10 Jun 2025
Tyler Grange is turning 15 this summer.
So much has happened over the last decade and a half. We’ve grown and evolved, learned loads and hit some massive milestones. Yes, we’ve slipped on the odd banana skin here and there, but we’ve never claimed to be perfect, and we’ve always learned from every experience we’ve had, doing better every time and growing along the way.
Someone who’s been with us since day one is our Operations Director, Carly Goodman-Smith. She joined us as a junior ecologist all those years ago, so she celebrates her 15-year anniversary along with the business. We could think of no better person to share the journey with.
“When I started, there were no real operations—it was Simon, Julian, and me managing things from our tiny office in Stroud and on spreadsheets. From that very basic setup, we’ve evolved so much.” – Carly
These days we have multiple offices throughout England and Wales. We have office leads, discipline leads, and an amazing leadership team. We analyse the business properly and make plans on a much larger scale. It’s a lot more professional than it used to be!
From those simple beginnings and a with clear ideas about what we wanted to do, we’ve been able to build something that we think is pretty special. It’s these ideas that shaped the values of Tyler Grange, and throughout all the change and evolution we’ve gone through, these values have stayed the same.
“One that really stands out was how I was supported during my maternity leaves. Even though I wasn’t an owner at that time, I felt genuinely supported as though I were. I was encouraged to return on my terms, with no pressure either way. I wasn’t denied growth opportunities, and that experience made me want to stay and become not just a manager, but a genuine leader.” – Carly
From the outset we wanted to build a great place to work. Guided by this, we’ve put people’s happiness and wellbeing at the forefront of our actions.
We’ve always encouraged transparency. Our former MD, Simon, who still works as Chair on our board, used to send round the annual business accounts to the whole team, even when there were only 10 or 15 of us. He did this to foster a culture of honesty, belonging and loyalty, and we try to exude that openness today. Trying to build a more equal workplace, supporting the right causes and breaking the bias – the drive to be better will never stop.
We want to make sure that anyone who works with us has the space to truly be their authentic self. We’ve never had a ‘leave your problems at the door’ approach, because that’s just not how people work. We’re all on a journey together. There are ups and downs and massive changes – we try really hard to accommodate and support people thought them.
One of our proudest achievements of the last 15 years is our journey to becoming a B Corp company. With the highest overall score of any company in the environmental company sector, it’s proof that our money is indeed where our mouth is when it comes to continued improvements for people and planet. We’ve got ambitions to improve with our recertification and continue pushing ourselves and inspiring others as we go.
In Carly’s own words:
“It’s been one of the most brilliant things we’ve ever done. It’s not without challenges, but the benefits far outweigh them. I honestly feel evangelical about it. It’s better for our people and the business.”
After a successful trial period, we fully adopted the four-day working week. It’s inspired wider conversations around well-being, balance, and falling back in love with our jobs. It’s given our Tribe more space and time to give back to the community and also give their best selves to the work we do. We even saw our productivity numbers go up as a result.
We set up our partner programme to extend care and benefits to the talented consultants we work with every day. Its purpose is to help our TG Partners achieve their ambitions, grow their businesses and develop with us. Becoming part of our community in a more structured way gives them access to support, advice, learning and networking like never before. It’s also a wonderful way to make sure the people that show up for our clients feel properly valued and experience the fun and satisfaction that working at Tyler Grange offers.
The work we do is enjoyable, and we’re lucky to have a passionate bunch of people that put their heart and soul into the it. It’s tiring, though. Looking after our people is of paramount importance. In 2021 we launched the TG alertness app to help our tribe track their levels of fatigue and make sure they weren’t overdoing it. Our goal to help people be their authentic selves has led to collaboration with some experts, setting up initiatives to help with mindfulness and mental health.
We’re grateful to have received some recognition for our work too. We’re very proud to be listed as one of the Sunday Times’ best places to work for two consecutive years, but it’s not without the hard graft every one of our Tribe puts in, showing up for our clients and each other day in, day out.
There have been many other pivotal moments too—amazing experiences with the team, social events, and seeing ideas come to life. It’s hard to pin it down to just one.
What’s a birthday without a party?
Next month we’re getting everyone together at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens to celebrate an incredible 15 years in business. We’ve organised a two-part event, comprising a daytime of inspirational speakers and an evening of partying. And everyone’s invited!
As a team of nature lovers at heart – it wouldn’t be right unless we celebrated out in the wild too. We’ve been on two 15th anniversary hikes out in the Peak District and Cotswold Hills. They were a great opportunity to get the Tribe together and share some experiences of our time with each other. We spend a lot of hours working out in the field. Sometimes, it’s important to take a step back and just enjoy it together.
As we look ahead, there are some exciting things on the horizon, and possibly some big changes too. Having faith in our Tribe and our values is what has taken us this far. Carly puts it perfectly:
“Trust the leadership beneath you. I used to want to know every decision, but I’ve learned that giving others autonomy leads to amazing outcomes. Now, I try to focus on being there to listen and support, while trusting people to make good decisions. We recruit amazing people who care deeply and want the best for the business and their teams.”
We’re now working on our five-year strategy and discipline-specific strategies for the next financial year. We’re looking at external investment, which could mean new offices, new disciplines, and more growth and development.
Our industry is changing too. A new planning and infrastructure bill could change how our ecology discipline operates. It’s uncertain, but we see it as an opportunity to guide our clients through new processes.
The next five years are full of exciting possibilities. And Carly’s advice for the future?
“Be yourself. Stick with it. Trust the decision you’ve made. Things often feel like a big leap of faith and turn out to be exactly the right move.”
So, what big project will you take on? We’re excited to grow alongside you.
