Build an Extraordinary Second Act

In one day, I'll show you the complete A-Z roadmap for building a portfolio career with ambitious SMEs - across NED, advisory, consulting and fractional roles. The same blueprint that's helped 35+ executives start building profitable portfolios.

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Imagine building a portfolio career that works for you

Not waiting for headhunters. Not competing with hundreds of applicants for corporate board seats that pay a modest day rate. Not wondering where to start.

Instead, building a growing portfolio of board appointments, advisory roles, consulting engagements and fractional leadership positions with founders who value your experience and are willing to pay for it... through retainers and equity.

Understand the commercial value you bring to ambitious business owners, whether that’s as a NED, an advisor, a consultant or a fractional leader
Earn income that matches your corporate career, with the flexibility you left corporate to find
See the direct impact of your advice on businesses that actually listen

Build a growing portfolio of SME appointments: NED seats, advisory roles, consulting and fractional leadership, with guaranteed retainer income and the potential for multiple small exits of £50K-£200K+ over the coming years.

Fast-growth SMEs are the opportunity right now

There are 5.5 million SMEs in the UK. But only a small proportion are scaling fast enough to need (and afford) experienced board-level and strategic support.

The founders running these businesses are ambitious, growth-focused and willing to invest in expertise they don’t have in-house. They need strategic guidance, sector knowledge and commercial rigour. Some need a Non-Exec Director. Others need a trusted advisor, a fractional CFO or a consultant who’s been where they’re trying to get to. What they all need is someone like you.

But they’re not advertising on NED boards. They’re not working with headhunters. Most corporate executives don’t even know these opportunities exist.

Right now, there are ambitious SME founders looking for experienced executives to support their growth... and they’re willing to pay retainers and share equity to get the right person

Why most executives struggle to build a portfolio career

You’ve probably heard the story from a colleague. Left corporate. Wanted to build a portfolio career. Joined a NED matching service. Waited. Applied. Heard nothing. Six months later, they’re back in a full-time role because they couldn’t make it work.

It’s not because they lacked talent. It’s because they were playing the wrong game.

For corporate NED appointments, the challenge is simple: those seats are filled through referral, the remuneration is fixed and the competition is fierce. You’re one of hundreds chasing a handful of positions.

If you’re stepping into the SME world - whether as a NED, advisor, consultant or fractional leader - the challenges are different but just as real:

You don’t know how to find the right businesses... the ones that need you, can afford you and are worth your time
You don’t know what to charge... retainers, day rates, equity stakes or some combination
You don’t know how to approach founders without looking like you’re selling yourself... and you don’t want to

The result? Talented executives either give up, underprice themselves or accept the wrong appointments with businesses that waste their time.

The roadmap to building a successful portfolio career with SMEs exists. Most people just haven’t seen it yet.

Introducing the

SME Non-Exec FastTrack

A one-day workshop that gives you the complete A-Z roadmap for building a portfolio career with ambitious SMEs across NED, advisory, consulting and fractional roles.

Not theory. Not motivation. A practical, proven blueprint covering how to find the right opportunities, position yourself, set your rates, negotiate equity, land your first appointment and grow from there.

Delivered live by me - Adrian Knight - with real examples, honest conversations about what works and what doesn’t and a live Q&A panel with executives who’ve already built their portfolio using this exact approach.

Available in two formats: join us in person in London for the full-day experience, or attend virtually via Zoom. Same content. Same blueprint. Same result.

What you’ll learn in one day

By the end of the workshop, you’ll have the complete roadmap... not just the theory, but the practical steps to start building your portfolio career immediately. Whether you’re targeting NED seats, advisory roles, consulting engagements or fractional leadership, the approach is the same.

01 The SME NED opportunity

Why the smartest executives are ignoring corporate NED boards and focusing on SMEs instead... and why 2026 is the year to move.

Why fast-growth SMEs need experienced board members (and why they’re willing to pay for them)
The corporate NED vs SME NED comparison... and why corporate NED thinking fails in the SME world
The mistakes that 99% of NED candidates make that keep them stuck, underpaid, or invisible

02 Your competitive advantage

How to identify what makes you uniquely valuable to SME founders... and how to articulate it in a way that makes them want to work with you, whether as a NED, advisor, consultant or fractional leader.

The competitive advantages framework, pinpointing exactly what you offer that SMEs can’t find anywhere else
How to match your skills and experience with the right type, size and stage of business
Building your NED positioning so you attract the right opportunities instead of chasing them

03 Finding and approaching businesses

Where to find the businesses that need you and how to approach them without feeling like you’re selling yourself.

How to optimise your LinkedIn profile to attract NED enquiries and board-level conversations
A practical outreach process that feels natural and generates a pipeline of opportunities
Where to discover ‘hard to find’ businesses that your competitors aren’t serving

04 Pricing, retainers and equity

The part most people get wrong. How to set your rates, structure retainers and negotiate equity stakes with confidence.

How to structure your retainer: day rates, monthly retainers and hybrid models
Understanding equity percentages and how to negotiate a fair minority stake
How to protect yourself with the right agreements and avoid getting trapped in a bad deal

05 Your first 90 days

What to do before, during and after your first appointment... whether it’s a NED seat, advisory role or consulting engagement to make an immediate impact and set yourself up for a long-term relationship.

Proven frameworks for working with SME clients... not corporate governance templates, real SME approaches
How to make a visible impact in your first 90 days so clients refer you to other business owners
The portfolio approach... how to manage multiple appointments without sacrificing your lifestyle

06 Building toward multiple exits

The long game. How to engineer a path to multiple small exits of £50K-£200K+ across your portfolio over the coming years.

How to negotiate an exit path from day one so you’re never trapped in a business
The portfolio growth strategy... building from your first appointment to three, four, five concurrent roles across NED, advisory, consulting and fractional
How to create a waiting list of potential appointments so you always have options

Hear from executives who’ve already done it

This isn’t just me telling you what’s possible. During the workshop, you’ll hear directly from 2-3 executives who’ve built their portfolio career using this exact approach.

They’ll share their journey honestly... what worked, what they’d do differently and where they are now. Some have secured NED seats. Others are consulting or advising SME founders. Several are doing a mix of all three. You can ask them anything.

These are real people from the SME Non-Exec Accelerator community who were in your position 6-12 months ago. They’re not paid speakers. They’re executives who wanted to design an extraordinary second act career and are now doing exactly that.

Nothing is more powerful than hearing someone who was where you are six months ago say: “This is how I did it... and here’s where I am now.”

Everything included in the FastTrack Workshop

01 The Complete A-Z Roadmap

The complete A-Z roadmap for building a portfolio career with SMEs... NED, advisory, consulting and fractional, delivered in one focused day

02 Live Teaching from Adrian Knight

Live teaching from Adrian Knight - 11 years of executive transition experience, condensed into a practical blueprint

03 Live Q&A Panel with Accelerator Alumni

Live Q&A panel with 2-3 accelerator alumni who’ve secured NED seats, advisory roles and consulting engagements using this approach

04 The 40+ page FastTrack Handbook

The 40+page FastTrack handbook... your reference guide covering every framework from the workshop

05 Fast Implementation Frameworks

Frameworks you can start implementing the same week... not “come back in three months”

Bonus In-person attendees also get: a full day at a premium London venue, extended networking over coffee, lunch and breaks, plus face-to-face time with Adrian and the alumni panel.

Want to go further? Your FastTrack fee is fully credited.

If you decide to join the SME Non-Exec Accelerator within 14 days of the workshop, your full FastTrack fee (£499 or £299) is credited against the £2,999 accelerator programme.

The Accelerator is a 12-week group programme with weekly live calls, a full implementation portal and a community of 35+ executives building their portfolio careers together. It’s the natural next step for people who attend the FastTrack and want structured support to implement the roadmap.

There is no obligation and absolutely no pressure. The FastTrack stands on its own. But if you want to keep going, you don’t pay twice.

Choose your format

Wednesday 25 March 2026

£299

VIRTUAL

The complete A-Z roadmap delivered live by Adrian in one day (9.30am - 3pm GMT)
Live Q&A panel with 2-3 accelerator alumni
44-page FastTrack handbook
Interactive - ask questions throughout the day
Attend from anywhere in the world

Fully credited against the Accelerator if you join within 14 days.

Book Your Virtual Place - £299

Friday 20 March 2026

£499

IN PERSON

Everything in the virtual workshop, plus:
Full-day (10am-5pm) in-person experience at a premium central London venue
Extended networking over coffee, lunch and breaks
In-person Q&A panel with accelerator alumni
Face-to-face time with Adrian throughout the day
Small group - capped at 15 attendees

Fully credited against the Accelerator if you join within 14 days.

Book Your In-Person Place - £499

Meet Adrian Knight

I’ve spent nearly 11 years helping senior executives transition from corporate careers into portfolio careers that give them control, income and purpose.

I’ve worked with founders and business owners across the UK, connecting ambitious SMEs with the right board-level talent. I know what these business owners need, what they’re willing to pay for and how to position yourself as the obvious choice.

Over the last 18 months, I’ve built SME Non-Exec from scratch into a community of 35+ executives who are actively building portfolio careers with fast-growth SMEs - securing NED seats, advisory roles, consulting engagements and fractional leadership positions. The Accelerator programme, the FastTrack workshops and the community that’s grown around them exist because I saw too many talented people fail at something that should work... and I wanted to fix it.

The FastTrack is the blueprint I wish someone had handed me 11 years ago. Everything I know about building an extraordinary second act career in the SME space, compressed into one day.

What people say about working with Adrian

Natalie Simms, Former International VP and CIO, Disney ABC Television Group:

I had the pleasure of attending Adrian Knight’s SME NED Fast Track workshop in January. I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone transitioning from corporate leadership into portfolio non-executive roles. Adrian is incredibly relatable and his unique blend of entrepreneurial experience and deep insight, gained from working with and interviewing thousands of corporate executives, sets him apart.

The workshop was more than just informative; it created a relaxed, informal and psychologically safe environment where we could openly share our experiences and learn from one another. Adrian’s generosity with his knowledge was evident throughout. From practical guidance on building a NED portfolio and securing your first clients, to structuring pricing models and making the most of your first 90 days and beyond, Adrian covered it all with clarity and candour.

If you’re a former or current corporate executive looking to step into or grow your NED career, Adrian is the guide you want.

Steve Goodwin, Former CEO Europe, DEB Group:

I was strongly impressed with the value of Adrian’s SME Non-Exec Fastrack Programme that I attended recently.

The approach was practical and pragmatic but stimulating and refreshing thanks to some key learning on new business development techniques. I’m confident that this experience will help me find the best NED and Board Advisory partners with whom I can add growth, business strategy and leadership.

I set up my SG Roadmap business to help business owners and leaders scale up and create incremental value. I would recommend that any Executive Advisor – even those, like me, with lengthy careers behind them, would benefit strongly from speaking with Adrian.

Mark Rattley, Former VP Sales and Head of Strategic Programs, EMEA, SAP

I attended Adrian’s (NED) Non Exec Director fast track course. The course was brilliant. I left feeling energised, focused with a clear understanding of the role and an execution plan. Adrian is very passionate, the course was well researched, entertaining and fun with excellent course notes and game changing insights. The best and most focused course I have attended in years. Thanks Adrian.

Common questions

What’s the difference between in-person and virtual?

Is this recorded?

I’m still in a corporate role. Is this for me?

What if I want more support after the workshop?

What if I’ve already done a NED matching service?

Can I get a refund if it’s not what I expected?

Ready to build your portfolio career?

You don’t need to be confused about where to start. You don’t need to wait for opportunities to find you. And you don’t need to figure this out alone.

Join the FastTrack Workshop and let me show you the complete roadmap - the same one that 35+ executives are using right now to build portfolio careers with ambitious SMEs across NED, advisory, consulting and fractional roles.

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