Hiya, I'm Jo

And I know what it's like to love your work but hate the thought of promoting it

If you’re lost in a confusing sea of WAY TOO MANY options for building your business, I’ve got you.

You are here to do great work. And you wish you could get on with doing it instead of having to focus SO MUCH energy on trying to find your ways to market and sell your services that don’t leave you feeling like you need a silk wood shower or a lie down in a darkened room.

Believe me, I get it – I’ve been there.

I help artisanal business owners (including coaches, makers, and healers) make more money without compromising their values or sacrificing their wellbeing.

I’m the coach you come to when you’ve grown tired of the bro marketers and their obsessions over the size of their funnels and how early they get up in the morning.

I’m not your usual business coach

When I started my business as a life coach I had ZERO business experience. So I looked at what ‘successful’ coaches were doing, took a ton of courses and attended a lifetime’s worth of classes – but even though the content itself seemed sound, I struggled to follow the I couldn’t see myself in any of those shiny, look at my fabulous life! Coaches.

It felt like there wasn’t really a place for a nerdy, middle aged, sweary scatterbrains like me to ‘make it’ in the coaching industry.

I’m not shiny and I most certainly do not have it all together (I’m suspicious of people who say they DO have it all together)
I’ve never worn a wide brimmed boho hat
I think unicorns are fine…if you’re 7
I dislike the term ‘boss babe’ with the fire of a 1000 suns
I come out in hives at the thought of getting out of bed before 8am (so no, not a big ‘miracle morning’ fan)
I believe in critical thinking and magic in equal measure

I’m a certified coach, speaker, trainer and host of The UnShiny Podcast. I’m allergic to marketing BS and I specialise in helping business owners like you get more clients and build meaningful, sustainable businesses without resorting to the dark arts or sleazy marketing tactics.

I can help you get the word out about your work, own your message, your gifts and the impact you want to have – so that you get to be YOUR version of success, in your own way. AND make great money along the way.

I fully believe that we need a new way of doing business – one that allows us to create companies that are financially, emotionally and energetically sustainable. So that your business can be a gorgeous extension of yourself.

I also believe that when we find our perfect way of expressing ourselves in the world, we thrive – as does our business.

Things That Make Me Go YAY

Feminism (but only if it’s intersectional)
Yellow shoes (they go with a surprising amount of outfits)
Tattoos
Deep conversation
Textile crafts – currently I’m very into punch needle embroidery and making my own clothes (some of which have even proved wearable)
Singing – I joined a community choir in 2018 and it is seriously one of the best things I’ve ever done for my health & wellbeing
Yoga, taking walks with my dog Lucy & hanging out with my family
Jesus Christ Superstar the musical
Sobriety – I quit drinking on 1st Jan 2019 thinking I’d just do dry January and I kept going. Hello better sleep, lower anxiety and a whole host of other unexpected joys

Things That Make Me Go URGH

Toxic positivity. The suggestion that all problems can be overcome if we just ‘think positive’ and ‘raise our vibe’ –it’s ableist bullshit. All feeling are valid. Some are more helpful or enjoyable than others – that is all. Maybe if we were better and feeling and processing emotion (even the ‘dark’ ones) we wouldn’t all be so angry.
Bigotry, whataboutism, racism, sexism and structural inequality
Depression/anxiety. While I try to acknowledge the gifts my recurrent bouts of anxiety and depression give me (deep empathy, ultra focus,a curiosity in how the mind works) I refuse to romanticise mental illness. It sucks and can make life very difficult at times
Porridge (oatmeal if you’re in the US) I don’t care what you suggest I put on it, it’s the devil’s slop and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise

The more ‘formal’ stuff (things I put on my LinkedIn Profile)

I’ve over 20 years experience of working as a trainer and consultant in the corporate, public and third sectors. My flashy clients and workplaces have included Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC), The NHS, BT, Toyota Motors, Peugeot Business School, The Welsh Assembly Government, The Girl Guides UK, Vets4Pets/Companion Care, several Local Government Authorities, and The Department Of Work And Pensions (DwP). But I’ve also worked with many no less wonderful smaller ventures, micro businesses and SME’s .

I’m a self-confessed nerd and have taught at college and university levels and am a visiting lecturer at the University of Chester.

I’ve a Masters Degree is in Coaching and Organizational Development and I’m an NLP Master Practitioner, MBTI qualified professional certified Emotional Intelligence EQi 2.0 consultant.

I’ve been coaching for almost 20 years now – clocking up over 1250 hours of coaching experience. Basically, I carefully tread that line between being passionate and a tiny bit obsessive about what I do (obsession often wins).

I run accredited coach training programs and coach people from all over the world via the power of the internet.

I'm A Contributer To:

I’ve written guest posts, been interviewed, or featured in the following places:

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