From guesswork to growth: How data visibility transformed a professional services firm - Matt Ville and Laura Hudspith, Hiyield

In this revealing season premiere of That Moment, host Thailah Newton explores the uncomfortable truth every scaling agency faces: the systems that got you to 20 people will actively sabotage you at 25. Meet Matt Ville and Laura Hudspith from Hiyield, who discovered that preparing for Employee Ownership Trust transition meant confronting a foundation built on founder instinct, scattered data, and developers who just wanted to "crack on with the work."

When Hiyield split from one all-in-one system into multiple "best in class" tools, they thought they were gaining flexibility. Instead, Laura found herself spending hours pulling monthly reports from five different places, prone to human error, while crucial billing hours got "lost in the aether." Meanwhile, Matt realized his software development mindset hadn't prepared him to run a business — and the gut-feeling decisions that worked at startup scale were holding them back.

Matt brings raw founder honesty — admitting "some will say I still don't know how to run a business." Laura provides operational reality — explaining why implementing proper data infrastructure took far longer than expected and required confronting messy historical records nobody wanted to clean. Together, they reveal what sustainable transformation looks like when you can't afford to stop delivering client work while fixing the engine.

This episode tackles the existential challenge facing employee-owned businesses: how do you ask 25 people to think like owners when only three people can see the numbers? And why does the work you avoid early become exponentially harder later?

The Uncomfortable Truths About Scaling:

The Productive Paradox: Why leaving an all-in-one system for specialized tools created data fragmentation nightmares.

When "Just Three of Us" Becomes 25: How rapid growth creates operational debt you don't notice until it's choking you.

Developers vs. Admin: Why creative teams resist structure even when it protects profitability, and the psychology of "let's just crack on" culture.

The EOT Catalyst: How employee ownership transition forced uncomfortable conversations about transparency they'd been avoiding.

The Timing Regret: Why waiting until £1M+ revenue made everything harder than implementing systems earlier would have been.

"Numbers Don't Lie": How factual data transforms difficult conversations from gut-feeling arguments to evidence-based decisions.

About Supo:

Supo provides people-first intelligence software for professional services firms, helping businesses maximize profit and motivate their people through powerful, AI-enabled business intelligence dashboards. By connecting over 500+ platforms and providing real-time data analysis, Supo helps firms make better data-driven decisions about their profit, projects, and people.

For more information about Supo: ⁠www.supo.co.uk

About Hiyield:

Hiyield is a B Corp certified digital agency based in Truro, Cornwall, creating bespoke websites and web apps with sustainability at their core. They craft digital experiences that elevate businesses while looking after the planet, producing Carbon & Emissions reports for every project delivered. After six years of founder-led growth, they transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust in March 2025, guided by three core values: Fearless progression + Active Partnership = Rewarding work.

For more information about Hiyield: https://hiyield.co.uk/