A look at some projects to give you a flavour of the businesses I’ve worked with, the challenges we’ve tackled and the practical support I’ve provided.
Every project is different, but they all have one thing in common: helping people move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
Projects focused on improving operations, customer experience and the way businesses work.
Supporting businesses to plan, coordinate and deliver important projects.
Creating memorable events, bringing people together and delivering projects with a positive impact.
Like a lot of good ideas, Medley didn’t begin with a business plan. It began over a coffee and a chat.
My friend and I were chatting about work, and we realised we’d been feeling the same way. Working from home had its perks, but it could also be lonely.
Some days we’d barely spoken to another person. We each missed the conversations you’d have in an office, the fresh ideas that come from being around other people and simply having somewhere different to work every now and then.
We started looking to see what was available locally. Surely there was somewhere we could go?
As it turned out… there wasn’t.
So, instead of waiting for someone else to create it, we started wondering whether we could… together.
It’s very easy to fall in love with your own idea.
Before we started designing logos or building websites, we wanted to know whether this was actually something other people wanted too. So we asked them.
We put together a public survey and spoke to local freelancers, remote workers and business owners about how they worked, what they enjoyed and what frustrated them.
The response was incredibly reassuring. Not only were we hearing, “Yes, I’d love something like that,” but people were giving us ideas we’d never even considered.
Those conversations shaped Medley long before we ever opened the doors.
Once we knew there was genuine interest, it was time to stop talking about it and actually make it happen.
Looking back, there were far more moving parts than I think either of us realised at the beginning!
We developed the concept, applied for grant funding, found venues, built the website, set up the booking system and started spreading the word.
My role naturally gravitated towards bringing everything together behind the scenes.
I built and managed the website, created the customer journey, organised bookings, worked closely with our venue partners, planned the co-working sessions and networking events, managed the marketing and communications and generally made sure all the little pieces fitted together and our co-workers were happy.
It’s the sort of work I genuinely love. The bits most people never see, but that make the whole experience feel effortless for everyone else.
One thing we hadn’t quite appreciated was that we weren’t just launching a business. We were introducing a completely new concept to Ripon. We lost count of the number of conversations that started with:
“So… what exactly is co-working?”
Then there were the people who loved the idea but admitted they’d feel awkward walking into a room full of strangers. Honestly… we understood. If we’d never been before, we’d probably have felt exactly the same.
Rather than trying to convince people, we focused on making Medley feel welcoming.
Just a friendly, welcoming place to work where conversations happened naturally.
As the weeks went by, one thing became really clear… People were incredibly generous with their feedback.
Instead of sticking rigidly to our original plan, we listened. We tweaked. We experimented. We changed things that weren’t quite working and built on the things people loved.
I think that’s one of the biggest lessons Medley taught me. The best businesses aren’t built by assuming you know all the answers. They’re built by listening.
Somewhere along the way, something shifted. People weren’t just coming to use the Wi-Fi anymore. They were recommending each other for work, sharing ideas, introducing people, supporting each other’s businesses.
Friendships formed. Collaborations happened. Our venue partners became genuine partners rather than simply places we hired. Then, local businesses and charities got involved.
Without really setting out to, we’d created something that felt like a proper business community.
And that’s probably what I’m proudest of.
Over almost two years, Medley grew from an idea over a coffee into a recognised part of Ripon’s business community.
Together, my business partner and I:
More importantly, we proved there was demand because we listened to people, tested the idea and adapted it as we went.
After a year, changing economic conditions and personal priorities meant it was the right time to bring Medley to a close. Of course, that wasn’t an easy decision.
But I don’t see Medley as something that ended. I see it as something that taught me – it reminded me that the best ideas usually start with curiosity.
And that sometimes the biggest difference you can make isn’t by having the loudest idea, it’s by quietly making things happen behind the scenes.
When clients ask me what I do now, this project is probably the best answer I can give, because this is how I like to work.
And make good ideas happen.
Industry: Independent retail – premium countrywear
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
Project: Improving day-to-day sales practices, team confidence and consistency across the customer experience
Parnaby’s is a long-established countrywear store in the heart of Malton. The business has traded from the same building for almost 300 years and has built a strong reputation for quality products, friendly service and customers who return time and again.
But, like many independent retailers, the store was navigating inconsistent footfall and challenging sales.
The team were knowledgeable, helpful and genuinely cared about their customers. However, they had never received formal retail sales or customer service training.
Everyone had developed their own way of doing things. This meant the customer experience could vary depending on who was working, some team members felt unsure about approaching customers and opportunities to start helpful sales conversations were sometimes being missed.
The issue wasn’t a lack of effort or enthusiasm. The team simply needed a clearer, more consistent way of working — and the confidence to put it into practice.
Rather than arriving with an off-the-shelf training package, I started by looking at how the store operated day to day.
I met separately with the owner and manager to understand their concerns, priorities and what they had noticed within the business.
I then spoke privately with each team member. This gave them the opportunity to talk honestly about what they found difficult, where they lacked confidence and what support would be most useful.
I also spent time observing the team on the shop floor. This helped me understand how customers were welcomed, how conversations developed and where potential sales opportunities were being lost.
The review highlighted several practical areas for improvement:
Based on what I had seen and heard, I developed a bespoke training plan specifically for Parnaby’s.
The aim wasn’t to turn the team into aggressive salespeople. It was to give them a shared approach that helped them provide better service, understand what customers needed and feel more comfortable recommending suitable products.
The training focused on:
Time, staffing and disruption were all important considerations, so the training was designed around the realities of running the shop.
Sessions took place in-store during quieter periods, allowing the team to learn within their usual working environment.
We used a combination of practical discussions, role play, questions and real examples from the shop floor. I also provided real-time coaching and individual check-ins so that each person could work on the areas where they needed the most support.
This meant the development wasn’t separate from the team’s day-to-day work. They were able to practise new approaches, reflect on what felt comfortable and gradually build their confidence.
For an operational improvement to last, it needs to continue after the consultant has left.
I created a bespoke Quick Reference Guide for the team, covering the key approaches and techniques discussed during the training.
This gave the owner, manager and employees a shared point of reference and something they could use when refreshing their knowledge, supporting newer team members or discussing customer interactions in the future.
I also followed up with the owner and manager after the final session to review progress, answer questions and identify whether any additional support was needed.
When I contacted Parnaby’s again two months later, the owner and manager reported that the business had achieved a profitable month and that the team had gained a great deal from the process.
Team members felt more confident approaching customers and were becoming increasingly comfortable introducing sales conversations into their interactions.
The project gave the business more than a one-off training session. It introduced a clearer and more consistent way of working, helped the team understand what good looked like and gave them practical tools they could continue using.
It also demonstrated something that is often overlooked when businesses are trying to improve sales: processes and people are closely connected.
When a team understands what is expected, has a practical approach to follow and feels confident carrying it out, the whole business is better placed to perform.
You might have a brilliant team and excellent products, but still feel that sales, service or everyday working practices are inconsistent.
I can help you take a step back, understand what is getting in the way and introduce practical improvements that work for your business.
That might include:
Book a free 30-minute discovery call and let’s talk about what could work better in your business.
How do you showcase a new venue, bring local businesses together and raise money for charity, all in one evening without it feeling forced?
The original plan was simple: organise a business networking event at The Ripon Inn.
The Inn had recently installed its beautiful new tipi and wanted to showcase the space to local businesses. At the same time, we wanted to bring together the local business community in a relaxed setting.
As we talked through the plans, it felt like there was an opportunity to make the evening about more than networking… Why not create an event that not only introduced businesses to a fantastic venue but also gave something back to the local community?
That’s when the fundraising element was born.
One of the biggest challenges was making sure the fundraising complemented the networking rather than interrupted it.
Traditional fundraising activities often require everyone’s attention at a particular moment, which can stop conversations and change the atmosphere in the room. I wanted people to be able to enjoy meeting new people while still supporting a brilliant local cause.
My solution was to introduce a silent auction.
It was something a little different for Ripon, and many people hadn’t come across the idea before. I created guides explaining how it worked for both the organising team and attendees, making sure everyone felt confident before the evening arrived.
The silent auction allowed guests to browse, bid and donate throughout the event without taking away from what people had come for in the first place, building relationships.
Once the concept was agreed, my role was to bring all the moving parts together.
I developed the marketing materials and event communications, coordinated with The Ripon Inn, managed enquiries from attendees and businesses, organised the silent auction, and became the main point of contact throughout the planning process.
I also spent time visiting local businesses, inviting them to the event and asking whether they would like to donate prizes to the auction. The response from the local business community was incredibly generous and helped make the fundraising such a success.
Working alongside The Ripon Inn, we carefully planned the layout of the space so that networking, catering and the auction all flowed naturally throughout the evening and worked together as one seamless event.
As with every project, there were countless emails, conversations and small decisions happening behind the scenes. My role was to keep everything organised so everyone else could focus on enjoying the evening.
The event brought together over 40 people from local businesses, showcased everything The Ripon Inn could offer as an event venue and created an enjoyable evening that balanced networking with community fundraising.
By the end of the night, we’d raised over £600 for Ripon Walled Garden through the silent auction.
For me, though, the real success was seeing so many different objectives come together in one event.
The venue had the opportunity to showcase its new space. Local businesses made new connections. A local charity benefited from the generosity of the community. And guests simply enjoyed spending an evening together without feeling like they were being sold to or constantly interrupted.
That’s exactly what we’d hoped to achieve.
This project is a good example of how I like to work.
Whether you’re planning a fundraiser, customer event, networking evening, product launch or business celebration, I enjoy looking beyond the obvious and asking, “How can this achieve even more?”
Sometimes that’s finding a creative fundraising idea. Sometimes it’s improving the guest experience. Sometimes it’s simply making sure every moving part comes together without you having to worry about it.
If you’ve got an event you’d like to bring to life, I’d love to help you make it happen.