Burning out and quitting my job with no plan.

Through word of mouth / networking I got a few consulting gigs and things snowballed and I've been doing that for 18 years.

When dealing with short-term clients you learn how to swallow your ego and get things things.

While I can guide/direct on the best approach or technology, the final decision isn't always mine, and I morph to the demands of the person signing my checks.

Also learned a lot about communication, marketing, negotiations, finance, legal, and sales.