The 2020 Rising Stars of the Profession: Eric Nelson

Eric Nelson began his career as a gold professional. After college, he started working with a startup with some friends. He didn't realize at the time, of course, that the services they were providing were consulting solutions. "We were doing custom application development and systems for businesses, some of which are still very successful today," Nelson says. "That was where I was first exposed to a project management role."

When he was ready for a new position, a friend reached out who told him about this really great company she worked for, Logic20/20. 

She needed a consultant for a project that she was working on and he was a fit. "That was eight-and-a-half years ago now, and I am still working on projects here at Logic20/20."

One of the biggest accomplishments of his career is the fact that he has had the same client on one project for over six years. 

The metrics for that project are great, he says. "However, when I think of the success this project has had, it is not just the revenue or the fact that the team has grown from three to 30 people," he says. "It is more that the client and the team have been working together for so long, and still enjoy working together and find value in it."

He is also very proud of the promotion he received to Director because he's the only person in the organization so far who was hired as a consultant and was promoted to a director position. "I am hoping that sets a good example for other consultants who desire to be a director one day," he says. "The biggest factor to my success is a group of great teammates, as well as great clients."

What excites Nelson the most about a consulting career, he says, is the variety of the work and engagements. 

"There is a variety of organizations available to do business with, a variety of projects available to work on, and many different types of people to work on projects with," he says. "It is hard not to be intellectually stimulated with such interesting problems and interesting structures. Every day each project is a whole new entity, and it stretches you in new and exciting ways."

Q&A: What does winning a Rising Stars award mean to you?

Nelson: "Winning the Rising Stars of the Profession award is a testament to the quality of people I have been able to work with. I am so lucky to be surrounded by people who empower me and make me better every day. It's odd to win an individual award in an environment where I am so supported by my team, because it says as much about them as it does about me. Overall, this award is a validation of 8 years of hard work here and the hard work I have put in to build out a group of people that I enjoy working with every day."