Online Community Consulting: An Entrepreneurial Journey with Clocktower Advisors

Todd Nilson of Clocktower Advisors joined Jeff Meyer on episode 41 of The Move Forward Anyway Podcast, “If You Don’t Try It, You’re Going To Regret It.”

Find both the summary and link below to listen.

“I often talk about it as God's work because you may interpret it that way, but I think it is about connecting people,” explains Todd Nilson, Owner, Digital Strategist with Clocktower Advisors. Before starting Clocktower, a consultancy firm specializing in building online communities, Todd tried out multiple careers. Proud to say that this is the career that stuck, Todd shares his entrepreneurial journey and the importance of taking a risk.

Todd was working the highest-paying job of his career when he decided to leave and start his own business. Wanting to highlight his strategist skillset and needing the flexibility to take care of his parents, Todd knew it was time to take a chance. By creating online communities for his clients, Todd connects human beings and starts honest conversations. 

If there’s something you want to do, do it. Otherwise, you’re going to regret it. Learn more about Todd’s impetus into entrepreneurship, the benefits of an online community, and the importance of a curious mindset.

Listen to the podcast or watch the video recording below.

00:00:00 Todd Nilson shares that he has been working as a consultant for many years, and that this is his fourth or fifth career. He shares that he is from Western Pennsylvania and is happy to talk about his journey.

00:05:00 Todd discusses the work of Clocktower Advisors, which is a company that helps organizations build online communities. The impetus for starting the company came from a desire to change careers and create a lifestyle that would be more comfortable for helping his mother and father as they were getting older. After leaving the agency he worked for, Todd got networked with a friend of a friend who introduced him to Richard Millington, who runs Feverbee, a community consultancy in the UK. Todd started up Clocktower Advisors in order to work with Richard on a corp-to-corp basis (which was easier with him being based in the UK), making Feverbee his first client.

00:10:00 Todd talks about his first foray into entrepreneurship, creating a series of events called Milwaukee Jobcamp. The jobcamp concept was intended as a vast improvement over job fairs, as they provide a more positive experience and help people connect with potential employers. He talks about the importance of creating an LLC to limit liability.

00:15:00 Todd goes into greater detail about the kinds of businesses he works with. He says that his work is varied, but typically he works with businesses that want to create a community for their followers or customers.

00:20:00 Todd discusses why he decided to leave his high-paying career in consulting to start a business in the B2B space. He shares that there were reservations about leaving, but ultimately decided it was the right decision for himself and his family. He talks about the importance of taking care of family and how it played into his decision.

00:25:00 Todd discusses how, as a reader, he is constantly looking for inspiration in different places, and how one of his secret weapons is people who come from vastly different spaces. He talks about how we need more eclectic opinions in the world, and how one of the ways to create those communities is to be a source of inspiration for others.

00:30:00 Todd discusses how to build a community and how he and Jeff both have found that community building is closer to the heart of what they do than the business world. Todd offers advice on how to create a community and ways to make it more engaging.

00:35:00 Jeff discusses the challenges of being an early adopter of new technology, and how it can be difficult to find people to help support and help you achieve your dream.

00:40:00 Todd discusses how easy it is to get distracted by new technology, and how important it is to maintain an openness to new technologies that could help with one's work. He suggests that entrepreneurs look at new technology as a way to improve their work, and as a way to gain a competitive edge.

00:50:00 Todd encourages people to pursue their dreams, emphasizing the importance of taking risks and not regretting missed opportunities. He says that often people underestimate the risk of pursuing their dreams and the pain of failure. However, with patience and learning, anyone can find success.

00:55:00 Jeff closes by sharing five lessons from his experience as a entrepreneur and life coach, including the importance of being satisfied with one's current work situation, launching out with help from others, taking care of one's family, and choosing tools that have multiple applications.