Justin Neale
Chief Alchemist, The Value Alchemists
25 years in corporate life running large international teams. Then I left and spent two years figuring out how to actually help small and medium businesses do what large enterprises have always done well, charge what they’re worth.
From corporate to consultant, and a few wrong turns along the way
I spent 25 years in large corporate organisations, managing international teams across training, project delivery, and customer experience. My last role was VP of Customer Experience and Managing Director for NAVBLUE UK, an Airbus subsidiary. I was responsible for a global operation and had the kind of career that looks impressive on paper.
But I’d got too far from doing the actual work and decided I needed to leave the corporate world and get back to what I loved.
I started under the name Innovate CX, selling customer experience consulting to SMEs. It was a tough sell. The businesses I spoke to weren’t ready for strategic CX frameworks, they needed help with things that would have a direct, measurable impact on their finances, quickly. I had to rethink what I was actually selling.
That rethink became The Value Alchemists, built around a single idea: technically excellent businesses are leaving serious money on the table because they’re selling their services as ingredients, not the meal.
What actually happens when we work together
Every engagement is different, but it always combines three things and the mix depends on what you and your business actually need.
Coaching
Challenging assumptions, asking the questions that surface the real issues, and guiding you through difficult decisions. There is usually a moment in every engagement where the business owner needs to hear something they’ve been avoiding. I’m direct about it.
Mentoring
Developing your skills and confidence so the changes stick once the project ends. This is the part most consulting misses — the capability to run a pricing review next year without calling someone in. My clients understand why the changes work, not just what the changes are.
Consulting
Doing the actual work. The pricing calculator. The proposal templates. The price increase communications. The positioning document. The pitch deck. I build these things with you and for you — because a report that gets filed is worth nothing to your business.
What I’m doing beyond Value Alchemists
Aviation Advisor, AugmentAero
Alongside my client work, I hold an advisory and operational role at AugmentAero, a pre-Series A aviation technology startup developing augmented reality solutions for aircraft maintenance, with AI at the centre of what they’re building. We’re currently going into trials with easyJet, one of Europe’s largest airlines.
This keeps me at the sharp end of how AI is being practically deployed in complex operational environments, which informs how I help my consulting clients think about AI adoption in their own businesses. I draw on my Airbus and aviation background in this role, which gives me a useful perspective on businesses navigating significant technology transitions.
A few things that are worth knowing
Performance guarantee
Every engagement includes agreed targets. If we don’t hit them, I waive part or all of the fee. I’m confident enough in the work to put that in writing because I’ve seen it deliver consistently across very different businesses.
I work with a small number of clients
This isn’t a volume business. I take on a handful of transformation projects at any one time, which means the attention and quality of work is consistently high. If you’re not a good fit, I’ll tell you, and if there’s a better starting point for where you are right now, I’ll point you there instead.
I speak at events regularly
The Psychology of Price talk has been delivered at business events across the UK to audiences ranging from SME owners to specialist industry groups. If you’re looking for a speaker who covers pricing, positioning, or value-based business strategy, the speaking page has more detail.