I work with founders of founder-led agencies – usually small to mid-sized businesses where the founder is still closely involved in direction, decisions, and delivery.
At this stage, the challenge isn’t usually ideas or ambition. It’s that everything competes for attention, decisions feel heavier than they should, and progress costs more effort than expected. The agency works, but the business isn’t as straightforward or as satisfying to run as it once was or could still be.
People use different labels for this kind of support – coach, mentor, advisor, non-executive director. The work itself tends to converge once you get clear on what’s actually going on.
What I help with
Most of my work is about improving the quality of decisions and bringing the business back into alignment with what the founder actually wants it to support.
That might involve:
- creating clearer priorities and trade-offs
- untangling problems that have been circling for too long
- reducing the sense of carrying everything alone
- making the business calmer and more predictable to run
- ensuring effort translates into progress, not just activity
The work isn’t about motivation, pressure, or growth for its own sake. It’s about thinking clearly, choosing deliberately, and staying with the consequences of those choices.
This approach works best for founders who are looking for a thinking partner to help them build a sustainable business, rather than a cheerleader promising a quick exit.
How I work with founders
The shape of the work varies, but it usually involves a combination of ongoing conversations and focused attention on whatever matters most at the time. Sometimes that means stepping back and making sense of the bigger picture. Sometimes it means getting specific and practical about a problem that needs resolving – calling on my direct experience to remove roadblocks. In some cases, it involves a more formal role and regular board-level discussions.
What doesn’t change is the nature of the involvement: independent perspective, informed challenge, and enough continuity to hold context over time.
I bring close to three decades of agency experience, including building and exiting my own agency, but the value isn’t in me telling you what to do. It’s in helping you see situations more clearly, make better decisions, and align the business with the outcomes you care about – inside and outside work
Where I add most value
I’ve worked with agencies ranging from single founders to teams of 200+. However, my sweet spot is the small, independent agency where the founder is still the engine of the business.
You are likely established and mature, but the business isn’t running as smoothly as you know it could. You are still the primary decision-maker, sales lead, and culture carrier, and that can sometimes be tough to balance.
This is a specific stage of business that requires a specific kind of support: practical, affordable, and focused on transition. Not just “scaling” for the sake of it.
Where we start
While the long-term work evolves naturally, many founders start with a Bearings Check & Routemap.
This is a standalone, fixed-fee piece of work, not a sales pitch. We spend a day (usually in-person at your location) digging into the reality of the business to identify exactly what is holding you back. You get a clear diagnosis and a practical plan of action.
- Bearings check & route mapping day: £900 (One day. In person. Your location)
For many founders, this clarity is enough to get them moving again. For others, it becomes the foundation of a longer-term advisory relationship.
- Ongoing support: Typically starts from £600 per month
Either way, you get value from day one, and we get to test the fit before agreeing to anything ongoing.
“As a lone agency founder, Mat has saved me from my ‘lonely at the top’ existence. Working with him has allowed me to bounce ideas and questions and benefit from his experience, insights and ability to get me to the core of an issue with (mostly) gentle questioning!”
– Duncan Davidson, Rohallion
A sensible next step
If this way of working sounds relevant, the next step is simply to start a conversation: We can discuss whether a Bearings Check is the right starting point, or just learn more about what you are looking to achieve. The aim of these calls is clarity and to assess fit for us both, rather than persuasion or sales pressure.
Start the conversation by getting in touch.