Think for yourself
See more clearly
Make better decisions
Live on your own terms
Speaking
Training
About Alicia McKay
Writer, speaker, and straight-talking strategist. Helping people think for themselves, see more clearly, and make better decisions.
Named one of the world’s top 25 thinkers in local government by the LGIU in 2025. Three books, 120+ organisations, 50+ conferences, and 40,000+ LinkedIn followers.
- 500+ Not An MBA graduates
- Fonterra
- Woolworths
- Hosted 1,000 mayors at ALGA
- LGIU Top 25 thinkers, 2025
- ICMA, Florida
- NZ Herald
- Sky News
- Crown Law
- NZ Treasury
- Mayors’ School
- 40,000+ on LinkedIn
- 11,000+ subscribers
In brief
I was a foster kid, living on my own at 15 and a mum at 16. I dropped out of high school, talked my way into university at 17, and came out with first-class honours in politics.
I’ve been self-employed since I was 25. Since then I’ve built an international consulting and training practice, written three books, and raised three kids.
I think strategy is the ultimate levelling force, a survival skill, and a tool for the underdog. It’s how people with big ambitions and limited resources get where they’re going.
These days I write newsletters, essays, and books, speak at conferences and events, and teach strategic skills through in-house training and Not An MBA.
Career history
2006
Started university at 17. A BA in political science and media at UC, then first-class honours in politics at Massey.
2010
Policy advisor in local government until 2014.
2014
A short stint at a law firm, then out on my own as a management consultant: business cases, investment logic, service reviews, and strategic planning. One of New Zealand’s first certified Investment Logic Mapping facilitators.
2015
Ran organisational reviews across the public sector until 2018.
2018
Honed the Strategy to Action process, running hundreds of strategic planning workshops for government and business over a number of years - including $1.1 billion of prioritisation for Auckland Council. Started writing Wednesday Wisdom.
2019
Published From Strategy to Action: A Guide to Getting Shit Done in the Public Sector.
2020
Hosted the What’s On Your Mind? podcast. Launched Meetings that Matter, training facilitators and advisors.
2021
Published You Don’t Need An MBA: Leadership Lessons that Cut Through the Crap and launched the Not An MBA leadership course. Ran enterprise leadership development for 180 Woolworths leaders.
2022
Led the strategy behind Crown Law’s transformation. Was MC, opening keynote, and panel facilitator at ALGA’s National General Assembly for more than 1,000 mayors and CEOs, who all went home with my book. Hosted The Alicia McKay Show.
2023
Started writing deep-dive essays. Launched Consultants of Choice, an online course and community for self-employed professionals.
2024
Published Local Legends: How to Make a Difference in Local Government. Inducted hundreds of new Councillors across NSW and VIC.
2025
Hosted LGNZ’s Mayors’ School and released the Local Legends Toolkit, available to every Mayor and Councillor in New Zealand. Named one of the LGIU’s top 25 thinkers in local government. Travelled to Tampa, Florida to speak at the ICMA Annual Conference.
I’ve attended a lot of leadership, strategy, and team building workshops. Alicia is hands down the best facilitator I’ve encountered, and greatly exceeded expectations. — Jack Boyd, Mayor, Sutherland Shire Council
Philosophy
No buzzwords, no bullshit.
My work centres on four themes that align with my core values:
I can’t make anyone be more strategic - or more anything, really! But I can share my ideas and explain how to use them: how to zoom out, see the system, make a decision, and act on what matters. So that’s what I do.
Straight-talking requires deep thinking. I read more than 100 books a year and write every week. My motto: no buzzwords, no bullshit (and a few laughs along the way).
You keep it real, there’s no BS. Every time I read one of your emails, I’m like ‘Yes!!!’ The topics you cover are interesting, relevant, and you get my mind cranking.” — Sam Hope, reader