SHREK Versus Boutique Firms

If you’ve ever worked at a large, monolithic company—let’s call it a “SHREK company”—you know the experience comes with its own unique flavour of chaos. SHREK companies are big, loud, and often overly complicated, just like their ogre counterpart. Think endless meetings where everyone talks but no one listens, processes that require five approvals for ordering coffee, and a tech stack that feels like it was cobbled together by medieval alchemists.

Now imagine transitioning from that ogre’s swamp to a boutique search firm: small, agile, and alarmingly functional. It’s like moving from a Renaissance fair—all pomp and drama—to a chic, minimalist coffee shop where everyone knows your name and spells it correctly. Here’s what I learned from making that jump and how my time in the swamp gave me a surprising toolkit to thrive in this new world.

Lesson 1: Big Swamps Teach Big Patience

In a SHREK company, things move at the speed of molasses. A simple decision can take weeks because, “hey, let’s form a task force and put together a deck first.” That slow pace taught me patience—a skill that is, ironically, incredibly useful in the fast-paced exec search boutique world. Now, when a client changes their requirements for the third time this week, I don’t flinch. I just channel my inner swamp zen and get on with it.

Lesson 2: You Learn to Herd Cats (and Donkeys)

Big companies are full of people. LOTS of people. And they all have opinions. You’re essentially herding a mix of cats and donkeys (both metaphorically and, in some cases, literally if you count office mascots). Navigating all that taught me the fine art of persuasion, compromise, and knowing when to throw in an anecdote to lighten the mood. Turns out, those skills translate beautifully to boutique firms where matrix is not the key but relationships are and everyone’s voice carries weight.

Lesson 3: Systems Overload = Efficiency Hacks

SHREK companies love a system. No one remembers why these systems exist, but you better follow them. Working in that environment forces you to develop efficiency hacks because otherwise, you’ll drown in a sea of spreadsheets and intranet portals. When I moved to the boutique world, I brought these hacks with me. Suddenly, I was the go-to person for automating repetitive tasks or streamlining processes. Turns out, a little swamp ingenuity goes a long way.

Lesson 4: Humility is Key (But Confidence is King)

In a massive organization, you’re one tiny cog in a very big machine. It’s humbling and sometimes frustrating, but it also teaches you the importance of humility. That said, SHREK companies also toughen you up. You learn to speak up, pitch ideas, and advocate for yourself because, if you don’t, you’ll get lost in the swamp’s noise. Most importantly you work with a pool of pedigree folks whose success and resilience will rub on you.
That combination of humility and confidence has been invaluable in boutique land, where every idea counts but collaboration is king.

The Final Takeaway: Big Swamp Energy

While boutique firms are leaner and nimbler, there’s a surprising amount you can bring from the swamp. A big-picture mindset, resilience, and the ability to find humour in even the most ridiculous situations (like realizing your new office’s coffee machine has better tech than your old company’s CRM).

So, here’s to embracing both worlds: the ogre-sized lessons from the SHREK swamp and the bespoke charm of boutique life. And if you’re wondering, yes, I’ve already suggested that our next client pitch include waffles. Donkey would be proud.