Dinner at Grantley Hall

It was such a wonderful evening and I came away feeling so inspired by the conversations I’d had and excited to be part of something so special.  As a proud Yorkshire lass, I have never felt the Yorkshireness more…… being in the room with that incredible bunch of entrepreneurs,  chatting with other lovely members and being thoroughly entertained by the Yorkshire auctioneer… all whilst sitting in one of Yorkshire’s finest venues (Best Spa in the UK – to be precise!)  Look forward to another year as a member of Connect Yorkshire and the mutual opportunities and connections I know that our partnership will bring.

I had an inspiring, insightful and enjoyable mentoring session with Jonathan Sands – discussing all things cars, creative and business. Since then we have stayed in touch, and with Jonathan’s help we have put some actions in place along with some fantastic leads and contacts for Hype moving forward.

I’ve been part of Connect Yorkshire since the very beginning, and it’s been brilliant to see it grow into such a trusted, high-quality business community. The calibre of founders and leaders involved truly reflects the strength and ambition of Yorkshire’s ecosystem.

Connect consistently brings together exceptional businesses and creates meaningful relationships that drive real opportunity.

Being part of Connect Yorkshire has been a real asset to my business. It’s not just for the networking, it’s for the access to some seriously smart thinking.

I recently had a session with Mike Bridge, and it completely shifted my thinking. I’d been wrestling with how to position our growing offer – we’re not just an art studio anymore, we also deliver creative workshops as part of workplace wellbeing and team development. After attending on one of Mike’s workshops, I knew something didn’t feel quite right, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Mike didn’t come in with all the answers. What he did do – brilliantly – was ask the right questions. The kind that cut through the fluff and force you to really think. He helped me step back and see the bigger picture. Within an hour, I had a clearer, sharper and much more compelling proposition.

If you’re a member of Connect Yorkshire and haven’t yet had a session with one of the EIRs, honestly, you’re missing a trick. It’s part of your membership, and it’s one of the most valuable things you can do for your business. Sometimes it just takes a fresh perspective from someone who’s been there and done it – and knows what questions to ask.

Big thanks to Mike Bridge for the steer – highly recommended.

We always benefit from mentoring sessions with Julian Kynaston. His insight has helped accelerate the growth of our agency. Julian challenges and supports our management team.

We are really grateful to work with such a respected leader in our industry.

The mentoring session with Dan Platt was very useful and has benefited me. He offered some valuable advice and ideas around the management buy out process of the business and the next steps, which I found really insightful.

I’ll certainly look to keep in touch with Dan, hopefully within the next few months, once things have settled a bit more on my end.

Thanks again for making this happen—it’s very much appreciated!

Just to say we at Hipco would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for everything Connect Yorkshire have done for us these past years.

Their contributions have significantly played a part in Hipco’s growing success. The ongoing support has been incredible, with each meeting providing us with valuable insights to move forward.

A special thank you to Julian Kynaston for his time. His vision truly inspired us and has given us tremendous hope for the future of our business in this new direction. We feel extremely fortunate to have met Julian, so thank you very much.

The mentoring session with Larry Gould, organised through Connect Yorkshire was incredibly valuable. To have a conversation with someone who has achieved success in my field was brilliant and encouraged me to think bigger!

Following a Connect Yorkshire session on “Value Proposition” by Michael Bridge, I knew just how valuable a 1-2-1 session would be with him.

Michael helped me understand how to better position Artus Digital’s offering as well as honing our target audience; this improved understanding has been critical in redefining our value proposition.

Talking with Michael about my future ambitions for the business, we identified that onboarding just one new ideal retainer customer would have a transformative effect in the short term, and that should be my immediate focus.

Michael is straight-talking yet empathetic, calling on his decades of experience in business. I was honoured to be his 50th Connect Yorkshire 1-2-1 and I’d highly recommend arranging a session with him.

Thank you Michael and Connect Yorkshire for your excellent support.

What do Icelandic vegans, kerbside recycling and ambulances have in common? They’re all part of the rich story tapestry of the wonderful Jonathan Straight FRSA, who I had the pleasure of having lunch with courtesy of Connect Yorkshire. As one of their esteemed Entrepreneurs in Residence, Jonathan is one of a huge cohort of highly successful and very interesting folk that membership allows access to, giving freely of their time to help and advise the little entrepreneurs like me. The takeaway? There are no rules!