I am not interested in producing an impressive document that sits in a drawer.
We will begin by understanding where the business is now, what you want to change and what may be getting in the way. From there, we will identify the priorities, agree practical actions and keep reviewing what is actually happening.
That might be a single focused project, a workshop with your team or an ongoing coaching and consultancy relationship.
You can expect ideas, energy and encouragement. You can also expect honesty. If something is not working, we will talk about it. If you are avoiding an important decision, I may ask why. If I think there is an opportunity you have missed, I will tell you.
The aim is not to make you dependent on a consultant. It is to leave you and your business clearer, stronger and better equipped to keep moving forward.
I’m also the founder of The Speakers Den, an event designed to help business people develop their confidence and ability as speakers.
I have spent more than 35 years working in, managing, starting and growing businesses across several different sectors.
That experience includes five start-ups, with three growing beyond £1 million in sales. It includes corporate life, SME ownership, senior business development and membership roles, consultancy, speaking and the creation of business events and communities.
It also includes Caffè Velo Verde, the cycle café I created in a wooden building on a Lincolnshire farm. Within 12 weeks of opening, it became the number one café in the area on Tripadvisor. That did not happen because we followed a clever textbook. It happened because we understood our customers, built a distinctive culture and paid attention to the details that made people want to return and tell others.
I have experienced the excitement of growth, the frustration of plans that have not worked and the responsibility that comes with making decisions when the answer is not obvious.
I bring those experiences to the table, but I will never pretend to know your business better than you do. My role is to listen, challenge, contribute and help turn the conversation into action.
Business is the passion.
There are core values which we cannot compromise on, and in the same way integrity has become increasingly important over the years.
The self employed work ethic is something that just can’t be turned off and feels hard wired after all these years in the business world.
I want to share this culture with like minded businesses, leaders and owners.
If you want somebody who will listen, contribute, challenge and remain genuinely interested in what happens next, let’s have a conversation.
