The Nicola Rylett Group

Name: The Nicola Rylett Group
Address: Cardiff, CF239AF, GB
Telephone: 07554437051

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Nicola Rylett Group, Business consultant, Cardiff (Caerdydd).

We help SME business owners who want to {re}establish clarity on their business direction.

Our consultancy creates a more driven and positive working environment that inspires both the owners and team to act and add value to the business.

21/10/2026

The week was more challenging. A few appointments didn’t go ahead as planned, and some uncertainty around responsibilities meant I picked up additional work. Nothing individually enormous, but together those moments took more time and mental energy than I had anticipated.

I noticed an unfamiliar feeling: disappointment. Not something I particularly enjoy admitting, but worth paying attention to rather than simply working through it.

There were lighter moments. I managed an afternoon off on Tuesday and a massage, plus some time away from work after Thursday’s launch. Book club was unusually brief: the book had sent me to sleep, and nobody else had finished it either. A first for us — although perhaps not the glowing review the author was hoping for.

By Friday evening, I was tired. Not just “busy diary” tired, but mentally ready to put everything down. Saturday morning still involved some ILM coursework, so last week’s plan of focused mornings and free afternoons was, shall we say, only partially successful.

20/10/2026

Hi All

Well, The Innovator's Dilemma gave the group a first. No one liked it, many didn't finish. In fact, every time I started reading it, I fell asleep.

So we are hoping for a better book with the last in our season of 'Classics'

This Sunday Times bestseller and inspiring memoir gives a blueprint for improved health and happiness. Its the incredible Story of Parkrun.

3rd December

All meetings start at 5pm on Thursdays.

Look forward to seeing you all for our last conversation of 2026.

More information about Inspirante can be found at

www.thenicolarylettgroup.co.uk/inspirante-business-book-club

16/10/2026

This week, I’m testing a different rhythm: working from 7 am until midday, then taking the afternoon off.

The aim is to give work proper, focused attention in the morning, rather than allowing it to spread across the whole day. Then I want to put the work hat down and enjoy being here with Kyle.

Will everything fit? Will I switch off, or spend the afternoon mentally composing emails? Will interruptions pull me back in? We shall see. It is an experiment, not a promise of perfectly balanced days.

My “Bad Donkey” hat may need to help me hold those boundaries.

15/10/2026

Kyle has developed a soft spot for interesting baseball caps while he’s been here. His growing collection includes “Crabbie” and “Cash Cow”, and I decided I wanted one too. But which one? “Queen Bee”? Too obvious. “Karma Chameleon”? Not quite

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Then I spotted the word “Bad” beside a picture of a donkey. “Bad Donkey”, I thought. Perfect.

It took me two whole days to realise it meant “Bad Ass”.

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I now love it even more. Something to live up to — although perhaps I should start by improving my speed at decoding pictures.

The hat has also got me thinking about the roles we step into. Business person, partner, friend, parent, coach, leader — which feel natural? Which stretch us? And which do we keep wearing when the situation really calls for something different?

14/10/2026

Looking forward to our Business Book Club meeting tomorrow as we discuss The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential business books ever written, it explores why established businesses can struggle when disruptive technologies emerge, even when they're doing everything "right".

A timeless read and one that still sparks important conversations about leadership, innovation, and change.

📚 Next book club: 15 October 2026, 5pm on Zoom

Find out more: www.thenicolarylettgroup.co.uk/inspirante-business-book-club

12/10/2026

The most fun session of the day at last week was undoubtedly the leadership "balloon debate." 🎈

If you've never seen one before, the premise is simple: the balloon is losing altitude, and someone has to go!

The leadership capabilities fighting for survival were adaptability, self-awareness, empathy, critical thinking, vulnerability and connection. One by one, the speakers had to convince us why their capability deserved to stay in the balloon.

The audience loved it.

In the end, vulnerability and connection came out on top, with empathy close behind. But the reality is that none of us really wanted to throw any of them overboard. They're all essential qualities for effective leadership.

What I found fascinating was what the result might say about the world we're living in.

Perhaps people are craving more connection. More empathy. More vulnerability.

Maybe the capabilities we chose reflect what our organisations, communities and societies need most from leaders right now.

Or perhaps they highlight what's often missing.

For all the discussion about strategy, performance and results, it was the more human qualities that resonated most strongly with the audience.

So I'm curious:
If your leadership balloon was losing altitude and you could keep only one capability onboard, which would it be: adaptability, self-awareness, empathy, critical thinking, vulnerability or connection?

And more importantly, why?

09/10/2026

📢 Applications are now open for the Female Founders Forum

👉 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ewyR8gyK

Across Wales, women are building incredible businesses. But too often they're doing it alone and without access to the networks, support, and investment that can help them grow.

That's why we're launching the Female Founders Forum.

Created by Women Angels of Wales and supported by the British Business Bank, this new pan-Wales community is designed for women who are running a business, growing a business, or thinking about starting one.

Here's what's included:

✅ Online launch event on 15 October with Anne Boden MBE, founder of Starling Bank

✅ Three online masterclasses covering: • What investors really look for
• How to raise investment
• How to prioritise for growth

✅ Networking events in North, Mid and South Wales

✅ A Growth Pod for founders preparing to raise investment

✅ The opportunity to take part in a Pitch Battle in front of our angel investors

✅ A year-round community through WhatsApp and LinkedIn

The Forum is open to women at any stage of business and in any sector, and there is no charge for the first six months.

If you know a woman in Wales building something exciting, please tag her in the comments or share this post. The best opportunities are often discovered through trusted recommendations.

🔗 Apply now: https://lnkd.in/ewyR8gyK

07/10/2026

There's lots of talk at the moment about AI and the importance of having "humans in the loop."

For me, AI is about enhancing what we already have and helping us work more effectively.

One of the discussions at Leadership Live focused on getting AI to do, not to think. That distinction really resonated with me.

Do you really want to outsource your thinking?

Or do you want to continue doing the thinking yourself and use AI to help organise, structure and communicate those thoughts?

That's how I use it.

As many people know, I'm dyslexic. When I'm writing, I'll often start with a complete brain dump of ideas. I don't worry about grammar, spelling, formatting or structure. I just focus on getting my thoughts onto the page.

Then I use AI to help shape those thoughts into something clearer and easier for others to understand.

The thinking is still mine.

The experience is still mine.

The judgement is still mine.

AI simply helps me communicate it more effectively.

If we use AI to do all our thinking, we're missing an opportunity to develop ourselves. We're not building our judgement, challenging our ideas or learning from the process.

For me, the value of AI isn't in replacing human intelligence. It's in amplifying it.

Perhaps I feel particularly fortunate because I've built up years of experience, knowledge and perspectives that help shape how I think. AI doesn't replace any of that. It simply helps me work with it more effectively.

Do you use AI?

06/10/2026

This month's Business Book Club read is The Innovator's Dilemma.

It's one of those books that comes up again and again in startup, leadership and innovation conversations. A true classic. In fact, it's such a classic that I pushed it up the reading list because I felt it was one I really should have read by now.

However, I have a confession...

I'm finding it really difficult!

Every time I pick it up, I seem to fall asleep. That's genuinely unusual for me. In all the years I've been running the book club, I can't remember another book having this effect. With just 10 days to go, I'm only on page 80 of 293, so it's time to stop making excuses and really knuckle down.

That said, don't let my experience put you off. Sometimes the books that challenge us the most end up teaching us the most. I'm looking forward to discovering whether The Innovator's Dilemma lives up to its reputation and what lessons it might hold for founders, leaders and organisations trying to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.

We'll be discussing it at the Inspiranti Business Book Club on Thursday 15th October, 5pm-7pm.

If you've read it, I'd love to know: did you find it fascinating from page one, or did it take a bit of perseverance?

02/10/2026

This week I was at with The Institute of Leadership , followed by the awards ceremony in the evening. And let's be honest... who doesn't like an excuse to put on a bit of glitter and have a ball? ✨ It was a fantastic event from start to finish. Not just because of the speakers, but because of the people you meet and the conversations you have.

Time and again, those conversations came back to the importance of leadership in today's world and, perhaps surprisingly, the importance of being human. Connection.

Vulnerability. Empathy. These themes seemed to run through the entire day. As we move further into a world increasingly dominated by new technology, the focus wasn't actually on the technology itself. Instead, the discussion centred on human capacity and the reminder that the human in the loop is more important than ever.

A highlight was a session exploring executive thinking and the emotional intelligence required from modern leaders. The most fun session of the day was undoubtedly the leadership balloon debate. I'll do a separate post about these!

A special mention to Aaron Phipps MBE PLY, who hosted the evening and shared his own incredible journey to Paralympic gold. His reflections on family, connection and perseverance felt like the perfect conclusion to a day centred on leading with humanity. I left feeling inspired, challenged and reminded that while the world around us is changing rapidly, the fundamentals of great leadership remain the same. People matter. And perhaps our greatest leadership challenge over the coming years will be ensuring that technology enhances our humanity rather than replaces it.

As always, Leadership Live delivered powerful ideas, practical insights and brilliant conversations. It's one of the highlights of my professional calendar each year, and a wonderful reminder of just how important leaders are to our world.

Address

Cardiff
CF239AF

Telephone

07554437051

Website

https://www.thenicolarylettgroup.co.uk/

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