Practising what I preach: Why I have an advisory board

Why I Built An Advisory Board – July 2026 Edition

I work with organisations going through change, helping leaders, boards and teams transform how they work. If I spend my time asking clients to think more carefully about how they make decisions and who they have around them, I believe I should hold my own business to the same standard.

So when I recognised there were areas where I needed expertise I didn't have, and probably never would, I didn't try to fill the gaps myself. I built an advisory board.

Not for appearances. Not as a tick-box. Because it's the practical answer to a real problem every business owner faces: you cannot see your own blind spots.

 What it is (and isn't) 

Jon, my husband, is a director of the business. He brings a genuine challenge role: a different perspective and his own particular set of blind spots that complement mine. But between us, we recognised early on that there were areas where we needed people with depth we simply don't have: accountancy, IT security, brand, coaching, long-term financial planning.

An advisory board isn't the same as a formal board of directors. Ours has no quarterly meetings or complicated structures. It works more like a trusted network of specialists who know the business well enough to be useful when it matters.

When I'm facing a decision in a particular area, I know who to call.

The value isn't only expertise. It's context. It's having people who understand how I think and who will be straight with me when I need them to be.

 How it has shaped the business 

The influence isn't always visible from the outside, but it runs through the business.

Cheryl pushed me to have the uncomfortable conversations about pricing. Not to make me feel better about what I charge, but to make sure the pricing actually reflects the value of the work.

Robert made the case for taking infrastructure security seriously before I built AI tooling into the business, not after. That sequencing mattered.

Working with Sara on the rebrand forced me to articulate what Jannaways actually stands for. That clarity now shapes how I describe the work, write proposals and position the practice.

Gary ensures the foundations are sound: Companies House, HMRC, annual accounts, so I can focus on client work without a background worry about compliance.

Taylor keeps the long-term picture in view. Business owners are systematically bad at this. Having someone whose specific job is the horizon beyond the next quarter is quietly essential.

None of these are dramatic moments. They're the kind of considered decisions that strengthen a business over time. Several of them I probably wouldn't have reached on my own.

 Meet the Advisory Board 

Cheryl Thornton, Business Coach   Cheryl Thornton Consultancy & Coaching  Cheryl runs her own coaching and consulting practice supporting women in business. While many people think of coaching as motivation or accountability, Cheryl's role in the business goes much deeper. She's often the person pushing me into the conversations I'd rather avoid: pricing, boundaries, sustainability and recognising the value of my own expertise. She brings both challenge and perspective, making sure the decisions I make for the business are sustainable not just commercially, but personally too.

Cheryl says “Being part of Rachel’s advisory board feels like a real privilege, not just because I believe in her work, but because I know how much heart, courage, and integrity she brings to her work.

My role is often to walk beside her, sometimes quite literally in nature, where the conversations have space to breathe. We talk about the things that can be easy to avoid when you’re close to your own business: value, boundaries, sustainability, confidence, and backing yourself more fully.

Because business decisions are never just business decisions. They affect the person behind the business too.

For me, good advisory support isn’t about telling someone what to do. It’s about listening deeply, asking the question that needs to be asked, and helping someone trust what they already know.”

Gary Hamilton, Hamilton Accounts Hamilton Accounts Gary has worked with the business almost from the beginning and handles the financial and compliance side of Jannaways. From annual accounts and Companies House filings to HMRC submissions, he ensures the business is operating responsibly and correctly behind the scenes. What Gary brings is confidence and stability: the reassurance that the business foundations are solid, allowing me to focus more fully on client work and strategic growth.

Taylor Beavis, Independent Financial Adviser   Universe Financial Advice Taylor supports the long-term financial planning side of the business and personal financial strategy. Business owners are often forced to focus on what's directly in front of them: immediate decisions, immediate growth, immediate pressure. Taylor brings the longer-term view. From pensions to future financial planning, his role is to ensure today's decisions still make sense years from now. That perspective is consistently undervalued in owner-managed businesses.

Taylor says “I help business owners realise the long‑term value of their business while they’re actively running it, ensuring everything remains financially sound along the way. Too often, owners rely solely on their business as their ‘future’ and overlook personal financial planning. I bring balance to that, helping them keep the business and their own planning on track and in harmony.”

Robert Arnold, Seventyfive Seventyfive Robert runs Seventyfive, an IT consultancy specialising in information security and support for smaller businesses. As AI infrastructure has become a larger part of the business, his guidance around resilience, systems and security has become increasingly important. Robert is often the person asking the questions many businesses avoid: What happens if something breaks? What are the risks? Where are the vulnerabilities? That kind of thinking becomes critical as businesses grow and technology becomes more embedded in everyday operations.

Robert says “Getting IT security and resilience right doesn't have to be a big, difficult, or expensive task, but it makes a meaningful difference to the business no matter how large or small.”

Sara Witham, Evil Empire Evil Empire Sara founded Evil Empire, the agency behind the Jannaways brand and website, bringing more than 20 years of marketing experience. The rebrand process wasn't simply about visuals. It became an exercise in defining what Jannaways actually stands for and making that visible externally. That clarity now influences everything from messaging and positioning to how the business communicates with clients. Sara brought strategic brand thinking, not just design.

Sara says “I am a marketing consultant and the founder of Evil Empire Marketing, the agency behind the Jannaways brand and website.

With a 25 year career in marketing, I focus on making sure that marketing activity supports the wider goals of the business. Our work brings strategic direction that helps clients grow in a purposeful way.

For Jannaways, the rebrand was part of a bigger picture to define what the business stands for and how it wants to be seen. Our team helped shape the core message, the tone of voice and the way they communicate with clients. The result is a brand that reflects the business and supports its long term plans”

 Why this matters 

There's a version of business ownership that prizes self-sufficiency above everything else. I don't subscribe to it.

Surrounding yourself with people who bring different expertise, perspectives and a willingness to challenge you is one of the most responsible decisions a leader can make. You don't need a corporate boardroom. You need people who know your business well enough to tell you the truth, and who you trust enough to actually listen to.

For me, that's exactly what this board has become.

This article was co-created through a human-led process using several AI models as thinking partners. It reflects our commitment to ethical, transparent, and accountable use of AI, where human judgement, curiosity, and oversight remain central.