- What is your name and what is the name of your business?
I’m Helen Tuddenham and my business is called Helen Tuddenham Consulting.
- What does the business do and who are your customers?
I work with organisations in the professional services sector– so mainly accountants and lawyers – and I help them overcome both their individual and their collective leadership challenges. It’s about giving the people in their teams the tools that they need to solve problems and make the most of the leadership potential that they have. They also get greater understanding of how to lead their team best and help to make their organisations thrive and move forward.
I do this in a number of different ways. About half my work is one-to-one executive coaching working with leaders on an individual basis for six months to a year to give the really specific targeted support on whatever is needed. Or, if I am working with teams or an organisation, it could be a one-off training day for example, building commercial skills, or a longer-term programme where I help them develop their leadership skills which they put into practice over time. I basically create bespoke training programmes for whatever is needed.
- What’s the history of the business & what’s your role within the business?
I set up my own business consultancy in 2020 having worked at PwC for 25 years. I really enjoy working for myself now, I enjoy the flexibility and freedom and now I get to just do the work I enjoy most which is helping people grow – something that is quite hard to achieve when you are part of a very big firm like PwC. Ironically, I still do a lot of work for PwC now but as a consultant.
- How long have you been hotdesking here at Freshmill and why were you looking for a space like this?
I first came into Freshmill when I was still at PwC in 2019 just as Freshmill opened. I think Freshmill were giving away free day passes as a promotional offer and so I visited. At that time I already had the idea that I would be going out on my own and so was on the look-out for somewhere that might be nice to work from. I am lucky that I have a space at home where I can work, but it would drive me mad to be there all the time! So, for me it is about the variety of being in a different place. My ideal scenario is to spend 1-2 days a week not at home. It might be that I am visiting clients, but if my meetings are on zoom that week, then I will come into Freshmill to enjoy a different environment. It might not even be that I speak to people while I am here but just having that social interaction with you or Sally or Chelsea on the desk, and being in a buzzing environment makes such a difference.
- Why does Freshmill work well for you and your business?
Freshmill works well for me for a number of reasons. I can drive here and park if I want but I can also walk here in 20 minutes and having that pre-COVID commute back again is nice. It is a lovely space, the people are friendly and the coffee is brilliant! It is good value too.
- What is the most important lesson you have gained from your career so far?
I think from a corporate career perspective, people do not always notice the good work that you do, and so you need to be telling people. Everyone is really busy and so if you want stand out and you want people to notice you so that you can get opportunities, you need to tell people what you do and how you add value.
Secondly, I would say, if you are a small business starting out, get an accountant! I am an accountant and therefore I thought I could do everything myself. However, I am not a tax expert! I didn’t know how to be tax efficient, how to pay myself properly and I made plenty of mistakes initially. So I would advise people, especially those starting out alone, to get expert help when you need it!
- Where do you hope to be in 5 years’ time?
In five years’ time I won’t have dependent children (I hope!). We will have paid off the mortgage and will be nearly at the point where I can start taking my PwC pension! Alongside my consultancy I have one non-executive director role as Vice-Chair of Southdown Housing Association so in 5 years’ time I would like to be doing more of that type of work. I will still be working in my business but starting to slow down, mostly focusing on my one-to-one coaching because that is the part I enjoy most. And alongside that I would like to be doing a couple of charity trustee roles.
- What advice would you give your younger self just starting out?
It is probably something I mentioned earlier which is that you can’t just do a good job and be quiet and hide away, you have to tell people what you are doing, in a way that is comfortable to you. People need to know what you are doing. It is not because others are ignoring you, it’s just to everyone is so busy they often don’t realise.
- What is your favourite quote/mantra?
It is a quote by Steven Covey which says, ‘Most people do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen with the intent to reply’. Steven is a great management thinker, and what he is trying to say is that when we are listening to someone, quite often we are thinking about what we are going to say in return because we naturally want to come across in a certain way. For example, if we are at work, we might want to come across as knowledgeable, if we are talking to a friend, we might want to come across as kind and empathetic. And so when someone is talking to us, we are often thinking about what we can say in response, rather than listening properly to what they are saying. I think it is important to try and practise listening just to understand.
- If you could, who would you switch places with for the day, and why?
I would like to swap places with Lauren Bell. She plays cricket for England and the Southern Vipers and is a fast bowler – which I aspire to be. (I play cricket for Lindfield softball ladies team and Cuckfield hardball ladies team – though sadly not very well!)
