Beyond the Story
Brand and commercial thinking that works.
How decisions get made
Your brand does a lot of work before you’re even in the room.
It’s shorthand for who you are and why you should be considered. Without clarity and punch, you’re easy to overlook.
Once you’re in a conversation, you’re evaluated constantly. Not just against a requirements checklist, but for how believable you are.
Belief is built or lost in every expression of your business: what you say, what you do and how you do it.
It only holds if it’s grounded in truth, anchored commercially and lived consistently.
Blackstart brings clarity – helping businesses cut through the noise, including their own.
How we know
This comes from experience.
Building, selling, acquiring and working inside data, AI and analytics businesses.
Seeing - and experiencing - the good and the bad.
Feeling the pressures of both private business ownership and investor expectations.
Knowing how easily good businesses become hard to choose.
We understand the sector. And the power of a sharp point of view.
Founders
Jan and Andy have worked together for over 25 years across a range of businesses from start-up to plc.
They have built, sold, acquired, integrated and turned around data science, technical, brand & marketing and contact centre businesses, alongside their own consultancy careers.
Jan Gardner
Jan is a brand strategist with an educational and career-long background in data science and marketing.
Her work is focused on B2B businesses – particularly in data science, marketing, brand and customer contact.
Alongside this, she has worked internationally across M&A, investor communications and broader business strategy – including IP, policy, culture and enterprise systems design.
Her diverse experience extends to B2C, particularly in financial services and fintech, as well as sectors such as utilities, place branding and construction.
Andy Gardner
Andy is an experienced CEO, COO, Chief Strategy Officer, with a background in data science and risk. A mathematician by training, Andy’s career began in operational research before moving into banking where he led data science across marketing, credit and fraud risk for both First Direct and Egg.
He founded data science consultancy Jaywing as a private business before its acquisition and evolution into Jaywing plc. As Chief Strategy Officer he executed numerous acquisitions and divestments, including internationally.
More recently, he has advised various businesses on data science and M&A strategy.