Hi, I’m John,
Author of So You Want to be a Consultant
Managing Principal of The Navitas Group
After nearly four decades in doing work in the built environment, John has learned that most business problems are rarely as neat as they look on paper.
There are budgets to protect, people to lead, clients to serve, buildings to operate, projects to complete, and decisions to make with imperfect information. Somewhere between the theory and the daily reality is where the real work happens.
That is where John has spent most of his career.
He has worked as an employee, executive, consultant, educator, mentor, and independent advisor, helping organizations ranging from startups and nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies make sense of complex operational and strategic challenges. His style is practical, direct, and grounded in experience. He is less interested in jargon and more interested in what works.
At the center of John’s work is a simple idea: complex things need to be made clear before they can be acted upon. In many ways, that has made him a Solution Navigator; someone who helps people understand the terrain, sort through the noise, and find a practical path forward.
Whether advising a client, teaching students, mentoring professionals, or writing for readers, his focus is on turning confusion into understanding and understanding into useful action.
So You Want to Be a Consultant grew out of that same philosophy. The book was written for professionals who are considering consulting, stepping into consulting, or trying to figure out what the profession really demands. It offers a practical and honest look at credibility, trust, value, client service, and the realities of building a consulting practice.
JohnJLembo.com brings together John’s work as an author, consultant, speaker, and educator. As more books, articles, and resources are developed, including his next project, In Layman’s Terms: The Complicated Business of Making Things Simple, this site will continue to grow as a place for practical guidance, professional insight, and clear thinking.
Subscribe to John’s Substack at johnjlembo.substack.com The Solution Navigator and connect with him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-lembo-cfm-leed-ap-356aa38/
So You Want to be a Consultant is a clear-eyed, experience-driven guide to what consulting really is — beyond the title, the hype, or the misconceptions.
Drawing on nearly four decades in the field, I share the practical realities, hard lessons, and foundational principles that turn expertise into a trusted advisory practice.
“With every page, you see John's passion and experience coming through. John lays out clearly and succinctly what it takes to be a consultant in today's world. This step-by-step guide shows you it's not for the faint of heart. Rather, he lays out every obstacle you will face, from whether you have the right work ethic and drive to all the challenges you will encounter along the way. He interjects the harsh realities of the journey. But by following along, you feel John becoming your biggest cheerleader to make your consulting dream a reality.”
Silvio Balzano, PhD
AVP IT, ElderServe Health
Adjunct Faculty, Fordham University
The Navitas Group
Executive-level strategy for the complex built environment.
Helping organizations optimize facility performance, reduce operational risk, and align infrastructure with long-term enterprise objectives.
The Navitas Group, LLC is a strategic facilities management consulting firm dedicated to optimizing building performance, strengthening operational infrastructure, and aligning facility operations with enterprise objectives.
Founded in 2006, The Navitas Group was established to address a persistent challenge within the built environment: the disconnect between day-to-day building operations and executive-level strategy. Our work operates precisely at that intersection.
Our practice is built on decades of senior leadership experience across healthcare, hospitality, commercial real estate, multi-building campuses, and complex institutional environments. We understand facilities not simply as brick-and-mortar infrastructure—but as mission-critical business assets that influence financial performance, risk exposure, and organizational stability.
One more thing…
Actually, ten more things.
Get 10 more tips and strategies for becoming a consultant that aren’t in the book.