In the midst of summer last year I was more than pleased to receive a referral from a Richmond, VA web design client introducing me to a U.S. Air Force Inspector General! Since my father, Wilfred Loebig, served four years in the Air Force, and since I also have a wife who is an Army Surgeon, meeting Carl was the business highlight of my summer. As I expected, Carl was a very systematic and detail-oriented person. He had already designed an entire website layout himself using PowerPoint complete with tag lines, color schemes and navigation elements! I am sure his approach to small business consulting is as focused and descriptive as his approach to web design and blog writing. I was equally pleased that Carl offered to participate in this “Entrepreneur in Action” series.

1. Career influences

Malcolm Gladwell, John Maxwell, and Edwards Deming are three individuals that provide inspiration to my entrepreneurial endeavors.  Malcolm Gladwell’s writings provide keen insight on economics, decision making, and the pursuit of being an expert.  John Maxwell and Edwards Demings’ thoughts on leadership and quality inspired me to create a guide, The Masterful Consultant, which I use to shape how I approach client engagements and develop solutions to assist them through their challenges.

2. Biggest career success

Given the current economic conditions I believe my biggest success has been client retention and growth during 2012.  Also, through the assistance of Brian at Loebig Ink I was able to transform a website concept in to reality and establish The Smart Way Blog in 2012.

3. Recent lessons learned

Always follow up with a client to ensure the service they received met their expectations and if not, what was lacking.  It is important to clear up missed expectations as soon as possible; it can be the difference of retaining a client or losing them.

4. What inspires and motivates

It is rather simple for me.  Helping solve client challenges is my number one motivator.  In particular, I thoroughly enjoy working with project teams to increase their productivity and efficiency.

5. Share a leadership story

I believe as a consultant it is important to be aware you are constantly in a leadership role and it is the consultant’s responsibility to guide the client to their solutions.  In this context it is incumbent on the consultant to arrive at inventions for moment, create a learning atmosphere, and develop a systematic approach to solving problems.  To serve as the leader a consultant must maintain mastery in their respective discipline, client relationships, and self-awareness.

6. Your Top Two

In working with teams to solve their challenges it is critically important to find barriers to their challenges and identify why they exist.  Similarly it is vital to develop a relationship with the client to better understand the client and their needs.

7. About Carl

CWG & Associates is a veteran owned small business that provides high quality, standardized services for the construction industry.  The main areas of focus include proposal development, Federal Acquisition Regulations compliance, small business utilization, and training for project teams and corporate staff.

Contact information for CWG & Associates:
Carl Gouaux – Owner
Phone: (804) 543-9770
Email: carl@cwgassociatesllc.com
Website: www.cwgassociatesllc.com
Blog: http://cwgassociatesllc.wordpress.com/
Linkedin Personal: www.linkedin.com/in/carlgouauxpmp
Linkedin Business: www.linkedin.com/company/cwg-and-associates

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