About
Always Thinking provides business development strategy and support for companies in the built environment, with particular expertise in the hospitality and retail sectors.
We’ve spent years doing business development, so we know what works and what doesn’t. We want to share that experience so you can build your own BD capability, rather than relying on someone else to do it for you.
Because of our established industry relationships and insight, we can help you move faster: uncovering opportunities, saving time and avoiding the usual trial and error.
But we don’t just talk strategy. We roll up our sleeves and make sure plans are implemented, so you see actual results.
Karen Willey
Always —————
Loud
Visionary
Football
Happy
Late
Family
Amusing
Swearing
Energetic
Straght-talking
Loud Visionary Football Happy Late Family Amusing Swearing Energetic Straght-talking
Katie Tobin
Always —————
Origins
When Karen and Katie first met, it didn’t take long for them to realise that doing business development for people wasn’t the future. Teaching them how to do it well was. And so Always Thinking was born.
We built it on a simple belief: BD should be a shared responsibility, not just something for senior leaders. It should be strategic, embedded and empowering. We now work with clients across the built environment, helping teams grow their confidence, skills and pipeline in a way that feels natural and achievable.
Festival of Hospitality
The Festival of Hospitality was an idea borne out of the pandemic to showcase hotels that opened during lockdown to very little fanfare and give the industry a reason to come together.
Since then we’ve grown it into a year-long programme that celebrates hospitality, builds community and connects people in exciting and memorable venues.