The Epiphany.

A year ago we’d managed to escape to Devon for a week. I’d taken my bike and I was riding in the hills, looking down at the coast across the rolling heathland and it occurred to me that I didn’t want to go back to work on Monday.

This was problematic as I was the Managing Director.

So I went to the office on the Monday and I quit my job and I’ve never looked back.

I’d been running insight and innovation agencies for fifteen years and I’d had enough. On an emotional level, I felt tired, I felt compromised and I felt uninspired. On a rational level I could see that as I became more expensive for clients, the less I could make a business case for doing what I do best. I could see that it was my job to enable others to do the work, but clients wanted my experience. And I could see that we were losing pitches to smaller, nimbler and sexier propositions.

I’d been increasingly interested in the rise of flexible working, the parallel rise in portfolio careers, and the emergence of collectives and small bands of collaborators, and saw how this was changing the way that people lived their lives and the way that projects could be run.

My CEO, by contrast was waging a one-man war against these trends with every fibre of his being. It was time to jump ship. And finally, at the end of the year, after working out a lengthy notice period, I was a man overboard.

As an independent, I contract for agencies and I offer consultancy to teams and businesses. But my passion is collaborations. Whether it’s a short-term project team or a longer-term flexible relationship, I believe that the best work happens when smart people come together with a clear purpose and fresh, happy brains.

You could argue that setting up as an independent two months before a global pandemic was unfortunate timing. But my guilty admission is that it’s been wonderful. I’ve slowed down, I’ve found time to read, to listen, to learn, to help my daughter learn, to grow things, to build things, to breathe. And to do great work.

I’ve been able to do more of what I’m really good at: finding great insights, telling human stories that inspire a business, finding brand new territories from which ideas can grow. And I’ve been able to do it in a way that’s more focused and more fun. My brain has felt fresher and happier, which matters a lot because really that’s what I’m selling.

Hoxby was recommended to me and as I’ve read more about your philosophy, your beliefs and your work, I’ve realised that we think alike.

The lockdown has reinforced the need for flexibility, creative thinking and new working structures, but also the need to connect meaningfully with other human beings. I believe that Hoxby is more than a vehicle for ad-hoc collaborations, it’s a community, a place to share and grow ideas, a support network and a group of people who care about doing good.

I’d love to be part of this.