About me

I’m now far more likely to be found on a bike than behind the screen.  Far more likely to be dressed in lycra than in this dress.

I’m done with the long hours at work. I’ve paid off the house, downsized, got the campervan.

I credit my late dad for my ridiculously positive attitude to life. He was all about your glass overflowing, never ‘just half full.’ His death taught me so much about life. About how precious it is. About not ever knowing what’s around the corner. About making sure we make the most of however long our we have.

What fires me up is helping others find their positive attitude, their motivation, their mojo to go for dreams, the way my dad taught me to.

“Fiona’s style is great and impactful  – very energising, real, fresh, accessible, no jargon…she’s opened me up to a different way of thinking about work and life”. Debbie Cole, Warwick District Council, May 2022

My values

3F stands for Fun, Free and Fit – the things that matter to me. 

Fun –  Life is too short not to be happy and enjoying it to the full. 

Freedom – having the freedom to choose. I belive we have choices and options. Always. 

Fitness – what else is more important than our health? Love maybe. Oh yes. Ideally both!

Career highlights

During the last few years I’ve had the absolute pleasure to write the story of what local government has delivered during the pandemic in the West Midlands Region. Commissioned by West Midlands Employers I’ve interviewed 45 people about their contribution across roles as diverse as waste, housing, social work, commmunications, planning, street scene and so many more. That work has been used to generate enthusiam to recruit new people to the sector with various jobs being profiled to ‘sell the sector’. See more at www.wmheroes.co.uk

My career started on the very bottom grade – planting trees, working with schools and community groups to create nature areas, after my BSC in Environmental Studies.  I progressed all the way up to a management team position with 66 people acorss two councils during my 30 years in the public sector – collecting management qualifations, an MA post graduate degree and coaching qualifications along the journey. My last role, before I went freelance, was as Head of Strategy, Democratic and Customer Services at Wychavon and Malvern Hills Councils, in Worcestershire.

I’m most proud of, 

1. Helping Wychavon win Council of the Year and the Best Council to work for – I drove lots of improvement activities as well as the communications as Head of Strategy and Communications. I coined the phrase ‘plan on a page’ – as I did it first.

2. I wrote a book after interviewing 52 businesses for Grow in Wychavon profiling the diversity of local businesses. 

3. I’ve made some films that stand the test of time.  ‘Thank Goodness it’s Monday!’ – the engagement film, asks the question ‘What makes the difference between someone who turns up to work, and someone who really turns on to what they do?  Get a coach!’  sells the benefits of coaching. I’m now qualified to supervise other coaches as well as continue to coach people.

4. I chaired the team that created the Local Government Association’s New Reputation Guide overseeing the research that set out the rules of reputation that need to be in place if public organisations are to improve their local standing and get the most credit for the work they do.

Photo – This is me at age 50 taking time off to cycle around New Zealand. A day back in the office was never the same after this and led to me starting a blog I run with my partner Mike www.itchyfeettravels.co.uk to share our adventures by van and bike.