Author: Breandan hEaghra

Covering currently all Europe, UK, Uzbekistan. Iran, Latin America, Translator/proof reader from Spanish, French, German, Italian, Persian

While I do work as a Consultant and have for years also worked on numerous government projects, what I actually enjoy most is working as part of the team with either food suppliers and/or local importers and distributors, depending on the products etc.

A summary of what my company does lifted from my “in progress” website

Our key role is as agents for suppliers to the foodservice, retail and food ingredient sectors internationally.  We also source for importers plus ourselves import, export and offer consultancy and translation service. So what we do in summary is open international doors, manage logistics and as needed other administration, implement multilingual communications and handle account management.

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

My interest has always been to use my skills in languages, communication and business and this led to being asked to do consultancy projects and most importantly for over 15 years for the UK government on a programme called the Export Communications Review, which suited me very well indeed. So the answer to the question is really no I did not always want to be and I did fall into it and I like indeed a mix of projects only some of which are fee based and the rest commission.

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?

Somebody who is able to quickly assess the culture of a business in terms of the personalities, aims and challenges for the leadership team and from this adapt an approach that is always supportive and positive to help the business achieve both the goals they already have in place but also others they may very well have not yet even considered!

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

Sometimes it is a case of fire-fighting if that is what you mean and I am also a strong believer in offering constructive straightforward solutions to issues and targets and not getting lost in often pointless and waffly reports..

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?

Yes because we can only do what is physically possible and as somebody with a full time business for over 25 years plus a lot of horses, volunteering positions including in the local community now as well as 4 children and husband, I have had to learn to not worry too much nor indeed about finance or lack of it!

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

Think they can have a national sales strategy which they fund as regards sales and marketing but then forget that exactly the same criteria need to be taken on board for success in every other market.

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

Actually the best is when I have a real opportunity and this enables from the outset me to have a hook to start off the conversation with new potential suppliers/clients. Linked in brings some good contacts actually too and also word of mouth, attending trade shows etc

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?

Ride my horses and enjoy the forest behind my house. Spend time with my children, husband, eat nice food, watch Turkish soap operas!

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?

It depends in what field but as regards sales, communication and marketing, empathy is very important and perseverance and oh yes not being too greedy either..

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure?

I cant think actually of anything I feel guilty about doing… (maybe sneaking a large pack of paprika crisps and eating the whole bag before I get home from the shop – well I cant leave just a ¼ of the bag can I?)

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?

Continue the path to diversify and be able to take on a number of new team members ! And only work with people I really like and trust.

I am Angela Knox, co-founder with my partner Mark Nicoll, of Keep Fit Eat Fit – an employee wellbeing platform which we launched in early 2021.  We consult with employers large and small, public sector and private, regarding how best to achieve wellbeing in the workforce, with a particular focus on those who work from home – which of course now is a popular topic.  We build relationships with HR, wellbeing managers and company owners on the benefits of adopting and using our platform, which is a complete solution to wellbeing in the form of an e-learning programme. 

Q1. Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

I first started working as a consultant in the early 1990s, having decided that after several years working in marketing agencies, I wanted to embrace the challenge of going it alone and building my own client base in marketing services.  Having always had a keen interest in health, fitness and wellbeing, I later used my digital knowledge to formulate the concept for Keep Fit Eat Fit (in 2016/17), as a comprehensive platform that could be used by anyone no matter what their interest or experience level.

Q2. What makes a good consultant?

There are many things that make a good consultant, one of the main ones is the ability to listen.  Listening to what a client says and how they need to achieve stated objectives is a key skill, in order to interpret their needs and provide solutions.  In marketing and advertising consultancy it was often a case of understanding the difference between want and need, i.e. listening to what clients think they want and giving them what they need – sometimes two different things.  This requires the ability to build a deep understanding of business functions, objectives and required outcomes, as well as the ability to work to budgets.

Q3. Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

Managing ourselves is always challenging, as there are competing demands on our time.  I start most days with to do lists, and prioritising the importance of each task is critical to getting things done.  Getting enough down time and work-life balance is also important, and given the business I am in, I am very aware of the need to practise what I preach!

Q4. Are there enough hours in your day?

There are rarely enough hours in a day, as it is often the case that by the end of a day I feel that I haven’t finished some of the tasks I wanted to achieve – however when building a start-up business this is commonly the way things are.  The aim in our business is to build it up and take on more people to support us with tasks, so that we can actually delegate to others – so this is in our plan, as we grow and build the company.

Q5. If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

I think the answer to this question would be that I would love clients to really prioritise wellbeing for their employees as it is so important.  This means support from the top of the company downwards, as budget needs to be made available, and the HR and other specifiers need to be given the authority to make recommendations and timely buying decisions, rather than put off the adoption process or even avoid it altogether.  Wellbeing is a major topic across all businesses right now, and will be going into the future, and I think some companies are making a mistake by not acting for the good of their employees.

Q6. What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

We use various marketing techniques, and as we are very budget-conscious as a start-up we find e-mail marketing, PR and social media to be the most impactful and cost-effective routes to market, as well as making sure our SEO for our website is working effectively.  Referrals and recommendations are very powerful too, and networking to extend our contacts, as well as joining groups such as the chamber of commerce also work well.

Q7. What do you do to unwind?

Unwinding is something that seems like a rare treat currently – I enjoy playing and listening to music (I trained as a pianist at music college originally), walking and other forms of exercise as time permits, travel (covid-permitting), and cooking (I have been vegetarian for 35 years).

Q8. What advice would you give a starting consultant?

Advice to a starting consultant would be:  research your market thoroughly and see where you think you fit into it; get a spreadsheet and work out your outgoings and potential income, and be realistic about when you can start earning and how much you think your monthly fee income will be; keep revising your plans and think about short, medium and long term career and financial goals and work to these; be the best you can at what you do, get further training if needed and update your skills regularly.

Q9. What’s your guilty pleasure?

Guilty pleasure – there’s not much time for these nowadays but I would say the odd Netflix series is my favorite pastime when I get the chance, and next to that it would be watching Strictly!

Q10. What’s your goal for next year?

The goal for next year is to meet our business goals and client acquisition targets, build revenue, work on improving our work-life balance, and buy a house mortgage free.

Q1. Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

I’ve worked in sales of various guises for 30 years, starting with selling vacuum cleaners door to door in the early ‘90s, to tele sales, recruitment and over the past 15 years, I’ve been working the telecoms & tech space, so consultancy is definitely something I fell into.

Q2. What makes a good consultant?

It’s a combination of my 3 decades at the cold front of sales, my ability to not be scared of change and my passion for being a disrupter. I spend time understanding what my clients currently doing and in many cases we collectively identify that there dream clients are something different to what they actually thought and can therefore pivot there business in the right direction.

Q3. Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

I as an individual and us as a business have detailed SOP’s in place that ensure we manage ourselves effectively and this is something we subtly introduce to our clients as bitesized emails.

Q4. Are there enough hours in your day?

Because we are a sales automation consultancy, we are able to effectively scale things up & down throughout the month ensuring that we are always busy enough, without being overworked.

Q5. If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

I wish that clients would stop wasting 3 months trying lower cost solutions before coming back to me. It happens a lot and in some cases, we are unable to quickly repair the damage done.

Q6. What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

Unlike most companies, Semper Paratus Group use our own services & advice to generate new clients, so everyone we speak to is there own testimonial as the our sales automation being effective.

Q7. What do you do to unwind?

I’m a former Professional Kickboxing, so exercise is a significant part of my day starting with a run or bike ride in the morning and using the home gym at the latter end of the day.

Q8. What advice would you give a starting consultant?

The first thing I’d advise is using my sales automation to create a steady flow of new business for themselves. The other thing I’d advise is that they pin point there dream client and create there own niche.

Q9. What’s your guilty pleasure?

Binge watching boxsets, but this has been difficult as during the pandemic as I’d already done the best ones and filming had been suspended.

Q10. What’s your goal for next year?

Continuing to scale SPG and further expanding our global client list.

Co-Founder and CEO Alpha AI, Tripsero Pvt. Ltd. | Co-Founder and CTO vidBoard.ai

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

I never had a goal of becoming an entrepreneur or running a business. What I had as my goal was to create an impact. I always like to call myself an innovator over a researcher because this is why I decided to have my venture. Research is the backbone behind any new technology and it really is the reflection of our needs, but if we only research, I believe we would only be able to fill our minds. My vision is to take the research we do at Alpha AI to mass. This is definitely not something I can do alone and I believe my vision can only echo by tapping different industries globally. As mentioned earlier, my drive to start my venture largely came from my hunger to grow. I always say this that to grow one must try faster, fail harder, create. This is fairly what even I have done until now.
 
Besides my childhood, where I would re-assemble almost everything I’d get and home appliances being my ‘best friends’, I started my first venture as a sophomore in my Bachelors. Some of the notable ventures that I initiated are as follows:

1. INNVOS LABS
2. HEALWELL
3. PayGo
    
   After trying out these ventures, I decided to have a structured corporate environment and taking up a job as a Systems Engineer. Within a year I could actually see the tasks being monotonous and not adding value to my career and that is when I went ahead for a Masters in AI. I continued to experiment and explore by launching start-ups and build prototypes across the digital automation and artificial intelligence space.
    
   After coming back to India and while I was waiting eagerly to return back in my already developed network with NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator, COVID19 escalated in India and I had to stay put. Nevertheless I wouldn’t stop and continued as a CTO in a venture based on Artificial Intelligence driven video analytics called AIOTIZE. With any of the engagements I would have, I wouldn’t halt my research and this is how ideas for Alpha AI started to pour in.
   Timing did it’s play and I ended my engagement with the firm I was CTO at and decided to register my own venture. I decided to give Alpha AI as the name to my reflection. Alpha AI is the umbrella for all my projects now and the research we do.

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?

Well, this question is highly subjective but, in my opinion, and in my area of work, I could state that one’s Ability to design, build and deploy predictive and prescriptive models using statistical modelling, machine learning, and optimization along with their ability to use structured decision- making to complete projects are amongst the most important aspects that make one a good consultant. To further add to this, their ability to manage an entire project from business issue identification, data audit to model maintenance in production is one of the well sought qualities within a good consultant.

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

Well, it would be dishonest if I said there haven’t been any times when I had everything under control. The process and stages every venture goes through remains the same except when it happens. There have been times when I haven’t been able to manage my situation well and fortunately, at the moment, everything seems to be totally under control thus affirming that I have been able to manage myself well.

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?

In my personal opinion, “Not at all”. Since I started out with my venture, I have not been able to come to
terms with this fact that there are mere 24 hours in a day. Given I stay curious at times regarding the work we do and the things I want to learn, I always end up feeling I wish I could spare more time today to look into those activities and grasp as much as possible for a highly productive tomorrow.

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

Well, mistakes are a part and parcel of any business. Be it from my end or from my client’s end. Although there is one major concern I would like to address and that is for the clients to follow the following process while working on any product or services that is to, “Think, Ideate, Design and Create”

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

I always believe that one’s work and their clients are the best way to brand and market oneself but unfortunately in today’s would it ends up being way more than that. One needs to establish a fast growth- oriented network of likeminded individuals, setup virtual meetups, follow through with digital marketing campaigns and promote all the client testimonials.

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?

It is not superficial that I do for unwinding. It is simply listening to music and going out for a long walk in
the evening.

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?

Being a consultant is not an easy task, one needs to be mentally strong and be ready to put in lots and lots of hours and hard work into establishing yourself within the industry.

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure?

Playing video games at pretty odd hours

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?

My goal for the next year is to increase my client acquisition by 20% and revenue by 40%. Given this pandemic, staging one’s growth for the coming years needs to be thoroughly planned and executed.

Director/Trustee at Halifax Foundation NI and Headliners UK | Fellow CIM

Niall Parfitt is a marketing professional with over 20 years experience of working with large organisations to SMEs having worked with a wide range of businesses from large organisations to SME’s including UTV, Ulster Bank, An Post and Queen’s University.. Niall runs his own inbound marketing agency, Atlanticus Digital and is experienced in all areas of digital marketing including marketing strategies, Social Media, Web and email marketing. Niall also facilitates workshops and webinars across all of Ireland training on all aspects of inbound marketing.

Atlanticus Digital is a gold HubSpot Agency partner in Ireland working with companies all over Europe. HubSpot offers a full platform of marketing, sales, customer service, and CRM software. Recently added as a consultant on the Enterprise Ireland and Inter-Trade Ireland COVID support programs.  I’ve 30 certifications in HubSpot, Google Analytics and have recently become Asana Pro certified and Canva Affiliate. I’m also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Board Member for Headliners and Halifax Foundations NI.

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

I was a consultant as part of a Department Enterprise Trade and Investment project in Northern Ireland back in 2013 and I loved the role. Ever since then I’ve wanted to help businesses! I’ve been consulting for over 3 years and it has such a fantastic learning experience.

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?

Patience, passion and interest in business growth

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

It would be a bit of both some days but I like to think I manage myself well enough! 

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?

No definitely not. I have young family so they can be quite time consuming! I’ve also joined two charity boards which I has been extremely rewarding on top of running my own business. So time is precious!

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

Failure to invest and constantly looking for cheap and free options.

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

HubSpot without a shadow of a doubt and LinkedIn

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?

I run a bit. I’ve completed 6 marathons in the last few years. I’ve recently joined a Lads and Dads GAA club and help out with coaching kids GAA. Also, I love cooking, craft beer, reading and listening to music

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?

Always have that thirst for learning and developing yourself. If you don’t then maybe think of another profession.

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure?

Tayto Crisps

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?

Grow the business further, employ staff and market the business in Europe/US

CX & EX Consultancy| Co-founder of RISE EI| CX Educator| 1st Goleman Emotional Intelligence Coach in the UK| TEDx speaker| Applied CX & EI course lead

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

When I was 15 all I wanted was to work for British Airways – I didn’t want to fly but I did want to work for the airline.  My elder sister worked for BA and when I didn’t get onto their graduate trainee programme I made it my mission to work for another airline at some point and did that was my second job!  After being employed for about 10 years it did cross my mind that I would enjoy working for myself and I seemed to meet a lot of consultants with the work I was doing.  I took the leap when I was made redundant and I haven’t looked back. 

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?

Great question.  Someone who really listens.  As Tom Peters says – someone who listens fiercely will be the person who can connect with you best.  I find that I do a great deal of problem-solving as a consultant and it’s the skill of listening to what is said, what’s not said and asking great questions that help me to do a good job.  The second thing that I think makes a good consultant is someone who helps the commissioning body fend for themselves. Which means sharing the processes and techniques to help resolve issues and develop solutions.  I have seen consultants make themselves necessary for longer than I thought they needed to be in a business.  I always want to make sure that the change we have created together is sustainable, without me.  The final thing is recognition – we have all been here I am sure.  This is when the staff within the business have been saying something for ages and when a consultant comes in all of a sudden the Board listens – I will always be the first to explain where ideas have come from! 

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

Sometimes I can be less decisive than I am with customers and it’s interesting you raise this as a colleague asked me to put my consultant lenses on to look at an issue I was facing and it magically gave me a new perspective.  So I guess the answer is that I often forget to take my own advice!

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?

Yes.  During the week I start work between 4:45 – 5:30am because I find that I do my best work in the morning.  By the time I have reached say 2pm I know that I have been productive and I can take a different approach in the afternoon.  There are often not enough hours in the weekend days to do all of the things I have in mind! 

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

Obsessing over their NPS (Net promoter Score) in comparison with other companies.  I really think that doing that is like being in competition with one another’s height – there is nothing you can do about the height of another person, you have your height, they have there’s.  Genetics, along with nutrition, hormones, activity levels, and medical conditions all fact in and you’ll never know what that is…..so why are they obsessing over it?   

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

At the moment it’s LinkedIn and through the Pearson Business School website as I run a postgrad course through their College.  I find people or people find me and that leads to a conversation online usually.  An exchange of some ideas and maybe some onward collaboration.  

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?

Take flying lessons.  I have to focus so much on what I am doing and I am learning that everything else fades away and I feel more relaxed and rejuvenated after.  Sound counter-intuitive doesn’t it.  Or sing.  Properly singing my heart out helps me release everything from the day – this could be a 1980s track or some sort of classical number.  

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?

Make contacts everywhere you go and give something of value away (some content or tools) to them if you can so that they want to know more about you, they want to work with you or they pass work your way.  Really listen to the answers your clients or potential client is giving – work out what is really going on for them and have some highly effective questions ready to dive deeper without compromising the relationship. 

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure?

Disco and funk music.  On the weekend you can find me in the kitchen tidying, organizing etc with the 1980s tracks blasting  –  poor old Alexa.  I’m also a secret Hotel Chocolate 70% dark chocolate batons fan!  I play it low-key so that the stock isn’t hoovered up by my partner’s boys the day I buy it!

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?

Just one? One is to spend a couple of months in Madagascar if I can get away.  I may take my laptop for weekends.  The second is to do more in the education/event space.  I have got the bug for bringing great minds together to share their wisdom for others:  here’s something I prepared earlier…. https://register.eievolutionsummit.com/ei-summit  The third is to pass some flying exams!  

A professionally qualified and award-winning procurement and supply chain executive who has delivered business transformational change programmes for globally reaching organisations. I have taken my many years of corporate experience into providing expertise to clients / businesses of any size with end-to-end commercial, sourcing, procurement, supply chain and logistics solutions.

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?
I always had something like this in the back of my mind but never had the guts or belief to do it until ironically, health issues ultimately saw me moving into this field.

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?
Somebody that has been there and done it, you need to have the knowledge and understanding of the why and the how as well as the what. I personally feel that experience and insight is 100% necessary to provide any client with the sustainable solutions they are seeking to achieve and the value they are needing to realise.

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?
For a bloke, I feel I am pretty well organised, my day and week are structured to suit both the clients and my own needs, I do think I am more or less in a good place. 

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?
80% of the time yes, whilst at times there is the necessity to work additional hours, it is still about balancing that against taken time out for myself.

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?
Assuming that every problem requires a complicated and convoluted solution, it doesn’t, in my field specifically its about common sense and relationships in addition to basic structure. Simple is 99% of times the best solution.

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?
I am not sure I have found it yet, I use LinkedIn extensively but thankfully the vast majority of my work is from my network and recommendations / word of mouth. 

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?
I always try to ensure that I build time in my week for my mindfulness activities so I play golf with my wife, I build plastic model kits, I have recently developed an interest in gardening and when Covid rules allow I will go back to my love of attending concerts, Green Day, The Skids, Offspring, James, SLF, Undertones, Therapy, Evanescence, Gary Numan and Foreigner are all planned over the next 12 months or so. 

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, its a lonely place at times and the imposter syndrome can makes frequent appearances sadly, stay humble and grateful.

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure?
I have developed a parchment for European Crime drama on TV, no idea why but I am a big fan of “Walter Presents”.

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?
Work / business is currently very healthy, I am extremely grateful for all of the support and friendship I have received over the last 3 1/2 years, all I really want to do next year is more of the same. 

Helping small business owners with limited sales experience to breathe when stressed by sales. I help them to love sales even just 1% more! Honesty | Loyalty | Integrity | JFDI | DBaD

I am a “Sales Consultant”. A self-confessed, life long learner of all things sales. I do my very best to impart that knowledge to everyone I meet such that they might learn to love sales, even if it’s just 1% more than they did before they met me. I work most closely with small or micro business owners that understand sales is one of many hats they have to wear in their business but, quite frankly, it makes them want to run away, cry or throw up.

I provide consultation on strategy, process and execution. Working with my clients I coach, mentor and do. The doing part is my favorite!

The result, my clients find the sales hat they have to wear fits far more comfortably and thus wear it for longer, which ultimately gives them the results they seek, more sales.

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

I walked away from corporate life with little to no idea what I would do next back in 2014. Consulting found me as I spoke to those closest to me and it was pointed out I needed to go back in to sales, as this was perceived as my strength.

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?

Insatiable curiosity. The ability to listen with the intention to learn. A clear self-awareness of what they consult in and the humility to stay in their lane. It also helps if they have a support network, or little black book, of other consultants in other specialist areas that are subject matter experts. I have found what makes bad consultants is attempting to be a generalist.

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

There is always room for improvement, that is why I have a coach. Building the business YOU want requires you knowing what YOU want. We are often the last to take our own good advice but having a coach to help you reflect on this is absolutely key in my opinion.

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?

Yes. I only ever schedule 80% or 4 days of my working week. I always leave one day for surprises, reflection, or unscheduled meetings. I like to meet new contacts, local or otherwise, and make time to do that, which is why I have time today to do this.

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

Leaving it until the last minute to speak up. I get calls all too often when it’s fire fighting time. Unpacking this it is overwhelming the case that the stories they clients are telling themselves is crippling them in some way, be that procrastination, constant changing of strategy or a victim mentality. I really wish people would speak more openly about the stresses they face and seek help, without the stigma, because there is help out there

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

Split. Face to face networking is by far the single most enjoyable “marketing” that I do. I have a broad network and receive great referrals from them. I also LOVE to write/blog/post/comment on LinkedIn. Not so much for biz dev more to just give back, I try to share as much as possible.

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?

I play Minecraft with my son, this is our time. For me I am really in to my podcasts at the moment and I am consuming all of Steve Bartlett’s content at the moment. I’m a bit of a busmen when it comes to unwinding, I like to learn via reading, watching, listening to sales and psychology stuff. I also focus on my breathing, not quite meditation but along those lines. I like to listen to the universe.

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?

Pick a lane. Choose what you are going to consult on. Stay focused on that and learn everything you can about it because you can never know it all. Be curious. Practice your listening skills.

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure?

I have many pleasures in life and I have learned to feel guiltless for all of them. I appreciate that this is a turn of phrase but it’s one I find counter-productive. I love great food, I enjoy wine, I sleep odd hours, I speak my truth (not everyone welcomes that) but I feel absolutely no guilt in doing or being any of these things.

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?

I would am going to be returning to delivering face to face workshops, covid killed them and I dislike doing them online. I am also planning to start a podcast, about which I am procrastinating due to the commitments I am currently engaged in. My work is very fluid, which is by design. I can tell you what is happening in 4 years’ time and what I must do today, tomorrow and nest week to achieve that, but I don’t typically set 1 year goals.

Campbell Yeoman & Associates contract to clients needing flexible business support and optimisation services. A husband and wife team, Ann & David provide a combined 70-years of business experience. Ann manages the administrative, legal secretarial, and executive PA provision. David consults and mentors on leadership, project, business and change management. With a network of associates they also provide technical writing and Python training provision. 

Q1. Did you always want to become a consultant, or did you fall into the role?

Working for myself has been a goal since I was a young man. Yet, MBAs, mortgages, marriages, and misguided ambition handcuffed me to corporate roles. The Covid lock-down helped me reassess the last 40-years of my working life, and we took the decision to follow the dream in 2020. 

Q2. What makes a good consultant?

Five things:
An ability to be a human first, and build strong client relationships while earning trust.
Possessing broad and deep experience to solve clients problems. Not just book learning.
The ability to listen and understand a specific context while leaving your ego at the door.
Partnering with clients whose business ethics, management, and leadership views match your own.
A team of outstanding associates who always over-deliver.

Q3. Do you feel you manage yourself well, or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

Consulting forced me into marketing and selling myself, which was uncomfortable. I’m someone who believes people should judge you on actions, not words. Yet, I realised that I needed to adapt and learn. I have a way to go. 

But, there’s no dichotomy between my client recommendations and my business implementation. I walk the talk on leadership, financial management, strategy development, and operational implementation. 

Q4. Are there enough hours in your day?

Yes. Having worked in FTSE-100 companies, I’m no stranger to 60-hour weeks. Yet now, we ensure we get the downtime on the other side. That’s the beauty of finally working for yourself and being able to select your clients. An example would be when our technical writing and conveyancing contracts took off. It was demanding, but having settled it down, we then took time off to recharge.

Q5. If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

Stop chasing mediocrity by following fads and fashion. A business is a complex, three-dimensional entity requiring customised, complex, three-dimensional approaches. Following the herd with one-dimensional thinking leads to commonness, not greatness. 

Q6. What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

We’re on several consultant platforms, but most referrals are via LinkedIn or word-of-mouth. The only way that works for me is meeting someone face-to-face and speaking with them. We now have clients around the globe, and we’re receiving a lot of repeat business, which is reassuring.

Q7. What do you do to unwind?

We both like to create. I came from a trade background, so I enjoy metalwork, woodwork, and machining. I’m an amateur landscape photographer, and Ann is a watercolour artist, so we both love nature. Finally, we have two mad dogs who need constant walks, so we do get out into the countryside a lot.

Q8. What advice would you give a starting consultant?

It takes longer than you think, and you’ll doubt yourself. Yet, success is about repeatedly getting up and turning up. Most people fail because they give it away too early, so stay with it, and believe in yourself. Choose your clients carefully, and be prepared to pivot if something isn’t working. You will come across people wanting to demean and diminish you, be sure to connect with people who share your values and empower you.

Q9. What’s your guilty pleasure?

I have a love of good books and better whisky. I’m currently drinking a 15-year Aberlour and reading Stories We Tell Ourselves by Richard Holloway, a marvellous book that discusses the search for meaning in a meaningless universe. I like Richard’s self-deprecating manner and his incisive style. 

Q10. What’s your goal for next year?

We have three:

1. Continue to grow and diversify the business with a push into online training courses.
2. Take time out for a long-overdue holiday.
3. Buy a new rural home in Devon from where the Yeomans originated.

Founder and Chair at Elimu | Business Academic | Equity and Inclusion Consultant | School Governor

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

I fell into the role through my work as a Lecturer and a social entrepreneur. I spend a lot of time delivering sessions, supporting budding entrepreneurs and writing articles about my area of expertise, so I was fortunate enough to have my first couple of clients reach out to me as opposed to seeking consulting opportunities.

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?

You must be a critical friend! Ask the difficult questions and use critical thinking to help your clients make well-informed decisions that consider different perspectives, outcomes and experiences. Where this is not the case, provide honest but supportive feedback, identifying the learning opportunities in every challenge and triumph.

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

I manage my time well but myself, not so much. I am always reminding myself that I must put by oxygen mask on first. This is an important rule for survival, meaning that you cannot help anyone else until you have helped yourself. This includes managing my time appropriately, eating healthy, exercising, and knowing when to say no.

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?

There are not enough hours in my day nor enough days in my week! This is why it is important to plan, manage my time well, and organise by days and weeks by order of priority, including opportunities for rest and reflection. 

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

Putting short-term limits on culture change. Innovative organisations will find that, if they are larger and/or have been operating for a long time, any kind of business transformation must start with a culture change to be effective and sustainable. It typically takes 2-10 years to change organisational culture, so one cannot hire a consultant for a few months if they are expecting to see real change. However, a consultant can help them to establish and commit to a plan of action, which will continue their efforts long after the contract has ended. 

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

Sharing my expertise online, at conferences or in meetings always opens the door. However, many clients have simply come my way because they have seen my work somewhere and it has spoken for itself. 

If people can see what I have to bring to the table, that captures them. What keeps them however, is personal interaction (meetings, phone calls, Zoom etc)

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?

I walk to my local farm to see the alpacas!

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?

Develop a sales funnel, which typically involves the following steps:

1. Awareness – the public becomes aware of your niche, possibly because you are providing information online.
2. Interest –prospects demonstrate interest in you by checking you/your service/page out.
3. Evaluation –=prospects compare you to your competitors.
4. Decision –a final decision is reached to buy whatever it is you’re selling (quite literally).
5. Re-evaluation –As a customer becomes familiar with your offering, they may decide whether or not to renew their contract.

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure?

Love Island!

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?

My biggest goal as a consultant is to transform my largest client, a national youth charity, into an anti-racist organization. We are working together to develop a report and action plan for them to transform their organizational culture by embedding intersectionality into their objectives and sharing best practice for other organizations and industries to follow suit. 

Hi, I’m Jas, a London based consultant and founder of Bitsul, a Fintech focused product consultancy helping Financial Services organizations and startups ideate, build and launch great B2B and B2C products. I’ve been working in Fintech for over 12 years specializing in product managing builds for a number of organizations from Investment Banks and Asset management companies to early stage startups.

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

Totally fell into the role. Although I’m glad I came to it late because I have loads of experience in my specialist area

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?

Probably in depth knowledge about the subject matter. I’ve been working in Financial Services and Tech for over 12 Years and only recently decided to set up my own consultancy. Having a broad understanding of things like Sales, Marketing, Tech, People also helps but having specific industry knowledge is really important.

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

I think there’s definitely an element of cobblers shoes. I encourage clients to ensure they put specific outcomes and measures on things but I don’t always do it myself

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?

Yes. It’s always about managing the time really. You could always either wake up earlier and try and do more OR prioritise better and just get the most important stuff done each day.

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

Hmmmm, probably trying to build features or a whole product without engaging their customer base or community. Although not many of my clients have made that mistake.

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

I’ve been quite lucky and haven’t done any formal marketing. Most of my clients come from referrals from people I’ve worked with before. I do write some industry specific content which has lead to work.

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?

A movie. A glass of wine. The gym. All pretty standard stuff. In terms of a full blown reset, when I’ve had an intense period of work I love to go on holiday but I’m really exploring the UK and doing more staycations at the moment.

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?

Starting out you need to really optimistic. There might be quiet periods but in those times there’s always something you can be doing. Whether it’s writing white-papers, providing industry commentary or reaching out to your network of colleagues to see who would really benefit from your expertise. You’ll be surprised as to how much you can do to control how much or how little work you have but keeping the right attitude is key!

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure? 

Million Dollar Listing. It’s a show in the US about Real-Estate agents who broker deals on really really expensive flats and houses. I just like sneaking a look at really expensive houses.

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?

Probably double my ‘returning’ client list. Those clients who I do some work for and then 6 months down the line when they’ve progressed a bit come back to me for help with a different challenge.

Lead Generator Specialist| Marketing Strategist on Google, LinkedIn & Pinterest | Content Marketing Specialist| Brand Internationalization| Partner at M&DA Consulting & MexArt&Co.

My name is Carolina Soto, I’m from Mexico and I am an International Marketing and Trade consultant. My mission is to help companies from Mexico that are interested to venture into the UK and Europe Market, and vs, companies from, UK, Europe, or the US interested in venture into the Mexican market. Making them grow internationally online and offline. 

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

I fall into the role, the life took me where I am today. I was looking to get into a Marketing Agency and when I started working a full-time job, was in government in international affairs and then as a consultant representing states from the US in Mexico and then I started on my own.

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?

Getting involved with the client, know them very deep to know their needs. I see myself as a company doctor, so the company gives you their issue, and your prescription is to find the problem and fix it. So, I think listening carefully to their needs and what they want to achieve, and how is very important. 

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

I think that I manage well myself as an international consultant, I have spent a lot of time in different countries so I know several markets. 

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?

Depends on the project, sometimes takes too much that I would love to have more hours. For example, when I work with Emabassys, the projects are big and consume so many hours, but companies like producers just take a few hours. 

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

When they say that don’t want to invest in Marketing enough, because they want quick results, and everything takes time. 

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

Word of mouth 

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?

Besides exercise, I like to learn new stuff, as new languages relax me.

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?

Be patient and be well informed and in Marketing always know the about the trends on marketing tools.

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure?

Take courses in different areas. 

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?

Make my company grow within the UK

I am a creative beast, a deep thinker and a total right-brainer. Creating art since 1986 + 18 years in London helping set up and run start-ups. I am a founder of a multidisciplinary ‘zebra‘ creative digital agency Bold Tony Studio. I help companies and individuals generate new ideas, bring them to life, improve efficiency, and discover their authentic edge. I am a huge advocate of improving workplace and personal mental health and building sustainable + meaningful life. Art is a massive part of my life, and I coach others on how to tap into their own creativity and dispel the myth that creativity is chaotic, present only in certain types of people, or can’t be learned. My agency is a one-stop-shop for creative expression.

Random Facts About Me: I am unstoppable, unapologetic and indestructible. I use unconventional methods and tools and have rather authentic views on life and the world.

– I am Dyslexic, and I love it. My brain is well funky: I can’t remember dates, numbers (yep, I need a calculator to count how old I am, every time), but I worked in finance and nailed it. I process double the visual and emotional information than ordinary people, as my filter for relevance is totally screwed. I am analysing and categorising everything at all times. It’s both fun and exhausting.

– I am a Psychonaut. I love nature, and I believe it holds the key to unlocking our true potential by showing us what we are when the social, political and cultural conditioning is stripped away. I also use other nonpsychedelic plants and methods to hack my brain and enhance my performance. I am a member of MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies).

– I am a Global Citizen, but I am not a nomad. After living in London for 20+ years, I left it to travel the world and lived and worked from Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Spain. Currently building an eco-house and bio garden in the woods.

Q1. Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

I am one of those lucky few people who always knew what I wanted to be, and ever since I can remember, I was told that it would be the end of me. I did try to stop daydreaming and be a responsible adult, but it came at the cost of my physical and mental health. One day it hit me that the rescue ship was not coming, and I was the one calling all the shots. That day I made a conscious decision to follow my heart. I had to put in a lot of work to tackle fear and limiting beliefs about money, business, and who I am to get me where I am today. I did not know where the new path I took was going to take me or that I would build three companies at the back of it, but I knew that the standard formula of how to live and work was broken and sticking it to it would make me miserable, sick and irrelevant. 

Q2. What makes a good consultant?

Life experience, tracked record of failures and ability to push your client beyond their limiting believes. Each individual or business has the inner wisdom to resolve their problem. They don’t need you to do that for them. They need your help to constructively look at their situation, support them, and show them the hidden talents that already exist at their disposal. I don’t like telling people what to do. I enjoy helping them discover how to do it themselves. I understand that this may not apply to all types of consultancy sectors. 😊  

Q3. Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

Oh, god, no! I am only human 😊 This whole coaching industry of teaching people how to plan and organise one’s life and business to perfection is causing a burnout and depression epidemic in our society. You do need to be honest with yourself about what your strengths and weaknesses are. You need to understand that your goals can’t be set in stone and that what success and a good life are to you in your 30s will definitely change later on in your 40s, 50s and so on. 

I have a realistic daily to-do list that fits on a standard yellow post-it note. I am also a professional disappointer as I am not striving to be everywhere for everyone at all times. 

Q4. Are there enough hours in your day?

Yes! Time is like money; the moment you start counting it, you start running out of it. I embrace the natural flow of time throughout my day, some days, it runs super fast, and some it crawls. I stopped using an alarm clock 4 years ago, I hardly ever have my watch on me, and I don’t have any clocks in my house or the office. I set notifications for meetings only, and the rest I do organically. 

Q5. If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

Stop glorifying Google as the best example of what a successful modern business should look like and design your company culture based on what is trending in Silicon Valley. Unless your goal is to build a Monopoly and toxic work environment where a large part of your workforce feels depressed and anxious. 

Q6. What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

What works for me may not work for others. Some of us have the looks, some are great at public speaking or writing or love to sit on social media 24/7. I think whatever you do, try and create real value for your audience. The world has been hijacked by spam, and everyone is drowning. Say and show only if it is truly useful. Go for quality not quantity. I personally like old school marketing methods instead of social media.

Q7. What do you do to unwind?

I start and finish my day with a walk. I am a highly creative person, and my brain can’t sit and meditate in silence, so I do mantra meditation. In summer I also do a lot of wild swimming in lakes and rivers and obviously gardening. I need to get physical to shut my brain and relax 😊

Q8. What advice would you give a starting consultant?

Decide on your price, and don’t settle for less. Before becoming a consultant, you had a career or series of life events that shaped you and there for you now have bags of information you can give to those at the beginning of their business or life journey. You should not be paid less than what you use to get paid when you were employed, period. If you settle for less, you will grow resentment, work overtime, and never attract high-end paying clients. 

Q9. What’s your guilty pleasure?

Whatever you do for pleasure should not be tainted by guilt. If you take the time to enjoy something, why spoil it by beating yourself up about eating it or drinking it or doing it. My time with a cup of hot chocolate is how I give myself a hug after a stressful day.

Q10. What’s your goal for next year? To work less but deliver massive value to my clients. To be more present in my life and to write a book. Sharing our story is the bravest thing that we can do in life.  

Sports marketing professional with over 20 years of hands on experience managing athletes, working with brands in sponsorship, communications & activation. Experienced in sports event management and strategic consultancy for athletes, brands & rights holders.

Managing the commercial rights of some of Ireland’s best sporting talent including Rob Kearney, Kellie Harrington, Greg O’Shea, Conor Murray, Paul & Gary O’Donovan, Tadhg Furlong, Annalise Murphy, Rachael Blackmore, Joey Carbery, Sean O’Brien, James Ryan, Ian Madigan, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Dardis, Sene Naoupu, Beibhin Parsons,  David Kearney, Donnacha Ryan, Dan Leavy, Ross Byrne, Andy Lee, Greg Callaghan.

Over seven year of experience as an independent non-executive board member with experience in sports governing bodies, hospitality, commercial property, asset management and restructuring project in collaboration with KPMG.

Q1.  Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?

• I created a business by combining my passion and purpose – as a high performance athlete, a term in high performance rugby management, it just seamed natural to combine these skills and experience and create a role that worked for me, versus taking a Job!

Q2.  What makes a good consultant?

• Listening, understanding and being creative and authentic – we are privileged to work with some of the best sports people, brands and agencies in the sports marketing world. I also believe in continuous learning and always trying to stay ahead,

Q3.  Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?

• Yes, I always try to live a life with balance between work, family and exercise – this balance includes rising around 0530 and finishing my working day in time to be home daily for 1700 and I build in exercise to my working week so I can be free to be with my family for the weekends. I am a keen student of science and always trying to incorporate the 1%’s from elite sport across exercise recovery, sleep and nutrition.

Q4.  Are there enough hours in your day?

• Some days and other days not – time management is key, but also delivering unquestionably for our client base. If busy, ill work day and night knowing that in quieter times, ill be able to not be in the office and free to box or cycle or be at home..

Q5.  If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?

• No mistakes, no learnings – my job is to deliver but also manage expectations. My philosophy is that all athletes need a dual career and need to invest in their education, career and transferable skills throughout their performance life-cycle to assist them in their second curve career as best as possible.

Q6.  What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

• By being the best we can be, mixed in with references and building a network., this of course is supported by online marketing and social connecting sites,

Q7.  What do you do to unwind?

• Mountain Biking, boxing, sailing and surfing and of course watching sport!

Q8.  What advice would you give a starting consultant?

• Identify your values, your value ads and work hard. Simple really!

Q9.  What’s your guilty pleasure?

• Single malt and chocolate.. and more importantly, getting to spend time with elite athletes watching them train and getting in and trying whether its boxing, rugby, or anything really all with the aim of undertaking what they do, and how difficult it is!

Q10.  What’s your goal for next year?

• Return the business to positive growth and we have some very exiting new strands to the business being roled out over the coming months in content and digital and Leadership!

David McHugh – Bio – http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmch