We Run a Consultancy Together: Contractors, Money & Business Lessons

We're doing something different this episode, you're meeting the other half of Everyday Agile. Naomi Parry-Hughes is my co-director (and my wife).In this episode we talk about:- How Naomi went from secondary school RE teacher to co-director of an agile consultancy.- The real story of day rate negotiations with agile/scrum contractors, and why they're always awkward.- What actually determines your day rate as a contractor .(hint: it's not what other people tell you they earn)- How to approach a renegotiation conversation pragmatically. - The biggest mistakes we've made with our associate/contractor model- Why invoicing on time matters more than contractors think- The inside story of Not Another Agile Conference, and why we ran it at a loss.If you're an agile coach, scrum master, product person, or contractor working in tech consultancy, or if you're thinking about going independent — this is the honest, unfiltered version of what running a small consultancy actually looks like. ▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale now: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867▶︎Our Newsletter:https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups▶︎Chapters00:00 — Running a Business With Your Wife01:04 — Why We’re Sharing the Behind-the-Scenes of Everyday Agile01:45 — How Naomi Became Co-Director of Everyday Agile02:13 — From Teacher to Consultancy Co-Director04:06 — Why Naomi Left Teaching05:15 — The Reality of Leaving Teaching09:59 — How Contracting Changed Our Financial Reality13:49 — Contractors, Day Rates and Money14:59 — How to Negotiate Contractor Day Rates17:41 — What Consultants Actually Do Behind the Scenes18:20 — How Consultancy Rates Are Set19:24 — Should You Ask for a Day Rate Increase?20:22 — Why Percentage Increases Matter21:05 — How to Justify a Contractor Rate Increase22:54 — Advice for Contractors Negotiating Rates24:12 — When NOT to Ask for a Pay Rise24:49 — Our Biggest Mistakes With Associates26:05 — Why Contracts Matter in Consultancy27:20 — When a Client Likes the Wrong Contractor28:02 — Why Reliability Beats a Big LinkedIn Profile28:58 — The Importance of Contractor Invoicing30:30 — Contractors: Remember You’re Running a Business32:51 — The Biggest Lesson for Contractors33:41 — Why Culture Fit Matters35:05 — Has Agile Content Become Too Polished?37:08 — Behind the Scenes of Not Another Agile Conference39:36 — An Introvert’s Experience at an Agile Conference41:24 — Why Customer Experience Matters at Events43:09 — Using Data and Budgets to Make Better Decisions44:04 — Why We Don’t Make Money From the Conference45:07 — Quick-Fire Business Questions48:07 — What We Love About Working Together49:37 — The Hardest Part of Having a Business Partner50:20 — Final Thoughts