re: So talk to me about being a consultant in my spare time...

Well you certainly have the lingo and buzzwords to be a great consultant!

You said your spare time... are you working full time or are you retired? If you are working full time, how is this type of work - which I assume means you will have to meet with companies - going to be handled after hours?

Are there some small things you can give away via public speaking? Professional and civic organizations are always looking for lunch speakers, so if you have some things that make up a 25 minute talk, maybe you can build your brand that way.

Would your former companies/clients be willing to provide testimonials? Could they throw you some business? Could they refer you to their network?