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I’m Adrian, and for over 30 years I’ve been helping people and organisations of all types become more confident in understanding and managing issues and enterprise topics on their own terms, that they previously thought were too complex – through a mixture of consultancy, advice, coaching, training, and facilitation.
I challenge traditional business advice, industry norms, and accepted wisdom with research and props. The various outcomes of this for charities, businesses, universities, social enterprises, co-operatives, and sector bodies have seen me feted with different awards and invited to speak in global forums.
What I do, and who I do it with/for?
I’ve worked with government departments to develop new approaches to pursue national policies, and collectives of independent local traders to become more confident in how they can bid to take over and run the market hall they trade from. Universities and sector bodies have commissioned me to create enterprise learning programmes; and new models of workspace have been built based on concepts I designed for different groups of minioritised entrepreneurs and communities.
I also work with individual social enterprises, charities, co-operatives, and social economy and business infrastructure bodies. This is on a range themes that includes governance, business growth and development, understanding (social) finance, social value and impact, and alternative business models.
In recent years I’ve also written 2 books – one about imposter syndrome, and another reflecting on reaching the porcelain anniversary of my business. Both of which, between them, have become global best-sellers and won awards (you can find them under my name on Amazon).
How I work
My approaches are rooted in trying to recognise and respect everyone as an equally important and valid human being, and in being rooted in published research. Wherever possible, I also try to work through funded enterprise support programmes, or as an associate of a wider body, to maintain transparency and accountability in my work.
The approaches are also mirrored in my holding the work-record for the highest number of consecutive annual impact reports published on the same organisation – using a framework that’s recognised by Social Value International, aligned to the UN’s Sustainable Development Global Goals, and is also able to be externally benchmarked.
My business practices are also recognised and accredited by the Good Business Charter, and certificated to the Responsible Business Standard.
An accidental career
After accidentally creating my own business consultancy in 2005, the impact, quality, and reach of my work (both for individual clients, and the wider sectors and ecosystems they’re part of), have been recognised through various awards and accolades. I’ve also been asked to draft feature articles for different sector media, guest on a range of podcasts, and contribute to global round tables.
Before 2005, I held roles in one of the UK’s top100 PR and Marketing agencies, and ‘turned around’ an ailing local specialist enterprise support agency into a nationally recognised body.