The catalyst approach

Catalyst is not a mastermind that focusses on one, tunnel vision strategy for business growth.  Those sorts of groups may be helpful for very specific businesses in their early phases of growth.  But Catalyst is grounded in business fundamentals, applicable across industries and independent of founder personality.

It is for businesses who have achieved their “proof of concept” and are ready to scale.

Think of it as your Board of Advisors who bring their wisdom to bear in helping you to identify the best moves to achieve your growth and impact ambitions, in the simplest possible way.

We will help you to stay true to your mission, shape your strategy and hold you to account as you execute… all whilst ensuring your energy levels are sustainable.

Oh- and yes, we’ll make sure you’re having fun along the way.

Catalyst is organised around the 7-pillars of impact

1. Your Something Greater

Tune in to your BIG WHY – define it with clarity.

All businesses that grow quickly and make a true impact have a reason for existing that goes well beyond making money.  They have a light inside them that makes them radiant to their ideal clients, talent and investors alike.  And that is the fuel of purpose.

They have a clear reason why, and a clear mission they are working towards.  And the business owner, the team and indeed the business model are all aligned and in service of that something greater.

As a Catalyst member you will regularly tune in and refine yours deeply and clearly.

2. Stand Out

Powerful Positioning Simply Articulated

A high impact business has something unique which sets them apart.  Something that makes them stand out in their crowded market.  To attract the right clients successfully you must have a clearly identified niche, a well – articulated promise of how you serve them, and a brand identity that is unique to you.

As a Catalyst member you will review or indeed create your powerful positioning that is easy to communicate and will have you stand out from the crowd.

3.  Sales

Diagnose & Optimise Conversion Problems for Fast Revenue Growth

Cashflow is the lifeblood of any business.  And any impactful business has a consistent stream of warm leads, or more correctly- curious people open for more.  It is fundamental to create journeys of discovery for potential clients which lead to dedicated sales moments that get the job done.

As a Catalyst member you will regularly be optimising your marketing and sales efforts.  You will diagnose where the greatest room for growth is to be found, and discover powerful strategies for optimising and enhancing that customer journey. You will clarify the most impactful changes you can make to grow revenue fast.

4.  Support

Design Your Network | Increase Net Worth

The role of good people in business success cannot be understated.  Whether its knowing who to hire and when, or developing promotional partnerships that supercharge your growth- relationships are key. As a Catalyst member you will spend time reviewing your team, designing your team growth strategy and troubleshooting people issues with a board of other experienced founders.   You will also expand your horizons when thinking about strategic partnerships and joint venture alliances.

5. Simplicity

Big Dreams in Simple Systems

The tendency of most business owners is to complicate.  Especially when scaling from the first hundred thousand to the first million in revenue.  Most of these growth plans stall not because of ambition, but because the founder tries to implement the entire dream all at the same time.

However, the best businesses are those that do just a few things very well.  Throughout your Catalyst journey we will help you to focus on the simplest possible business model.  It is impossible to scale the complex.  You ma need to simplify before activating significant growth. You’ll identify simple, low cost of delivery products, programs and services that allow you to fulfil your mission, without tying you and your team up in knots.

6. Soft PowerPlanning

Keeping the momentum

Finally, you need a clear plan of implementation. Strategic planning is not enough.  A plan needs to be born from mission, fuelled by sustainable energy, and geared towards achieving the results you want for your life as a business owner.

Every quarter, you will use a simple process of gathering input from your team, and reviewing the results of the quarter you’ve ended.  Then, at each planning retreat you will review your One Page Business Plan, synthesize the feedback from your team, along with your financial position and your intuition to craft your own Soft PowerPlan- an aligned business plan that ensures your growth is fuelled by what feels light, as well as what feels right.

7. Sustainability

Maximum Energy & Money to Launch

When it comes to business there are some finite resources that always require nurturing and tending.  The first is money: revenue, profit and cash. We make no excuses about the fact that we watch the finances closely at Catalyst.  Your mission will not survive without plenty of cash for growth.  So, you will learn how to maximise cash in times of uncertainty, and how to identify safe choices for investing in your business.

The second finite resource is energy: yours and your teams.  Female founders are at greater risk of burnout than their male counterparts, and on occasion Catalyst members join the program feeling somewhat exhausted, and in some cases quite disconnected from themselves or why they started their business in the first place.

The profound space created at the retreats is deeply nourishing, quickly bringing women back to centre and recovering their hope and optimism for the future.  Every quarter you will take some time to take stock of everyone’s energy levels before you launch into executing on the plan.

What makes catalyst so unique?

There are other mastermind programs out there.  With some great business minds at the helm.  Indeed, Jo has trained the founders of many, and been a member of a good deal more.  For this reason, and from the feedback of current members, we know for a fact there is nothing like Catalyst in the UK.  You will find our unique blend of qualities truly stands us apart.

1. Space for the whole woman, not just the business.

At least half of what pulls a female founder off her game has nothing to do with business, and everything to do with juggling families, and a belief in oneself.  Jo is equal parts soul mentor and business mentor.  And is unafraid to call it when she sees a woman out of alignment with her calling.

2. Women at your level of business or higher

Most women’s business groups in the UK are full of startups.  We celebrate them.  They are brilliant breeding grounds for the impactful leaders of tomorrow.  But Catalyst is the mastermind for those who have the capacity to be those leaders today.  We specialise in unleashing female founders who are already doing good things and support them to step into their greatness now.

3. A strong focus on the finances

No other business mastermind for women focusses as strongly on your financial measurements and sustainability.  Having done it personally twice, and mentored dozens of business owners on the same journey,  Jo is adept at guiding businesses to scale from six figure to seven figure revenues, whilst maintaining as much profit as possible along the way.

4. Your mentor understands your plans intimately

It’s easy for a decent coach to hold someone to account, and keep them in action.  But it’s much harder to ensure that each action is actually aligned with the ultimate business direction. There is never more than 12 members of Catalyst, and Jo makes it her mission to understand your business strategy intimately.  She is happy to be both supportive and critical in order to challenge your thinking, and stimulate new ideas.  Jo’s capacity to hold both the big picture, and to simplify and strip back on the detail means you’ll never waste time on actions that aren’t heading you in the direction that matters.

It’s for all these reasons and more we believe Catalyst is unique among masterminds.

Your mentor and coach- dr joanna martin

Since 2008, Jo has nurtured and impacted the growth of many of the inspirational leaders you see speaking around the world today. Her blend of intelligence, intuition and insight have helped thousands to move to their next level of impact. Her private client list reads like a who’s who of difference-makers in the USA, Europe and Australia.

Jo works with clients as needed to re-position, re-package and ultimately find their unique “Leadership Identity”. She has helped consultants, coaches and service professionals to monetise their knowledge with new Elegant Business Models, personally crafted hundreds of Effective Presentations, and re-designed dozens of Multi-Day Seminars to help clients fill high end mentoring groups, sell franchises and licenses, or grow their 1-1 client base.

She has helped her clients become sought after thought leaders, with a keen eye to sustainable, aligned and authentic growth.

A successful entrepreneur in her own right.

Jo has started and grown three successful small businesses .  Her most loved, One of many® was launched in 2014 and has impacted over 70,000 women and now has Certified Coaches in over 20 countries. Her previous business, Shift Speaker Training was launched in the recession of 2008 and was an instant success – growing to over a million in revenue in it’s first year.

She is co-chair of the Hunger Project UK,  a committed financial investor and volunteer- having supported them by training over 90 fundraisers and facilitators globally.

She’s also a diplomatic wife, a sometimes-too-tired mother, a protective sister, and a caring friend. She has a very cool head, but a very big heart.

And as a woman and a mother she understands the juggle!

What is included as part of your catalyst membership?

1.  Your Quarterly Catalyst Retreats

Your quarterly retreats will be the lynch-pin to your Catalyst growth and transformation and as such we ask you to commit to attending at least three of the four held each year. We understand that balancing family and business life and securing childcare can be difficult which is why we have built in so much additional value into the Catalyst experience.

The dates for 2024 are:

  • 4-6th December 2023
  • 19-21 March 2024
  • 19-21 June 2024
  • 25-27 September 2024

Every retreat is held in a 5* (or equivalent) luxurious destination.  Your Catalyst membership fee covers all food and accommodation costs associated with in person retreats.  Depending on the venue, rooms will be shared on a twin basis.  A few of our members do prefer to be assured a single room for individual reasons, and this can usually be arranged subject to a surcharge. We will ask in advance of our events if anyone would like to share rooms in particular.  Travel expenses and alcohol are not included.

2. Mentoring & Mastermind Calls

Mentoring and Mastermind calls are held on the first and third Fridays of the month from 9:30am-11am. They provide an invaluable space to mastermind with one another to work through your current business challenges, amongst a wealth of experience. They are also a place to reflect, celebrate your wins and deepen the connections with your fellow members and Jo.

Examples of Mentoring Call Challenges

  • Marketing strategies such as ‘Should I run a Facebook challenge’ and ‘How to encourage people to sign up to a webinar series’
  • How to manage a virtual team
  • How to negotiate the purchase of a domain from another business owner
  • Overwhelm and how to get out of it
  • The best interview questions to ask a potential employment candidate
  • Should I self-fund or seek investment for growth?
  • How do I handle this difficult employee?

Examples of wins from previous masterminds

  • “Great group call tonight. Good to share points of view and ideas.
  • “Celebrating! Being so super productive. 5 campaigns in my FB ad funnel and all being tested now. Writing all the newsletter articles up to the end of August!
  • Started planning my live event in November, and creating the marketing strategy for it.”
  • “Win: am only £3,000 short of my annual revenue target of £160k and I still have 2 months of the year left to go! Amazing!”
  • “Really appreciating and loving the support and ass-kicking from my fellow members – I am so glad I joined. Am getting so many hints, tips and ideas that I am sure I will make far fewer mistakes than I would have done otherwise.”

Monthly training (on months we don’t have a retreat)

On the eight months that we don’t meet in person, we will host training webinars on key skill sets we identify members need to develop.  These may be delivered by one of your fellow members in the field of their particular expertise or by a specialist guest trainer from Jo’s wide network around the world.

As with the mentoring calls, all trainings are recorded and uploaded to the membership site so you can play back if you miss one, or search our extensive back catalogue if you need help with something in particular. Of course you will get the greatest benefit if you attend them live, so please do try and join as many as possible.

Weekday quick support

We are all available for each other most every day in the Facebook or WhatsApp group.  If you’re stuck, come and ask.  If you’re inspired or celebrating, come and share.

Your fellow members will be a wealth of experience and knowledge to help you with so many day to day questions.  But if you have a particular question for Jo, she will always respond via text or audio/video as soon as she can.

How to apply

Entry to Catalyst is by application only, and any vacancies are filled in September/October each year for a December commencement.

If you’d like to be considered for a please apply for a Strategy Session with Jo here:

https://Joannamartin.com/make-the-leap

For any further information, email [email protected]