QUICK ANSWER
Most business books do not apply to licensed professionals. They were written for people selling widgets or building apps, not for engineers, architects, or consultants whose signature carries legal weight. Engineer Your Freedom is the roadmap that fills that gap built from eight years of trial, error, and expensive lessons running a firm from zero to over $2 million in annual revenue. If someone else is controlling your career trajectory right now, this book was written for you.
That Moment Changed Everything
I was a successful civil engineer. I had saved my office during a particularly challenging period. My work was excellent. My reputation was solid.
Then a manager from a different office within the same company offered me an opportunity to advance my career, improve my income, and still deliver great work for the firm.
I asked my boss for permission to take the role.
Her response? “No.” Not “Let’s discuss it.” Not “Here’s what we’d need to make that work.” Just… “No.”
That night, I went home and barely slept. The next morning, I walked into the office, sat down at my desk, typed a resignation letter, and walked out for the last time.
I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t have clients lined up. What I had was a gut-level understanding that I couldn’t build the career I wanted when someone else controlled every decision.
You’re Not Alone
If you’re a licensed professional an engineer, architect, surveyor, environmental consultant, or any expert whose signature carries legal weight you have probably felt it too.
The frustration of being technically excellent but having zero control over your trajectory. The realization that promotions, raises, and opportunities are decided by people who may not understand what you do or value what you bring.
Most business books do not apply to us. They are written for people selling widgets or building apps. They talk about “10x growth” and “scaling fast,” but when you are the product when clients are buying your expertise, judgment, and professional stamp those rules do not work.
You cannot automate the engineering that clients pay for. You cannot scale like a tech startup. Adding another engineer does not multiply your output by 10. It gives you 1x more capacity, maybe 1.5x if they are exceptional.
Eight Years Later
I built Modern Engineering Solutions from zero to over $2 million in annual revenue. The firm has completed 300+ projects across multiple states and grown to a team of 40 people.
But here’s what matters more than the numbers: I own my time. I own my decisions. And I’m building something that creates value for clients, opportunities for my team, and freedom for myself.
It took eight years of trial, error, and expensive lessons to figure out what works for professional service firms. This book condenses that journey into a roadmap you can follow in two years or less.
What You’ll Learn
This book follows a linear progression, the same path I took from zero to over $1 million in revenue:
Are You Ready? Assessment and timing for making the leap
The No-Shit Fundamentals: Personal systems that prevent burnout
Business Knowledge: Financial literacy and metrics that matter
Finding Your Focus: ICP development and niching strategy
First Revenue and Clients: Pricing, positioning, subconsulting
Systems and Processes: Scaling with AI tools and templates
Your First Hires: Who to hire, when, and how they transform your practice
Common Traps: Deadly mistakes that kill practices and how to avoid them
Advanced Strategies: Essential practices for thriving firms
The Path Forward: Beyond $1M and building your roadmap
Is This Book For You?
This book is written for licensed professionals who sell expertise, judgment, and personal reputation:
Professional Engineers (PEs) designing infrastructure
Architects stamping buildings where people live and work
Lawyers providing strategic counsel and legal guidance
CPAs trusted with financial strategy and tax compliance
Land Surveyors establishing legal property boundaries
Environmental Consultants determining cleanup strategies
Structural and Geotechnical Engineers analyzing critical systems
If clients are buying access to your brain and your professional credentials if your signature carries legal weight this roadmap applies to you.
The Gap This Book Fills
When I sat with myself after resigning, desperately searching for guidance, I could not find anything that applied to engineers like us.
I watched a lot of Alex Hormozi YouTube videos. It was pretty funny how Alex talked about offers and techniques to use with clients on the phone and in marketing. It always seemed like it was about manipulating the customer to make a decision right then and there.
But when you are working with municipalities or large engineering firms that have long-term planning horizons and complex approval processes, they are not making a decision right now. Your goal should be educating them and helping them understand why you are the best choice for their situation. They might not pick you right then and there, and that is okay. The sales cycle for a major infrastructure project can take months.
Try the immediate close approach with a city manager who needs to present your proposal to a board next month, or an engineering firm principal who needs to run it by three other partners. You will come across as pushy and lacking experience with how our industry works.
I found plenty of generic business books, but they all assumed you were selling widgets or building apps, not providing professional engineering services where you are legally responsible for public safety.
Before You Submit That Next Requisition
Most engineers who stay in corporate environments do so because they think it is safer. But consider the actual risk: someone else decides whether you get to pursue opportunities that would advance your career.
Is that really safer than building something you control?
