Trusted, practical support for small businesses with big ambitions.

Feeling busier than ever working in your business? Can’t find the time to work on your business. I can help.

Hi, I’m Michelle.

I’m a Business and Innovation Coach, former-CEO, people-first leader, MBA graduate, serial problem solver, generator of far too many new business ideas, and process fixer. I’m ultimately someone who genuinely loves helping others succeed in a way that is sustainable and repeatable.

For the past 10 years I’ve led a B-Corp accredited innovation and behavioural science consultancy helping well-known corporates to become more innovative, productive and to create environments where people can do their best work. I also led the AFR Most Innovative Companies and AFR Best Places to Work lists - so I have all the inside knowledge on how the best businesses work. I want to share that with you!

So, If you’re the owner or leader of a small business with big ambitions, but you’re feeling a bit stuck, I’d love to chat. 

Why Glowpear Co? 

In early 2023 I started learning to speak German using one of the niftiest apps around - Duolingo. While German is one of the hardest languages to learn, I loved (and often laughed) at the practical translations (google them, you won’t be disappointed). Die Glühbirne is the German word for light globe, with the literal translation being ‘glow pear’. I felt like this all reflected me well - a learner, an innovator, but ever authentic and practical.

Context Gathering

You know your business best. 

I’ll take the time to truly understand you, your business and your vision before identifying the most impactful ways I can help. I’ll want to learn more about your team, your values, your customers, your current focus areas, your future goals, and what's getting in the way of achieving those goals. I’ll also dig into how your business actually works and the processes that underpin how you do what you do to find opportunities. 

How I work.

Coaching & Creating

Think of me more like a Player/Coach.

I’m here to guide, advise, challenge, help you reflect and ultimately be your biggest supporter. But, I’m also happy to get my hands dirty doing the doing if you need help just making stuff happen. I can help you solve any sized problem, implement new systems/processes, recruit new team members, execute on key initiatives, or temporarily fill skills gaps. See me as a very versatile extension of your small but mighty team!

I can help you with…

  • Wondering whether you are getting the best out of your team? 

    I have spent much of my career helping to create environments where people can do their best work - sustainably. I can advise you on innovative new ways of working, policies and processes to build an engaged, high-performing and loyal team. I strongly believe that if you put people and values first, the profits will follow. 

    I am also an accredited Saville Wave Professional Styles practitioner - a tool to help better understand an individuals motives, preferences, needs and talents in the workplace. I also call it the 'oracle'! This tool can be really valuable when used to de-risk recruitment or for development.

    I can help with:

    • Leadership coaching and advisory

    • Recruitment

    • Performance review and goal setting processes based on OKR’s

    • Innovative ways of working to increase engagement and productivity

  • Finding it hard to know where to focus? 

    Working in small, fast growing businesses means wearing what feels like a million hats. Often there’s an abundance of things to do or ideas to implement, but you feel stuck not knowing what the ‘right’ thing is to do. I can help you with:

    • Prioritisation

    • Execution

    • Accountability

    Do you have clear roles, goals and metrics? 

    You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Creating a regular goal setting cadence is important for clarity, alignment and will help with day-to-day decision making. I can help you with:

    • Setting simple, measurable, value-based goals aligned to your vision

    • Aligning your teams roles and goals

  • Feeling like you’re working really hard but not making progress?

    Let’s find ways to help you work smarter, not harder! I love digging into exactly how you do what you do and finding ways to remove blockers, optimise and simplify. I can help you to:

    • Run an internal ‘Zombie Campaign’ which is a fun and engaging way to remove processes that are no longer serving a purpose (and that are probably total energy suckers!) and to give new life to those that can add more value.

  • Feeling stuck on a tricky people or operational problem? 

    I can help you navigate the tricky day-to-day problems that you constantly encounter as a business leader and owner. Whether that be around strategic, operational or specific people matters, I can be that trusted sounding board, providing practical, honest advice when you need it most, helping you lead, decide and communicate with confidence. I can help through:

    • Regular business coaching and advisory sessions

    Struggling to meet revenue targets?

    As an innovation specialist I can help you to uncover real customer problems and match them with solutions to drive growth. I’ll guide you through prioritising your ideas and crafting simple tests to refine them quickly and cheaply. I can help through facilitating:

    • Innovation and ideation workshops

    • Experimentation design

  • Being a tech-savvy, swiss army-knife type I can also help with lots of practical tech-based bits and bobs such as:

    • Creating simple websites

    • Setting up booking or project management systems

    • Setting up payment platforms

    • Basic marketing and communications

    • Creating forms and surveys

    • Building simple integrations to streamline workflows

Here’s a few of the wonderful businesses I’ve worked with.

“I had the privilege of working under Michelle’s leadership during her time as CEO of Inventium. She is one of the most people-focused, values-driven leaders I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Michelle has an exceptional ability to make every team member feel valued and inspired, while also bringing out the best in each individual. Her leadership is matched by her sharp commercial acumen and strategic thinking, which contributed greatly to both her and Inventium's success. Michelle thrives on intellectual challenges and is never afraid to dive in and work hands-on to solve complex problems. I absolutely loved working with Michelle.”

Zoe Aitken

“Michelle is an inspirational people leader with a unique ability to get the best out of everyone in her team while driving organisation-wide innovation.

During my 7+ years with Michelle as my manager, I felt lucky enough to have a manager that understood me, my goals and she used this knowledge to shape my role to get the best out of me and the best results for the business.

She also led the business through multiple successful strategic pivots. I can't recommend her highly enough”

Nick Johnston

What makes me different?

  • I have proven experience successfully balancing people and profit with a people-first approach. I pride myself on building trusted, authentic relationships and helping others to truly shine. I’ll always put you, your customers, your team and your community at the forefront of all thinking.

  • You’re not going to get cringey corporate jargon, suit-wearing, or boring 100 page reports here. I’ll always be looking for ways to make your life simpler and easier, and communicate with you authentically. I also look at everything through an innovation lens - making changes that add value, not just making change for change sake.

  • I’ve done the theory and the practical to offer well-rounded support grounded in reality and up-to-date with future-focused work practices. I’ve completed an MBA specialising in innovation and technology, pioneered new ways of working such as the 4-Day Week and remote-first, led the AFR Most Innovative Companies and Best Places to Work lists and Co-Founded two tech startups. You won't get old-school management thinking here!

If curiosity has led you this far, I’d love to chat. 

Send me a note below to tee up a virtual coffee, water or wine - anytime! I’d love to learn more about your business and how I might be able to help. Also happy to chat all things golf, pilates, football, sausage dogs and travel if you’re that way inclined 😉 .

You can also connect with me on Linkedin.