Joanna Howes

The Change Creators 

At The Change Creators, we provide transformational services to help leaders grow and become the leader they know they can be. We focus on the mindset, skills and behaviours leaders need to step into their courageous zone, create a positive impact and deliver results.

Our services include:
 
✅Cultural shifts and transformations  

✅Leadership and team coaching and training

✅Operational excellence consultancy 

✅EDISC and Meta Dynamics profiling to increase self-awareness and self-leadership 

✅Executive 1-2-1 coaching 

If you would like to take your leadership to the next level and invest in your growth, get in contact with us today and watch your influence and performance sky rocket.

CEO and Founder of The Change Creators - Leadership Coach and Trainer 

Clemenger BBDO

- Re-invented the company ways of working to drive agility, efficiencies, and flexibility to meet all client requirements
- Built a new production offering to achieve fast effective content delivery, resulting in a new stream of revenue  
- Supported the win of large pitches by selling operations excellence

Operations Director - Executive team 

McCann London

Operations Director

-  Introduced project management into the agency which doubled the agencies productivity 
- Transformed the commercial effectiveness with systems, data, technology, and accurate tracking resulting in increased profit margin
- Lead the process with the leadership team to evolve the culture to be bold and brave to increase the quality of work

Head of Project Management

Arthur London

Operations and New Business Director

Creative Services Director / Operations Director

VCCP

Helping leaders step into their courageous zone and create positive impact, through transformative coaching & training | CEO of The Change Creators Ltd | Campaign 40 over 40 | International Coach of the Year 2020 🏆

We specialise in creating courageous leadership teams who win together.

Whether you're a newly formed team, a merged company establishing a new board, or feeling the need for a reset, we can help you create a strong aligned cohesive team. 

Courageous leaders are open, vulnerable, and committed to continuous learning, driving exceptional results for their teams and the organisation.

We help by:

• Moving from operating in silos to a collective mindset 

• Avoiding feedback to leaning into compassionate candor 

• From going around in circles to make decisions to a bias for action 

• From working as job titles to truly understanding each other as human beings 

• From all talk and no action to peer-to-peer accountability 


Our approach centers on increasing individual and team awareness, fostering a unified leadership team culture grounded in aligned principles, and promoting effective communication and accountability.

"When the business isn't performing, the first place to look is the leadership team."

👉 For coaching and training inquiries, please email: joanna.howes@thechangecreators.com

👉 For podcast and speaking engagements, please email: anna@thechangecreators.com

Let's connect and explore how we can elevate your leadership team to achieve extraordinary outcomes.


Trusted by: 
Monzo, Amazon, BBC, Troy Asset Management, Ada Ventures, Iris Worldwide, Uncommon Creative Studios, 6 Nations Rugby, ITB, PrettyGreen PR, Hue & Cry, McCann Worldwide.

What our clients have to say: 

“She's 'Life Changing'. Jo has an ability to enable a fearless focus on creating a personal and professional roadmap to success”. - Director Of Client Services at SYZYGY London

“As a coach Jo has been fantastic- full of insights, always there to listen and most of all provide practical solutions. As a team we have come out more confident and ready with practical tools to help us develop further in different areas.” - Head Of Project Management at BBC Creative


🌐  Visit: www.thechangecreators.com

I lost my dad 29 years ago
and last week I was given a photo of him I’d never seen before.

It took me a moment (and my breath away) to take it in.
He was only 50 when he died, an age I'm only 3 years away from. 

This photo captures him in his element, surrounded by food doing the work he loved.

Grief doesn’t vanish.
You don’t 'move on.'
You move with it.

Some days it sits quietly. 
Some days it taps you on the shoulder.
And then there are moments like this, when it brings someone straight back into your heart.

But this photo did something else too.
It reminded me exactly where my own fire comes from.

My dad was all graft, pride and heart.
He cared deeply about his craft.
And he cared about people.

I started working for him when I was 12.
By 15, I was running the restaurant at weekends
Leading people twice my age, learning fast, getting things wrong, figuring out how to hold a team together.

At the time it just felt like 'helping Dad.'
Now I see it for what it was: my first leadership training ground.
So much of who I am today started in that restaurant.

Courage.
Ownership.
Showing up even when you don’t feel ready.
Taking pride in your work.

Seeing this photo now, almost three decades later, has pushed me even further into my own path.

His passion was food.
Mine is helping leaders find their courage to do the work that matters.
Different passions, same spirit.
Although my second choice would have been a food critic 😀

For anyone who’s lost someone, you’ll know this:

The grief softens, but the love doesn’t.
And moments like this make you stop and ask:

👉 Are we using the time we have well?
👉  Are we doing the work that feels true to us?
👉  Are we leading with pride in our craft… or just getting through the week?

I feel incredibly grateful for the years I had with him, for what he taught me, and for the reminder this photo brought.

If you’ve had a moment like this recently, I’d love to hear what it brought up for you.

♻️Repost to remember how important the time we have left is
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Strengthening Leadership Teams to Connect, Perform & Grow Together | Courageous Leaders Podcast| Speaker | International Coach of the Year 2020 🏆 | Follow for posts about self-mastery, leadership & culture

For my birthday last week, I went to a restaurant with NO menu.
And it felt so good to let go of control.

7 courses and no idea what's coming next. 

Even when they put butter that had marmite in it!! (I'm a hater)
It was amazing and I would have never ordered it had I been given the choice.

But here's the genius bit:

Every table eating the same thing.
Only 2 sittings at 7.30pm and 8pm.
The kitchen wasn't chaos... it was calm precision.
No decisions to stress about.
Just pure focus on quality and experience.

And they were all having the BEST time, singing to the music and having the time to have banter with us and make us feel SO special. 

There is so much to learn from this in corporate business. 

What could be possible is leaders stopped trying to control every outcome.
Empowered their teams to be creative.

Stopped offering endless options.
Just do fewer things... really, really well.

What if you applied this to your next project?

Your team?

Your life?

I already have and it's amazing how you can strip things back and simplify to create a better experience.

The old saying 'less is more' is so true.

Where is one area you can apply this to?

♻️ Repost to inspire new thinking 
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The power of glitter.

A room full of women sharing.
Listening.
Supporting.
And encouraging each other to take those 'F*ck It' moments to live our potential. 

Nishma Patel Robb 🪩⚡️ created a night I’ll remember.
Not because it was shiny (even though it was), but because it felt safe.
Safe to be honest.
Safe to be seen.
Safe to let someone else hold a bit of your story.

I’m so grateful she followed her dream. 
It’s not the easy road, but it’s one that’s helping so many women back themselves.

If you’re not already following her, go step into her world of glitter. It’s genuinely uplifting.

Amazing to get to spend the evening with incredible women including Kerry Collinge Amanda Baker Catherine Peacock Anna Cairns Justine Hendry

This wasn’t just the most special morning.
It reminded me why I started the podcast in the first place.

I never imagined how much the guests would teach me, inspire me, and shape how I see leadership today.

Here’s just a small glimpse of the impact being created by the people around this table:

🔥 Mollie Kmita & Rosie Kmita – driving transformational change in women’s football, even when faced with misogyny and resistance.

🔥 Sedge Beswick – lifting founders to believe in themselves again and drive business success.

🔥 Lee Chambers - Driving research to raise the alarm on the impact AI is having on young boys and pushing for guardrails at government level.

🔥 Ali Hanan – showing brands how inclusive marketing isn’t just the right thing to do…it delivers stronger commercial performance when you truly listen.

What was truly wonderful is how different all their worlds are and yet the thread between them is the same:

Courage.
Curiosity.
A deep desire to make things better.
And genuinely lovely kind people. 

And it made me reflect on a simple leadership question:
What change are we each quietly trying to make…
and what would happen if we backed ourselves a little more?

I honestly feel incredibly lucky to learn from these remarkable humans.
And if you’re not following them yet, I’d really recommend it.

If you want more content like this then do give me a follow Joanna Howes

This got me, BIG time!
Tissues everywhere... 

I’ve just finished a positive psychology course, and one of the exercises was to reconnect with your inner child.

I was totally unprepared for how powerful it would be.

I hadn’t realised how much I’d let slip by becoming an “adult.”

The playfulness.
The silliness.
The daftness.
The freedom.

When did we all get so serious?
And why do some of us need a glass of wine to loosen up and feel like ourselves again?

So I’m sharing this on a Friday as a gentle nudge:

Put your phone down.
Step away from the to-do list.
Go and find something that makes you laugh for no reason at all.

Your inner child is still in there.
They’re just waiting for you to come out and play.

Agree? 

♻️ Repost to inspire joy even in leadership
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It didn't go to plan and I didn't fall apart. 

Halfway through day one of PrettyGreen | The Global Fame Makers’ overnight offsite to plan 2026, I realised my afternoon content wasn't going to work.

The morning had taken us to an unexpected outcome. 

Old Jo would have panicked.
She would have ploughed ahead with her planned agenda anyway, convinced that sticking to the script was safer than admitting she didn't think it was going to work.

Instead, I stopped the room and shared that I didn't think the direction for the afternoon was going to work.

I brought the leaders into the thinking and we scrapped the original plan. 

That moment showed me how far I've come.

The hardest part of becoming a facilitator is learning to let go of the outcome. 

To trust that the right thing will emerge when you follow where the group needs to go.

For someone who likes control (guilty), this is terrifying.

But the magic happens when you're willing to not know. 
When you bring people into the uncertainty with you. 
When you trust yourself enough to say, "let's figure this out together."

So many of you have become rigid in your leadership. 
Clinging to how things are always done and your plans.

The best breakthrough moments happen when we let go of what we thought should happen and lean into what wants to happen.

In 2026, you need to become okay with not knowing exactly where you're headed.

That's where the real leadership lives.

Has this happened to you? 

♻️ Repost to help leaders let go
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If 'doing the right thing' could cost you EVERYTHING...

Would you do it?!

Zelda Perkins did.

She spoke out and fought to break her NDA with Harvey Weinstein after being silenced for years.

Her courage exposed how NDAs were being used to hide abuse and protect power.

That single act sparked Can't Buy My Silence, a global movement to end NDAs that cover up wrongdoing.

Speaking to Zelda about her story is one of the most powerful conversations I have had to date and one not to miss.

Especially if you feel currently strongly about something but are unsure or afraid of acting on it.

We went deep on:

- What happens when you speak out against power
- Why we need to go to government for support
- Recognising self-bullying
- Why speaking up needs to stop being seen as 'brave'
- The ability to keep going despite setbacks

This episode will make you question so much and start to see things in a completely different way.

Zelda had the courage to change what she saw was wrong and to keep going despite the emotional toll this took. 

She is a true inspiration. And I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the episode.

Watch it on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/eHGVyFSE

Or Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ezYgJpEY

Check out Zelda's work here: https://lnkd.in/eZgJQJGp

Support the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/e83YkGpq


♻️ Repost to stop systems protecting the wrong people 

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What a brilliant night.

It's not often you see a room full of Marketeers sing the Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 miles). 😂

The most special part is knowing the event is supporting 2 incredible causes.

⭐️ The amazing The Marketing Academy Foundation creating opportunities in our industry for people from challenging backgrounds

⭐️ Under One Sky, who are working to end homelessness 

The goal is to raise £250,000 and it's not too late to take part in the auction to contribute. Check it out on this link https://lnkd.in/eKJZW7AF

And all organised by the amazing Joel Barnett and his team at Fortune Hill. 

Thanks to my brilliant quiz team including Sophie Devonshire⚡️and The event queen herself Mays Elansari

This episode will stay with me for a long time.

The energy Mollie Kmita and Rosie Kmita walk into a room with is infectious, but the authentic leadership story behind that energy is where the real power sits.

At 14, they lost their home.

At 17, they lost their dad

At 19, they started their own women’s football club

At 23, they became professional footballers

And today, they are Forbes 30 Under 30 and founders of The Powerhouse Project 

Two incredible women who openly spoke about the chaos, the fear, the grief and the courage it took to build a life that looks nothing like where they started.

They’re proof that your beginning doesn’t get to decide your future.

And for leaders, their story is a reminder that resilience isn’t built in comfort.

It’s built in the moments you think might break you… but don’t.

If you want a dose of inspiration going into the weekend, I can’t recommend this episode enough.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ejGUyEhm 

Or listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp 

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eZwwYhS7

Check out their amazing work with The Powerhouse Project: https://lnkd.in/exAJ4v6K 

♻️ Repost to inspire leaders who want to be inspired and build their resilience

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#Leadership #WomenInFootball #ThePowerhouseProject

Resilience isn’t built in comfort - Mollie & Rosie Kmita

12 leaders.
2 days
1 company with big ambitions.
1 beautiful venue.
And a table full of brilliant human beings. 

Year two of running PrettyGreen | The Global Fame Makers’s leadership two-day planning days reminded me why this work matters so much.

When a team is willing to pause the 'busy' button and look at themselves and the business, really look, opportunities open up.

We went deep into:

 • Innovation – what it really means
 • Curiosity – how to stay open, especially under pressure
 • Values – how they evolve as you grow
 • Culture – the behaviours that build trust (and the ones that quietly break it)
 • Emotional fitness – leading with steadiness even when things feel messy
 • Feedback – the conversations that change everything 

These are the muscles every leadership team needs right now.
Especially in a market where certainty is a luxury.

A special shout-out to Jessica Hargreaves Paczek, one of the most caring and courageous CEO's I’ve met (and I’ve interviewed over 150 on the podcast).

And to 🌳 Mark Stringer, for meeting change head-on, taking feedback with grace, and having an endless energy resource.

If you’re a leadership team reading this, here’s my question for you:

When was the last time you stopped long enough to look at the way you work together… not just the work you deliver?

A huge thanks to the full team for giving everything to the 2 days, even when the wine started to show up in plastic cups!! Sarah Henderson Lucy Mart Adam Shoemark Joe Stratton Hannah Macleod Emma Carson Lucy Porter Darren Greene Samantha Hooper Gill Sereena Abbassi FRSA

And Anna Maria Brezsa Timar  and Nicholas Barnard for the organisation and support. 

♻️ Repost to inspire great leadership
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How often do you go to the other side?

Last week, the right side of my brain finally got a turn.

My whole career, I've been told I'm too left-brained.

Interesting considering I spent my whole time in the creative industry, but it was in operations : )

So I decided to give it some exercise and went to a painting class. 

I had to work quite hard at trying to let go of it being right or overthinking what to do. 

Right now, I'm seeing too many leaders rigid in their thinking, so this is my shout-out to go and do something you don't normally do.

Give your dominant brain a rest and explore the other side. 

Have fun. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who consciously exercises both sides of their brains and what they do in the comments. 

♻️ Repost for more quick bites of inspiration 
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The courage to be YOU!

That was the title of my talk at the Women in PR Christmas drinks

Because it was also the title of the event I walked into 7 years ago, that completely changed my life.

Back then, I was operating from proving, pleasing and not feeling good enough.
 
Today, I get to stand on the other side and pass on what I’ve learnt. 
That’s something I don’t take lightly.

Key things I shared:

🔥 Your 3 intelligence centres - head, heart and gut, and why alignment gives you more energy than any productivity hack ever will.

😀 Your future self - yes, it’s powerful to be present… but who are you becoming? And are your daily actions actually taking you there?

🦁 Courage before confidence - we have to stop waiting to feel “ready.” Courage and certainty come first. Confidence is just the receipt.

It was real honoured to be invited to speak, thank you Laura Perry and Jo Carr.

If you  want a dose of courage for your team to lift them up, then drop me a  DM. 

♻️ Repost to inspire more courage
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What if your resilience is actually survival mode?

That was the question running through my mind as I spoke with Mollie Kmita and Rosie Kmita – former pro footballers, now founders of The Powerhouse Project.

They have achieved so much:

🔥 Forbes 30 Under 30

🔥 Nike and Google partnerships

🔥 Creating real pathways for women in football

But what we talked about wasn’t the glossy stuff.

They vulnerably shared:

• The impact of losing their dad at 17 to alcoholism
• How hyper-achievement helped to hide grief 
• The guilt you feel if your not ‘busy’
• How people pleasing impacted two businesses not working
• 16 years of pushing so hard, in case it all disappeared

It is so important to recognise the difference between resilience and survival mode. 

Resilience is steady.
It helps you adapt, recover, and lead with clarity.
You can pause. You can choose. You can breathe.

Survival mode is frantic.
It’s fuelled by fear, guilt, and the belief that if you stop, everything will fall apart.

One keeps you grounded.
The other keeps you running.

The Kmita twins are now operating from resilience and realising you calm down without losing ambition.

If you lead a team, here’s the real challenge from this episode:

Don’t just ask, “How do we build resilience?”
Ask, “What are we silently rewarding – survival mode or sustainable leadership?”

Because your people are watching what you live, not what you say.

Are you in survival mode? Let me know in the comments.

🔗 If you want to hear the full story – from loss, identity crisis and burnout to building The Powerhouse Project – the episode with Mollie and Rosie is live now on the Courageous Leaders Podcast.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ejGUyEhm 

Or listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp 

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eZwwYhS7 

Check out their amazing work with The Powerhouse Project: https://lnkd.in/exAJ4v6K 

♻️ Repost to inspire leaders who feel they are in survival mode

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Very excited for Nishma Patel Robb 🪩⚡️to be putting the Glittersphere spotlight on me at 5pm today. 

I'm going to share when I first rebelled, how I found courage and so much more.

Be great to see you there - link in the events page below. 

Jo x

Putting the brilliant Joanna Howes under the spotlight and discovering more about this brilliant leader, podcaster and leadership expert. 
Join me for this exclusive sparkly conversation.

Nishma Patel Robb 🪩⚡️, Nimmi Shah and 4 other attendees

Shhhh….

Have you ever stayed quiet when you knew you should speak up?

Maybe out of fear… or because you didn’t think your voice would make a difference?

When the Harvey Weinstein ‘story’ was about to break, Zelda Perkins broke her NDA to do the right thing. 

She told the journalist everything, hoping other women with NDAs would come forward too.

But no one did.

So, she went first.

Her story isn’t just about taking on one man… it’s about taking on a system that silenced victims.

It took passion, resilience, courage - and 7 long years of pushing for change.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to stay silent, or you’re trying to create a culture where people can speak freely, this episode will really resonate.

Zelda shares her journey, her mission to make workplaces safer and more transparent.

And why speaking up should be seen as normal - not ‘brave.’

It’s one of those conversations that will stay with me - and I hope it does with you too. 

I’d love to know what you thought of the episode.

Watch it on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/eHGVyFSE

Or Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ezYgJpEY

Check out Zelda's work here: https://lnkd.in/eZgJQJGp

Support the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/e83YkGpq

 
♻️ Repost to stop systems protecting the wrong people 

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Most leaders say they care about allyship.
Very few actually practice it.

I’ve just recorded a conversation with Lee Chambers that I can’t stop thinking about, and I’m sharing this early because it’s one every leader needs on their radar.

We unpacked the everyday behaviours that decide whether people feel safe, valued, and able to be themselves at work, and the shocking data from his research with young boys and AI.

Lee has a way of holding up a mirror without making you defensive.
He names the hard truths, but he does it with compassion and clarity.

We dug into:
• What genuine allyship actually looks like
• The pressure men feel to fit outdated stereotypes
• Why culture change stalls (and how to unlock it)
• How leaders can create environments where everyone grows
• What boys are turning to when the world feels confusing or lonely — including AI companionship

Some of Lee’s research is hopeful.
Some of it is genuinely worrying.
But it’s important we don’t look away.

This episode lands on Thursday, and it’s one to make time for.

In the meantime…
What does real allyship mean to you?

Make sure you don’t miss the episode

Subscribe on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/eHGVyFSE

Or on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eJatPjke

♻️ Repost to get allyship on the map
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#CourageousLeadershipPodcast #CultureStereotypes #Allyship

Too many of us are self-bullying!

And we need to stop it.

In my latest episode on Courageous Leaders , Zelda, who for years has campaigned to stop bad behaviour, shared the moment when she realised how badly she’d been treating herself.

It made me stop and think.

As leaders, we talk about the importance of compassion.

But how often do we give it to ourselves?

It’s a tough role, and there’s not much thanks that comes with it.

So it’s easy to notice what we’re not doing instead of what we are.

So maybe today, just check in:  
How are you speaking to yourself?

And what would it sound like if that voice came from compassion instead?    

If this resonates, this conversation with Zelda is a powerful reminder that courage starts with how we treat ourselves.

Watch it on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/eHGVyFSE

Or Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ezYgJpEY

Check out Zelda's work here: https://lnkd.in/eZgJQJGp

Support the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/e83YkGpq

♻️ Repost if to bring more compassion to leaders 

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Why am I making life harder for myself?

The question Mollie Kmita and Rosie Kmita are trying to answer.

And one I think we all are!

Rosie shared how the voices in her head kept saying:

“You’re not good enough.”

“You’re boring.”

“No one’s listening.”

It’s like having a toxic boss in our own heads that keeps us working hard.

We know that we perform better with encouragement, yet we are stuck in a cycle of criticism. 

My theory is that many leaders believe that if they talk nicely to themselves they won’t achieve as much?

What are your theories on this?

Let us know in the comments and hope you enjoy this great episode!

Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ejGUyEhm 

Or listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp 

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eZwwYhS7

♻️ Repost to a leader you think needs to talk more nicely to themselves 

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#leadership #selftalk #podcast

“I’d love an emotionally available adult.”
 — a 15-year-old boy

Just take that in.

Out of everything he could have asked for, he chose presence.
Not possessions.

Just adults who genuinely show up.

Lee Chambers shared this on the Courageous Leaders Podcast, and it’s stayed with me ever since. His research with young boys is both powerful and worrying, including the finding that a third are now turning to AI for companionship.

If teenagers are craving emotionally available adults today, what does that mean for the leaders they’ll meet in the workplace tomorrow?

Leaders are more distracted than ever.
We’re sprinting through days.
Our attention is split into a thousand tabs.
And presence, real presence, has become rare.

But this next generation is hungry for it.
And Lee’s insights make it impossible to ignore.

This is the call to action:
• Put the phone down.
• Listen with both ears.
• Make space for real conversation.
• Be the adult you wish you’d had at 15.

Emotionally available leadership isn’t soft.
It’s what builds trust.

It really is a must to understand what is going on and Lee shares the hope and the fear brilliantly in his episode. 

What’s one small shift you can make this week to be more present with the people who rely on your leadership?

Watch the episode on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/exw6Wc3P

Or on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eJatPjke

Check out Lee’s work here: https://lnkd.in/eWGnSJUz

 ♻️ Repost to please make us change
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#CourageousLeadersPodcast #EmotionalIntelligence #FutureLeadership

🔥 Courage in Bitesize 

How to let someone challenge you, without getting defensive 

Most of us say we want honesty.
Until someone offers it and we suddenly launch into our Greatest Hits of Justification. 

I tried this and it does make a difference. 

1. Pause - Just one beat.

2. Relax your face - Your eyebrows don’t need to panic.

3. Say - “Thanks — tell me more.”

4. Listen, don’t load your comeback.

5. Focus on the outcome you want to achieve to manage emotions 

That’s it.
Tiny moves.
Big courage. 

It’s amazing how quickly people stop tiptoeing when they realise you’re not gearing up for battle.

Any further tips please add to the comments. 

♻️ Repost to help busy leaders access tips
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Lauren Spearman

Hugh Wahla Coaching Ltd

A fully certified and accredited IAPC&M Life Coach, as well as Mentor and Advisor using many of the lessons learned through my years as a Leader, Brand builder, International CEO and MD along with over 10 years of meditation, study and self discovery plus a whole lifetime of experiences. I gain great satisfaction from enabling professionals achieve their goals through building clarity and confidence by getting in touch with their inner self with a focus on personal growth, 
self-discovery, self-compassion, resourcefulness and an appreciation of beauty and joy.

Life Purpose Coach, Mentor and Advisor

The Conran Shop

Brought on board to redefine, revive and ultimately sell The Conran Shop Brand to secure Sir Terence Conran's legacy through multiple channels across retail stores, concessions, franchise, wholesale, licences, e commerce and B2B contracts. Stores in the UK, France, Japan and Korea. 

Some key highlights from this period include:

-	Redefining the Brand Concept and overhauling the legacy physical and digital spaces. Told on multiple occasions by Sir Terence Conran that this is the best version of The Conran Shop he had ever seen. 
-	Rebuilt the senior executive team and overall organizational structure. 
-	Proposed and delivered a long-term strategy. Realigned all channels in line with this. 
-	Took E Commerce from 5% penetration to 30% pre Covid (ultimately 100% during lockdown)
-	Established award winning and exclusive proprietary Conran Shop branded product moving the business away from a discounted sale buy strategy. Upholstery up to 70% own brand, furniture overall 50% with 30% across the whole business.
-	Introduced very high-profile and exclusive iconic design classic collaborations on key furniture and lighting pieces as well as across other lifestyle areas
-	Launched the Brand in South Korea with a highly successful partnership with The Lotte Dept Store Group. The first store in Seoul has won multiple awards as “The biggest and best design store in the world”. 
-	Opened major concessions in Selfridges in London and Galeries Lafayette in Paris. 
-	Secured the largest ever B2B contract for the business at £5m (previously £1m).
-	Took the business to a very successful sale with the blessing of Sir Terence Conran

Chief Executive Officer

Consultant and Co Founder

Various consultancy projects ranging from a luxury international ethical lifestyle multi channel retailer to smaller businesses of personal interest. Along with plenty of Yoga, Mindfulness meditation, holidays and quality family time!

Urban Outfitters Europe

The lead role of the Urban Outfitters Brand outside the US with full Strategic, P&L and Budgeting responsibility, final say on all Real Estate deals and a team of direct reports including leads in Creative, Buying, Planning, Operations, Retail, Ecommerce, Marketing and FP&A reporting into the Global CEO based in Philadelphia and supported by a Shared Service function set up in 2009. 

Some key highlights from this period include:
-	Creating and delivering an interpretation of the Urban Outfitters Brand Globally recognized to be best in class both on the ground and Online 
-	Ensuring that the EU had a clear focus and core guiding principles established independently of the US to enable consistent and quality delivery of experience and standards across all territories whilst staying very true to the original essence of the Brand and ensuring it resonated locally across markets
-	Building a world class, committed pan European team with considerable length of service across the board and a deep understanding and passion for the Brand
-	Building a substantial following for the Brand both on the ground and through Social Media 
-	Overall we close to quadrupled top line revenue with 2300 employees across the continent.
-	Opened a further 32 stores to bring the total to 44 
-	Grew the web business almost 10 fold and to over 20 % overall penetration
-	Successfully opening up the German Market both for bricks and mortar and Online.
-	Opening up the French Market through Online and Urban Outfitters first ever Global concession partnerships 
-	Opening up the Belgium Market
-	In 2014 the EU delivered the highest gross margins in the history of URBN Globally
-	Delivering the highest revenue and most profitable store in the URBN Global portfolio 
-	Paved the way for a launch in the Far East (Hong Kong September 2014)

Managing Director

In 2006, in line with Martin’s plan to retire after 5 years, I was promoted to Trading Director adding direct responsibility for all Creative, Marketing, Retail, Ops, Distribution and Imports to my existing Brand, Product and Trading remit. In the time Martin was on board we opened a further 7 stores in the UK, 1 in Copenhagen and 1 in Stockholm. We also launched the E Commerce business in 2006.

Trading Director

(Including Acting Managing Director Jan 2000 – Apr 2003)
I joined Urban to set up the original concept in Europe. My brief was to gain an intuitive understanding of the Brand essence in the US and re-interpret that to ensure that it resonated appropriately with the European Market. I brought on board a team of buyers to cover the respective areas of the business across Women’s, Men’s and Lifestyle product. We travelled to the US to learn the Concept and then proposed an adapted version for Europe.  We set up all aspects of Buying, Design, Merchandising, Planning, Trading and Sourcing and operated entirely independently from the US teams. I had complete responsibility for defining the Brand and Concept in Europe and originally reported into the first MD in the market who left the business after the first year having opened our first EU shop in London’s Ken High St. A second MD came on board and again left after a year at which point I reported directly into the CEO and Founder in the US. I opened a further 2 stores in Ireland and Scotland and a Distribution Centre in Essex. In 2003 Martin Parker was brought on board to help with the European growth and act as my mentor over the next 5 years before retiring in 2008.

Brand/Buying and Merchandising Director

TOPSHOP TOPMAN

Various roles across Buying and Merchandising at the Burton Group/Arcadia specifically at Top Man/Top Shop starting as an allocator and ending as a Senior Merchandiser.

Senior Merchandiser

I had the dream life.

The dream job, travelling the world, staying in the best hotels, meeting incredibly cool people and earning more money than I knew what to do with as MD of Urban Outfitters Europe. But it felt empty. Something was still missing. 

Surely that’s the definition of success? 

What wasn’t obvious was the stress, the panic attacks, psoriasis, excessive drinking and lack of self care. 

The isolation and lack of enjoyment I increasingly felt. 

I struggled to truly connect. I'd lie awake in my lovely home next to my beautiful wife, my amazing kids downstairs, with negative thoughts and worries whizzing around my mind wondering what it was all for? 

I felt totally stuck. How did I get there? Why did success feel so hollow? 

How was something so amazing on the outside so soul destroying in the inside? 

I lost touch with why I was working in the first place. 

I’d lost the passion that got me to the top. That spark had gone out but I felt trapped and couldn’t see my way out. 

I vividly remember the fear I felt of losing those golden handcuffs and listening to my inner voice. How would I pay my bills? How would I survive? 

But what was clear was that I wasn’t surviving. I desperately needed change. 

I found an amazing coach and opened up an incredible journey of reflection, learning and self discovery. 

To reevaluate what I wanted from life. 

 I’m alcohol free, have learned new life skills like swimming, ice baths, handstands and more. I have a totally new zest for life. 

It allowed me to reconnect with my inner joy, to better understand my life purpose and to make better, more informed life choices. 

 Those informed life choices allowed me to move out of fashion and into the best design job in the world. Recreating one of my all time favourite global brands, The Conran Shop, as CEO working with the amazing Sir Terence Conran. 

 I’ve continued to follow my inner voice and it’s ultimately led me to this incredibly rewarding place. 

As a Life Purpose Coach I’m now successfully helping other CEO’s, leaders and high achievers like you navigate this journey back to passion and success.

  I’ve devised a unique process called RISE that’s helped many people like you reignite that spark.

  To open up that sense of infinite opportunity. 

 To better understand your life purpose, gain balance and connect to your inner joy. Whatever that means for you. 

If you’d like to explore how I can help you DM me the word “FREEDOM” and we can jump on a  call to open your mind to what’s possible. 

 #coaching #success #freedom

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