This past September, I applied to 180 Degrees Consulting on a whim. I knew two things about this organization: first, the logo looked like an odd hybrid of the Spotify and AT&T logo, second, the club consults specifically for non-profits. Fresh off of a rough rejection from a club that I (really) wanted to join, I submitted my application not expecting much. However, after a series of consulting casing interviews, I made it in as a new consultant.
Since then, 180 has become my pseudo-family at USC, and I know that I can go to them for anything. Late night conversations, career advice, High School Musical marathon sing-alongs, and charcuterie boards--nothing is off limits. What makes this club so great, however, isn't just the friendships. Rather, the social impact we create within our community is something that is both rewarding and inspiring.
Traditionally, consulting is notoriously cutthroat and difficult (especially the Big Three: Bain, Boston Consulting Group, and McKinsey). Business and consulting firms as a whole are both synonymous with generating profit and beating the competition; yet, with 180, we work with local non-profits to better the surrounding community. It is refreshing to use business as an incubator for social change and impact. In fact, I believe that businesses should use their power and influence to incite positive change in the world.
When tasked with a new client or project, I get excited. For example, I've worked with Homeboy Industries, and I am currently consulting for Saving Innocence, a child sex trafficking prevention organization. Organizations like Homeboy and Saving Innocence address pertinent social issues, and they create solutions that rectify these problems. Our consulting helps these non-profits to become more sustainable. I enjoy creating ideas and strategies that will enable these groups to continue to do what they do best: help people. Business should use their power for good by distributing products and services that better the lives of others.
180 Degrees Consulting helps me accomplish this goal.
