What Makes Me Different? It's Simply About Impact

"So What Makes You Different from All the Other Consultants?"

Someone asked me that last week at a networking event.

Fair question, there were dozens of us in the room, all doing some version of business transformation advisory. Strategy consultants, growth advisors, digital transformation specialists, operational efficiency experts.

I paused.

Because the honest answer isn't what most people expect. It's not about a proprietary methodology. It's not about impressive case studies or a list of blue-chip clients. It's not even about my 25+ years of experience, though that certainly helps.

I looked at them and replied: "It's simply about impact."

The Room Full of Consultants

Last week's networking events, both in Milton Keynes and at The Great British Business Show in London, were eye-opening.

Everywhere I turned, I met smart, capable, experienced consultants. People with MBAs from top schools. Advisors who'd worked at Big Four firms. Specialists with impressive technical credentials.

Many of them doing work that, on the surface, looks similar to mine: helping businesses grow, transform, operate more efficiently, embrace technology.

So that question "what makes you different?" wasn't just polite networking conversation. It was genuinely relevant.

In a crowded market full of capable advisors, what actually sets someone apart?

What "Impact" Really Means

Here's what I've learned after 25+ years in this business:

Clients don't remember your methodology. They don't frame your strategy documents on their walls. They don't rave about your credentials at dinner parties.

They remember the impact you had.

Did you help them see something they couldn't see before?
Did you tell them the truth when others were too polite?
Did you actually roll up your sleeves and help them fix things?
Did their business genuinely improve because you were involved?

That's impact. And that's what I focus on.

Here's What Happens When You Work with Me

Let me be specific about what "impact" looks like in practice:

1. You Get Straight Talk, Not Consultant-Speak

I don't hide behind jargon. I don't write 50-page reports full of carefully worded recommendations that say everything and nothing.

If I think your strategy won't work, I'll tell you directly.
If you're about to waste £50,000 on something that doesn't matter, I'll stop you.
If the problem is simpler than you think, I'll say so, even if it means less work for me.

After 25+ years of scaling businesses, leading transformations, and seeing what actually works, I've earned the right to speak plainly. You're paying for that experience and insight.

The least I can do is give it to you straight.

2. You Get Solutions That Work for YOUR Business

I don't have a template playbook that I apply to every client.

Your business is unique. Your market is unique. Your challenges are unique. Your opportunities are unique.

Cookie cutter solutions might look impressive in a presentation, but they rarely work in practice.

When I work with you, I take the time to understand:

• How your business actually operates

• What your customers genuinely value

• Where your team is strong (and where they're struggling)

• What constraints you're working within

• What you've already tried

Only then do we build solutions designed specifically for your situation.

3. You Get Someone Who Cares About Results

I measure success by one thing: is your business genuinely better because I was involved?

Not "did we produce a nice strategy document?"
Not "did we have productive meetings?"
Not "did everyone feel good about the process?"

But by; Did revenue grow? Did costs come down? Did efficiency improve? Did the team get stronger? Did you enter new markets? Did operations get easier?

Those are the metrics that matter. Everything else is theatre.

4. You Get Me, 25+ Years of Experience, Directly

When you engage Hopkins Advisory, you're not getting:

• A team of junior consultants working from a playbook

• An impressive pitch from a senior partner who then disappears

• Generic frameworks applied without context

• Layers of account managers between you and actual expertise

You get me. Direct access. Weekly engagement. Hands-on support.

Every strategy conversation. Every implementation challenge. Every "we're stuck, what do we do?" moment.

I'm there. Because that's how real transformation happens.

What I Don't Do

Let me be equally clear about what I don't do:

I Don't Have a Hidden Agenda

I'm not trying to turn every engagement into a 12-month retainer.
I'm not upselling services you don't need.
I'm not creating dependencies to ensure ongoing revenue.

If you need four weeks of intensive work, that's what I do. If you need ongoing strategic support, great. If you just need a few honest conversations to get clarity, that works too.

My goal isn't to maximise my billable hours. It's to genuinely help you succeed.

I Don't Protect Myself with Carefully Worded Recommendations

You know the consulting reports I'm talking about:

"We recommend the company consider exploring the potential opportunity to possibly evaluate strategic alternatives that might, under certain conditions, potentially lead to improved outcomes."

That's not advice. That's a consultant protecting themselves from being wrong.

When I give you a recommendation, it's clear:

• Here's what I think you should do

• Here's why

• Here's how to do it

• Here are the risks

• Here's how we'll know if it's working

Direct. Actionable. Clear.

I Don't Complicate Things to Justify My Fees

If the problem is simple, I'll tell you it's simple, even if that means less work for me.

I've seen too many consultants take a straightforward issue and wrap it in complexity, frameworks, and multi-phase engagements to justify bigger fees.

If you're wasting time on manual processes that could be automated in a week, I'm not going to turn that into a six month "digital transformation roadmap."

I'll just help you fix it.

The Consulting Industry's Uncomfortable Truth

Here's something most consultants won't admit:

The industry is often incentivised to make things complicated.

Complex problems require longer engagements. Longer engagements mean bigger fees. Bigger fees mean more revenue.

So you get:

• Frameworks for the sake of frameworks

• Phases and workstreams that could be combined

• Dependencies created where none need to exist

• Documentation that serves the consultant more than the client

I understand why this happens. Consulting firms have overhead, utilisation targets, growth expectations.

But as a solo practitioner running Hopkins Advisory, I don't have those pressures. I can focus purely on what's best for your business, not what's best for my utilisation rate.

That's not a criticism of larger firms, many do excellent work. It's just a different model with different incentives.

Why Authenticity Trumps Credentials

Here's what I've learned after working with dozens of businesses across multiple industries:

Credentials matter. Experience matters. Methodology matters.

But what matters most is trust.

Can you trust your advisor to tell you the truth, even when it's uncomfortable?
Can you trust them to prioritise your success over their fees?
Can you trust them to roll up their sleeves and actually help, not just advise from a distance?

That's where real impact comes from.

Not from the fanciest framework or the most impressive CV, but from a genuine, authentic partnership where both parties are committed to the same goal: making your business genuinely better.

The Question That Actually Matters

So back to that networking event question:

"What makes you different from all the other consultants?"

Here's my honest answer:

I'm not different because I have a secret methodology. I'm not different because I've worked with bigger brands.

I'm different because when you work with me:

• You get someone who genuinely cares about your success more than their billable hours

• Someone who'll tell you the truth, even when it's uncomfortable

• Someone who'll be there, hands-on, making sure things actually get done

• Someone who measures success by your results, not my invoices

That's the impact I have. That's what clients remember.

Not the strategy document. Not the framework. Not even the specific tactics.

But the person who showed up, told them the truth, and helped them succeed.

Let's Have an Honest Conversation

If you're looking for impressive credentials and polished presentations, there are plenty of great consultants who can provide that.

But if you're looking for someone who'll:

• Shoot straight with you

• Roll up their sleeves

• Genuinely care about making your business better

• Focus on impact over optics

That's me. That's Hopkins Advisory.

No hidden agenda. No upselling. No BS.

Just honest, experienced, hands-on support to help you grow smarter, faster, and leaner.

Free 30-minute consultation available. Let's talk straight about your business.

Book your consultation: www.hopkinsadvisory.co.uk
Email: ashley@hopkinsadvisory.co.uk
Phone: +44 7791 668 228

About Hopkins Advisory

Ashley Hopkins has spent 25+ years helping businesses transform, scale, and thrive. From growing a renewables distributor from £10m to £130m in two years to leading global digital transformation in the fine wine industry, Ashley brings hands on experience and straight talk to every engagement.

Hopkins Advisory works directly with ambitious business owners who want real results, not just reports. Services include business growth strategy, digital transformation, operational efficiency, and hands-on implementation support.

Connect: www.hopkinsadvisory.co.uk