Meet Christian Williams | Professional Development Consultant & Résumé Guru®

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christian Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christian, how do you think about risk?
I think that taking risk is extremely important – as ironic as that may be because I am typically more of a risk averse person. However, one quote that I often hear and reference is that, “people tend to regret what they didn’t do more than what they did”. Therefore, taking risks is extremely important. Sometimes we worry about the worst – “what If this opportunity doesn’t work out?” But I challenge you to reprogram your thinking and consider what if it does? What is the risk you want to take is the best investment of life?

If I didn’t take a risk, then I wouldn’t be in the predicament that I am in today. The best place for growth is often outside of our comfort zone. This is where you are really challenged and pushed to grow, be better, and take on new opportunities. I really had to step outside of my comfort zone when I started CJW Consulting Group. Previously, I was not a fan of entrepreneurship. The potential instability and variable income scared me. I always said, “my bills aren’t variable so I don’t have time for variable income.” I wondered would it work out. I wondered was I making a mistake. I wondered if I would I fail. I then realized that my business would only fail if I LET it fail. Now that I was resigning from my 9-5, I would have more time to dedicate to my business and ensure that I grew and expanded.

Five years later, I am still standing and have impacted 1,700+ clients. Five years later, I have attained a level of fulfillment that my previous career did not bring. If there’s a risk that you want to take, I encourage you to weigh the pros and cons, make sure that it makes sense for YOU and then take a leap of faith.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have a professional development business in which I help people advance their careers through coaching, career advice, resume revamping, etc. What sets me apart from others is the hands-on approach that I take. Clients are not just a number with me, but they become a member of the CJW Consulting Group family. Through these consultations, I am able to extract key information and data from clients that would get lost if I took a less interpersonal or survey approach.

I will have been in business for five years as of October 2023. I got to where I am today by truly caring about my clients. I attribute much of my success to not just delivering results, but building long-lasting relationships with clients that drive repeat business, transform lives, and generate word-of-mouth referrals. I won’t necessarily say everything has been “easy”, but it hasn’t necessarily been “hard” either. However, every challenge has been worth it. It is a huge adjustment to transition from a 9-5 to being completely self-employed. It is a lot of work to solely rely on yourself to create content, follow-up with clients, general leads, market your business and generate revenue. In this regard, having a 9-5 is actually easier because you know that you’re getting the same direct deposit every two weeks.

One thing that I have learned along the way is that most times, things will always work out. We worry a lot about things but they tend to all work out in one way or another.

I want the world to know that when you love what you do, it really doesn’t feel like work. I used to always think that expression was a load of crap. However, the impact that I’ve had on my clients has proven to me that it’s very factual. What I really enjoy most is helping people. While I’ve helped people from every ethnic, racial, socioeconomic and religious background, I love that I am able to help a large amount of black people – a group who has been historically underrepresented and mistreated in the professional capacity. I have been key in helping so many people to advance their careers and earn more money to provide more opportunities for their families.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a best friend in town, I would probably take them to a variety of places. I will list a few!

1) Red Balloon Saloon – a dive bar located in Southfield, Michigan for basic bar food and strong spirits.
2) J Alexander’s – my favorite restaurant located in West Bloomfield, MI that specializes in wood-fired American fare in a contemporary space with a bar.
3) Duo’s – a lounge located in Southfield, Michigan
4) We’d go to Birmingham, Michigan to check out a few bars and restaurants and look at all of the contemporary homes.
5) Somerset Mall in Troy, MI to do some shopping – as it’s home of all of the “regular” stores as well as luxury and high-end brands such as Gucci, Burberry, Saks Fifth Avenue, Prada, etc.
6) Midtown/Downtown Detroit – I’d visit come cultural and popular attractions such as the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. house, The Detroit Institute of the Arts, Charles H. Wright African American Museum, Little Caesars Area, Tigers Stadium, etc. I’d also go to Monarch Club, a classy rooftop with small plates and cocktails. There’s also a new Gucci Store downtown, David Vintage (a local Detroit Designer), etc. A couple of my favorite restaurants downtown are Savannah Blue, Central Kitchen and the Block.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Yes! There are actually a few people who I would like to dedicate my shoutout to! I will keep the list short because I don’t want to slight anyone. But firstly, I’d like to thank my parents. They have always supported me and wanted the best for me. When I first told them that I was going to resign from my 9-5, they supported me. They didn’t necessarily 100% agree or understand it, but they supported it. I couldn’t have asked for better parents.

Secondly, I have to thank Tifa Owe, now Tifa Owe-Peterson as of last weekend. She is a friend and former co-worker and she inspired me to start my business. In fact, the cash apped me $100 and said that she wanted to be my first paying customer.

Lastly, I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my late maternal grandparents. My grandfather and grandmother passed away in 2010 and 2019 respectively. They both always believed in me and were advocates of higher education. My grandmother attended all of my college award ceremonies and even helped me get a car during college. I couldn’t have asked for a better grandmother.

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