My approach to my work and life is defined by two landscapes: the bottle kilns of Stoke-on-Trent where I grew up, and the steel coast of Teesside where I now live. Coming from the Potteries, I learned early on that industry and creativity are not opposites. They are very much forged in the same fire.
I have spent the last twenty years building a varied career in what might be described as the tight confines of academia, where I learnt, perhaps more than anything else, that resilience isn’t about bouncing back, but about having the resources, support and creativity to navigate uncertainty and design new futures within rigid systems. I learnt that seeking out new possibilities is as much about understanding the (un)written rules of a system and reading the room, as it is having the courage to design a space for yourself where one didn’t exist before.
As a Professor, Associate Dean, and Institute Director, I learnt to navigate the complex machinery of Higher Education, lead large teams, manage complex portfolios, and work in connection with local authorities, charities, and businesses to improve lives and drive system change.
But, over my career, I have seen how easy it is to get trapped by rigid systems and spend days firefighting and ticking boxes rather than driving the future forward.
I founded One Little Spark to break that cycle.
I wanted to take what I had learnt through research, teaching, management and leadership and apply it to the messy, beautiful reality of our lives and organisations. I now help individuals, leaders and teams reclaim perspective, move beyond the belief that we can simply optimise our way out of complexity, and start designing the futures they want.
My work is grounded in Possibilities Thinking, Messy Leadership, and the Industrial Sublime (more of that another time). I recognise that true creativity, good strategy, and effective leadership aren’t neat and tidy, but components of complex, gritty systems. By looking at the heavy machinery of an organisation or place, I aim to uncover the beauty and potential within it and offer up new perspectives and pathways for reimagining what’s possible.
Guided by my belief that true innovation requires play, I use ideas of “being at the edge” to help you identify the potential for change that insiders often miss. Whether I am coaching a Director, facilitating a University strategy day, or working on local regeneration, I help you to hear through the noise and find the signals within the static.
In this sense, I don’t simply offer consultancy; I offer perspective. Often, the best thinking doesn’t happen in a committee room. It happens when we step away and allow ourselves space to think and imagine, individually and together.
Living on the North East coast, looking out at the horizon where the steelworks once met the sea, reminds me daily that nothing is fixed.
My mission is simple: to help you find that horizon, regulate the noise, and lead with clarity in a complex world.
You can find out more about my research here.
ONE LITTLE SPARK TRAINING AND CONSULTANCY 