One year ago, I took a leap that felt both exciting and uncertain: starting my own consulting firm, BioVertex Consulting, after relocating to a new country.
On paper, it sounded straightforward. Two decades of experience in biotech and pharma, a strong network, and a clear understanding of where I could add value. In reality, it meant starting from scratch in a new geography, a new ecosystem, and with no built-in safety net.
This past year has been a formative, at times humbling, and ultimately rewarding phase of my career as I watched something I built from scratch begin to take shape.
Starting Over, But Not From Zero
Relocating from the U.S. to Singapore meant stepping into a new market where I did not yet have the same depth of connections or visibility. While I continue to benefit from the strong relationships and network I built over the years in the U.S., building a consulting practice in a new geography required starting from scratch in many ways.
Consulting, at its core, is a relationship-driven business. Every new conversation had to be initiated. Every opportunity had to be earned.
Wearing Every Hat
Running a consulting firm solo is not just about delivering high-quality work. It is about doing everything:
- Business development
- Client management
- Project execution
- Financial planning
- Branding and positioning
Some days I was deep in IND-enabling strategy or clinical planning. Other days I was refining proposals or building my pipeline from scratch.
The Hard Parts (That No One Talks About Enough)
There were moments of doubt:
- When conversations did not convert
- When timelines were uncertain
- When building momentum felt slower than expected
And then there is the mental shift from being part of a large, structured organization to being fully responsible for creating your own structure. No predefined roadmap. No built-in systems. Just decisions that are yours to make, and yours to own.
What I Am Most Proud Of
I have been fortunate to build meaningful client relationships and work on impactful projects over the past year. From supporting IND-enabling strategies and helping early-stage companies think through development plans to mentoring founders, researchers, and emerging biotech teams, each engagement has reinforced why I started BioVertex Consulting in the first place. The opportunity to contribute not only to scientific programs, but also to the growth and confidence of people building them, has been especially rewarding.
What This Year Taught Me
- Resilience is built through doing.
- Consistency matters more than intensity.
- Relationships take time, but they compound.
- You do not need to have everything figured out, you just need the tenacity to keep moving forward.
A Call to Fellow Solo Consultants
One of the biggest realizations this year has been that building alone does not have to mean working in isolation.
There is a real opportunity for solo consultants to collaborate:
- Bringing complementary expertise together
- Offering clients more end-to-end support
- Supporting each other through what can otherwise be a very individual journey
If you are a solo consultant in biotech, pharma, or adjacent fields, I would love to connect and explore ways to collaborate.
Looking Ahead
As I step into year two, the focus is clear:
- Deepen client relationships
- Expand into new collaborations
- Take on more complex, high-impact work
Year one was about building the foundation. Year two is about scaling it with purpose.
📣 To learn how BioVertex Consulting can support you, reach out: