Clients

"As an advanced technologist, you worry that commercially savvy people aren’t going to understand your business but that hasn’t been a problem for Michael. He has previously worked in a number of high technology roles, so he gets technology and all of the problems associated with application uncertainty. But he has also had high level experience in consumer products companies giving him the ability to bring unique insights to our business."

"Michael has a process that starts with his TenTwoSix™ model. This starts by looking at where you need the business to be in 10 years’ time. There is a lot of uncertainty in that time-scale but Michael's model has the capability to deal with that. It really deals with goals in a broad and flexible way."

"We were fortunate enough to start working with Michael Neale from Literally Brilliant as a result of a grant program. We interviewed seven people in a competitive situation. We felt like we only had one chance at this and we really wanted to get it right. When we met Michael Neale from Literally Brilliant, we immediately thought there was a great cultural fit. He has a lot of experience in food marketing and we knew he was the right mentor for us."

"Our brand narrative was clear for the first time in our history. That made other marketing decisions so much easier to make. We changed our visual identity and our packaging – tidying up the logo in the process. The retail offering changed; even the flavour profiles. The 570ml Gelista jar was a direct result and has been highly successful."

"Michael was generous with his time, patient and professional all the way through the process. We thought we needed a new logo. In fact, we didn't even understand the difference between a logo and a brand but what Michael taught us was that we needed to sort out our brand narrative. He helped us to do that …"

"Michael is an inspiring person. His leadership of the Bay to Birdwood has been refreshing. His knowledge is deep and his vision and ambition are equally far reaching. I am gaining a lot of wisdom working with Michael, and I'm arrogant enough to think I was pretty wise before I met him. For big picture thinking and realistic ambitious goal setting, he's it."

“Michael personifies the entrepreneurial spirit. Michael goes out of his way to share his knowledge with others and is generous in the way he invites others in to share his enthusiasm and opportunities."

As my mentor, Michael Neale helped me gain a new perspective on my career that was completely transformative. By sharing his personal and professional insights and experiences, Michael helped me determine my own definition of a successful career, recognise the value in my skills and expertise and develop an action plan to help me achieve my professional goals. The best part of my mentoring experience with Michael was receiving thoughtful, tailored advice, hearing a different perspective and gaining a trustworthy supporter and an advocate."

“Literally Brilliant has been a fantastic partner providing advice and assistance in ways that are consistent with our needs”, says Vitish Guddoy. “They continue to be a highly valued partner in our success."

“Michael … has to be one of the best strategic thinkers in SA. He’s done wonders for 2XE!"