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 to access: the programme materials, course Community, One Planet Action Plan and Weekly office-hours sessions - join the next round of Live group sessions in october 2024 to put your learning into practice with others
signup deadline 11 October 2024

Your investment £850 

or
Pay in 3 instalments £850  £750
£100 off when you pay before 16 Sept 2024

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

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.

Inside the programme:

18 in-depth 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

Get started on these as soon as you join.

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.

 Dates below.

Weekly ‘Office Hours’ sessions 

Weekly(ish) drop-in session on Zoom with Sarah to answer your questions about any aspect of the programme and your journey.

Facilitators are also on hand to answer your questions as they arise within the platform.

Online community platform

(Inspired by Nature Network, a Mighty Network)

and

Campfire (Peer support) Groups

Sharing and collaboration opportunities.

 

 

 

 

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 participants say:

Cherry Anderson

Freelance Graphic Designer

Oriele Frank

Founder, Chief Product and Sustainability Officer

Hannah Fields

Community Garden, Derby

Danielle Heward

Director

Cherry
Freelance Graphic Designer
Danielle 
Director
Anouska
Regenerative Designer
Vicky
Director

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

Sign up any time to access: the programme materials, course Community, One Planet Action Plan and Weekly office-hours sessions - then you'll also join the next round of Live group sessions to put your learning into practice with others

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 6 months (average around 5 hours per week):

1 hour per week modules

1 hour per week ‘Office Hours’ (optional)

2 hour every 2 weeks group coaching (during the 4 months of live sessions

1 hour every 2 weeks Campfire groups (optional)

2 ½  hours per week self-study applied to your organisation

Your investment:

£850

 

or
Pay in 3 instalments £850 £750
£100 off when you pay before 16 Sept 2024

Discover the modules

Introductory modules:

12 x Strand modules (each with same format)

More about the 12 Strands

Strands are nature’s secrets of success.

Inside the FUNDAMENTALS programme you will dig deep into each strand.

In each of the 12 Strands Modules 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
  • Activities 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
  • Extensive resources
  • Case Studies
  • 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
12 hours of Group coaching

Experienced mentors

Weekly(ish) 'Office Hours' zoom sessions for all your questions

cohort of peers

Campfire sessions

A community platform

Extensive online Modules

One Planet Action Plan

Your One Planet Action Plan:


Included in your course price is access to a One Planet Action Plan for you to map your progress.

One Planet is an intuitive platform that allows you to map Outcomes, Actions, Indicators and Connections via its unique software.

You will use it to map your course progress using the Think like a Forest frameworks (The 12 Strands and 6 Systems Dimensions).  You can also choose to view your progress through the lens of the SDGs, One Planet Principles, 4 Ps and B Corp categories.

At the touch of a button your progress will be outputted into report format to share with your team, stakeholders, funders and supporters.

You will also have the option to connect with other participants and One Planet subscribers to discover shared outcomes and actions. 

You can find out more about One Planet here.

Live session dates 2024

October 2024 to Jan 2025

Choice of Tuesday evenings 6 – 8pm or Wednesday mornings 10am -12 (UK time)  

Tuesday 16 / Wednesday 17 October

Tuesday 30 / Wednesday 31 October

Tuesday 12 /Wednesday 13 November

Tuesday 26 / Wednesday 27 November

(no sessions in December)

Tuesday 7 / Wednesday 8 January 

Tuesday 21 / Wednesday 22 January

Sessions will be recorded, although we do recommend that you attend live.

Campfire groups are in addition to this and will be self-organising to a time to suit participants.

Times are given in UK time (London) – please check your time zones carefully

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.

Your investment:

Price is per person

£850 

– immediate access to programme videos and materials, weekly(ish) ‘Office Hours’ and community platform

At the checkout you can pay by credit or debit card, bacs (our preferred method) or Paypal.  You may have the option of Paypal Pay in 3.


Low-income/ low-financial capital? Get in touch to find out how to apply for a sponsored place.

Your investment:

Price is per person

£850 

– immediate access to programme videos and materials, weekly(ish) ‘Office Hours’ and community platform

At the checkout you can pay by credit or debit card, bacs (our preferred method) or Paypal.  You may have the option of Paypal Pay in 3.


Low-income/ low-financial capital? Get in touch to find out how to apply for a sponsored place.

Ready to become regenerative?

£850

or
Pay in 3 instalments £850 £750
£100 off when you pay before 16 Sept 2024

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.

More testimonials for Sarah and JK's work:

Oriele Frank

Founder, Chief Product and Sustainability Officer

Cherry Anderson

Graphic Designer

Vicky Heward

Director

Danielle Heward

Director

Angela

Director Lagom Derby CIC (Hannah Fields Community Garden)

Danielle 
Director
Anouska
Regenerative Designer
Vicky
Director
"For more than 10 years, I have been working in the conservation sector, not a single time I would try to think like a tree that I have been trying to protect. Sarah inspired me with all the sessions and made me realize that nature has provided all the life-learnings we would ever need. I would never forget the feelings of grateful and reconnecting to the surrounding environment during the only 1 day session.
"Sarah was excellent: she was professional and friendly, and kept the pace of activities at a nice balance between being too slow or not leaving enough time for deep reflection."
"Empowering, though-provoking and nourishing."
"The ecosystem mapping was useful since our team is far-flung geographically and thematically, so it gave me some insight as to the unique challenges facing different team members."
"It was exactly what I was hoping for! As someone with limited business management experience I wanted support in moving forwards but in a way that fit with the ethos of my business and my own values and beliefs."
"It feels like the most natural organisational development course. I don't always trust people, but I trust nature."

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Should I sign up before the live group session dates?

There are various benefits to signing up immediately:

  • You'll gain access to the course materials immediately (within 48 hours of sign up) so you'll have plenty of time to work through them at a more leisurely pace prior to the live sessions starting.
  • You'll gain access immediately to the weekly(ish) 'Office Hours sessions on zoom to ask any questions/ explore any issues arising from the course and your regenerative journey
  • You'll gain access to Inspired by Nature Network online community immediately, so you can network with other people across the different cohorts.
  • You'll have the opportunity to spread your payments over 3 months-  in 3 instalments (the final payment must be received the day before the first live session to be included.)
  • You'll have access to your One Planet Action Plan for longer (from signup until two weeks after your last live session).

When are the live zoom session dates?

'Office Hours' are weekly at 10am UK time

(these run from signup until end of January, with the option to renew for a second year of live sessions if you wish)

Live Group Sessions on Zoom:

October 2024 to Jan 2025

Choice of Tuesday evenings 6 - 8pm or Wednesday mornings 10am -12 (UK time) 

Tuesday 16 / Wednesday 17 October

Tuesday 30 / Wednesday 31 October

Tuesday 12 /Wednesday 13 November

Tuesday 26 / Wednesday 27 November

(no sessions in December)

Tuesday 7 / Wednesday 8 January 

Tuesday 21 / Wednesday 22 January

Sessions will be recorded, although we do recommend that you attend live.

Campfire groups are in addition to this and will be self-organising to a time to suit participants.

Times are given in UK time (London) - please 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.

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.

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 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 their workplace, business, organisation or  community (and 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.

If you’ve read all the way down here and not yet signed up, it may be that you have some niggling questions that we can help you with.

If that’s the case, then don’t keep them to yourself, we’re here to help.

Here’s how you can contact us: