Northbeam Journal: Ideas you can use this week

Why Northbeam exists

July 1996. I lay in my sleeping bag, wet, cold and shivering in the Welsh hills. I had packed light for training in the Brecon Beacons and paid the price. A bad decision. I got away with it, but I should have been smarter.

That night taught me something I’ve carried ever since: choices matter. One poor choice can set you back, one smart choice can make things easier.

Northbeam exists to help you make calmer, smarter choices in work and life. Not by overloading you, but with:

• Short stories that remind you you’re not on your own
• Simple tools you can use straight away
• One small action to try in the next seven days

Three things that make life easier

In the Army we called them pillars, the basics that hold everything else up. At Northbeam, the three are:

• Practical Leadership – set a direction and follow through, even if the only person you’re leading today is yourself
• Coaching and Mentoring – a gentle structure for growth, whether it’s your team, your kids, your mates or your future self
• Wellbeing – because energy beats intensity, and protecting a few basics changes everything

Why trust me with this?

I’ve made the mistakes. Fitness tests that slipped from nine minutes to ten. Letters from the bank manager reminding me who was really in charge. Years of thinking life was one long party.

But I’ve also learned, tested, and refined:

• 24 years in the British Army, Warrant Officer Class 2, seven operational tours
• MBA and Level 7 in Strategic Leadership
• Journalism diploma and active writer
• Local authority and Tier 1 fit-out projects with global brands
• Hard-won experience managing anxiety and performance under pressure
• Public speaker

What it comes down to

None of us are perfect. Even the most successful people need coaches and mentors. Sometimes we can’t see the wood for the trees. Taking care of yourself, eating, sleeping, exercising, learning, isn’t selfish, it’s essential.

That is what Northbeam is here for: small tools that stick, a weekly nudge to use them, and a reminder that progress doesn’t need to be complicated.

Welcome to Northbeam — where no one is judged.

Buy me a coffee

https://www.northbeamcollective.uk/#/portal/support