Share what you’ve learned.
“I spent thirty-five years figuring this out. I’d like a way to pass some of it on — without joining a speakers’ bureau or giving a keynote.”
That’s what Blue Lemons is for. A quiet, considered way to make your experience available to people who need it — on a schedule that fits around the life you’ve earned.
Four steps to your first paid call.
Apply in about ten minutes.
Your details, your LinkedIn, the work you're proud of — and the profile clients will see: a photo, a short bio in your own voice, and your rate. Everything in one go.
Talk to the founders.
We read every application personally, then invite you to a short call. If we're a fit, we approve you — and your profile goes live the same day. Nothing more to fill in.
Get booked and paid.
A client requests a time and writes a brief. You confirm, we collect the payment and pass on your fee — we take 15% and handle the rest.
Have the conversation.
Meet on a private video call. Share what you know. No decks, no pitches, no follow-up admin. You show up, you help, you get paid.
What we can promise.
Fair pay, promptly.
You set your rate. We take fifteen percent — less than a speaking agent, infinitely less than a typical consulting middle-man. Withdraw weekly, straight to your bank.
On your schedule.
Two hours a week or twenty. Mornings only. Weekends never. We don't mind — the calendar is yours.
Serious people only.
Clients write a short note before every call, explaining what they'd like to discuss. No tyre-kickers, no discovery-call wastage.
We handle the admin.
Payments, scheduling, refunds, the occasional awkward reschedule. You show up to the call and share what you know. That's it.
Bigger engagements, if you want them.
Open to short-term consulting or a fractional seat? Say so once in your application — clients send briefs, we match the right ones to you, and you decline anything that doesn't fit.
“After I retired I didn’t want to go back to boardrooms. Blue Lemons lets me pass things on to the next generation in sixty-minute parcels. It’s the most useful thing I do all week.”
Jacqueline Obi · Former Chief Nurse, NHS England
Before you apply.
What does it cost to join?+
Nothing. No membership fee, no listing fee, no charge to apply. We take a flat 15% commission when — and only when — you get paid. If you don't earn, neither do we.
How does the application work?+
About ten minutes: your career, the work you're proud of, your terms, and the profile clients will see. One of the two founders reads every application personally. If it looks like a fit, we'll invite you to a 20-minute call, then do quiet reference checks. Approved experts go live the same day.
What's the 20-minute call about?+
It's a conversation, not an interview. We want to hear your story in your own words, tell you honestly how the platform works, and make sure it's right for you both ways.
Who sets my rate, and what do I keep?+
You set your rate. We'll share what comparable experts charge if you'd like a steer, but it's yours — and you always keep 85% of everything the client pays.
How and when do I get paid?+
Clients pay before the work happens — calls are paid when booked, and project work is funded stage by stage before each stage begins. Your share is passed to you promptly; we're building instant payouts so 'approved today' means paid within days, not the 30–60 days that's normal in this industry.
What about consulting projects and fractional roles?+
When a client brief matches you, we scope it together and paper it with a short, plain-English engagement letter — ours, provided free, not a 40-page legal stack. Milestones are funded before you start them, so you're never working unpaid. Notice is 30 days both ways.
Do I need my own company or insurance?+
You can work through your own limited company or as a sole trader. Advisory calls need nothing extra. For consulting and fractional engagements we ask you to hold £1m professional indemnity insurance (typically £100–£300 a year) and we structure the work as deliverable-based consultancy — never statutory directorships — which keeps things clean for tax purposes.
How much time do I have to commit?+
As much or as little as you like. Some experts take one call a month; others build a portfolio of fractional days. The application asks what you're available for, and nothing obliges you beyond what you accept.
I'm not retired — can I still apply?+
Yes. Employed, between roles, portfolio career, semi-retired — all welcome. What matters is twenty-plus years of real operating experience and something worth passing on.
Can a client hire me directly?+
After twelve months of working together through Blue Lemons — yes, freely, with our blessing. Before that, engagements with clients we introduced run through the platform.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
We read every application personally. About ten minutes to complete, and we’ll get back to you within three working days.
Start my applicationWe’ll get back to you within three working days.