I began my homeopathic training in 2016 and since then, I’ve been continuously refining how I communicate what I do – because "homeopath" doesn’t necessarily mean anything to the person I’m talking to. When asked, I usually begin with: “I’m a natural health practitioner and I help people with...” but the truth is, what I help with rarely fits tidily into a single sentence.

In reality, most people come to me with a primary concern – a persistent symptom, a troubling health issue, or an emotional discomfort. Yet what often unfolds through the course of our work together is much more layered and holistic. I’ve seen time and time again that the symptom that brings someone to me is just the tip of the iceberg. As their treatment progresses, they start to notice changes in areas they hadn’t even expected – often improvements in sleep, digestion, mood, energy, clarity, and confidence. It is this broader transformation that continues to remind me of how meaningful this work is, and why I love it.

Curious to better understand the symptoms that bring patients to me, I recently opened my filing cabinet of notes and reflected on the feedback I’ve received during follow-up appointments over the past year. I carefully tallied the symptoms my patients told me had eased, improved, or resolved altogether and the results were both enlightening and affirming. I hadn’t realised quite how many of my patients experienced anxiety prior to taking remedies, or that the most common physical symptom to improve was sleep difficulties.

From this review, I can now say that the top five physical symptoms my patients have found relief from after taking homeopathic remedies are:

Sleep disturbances
Hormonal imbalances (hot flushes, menstrual pain, etc.)
Skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, etc.)
Recurring illnesses
Digestive troubles (including IBS and related symptoms)

On the emotional side the top five are:

Anxiety
Hormonal influences (including brain fog and mood swings)
ASD/ADHD-related challenges
Motivation issues
Boundary-setting difficulties

When patients come on board I ask for permission to “anonymously use details of [their] pathology, treatment, prescriptions, photographs and case notes for training, educational and marketing purposes” and I am very grateful to the vast majority who agree to this statement. It means I can share with you some of these success stories that reflect the gentle yet profound impact that homeopathic remedies can have on everyday lives.

Here are just a few snippets from the thirteen pages of quotes I wrote!

Physical

🌿 “I’m sleeping more soundly, feel like I’m getting proper sleep”

✨ “No hot flushes and no night sweats”

💜 “Eczema has completely gone”

🌟 “I’m no longer waking every day with a headache”

💚 “My IBS was so bad I couldn’t leave the house, but since the remedy it has completely gone”

😊 “The pain in my wrists and fingers has gone”

📌 “Bedtimes are a dream! The remedy helped massively, it was like a switch. It is so lovely to have a nice bedtime”


Emotional

🪻 “I have the energy and enthusiasm to do things”

🍀 “I feel stronger inside. More capable. I feel like I can do things”

🕊️ “Even with stressful life events, I’m managing well”

🩷 “I feel calmer, my husband also noticed, he said I’m back to who I used to be”

💪 “The remedy gave me the motivation to start weight training again”

💬 “I’m not catastrophising or dwelling on things”

💡 “I’ve had a lot of realisations, I’m learning a lot about myself, seeing things more clearly”

🌈 “I feel great! Really different. More steady, balanced, like a cloud has lifted”

Thank you to all my patients for sharing your stories with me, engaging in the process of healing with homeopathy and using natural healthcare for yourselves and your families.

*Image credit Holly Newton

You're about to speak on a panel about raising investment capital. The room will be packed with investors, directors, and exactly the kind of people who could transform your business trajectory. You've prepared brilliant insights, compelling examples, and you're ready to showcase your expertise.

But here's what you're probably not thinking about: How will you amplify this strategic moment beyond the room?

Most CEOs walk into these career-defining opportunities focused entirely on the performance—which is exactly as it should be. But then they walk out having captured none of the strategic visibility that moment could have generated. The insights that impressed investors in the room? They stay in the room. The connections made? They remain unexplored. The expertise demonstrated? It gets filed away as "just another speaking gig."

This isn't about your capability. You're brilliant at strategy, at answering complex questions, at drawing on decades of experience to provide compelling insights. The problem is you're trying to do everything yourself—including the work you absolutely don't need to do.

The Strategic Visibility Gap: When CEOs Become Their Own Bottleneck

Here's what typically happens: You accept a speaking opportunity because you recognise the strategic value. You prepare thoroughly because you understand the stakes. You deliver exceptionally because that's what established leaders do. But then you leave all the strategic amplification work to... later. To when you have time. To when you can figure out how to turn that panel discussion into content, how to follow up with the right people, how to leverage what just happened.

Except later never comes. Because you're running a serious business, and strategic visibility work gets pushed down the priority list behind the urgent operational demands that land on your desk every day.

Meanwhile, your existing clients would be genuinely impressed by the insights you're sharing in these strategic moments. Potential clients you're presenting to would find these perspectives incredibly valuable. But they're not in the room. They're following your company, they're interested in what you have to say, but they're missing out on seeing the depth of your expertise and strategic thinking because it stays locked in those face-to-face meetings.

The Strategic Leverage Solution: Deploy Your Team

The solution isn't to become a content creator or to add "social media manager" to your job description. It's to recognise that strategic visibility is a business function that requires the same systematic approach you apply to every other aspect of your operation.

Let's return to that investment panel. Here's how a strategically visible CEO approaches this opportunity:

Before the event: Your assistant contacts the organisers requesting the attendee list. Not to be pushy, but to understand who's in the room and identify strategic connections worth prioritising. Your marketing team prepares a simple capture plan—what key messages should be documented, what type of content could be created, who should be filming or photographing.

During the event: You focus entirely on delivering value and building relationships. Meanwhile, a team member captures your key insights, notes the questions that generated most interest, photographs you engaging with the audience, and documents the strategic connections made.

After the event: Your team transforms those insights into strategic visibility content. The question about scaling operations that sparked intense discussion? That becomes a LinkedIn article. The three key challenges you identified? They become the foundation for your next speaking opportunity pitch. The connections made? They're systematically followed up with relevant, valuable content.

You've just amplified a single strategic moment into months of visibility—without adding a single hour to your workload.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

If you're in the middle of a pitch process or on an investor roadshow, showcasing your thought leadership beyond the room isn't just nice to have—it's strategically essential. Investors, board members, and strategic partners are researching you long before and after those face-to-face meetings. When they search for you online, what do they find?

Your competitors understand this. They're not necessarily better at raising capital or running businesses, but they're better at making their expertise visible. They're the ones being quoted in industry discussions, sharing insights on the challenges you're all facing, demonstrating thought leadership in the spaces where decisions are made.

Every strategic moment you don't amplify is a competitive advantage you're handing to someone else.

The Delegation Framework That Actually Works

This isn't about hiring a social media manager or outsourcing your voice. It's about building strategic visibility into your existing operations through smart delegation:

Assistant-level tasks: Attendee list requests, calendar coordination, basic follow-up scheduling, research on key connections made.

Marketing team tasks: Content capture planning, photography and filming, transforming insights into formatted content, distribution strategy execution.

Strategic oversight: You maintain complete control over messaging, approve all content, and focus on the high-level strategic decisions that actually require your expertise.

For consultants reading this: if you don't have an existing team, this is exactly why investing in a virtual assistant becomes a strategic business decision rather than an operational expense. The cost of missing strategic visibility opportunities far outweighs the investment in someone who can capture and amplify your expertise while you focus on what you do best.

The work you absolutely must do yourself: delivering the insights, building the relationships, making the strategic decisions. Everything else can and should be delegated to the people whose job it is to amplify your expertise.

Moving Beyond the Room: Your Strategic Visibility Multiplier

When you delegate the execution of strategic visibility, something remarkable happens. You stop seeing speaking opportunities as one-off events and start seeing them as strategic visibility investments. That panel discussion doesn't just influence the people in the room—it influences everyone who sees the content created from it, everyone who reads the insights shared, everyone who discovers your expertise through the amplification.

Your strategic visibility multiplies without multiplying your workload. More importantly, the clients and prospects who are already interested in your expertise get to see the full depth of your strategic thinking—the insights that would otherwise remain hidden in closed-door meetings.

The CEO who's speaking about raising investment capital? His insights from that panel could become a LinkedIn article series on the funding challenges that generated the most discussion. This positions him as a thought leader on investment strategy, attracts inquiries from other investors, and demonstrates exactly the kind of strategic thinking that helps close funding rounds faster.

This doesn't happen because he becomes a content creator. It happens because he recognises that strategic visibility is a business function that requires systematic execution—and he builds the team and processes to deliver it.

Your Strategic Visibility Shouldn't Be Your Bottleneck

You're already in the right rooms, making the right connections, sharing the right insights. The question isn't whether you have the expertise or the opportunities—it's whether you're amplifying them strategically.

Stop doing the work you don't need to do. Start delegating the execution that amplifies your expertise. Your strategic visibility should be working as hard as you are.

About Strategic Visibility for Ambitious Leaders

After 25+ years developing strategic communication for global brands like L'Oréal, Colgate, Fiat, and Ryanair, I've learned that the most successful leaders aren't just excellent at strategy—they're excellent at making their expertise visible to the right people at the right time. My experience in high-stakes negotiations and award-winning strategic campaigns has taught me that visibility isn't about personal branding—it's about strategic communication that positions leaders for the recognition their expertise warrants.

Ready to stop being your own strategic visibility bottleneck? My Strategic Visibility for Ambitious Leaders service helps established CEOs and MDs create systematic approaches to amplifying their expertise without adding to their workload. This isn't about building a personal brand—it's about strategic communication that ensures your insights reach the people who need to hear them. Book a strategic consultation to discuss how delegation and strategic systems can transform your visibility without transforming your schedule.

Photo Credit: Elaine Walsh-McGrath

You may think this is a strange question, but it’s one of the most frequently asked questions we get about managers!  And its often in the context of business owners worried that their managers are struggling, or aren’t doing a great job. What we hear is “ they were our best sales person, but they’re a terrible Sales Manager! “ 

Guess what I then ask them? Have they had any training? And in the majority of cases, the answer is no! 

Most people that are promoted to being a manager are promoted because they are the best person in the job! But often with a promotion comes the responsibility to manage either a person or a team!  I know that when this happened to me, I had no idea how to manage people at all! But I was told “don’t worry about that, you’ll be fine, just get on with it!” So I did, but quite often – very badly, and luckily for me, without any serious consequences of getting it wrong!

The good news is that research by psychologists has proved that, in the main, managers are “mostly made,” and are about one-third “born” and the evidence shows that two-thirds is “made.”  What this means is that with the right training and support, we can train or “make” people into great managers! 

The ability to effectively manage, motivate and direct a group of people requires a set of skills acquired through experiences, self-development and training – which is the “made” piece. 

How can we help?

Our vision at Meraki HR is to make every business we work with a great place to work, and your managers play a huge part in this! Luckily for you, our Highly Effective Managers Program is back by popular demand! 

We first ran this 6 module training program at the start of 2020, and we delivered two modules in person, and then went into lockdown in March 2020 and conducted the rest of the training on line. Despite these challenges, we had great fun and received 5 star feedback from our first group! Since then, we have run this program for many of our clients as in an inhouse training program for their managers.

From 2025, we will be offering this as a “public” program again, meaning that any of our clients can book their managers onto this program. There will be only 12 places available per intake, so please get in touch by the 31st August to get your name/your mangers name onto the waitlist for our September 2025 intake! 

Cost for the 6 modules: 

£1,995 plus VAT, which includes a DISC profile for each manager attending. 

5% discount applied if paid in full by the end of August, or 2 monthly payments of £ 1,000 plus VAT. 

The 6 Modules: 

1. Employment Law Masterclass for Managers
2. Effective Communication Skills and having difficult conversations 
3. Coaching Skills for Mangers using the GROW model
4. Recruitment Masterclass
5. Managing Performance and increasing Employee Engagement
6. Your ongoing journey as a Manager

BOOK A PLACE ON HEMP HERE

Or if you have questions feel free to email us hello@merakihr.com

Or BOOK A CALL HERE

In today’s fast-paced business environment, effective management is more crucial than ever. SME’s thrive when their managers are equipped with the right skills and strategies to inspire, engage, and guide their teams. That’s where Meraki HR’s Highly Effective Manager Program (HEMP) comes in—a transformative program designed to elevate managerial effectiveness and foster a culture of excellence.

Why HEMP?

1. Tailored for your Managers
   HEMP is not just another management training program; it’s a comprehensive approach tailored for the unique challenges faced by today’s managers working in SME’s – just like yours! Whether you’re a seasoned manager or new to management, HEMP offers valuable insights and practical tools that are immediately applicable in your workplace.
2. Proven Frameworks and Techniques
   Our program incorporates proven frameworks and techniques grounded in the latest research in organisational psychology, but also put into real life practice as we are all managers ourselves!  Participants will learn how to leverage these strategies to enhance team dynamics, boost productivity, and drive results.
3. Focus on Real-World Application
   The HEMP emphasises real-world application through our interactive workshops, case studies, and group discussions. This hands-on approach ensures that participants can effectively implement what they learn, making the transition from theory to practice seamless.

Key Features of HEMP

Comprehensive Curriculum
Our modules covers essential topics such as employment law, effective communication & emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, performance management and employee engagement. Each module is designed to build upon the last, creating a cohesive learning experience.

Personalised Coaching
One of the standout features of HEMP is the personalised coaching follow up sessions. Participants will receive one-on-one guidance from our experienced coaches who will help them identify their strengths and areas for improvement as a manager, ensuring a customised learning journey for each participant.

Collaborative Learning Environment
Join a small community of like-minded professionals who are also on their leadership journey. We keep our learning groups to a maximum of 12, to create a collaborative learning environment, which also fosters networking, sharing of best practices, and peer support, enriching the overall learning experience for our participants.

Join our Highly Effective Manager program in 2025!

Our vision at Meraki HR is to make every business we work with a great place to work, and your managers play a huge part in this! Luckily for you, our Highly Effective Managers Program is back by popular demand! 

We first ran this 6 module training program at the start of 2020, and we delivered two modules in person, and then went into lockdown in March 2020 and conducted the rest of the training online. Despite these challenges, we had great fun and received 5 star feedback from our first group! Since then, we have run this program for many of our clients as in an inhouse training program for their managers.

From 2025, we will be offering this as a “public” program again, meaning that any of our clients can book their managers onto this on line training program. There will be only 12 places available per intake, so please get in touch by the 31st August to get your name/your mangers name onto the waitlist for our September 2025 intake! 

Cost for the 6 modules:

£1,995 plus VAT, which includes a DISC profile for each manager attending.

5% discount applied if paid in full before the 31st August 2025 or 2 monthly payments of £ 1,000 plus VAT.

The 6 Modules:

1. Employment Law Masterclass for Managers
2. Effective Communication Skills and having difficult conversations
3. Coaching Skills for Mangers using the GROW model
4. Recruitment Masterclass
5. Managing Performance and increasing Employee Engagement
6. Your ongoing journey as a Manager

Want to know more or to book your place?

Book a place on the course here
Contact us ; help@merakihr.com or book call with us: BOOK A CALL HERE

And why consultants miss the high-value retainers they should be winning

You get the call on a Tuesday afternoon.

"We're considering you for the board position. Can you send over your recent thinking on industry trends? The committee wants to see how you communicate your strategic perspective."

Or maybe it's: "We're looking for a strategic consultant for our transformation project. The partners want to review your thought leadership before we move forward."

Your stomach drops.

Not because you don't have strategic perspective. You've been navigating complex challenges for years. You've made decisions under pressure that most people couldn't handle. You've built something significant.

But your "recent thinking"? The last thing you posted on LinkedIn was three months ago, and it was congratulating someone else on their promotion.

This is the moment when strategic visibility matters. And if you haven't been intentional about it, this is the moment when you realize you've been invisible to the opportunities you're most qualified for.

The Brutal Economics of Being Invisible

Here's what nobody tells you about strategic visibility: it's not about vanity metrics or building a following.

It's about economic opportunity.

Every industry has a finite number of board positions, speaking opportunities, strategic partnerships, and high-value consulting retainers. The people who get them aren't necessarily the most qualified.

They're the people whose expertise is most visible when decisions are being made.

Whether you're a CEO seeking board readiness or a consultant targeting Fortune 500 clients, the principle is the same: while you've been focused on delivering results, others have been strategically positioning themselves as the obvious choices.

And when decision-makers need to fill these roles, they don't conduct exhaustive searches. They call the people whose thinking they already know.

The Strategic Positioning Problem

Most successful leaders fall into what I call "the expertise trap."

You think: "My work speaks for itself. The right opportunities will find me."

But here's the strategic reality: opportunities don't find people. People find opportunities. And they find them through C-suite visibility.

CEOs miss board appointments for the same reason consultants miss high-value retainers: they're invisible when opportunities arise.

When someone needs to fill a board position, they're not googling "best CEO in [industry]." When companies need strategic consulting, they're not searching "most qualified consultant." They're thinking "Who do I know who understands this space strategically?"

If your name doesn't come to mind immediately, you're not in the running.

The Positioning Framework That Actually Works

After 25+ years in strategic communication and working with leaders navigating high-stakes situations, I've learned that effective positioning isn't about "building a personal brand."

It's about strategic communication of your actual expertise.

Here's the thought leadership strategy that works:

1. Identify Your Strategic Vantage Point

What do you see from your position that others don't?

• Cross-industry patterns from your experience
• Market shifts you're navigating in real-time
• Strategic decisions you're making that others will face later

This isn't generic leadership advice. This is your unique strategic perspective that positions you for executive advisory roles.

2. Communicate Your Thinking, Not Your Achievements

Don't tell people what you've done. Show them how you think.

Instead of: "Proud to announce we closed our Series B"

Try: "Three things I learned about investor expectations during our Series B that I wish I'd known during Series A..."

Your thinking is what qualifies you for strategic opportunities. Your achievements just prove you can execute.

3. Position for Opportunities, Not Followers

Ask yourself: "If someone needed to fill the exact type of opportunity I want, would they think of me?"

If the answer is no, that's your positioning gap.

What Strategic Visibility Actually Looks Like

For CEOs seeking board positions:

• Speaking at industry conferences as a thought leader
• Being quoted in trade publications on strategic issues
• Receiving unsolicited inquiries for board readiness assessments
• Having your perspective sought during industry transitions

For consultants targeting strategic consulting opportunities:

• Companies approaching you before RFP processes
• Being recommended by existing clients for their network
• Industry associations inviting you to lead strategic initiatives
• Executive teams requesting your input on transformation projects

The Strategic Communication Shift

Most leaders communicate like they're still building credibility.

But you're not building credibility anymore. You're leveraging it.

Building credibility sounds like: "I think this might be relevant..." "In my humble opinion..." "I could be wrong, but..."

Leveraging credibility sounds like: "Here's what I'm seeing in the market..." "Based on my experience with..." "The pattern I've noticed is..."

You've earned the right to have perspective. Communicate like it.

The Competitive Reality Check

While you're staying quiet, your competitors are becoming the go-to voices in your industry.

They're not smarter. They're not more qualified. They're just more strategic about positioning their expertise.

When opportunities arise, decision-makers already know:

• How they think about industry challenges
• What their strategic approach looks like
• Why their perspective matters

That's the competitive advantage of strategic visibility.

Addressing the Strategic Visibility Objections

"I don't have time for content creation"

You're not creating content. You're sharing thinking you already have. The strategic decisions you make daily? The patterns you're seeing? The conversations you're having? That's your content.

"My industry is too niche"

Niche industries have even more concentrated opportunity pools. Being the visible expert in a specialized field often carries more weight than being one voice among thousands in a crowded market.

"Isn't this just personal branding?"

No. Personal branding is about personality. Strategic visibility is about positioning your expertise for business opportunities. It's as strategic as any other business development activity.

The Strategic Question

Here's what I want you to consider:

What high-stakes opportunity do you want to be positioned for in the next 12 months?

Board position? Strategic consulting engagement? Speaking opportunity? Industry leadership role?

Now ask: If someone needed to fill that exact opportunity today, would they think of you?

If the answer is no, you have a strategic visibility problem.

And unlike other business problems, this one gets harder to solve under pressure.

You can't build strategic visibility during the board selection process or when investors are conducting due diligence. You build it before the opportunity arises.

The Strategic Choice

You have two options:

Option 1: Continue focusing solely on your business and hope the right opportunities find you.

Option 2: Be strategic about positioning your expertise for the opportunities you want.

Both are valid choices. But only one positions you for the recognition your expertise deserves.

The question is: what's the cost of staying invisible to the opportunities you're most qualified for?

Photo Credit: Elaine Walsh-McGrath