Bold Thinking...Boundless Possibilities
A new chapter: Introducing Cairney & Company
Two years ago I took a massive leap into the world of consultancy and became an entrepreneur at the grand age of 54! I have not looked back for one moment. It opened up a whole new world of working with fascinating and wonderful clients in many different countries, across the not-for-profit and higher education sectors.
When you move from being a daily practitioner to running your own business, you learn on the move. The old saying of 'changing a tire at a hundred miles an hour’ springs to mind. I know this is an experience that many of our clients can identify with.
This journey has painted a clearer picture of the amazing work that is being done in our sector globally and the challenges that people are facing everyday. It has also given me greater clarity about the needs of our clients, and how we can use our unique approach to help them achieve their goals.
What makes us different?
My clients have told me that we are different to other consultants because we don’t just tell them what they want to hear. Instead, we bring together an interesting mix of people, with varied expertise, who challenge and question. We do this with a purpose: to push our clients’ thinking further, help them to rethink their limitations and open themselves to new possibilities.
We inspire our clients to think bigger by sharing ideas and insight gathered together from around the world and across the sector - and even beyond the sector. Although our clients really value our unique way of working, our approach was not reflected in the identity of the business, or how we talked about ourselves on our website and other channels. Our brand needed to do a better job of bringing our ethos to life.
What do we stand for?
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that ‘The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.’
This idea - that new thinking and fresh perspectives lead to growth - is core to what we stand for. We believe this is true whether our clients are seeking personal growth through coaching, or institutional growth through fundraising and advancement.
We have come to think of ourselves as our clients’ ‘Challenging Champions.’ We question the status quo and push them to consider new possibilities, but our aim is always to help our clients to increase their own knowledge and skills, realise their true potential and reach new heights.
And our clients tell us that this approach doesn’t just inspire them - it delivers. In the words of Sonia MacKay-Coghill, Director of Enterprise and Development, Edith Cowan University (ECU):
'Working with Karen and the team, in a very short space of time, has challenged our own thinking around the best campaign model for ECU. Cairney & Company have opened up a whole new overseas market for us in Asia, with great insight and energy they are a pleasure to work with.’
A new identity that reflects our ethos and our growing team
We wanted a brand that would convey our ethos of thinking bigger, our bold approach and our optimistic outlook. It had to bring our role as ‘Challenging Champions’ to the fore.
We also wanted a brand that wasn’t just about me. Over the past two years I have been working in partnership with a number of partners and advisors who provided invaluable experience, expertise and ideas to our clients. It was time to bring their light from under the bushel. New partners and advisors have joined this group, which is growing weekly. We now have members of the team in the USA, Canada and Hong Kong as well as the UK.
Our new name, Cairney & Company, makes a space for all the talented people who work together with our clients to explore bold thinking and boundless possibilities. With its vibrant colours and bold design, our new brand reflects the passion, energy and creative spark we collectively bring to the table.
And our new website www.cairneyandcompany.com explains how Cairney people help our clients go further by providing them with the right combination of new ideas, challenge and support.
You can meet the team www.cairneyandcompany.com/people . They’ll also be sharing their own bold ideas on our blog over the coming weeks.
Acting with courage and vision
We work in a very privileged profession, alongside people who are making great strides and change in the world everyday - whether through ground breaking research, front line delivery or the impactful gifts of donors. But these are challenging times for the sector, as we’re being asked to do more with less. If we truly want to make change happen, we can’t keep doing things the way we’ve always done them.
Every day I am inspired by our clients and those associated with Cairney & Company. It is a privilege to be at the helm of a company that dares to be different, challenges the status quo and has a lot of fun in the process.
One person I hold great admiration for is Nelson Mandela. Against great adversity, he was always thinking big. In one of his famous speeches, he said, ‘Do not look the other way; do not hesitate. Recognise that the world is hungry for action, not words. Act with courage and vision.'
If you’d like to find out how Cairney & Company can become your Challenging Champion and help you take the action you need, please contact me directly at karen.cairney@cairneyandcompany.com or through marketing@cairneyandcompany.com