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.
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.
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.
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.
Click 'Read More' to meet the Advisory Board