Helping creative businesses build what’s next.

Hi, I’m Sue - a former Managing Director and commercial operator. I work alongside founders and leadership teams to strengthen the business behind the work: clearer direction, stronger commercial models, better ways of working and the practical momentum to make change happen.

You’ve got big ideas. You’re doing brilliant work.

But as the business grows, changes or takes on more, the things behind the scenes can become harder to manage.

The proposition gets less clear. New business becomes inconsistent. Delivery relies on too few people. A new opportunity is exciting, but no one has the space to shape it properly.

That’s usually where I come in. I get up to speed quickly, work out what matters most and help you move forward with clarity, commercial sense and a plan your team can actually deliver.

You don’t need to do everything at once. You just need to start with what matters most.

more about me

who i work with.

A live performance on stage with two musicians, one playing guitar and the other singing, in front of an audience in a spacious indoor venue with industrial decor.

creative & Culture-led agencies.

Multiple glass geodesic domes in a lush green landscape with a forested hillside in the background and a partly cloudy blue sky.

For agencies and studios that want a stronger pipeline, healthier margins, clearer positioning and a business that works behind the scenes as well as it looks from the outside. Find out more.

Culture-led organisations.

For charities, CICs, venues, festivals and cultural programmes that need a more sustainable model behind the mission - with clearer direction, stronger partnerships, useful storytelling and delivery that fits the team’s capacity. Find out more.

A large crowd at an outdoor concert with a stage labeled 'Wray & Nephew.' Confetti is falling from above, and people are dancing and taking photos.

Brands.

For brands that want to contribute to culture credibly, build the right partnerships and deliver work that respects communities while still meeting the commercial brief. Find out more.

warm street |

the experience agency |

studio of art & commerce |

revolt |

nice & serious |

nerds |

lightbox films |

fox in the well |

earn studios |

dysujo |

broadwick studio |

black sparrow presents |

amplify |

warm street | the experience agency | studio of art & commerce | revolt | nice & serious | nerds | lightbox films | fox in the well | earn studios | dysujo | broadwick studio | black sparrow presents | amplify |

adidas |

airbnb |

ballantine's |

bbc studios |

beefeater |

berghaus |

brewdog |

converse |

deliveroo |

ee |

havana club |

jd sports |

kickers |

lucozade |

lush |

magnum tonic wine |

malibu |

mars |

puma |

netflix |

nike |

no 7 |

ray-ban |

red bull |

red bull racing |

snapchat |

soap & glory |

spotify

the north face |

timberland |

Vans |

vcarb |

virgin atlantic |

wray & nephew |

wwf |

adidas | airbnb | ballantine's | bbc studios | beefeater | berghaus | brewdog | converse | deliveroo | ee | havana club | jd sports | kickers | lucozade | lush | magnum tonic wine | malibu | mars | puma | netflix | nike | no 7 | ray-ban | red bull | red bull racing | snapchat | soap & glory | spotify the north face | timberland | Vans | vcarb | virgin atlantic | wray & nephew | wwf |

Stronger business. Better delivery. New possibilities.

Sometimes the priority is strengthening what already exists: the commercial model, pipeline, team, systems or delivery. Sometimes it is building something new: a proposition, partnership, programme or venture.

My work can include commercial strategy, new business, operations, leadership support, pitch and project direction, partnership development and go-to-market planning. The exact shape depends on what will create the most value.

A Few Things I Believe…

A display of multiple vintage televisions stacked on top of each other, many showing colorful distorted images, with a sign above reading 'DANCING'. The central TV displays the North Face logo, and there is a portrait of a woman on the wall to the left.

Creative businesses should not have to choose between commercial success and staying true to what makes them brilliant.

Your commercial model matters just as much as your creative process.

Strategy only has value when people can use it.

Growth should make a business stronger, not simply busier.

Culture work is real work. It needs credibility, impact and a strong operational backbone.

The best leaders ask for help before things are on fire - especially when momentum is worth protecting.

keep building with me

One of the biggest shifts in my own thinking over the years has been moving away from audience-building and towards participation. The strongest communities I've seen weren't created through campaigns or communications alone. They were built by giv
Busy businesses can look incredibly successful from the outside. But sometimes 'busy' quietly hides deeper operational pressure underneath. The healthiest businesses I’ve seen are not always the busiest. Usually they are the calmest.
Growth is often presented as the goal. And sometimes it is. But some of the strongest businesses I’ve seen are not necessarily the biggest. They are: Clearer Calmer More intentional More sustainable The goal is not always bigger. Sometimes th
The work can be brilliant. The ideas can be strong. The team can care deeply. And the business can still be quietly under pressure. Usually this is not a creativity problem. Often it’s a systems problem. And healthier systems can create more
Founders often end up carrying far more than people realise. Relationships. Delivery context. Commercial pressure. Decision-making. Emotional temperature. The healthier businesses I’ve seen usually create stronger systems around founders. Mo
Pipeline pressure has a very particular emotional rhythm to it. Everything starts to feel urgent. Every lead feels too important. Every quiet week suddenly feels personal. And often the issue is not simply 'not enough leads.' Usually there’s

let’s talk.

You don’t need a polished brief.

If you’re building something, changing something or have a sense the business needs tightening, simplifying or moving forward, send me a note, or book a call.