Kirsty, Glassatura Cakes
I was completely overwhelmed and lost in my business. I was stuck in a rut and needed help taking things to the next level.

I’ve read so many books and watched so many videos, but having a mentor on a 1:1 basis, completely tailored to my business, was an absolute gamechanger.

I’ve since reviewed my figures to make sure I’m making a decent profit on every sale. I’ve increased my prices and have still been booking in customers. I’ve been registered as a supplier in multiple wedding venues, I’ve changed my process to improve my customer journey as well as making tasks more efficient for myself. I had my best Christmas Cupcake Box sales yet and I’m about to launch my first monthly newsletter – all in 3 months!

I always really looked forward to our calls. Joanne has so much business knowledge and experience but it was never delivered in an intimidating way. The calls were fun and comfortable but jam packed with value.

I loved Joanne’s approach to mentoring. Her enthusiasm is infectious and the focus on mindset was so important to me. Joanne’s worth every penny. I was at a low point in my business where income had dropped and something really needed to change. Investing in my business during that time was daunting, but it was the best thing I could have done. I instantly felt I could trust Joanne with all aspects of my business, and there was never any judgement – only encouragement

Working with Joanne was like having a mentor, cheerleader and friend all in one. Thanks again Joanne, I’m so glad I took the leap and invested!
– Kirsty, Glassatura Cakes
Bonnie, Bluebells Burrow
Before I worked with Joanne I felt overwhelmed, not sure what to focus on first and had no idea where I should be spending my time.

I chose the retail mentoring service because I moved my business to a warehouse which meant I now had more time to finally start to develop and plan where I wanted my business to go.

I have learnt more about SEO and where and how to work on it and have seen great results. I have developed my USP and how to use this in different ways, as well as a plan to expand this for next year. I have learnt more about social media platforms and how to use them effectively and discussed and developed a new Christmas product.

My favourite part was having some accountability, keeping me focused on working on goals rather than getting bogged down on daily “stuff” that doesn’t always mean you are developing your business. I also have enjoyed working on my USP and how this can be developed over the coming months. I have lots of things now that I can be working on even after my time with Joanne.

I found Joanne easy to get on with, approachable but kept me on task. I have learnt loads but also have a plan on areas that I can continue to work on even after my time with her.

It was a brilliant experience, helping to keep me focused on developing my business, not just the day to day running of it. I enjoyed bouncing off ideas or developing them. Being empowered to direct the business where I want it to go and plan ahead. If you’re unsure book a one off session, and just get to know Joanne and discuss ideas with her.
– Bonnie, Bluebells Burrow
Goldie, Goldie Moran
I joined the group support network because I know Joanne is super knowledgeable about products. I was able to fully focus on the product side of my business for Christmas for the first time since I started my business and I wanted to get the most out of it.

Since then I increased my confidence with asking for the sale, putting myself out there and trying new things. I doubled my mailing list, sent out regular emails, did my first market, launched new products, started to set up international shipping and started to create a wholesale brochure.

My favourite part was having access to Joanne’s amazing brain via the Voxer chat. I loved the Monday morning check ins and hearing where the other members were up and feeling on a journey with them.

I love how direct Joanne is, she explains things in a way that’s so simple to understand. It makes me wonder why you’ve been waiting and overthinking and not just getting on with it. I love her energy and that she incorporates wellbeing and mindset.

If you work with Joanne, you’ll soon be ticking off all of the things you’ve been wanting to start but have been putting off. She is generous in sharing everything she knows with you. It’s like working with a friend who happens to know everything about product businesses.
– Goldie, Goldie Moran
Johanna Pahalahti artist
I felt really lost. I knew what I wanted to do, but there was SO much to do, I got overwhelmed and did nothing. I love to create art, but I find everything else, like marketing, creating content, and writing really difficult. There is so much to do! I needed a new website. How to pick colours and design everything? Where to sell my art? How to plan everything so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed? It was all too much.

I was so overwhelmed by the workload I needed to do and I didn’t know where to start. I got to know Joanne in the Busy to Boss academy and I really loved her way of coaching. She teaches a lot about how your own thoughts matter and how the answers are already in you. She has a very calming and positive attitude, which I also love. I felt I could trust her and ask her anything. She always had answers and positive ways to move forward. My favourite part was our calls. It always surprised me how much we got done in the hour.

I have gained a lot of confidence in trusting my inner voice. I have made clear goals and know how to proceed. I have planned my website, got my art to a Finnish online platform for sale, started my Etsy shop with new products and created descriptions for my collection launch. I have had many new ideas for future collections and we have planned how to market and sell my art, and soooo much more. Most importantly I have gained a lot of confidence trusting my ability to go forward with my ideas.
– Johanna Pahalahti, Artist
Made by Miriam 1:1 retail mentor testimonial
Before I worked with Joanne, I felt unmotivated with ideas in my head but unable to put them into practice due to feeling overwhelmed and lack of confidence in my products and myself.

I chose the retail mentoring service after attending one of Joanne’s Christmas workshops. Her enthusiasm, personality and knowledge knew it would be worth the investment.

Since then, I have launched successful monthly collections, and craft kit subscriptions and have a plan on paper to go wholesale and more confidence to know my self-worth, ask for the sale and believe in my products. After working with Joanne, I have beaten my sales each month from the previous year and know my products are profitable.

My favourite part of the service was our 1:1 calls – it felt like I was talking to a friend who knew everything about running a small business without judgement or feeling silly asking questions or ideas.

Working with Joanne was the right pick for me because she is just so lovely with a strong, honest working ethic that made me feel relaxed and focused.

Jump in and invest in yourself – you will not regret it in the slightest. It is the best thing I have done for my business and myself.

Working with Joanne is like working with your best friend who knows everything there is to know about running a small business and has the confidence to be 100% in you to grow – as a business and a person.
– Miriam, Made by Miriam
Annie, China Dawgs. Retail Mentoring
I needed direction and focus in pivotal areas. I wanted to get better organised and as I was feeling confused, overwhelmed and alone before.

I am now showing up on social media, have planned a content calendar, organised my business finances, set sales targets, streamlined my postal and delivery methods, rewritten all my product descriptions to increase SEO, focused on areas that are more lucrative and learnt to say no to opportunities that don’t fit with me – and this has been huge.

Jo has completely revolutionised my business processes, never afraid to get stuck in and help
organise your thoughts, ideas and create positive actions. She has gone above and beyond and no idea or thought is ever too much even at the very beginning stages.

Working with Jo has revolutionised my business processes and mindset and I am seeing amazing results in all areas of my life. Thank you Jo from the bottom of my heart, you’ve made such a huge difference!
– Annie, China Dawgs
Em Emerson 1:1 retail mentor testimonial
I wanted to grow my business in different ways and focus on changing the every day but I felt a bit lost.

I wanted to expand the type of products I supplied and improve my knowledge in this area and see where and what I was missing out on doing and to also improve where I lacked confidence.

I created a whole range of prints and exhibited them and learnt plenty of lessons along the way, the pricing and working out of that side were brilliant exercises as I really didn’t know about the wholesale side of things and the profit margins which definitely gave me confidence on moving forward with launching.

Meeting with Joanne and discussing everything business and life-related and being able to bounce ideas off her. Feeling there was a plan of action and always a way to move forward. I always felt lighter and more optimistic and motivated to do more.

I loved her ethos and how mindset in your every day also transfers into how you and your business should work, in harmony with yourself really. I also felt we connected really well too. Like your own personal cheerleader to keep you going and on track.

Do it work with Joanne, it’s a really good investment in yourself and your business. She is a fountain of knowledge.

This is a very enjoyable mind-expanding and actionable experience that translates into something being done in real life moving you and your business forward.
– Eileen-Marie, Em Emerson
Thalia - Botanty & Books Retail mentoring testimonial
I felt totally overwhelmed about how to take my lockdown side hustle to a full-time small business. I knew I needed help, that I couldn’t do it on my own. I was introduced to Joanne through the Busy to Boss Academy and Instagram, I felt confident that we would be a great match to work together.

Since working with Joanne, I have left my job and taken my business full time, which I couldn’t have done on my own! I have consistently met my financial goals, I have built so much confidence in myself and my business. I have learnt to listen to my intuition, to trust myself, to ask for help, that it is okay to not know something and to ask for help, that sometimes you just need to vent and get it out so that you can get back to the work. I’ve moved over to a subscription service which means I have monthly recurring income which is amazing. I just feel like I know what I’m doing, and I am so grateful to Joanne for helping to get me here.

After each call, I went away feeling totally focused and aligned with the inspired action I needed to take. I learnt SO much about how to run a small business through deep diving into different topics and covering in-depth lots of different areas. Getting Joanne’s insight and knowledge tailored to my business and my goals were totally invaluable.

There has been total trust through our relationship while working together and I think that is key. We share similar values and enjoy working in similar ways. I’m such a big fan of Joanne, I needed someone who would teach me, challenge me, and make me feel supported when I was overwhelmed. She has made me feel confident that I have the ability to make my business work. Joanne’s work on mindset has been hugely important for the first 6 months of my business going full time, and a reason I was attracted to working with her. I love meditation, affirmations, yoga, and so does Joanne, so we could openly talk about how these tools could help me on my journey.

It is the best investment you can make in yourself so absolutely do it. I wouldn’t be where I am without Joanne. If you’re a product-based business, to really make the progress you need to, it is important to work with someone who really knows the industry, which not all coaches will. Joanne blends mentoring and coaching – she knows what she’s talking about and teaching and she will work to bring the best out of you.
– Thalia, Botany & Books
Cherith Harrison Retail mentoring testimonial
With the massive decrease in trade orders (due to the pandemic) and the massive increase in online orders (a silver lining) my customer focus needed to shift and because of that I was unsure as to how to progress with my ranges and designs.

I needed an expert, solid sounding board. And Joanne was just that. Because I wasn’t mixing with fellow business peers and customers so I felt a bit lost in what I should be doing, product development-wise. My only regret is that I didn’t contact Joanne sooner.

I had tons of ideas that needed distilling and Joanne’s impressive experience in retail and ability to look objectively at a company and understand its strengths is what made me choose to work with her. I have since gained a better understanding of what my customers want and more confidence in myself at trusting my instincts.

My favourite part was seeing her analysis of my sales and hearing her tell me what products and designs I should focus on! While I love being my own boss and being the sole decision maker I do need an instruction once in a while to help keep me on track. I feel I got a lot out of the initial discovery call too. She was really enthusiastic from the beginning through right through to the end.

Joanne is enthusiastic and very engaging, she is passionate about helping you to push forward your brand and is able to help give you a clear focus, direction/strategy.
– Cherith, Cherith Harrison
Sara Sayer, artist
I felt like giving up on illustration. I felt that nothing was hitting the spot where I was making an impact online and I was at a loss as to what to concentrate on. I felt overwhelmed by the directions in which I could take my work and was having great difficulty deciding what was really me. In short, I was lost.

I needed to become more commercial in my practice. Financial return without losing sight of making art that I’m proud of and that my customers want to invest in. I felt that the right fit of a Mentor would really shine a light on how to do this.

Since then, I have become much more accountable for my business decisions. I am clearer on all the costs involved in product development which means I can protect my margin.

Analysing time and profit has helped me see that a business heavily reliant on commissions does not make the best use of my time and by having that time to pursue my painting the long term effect will be richer and more rewarding.

Joanne has helped me to move into wholesale for my illustrations. Her help in the organisation and plans for the first collaborative exhibition of Eden Collective were fundamental in ensuring that it was a resounding success.

I have made decisions that will lead to my business becoming more and more of the truest nature of what I want to create.

The part of the service that I really benefited from was planning a launch plan for new products. I was clueless and Joanne held my hand throughout.

I feel like she has many of the qualities that I need to develop – she’s so organised, responsive and positive that learning from her is a pleasure. We compliment each other.

If you’re on the fence book a 90 min planning call, you’ll be amazed how quickly problems can be broken down and tackled.

Working with Joanne is like having the best cheerleader and teacher rolled into one on your side.
– Sara Sayer, Illustrator & Artist
Festive Fingerprints retail mentoring testimonial
I felt Completely out of my depth before I worked with Joanne. I had just said yes to my first wholesale order and I had absolutely no idea where to begin. I also really wanted to set up my Not On The High Street shop but knew that I needed to ensure the business was in the right place to make that work for me.

Joanne came highly recommended from The Mamahood and I had watched a couple of mentoring webinars which were great before I decided to book.

Since working with her I have successfully fulfilled my wholesale order, set up my Not On The High Street shop, learnt how to create and use sales forecasting, understood my margins, developed an entire new Christmas range and prepared it for launch.

Having someone to talk to was my favourite part. It sounds so odd but to have an hour every 2 weeks to talk nonstop about my business with someone so knowledgeable and who genuinely cares, was absolute bliss and totally priceless.

Joanne is so enthusiastic, she’s full of ideas, suggestions, improvements and she doesn’t hold back either. She gives incredible advice but isn’t afraid to say so if she doesn’t think something is working. She really pushed me outside of my comfort zone and gave me the confidence to do things I never thought possible.

For me it was 100% right. If you’re on the fence about working with Joanne, work out when you are going to be needing the most support and go for it then.

I felt completely at ease from our first meeting, I could be completely open with you about all aspects of the business and I could trust you entirely. You gave me the confidence I needed to push myself and make my dreams a reality.
– Casey, Festive Fingerprints
Bianca, Binks Design testimonial
Working with Joanne was exactly everything I needed. I was at a point in my business where other things outside of it had to become a priority and with Christmas looming at the time, I wanted to regain control and make the most of the Christmas selling season. Joanne not only helped me create a plan of action, but she was also so considerate of my energy levels and how I was feeling about regaining my focus and pushing for Christmas in an already busy time of year.

We looked at the timeline and plotted everything that needed to be done to launch for Christmas from product design, photography and even website product descriptions. This immediately squashed the overwhelm that I was feeling and left me with a manageable and clear road map to launching my new designs for Christmas.

Joanne and I had a couple of calls to chat through things and plot the tasks within the timeline together – we discussed things that could be dropped and things that we knew were important and to make a priority. In-between calls, Joanne provided me with resources from the content calendar tracker to social media ideas & plans to a margin calculator for my product prices. We also stayed in touch via Voxer which was such lovely additional support.

I can’t recommend working with Joanne enough, I know exactly what I need to do to plan a launch going forward now!
– Bianca, Binks Design
Safiyyah Studio
I felt lost, I was working month by month rather than having a set plan for the year. I was desperately looking for clarity and a clear strategy to launch my products.

I needed some clear direction and a second and experienced opinion. I needed to get ahead of myself and not feel like I was always catching up with the year’s plans.

I now have a clear plan for Christmas 2021, a whole year planned out for 2022 and my weekly focus.

She helped with mindset and what could be blocking me from moving forward, talking through feelings around my actions and what to decide within my business. I know I feel more confident about my work.

There was help with messaging around product launches and ideas of newsletters, planning content for launches and suggestions on improving sales by adjusting shipping.

I understand sales targets and working out how to use the profit margin spreadsheet and I have also learnt about wholesale and the process.

I found the 1 to 1 calls really helpful when we needed to talk about detailed things and having everything saved so I can refer back to it all.

I found Joanne very easy to work with and trusted her opinion and ideas based on her experience. If you’re looking for a clear direction, focus and clarity she’s the one. Joane is very easy and flexible to work with.
– Safiyyah, Safiyyah Studio
Liz, Slow Sunday
Working with Joanne fast tracked things for me and made sure I was thinking with a business mind from the start. I was also confused with where to begin with my business and wanted to do everything all at once and couldn’t break things down into actionable steps.

The accountability, guidance and the amount of knowledge that Joanne has willingly passed on to me is amazing. I can also openly discuss my ideas with and get honest feedback and critique. It is sometimes difficult to see things from an outside perspective and I think that is a very valuable thing. I think I’d still be going round in circles if I hadn’t taken the leap.

I have achieved more in 6 months that I have in the previous 3 years! I have started my own online business selling my artwork with a successful and exciting launch. I have released 2 brand new collections within the space of 2 months and I am now working on my 3rd. I have sold more artwork in the last six months than I ever have previously. I have been accepted as a notonthehighstreet.com seller. My confidence and knowledge have grown hugely. I am able to break down tasks into actionable steps and actually work through them without becoming too overwhelmed. And my personal favourite… I built my whole website in about 2 days after putting it off for absolutely ages!

My favourite part is our calls where we go through everything I have been working on and break down what needs to be done in the following weeks ahead. I also find it valuable to be able to contact Joanne throughout the month on Voxer to show her what I am working on and to ask questions that pop up.

It is a calming and clarifying experience that will set you up with actionable steps to succeed.
She has a wealth of experience and knowledge in product-based business. She is also very friendly, kind, calming and trustworthy.

It is an investment but it’s worth every penny. I would not be where I am today without making the investment in myself and my business. Give it a go and you won’t regret it!
– Liz, Slow Sunday
Kate Whyley retail mentor testimonial
I wanted to know more about customer mindset, how and where to develop my range for retail as I felt frustrated and stuck in my own head with an unclear vision of steps to take next.

The practical feedback, relevant articles, spreadsheets that were thoughtfully tailored to be relevant to my exact needs. I have since grown in confidence in my own ability to make decisions and make great leaps forward without overthinking.

Joanne listened very well, her responses were extremely considered and not generic. I found her thoughtful, professional and kept me on track. She is a business coach who looks at your strengths and how to build on them.

If you’re on the fence then consider what you want to achieve at the moment and why you can’t. Talk to Joanne about these blocks and what she can do for them practically – now consider how much that will add to your business and strategy going forward and consider. This a great investment
– Kate, Kate Whyley
Claire Archive 12 retail mentor testimonial
Before I worked with Joanne, I felt full of ideas but not sure how to implement them or where to begin. I heard Joanne speak on a podcast and looking at her website she seemed super knowledgeable and specifically in the niche I needed support in. Designing and launching a product side to my business.

I have learned how to work out profit margins, track my bestsellers and I feel confident this side of my business will continue to grow. Plus launch 5 gift boxes and a Christmas card range.

My favourite part was our zoom chats. Joanne is super organised and comes to each chat with a plan of attack and what to focus on next. I always left feeling full of ideas and ready to go!

She is an expert at what she does and has all the insider knowledge I needed to refine my offering. She is also super lovely and supportive! You learn so much and have Joanne supporting you all the way. She goes above and beyond in every way.
– Claire, Archive 12
Ivy&Gold retail mentoring testimonial
I was feeling overwhelmed and unable to let go of control of certain aspects of the business which was stunting both growth and my ability to set boundaries and re charge. I regularly found myself feeling like things were too much and working crazy long hours alone to make the business work.

Joanne was recommended by another woman in business who I admire AND because I knew I needed someone to talk to. Working alone can be quite isolating and it was great to have a sounding board.

I have gained perspective on what parts of the business I can let go of by handing over to other people, plus a better knowledge of and ability to navigate wholesale enquiries.

I loved having a sounding board to bounce ideas off and someone to hold me to account with plans and actioning the plans.

I was at a stage in my business where things were becoming overwhelming and my ideas and plans were all over the place. Joanne helped me streamline my plans and prioritise what was important.

So do it! It’s important to invest in yourself and your business and you have nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain. Joanne is a sounding board and friend in business to help keep you motivated and focussed.
– Erinn, Ivy & Gold
Maria, Firera Home
I felt very stressed and very confused. I had been working hard but I wasn’t seeing the results I was hoping for. I was desperate for a change, some light, and some little successes at last because life felt very hard. I also felt alone with my issues and were overthinking things a lot, as I didn’t have many people to share my thoughts with.

I wanted to work with someone 1:1 because I thought that change would be impossible unless I could really share all of my thoughts with someone I could trust and speak of even the littlest things – in my head they were big things. It would’ve been difficult to search for concrete answers from a different source and I felt that generic advice wasn’t quite enough so I wanted a more personal experience.

The sales have also been the best ever with December being the best month of the whole year. I am more confident in myself, I know what my strengths (and passions as well) are and it is easier to focus on those.

My favourite part was the monthly calls always left me so inspired and I felt so much calmer afterwards! I felt safe to open up pretty much straight away, which is not always the case with me. I am grateful for the encouragement no matter where I was or what I was going through.

So go for it! Expert advice, a fresh perspective, and one-on-one support will make all the difference.
– Maria, Firera Home
Naoko - Rock Me Designs
Before I worked with Joanne I felt overwhelmed, not confident and too close to the detail. I was unable to see the bigger picture and how everything ties together.

I am such a detail oriented person so it was nice to get specific details on what to improve, including wording suggestions for the product descriptions.

I now have a whole list of things to update and improve on. I hope it will lead to website and SEO improvement, more sales and give the customer a more cohesive image of the brand.

Joanne has a good all round understanding of retail business and is able to relate that to small businesses. She is very easy going, listened and understood my feelings on where I needed to improve and was extremely efficient.
– Naoko, Rock Me Designs
Afdele, Nutmeg Studio wall sticker
Before I worked with Jo I was trying to do far too much and not achieving what I wanted to achieve. Jo worked alongside me to help me stay focused. Jo pulled together a marketing strategy via email and blog posts and helped with product development. She was always full of ideas and offered advice on the direction we could take my business. Jo is easy to work with and has a fast array of knowledge, she totally understood my business and its requirements.
– Adele, Nutmeg Studio
Becky Hazel & Blue Candles
I needed support and guidance as well as expert knowledge and opinion on retail and new products. Joanne has such a wide scope of knowledge and experience within the retail and creative small business sector.

I now feel much more focused on the direction and development of the kits. Through Joanne’s support I have developed my candle making kits to reflect not only my brand but also to understand how they would fit into the retail market. I loved seeing her knowledge and experience could be applied to the kits.
– Becky, Hazel & Blue
Alex Bown Studio 9
As soon as I saw that Joanne was offering sessions, I signed up immediately, without hesitation. I knew that a service which combined Joanne’s experience and enthusiasm with a focus on product development was what I needed to help my business develop and flourish! It is also rare to find a service that is so tailored to what I do!

Joanne completely understood my business and it was refreshing to see a clear and concise outcome which encapsulated some of the things I had been thinking about as well as some really innovative ways of developing products which were still in line with my brand.

Since then I have refined my product range – taking some products out can be as important as leaving things in! I have also developed existing ranges as well as adding entirely new products. This, in turn, has led to a significant increase in sales as well as an increase in repeat orders.
I have also become more confident with my designs and feel like I have really found my ‘style’. Sometimes it would take me months to upload a product as I was worried about how it would be received but in the main, if I have an idea or concept now, it only takes a couple of days to put it live on my site.
– Alex, Studio 9
Maria Allen product development testimonial
I had been looking for some extra help for a while and I’m so glad that I was put in touch with Joanne. She is wonderful to work with and has really helped us to develop our existing range and also to experiment with new designs, ideas and concepts that we hadn’t looked into before.

Joanne is highly skilled in the creative side of her work and also the commercial and business side, which is so important for us. She took the time to get to know and understand our brand, identity and existing range, which really helped the process and ensured that the ideas she developed were right for us. I have been delighted with her work so far and would definitely recommend Joanne!
– Maria, Maria Allen Boutique
Joanne Hawker
Before I worked with Joanne I was feeling a bit lost and was unsure where I should be heading, despite having a notebook full of ideas! However, after speaking to Joanne I realised that I was on the right track and it’s really exciting to finally have some direction again!

Working with Joanne was the right pick for me because she’s very friendly, yet professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with.
– Joanne, Joanne Hawker
Merle - Merle Made Tales
As an artist with a business selling my work on gifts and stationery I have always picked themes to base my artwork around inspired by my own interests. Of course it’s important to do what you love but I’ve never known how to target the right audience.

I could never be objective enough about my own work to understand what trends I could tap into. That is why Joanne’s work has been invaluable. With her insightful suggestions of current trends that fit my brand and new product ideas, I suddenly feel like someone has given my windows a good clean and I can see out more clearly! I have been shown my brand from an outside perspective and given new directions to explore that don’t compromise my style or interests and, most importantly, allow me to stay true to myself.

I knew she had completely understood my brand and the values I feel most passionate about, better even then I do myself! The call and hand-over was so clear, relatable and beautifully put together. Receiving a recording of the conversation afterwards was also a really nice touch as it’s so easy to forget all the new info you’ve suddenly been given.

I’m so excited to get started on a new range of illustrated products armed with new inspiration and new tools for understanding my brand and audience better.
– Merle, Merle Made Tales