Meet Our Awesome Team
We share one important quality: we’ve all built and run real businesses. We understand the pressure, responsibility and decision-making that comes with being the one accountable. We've hired and fired, won and lost clients, managed cash flow, rebuilt after setbacks, launched products, and led teams.
We haven’t studied business — we’ve lived it. The lessons we share aren’t theoretical frameworks pulled from textbooks, but hard-earned insights from real-world experience. That’s what we bring to every Speare Academy session: practical knowledge, commercial clarity and guidance you can trust.
Nigel Kefford
Leadership Expert
Nigel brings over 35 years of front line leadership experience from the police, including national and international command roles. He has led high-pressure teams, trained senior officers and understands that trust and confidence are the foundation of performance. Now working with businesses to develop their people, Nigel delivers practical, experience-led leadership training that builds clarity, accountability and stronger teams.
Esther Partridge-Warner
LinkedIn Supremo
Esther is an award-winning LinkedIn trainer and business coach who helps time-poor business owners turn LinkedIn into a lead-generating tool — without the overwhelm. She simplifies what works, creating clear positioning, stronger messaging and sustainable daily habits. Known for breaking complexity into practical steps, Esther delivers focused, no-gimmick training that builds visibility, confidence and real commercial results.
Louisa Sando-Patel
Copywriter & Content Strategist
Louisa is a strategic copywriter and founder of Bright Owl, helping businesses get found online in a world shaped by Google and AI search. She blends audience insight with the latest AI SEO techniques to create content that connects with people and performs with algorithms. Louisa brings clarity, structure and practical guidance to help business owners write smarter and grow visibility confidently.
Phil Revill
Web Expert
Phil is a highly experienced web designer and digital strategist with 30 years’ senior experience across SEO, PPC and branding — alongside deep roots in engineering and manufacturing. He blends technical expertise with commercial insight, helping businesses build strong brands, generate leads and create measurable value. Phil brings leadership, clarity and practical direction to every session
Heather Jeffries
Presentation & Communications Expert
Heather specialises in presentation skills training that builds confident, credible communicators. With a background in retail leadership and corporate training, she helps business owners and teams present with clarity, impact and authenticity — whether pitching, leading meetings or speaking publicly. Her practical, engaging sessions focus on real-world application, giving delegates the confidence and structure to communicate powerfully in any setting.
Rachel Davis
Queen of Social Media
Rachel is passionate about helping small businesses use social media to build genuine connections and grow their brand. She works with UK business owners to turn their story into engaging, audience-focused content — and supports them with practical Canva training to bring it to life visually. Rachel creates a supportive, confidence-building learning environment where creativity meets commercial impact.
Darren Downes
Growth & Marketing Expert
Darren leads a business consultancy supporting owners with exit planning, M&A, growth and scaling. He brings a commercially grounded perspective shaped by an extensive career in sales, marketing and operations, working with global brands and SMEs on both the client and agency side.
He combines strategic thinking with hands-on expertise, recognising that growth depends on using the right mix of communication, positioning and commercial discipline.
Shannon O'Brien
AI Specialist
Shannon is the founder of Fortysix AI and is passionate about helping SMEs feel confident using artificial intelligence in their everyday business. Her training is practical, plain-English and focused on real results — not tech overwhelm. With a fantastic customer feedback, and recognised AI accreditations, she brings clarity, energy and genuine care to every training session, helping business owners use AI safely, smartly and strategically.
Tim Holmes
Marketing Automation
As the owner of a thriving manufacturing business, Tim knows first-hand how critical systems and process are to sustainable growth.
He works with businesses to design and implement practical marketing automation and CRM solutions — cutting through complexity, selecting the right tools, and ensuring they are set up correctly. His focus is simple: reduce friction, improve conversion, and free up time.
Lisa Cressy
Mindset & Resilience Coach
Lisa delivers high-impact sessions that helps people build confidence, resilience and real performance under pressure. Her workshops are energetic, immersive and immediately actionable — equipping business owners with practical tools to manage stress, strengthen mindset and communicate with clarity. Lisa creates powerful shifts in the room, leaving delegates with skills they can use straight away.
Sarah Hands
Numbers Expert
Sarah provides small businesses with a flexible, right-sized finance function that grows as they do. She helps owners understand their numbers, improve profitability and avoid year-end surprises. From cash flow clarity to cost control and smarter supplier management, Sarah turns financial confusion into plain english. Sarah helps business owners to confidently understand their numbers and stay in control of their business finances.
Sarah Day
Making Movie Magic
Sarah is great to work with and takes the nerves and trepidation out of video work and helps turn people into confident personalities in front of the camera. It gets you noticed. It gets you followers. Sarah gets your business more customers. Spend a day with Sarah and find her enthusiasm infectious, and how she gets the authentic you onto camera. Authenticity is everything and will drive your sales funnel.