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Let Steve Jobs’ Health Controversy Be A Wakeup Call

By crooky | July 26, 2008

This week the media was all abuzz about the haggard appearance of Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple, in case you’ve been living under a rock) and how it might impact Apple shareholders. The problem is that Apple is Steve Jobs and Steve Jobs in Apple. Shareholders and customers can’t help but feel like the company would tank without him. Sole proprietor consultants like me need to pay attention to this furor because in our own limited ways, we’re all like Steve Jobs. Our business doesn’t really exist without us and our clients are going to be concerned if we seem unwell.

Steve Jobs and Peter Cushing - can you tell the difference?

Steve Jobs and Peter Cushing - can you tell the difference?

Admittedly, I am someone who pushes myself and my business very, very hard. I’ve worked 70 hour weeks many a time. I’ve pulled all-nighters. My health has been impacted by my unhealthy work habits over the past five years. My weight peaked about 18 months ago and I went through a period where I had a cold nearly constantly. I often had dark circles under my eyes and my clients were starting to notice.

It didn’t occur to me until Steve Jobs started doing his best Peter Cushing impression last month that looking haggard is more than just a point of interest to your clients - they need to know that you’re going to be healthy enough to finish the work that you’ve committed to do for them and that you won’t die during subsequent projects.

It catches up with us all. I’m not that old but some of my older consulting colleagues have certainly had their health scares during the course of doing business and it has a huge impact on your positioning within the community.

The take-home message is this: when you are the business, you need to maintain the brand and your health or people will be leery of doing business with you.

I need to practice what I preach and take better care of myself. I’ve lost some weight lately and I’ve been getting more sleep. I think it’s because I’m less stressed. This year has been very kind to me work-wise so I worry less than I have in the past.

My clients are noticing the improvement and commenting on it. I hope this means they’ll drive more business my way in months to come.

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Aaron “Crooky” Cruikshank is the Principal and Founder of Friuch Consulting. He has written professionally about science and technology for over ten years.

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Topics: Business of Consulting |

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