Leadership Unplugged is hands-on business mentoring and leadership consulting for start-ups, SME owners, executives and leadership teams — delivered online worldwide by Andrew Barker, from $750 an hour.
Leadership Unplugged — no set agenda, no lock-ins, no cookie-cutter systems. Andrew Barker, hands-on, in the trenches with you.
Every challenge creates an opportunity — find the unique way over it and you’ve found your edge. That’s where we specialise: brainstorm, action plan, execute, review. Short, sharp and sweet. We are not coaches, and we don’t write reports restating what you already knew.
How much does Leadership Unplugged cost?
Leadership Unplugged is $750 per hour for one to three hours, $2,500 for a half day of four hours and $4,500 for a full day of eight hours, in Australian dollars and excluding GST. Longer engagements are priced on application, and the first 30-minute session is complimentary.
What it costs
| Engagement | Fee (AUD, ex GST) |
|---|---|
| 1–3 hours | $750 per hour |
| Half day (4 hours) | $2,500 |
| Full day (8 hours) | $4,500 |
| Longer engagements | Price on application |
Fees updated
A half day works out at $625 an hour and a full day at $562, so the longer we work, the lower the hourly rate. Sessions are delivered online as standard, anywhere in the world. In person on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane is included; for interstate and overseas work, economy airfare and accommodation of a minimum four-star standard are covered by the client.
Who it’s for
- Start-ups and first-time founders — where planning, systems and the first dollars decide whether the idea survives.
- Owner-operators — running the business alone, with nobody to test a decision against.
- Growing SMEs — finding and keeping the right people, staying in front, and the shift from managing a business to leading its people.
- CEOs, senior executives and leadership teams — in established businesses that need a neutral sounding board rather than another framework.
There are three ways in. You can engage Andrew directly for yourself. A board or CEO can engage him to work with one of their leadership team. Or a CEO can bring him in to work with the whole team.
How engagements work
There is no set program, because the problem sets the shape. An engagement might be a single hour on one specific challenge, a half or full day to build a plan, a few days a week across a month while something gets executed, or a standing arrangement over three or six months. You are never locked in, and the work is never subcontracted: you engage the founder.
What gets reported back. A written report follows every session, covering what was worked on and what happens next, and it goes to whoever engaged the work. Anything shared in personal confidence, or that you specifically ask not to be disclosed, stays out of it. That way a sponsoring board or CEO gets substance rather than a summary, and the person in the room still has a private space to think.
Where we help
Start-Ups
Great ideas rarely fail on the idea — they fail on planning, systems and where the first dollars go. You don’t need millions to launch; you need the fundamentals in place. From a one-hour brainstorm to an ongoing consultancy or board seat: let’s turn your passion into profit.
- Business planning and financial projections
- Marketing plans and creative ideas sessions
- Initial strategies to market
- System and process advice
- Angel investment — we back start-ups we work with
Sales, Marketing & Sponsorship
Decades in sales and sales management, plus over $100M in negotiated sponsorship agreements — hands-on experience that leads directly to better revenue.
- Brand and advertising strategy
- Review of current products and services
- Sponsorship maximisation
- Sales team development — internal and external
- Sales and sales-management programs
- Incentives, competitions and remuneration design
Training & Development
Consistency in delivery is what makes a business scalable — and that takes rock-solid training. The principle: teach, show, let them show you. We turn your ideas, passion and process into trainable modules, backed by AIM accreditation and 30+ years of course and conference delivery.
- Training module development and delivery
- Competency-based and workplace programs
- Accredited training in sales, service, account management and leadership
- Script development for lead generation and sales
One-on-Ones
The higher the position, the lonelier it can be — “the harder I work, the less I seem to achieve.” An hour a week, a day, a month, whenever you need: braindump, brainstorm, problem-solve with a hands-on, neutral partner. Frank, candid, outcome-focused. No item too big or too small. You bring the agenda; no judgement, no retribution. That’s Savvy Leaders.
For business owners, executive management, senior leaders and key personnel.
Who you are working with
Andrew Barker has spent more than 30 years in executive and consulting roles across 15 countries: Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, France, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Hotel management, then three decades through the Bartercard and BPS Group in senior roles spanning sales, marketing, international operations, franchising, training and leadership, working with more than 50,000 SMEs, franchisees and licensees.
That is the difference between advice from a textbook and advice from someone who has had to make the decision themselves, in markets where the rules are not the ones you grew up with.
Leadership Unplugged questions
How much does it cost?
$750 per hour for one to three hours, $2,500 for a half day of four hours, and $4,500 for a full day of eight hours. All figures are Australian dollars and exclude GST. Longer engagements are priced on application.
Is the first session really free?
Yes. The first 30-minute strategic session is complimentary and delivered online, with no fee and no obligation. It is open to anyone, anywhere in the world.
Do you work with clients outside Australia?
Yes. Sessions are delivered online as standard, so clients in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East are all workable, in their hours rather than ours. In-person work overseas is available with travel covered by the client.
How long is a typical engagement?
There is no typical length. It ranges from a single hour on one problem to a few days a week across a month, or a standing arrangement over three or six months. The problem sets the shape, and there are no lock-in contracts.
If I engage Andrew for someone in my team, what gets reported back to me?
A written report after each session, covering what was worked on and the actions agreed. Anything shared in personal confidence, or that the person asks not to be disclosed, is kept out of it.
Is this business coaching?
No. There is no set program, no framework to work through and no reports restating what you already knew. It is hands-on work on your actual problem: brainstorm, action plan, execute, review.
Will I be handed to someone else?
No. Work is never subcontracted. You engage Andrew Barker directly, for every session.
What does in-person work cost?
The same session fees apply. On the Gold Coast and in Brisbane there is nothing extra. For interstate and overseas work the client covers economy airfare and accommodation of a minimum four-star standard.
What leaders say
Start the conversation
Tell us a little about your business, and if you would like your complimentary 30-minute session, say the word. No fee, no strings.