Why I Started Pattman Consulting

About a year ago, I lost my job. One of those classic clichés — a Friday afternoon “catch-up” with the boss, HR Zooming in like a ghost in the machine. You know it’s not going to end well. And it didn’t. It still rankles.

But what followed was worse. Over the next 12 months, I received 130 plus variations of “thanks but no thanks.” Turns out, being a 50-something bloke with a global CV and a solid reputation makes you, apparently, unemployable.

I never really thought I was good enough to have my own gig. I’ve always been called a ‘farmer not a hunter.’ But strangely, I feel energised by it. Maybe that’s just the adrenaline talking. Or maybe it’s something else: the sense that after years of working in the system, it was time to work on something of my own.

So I started Pattman Consulting.

Not because I think the industry is broken. But because it’s changing — and fast.

What I saw (and still see) is a widening gap between what businesses need and what they’re being offered. Too often, they’re either overwhelmed by bloated agency models or underwhelmed by freelancers trying to be everything to everyone. There’s not enough of the stuff that actually moves the needle — sharp strategy, clear thinking, and the kind of hands-on experience that doesn’t waste time or money.

That’s where I come in.

Pattman Consulting is built on the idea that marketing doesn’t need more noise. It needs more clarity. Less theatre. More traction. I help ambitious brands define their edge, sharpen their positioning, and turn strategy into action.

And as the landscape evolves, so does the brief.

Over the past year, one shift has become impossible to ignore: AI isn’t just changing how we work. It’s changing who we’re marketing to.

AI assistants are now the gatekeepers — filtering inboxes, summarising search, screening sales messages before a human even sees them. Soon, your customer’s first impression of your brand won’t come from your website or your ad — it’ll come from what an AI says about you.

That’s why I’ve added a new dimension to my offer: AI-to-AI marketing. Not as the whole story — but as a critical new chapter.

Because if your message isn’t being picked up by AI systems — LLMs, buyer agents, inbox filters — you’re not just missing reach. You’re missing relevance.

So yes, I’m helping clients position smarter, pitch better, and communicate more clearly. But I’m also helping them show up where it counts — in the AI-mediated world we’re all operating in now.

This isn’t a reinvention. It’s an evolution.

Pattman Consulting isn’t a product of frustration. It’s the result of experience — and optimism. I’ve spent years helping global brands and ambitious start-ups navigate change. Now I’m using that same mindset to build something leaner, sharper, and (hopefully) more useful.

And it’s working. I’ve already had the chance to work with great clients. And I’m just getting started.

So if you’re launching something, repositioning, or just need a clear head and clean hands to help you find the signal in the noise — drop me a line.

Let’s build something that moves the needle. Even if there’s an AI standing between us.