Time served won’t prepare your people for a more senior role. This article looks at how agency and consultancy leaders can start giving people the right expertise earlier.

You’re at an event. Or on a call at the start of a meeting. Maybe even sitting around an actual table. The introductions are flowing and it's your turn. It’s an awkward moment that most of us know well. This article shares four ways to make it easier.

The brief may look the same. But sometimes you should charge more. This article is about: → When to charge more → Why your rate shouldn’t be applied mechanically → How to price different clients and projects Your rate is a useful starting point. But it isn’t fixed.

I used to want to leave networking events. Preferably before I’d entered the room. For years, I knew they were useful. Knew they could lead to opportunities. Knew I should probably do more of them. But that didn’t make them feel any less awkward. This article is about what I’ve learned from doing more in-person networking, despite not naturally relishing it.

I’m heading to New York Design Week. It’s made me think about one thing I don’t do enough: Get out from behind the laptop. Most of my work happens from home. Efficient? Yes. Convenient? Definitely. Enough? Absolutely not. Because work is all about relationships. And sometimes it’s more valuable to be in the room.

Business development is often agency and consultancy leaders’ least favourite task. Especially when they’re the only ones really doing it. This article looks at the different ways I tried to spread the load – and the one that worked.

Profitability can leak from even the busiest agency or consultancy. Not because people aren’t working hard. But because too much of that work is never recovered through the fee. The team is busy ✔ Utilisation is high ✔ Clients are happy ✔ But margin is disappointing ✖ This week’s article focuses on recovery – utilisation’s overlooked counterpart.

Three threats, commonly found in client contracts, could put you out of business. The good news is: once you know what to look for, you can spot them in seconds.

Why do so many design agency leaders struggle with the commercial side of their business? It’s not just ‘admin’. Nor are they ‘soft skills’ (I hate that term). Most of us were never taught the business side of design – and many still shy away from it. Commercial skills aren't optional extras. They’re the foundation of profitability and growth.

Losing work isn’t failure – it’s unfinished business. “No” doesn’t mean the door is closed. You’ve invested in visibility, trust, and insight – assets your competitors don’t have. Are you using that investment, or walking away? In this article I share why a loss isn’t a dead end – and how to turn it into your next win.

Design agency leaders – is a summer lull making you anxious? July and August go quiet. All you hear is: “We’ll revisit that in September”. Don’t panic, or chase work that isn’t there. Use the downtime to catch up, or get ahead.

Negotiating with clients isn’t about winning. The best outcome is when no one thinks they’ve won – or lost. You have to keep working together. Collaborating. Solving problems. Creating mutual value. The most effective negotiators find the overlap between what both parties need.