Think like a Forest: Regenerative Organisation FUNDAMENTALS
A transformational programme that unites:
regenerative leadership;
team culture and wellbeing;
healthy organisational growth and resilience;
collaborative networks
planet-focused abundance and regeneration.
in one comprehensive and future-focused framework,
inspired by nature's success.
Sign up for the next limited-places cohort starting October 2023
Early bird offer until 15 September - save £100
This Programme Is For You If:
You want to discover what it means to be a more regenerative leader
You need practical frameworks and tools to help you on your journey
You value expert mentorship and guidance to support you
You care about people, planet and future generations and want to embed change in your organisation
You are worried about how your organisation can survive, adapt and be resilient in changing and challenging times
You know there is greater potential within you, your team and your organisation and you need help in bringing that forward
You feel overwhelmed at the enormity of the task of transforming yourself, your team, your organisation and our world
"Moving towards a regenerative future is the best way to build an agile, resilient culture that actively engages team members, grows productivity, and unites your people behind an empowering purpose."
Learning from nature's regenerative wisdom
Discover how to create the conditions for you, your team and your organisation to thrive
Find out who needs to be in your ecosystem for success
Embark on an inner and outer journey of personal-discovery as a leader, letting go of self-doubt and imposter syndrome (nature doesn’t do these!)
Let go of old habits and processes that are holding you back (and recycle them)
Step into the regenerative mindset of healthy growth, adaptability and resilience
Hi, we're JK McQuinn and Sarah Spencer, regenerative mentors and trainers
We've created Fundamentals especially for leaders and changemakers like you - so that you can accelerate the change that you want to make in the world
Inside the Programme:
15 self-study modules
Explanations, activities, exercises for all the strands and systems dimensions…
…enabling you to put the learning into action in ways that is unique to you and your organisation
6 x 2 hour group coaching sessions on zoom
Each session will include additional learning plus coaching around the unique issues that participants bring.
Allowing time for you to co-create the outcomes you need.
Online community platform
Sharing and collaboration opportunities.
Facilitators answering your questions as they arise
Campfire groups
Peer support groups to ensure you have support on hand when you need it.
The journey may be new, but you will have supportive adventurers at your side.
Discover our Unique Frameworks:
Think like a Forest’s unique 12 strands of ecosystem-inspired success model
Nature’s secrets to success for thriving organisations
6 systems dimensions
Work on six systems-dimensions to ensure your organisation is healthy and resilient to benefit people, planet, profit, productivity and purpose
Tools, activities, resources and plans for action
Practical, thoughtful, creative, our activities will guide you on an inner and outer journey, unleashing the potential within you and your team
Think like a Tree - Lush Spring Prize shortlisted 2023
What Outcomes Can I Expect?
When you come on the programme you will explore 6 Systems Dimensions, so you will have beneficial outcomes for:
- Yourself
- Your team
- Your organisation
- Your land/workplace
- Your community and region
- The biosphere/planet
Your specific outcomes will depend on your unique circumstances and how you choose to engage with the frameworks and tools offered, however you can expect outcomes in a wide variety of different areas
Here are potential outcomes for your businesses or organisation:
- Increased employee engagement and retention
- Reduced burnout and stress
- A culture that prioritises health for success
- Improved customer loyalty and satisfaction
- Increased innovation
- Reduced costs
- Improved reputation
- Increased revenue
- Clear strategies for reducing impact on climate and biodiversity
And here are potential outcomes for leaders and changemakers yourselves:
- Increased personal fulfilment/ sense of purpose
- Increased confidence and resilience
- Improved decision-making
- More confident in creativity and innovation
- Improved relationships with stakeholders
- Increased reputation
- Better communication and collaboration inside and beyond the workplace
- Great work-life balance
- Increased motivation through being part of the solution, not the problem
Potential outcomes for your community and region:
- Better connection with the people, organisations and opportunities within your community
- Become a valued contributor in your local economy and provisions
- More cohesive relationships for collaboration and innovation
- Sustainable solutions for long term benefits
- Improved (healthy) regional economic growth
- More resilient community and region with regard to climate and related shocks
Potential outcomes for our world
- Lower carbon emission
- Increased biodiversity
- Working practices that regenerative rather than extract
- More joined-up approaches to business and economics, leading to positive spirals of regeneration
Time investment:
This is a minimum suggested, depending on where you choose to apply the learning, and how deep you choose to go with the reading and resources provided.
60 hours over 3 – 4 months (average around 5 hours per week):
1 hour per week modules
2 hour every 2 weeks group coaching
1 hour every 2 weeks fireside groups
2 ½ hours per week self-study applied to your organisation
Dates for the October 2023 cohort:
Dates for group mentoring sessions for October 2023 Cohort:
Attend either Tuesday evenings 6 – 8pm* (17, 31 Oct, 14, 28 Nov, 9, 23 Jan)
or Wednesday morning 10 – 12am* (18 Oct, 1,15,29 Nov, 10,24 Jan
(Fireside group dates are additional to this and will be self-organising to suit the timetable of participants)
* times are given in UK time (London), if you wish to find your own time zone click here. Please note that we will change from BST to UTC during the course so check your time zones carefully.
"Moving towards a regenerative future is the best way to build an agile, resilient culture that actively engages team members, grows productivity, and unites your people behind an empowering purpose."
Discover the 12 strands
These are nature’s secrets of success. Inside the FUNDAMENTALS programme you will dig deep into each strand.
For each strand you will discover:
- An explanatory video
- Thought-provoking questions to allow you to unleash the potential of the strand for you and your organisation, according to your unique circumstances
- Activities to bring the strand to life
- Exercises to cover all of the 6 system dimensions (self, team, organisation, workplace, wider ecosystem, biosphere) so you can grow your organisation in a healthy way
- Nature-connection and nature-inspiration activities to ensure you are embedding nature-inspired ways of living and working into your organisation
- Action plans to help you keep momentum
- Extensive resources
- Tools to help you embed regenerative practices within your existing sustainability endeavours (our approach dovetails with and deepens other approaches such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Doughnut Economics, BCorp, carbon and ecological impact assessments etc)
- Tools that can be used again and again in future situations, for you, teams, organisations, communities and the world
Your investment:
Price is per person
£990 Sponsor rate
(A place for you and a subsidised place for someone who would not be able to afford to attend)
£595 Full rate
£495 Early-bird rate
(Early bird signup before 15 September 2023)
If you wish several team members to attend get in touch to discuss whether our Regenerative Organisation whole-team Adventure would be more appropriate.
Low-income/ can’t afford to come? Get in touch to find out how to apply for a sponsored place.
At the checkout you can pay by credit or debit card, bacs (our preferred method) or Paypal. You can use Paypal to pay in installments if you wish.
12 hours of Group coaching
Experienced mentors
A cohort of peers
Campfire sessions
A community platform
Online Modules
What is a regenerative business or organisation?
Regenerative organisations learn from the ways that nature achieves success. Based on the principles that have evolved to make living systems thrive over hundreds of millions of years, regenerative businesses recognise that everything is connected. They act like forests – an inter-connected ecosystem, with mutually-beneficial collaborations and effective mechanisms to ensure that the needs of all are met. They ensure that energy and materials are used effectively, cycling them to achieve healthy growth. They value people and ecosystems above monetary wealth. They are tried and tested, based on dynamic equilibrium, adaptable, innovative and flexible. Regenerative businesses create new life and create conditions conducive to life.
Your Guides:
Sarah Spencer
Sarah’s experience in business, organisations, charities, social enterprises as an entrepreneur spans decades. The common thread is the purpose-led nature of her work, for people and planet.
Sarah started her career working as a legal representative and team leader for refugees and asylum-seekers. After the charity she worked for folded in 2010, Sarah turned to her passion for nature, studied permaculture (she holds a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design) and discovered a whole new world about how nature solves problems and approaches change and adaptability.
She is a founder member of Melbourne Area Transition, seeking community-led solutions to the problems we face, She is a founder member, former chair and lead permaculture designer of Whistlewood Common, a community woodland social enterprise in south Derbyshire. As director and chair, Sarah guided the community-owned Community Benefit Society through startup, two share offers, business planning and new legal and regulatory processes.
She is a trained Forest School Leader and Mental Health First Aider. Sarah lives with a chronic illness that offers her valuable expertise in disability and diversity.
Sarah is a perennial student – devouring hundreds of books and courses on nature-inspired and regenerative solutions, constantly looking for the common strands and solutions to problems that are faced by individuals, businesses, societies and the planet.
She has undertaken regenerative leadership and design training.
She is the author of Think like a Tree: the natural principles guide to life. She lives in south Derbyshire with her family on their smallholding where they have planted woodlands, forest gardens, veg gardens, orchards, dug ponds and rewilded areas. Wildlife has rocketed in their 20 year guardianship of the land.
JK McQuinn
JK ( Jennie- Kate) McQuinn is the founder of Where the Mind Grows: Nature- Collaborative Coaching for individuals, teams and organisations.
JK helps people & teams adventure into nature to explore & nurture health & happiness. With Nature as a co-facilitator in all that we do at Where the Mind Grows.
With a background working in mental health, employability and leadership (in third, private & public health sectors) JK established her coaching businesses JKChangeWork & Where the Mind Grows ( 2017 +2019).
She helps people find the calm, clarity and confidence to celebrate themselves, enhance their communities and manage the eb and flow of ‘being human’ in a busy world.
Alongside being a Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming, Advanced IEMT, MBraining practitioner and with over 15 years coaching & personal development experience. JK went on to study ecopsychology and qualified as a Facilitator in the Think Like a Tree Programme. ( JK is Mental Health First Aid & ASIST & Trauma informed approaches trained ).
JK & Sarah have collaborated on the launch of Think Like A Forest a Regenerative Business programme for future-focused organisations.
Where the Mind Grows offer a range of 1:1 Life/Career well-being coaching services, retreats and self-leadership experiences in Nature; working with leaders, teams & organisations through team away days and workplace well-being consultancy/coaching programmes.
JK founded Wild Workspaces in 2023 – A co-working pop-up event in Nature helping business owners & leaders be better connected with Nature in their working day.
JK is at her happiest in nature, walking, camping, wild swimming or reading a good book to inspire personal growth & lifelong learning. Living in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
The living world as facilitator – nature will be your true guide. Our guided activities will help you tap into your abilities to learn from nature directly, benefitting you and your organisation.
You’ll discover how nature-connection benefits wellbeing, and how learning from nature can transform your organisational culture from scarcity to abundance-thinking.
This is an online course, but don’t be fooled – you will be encouraged to learn from nature directly.
The theory will be put firmly into practice. This is a course not just to learn systems-thinking, but to apply living-systems being and doing to your life, your leadership and your organisation.
Join fellow leaders, coaches and changemakers on a unique journey to discover an exciting and rewarding, regenerative future – transforming you, your team, your organisation and the world.
We’ll bring the frameworks, tools and mentorship, you bring the passion, nature will bring the wisdom.
Some testimonials for Sarah and JK's work:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What are the dates for the October cohort?
Dates for group mentoring sessions for October 2023 Cohort:
Attend either Tuesday evenings 6 – 8pm* (17, 31 Oct, 14, 28 Nov, 9, 23 Jan)
or Wednesday morning 10 – 12am* (18 Oct, 1,15,29 Nov, 10,24 Jan)
(Fireside group dates are additional to this and will be self-organising to suit the timetable of participants)
* times are given in UK time (London), if you wish to find your own time zone click here. Please note that we will change from BST to UTC during the course so check your time zones carefully.
Can I mix and match the dates?
We would prefer that you choose one or other of the sessions and try to attend all of the sessions. That way you will build up a group culture with your fellow attendees.
But if you can’t attend one session, then please feel free to attend the other session that week.
I am away some dates, will there be replays?
Yes, replays will be available. We aim to have them live within 3 days of the session.
However, the group sessions will involve group activities (some of which will be in breakout rooms which won’t be recorded), so you’ll gain maximum benefit if you attend live.
What is the community platform?
After you sign up you’ll be given login details for Inspired by Nature Network, which is our network and course platform (on Mighty Networks).
Everything will be explained inside the platform.
It’s easy to use and you’ll find the Zoom links and other useful information inside.
I am the only person attending from my team, is that ok?
Yes, not a problem. You can learn the fundamentals and take them back to your team.
And if you would like some support sharing the learning with your team, once you’ve completed the course, you can then book a whole-team Adventure, where your team will all gain access to the course materials and group coaching as a whole team. More about the whole-team Adventure is here.
I don’t consider myself a ‘leader’, is this course for me?
Yes! Regenerative leadership calls for us all to step into the role of ‘leader’.
You’ll discover what that means through the course, but rest assured, it’s not something you’re born with, and it’s different from being a ‘manager’.
Our definition of a leader is someone who wants to affect positive change in the world.
I’m a coach, is this course for me? Can I share the learning with my clients?
Yes! This course is important for coaches who are working with leaders, team-members, businesses and organisations. We all need to transition to regenerative ways of working as a matter of urgency. Think like a Forest seeks to act as a catalyst for others to do so. Regenerative practices call for us to act with integrity and to act within the ethical frameworks of Earth Care, People Care and Fair Shares.,
When using materials with your clients we ask that you credit the original source.
The 12 Strands and 6 Systems dimensions (and other original resources) should be credited Sarah Spencer, Think like a Tree/Think like a Forest.
I am feeling overwhelmed with my role, is this going to add more work?
You’ll need to commit an average of 5 hours per week for the duration of the course, (although much of that will also be progressing your business).
The purpose of the programme is for you to discover a more natural way of leadership/business and that means learning to leave behind many of the stresses of modern work, sharing the burden and empowering your team/co-workers.
Overall this is a much more rewarding way to do business.
Our core ‘systems dimension’ is ‘self’, ie you!- so you will discover what works for you, including self-care and releasing your potential.
My current workplace environment isn’t regenerative and I worry that this will remain ‘theory’ rather than being able to be realised in the real world.
Yes this is a common worry when so many workplaces are not regenerative right now.
We are here to help you explore what the issues are, and our tools and resources are here to support you.
Whatever your circumstances there will be changes you can make – remember nature mostly makes change via evolution which can seem slow.
However, big changes can happen when there are tipping points in the right direction.
By being part of the solution, gaining knowledge and experience you will be ready to make the right changes at the right time.
We are learning from nature but the course is online? How does that work?
The course includes many activities to get you and your team out in nature, so you can benefit from nature-connection and learning from living systems too.
I’d like to attend with my whole team, what should I do?
Check out our Think like a Forest Regenerative Organisation Adventure.
Your whole team will gain access to the online platform and course materials. Your group sessions will be with your whole team at times to suit you, and your facilitators will bespoke the materials to your specific needs.
Adventure can be online-only, or a hybrid (online plus 1 day in-person day) – it’s your choice.
If just 2 or 3 of your team members would like to attend, then we advise you attend Fundamentals and then report back to your team.
Do I have to be a tree-hugger to enjoy it? – it sounds a bit woo,woo!
Think like a Forest Regenerative Organisation Fundamentals was created following our extensive research and studies of regenerative practices.
Until about 500 years ago this is the way that everyone was living – it’s deep inside of us already, waiting to get out.
The modern world loves to label people as tree-huggers, hippies or woo woo when they are simply connecting with and learning from the living systems that are everywhere.
Living-systems approaches are being used everywhere – from business, to economics, to land design, health, agriculture, engineering, product-design and academia.
The course offers a new way of seeing the world, not blinkered by the consumerist, industrial, machine mindset that dominates our world.
(p.s if you want to hug trees then that’s all right with us!)
How practical is the programme?
Everything you learn and discover is designed to be implemented in your life and work in a real and practical way.
For each of the 12 Strands you will discover activities and tools to put regenerative practices into action.
This practical approach covers all of our 6 systems dimensions, so you'll be discover changes for:
- yourself
- your team
- your organisation
- your place (workplace, land etc)
- your wider ecosystem
- the biosphere
I'm part of a business/charity/not-for-profit is this course for me?
Yes!
Fundamentals is for people in organisations of all size and type.
The frameworks and tools are the same and are adapted for whatever your circumstances.