The Everyday Agile Podcast

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

Is AI making hiring less fair? Why are women leaving technology? And what does better leadership actually look like?

In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, I sit down with Amanda Newman, one of the UK's leading advocates for women in technology.

We discuss:

✅ AI bias in recruitment
✅ Why diversity of thought improves technology
✅ Leadership lessons from 30 years in tech
✅ Women in STEM and digital careers
✅ Building inclusive technology organisations
✅ The future of work in an AI-driven world
✅ Social mobility and developing future talent
✅ Why integrity matters more than ever

Amanda shares stories from IBM, Shell, Accenture and her new leadership role, along with practical advice for leaders, project managers, product professionals and anyone building modern technology organisations.

Whether you're a Product Manager, Delivery Manager, Agile Coach, Scrum Master, Engineering Leader or CTO, this conversation explores how better leadership creates better technology.

▶︎ Connect with Amanda.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandanewman1/

▶︎Our Newsletter:
https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups

▶︎Conference Tickets
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867

▶︎Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:20 Amanda's new role driving growth across the North West
03:40 From maths student to technology leader
07:15 Building a 30-year career in technology
10:20 Why Amanda became passionate about women in tech
12:45 AI bias and why diversity matters
16:30 Diversity of thought in technology teams
17:35 Behaviours that quietly kill inclusion
20:10 Standing up for yourself in leadership
22:10 Why women are leaving tech
23:15 Preparing young people for AI
26:55 The problem with performative diversity
28:20 Should organisations measure diversity?
30:20 Hiring, CV bias and apprenticeships
32:10 Education, STEM and business partnerships
35:40 Buzzwords that should disappear
36:30 Integrity as a leadership skill
37:30 Protecting your energy as a leader
38:30 Why Amanda is optimistic about the North West
39:30 What's next for Amanda Newman
40:45 Where to connect

Why do so many Agile and digital transformation programmes fail?In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Jac sits down with product and delivery consultant Sonia Lamb to discuss what really holds organisations back.With more than 20 years' experience spanning Accenture, digital agencies, SaaS platforms, eCommerce, product leadership and business growth, Sonia explains why most organisations don't have a delivery problem—they have a leadership clarity problem.Topics covered include:• Why digital transformations fail• Product Management vs Delivery Management• Leadership communication• Customer-centric product thinking• Busy teams vs value delivery• Building high-performing product teams• Fractional product leadership• Business growth strategies• AI in product management• Women in technology leadershipWhether you're a Product Manager, Agile Coach, Delivery Manager, Scrum Master, Engineering Leader, CTO or Head of Product, this conversation is packed with practical advice for building teams that deliver outcomes—not just output.▶︎Connect with SoniaLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sonialamb www.linkedin.com/company/your-ecom-expertWebsite: www.yourecomexpert.co.ukInstagram: www.instagram.com/yourecomexpert▶︎ Not Another Agile Conference 2027 tickets are now available.https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867▶︎Newsletter https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups▶︎Chapters 00:00 Introduction01:35 Sonia's Journey into Tech04:15 From Accenture to Digital Agencies07:20 Becoming a Fractional Product Leader09:00 Why Sonia Started Her Own Business12:10 The Biggest Challenges Organisations Face14:05 Why Delivery Teams Get Blamed16:00 How Leaders Create Clarity18:45 Accountability as a Consultant22:50 Busy Teams vs High Performing Teams24:20 Warning Signs Your Transformation Is Failing27:00 More Women in Technology Leadership29:10 AI, Careers and the Future of Work33:15 Quickfire Questions37:00 What Gives Sonia Hope?38:10 What's Next for Sonia?40:25 Where to Find Sonia

Leadership doesn't fail because people resist change.

It fails because organisations measure the wrong things, chase Agile without understanding it, and overwhelm teams with constant transformation.

In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, I sit down with change consultant, keynote speaker and Agile coach Masha Gaganova to discuss why modern organisations struggle with transformation, what great leaders do differently, and how teams can thrive in fast-changing environments.

We discuss:
Why people don't actually resist change
Agile myths leaders still believe
Transformation fatigue
Better metrics than KPIs
AI adoption inside organisations
Leadership behaviours that destroy trust
Building high-performing teams
Change management
Product thinking
Psychological safety
Becoming a keynote speaker
Building your personal brand on LinkedIn

Whether you're a Project Manager, Product Manager, Delivery Manager, Scrum Master, Agile Coach, CTO or Engineering Leader, this episode is packed with practical advice you can apply immediately.

👇 Let us know in the comments:
Do people resist change... or poor leadership?

▶︎Connect with Masha:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/masha-gaganova/

▶︎ Not Another Agile Conference 2027 tickets are now available.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867

▶︎Newsletter
https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:05 Meet Masha Gaganova
03:15 Why Workshops Beat Endless Meetings
05:40 What Frustrates Her About Agile
06:30 What Agile Really Means
07:20 Lessons From Corporate Life
08:40 The Biggest Career Lesson
10:50 Why Teams Measure The Wrong Things
12:05 Better Metrics Than KPIs
13:25 Leadership Behaviours That Kill Teams
15:00 Why Vulnerability Matters
17:00 Advice For Graduates & New Consultants
19:10 AI Hype & Transformation Fatigue
21:05 Signs Your Team Is Burnt Out
22:20 Is "Transformation" The Wrong Word?
24:05 Agile Myths Leaders Still Believe
26:35 An Underrated Leadership Framework
30:00 Avoiding Burnout
32:00 Becoming A Conference Speaker
36:05 Building A LinkedIn Presence
38:05 Why People Don't Resist Change
39:30 The Future Of Work
40:05 What Gives Masha Hope
42:35 Where To Find Masha

Is Agile enough in 2026?

Or has modern project management become more important than ever?

In this episode of Everyday Agile, Jac Hughes speaks with Joshua Crowther, project delivery consultant, contractor and founder of UK Project Professionals.

Together they discuss why so many digital transformation programmes fail, why prioritisation is the biggest problem facing organisations today, and how AI is changing project delivery without replacing experienced project managers.

They also explore:

• Why organisations confuse activity with progress
• The biggest leadership mistakes in transformation
• Why prioritisation beats multitasking
• Project Management vs Agile
• The role AI will play in delivery teams
• Context switching and productivity
• Building trust as a contractor
• Why relationships matter more than frameworks
• How to scale a project management consultancy
• Avoiding burnout in delivery leadership

Whether you're a Project Manager, Delivery Manager, Scrum Master, Product Manager, Agile Coach, Programme Manager or Technology Leader, this conversation is packed with practical advice you can apply immediately.

▶︎Connect with Joshua:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadcrowther

▶︎ Not Another Agile Conference 2027 tickets are now available.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867

▶︎Newsletter
https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups

▶︎Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:25 Building a Project Management Business
03:25 The Biggest Delivery Problem: Prioritisation
05:30 How Joshua Started in Project Management
07:20 Ignoring LinkedIn Negativity
08:45 Why Creating Beats Consuming
11:45 Why Digital Transformations Fail
13:40 Leadership Behaviours That Damage Projects
16:00 The Real Cost of Poor Project Delivery
17:40 Activity vs Progress
18:45 How to Rescue a Struggling Project
20:15 Questions Every Project Manager Should Ask
21:50 Project Management vs Agile Estimation
24:15 Frameworks Don't Deliver Projects
25:45 Building Trust as a Contractor
29:30 Avoiding Burnout in Delivery Leadership
32:20 AI Won't Solve Every Problem
33:20 Meetings That Shouldn't Exist
35:00 Why AI Gives Joshua Hope
37:00 The Future of Project Management
38:20 Where to Find Joshua

👇 Let us know in the comments:
What's the biggest challenge facing project delivery today?

Subscribe for weekly conversations on Agile, Product Management, Leadership, Digital Transformation and Technology.