Celebrating 4 Years of Northshore
Not too long ago, I was sitting with some new and old friends at the Product at Heart conference. As we sipped our beers and mezcal cocktails, we each shared a bit about what we do. And when I described how I work with companies and individuals on their transformation journeys, one of the responses I got was, “Wow, that sounds hard! Why would you want to focus on such a challenging task?”
Of course, that’s not the first time I’ve gotten this reaction. We all know that creating change and navigating uncertainty is hard.
Cheers from Hamburg!
But as I celebrate the four-year anniversary of my company, Northshore, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect for a moment. Why do I choose to focus on this hard work?
There are a number of reasons, but perhaps the biggest one is that I feel that I’ve been truly lucky in my career. Coming up in the design discipline, I’ve had the opportunity to experience what it’s like when organisations and leaders create space for exploration and possibility. I’ve seen how this can lead to real breakthroughs and innovation. It necessarily sets you up for embracing and thriving with extreme uncertainty. So it only felt natural to use this experience to help other change-makers and visionaries create the conditions for success in their organisations.
To support leaders in their journey and mission I’ve become a coach. It can be a very lonely job, and having a sounding board who understands, supports and challenges you is invaluable.
As I mark this milestone, I also wanted to take a moment to share some of the achievements that bring me the most joy. It’s worth mentioning that while I do often work on my own, I also see Northshore as a cooperative that brings together strategic partners depending on the specific needs of the client and project. So, I’m not simply celebrating my own work—many of these accomplishments involved my wonderful collaborators.
Here are just a few I’d like to call out:
We offered operating model transformation for a range of firms, including financial services, global distribution, and next-gen property development.
We coached leaders from a range of disciplines, including UX, product, data science, technology, and operations.
We advised an AI startup (the world of AI is fascinating and I’m currently planning much more content on this topic, so watch this space for more!).
I became accredited as an Equus Coach, which allows me to help leaders develop their authentic style outside the office, working with horses and reconnecting with nature.
We organised leadership retreats to revive, review and refocus. I believe taking time to focus on ourselves and reflect allows us to show up as more effective and empathetic leaders for our teams and gives us the space to think more strategically.
We created targeted training to help teams build capabilities in areas like strategy and discovery.
We’ve connected with the community by attending and speaking at conferences, meetups, and startup accelerators.
It’s been a fascinating ride so far. I decided to launch Northshore a few months before the pandemic hit. Perhaps you don’t need to be reminded of what the past four years have been like, but suffice it to say that it hasn’t always been the easiest environment for a new, small business. I’ve certainly heard from my colleagues from San Francisco to Sydney that this year in particular has been a challenging time.
I feel grateful to have this opportunity, and I count myself lucky to have a network of the most revered industry experts who all run small consultancies like Northshore. If you’ve got a specific need that doesn’t seem to be covered by my services, just let me know. I’d be happy to make a referral. And if you find yourself evaluating different providers, you might find this guide useful for structuring your conversations.
I can’t wait to see what the next year brings! I have a few projects that I’m hoping to get started on, including a new book and a podcast. I’ll share all the updates here as I make progress.
Does anything I’ve shared here sound like something you’d like to collaborate on? If so, don’t hesitate to get in touch to discuss in more detail!
