This is a collection of my newsletter articles aimed to help professional create a flourishing, independent and high-value portfolio career. Topics include:
Introduction I remember helping a mid-career professional step into the world of contracting. They were exhausted by corporate politics and craved autonomy. We worked out the transition, they landed a great day rate, and for a moment, it felt like a massive win. But just a few months later, we sat down, and they admitted…
My wife and I recently packed our bags and headed to a cabin in the woods. There were no notifications. Artificial intelligence was completely absent. As professionals heavily reliant on digital tools to build, scale, and communicate, we realised that to reset truly, we needed to disassociate from the digital noise completely. What I wrote…
Introduction Last week, I attended the Trustee Exchange and Memcomm events in London, surrounded by leaders of small to medium enterprises and charities. Underneath the polite networking and warm handshakes, a heavy anxiety hung in the room. These organisations, typically generating between £15 million and £55 million a year, are feeling an immense squeeze. They…
I was sitting in a room with non-executive directors, trustees, and CEOs last week, and the tension was palpable. Everybody is still talking about AI, but nobody in that room was asking which tool they should use. They already know the tools. The question keeping them awake at night was entirely different: What happens to…
In the consultancy world, we often talk about “leverage”, the ability to amplify our output without linearly increasing our hours. We seek systems that multiply our impact, drive performance, and align delivery with strategic outcomes. Yet, when it comes to the AI tools we use to build that leverage, we act in ways that are…
In the consulting sector, there is a rapid shift occurring, a technological arms race that is fundamentally altering how value is delivered. Over the last 90 days alone, we have seen major systemic updates across the leading AI models. Yet, the majority of independent consultants are still processing their meetings manually, or worse, using AI…
Remember when ChatGPT first launched? I certainly do. I sat there, stared at the screen as it generated a strategic breakdown in mere seconds, and felt a very real, heavy knot in my stomach. The thought was immediate: my job is gone, and the bots are taking over the whole operation. But as the months…
I will never forget a conversation I had about twelve years ago. I was working in a central booking service, spending my days stuffing envelopes and passing letters between departments. A new starter joined the team. When I asked him about his background, he casually mentioned he had just finished a PhD in genetics or…
If you’re in your thirties and feeling confused about your career trajectory, you are not alone. Many of us are still following outdated career advice that no longer serves the modern landscape. We are caught in a strange middle ground; we aren’t as young as we used to be, and our physical realities are changing,…
Let’s be honest, things feel heavy right now. The pressure to step out on your own and escape the corporate grind is palpable. Over the past few years, I’ve had countless conversations with professionals who want to transition into independent consulting and build a portfolio career. The questions are always the same: How do I…
The world feels incredibly heavy right now. From rising taxes to geopolitical tensions and an increasingly difficult mortgage market, the pressure is constant. Add in the lingering fear that AI is coming for our jobs, and it is entirely understandable why so many professionals are tempted to simply throw in the towel. I have spoken…
Let me repeat that again: Do you want the bag, or do you want to be that guy? In other words, do you want to make more money or do you simply want to be known? We love the idea of being known. It ignites the ego. We see people on social media who seem…
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