A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF BUSINESS CONVERSATION

What we stand for

Our commitment to all our clients is to save them time, money and stress as they grow their businesses, by focusing on what your business needs right now as well as working with you to develop a dynamic strategy for the future, and equipping you and your team to deliver it.

More than this, it’s to give you a deeper understanding of yourself as a leader and the human beings working together in your business – wisdom and insight that is often missed out in mainstream business programmes.

And it’s to encourage and leverage your strengths, and to identify and fill gaps and remove blockers, enabling you to move forward confidently in your chosen direction.

We’re centred on you as whole person, not just a business leader, and on your business as a complete entity – an ecosystem, if you will, where everything is connected.

Where we came from

The Yara approach grew from years of observing clients closely... and a couple of chance conversations...

Several years ago, Annabelle Beckwith found herself standing at the front of a room delivering someone else’s training course to a group of customer service staff.

The focus was on handing customer complaints... but it soon became clear that the complaints were all about one thing: faulty goods being sent out from the factory.

It was a no brainer – the costly nationwide training course was a waste of time. They were papering over the cracks. The company would have benefited far more from taking a more comprehensive look at addressing the issue of what was going on in the factory.

Conversations with finance colleagues revealed a similar theme: the issue that was being addressed wasn’t the issue – it was something deeper.

Her marketing and branding associates chimed in with the same observation: the thing wasn’t the thing.... it was something else.

It led to the formation of a more connected, systemic response to business challenges.

Because everything really IS connected. And so our approach is too.

The Team

Yara Journeys’ founder Annabelle Beckwith is joined by range of experienced associates in a variety of fields, who are brought into projects depending on what our clients need. Here are a few of us!

Annabelle Beckwith

With a background in the creative industries, Annabelle has been working with organisations of all sizes internationally for nearly 20 years, coaching and training leaders at all organisational levels.

She is the author of ‘Get Your Peas In A Row – 5 key factors to propel your business forward’.

Superpower: forging a path through the business jungle... and getting stuff done.

Ian Thomson

A chartered accountant by profession, Ian has global experience in guiding business leaders through change, focusing on whole –organisation dynamics as well as empowering individuals to raise their game. Ian is currently studying for a PhD in Business Administration.

Superpower: translating complex concepts into real-life applications

Suzanne Braid

Suzanne is an experience HR and organisational development practitioner. She brings both corporate and SME experience to the team.

Superpower: translating people strategy into actionable plans that make a difference

Dr Lesley Crane

Lesley is an expert in learning and knowledge management and on the application of AI to learning. Before undertaking her PhD, she ran her own successful business for many years.

Superpower: her unique blend of academic rigour and practical first hand business skills

John Moore

John is a trained accountant and successful coach, working one-to-one with a range of individuals to align personal goals and business goals, and take action to achieve them.

Superpower: making numbers easy to understand. A special blend of encouragement and challenge.

Paul Brunton

Paul is a creative and lateral thinker, using music and out-of-the-office experiential methods to create learning environments with real impact.

Superpower: creating ‘A-ha moments’ through learning experiences

Susan Grandfield

With a background in HR and learning and development, Susan specialises in mindfulness and conscious leadership. Her approach brings grounding and calm to leadership teams in a practical way.

Superpower: The ability to help people centre themselves, she is a bringer of calm to everyday chaos.

Tony Hitchcock

Tony is an all round creative genius. An artist and props maker who has created West End theatre sets, film and TV props and museum exhibits , he brings a unique perspective to creative thinking and innovation.

Superpower: the ability to make something spectacular out of junk.

Kirsty Innes

Kirsty is a marketing specialist with 20 years experience helping businesses communicate their message clearly, building customer loyalty and increasing sales

Superpower: cuts through the meaningless guff of fluffy marketing to devise and implement strategies that actually make you money.

Mercy Bulsari

With a dual base in India and Canada and a background in plastics and polymers, Mercy is an expert in R &D and manufacture.

Superpower: continuous improvement, and being able to explain technical concepts and procedures to non-technical people

Clients

Over the years we’ve worked with businesses large and small on a wide range of challenges, issues, and initiatives, providing consultancy, training and coaching.

Because our work is based on proven principles, we apply best practice thinking and techniques to your business and your leadership team, whatever your size or sector.

Shell

Formica

Hastens

Woodward

Avon

BAE Systems

Entrepreneurial Scotland

"Annabelle has delivered management skills training to Avon - Saudi Management Team. Once this training was completed, both I and the team realised what a step forward it had been. As HR Manager, I can comfortably state that Anna is one of the best facilitators I’ve worked with. I strongly recommend her services: she made a clear impact, which has reflected on to the Company growth.

Ahmed Hassan

HR Manager, Avon Beauty Arabia – Saudi Arabia

"She is a highly intuitive facilitator and constantly listens and works with the group in order to support and challenge their thinking. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise, particularly in the effective presentation and communication field which I believe is of value to any leadership programme. I hope to work with Anna again soon!"

Fiona Dee

Learning and Organisational Development, Standard Life, Edinburgh

“One week later and I just wanted to thank you both hugely and from the bottom of my heart for letting me have this amazing experience. I can't express the impact, sincerely. I think I am still on a high from it, I can't stop talking about the day and evening.”