Do you have the necessary skillsets that your employer expects you to fulfill your responsibilities and deliver outstanding results in your projects?

Do you know how to show the value of your contributions and become visible in the "eyes" of your management and stakeholders?

Are you connected to the right experts, advisors, coaches, and mentors for personal and professional guidance that you may need for building your trusted network, resolving your issues, and gaining confidence in the success of your projects and career?

If you are a project professional in project controls, project/program/portfolio management, or senior management/leadership looking for ways to grow your career in the right direction while positioning yourself as an expert or thought leader, you probably already know that you need to have the necessary skillsets, visibility, and network.

Despite your awareness, your answer to the above questions is probably a NO.

Well, you are not alone! Most project professionals don’t have the right skillsets, visibility, and a trusted network for growing their careers to new heights.

But the lack of the right skillset, visibility, and trusted network in your career is not because you're not interested or don't care.

It is mainly because you are not sure what to do or how to do it.

You have probably even tried to figure things out on your own by spending countless hours searching for reliable resources, tools, and experts. Still, after a while, you became frustrated and eventually gave up.

Doubts. Knowledge gaps. No direct access to trusted experts and thought leaders. Lack of clarity. Relentless distractions. Too many projects and responsibilities. Confusion about new tools and technologies. Challenging and demanding stakeholders. Lack of effective communication and coordination.

As a project professional, you battle these struggles every day. Unfortunately, these struggles can lead to feeling lost, unfocused action, wasted resources, frustration, demotivation, poor decision making, conflicts, feelings of overwhelm, and failure. Faced with these struggles, it's no wonder why so many project professionals burn out far short of achieving their career dreams.

On the other hand, you want to figure out how to stay competitive, boost your influence, and thrive in this highly competitive working environment. You want to highlight your worth and contribution to your company and clients. You want to make yourself highly visible as a subject matter expert. And you want to not only lead your projects to successful completion but also have the right moves forward and upward, so you reach your desired career destination faster.

We understand!

The good news is that you can win the battle and fulfill your career desires.

You just need to equip yourself with the proper tools, resources, support, direction, and guidance from a trusted source regularly to get there.

And that is what exactly we would love to provide you at Project Control Academy. We want to help you become an Empowered Project Professional.

Perhaps in your most courageous moments, you've committed to start.

You've jotted ideas down on a piece of paper and thought of what skills you'd develop or upgrade.

You've researched some topics and posted an article on LinkedIn.

You've sent connection requests to some experts on LinkedIn, waiting for their response.

You've even outlined what action steps to take to overcome some of the challenges you face in your project or company.

If you're super committed, maybe you even took a course or two, joined some relevant online forums or LinkedIn groups, or attended a couple of your favorite professional association's meetings to assure yourself that you're on the right path for the success of this vital project.

But even with the best intentions, most would-be empowered project professionals end up abandoning the project, get back to their comfort zone, and remain sidelined!

Here is why most would-be empowered project professionals abandon the project:

Without a super clear, step-by-step project plan/process, most would-be empowered project professionals get lost entirely after spending countless hours trying to figure everything out on their own.

They fall victim to chasing buzzwords and shiny tools, constantly following the crowd, time-sucking arguments at the workplace or social media, or lack of clarity over exactly what they need to do next to accelerate building their career.  

As an already busy project professional with cross-functional teams to work with, stakeholders to keep satisfied, and projects to deliver on time and within budget, you literally can't afford to veer off course.

You need to upgrade your mindset, so you avoid the mistakes that many project professionals are making.

📌 Mistake #1: High Expectation from Employer

Most project professionals expect their employers to fill their knowledge gaps and provide them all the training they need. They also expect their employers to send them to conferences and networking events. And if their employers do not cover the costs, they will not enroll in any training, nor will they attend any paid event.

That is a mistake. Your employer may not feel obligated to provide you the training that you may need. However, your employer expects you to develop the skillsets you need for your job and deliver value to the company. Your employer also expects you to highlight your contribution and importance to your projects and the company.

As an empowered project professional, you don't expect your employer to be in charge of your progress and growth. You are in charge. You identify the knowledge gaps, find ways to fill those gaps, develop strategies to highlight your contributions, and initiate building a solid network for getting help and growing your career internally and externally.

📌 Mistake #2: Underestimating Non-technical Skills

Most project professionals try to deepen their expertise. They spend time and energy figuring out how they can perfect their technical skills. Although this might help, it may not save them from layoffs over this decade if they focus only on expanding their technical skills. It may also prevent them from thriving in their role and taking their careers to new heights.

You should not underestimate non-technical or soft skills. Companies are interested in keeping the employees that engage with their path forward. They want employees who combine their technical expertise with non-technical aspects of completing projects and doing business. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively, resolve conflicts with a positive attitude, negotiate tactically, manage stakeholders masterfully, lead passionately, and understand the business properly is of high importance to companies.

Let's talk about the role of effective communication, for example. The actual cause of many failures is a lack of clear and effective communication. Effective communication is not about how well you speak. It is also about how well you listen, what words you use, how well you present your results, and how clear you communicate your wants and needs to others, including your employer and stakeholders. If you want to boost your influence in your projects, you should improve your communication with your team members, project manager, clients, management, vendors, etc.

As an empowered project professional, balancing your technical and non-technical skills is at the forefront of your efforts. This balancing act would lead you to the sweet spot of your performance, productivity, and passion.

📌 Mistake #3: Working in Isolation

Most project professionals work in isolation. They don't communicate their struggles and needs. They don't share their knowledge and ideas. They tend to separate themselves from other project professionals. They don't see value in networking with others. They just do what they must do. They see work as completing the tasks they have; Nothing more, nothing less!

That is a mistake. Working in isolation becomes boring after a while. It leads to frustration and dissatisfaction. As an empowered project professional, you connect with those you know and beyond. You become part of a community that you can contribute to, a community that helps you grow. You attend networking events to build your professional network because, as you might have probably heard, your network is your net worth. The more extensive your trusted network, the more opportunities you have for building a career that you cherish, a career aligned with your purpose and passion. A rewarding career built on your terms.

📌 Mistake #4: Procrastination

Most project professionals tend to delay what they need to do to grow their careers. They don't act because they think it's too early. Instead, they busy themselves with their daily tasks and procrastinate on filling their knowledge gaps, upgrading their skill sets, boosting their visibility, and building their network. And after procrastinating for a long time, they still do nothing because they believe it is too late!

As an empowered project professional, you know that companies are looking for growth-minded and action-oriented professionals. You understand that if you do what you have been doing, nothing may change for the better. You are aware that you need to get out of the routine and implement something that positively impacts your project, department, and career. And you know that there is no perfect timing. The time to act is now. You can start from where you are and work in clever and creative ways toward your desired career destination.

📌 Mistake #5: Not Asking for Help

Most project professionals keep their struggles to themselves. And even worse, they take them to their personal life. They don't ask for help, support, and guidance from a coach, mentor, or expert. They believe that no one can solve their problems due to issues within their team, projects, and company. So, they don't even bother trying.

That is a big mistake. Keeping your issues and struggles to yourself and not seeking advice to resolve them would lead to frustration, demotivation, conflicts, withdrawal, anger, and disrespect.

As an empowered project professional, you communicate your struggles openly in a professional manner. You believe that many of the issues you experience are common among those working on projects. And you know that there would be solutions for resolving problems and ending struggles. You know that there are coaches, mentors, and experts out there that can help you in a safe and secure environment.

That way, you can get the help you need and, with the proper guidance, implement some strategies that work to resolve your issues and end your struggles. And eventually, you, as a coach, mentor, and expert, can help others resolve their issues and finish their struggles.

At Project Control Academy, we are proud of serving a worldwide community of project professionals. This community is public—we rally around our public content and open channels like our complimentary masterclasses, LinkedIn page posts, Tip Tuesdays, monthly newsletters, YouTube channel, blog posts, and Project Control Summit.

Despite the tremendous value that we have been adding to the project professionals globally, we believe there is still a lot to be done. We believe that we are on a special mission to bridge the gap between

↔️ project professionals and subject matter experts

↔️ project controls, project management, and project leadership

↔️ technical and non-technical skills

↔️ project-related technologies and strategies for leveraging those technologies 

Recently, we ran a survey to understand better some of the top challenges of the project professionals and how we can better serve them at Project Control Academy. You might have taken that survey. If you did, Thank You!

We received a ton of valuable information.

According to the survey results, the respondents selected the following as their TOP 3 challenges:

👉 Lack of a trusted professional inner circle that I can be part of, learn from, and contribute

👉 Difficulty in managing stakeholders and their expectations

👉 Lack of access to a trusted network of project professionals to share knowledge and ideas and get guidance and advice

We can help you overcome the above challenges and the struggles you are experiencing in your projects/career/company and claim victory. We also believe that we can provide you growth opportunities and enable you to accelerate your professional career and even your personal life.

To fulfill this belief and accomplish our bold mission, we’d like to launch a private community, an inner circle. This new program complements our current services and is a vehicle for taking you on a journey to excellence.

Would you like to be part of it?

Empowered Project Professionals Inner Circle or EP²IC is our private community for growth-minded project professionals motivated by purpose, committed to action, willing to learn, share, and implement, and eager to create their path to excellence.

Being a part of the EP²IC program means you'll

☑️ get direct support and guidance from the industry's top experts and seasoned professionals continuously

☑️ take part in or lead a mastermind for one-on-one or small group conversations that can do wonders for you and your fellow inner circle members

☑️ receive the proper training and resources for filling the knowledge gaps, taking charge of your professional growth, and staying ahead of the curve proactively

☑️ gain direct support of career experts and experienced recruiters through Epic Employment and Epic Career Clinic

☑️ leverage the extensive opportunities available to you and other inner circle members through the seven segments of the EP²IC program for going above and beyond in your projects, career, and life faster

☑️ and much more

The EP²IC program is a unique, powerful, and affordable program to join. You will regularly receive practical insights, training, guidance, and support in a safe and secure environment that can help you build confidence, fill your knowledge gaps, try new things, and take your career to new heights.

This powerful program can help you get extraordinary results in what you do! It can help you work on the right things with laser focus. It can help you stay motivated when you hit a roadblock.

To ensure that you gain the most out of this epic inner circle program and to fulfill what the program promises, we have structured the Empowered Project Professionals Inner Circle in eight segments as follows. We’ll start with these eight segments. But the EP²IC architecture will evolve as we learn more about the diverse characteristics, interests, and needs of our EP²IC members. So, in terms of future vision, we're just getting started!

At Project Control Academy, we enjoy pushing the boundaries, being ourselves, and responding to the needs of our audience. That mentality led us to imagine an exceptional community experience for EP²IC.

Here are several unique points about this program that you wouldn't find in other membership programs:

➡️ Designed with you and your growth in mind: What we bring to you in EP²IC is not comparable to any other membership program or community you’ve been part of. We have designed the EP²IC program so that it fulfills your needs, helps you overcome the struggles your experience in your projects and career, and empowers you to accelerate your personal and professional growth to new heights.

➡️ Direct support and guidance: With the direct and practical support and guidance that you receive from the EPPIC experts, thought leaders, and fellow members, you won't feel lonely on your journey to excellence. The direct monthly support is just a click away. Not only that, but we will also be there when you need your burning questions answered in between live Epic Expert Engagement and Epic Hot Seat sessions.

➡️ Cutting-edge education: We are well known for adding value and providing top-quality training and resources to project professionals globally. As a valued member of EP²IC, you will get access to exclusive hands-on training, resources, and tools that help you fill the knowledge gaps, remove your doubts and get excited to implement what you learn in your projects and career.

➡️ Safe and secure environment: The need for safe and secure places that you can trust to provide acceptance, development, privacy, and compassion has never been more important. EP²IC provides a safe and secure environment for members to ask questions, experiment with ideas, practice presentations, discuss struggles and opportunities, build relationships, collaborate with other professionals, commit to challenges, and generally learn and grow without fear of judgment or rejection.

➡️ Professional mastermind: In EP²IC, we go above and beyond regular dry networking. We allow the members to join special mastermind sessions in small groups that can do wonders for them. Highly successful people pay thousands of dollars to be part of masterminds. In EP²IC, you get it as part of your membership. This unique opportunity can pay dividends over time if you leverage it properly. We will provide you guidance on how to benefit from joining an Epic Mastermind highly.

➡️ One-stop shop: EP²IC is not just a community. It's a one-stop-shop for receiving the direct support and guidance you need for your growth, the hands-on education that helps you fill the knowledge gaps, the circle of trust that you can count on, the mastermind opportunities that accelerate your success, the challenges that upgrade your mindset, the technology tips & insights that get you excited, and the joy that comes from accomplishing what was once a dream. And you get 24/7 access to this one-stop shop by becoming a member of the EP²IC. 

➡️ Membership certificate and PDUs: We provide you a prestigious membership certificate that would make you proud. And based on your activities throughout the year, you will earn professional development hours that you can use to fulfill your PDU/CDU requirements from other professional associations you have joined.

➡️ EPP Designation: After an active engagement in EP²IC during your first year of membership, you will earn the Empowered Project Professional (EPP) designation. This is the first of four EP²IC program designations. Similar to designations such as PMP by PMI or EVP by AACEI, EPP will be a prestigious designation recognized globally representing an outstanding project professional who is empowered to go above and beyond in their projects, careers, and companies.

Growth-minded. Driven by purpose. Curious. Committed to action. Willing to learn, share, and implement. Eager to contribute and make a difference. Open to receive feedback and try new things. If that sounds like you, and if you've been looking for a private community of like-minded project professionals to join forces with and grow together, then we'd love to welcome you into the EP²IC Program.

We have designed EP²IC explicitly for project professionals at all levels. That's special—for you and us. So, if you feel motivated to be a part of something special from the very beginning, now is the opportune moment to become a founding member of our private inner circle.

Whether you are brand new in project controls, an experienced project controller, a project/program/portfolio manager, a project team leader, an executive, a regular project team member working in a small or large company, a consultant, or even unemployed, you can highly benefit by becoming a member of the EP²IC.

The EPPIC program is NOT for you if you

❌ don't have a project controls or project management background

❌ have no interest in growing yourself and taking your career to new heights

❌ have no time to dedicate to your professional development

❌ are not yet ready to share your ideas, questions, challenges, and needs with others for their support, guidance, and constructive feedback

❌ expect success to come easily, quickly, and mainly on the backs of others assuming your responsibilities

❌ are motivated by fame, status, luxury, or other manifestations of egocentrism

❌ prefer to surround yourself with people who look, think, and act very similar to you in both work and life

❌ see no value in building your network with top experts and project professionals who are willing to help you succeed

❌ are fully satisfied with your working environment and what you do

➡️ I am new to project controls/project management: Yes, you can certainly enjoy your time in the inner circle and gain lots of value by directly connecting to more experienced members and EP²IC experts. The EP²IC program can help you place yourself on the fast track for growing your career in the direction you desire as long as you stay active and committed.

➡️ I don't know what I want out of my job: Yes, one of the objectives of EPPIC is to assist its members with understanding their career path and purpose. We guide you in setting motivating goals that empower you to take prompt action for fulfilling those goals. And if you think that you don't know what you want out of your job, we, along with career experts, will guide you toward the right direction aligned with your passions.

➡️ I am a senior project controller or project manager: No matter how many years of technical experience you have in your field, we believe you can highly benefit from EP²IC experienced project professionals sometimes struggle with career moves from their current roles to senior management roles. They also struggle with keeping themselves motivated and avoiding burnout. EP²IC can help you look at the profession from different lenses, so you enjoy being part of EP²IC, contribute to discussions, have the right and more fulfilling career moves, and expand your expertise.

➡️ I am a manager or senior leader in my company: Certainly, EP²IC is an excellent place for those who manage teams or direct their departments and companies. Whether you lead a small team or a large one, in a large corporation or a startup, you can gain lots of value by becoming a member of EP² Senior managers and leaders have issues with their teams, their projects at a higher level, and even their career moves. Epic Expert Engagements, Epic Labs, Epic Career Clinic, Epic Challenge Zone, and even Epic Education can be of great value to you. You can also add tremendous value to EP²IC members in masterminds and networking sessions.

➡️ I am a technical expert: Yes, technical experts and thought leaders can also benefit a lot from EP² Not only can you expand your knowledge in other areas and become a T-shaped Project Professional, but you can also actively help other members gain the skills and knowledge they need to grow their careers. You can also enjoy participating in Epic Masterminds, Epic Hot Seat, Epic Challenge Zone, and Epic Labs. After all, we are all here to add value to one another and grow together.

➡️ I work in a large corporation: As an employee of a large corporation, you can gain lots of benefits by joining EP²IC. You can contribute a lot and add value to those members that work in smaller companies. We believe that you will enjoy all segments of the EP²IC program and even resolve many of the struggles that you are experiencing with your projects, your stakeholders, the corporate environment, and the project teams involved.

➡️ I am currently unemployed: If you are unemployed and actively looking for the right position, the EP²IC program, specifically the Epic Employment segment, can benefit you. We understand that covering for the annual membership fee would be a challenge for you. However, with the enormous support and guidance you'd receive and the mastermind sessions you'd be part of, finding a good position would not be out of reach within the first year of your membership.

➡️ I already attend your annual conference and monthly masterclasses: Yes, we understand that the Project Control Summit, the monthly masterclasses, regular LinkedIn Live sessions, and all other value-add resources that we share with the project professionals globally can make you think that you may not need to join the EP²IC program. But EP²IC operates at a different level. The continuous value that you get through EP²IC is unique. It can put you in the right direction to fulfill your career desires faster. EP²IC integrates various components that offer significant leverage to the members for taking their careers and personal lives to new heights.

➡️ I am an active member of associations like AACEi, PMI, etc.: Being an active member of associations should not prevent you from joining EP²IC. If you have seen value in keeping your memberships with professional associations, we believe that you will gain much more value in multiple folds by becoming a member of EP²IC. We highly encourage you to join and experience it for yourself!

As a valued member of the inner circle, you’ll get access to the latest strategies, research, and tools that can empower you to engineer the future of your career. As a result, you’d accomplish more than what you think you could and lead a more fulfilled career and life with the continuous guidance and support of EP²IC program experts and community members.

Currently, the EP²IC membership is only open to those who are interested in becoming founding members of the inner circle. 

As a founding member, you will not only gain full access to all eight segments of the EP²IC program, you will also be acknowledged and tagged as a founding member of the inner circle in our Epic Community.

For your trust and support as a founding member, you will also pay the lowest annual membership fee. Even better, your annual membership fee will stay the same as long as you remain a founding member of the inner circle.

With an annual investment of $1095 $730 in yourself and your career, you can take your journey as a project professional to a whole new level. The return on this small investment in yourself will be substantial as soon as you leverage the power of EPPIC and the opportunities that this unique inner circle offers to you.

Many associations charge hundreds of dollars per year to have you a member of the association without adding much value to you as a member. With the ton of value that EP²IC provides to its members, a membership fee that translates to ONLY $2 per day for becoming a founding member of the EP²IC makes it a no-brainer for those who are serious about their professional and personal growth.

The return on investment (ROI) is definitely immeasurable.

Get ahead of the curve and proactively grow your career to new heights faster. 

You may notice that if you choose to become a founding member, the value of the above bonuses that you receive would surpass the annual membership fee you pay! But these bonuses will be available for a limited time ONLY to those who join as founding members.  

Take advantage of this tremendous opportunity and lead a purposeful career and fulfilled life by becoming a founding member of the Empowered Project professionals Inner Circle.

If you are still on the fence and cannot decide whether to join EPPIC or not, visualize the following in your mind’s eyes:

Imagine that you equip yourself with the proper knowledge, tools, and resources that fully assist you in fighting the battle against your struggles. Imagine that you claim victory with the help of a support army!

What if you could

➡️ have a close engagement with some trusted experts, thought leaders, and mentors who could provide you guidance and direction regularly for putting an end to your struggles

➡️ get one-on-one coaching with experienced experts regarding your career, your projects, the specific challenges you are facing, and the opportunities that you have in front of you

➡️ handle the issues that your projects, your team members, and your clients face with ease

➡️ directly connect with professional career experts in your field and get professional advice specific to your situation in a safe and secure environment

➡️ become up to date with the digital transformation and learn about the technology trends and new tips & tricks related to tools, software, and skills in your field that you can implement in your projects, so you are recognized as the go-to person in your organization

➡️ build a trusted network of like-minded project professionals that could empower and assist you in taking yourself and your career to new heights

➡️ be part of the Project Control Academy's events and present to other project professionals, so you are recognized as a subject matter expert and thought leader in your field

➡️ have a clear plan on how to develop your knowledge and skills in project controls, so you not only stay relevant but also become highly visible in your field and position yourself as a highly sought-after expert

➡️ get equipped with effective communication and presentation strategies that engage project team members, stakeholders, and upper management and eliminate frictions & misunderstanding

➡️ Increase your productivity in your projects without burnout and pressure so you can stay motivated and passionate

➡️ have a clear vision for moving from where you are to the new and exciting roles that you desire

➡️ start your own business or become a capable consultant in project controls and project management with the knowledge and understanding of what to do

➡️ be a leader and innovator in solving current and future problems in project-based organizations by leveraging your current knowledge and the use of new technologies

➡️ bring more peace, happiness, and harmony into your projects, working environment, and personal life!

What would accomplishing any of the above mean to you?

It would make a difference, right?

The great news is that you can accomplish the above and more through a new epic program that we have just launched.