Jenni Giblin of Giblin Group is reporting "heaps of work" throughout New Zealand thanks to tough times.
"We have found a niche market for councils that can no longer fully fund their social infrastructure - they realise they have to keep their rates under a certain level while making sure their communities are vibrant and an attractive place for people to live and work," she said.
"We have developed a third/third/third partnership where they put money in but we also seek Government funding and private sponsorship - it is working really well.
"This is a new concept to local government and we are inundated with councils wanting us to come and work with them."
In the past three years Giblin Group has raised $35 million for projects such as New Plymouth's Len Lye Centre, Hawke's Bay Museum and Art Gallery and Te Mata Park Education and Visitor Centre. The company is currently working on two Department of Conservation projects - Kapiti Island and Hawke's Bay's Poutiri O Ao Tane Project - and is waiting on a further $10 million Government funding application for Wanganui's Sarjeant Gallery.
Ms Giblin previously worked in parliament where she negotiated confidence and supply agreements between the United Futures Party and the Labour Government, before moving to Hawke's Bay as strategy manager for Hastings District Council.
"Lawrence Yule (Hastings Mayor) asked me to do some lobbying for the opera house and see if we could get some funding from the Government for that particular project.
"It was the first project I did and I quite liked the mix of central and local government and working in the private sector. I couldn't see myself working in a council forever - it was like being on the set of Gliding On - I was really keen to get out. I don't have the personality for local government.
"From there I did Mclean Park in Napier and it just grew. Other councils realised what I was doing and I picked up more and more work.
"This government is really into public/private partnerships."
She said there was more scope for partnerships in Hawke's Bay.
"We are lucky, we have some very philanthropic Hawke's Bay-based companies, but what we haven't been hugely successful in attracting funding from corporates that have their head office is in Auckland or Wellington - that nut hasn't been cracked very well yet."
She said as far as she was aware Giblin Group was the only one in New Zealand doing that kind of consultancy.
The mother of five commutes an hour from her Oueroa home to her Hastings office where her hand-picked team of consultants are based.
"It is absolutely manic but I have an amazingly supportive husband."
About 80 per cent of her work is outside Hawke's Bay.
"Just because you are based in Hawke's Bay doesn't mean you can't look beyond Hawke's Bay for work.
"We are very keen to get into the Australian market - they are about 10 years behind NZ believe it or not, which is frightening."
She said success was as much about contributing to the community as it was financial outcomes.
"If you want to do something you just have to get of your arse and do it."