Yo! I am Jo

After a decade in advertising & marketing in the UK and helping co-found a very successful start-up in NL, it suddenly dawned on me that I no longer believed in what I was ‘selling’ anymore.

I knew that I had a responsibility to use my expertise to have a positive impact on both people and the planet.

So, in 2018 I quit my job and set out to build brands that the world needs. Helping those that balance people, planet and profit, stand-out and stay top of mind.

The full story

Born in Bristol, I have lived in Oxford, Loughborough, London, Kent & Scotland. I now call Haarlem in the Netherlands home. I studied English and Politics at university and on a quest to keep writing, I found my first job at a advertising agency, where I learnt everything in the marketing mix as well as how to deal with difficult clients!

I met my partner in crime via a travel magazine and when his work gave us the chance to move to the Netherlands 15 years ago we jumped at it. Determined to learn the language and get back to work, I went to college and started volunteering – from cycling dementia patients to working at a world music festival but finding work in a foreign country was a challenge.

Then one night at a party, things changed, I met Tim who was starting his own pharmaceutical business with his two brothers. I joined Tim and within 2 years we’d built the business to become the Financial Times no. 1 fastest growing start-up in NL. However, whilst I loved building the business I wasn't in love with what we were selling.

So I left and decided to use my time and expertise more wisely. To build brands and businesses that have a mission to make a positive impact to people and planet first both in the Netherlands and the UK. The rest is history!

I have worked for great missions tackling waste, polluted waters, plastic, circularity, social enterprises addressing inclusivity in the workplace and technologies to improve medical, environmental and deep-tech innovation.

My work

My Manifesto

Start by making the complex simple.

So your people know the why, who, what, how, and when.

Rally a crowd & build a brand around a mission.

Be patient—this takes time.

Keep your values top of mind.

How you behave defines who you are.

It’s not about what you think—it’s about what they think.

Get under their skin, tug at the heartstrings. Make it human.

Tell stories that inspire — energy is infectious.

Be honest about the good and the bad.

People – planet – profit is like juggling 3 balls,

If you let one fall, be careful which one you choose.

Zoom out, then zoom in.

Whatever you do, never forget what you set out to build!

What I value

Values are important, they are what connect us but also what drive us apart. They are also fundamental to any brand and business culture. This is how I rock both at home and at work.

Different is cool,

Be yourself, don't try and fit in too much.

Choose experiences over stuff,

Connect with people, go places, try new things.

Nature is our friend,

We’re stuffed without it. Love plants, birds and bees.

Be kind,

Life is too short not to be. It makes you and others feel better.

Honesty is the best policy,

We can solve problems much quicker if we're honest about it.