In the latest instalment of unLTD’s Inside Track series – where Russell Thompson AKA the ‘Director on Demand’ gets the real-life stories behind South Yorkshire’s most inspiring entrepreneurs – we meet Andy Hanselman and Jill White, who reflect how partnership, purpose and a sense of humour have carried them through 30 years of business.
For many in the South Yorkshire business community, the names Andy Hanselman and Jill White are more than familiar – they’re foundational. As partners at Andy Hanselman Consulting, this pair have spent the last three decades helping businesses think in 3D – that is, ‘Dramatically and Demonstrably Different’. But beyond the frameworks and strategy days, theirs is a story of purpose, partnership and people – one that’s still evolving, even as Jill prepares to step back from the business this autumn.
Speaking live at unLTD’s latest Business Social at the Forum, hosted by Russ Thompson as part of the ‘Inside Track’ interview series, Andy and Jill shared a candid look back at how their working – and personal – lives came together in what’s now a 30-year business milestone.
“I had never run a business. I had no plans to run a business,” Jill recalled. “I worked in Barnsley at the job centre, then the Training Agency. Eventually I joined the private sector, a consultancy in Doncaster – and Andy was already there.”
It was the early 90s. The business they were part of wanted to focus on startups, while both Andy and Jill were increasingly drawn to helping established businesses grow. With encouragement – or, as Jill put it, ‘pushed’ – they each launched their own ventures: Andy Hanselman Consulting and Jill White Associates. It didn’t take long for that to change.
“I absolutely hated it,” Jill admitted. “I am a partnership girl. I need someone to share the highs – which are lovely – but the lows, which are miserable. I was newly divorced, living in a house on my own in Barnsley, in my bedroom, lonely, isolated. Eventually I persuaded him to come together – and that’s when we started.”
On 1 May 1995, Hallmarks Business Development was born. With one employee (Maxine, who was in the room during the interview), a shared vision and a lot of trust, the pair set out to help businesses grow – not just in turnover, but in capability, mindset and leadership.
The relationship between Jill and Andy is both the heart of the business and its biggest strength. When asked what makes their partnership work, both pointed to shared values.
“We are very different in certain things, but I think ethos, values – what we want, what we think is important – is the same,” Andy said.
“We are separate, but together,” Jill added. “We’ve got our own strengths and we do our own things – but together we’re better.”
They’ve never been ones to do things by halves. Their working life, marriage, travel and even holidays have often overlapped – but they’re not inseparable in the clichéd sense.
“We talk about being ones and halves,” Andy said. “We do our own things, but we’re great when we’re together. It’s a bit cheesy, but one plus one equals three.”
Jill described herself as the ‘finder’ – the networker and connector – while Andy is the ‘grinder’, delivering the work. “And poor Danielle [Creative Administrator] is the minder,” she laughed. “She keeps us together.”
The business has never been huge in headcount – at its largest, it had 12 to 14 employees – but its reach has been deep. The couple speak proudly of their alumni: former team members who’ve gone on to set up their own businesses.
“That’s one of the things I’m really proud of,” Jill said. “Maybe five, six, even seven of them have now gone on to run their own business. I think that’s fantastic because they’ve lived it with us, they’ve learned it from us, and then they’ve gone on and done their own thing.”
Andy added: “They’ve become our family. We haven’t got kids, but we’ve worked with people that have grown and developed over the years. It’s great to see some of them here today.”
Even their clients often become close friends – something that has defined the way they operate.
“We’ve been lucky,” Jill said. “Now we’re tiny again, we get to choose who we work with. I don’t want to work with people who don’t share our values. I feel lucky that we can choose.”
Like any business of its longevity, theirs has had its ups and downs. Andy spoke candidly about his health, including a triple heart bypass and later, a near-fatal case of encephalitis.
“I collapsed in front of a client during a strategy day. I was in a coma for two or three weeks. When I looked at the statistics for encephalitis, it’s quite scary stuff. But they said [it helped that] I was physically fit, mentally fit and the social activity – they couldn’t believe how many people came to see me. That connection made a difference.”
Jill added a practical takeaway: “Critical illness insurance saved us. If you haven’t got it and you are running a business – oh my God. That is a big tip from me – get yourself sorted with that.”
Their business wasn’t just resilient. It evolved. They adapted to new ways of working, new markets and new mindsets – but always with the same core values intact.
“We just kept on keeping on,” Jill said. “Being down is OK – staying down is the problem.”
In a milestone year that marks 30 years in business – and 20 years of their 3D Thinking model – things are shifting. Jill plans to retire, or at least slow down significantly, come September. Andy will continue, likely on four days a week.
“For the first time in 30 years, we’re not on the same page,” Jill said. “It’s like Ant and Dec splitting up. What’s going to happen? Watch this space.”
Their vision of the future is less about expansion and more about legacy. Andy wants to continue consulting, speaking and mentoring. Jill wants to pass the baton to the next generation – many of whom she proudly namechecked on the night.
“I love seeing Sheffield’s young businesses thriving,” Jill said. “That’s what I’ll miss. My Hallam babies.”
They’re also still advocating for the city itself. Andy called for “free parking” and fewer barriers to help startups grow – and for Sheffield to be more confident in its offer.
“We’ve got brilliant stuff happening,” he said. “But we don’t shout about it enough.”
Asked what advice they’d give a married couple going into business together, Andy was pragmatic.
“Make sure you want the same things long term,” he said. “Work out who’s going to do what. Play to your strengths. And if you can’t do it, find someone else who can.”
Jill added, “It isn’t for everyone. It’s not all wine and roses. You’ve got to keep bouncing back. But if you’re thinking about doing it – leap, and the net will appear.”
Thirty years on, they’re still here. Still laughing. Still giving back. Still learning.
“I’m proud,” Jill said. “Fulfilling and mind-blowing. That’s what it’s been.”
