How Values-Led Leadership at Optix Sparked the Creation of wavemind

Introduction

In the world of agencies, retention is often the Achilles’ heel. At Optix, we’ve done the opposite—over 90% client and staff retention, year after year. This isn’t luck. It’s the result of values that run deeper than straplines: Engage. Support. Delight. But this story isn’t just about what we’ve built. It’s about what came next—and how the culture at Optix led to the birth of something new: wavemind, a leadership consultancy helping business owners rekindle joy, trust and sustainable growth in their companies.

From Operations Director to Managing Director

When I joined Optix in October 2019, I was drawn in by something rare in the agency world—founders who actually lived their values. Alastair and James weren’t chasing quick wins or squeezing margins. They were building something that felt right. What stood out then still stands out now: a belief that people matter more than profit. Long before B Corp was even on our radar, Optix was doing the work—investing in wellbeing, prioritising relationships, and creating a space where people felt heard, supported, and empowered. That kind of environment doesn’t just retain talent. It creates it.

Culture as a Strategic Asset

Too often, culture is treated as something separate from strategy—as if it’s just a “nice to have.” At Optix, culture is strategy. It’s why we’ve had staff with us for over a decade. It’s why clients refer us again and again. And it’s why I’ve stayed. But culture isn’t just about retention—it’s about momentum. When you build a strong culture, your people stay. They grow with you. They do their best work consistently, and they do it with intent. They become your loudest advocates—helping you attract clients and future hires. I call this the talent pipeline, and I’d argue it’s more important than your sales pipeline. Because if you get the right people in the right environment, the work—and the wins—follow. At Optix, we back this up by giving every team member up to 20% of their time—one day a week—to focus on personal and professional development. From leadership training and data science to project management and mental health first aid, our team is always levelling up. This continuous learning culture makes us better, sharper, and more resilient.

I know some leaders who say, “We can’t afford to lose 20% of our time to training.” My response? How can you afford not to? Look at elite-level performance—in sport, music, the military—training isn’t an afterthought. It’s the main event. We don’t need to train all day, every day, but we’ve got to do better than a single CPD session once a year. And the results speak for themselves. Over the past five years, I’ve helped Optix grow from a respected local agency into a multi-million-pound, multi-award-winning business with global clients and international reach. None of that would have happened without culture at the core. Culture is probably the most underused and underrated superpower in business—and yet, it’s completely within your control. Culture is what you make it. It’s shaped daily by your actions and your behaviours. For four years, I worked quietly behind the scenes while Optix grew steadily and sustainably, always moving forward. That journey culminated in something extraordinary: in 2023, we were awarded Campaign’s Best Boutique Agency to Work For. We didn’t quite realise the significance at the time, but later learned we were ranked #1 out of nearly 2,000 entrants. What made it even more powerful? The majority of that result came from our own team’s feedback—on what it’s like to work at Optix. That moment changed everything. It brought a wave of interest from business owners who wanted to understand the secret behind our success. We felt we owed it to them—to the business community—to share what we had learned. And that’s where wavemind came in.

The Genesis of wavemind

Over time, I began to notice something. The conversations I was having with clients, peers and friends in leadership roles weren’t about digital or marketing. They were about people. About burnout. About how disconnected they’d become from the businesses they once loved. That honesty sparked something: what if we could take the same values that made Optix work and share them with others? That’s where wavemind began—a consultancy focused on helping leaders reconnect with the joy and clarity of leading well. Not with generic frameworks or off-the-shelf theory, but with lived experience. With empathy. With action.

Why This Matters Now

Business is hard right now—harder than it’s been in decades. Taxation in the UK is at a record high. Margins are under pressure. Costs are rising. It’s never been more difficult to make a profit

sustainably. In that climate, every business owner and leader needs to be maximising every possible lever for improvement. And yet, one of the most powerful levers—culture—is still being ignored by many. It’s seen as soft. Secondary. A luxury. The truth? Without a winning culture, your organisation will never reach its potential. You’ll haemorrhage good people. You’ll fail to attract the best. You’ll leave money, performance, and opportunity on the table. Instead of focusing all your energy on the external factors you can’t control—interest rates, government policy, market volatility—why not double down on what is 100% within your control? Your culture. Your leadership. Your behaviours. These are the things that create the conditions for long-term, sustainable success. At Optix, we’ve proven it’s possible. And at wavemind, we’re helping others do the same. Because building a values-led, high-performance culture isn’t just good for morale. It’s good for business. It’s the edge most companies are missing—and the difference between surviving and thriving.

Final Thoughts

Optix gave me the space and support to grow into leadership on my own terms. In turn, wavemind is now giving others the chance to do the same. If you’re a leader who’s lost the joy in your business—or you’re wondering if there’s a better way to lead—you’re not alone. wavemind is here to help you find it again.