Delivering strategic clarity under decision pressure.
For agencies, founders and senior leadership teams.
There are two ways to work with me: short sprints that bring clarity within days, or steady strategic direction across the year.
Short sprints.
Clarity in days.
Useful when decisions are live and direction needs to be set quickly.
Steady direction.
Strategic guidance across the year.
Useful when pace is high, teams are growing, and choices are being made before everything is worked out.
Working together.
I work with agencies, founders and senior leadership teams when decisions are being made quickly and direction needs to be clear enough to travel across teams.
I’ve spent more than twenty-five years across strategy, leadership, creative direction and writing. I’ve led teams, shaped brands and worked inside organisations where pace is high and choices are rarely straightforward. That experience helps me see what needs deciding quickly, and explain it in a way people can act on.
Lucky Start is built on a simple idea: strategy only works when people keep coming back to it. I focus on the moments where direction is set, and the months where that thinking keeps guiding decisions as work moves on.
Alongside client work, I write as The Everyday Strategist, reflecting on how strategy shows up in real situations, not just in plans and frameworks.
What clients say.
The best way to understand the work is to hear from the people who use it.
These are recent reflections from founders, leaders and agency teams who have worked with me in short sprints and from those who involve me more steadily across the year.
Jo Grierson - CEO, One Green Bean
“Ben came in at a moment where we knew something needed to shift, but we didn’t want surface-level change or noise. What he brought was calm, rigorous thinking and a way of cutting through complexity that helped us make real decisions quickly.
“The work was grounded in the reality of our business and the market, and it gave us clarity we could actually use. It didn’t just sharpen how we showed up externally - it strengthened how we think and act internally at a critical point for the agency.”
Myreete Stanforth - Head of Growth & Marketing, Global Markets, Ketchum
“Ben delivers some of the fastest, smartest strategic thinking I’ve seen, while working seamlessly across senior teams.”
Anna Carter - Managing Partner, Ogilvy UK
"Ben quickly distilled a complex brief into something sharp and focused, delivering smart, client-ready work that landed immediately.”
Asad Dhunna - CEO, The Unmistakables
“Ben asks the right questions and has a rare ability to articulate what’s already there but unformed. You come away not just with strong work, but clearer thinking."
Frankie Cory - Co-founder, Hello Tomorrow
“Ben has the judgement and empathy to speak in the voice of senior leaders. He helps turn complex thinking into strategies, messages and announcements that land with real authority.”
Sarah Dembitz - Founder, SD Wellbeing
“Working with Ben unlocked real, tangible strategy I started using within days. He cuts straight through the noise to what actually matters, resulting in crystal-clear strategy and sharp, usable messaging.”
Laura Burch - Founder, Work & Class
“Ben grasps a brief quickly without sacrificing depth. His work is intelligent, practical and genuinely useful for driving new business.”
Mitchell Kaye - CEO, The Academy
“Ben quickly understands complex challenges and crafts clearer, better solutions than anyone else I know.”
Lindsey Evans - Founder, Curious Panda
“Ben needs very little briefing to understand both the strategic and commercial implications of the work. He makes the process fast, easy and effective.”
Antoine Trépant - Founder, Vivre
“Ben helped us translate a clear vision into a compelling, distinctive brand strategy. The result is direction we can stand behind and use with confidence as the business grows”
Lisa Parfitt - Co-Founder, The Space Between
"Ben brings a level of strategic rigour we trust completely. He consistently raises the quality of thinking and brings fresh perspectives to complex communications challenges.”
How to get in touch.
If you would like to talk something through, you can reach me at ben@luckystart.uk or on 07545 933 682.
I keep space in my week for conversations that help people get clear on what they need, so feel free to get in touch.