Practical support for people building things, from someone still doing the same.

I work with people who are building organisations, teams, ideas, or careers they care about and who value a thoughtful, honest conversation with someone who’s currently in the mix.

Alongside running Love Design Studio and Shade the UK, I set aside a small amount of time to work directly with individuals navigating real decisions: direction, growth, confidence, people, boundaries, and what to focus on next.

This isn’t coaching. It’s experience-led support, grounded in real work and real responsibility.

I’m Andy Love. I run two purpose-led organisations, build teams, win work, make mistakes, and try to learn from them.

Over the years, I’ve seen how valuable it can be to talk things through with someone who’s actually in it, especially when decisions feel messy, personal, or there isn’t a single “right” answer.

That’s what this work is for.

A lot of early decisions come down to who you work with, and it’s surprisingly easy to get this wrong.

Over time, I’ve built up a network of people I genuinely trust: accountants, IT specialists, designers, brand and comms people, and others who are good at what they do and straightforward to deal with.

If it’s helpful, I can offer guidance on where to look, what to watch out for, and how to avoid being oversold or overcomplicating things.

I can share with you what I have learned and help you avoid some unnecessary pain.

This is:

• A space to slow down and think things through properly

• Honest, grounded input based on lived experience

• Commercially realistic, but values-led

• Focused on the decisions in front of you

It isn’t:

• Coaching or therapy

• Generic business advice

• Hustle culture or growth-at-all-costs thinking

• Constant or open-ended support

I’m intentional about where I place my time.

I’m most interested in working with people and organisations trying to do good work — ethically, socially, and environmentally — and particularly those who haven’t always had easy access to networks, confidence, or traditional routes into leadership.

Each year, I reserve a small amount of time for people from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds, offered at a reduced rate or on a pro bono basis.

This isn’t about charity. It’s about fairness, access, and using experience responsibly.

This is often a good fit if you:

• Are building or leading something and feeling the weight of decisions

• Are at a transition point (growth, change, uncertainty)

• Care about values and financial sustainability

• Want honesty, perspective, and challenge — not hype

It’s probably not a good fit if you’re looking for:

• Step-by-step playbooks

• Investor pitch preparation

• Someone to be constantly on call