FAQ

Where do all the pictures on the front page come from?

I was born in Michigan, but moved to Costa Rica when I was four, where I learned Spanish. After one year, we moved to Guatemala and lived there for thirteen years. We lived in a very remote Mayan indian village called San Miguel Acatán--no electricity, no running water, and so on. What I did have was photo subjects galore, lots of time, and a pile of old camera equipment.

My favorite cameras to date: Olympus OM-4T, Mamiya RB67, Mamiya RZ67, Mamiya 7, Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 5D Mark III, and soon the new Canon 1DX. My pocket camera is a Leica D-LUX 30.

I've had lots of hobbies over the years (flying airplanes and helicopters, motorcycles, fine carpentry, and so on), but the only constant has been photography. I typically take six foreign photo excursions every year, to countries I've never visited. Capturing images, along with everything that goes into doing it artfully, speaks to my soul. It's so immersive that it crowds all the rest of life out.

I don't know if you'll enjoy any of these images, but I hope one or two of them make you smile or remind you fondly of an image in your own head. Or, maybe one of them will help you reconnect with life (or death) in an authentic, real way.

Thanks for stopping by. And if you want to chat about any of this, send me an email: david@retake.com. Photography (or whatever else you do for art) should be an oasis, a means of expression, a way to get lost from everything else in life, and completely fulfiling. You can see hundreds of other photos at ReTake. By the way, you are free to use any of them you like in any way that you like, provided that attribution is made and you notify me that you are doing so. There is no charge.

What size are the firms that you work with?

We have performed most paid services, including the Total Business Review, for firms from one to ninety individuals. Our entire consulting practice is built on knowing the differences between firms of different sizes. If you have only two employees, we can help you at the current stage and tell you what is coming next. If you have sixty people, we know your unique issues. We even know when it is time to move to a smaller size.

I have one big issue I need your help with, but I don't see a package that deals specifically with that, and the larger packages cost more than I want to spend right now. How can we work together?

Our smallest consulting package is the “Single Issue” package, either remote or in Nashville. Unfortunately, we don't work on an hourly basis. This is how we limit our client base in a manner that allows us to do effective work for the clients we do have.

How can you help me from Nashville?

We can’t, in many cases, until we’ve worked with you on-site. That’s why many programs require that. But once we have—or if the program doesn’t require it—the working relationship is quite effective. Of our client base, 80% are in the US, 15% are in Canada, and the remainder are scattered throughout Latin America and Europe. Nashville is just our base of operations, but hire us because you think we know what we're doing and not because we're close. In fact, if there’s a management consulting firm nearer to you that has the same experience in serving firms like yours, it would make more sense to hire them.

How do we work together after you leave?

In all engagements, what follows the on-site portion is termed the “unlimited remote implementation” period, and it means just what it says. That includes phone calls and emails, usually initiated by you when there's something you want help with, but sometimes from us if we feel like you're avoiding us or may have lost some momentum.

In a consulting relationship, will we have a regularly scheduled call? Are you like a coach in that regard?

Our approach is not like that of a coach, prodding you to make weekly progress. There are much better (and cheaper) sources for that, and we can refer you to coaches who specialize in this industry, even. But our work is more “issues-based.” If you are facing a particular hurdle, we'll create an engagement, assess the situation, give you our best solution, and then answer questions as you implement it. So to answer the question specifically, a month may pass before we touch base or we may communicate by email or phone several times in one week.

If I sign up as a client and decide that I want more assistance after that initial "unlimited remote implementation guidance" period has ended, how do we continue to work together?

Obviously you (or your staff) could attend one of our seminars, roundtables, or conferences. Another option is to do a "checkup" on site again, typically priced at 60-70% of the full program. Yet another option is to just describe what you need and we'll craft a specific engagement, whether it's done on-site or remotely.

Can we get together and meet first? This is a big decision and I’d like to get a feel for how we’d work together.

We won’t work hard to make this happen simply because that requires time that we could have been spending on clients (instead of prospecting). We'll spend as much time as you like answering questions by phone or email to give you a comfort level with how we’ll approach working for you. We’ll also supply dozens of references (once we know you are seriously interested). And of course there’s lots of valuable (and free) material on this website that will provide insight into how we think.

What really sets you apart from the other management consultants that specialize in serving this field?

There are three things, really. The first is that we’ve developed some pretty unique processes that help us surface the issues and then solve them quickly and more reliably. These center around measuring your firm’s performance, crafting a positioning that gives you power in the marketplace, putting systems in place that move you from a deadline-driven firm to a profit-driven one, and structuring roles well for each individual (with some pretty fascinating scientific research underlying it). Second, we’ve been doing it for a long time with hundreds of clients. Third, we are very direct/candid and hold nothing back (though it's always done with kindness). We're not a good fit for most firms, though, and it's always a good idea to explore working with Blair Enns, Tim Williams, Ron Baker, Joe Grant, Rick Gould, Tony Mikes, Dave Wood, Henry Corona, Mike Carlton, Robb High, Stuart Sanders, Sheila Campbell, Brent Hodgins, Shel Perkins, Ilise Benun, Emily Cohen, Pam Bryan, RaShelle Westcott, and some other competitors who will soon remind me that I've left them off the list! Be thorough in looking for a consultant—some of these are very good indeed.

What would you consider your "unique ability"?

Our unique ability is to actively engage others through grounded assessment to quickly build consensus around authentic, seductive solutions that mobilize them beyond difficult transitions to focus on their own unique opportunities.

Before engaging you, would it make sense to first fix some things that I know need to be done?

In some cases it would, particularly if there are no questions about what needs to be done. Where we’d strongly urge you to hire us first would be in areas like positioning and staffing, as decisions you make here are more difficult to reverse should that be necessary. Other areas are fine to work on first, like systems issues.

What are the typical deliverables in a working relationship?

We are thought leaders in this field, and our energy is expended in ways that maintain that position. Stated otherwise, our main deliverable is insightful analysis and transforming advice. The focus is not on long reports, and in fact our recommendations are short and concise...and then expanded where that would be helpful. If any particular issue cannot be addressed in a few pages, your advisor isn't working hard enough to help you concentrate on the salient points, or s/he is hiding behind toner on chunks of trees.

Can you cross out any confidential portions and then show me sample recommendations?

Nope. It’s too much work. It guts the essence of the recommendations. It’s giving away our work. And if this is important, you may be too skeptical to benefit from a client relationship. We’d recommend that you read everything that interests you here to get a feel for how we think and work with clients.

What are typical payment terms?

All services are prepaid and there are no refunds.

Who at ReCourses will be working with us?

David C. Baker does all the consulting. More about his background here.

Do you have some references we could contact?

Certainly! We can supply references for most services, and especially the Total Business Review (where most firms start). The only services we can't supply references for would be ones that are by definition confidential (valuations, ownership transfers, etc.). Under each service offering, you’ll see the specific answer to that question under the “Details” heading.

How would you describe the ideal ReCourses client?

The ideal client...

• Is facing some sort of hurdle or transition that is significant to them.
• Is hiring us primarily because of our expertise and not our bedside manner (it's a mix of Gregory House and Simon Cowell).
• Is willing to let us not only guide them on how to fix it, but define what's not working in the first place.
• Has no hesitation about our fee against the background of the possible impact on their firm, and submits it promptly.
• Is engaged in the process and timely in their responses so that we can accomplish more.
• Is open to a different perspective, but tests each piece of advice rather than accepting it blindly.

The vast majority of our clients are ideal clients, and we are very grateful for them. They have enabled us to build a thought-leading consulting practice, and there is nothing quite like the feeling of being part of lasting change on their behalf.

Speaking of expectations, can you explain further what mine should be?

Our work is not a panacea. What clients appreciate the most, though, is an outside perspective on how they are really doing (without pulling any punches), or how to accomplish something without reinventing the wheel. They realize that change is still dependent on them, but they want to be pointed in the right direction based on what has been successful for other firms. We will never know as much about your firm as you do, but we will likely know more about your firm than any other consultant that works with you.