ABOUT THIS EPISODE
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
▶︎Chapters
00:00 — Running a Business With Your Wife
01:04 — Why We’re Sharing the Behind-the-Scenes of Everyday Agile
01:45 — How Naomi Became Co-Director of Everyday Agile
02:13 — From Teacher to Consultancy Co-Director
04:06 — Why Naomi Left Teaching
05:15 — The Reality of Leaving Teaching
09:59 — How Contracting Changed Our Financial Reality
13:49 — Contractors, Day Rates and Money
14:59 — How to Negotiate Contractor Day Rates
17:41 — What Consultants Actually Do Behind the Scenes
18:20 — How Consultancy Rates Are Set
19:24 — Should You Ask for a Day Rate Increase?
20:22 — Why Percentage Increases Matter
21:05 — How to Justify a Contractor Rate Increase
22:54 — Advice for Contractors Negotiating Rates
24:12 — When NOT to Ask for a Pay Rise
24:49 — Our Biggest Mistakes With Associates
26:05 — Why Contracts Matter in Consultancy
27:20 — When a Client Likes the Wrong Contractor
28:02 — Why Reliability Beats a Big LinkedIn Profile
28:58 — The Importance of Contractor Invoicing
30:30 — Contractors: Remember You’re Running a Business
32:51 — The Biggest Lesson for Contractors
33:41 — Why Culture Fit Matters
35:05 — Has Agile Content Become Too Polished?
37:08 — Behind the Scenes of Not Another Agile Conference
39:36 — An Introvert’s Experience at an Agile Conference
41:24 — Why Customer Experience Matters at Events
43:09 — Using Data and Budgets to Make Better Decisions
44:04 — Why We Don’t Make Money From the Conference
45:07 — Quick-Fire Business Questions
48:07 — What We Love About Working Together
49:37 — The Hardest Part of Having a Business Partner
50:20 — Final Thoughts
