on this decision.
Networks
Working in the conservation sector for years prior to starting EcoNiche allowed me to build my networks within and outside of India. These connections were the reason that I was able to get the first consultancies that established the foundation on which EcoNiche was built. Many former colleagues and associates are now key EcoNiche advisors and partners.
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Community
Starting your own organisation can feel isolating. To my great fortune I had several colleagues and friends (albeit not in India) who had already walked down that road. Talking through the challenges and decisions provided much needed advice, reassurance and validation of my decisions.
Financial Safety Nets
Since I started my professional career, at least 30% of my monthly income (if not more) has gone into savings. When I decided to start EcoNiche I had sufficient funds to keep me going for 12 months, in case things went south and I was unable to get any work. I also made the decision to move to Goa, which allowed me to have a great quality of life at less of the cost. This allowed me to focus on building EcoNiche, without the stress of wondering how to finance my daily needs.
Staying Power
When I first started EcoNiche, it was difficult to get used to the inconsistent pay, and I felt compelled to agree to less than appealing consultancies. In the end however, the frustration was worth it. Not only was it short-lived but once I had established the credibility and dependability of EcoNiche, I am now able to choose our work (and more!). Of course, the uncertainty and general anxiety still remain, but I have learned to better manage them over time.
If you're thinking of starting your own conservation consultancy (or becoming a consultant), and want to talk it through, don't hesitate to get in touch!