Alison FairleyFounder and Company Director

“I was cut out for retailing from day one. In my heart I wanted to be a vet until I took a job as a Saturday assistant at Laura Ashley. That was it: by the time I left, I was their Training Store Manager. A few years and job moves later, I was Brand Development Manager at Clarks. I’ve been gone five years, but they’re still using the global store design I developed. Along the way I became an NLP Master Practitioner.

Now I’m using those skills to make it happen for others — which is great for someone who’s motivated by results. If we can improve someone’s efficiency by, say, 20% or increase conversions by 12%, I go home happy. I love the process of getting there too, especially when we unleash potential in people. It’s like switching on lights in rooms they never knew they had. And then a few weeks later, we get that magic moment when they phone to tell us about the great results they’re getting from applying our material.

When I’m not here, I’m with my two horses. They’re my peaceful escape, although I do get extraordinarily competitive when I’m at an event. The other four-legged creature in my life is Hershey, a cute and over-friendly chocolate-brown spaniel. She’s the first person you meet when you visit us.”