The Prosperous Consultant | Issue #3

(Formerly The AI-Powered Business Advisor)

_{Issue #3 — January 20, 2026}

Last night, a 64-year-old football coach won his first national championship.

Not at Alabama. Not at Ohio State. Not at any of the traditional powerhouses.

At Indiana.

The same Indiana program that had lost more games than any team in college football history. 715 losses. A laughingstock for three decades.

Two years ago, Curt Cignetti took over. When reporters asked what fans should expect, he said three words that made the sports world roll their eyes.

"I win. Google me."

Nobody was laughing last night.

Indiana beat Miami 27-21 to finish the season 16-0. A perfect season. The first national title in program history.

And if you're an experienced professional wondering whether your best days are behind you... this story is for you.

Here's what most people don't know about Cignetti.

He didn't start at the top. He spent years coaching at places most fans have never heard of. Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Elon. James Madison.

He once left a job at Alabama... to take a massive pay cut at a Division II school.

For 40 years, he built programs, developed players, and racked up wins. No spotlight. No ESPN features. Just results.

Then, at 62, he got his shot at a Big Ten program.

Most people thought Indiana was where careers went to die. Cignetti thought it was where he'd win a championship.

He was right.

Here's what he said after the game last night...

"We won the national championship at Indiana University. It can be done."

And here's the part that matters for you...

Cignetti doesn't just recruit differently. He thinks differently.

When he arrived at Indiana, reporters asked him what the biggest challenge would be. His answer wasn't about talent or facilities or recruiting budgets.

"Changing the way people think."

See, Cignetti runs on a simple formula. Three words.

Structure. Commitment. Discipline.

That's it. That's the whole system.

He doesn't rely on motivation. Doesn't wait for players to feel inspired. Doesn't hope things come together.

He builds a process. Then he follows it. Every single day.

"Success is a choice," he told reporters earlier this season. "Nothing good in life comes easy. You gotta be willing to pay the price. You gotta commit and understand there are certain things you have to give up. You've got to be disciplined and have consistency."

That philosophy doesn't just apply to his players. It's how he runs his own life. It's the standard he holds himself to.

And here's what makes this relevant for you...

When you worked inside a company, someone else set the structure. Someone scheduled the meetings. Someone held you accountable. Someone told you what to focus on next.

Now you're on your own.

No boss. No performance review. No one telling you what to do on a random Tuesday when motivation is low and the inbox is empty.

That freedom is exactly what you wanted.

It's also the thing that kills most consulting practices before they start.

Because without structure, commitment, and discipline... you drift. You tinker. You stay busy without making progress.

Cignetti knows this. That's why he doesn't leave anything to chance.

His players are tracked, measured, and held accountable. What they eat. When they sleep. How they recover. Every detail matters because the details compound.

He calls it being a "high-performance machine running on intentional systems."

Sound familiar? It should.

It's what separates consultants who build real practices from consultants who stay stuck in feast-or-famine forever.

Now here's where "production over potential" comes in...

Cignetti doesn't chase five-star recruits with "potential." He doesn't care about rankings or hype.

He wants players who've already produced. Players who've put it on the field. Players the blue bloods overlooked because they didn't fit the prototype.

Last night, his quarterback proved why that philosophy works.

Fernando Mendoza grew up less than a mile from the University of Miami campus. He dreamed of playing for the Hurricanes. Went to their camps. Did everything right.

They told him they might consider him as a walk-on.

Then they didn't.

Two-star recruit. Not what they were looking for.

Last night, Mendoza led Indiana to a 27-21 victory over Miami. In their stadium. In front of his family. Against the team that told him he wasn't good enough.

Cignetti saw what Miami couldn't. Not potential. Production.

Same player. Different eyes.

Now here's where it gets personal for you.

You're not a two-star recruit. You're not unproven.

You've got 20, 25, maybe 30 years of experience. You've led teams. Delivered results. Navigated recessions, reorganizations, and executives who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag.

You've produced.

But somewhere along the way, the market told you that wasn't enough. That you were too expensive. Too senior. Not the right fit.

Corporate America looked at you and saw someone who didn't fit their prototype.

The consulting market sees something different.

They see the gray hair and they pay a premium for it.

They don't want the rookie. They want the person who's seen this problem before. Who's navigated the politics. Who knows what actually works versus what looks good in a PowerPoint.

When the plane is going down, they want the pilot with 40 years of experience. Not the one who just got certified.

But here's the catch...

Experience alone isn't enough.

You need structure. Commitment. Discipline.

You need a process you follow every single day... whether you feel like it or not.

Cignetti didn't stumble into a national championship. He built a system and trusted it for 40 years.

That's the difference between a consulting practice that thrives and one that stays stuck hoping the phone rings.

Wealth is what you accumulate. Prosperity is how you live. 

Cignetti spent 40 years building programs most people never heard of.

Last night, at 64, he lifted the trophy.

Your best chapter isn't behind you.

Want to dive deeper? Check out these related articles:

👉  The Prosperous Consultant | Issue #2
👉  The Prosperous Consultant

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P.S.: When you're ready, here are more ways I can help you...