GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Getting to Know
Michael McQueen
What inspired you to start your
business? What are your goals
and values?
In 2004 there was a lot of talk
in the business and mainstream
media about demographic change
– especially driven by the flood of
new Gen Y graduates making their
presence felt in society. Most of the
press coverage and conversation
focused on how entitled, lazy and
deficient this young group were and
so I embarked on a 4-year research
interviewing 80,000 young people
around the world in order to learn
what the truth was about youth
culture beyond all the hype.
The insights from this research
formed the basis of my first
book and opened some amazing
opportunities to work with leaders
and brands looking to de-code
today’s youth in order to engage
them more effectively.
In the years since, the scope of my
research has grown beyond studying
demographic change to track trends
more broadly in order to help my
clients understand and navigate the
disruptions facing them.
What was the driving force
behind your decision to
specialise in this area of
business?
I have always been fascinated to
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understand the drivers behind trends
that we see around us. In many ways
I specialise in making the complex
simple – helping clients find a path
through changes that can often feel
overwhelming.
My assumption is that businesses
and leaders will always place great
value on for honest, actionable and
practical solutions and so that is
where I focus my time and research.
What types of customers do
you help? What experience
do you have helping small
business customers?
Quite a range really. I work with
solopreneurs and professionals
right through the executive teams
of Fortune 500 companies. My
favourite client is someone who
recognises the need to adapt in
the face of disruption but needs
a bit of guidance to know what to
change (and what not to). Industries
I specialise in include financial
services, retail, real estate and
travel.
Do you service other sectors as
well?
I do a lot of work in the education
sector too. Educators are at the
cutting edge of social change and
are always eager to understand what
is coming next and how to prepare
for it.
What are the main reasons that
someone would choose you to
help grow/develop/improve
their business?
Often it is because they have read
one of my books or seen me speak
at a conference. In the area of
tracking trends and forming business
strategy, my approach has always
been ruthlessly practical but backed
up by tonnes of research. Clients
often share that this gives them a lot
of confidence.
What process, services and
support do your clients
receive?
Beyond speaking and consulting
programs (ranging from an hour
presentation to a full-day strategy
facilitation), I have also recently
released a range of online learning
solutions designed to help clients
digest strategies and insights at
their own pace.
What challenges did you face
in setting up your business?
One of the biggest challenges
was around age and credibility.
I wrote my first book at age 24
and quickly found myself in board
rooms addressing high-powered
leaders who were understandably
curious as to my background. It
was vitally important to establish
credibility quickly and not pretend
to be anything I wasn’t - my