About Make Human
Make Human is an advisory for people who've founded their own small business. We work with people who have ended up carrying too much, and help them build a business that feels calmer and clearer to run.
Our mission & purpose
Running a business can feel lonely. The decisions are constant. The pressure is quiet but heavy. Most founders carry far more than anyone realises.
I understand this world because I have lived it. I know what it is like to hold everything together, to worry about the team, the clients and the future all at once.
Founders do not need more goals, more noise or more pressure to push harder. They need clarity. They need honest insight, steadier ways of working and someone who can help them see the path forward.
This is the heart of Make Human.
We offer calm, practical support that helps you think clearly and run a business that feels manageable again.
You are not alone in this. You have a partner who understands the realities and helps you move through them with more confidence and space to lead.
Damian
Founder
I've spent most of my career inside creative agencies. Building them, running them, exiting one after 12 years, and burning out along the way. So I know what this feels like from the inside, not just in theory.
After that I spent time leading User Experience (UX) work inside a global research business with 18,000 staff.
Most of that career was spent in UX. The interviewing, the listening, the finding of the real problem underneath the one someone describes. I still love that work. And those same skills turn out to be just as useful when the thing you're looking at is an entire business, not just a screen.
I now work with small business founders because that's where the pressure is highest and the founder usually ends up carrying the most. I'm not here to sell you a programme or push you towards faster growth. I'm here to help you build something that feels calmer and clearer to run.
It doesn't have to feel this hard. And most of the time, it doesn't take a huge overhaul to start feeling the difference.
If any of that sounds familiar, let's talk.
"Damian brings real founder experience and a deep understanding of what it takes to build and run a business. Including mindset, sales, marketing, operations, and more. He understands the emotional reality of being a founder, and he genuinely cares. I’d highly recommend working with him."
Debbie
Operations Director
Debbie spent twenty years as a solicitor before joining Make Human. That background gives her the rare ability to stay calm when things are complicated and find the detail that everyone else missed.
She is also genuinely easy to talk to. Her kids are often found pulling her away from a conversation with a stranger in the supermarket. And clients find themselves opening up about things they wouldn't normally mention, which makes Debbie a vital part of how we work.
She supports clients with process design and client research, and keeps the business running with the same quiet precision she brought to law. She is also Damian's partner in business and in life, so Make Human is very much a family run business.
Make your business lighter with a human first approach
Empathetic listening
We listen carefully to you, your team and your clients. Their experiences and needs shape the direction. This insight sits at the heart of everything we do.
Tailored solutions
We design simple, workable ways of improving the business that suit your pace, budget and needs. The goal is to make life easier, not add complexity or cost.
Pragmatic support
We meet you where you are and help you move forward with clarity. Sometimes that means choosing a realistic first step and improving it later. Calm, steady progress always beats overwhelm.
Companies we work with
FAQs
Get clarity on how we help founders build calmer, clearer businesses.
No. The whole point is to reduce your load, not add to it. We start by understanding what feels heavy right now, then focus on removing friction so you have fewer decisions and clearer ways of working.
You do not need to prepare anything before we speak. No frameworks to learn, no tasks to complete beforehand. We focus on small, realistic steps that make the business feel lighter, not busier.
Many founders say the very first conversation gives them clarity and relief straight away.
No. Most businesses feel messier on the inside than they look on the outside. That is completely normal, and we do not expect you to have it all figured out.
We are here to understand what is really going on and help you bring calm, clarity and structure back in a way that feels manageable. You do not need to impress us. You just need to show up as you are.
Most of the founders we work with run small, founder-led B2B businesses with between one and twenty people. Usually agencies, consultancies, studios, research practices, or specialist services selling expertise to other businesses.
The type of business matters less than where you're feeling the pain. If your role isn't as enjoyable as it should be, your business isn't running as well as it could, and you're tired of carrying everything alone, then we're probably worth talking to.
If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you and introduce you to someone better placed to help.
We shape the work around your situation, so there is no fixed model. Some founders prefer a steady hour each week. Others need a few days a month with hands-on help to get things moving. Some prefer a defined project with a clear timeline and deliverables.
You also choose how involved you want to be. We can do the work for you, work alongside you, or coach you to do it yourselves.
There are no long-term commitments, and you stay in control of the pace and the cost at every step.
Book a short call. We will work out what you actually need and whether we are the right fit. No pressure, no pitch.
If it would help to hear directly from someone we have already worked with before you decide, we can usually arrange that too. The aim is to make it as easy as possible for you to feel confident before saying yes.
Still have questions?
Get in touch and we will give you a clear, honest answer. You can also book a call if you want to talk it through.
Let's start with a chat
Book a conversation with Damian. He will listen to what you need and offer some options. And if we are not the right fit, we can point you toward someone who is.