Independent Consultants Look for Alignment, Not Belonging —

Zero conflation of the: W-2 — “TGIF” work model with the 1099 — “Everyday is Monday” work model

Workers Gathered in Breakroom and Consultant at Desk — By Author and Sintra X

“Bring your whole self to work.” Then it became: “Bring your whole(ish) self.”

But if you’re a consultant, even 50% is often too much.

Tim Cynova’s piece on Work Shouldn’t Suck lays out a thoughtful framework for psychological safety and authenticity in the workplace. His signature idea? Don’t bring 100% of yourself. Bring 85% — just enough to be real without overwhelming the room.

It’s warm. It’s empathetic. It’s helpful… if you’re a W-2 full-time employee.

But it doesn't land quite the same for those working inside 1099 consulting — entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Seasoned Consultant with Next Gen Clients — By Author and Sintra X

I’ve been on both sides of the engagement table — hiring and being hired — across a 30+ year stretch of project-based, time-bound work. And I can say this confidently:

Independent consultants are not looking to belong.

Independent consultants look to deliver value, be respected, and leave better off than we arrived.

⚖️ Contract ≠ Culture

Seasoned Consultant Presenting to Clients — By Author and Sintra X

Cynova’s article presumes a W-2 setting: team norms, shared rituals, and HR safety nets. That’s a world I’ve coached leaders in and advised foundations about. But when I’m working a 3- to 12-month scoped engagement — no desk, no office, no Slack threads — “belonging” isn’t the goal. Alignment is.

I’ve seen it again and again:

• Consultants aren’t “disengaged” — they’re boundary-aware.

• We don’t want performance reviews. We want mutual clarity.

• We’re not waiting for culture to “let us in.” We’re here to build and exit.

💡 CALL IT OUT:

“Bringing more of yourself should be earned — not expected.”

Consultant Expectations when Contracting — By Author and Sintra X

🔄 The 85% Rule Misses the 1099 Experience

Sure, the 85% idea sounds balanced. But here’s the thing:

In reality, seasoned, self-aware consultants already know how to throttle.

We curate what we bring based on trust, context, and contractual boundaries.

And let’s not pretend that psychological safety is evenly distributed.

If you’re of the African Diaspora, queer, neurodivergent, and a woman or just different, you learn to edit fast. You bring your excellence, your lens, and your edge — but you don’t drag your full humanity into every workspace, especially one you don’t own.

Sometimes, 20% is survivable.

Sometimes, 50% is optimal.

But 85%? That assumes you were invited to shape the culture — not just the output.

🧘🏾 The Lovingkindness Lens: A Personal Tool, Not an Organizational Policy

Workers in Hot Desk Office Model and Independent Consultant at Her Desk — By Author and Sintra X

I love that Cynova invokes the Lovingkindness meditation to assess safety, ease, joy, and health at work. I use similar questions to coach racial equity fellows, advise city leaders, or design my own tech tools like Mi Rialiti — a media-enhanced narrative capture platform I created to surface stories that data can’t show.

But let’s not confuse internal practice with external policy.

This lens is meaningful for individuals and team culture builders — not consultant-client relationships that are scoped by deliverables, not vibes.

🎯 TIP FOR TEAMS HIRING 1099'ERS:

Instead of asking someone to bring their whole(ish) self…

Next-Gen Entrepreneur Presenting to Clients — By Author and Sintra X

Try asking: “What do you need from us to deliver your best work?”

🔧 Five Things That Actually Help 1099'ers Thrive

If you’re engaging consultants — especially creative, strategic, BIPoC, or mission-driven folks — skip the cultural assimilation rituals. Offer these instead:

1. Clarity on goals, timelines, and deliverables.

2. Trust in the process they bring.

3. Respect for boundaries, expertise, and time.

4. No unpaid emotional labor — 1099'ers are not your DEI moonlighters.

5. Clean closure — no guilt, just grace when it ends.

That’s not transactional. That’s structural dignity.

And it produces stronger results than ever could be achieved by faux-family dynamics.

🧠 Final Thought

Mature Entrepreneur — By Author and Sintra X

I appreciate Tim Cynova’s intention. His message matters for traditional workplaces grappling with 20th-century norms and burnout culture. But if you’re navigating the agile, hybrid, gig-based economy of this century — the world many of us helped build — then the question isn’t:

How much of yourself should you bring to “work”?

It’s: What kind of work lets you bring the best of yourself without giving it all away?

🗣️ Let’s Talk

If you’re a consultant or entrepreneur:

Q: How do you decide what percentage of yourself you want to bring to an engagement?

If you hire consultants:

Q: What signals do you send that help people feel trusted — not tested — for their humanity?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s push the conversation past HR slogans and into the world we actually live in.

👤 About the Author

M. von Nkosi is an architect, strategist, and founder of The MXD Collaborative, Inc./Liquid Studios® 1992, and the Institute for Local Innovations, Inc. 2012. With over 30 years in design, equity, tech transfer, public health, and philanthropy, he builds dignity-first frameworks for change. A Leadership Society Initiative (LSI) Fellow at the University of Chicago, he also created the Mi Rialiti (my reality) 2016 media-enhanced platform for capturing and telling stories.

→ Visit von.studio | Listen to New Note Podcast | Mi Rialiti