Birth tree by POPJE.COM
Award-winning Dutch designer and illustrator Marenthe Otten wanted to expand into the UK market with her two businesses: Marenthe.nl her colourful design and illustrative work and POPJE.com her established baby and wedding card business. I am advising Marenthe on business strategy incl. licensing and product/collection development, we have worked on marketing and exhibitions in the UK, and coach her on management and planning, helping her to get things done and for her to really enjoy the combination of a successful career with the responsibilities as a single mum of two lovely kids.
Monique van Oijen started Pien & Polle, her innovative brand with cool products for disabled kids, after having a severely disabled daughter. She started in the Netherlands with a range of fashion products for wheelchair-bound youngsters, and has expanded her collection rapidly to include jeans and trousers for incontinent young people, colourful poncho’s that go over wheelchairs, and large changing mats. I advised her on marketing, website, collection and supplier development and management, and we are currently looking into expanding into Germany and the UK market.
Jess Tyrrell of Germination, a social innovation events and media company, approached me to help with the strategic and sustainable development of this social enterprise. I worked with her in particular on re-positioning the organisation, identifying additional income streams, streamlining the services, growing the business through partnerships, and the development of SHINE the unconference for social entrepreneurs. I worked with Jess as an executive adviser and coach on a detailed business plan, identifying sustainable business models, and coordinating management across a wide variety of creative and administrative freelancers.
A newly appointed MD of a creative trade association hired me to develop a strategic plan and business model in conjunction with her fairly hostile board. Through a series of confidential interviews plus a group brainstorming workshop we developed together a new vision for the organisation, with new income streams that worked for both the MD and her board. I advised and coached the MD on leadership and decision making skills, confidence, presentation and goal setting.
A partner in a graphic design agency hired me to work on her confusion, low self-esteem and to give new direction to her life. During the coaching she realised what she actually had achieved in her life, what skills she had and that she needed to trust herself more. She started to DO things instead of thinking about them, created a plan, stopped over-analysing other people’s opinions, start choosing and creating change. She decided to stop the partnership, move out of London to Germany to live there with her boyfriend, and got a job as a creative director/head of design of a medium sized internet company. All this happened within 6 weeks.
A furniture designer wanted to increase his sales. I worked with him on a detailed marketing plan, identified his niche and potential of repeat business, developed a proposal package to send to his potential clients, worked on presenting his 20 year career in a more professional and credible manner, and gave detailed feedback on how to improve his website to attract more direct customers and trade buyers.
A performer and musician hired me as her coach to enable her to combine her love of performing with the demands of motherhood. We worked specifically on her challenges around time and energy management, money and power conflicts with her partner, confidence and her conflicting needs as a parent and performer.
