Context from Reddit Submission

Posted by /u/GratefulDadHead

Hello All,

Thanks for reading my post. Sorry if I’m long-winded. I’m 53 years old. I’ve been working in financial services for 30 years. Over the years my specialty has become process automation and, more recently, “digital transformation” which essentially is process automation, but using new more modern tools. Essentially I reduce manual processes and keystrokes, and I’m good at it, much as I hate to admit it usually….it’s easier here because it’s anonymous :)

Anyway, I really feel like I’ve done as much as I’m going to do in financial services. Typically once you’re 50+ in this industry you are on borrowed time. And honestly, I need a change, big time.

In addition to my 30+ years in financial services I also have a Master in Social Work degree which I completed about 20 years ago. At the time I thought I was going to go into social work….but then marriage happened and kids happened and mortgages happened….and here I am 20 years later still doing financial services. I’m not complaining, it has allowed me to support my family and for that I’m grateful. But I feel like I want to branch out, want to feel impactful.

So during this pandemic I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. This is my thought — tell me if I’m crazy…. I’m thinking about doing what they call a “side hustle” with the intention of doing it full time if it grows into something sustainable. I’d start out pro-bono. My specialty would be to provide digital transformation services to social service agencies and other social work type agencies that could use my help such that they could concentrate more on their mission, and less on paperwork etc.

In my experience in my social work field practicums oh so many years ago, what I noticed was that the social workers were hindered a bit with filling out forms etc….such that they seemed to spend more time doing that than helping clients. Maybe things have changed, but that was my limited experience. But again, this was 20 years ago.

Anyway, I welcome your thoughts on this. Maybe it’s pie in the sky and if so I need to know. Looking to somehow start my own thing using both my experience in financial services and my social work degree and experience. I’m not looking to become a millionaire either, so don’t worry about that, I get it :) Thanks.

Opportunity Deep Dive — How Humble Consultancy Can Help

High-level summary

/u/GratefulDadHead brings a rare and valuable combination: three decades of process automation expertise plus a social work master’s background. That creates a strong fit for helping social service agencies reduce administrative burden so front-line staff can focus on clients. Humble Consultancy specializes in humane, high-impact AI and automation tailored to nonprofits; we can turn this idea into a practical, mission-focused offering.

Problems we commonly see in social service agencies

• Excessive manual data entry and form completion that consumes staff time
• Poorly integrated systems causing duplicate work and errors
• Limited technology budgets and low IT capacity
• Staff resistance to change due to training and workload concerns
• Difficulty demonstrating outcomes to funders because of fragmented data

Practical services Humble Consultancy would design with /u/GratefulDadHead

• Free initial intake and operational assessment (pro-bono pilot model)
• Process mapping and value-finding workshops with frontline staff
• Low-code/no-code automation builds (e.g., form automation, intake routing, document generation)
• Secure data handling, minimal-privilege integrations, and privacy-focused design
• Training, documentation, and a lightweight governance model for sustainability
• Outcome measurement templates to quantify time saved and service impact for funders

Pilot structure we recommend

• 3-month pro-bono pilot for 1–3 high-impact processes (intake forms, eligibility checks, referrals)
• Week 1–2: Stakeholder interviews and process mapping
• Week 3–6: Build minimum viable automation with staff feedback loops
• Week 7–12: Train staff, collect time-savings and outcome metrics, iterate
• End of pilot: Deliver a case study and a transition plan to low-cost ongoing support

Cost model and sustainability

Humble Consultancy advises nonprofit-friendly pricing to match budgets and capacity:

• Initial pro-bono pilot to prove value
• Affordable monthly subscription for support and minor enhancements
• Options for grant-funded projects or cost-sharing with consortiums of agencies
• Train-the-trainer model to reduce long-term vendor dependence

How this supports mission-focused outcomes

• Reduces time on paperwork so social workers can increase client-facing hours
• Improves data quality for better case management and reporting
• Makes agencies more fundable by providing measurable outcomes and efficiency gains
• Builds internal capacity so digital gains persist after outside support ends

Next steps for /u/GratefulDadHead (and similar professionals considering this pivot)

• Start with a short pro-bono pilot: pick a clear, repeatable process to automate
• Use your social work credibility to partner with one local agency for the pilot
• Document time saved and improved client outcomes — turn that into a case study
• Leverage Humble Consultancy for co-design, technical build, and nonprofit-tailored pricing
• Explore grant funding or local philanthropy to cover scaling costs

How Humble Consultancy specifically supports this transition

At Humble Consultancy we help experienced technologists with a nonprofit heart turn their skills into sustainable, mission-aligned offerings. For someone like /u/GratefulDadHead we would:

• Co-design a pilot offer that leverages your automation expertise and social work background
• Provide the nonprofit-sector framing, governance, and privacy practices required by funders
• Assist with outreach templates, pilot agreements, and case study creation to build credibility
• Deliver the technical build if needed and train your partner agency staff for handoff

Final note

This is not pie in the sky. Your skillset is highly transferable and deeply needed by social service organizations struggling with administrative load. Starting pro-bono to build a case study, then transitioning to affordable support arrangements and grant-funded scaling, is a proven path. If you’d like, Humble Consultancy can help structure the first pilot, create the measurement plan, and co-deliver the automation so you can grow this into a meaningful, sustainable practice.

— Humble Consultancy