When I founded Up Time Consulting 20 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined how much we’d grow, the obstacles we’d face, or the lessons we’d learn along the way. It feels like a lifetime ago, and yet the journey has been filled with constant change, growth, and, most importantly, people.
Back then, it was just me and an idea, a vision of creating a consulting company that didn’t just help organisations navigate change but empowered them to embrace it. I knew that businesses were struggling to adapt in an ever-changing world, but what I didn’t realise was how personal that journey would become for both my clients and me.
In the early days, there were many challenges. We were small, and every win felt like a mountain climbed. There were long hours, countless cold calls, and constant hustling to prove ourselves in an industry full of established players. But what we lacked in experience, we made up for in determination. I remember our first big project, being asked to consult on an ERP reimplementation. We were still figuring out the nuts and bolts of the consulting world, and yet, there we were, in the thick of it. That project was a turning point, not just for the company, but for me. It was the first real test of my belief in what we could do. And while it was far from perfect, it taught me that mistakes weren’t failures—they were lessons to refine our approach.
Through the years, and Nichola Berner joining, we’ve experienced immense growth, and with that growth came change. We went from being a team of two to a thriving group of consultants who were passionate about driving transformation. But the real transformation wasn’t just in our company, it was in how we viewed change. As I look back, I can pinpoint the moments when we realised that change isn’t only about systems or processes – it’s also about people.
This quote from Peter Senge is a game-changer when it comes to understanding resistance to change. “People don’t resist change. They resist being changed”. It drills down into the heart of the issue: It’s not that people are inherently against change, but that they resist the feeling of being forced into change. It’s about autonomy—when change feels imposed, it triggers defensiveness. People don’t mind evolving, but they want to feel like they’re choosing the change, not just being swept along by it.
That shift in mindset is what allowed us to build a lasting, meaningful impact with every client we worked with. It wasn’t enough to just tell people what they needed to do. We had to understand what they were going through, the fears, the uncertainties, the resistance. We were managing the human side of change, not just the business side.
Over the years, we’ve faced our share of setbacks. There were moments when the world felt like it was moving too fast, when technology outpaced our ability to keep up, with COVID and the lockdown, or when industry shifts forced us to adapt quicker than we thought we could. But those challenges became opportunities to reinvent ourselves. I’d say that one of the most important things we learned was the ability to adapt, and not just in the traditional sense. We learned how to embrace change ourselves. And that’s the lesson I’ll carry with me through the next phases of my life: As a leader, if you aren’t willing to evolve and challenge your assumptions, you can’t expect the organisation to do the same.
Looking back, I’m proud of the way Up Time Consulting has stayed true to its mission. We’ve built lasting relationships with clients who now consider us not just consultants, but trusted partners in their growth journeys. We’ve navigated global shifts, technological advances, and changing market dynamics. But what stands out the most is the human connections we’ve made, seeing our clients and partners not just as organisations, but as people with hopes, fears, and dreams of their own.
The last 20 years have been a journey of change—some expected, some not. But what I know for sure is that if we hadn’t embraced change from the very beginning, if we had stuck to the status quo, Up Time Consulting wouldn’t be where it is today. I’m grateful for every challenge, every success, and every person who has been part of this journey. And as I look forward to my next chapter, I know that the best is yet to come.
At the helm of Up Time Consulting are Nichola Berner, Michele De Kreek & Vivienne McKay, supported by our shareholders and consultants.
