About Us

In 2021 Joanne Thompson and Maggie McGeary formed the Confidence Collaborative with the concept of independent coaches coming together and sharing what they knew to support others to develop their confidence and positively impact their professional lives.

There were a number of drivers for this collaboration;

1. It's tough to navigate a career and a personal life, especially in a world of constant change!
2. Joanne was disillusioned with corporate life and the constant battle of working in micro-cultures that conflicted with her values and desire to progress. She wanted to use her skills of running a Womens' Network to reach women more directly and to empower them to believe in themselves and stop settling for second best (usually because someone else told them they had to).
3. After building a career in project management as a young parent and introvert, undergoing challenges with speaking up and stepping up to lead, Maggie then made a conscious decision to jump off the seemingly never ending treadmill of work and home responsibilities to tackle the things that were holding her back. She made big changes in her personal life and got some new perspective that put the spring back in her step! Maggie always loved helping others reach their potential and now wants to combine her coaching skills, business experience and knowledge of managing change to help other women step forward, take difficult decisions and make rewarding change happen in their own lives and businesses.
4. Societal norms make it difficult for women to get ahead and, frankly, we've had enough! Glass ceilings, expectations on women to do more non-promotable work, the inaccessible nature of certain jobs, a dearth of support and a chronic crisis of confidence in our own abilities can get in the way of women fulfilling their potential in the workplace. The situation is gradually getting better, but we want to help create a more progressive mindset both within individual women themselves and in the organisations that employ them.
5. On a more personal note, with both having children, Joanne and Maggie want to make the world a better place for those who follow and ensure others have all the tools and support they need to seize opportunities and navigate their career with greater ease!

Maggie and Joanne have been joined by various coaching colleagues since they started who share the same passion of supporting people to be able to have the careers they want, in their own way.

At the start of 2024 Maggie chose to step back from the Confidence Collaborative to focus on her own personal journey but still serves as an sounding board and trusted friend for Joanne.

Joanne continues to embrace the support and experience of others to help them on their mission.

About Joanne

Joanne has started a new chapter in working life by re-focusing on the elements of her previous leadership roles in Financial Services. She loved working on transformational projects, running a female focussed development network and supporting people in their own careers.

Joanne set up Joanne Thompson Coaching to follow her passion for supporting others to own their life and take charge of their future, especially in the work place. Whilst good progress is being made in organisations, Joanne felt that more was needed to level the playing field for women to achieve the success they are capable of at all levels. She also recognises how she held herself back in her career and wants to bring that awareness to others so they can really focus on what's important to them to help them feel fulfilled.

Joanne says "We only have one life so why be a passenger and settle for a life that's good enough or just fine if you really feel deep down a little sad about how things are working out. Not everyone wants to be the boss or a high-flyer or have the fancy car or house but many feel they have something more to offer. People feel they can contribute to the world, their community or family and friends in a more fulfilling way. I aim to help people find their purpose, their voice and the courage to change to get that sense of fulfilment".

Being mentored and coached herself, as well as using coaching with the teams she managed, she had a wake-up call when a situation of redundancy was presented. She didn't leave her well paid Corporate Job immediately. She studied for a respected qualification in Transformational Coaching and ensured she had her finances in order to be able to take the plunge to set up her own business.

Making a career change was a risk for many reasons but her passion for supporting others compelled her to take the leap of faith in herself.

Since starting her business, Joanne has helped people to get new jobs, deal with challenges at work, move homes, start their own businesses but overall make changes that allow for a greater sense of being who and what they are meant to be.

Joanne recognises however it is a journey and it's not always easy or quick as making a change can mean a big transition in our thinking and therefore in our life and careers. It's often a series of smaller steps over a period of time or ongoing. She believes from her own experiences that the end result is worth it to place another piece in the jigsaw of our lives and feel more content with the choices we have made.

Joanne also says, 'give yourself permission to be who you want to be and live a life that uplifts you and those you want to make an impact for'.

Head over to Joanne Thompson Coaching or the Coaching Suite to connect with Joanne.