Blue John

Blue John is 1️⃣ year old! 🎉🎂 It's been an amazing first year for us. Full of all the ups, downs, smiles, tears and everything else that goes with starting a new reputation management consultancy. 🎢 A big thank you to everyone who's supported us in 2024. It's a really long list of thank yous but you know who you are. And if you don't, we'll make sure you do. 😊 There's a lot more to come from Blue John in 2025. We're advisors first and foremost - and not constrained by a scope of work. With a dedicated senior team that help companies and leaders challenge the status quo - but in your own way. ✅ It's time to protect, perfect and enhance your reputation. And we're here however and whenever you need us. 📢 #reputationmanagement #consultancy #communications #leadership #growth #happybirthdaytous #bluejohn

📖 This weeks ‘Something for the Weekend’ - Why should business leaders ditch the jargon? We explore the power of keeping it simple. 🗣️Today’s fast-paced world demands clear, authentic communication. When leaders speak simply, they’re more accessible, relatable, and trusted. At Blue John, we believe plain language fosters openness and drives engagement - breaking down barriers for genuine connection. 📕 From eliminating buzzwords to telling relatable stories, discover how straightforward communication strengthens internal culture and reputation. Because when everyone understands the message, everyone moves forward together. #BlueJohn #ReputationManagement #Leadership #Authenticity #StrategicCommunication #KeepItSimple

👥 In communications, we talk a lot about stakeholder engagement – but what does this actually look like?   🏘 Last week we visited the gorgeous new Appleby Blue almshouse, a flagship development for United St Saviour's Charity, for a fascinating discussion on place-based connections and integrating social value into urban developments.    🚀 Moderated by Kevin McGeough, the panel was comprised of experts in community asset development Naomi Rubbra, youth engagement Carl Konadu BEM and social impact investment Katy Saunders.   🤝 We wanted to share four key insights on what organisations – irrespective of sector – can do to make sure that they’re building strong relationships with their stakeholders. 1. Get to know your audience: Stakeholder engagement is a two-way street. Take time to listen to their problems and understand what makes them tick, then use this to create solutions that add value. 2. Make it easy for them to have a voice: Establish simple and seamless ways for them to get involved – how can you meet them where they’re at? 3. “What’s in it for me?”: if your stakeholders feel personally invested, they’re much more likely to engage with you. It’s about feeling seen and heard – and knowing how what you’re doing will benefit them. 4. Measuring success: Sometimes the impact can’t be quantified by an impressive set of metrics. It’s also about the feeling you get when you’re speaking to people or walking into a room – that’s important too!   💙 Member of the Blue John Collective, Lizzie Lynch, has been working with United St Saviours on Appleby Blue, and shares her view: “Effective stakeholder engagement is about understanding what drives each person, on an organisational and individual level, and showing how your work can help them reach their goals. Last week at Appleby Blue, we saw firsthand the impact of meaningful engagement: it’s about creating takeaways that resonate, building personal connections, and inspiring people by sharing real-world examples. When we bring people into projects like Appleby Blue, we make it tangible, giving them something valuable to apply in their own work.”   👨👩👧👧 Good stakeholder communications creates communities, turns audiences into advocates, and ultimately helps organisations deliver solutions that actually make a positive difference in people’s lives.   It’s given us lots to think about – thank you for having us! Ebbsfleet Development Corporation | Footwork | 2-3 Degrees #ApplebyBlue #Almshouses #Community #Events #Engagement #SocialValue #SocialImpact #Networking

🤔 Should leaders invest the time and effort it takes to be visible? 💙 At Blue John, we believe your personal reputation is powerful asset – both for your own career, and the company you represent. 🙊 Style over substance is never a good thing. Shameless self-promotion and overly polished statements rarely land with stakeholders. That’s because they don’t feel true to how people speak, think and interact. 👐 It’s not just what you say and do, it’s how you do it. 🗣 We’re living in a time where transparency, authenticity and vulnerability have never been more important. How you communicate plays directly into your personal reputation. 📘 Read more in our Something for the Weekend here: https://lnkd.in/dn5cFbtk #leadership #leadershipcommunications #authenticity #reputationmanagement #personalbrand 

👨 It's time to meet another member of the Blue John Collective - Matt Loose.   📗 As Blue John’s sustainability lead, Matt helps businesses and leaders navigate sustainability risks to protect and enhance their reputations. Outside of his role in the collective, Matt leads a team of sustainability experts as CEO and founder at Canopy: Sustainability Consulting.    📈 Matt brings extensive experience in accelerating clients progress on sustainability - both at a company and industry level. He’s worked with organisations across food, health, tech and energy sectors, and also in-house in sustainability at Johnson Matthey.   💚 Matt’s been passionate about sustainability since he learned about Greenpeace's campaigning work while at school (in Matt’s words, this was a very long time ago!). He’s a firm believer that you can't get sustainability done by yourself, you need to work with others - and that's why communication is a vital part of any sustainability strategy.   💭 The team at Blue John has worked with Matt for several years, and really values the unique insight, perspective and challenge that he brings to everything he does.

🌱 Over the years we’ve seen sustainability and social impact become an increasingly important element of a company’s reputation. 📣 Being a responsible business is critical to having a social license to operate. When the goalposts are constantly shifting, communicating around sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s essential. 🤝 That’s why we’re pleased to be partnering with Canopy: Sustainability Consulting, to help our clients navigate the risks and opportunities associated with sustainability. 💡 Read more the collaboration here:

Lorna Cobbett recently joined Jack Parsons as a guest on his amazing podcast My Duvet Flip - UK’s Leading Careers Show. You can watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/eVWykgEt

Baby Loss Awareness Week 2024! How trauma led Lorna to become a female founder Meet Lorna Cobbett, Founder at Blue John A former investment banker, she started her career in 2001 in London and spent eight years working for Citi and Goldman Sachs. Outside of work, Lorna is married with 8-year-old triplets (Roman, Essie and Eva). Essie was life-limited and will be forever 18 months old. Lorna is a senior, trusted advisor for companies and leaders across a range of sectors and works with public companies, private companies, and start-ups. She has extensive experience in reputation management, transactions, crisis and change management. Lorna and her family support Chestnut Tree House, the children’s hospice that Essie went to, and she also is a parent ambassador for Together for Short Lives.

💙 We are all human. We all feel emotion. 💙 Yet, in a world that often champions strength and resilience, vulnerability is frequently misunderstood as a weakness. 💙 Lorna Cobbett has experienced trauma and the grief journey she walks every day has taught her that embracing vulnerability can transform our lives in profound ways. 💙 In this Something for the Weekend from Blue John, Lorna discusses the beauty in vulnerability and why it is a superpower. 🌟 Note: It's currently Baby Loss Awareness Week and we will light a candle in memory of Essie, Lorna's triplet daughter. The global Wave of Light takes place on 15 October at 7pm, as no-one should feel alone.🕯 #vulnerability #leadership #bluejohn #authenticleadership #culture #babyloss

A little something to keep an eye out for... 👀 Last Monday I got up very early and can't wait to show you why! 💙