"When I saw the promo for our mentoring scheme I was struck by what an interesting opportunity it was and thought it seemed crazy that we were offering this to other businesses and not benefiting from it ourselves. So I decided to give it a go myself. I certainly haven’t been disappointed. I love Alec’s approach. It’s really helped me to think about how I’m leading the business and taking it forward, as a leader myself and with my management team. With succession planning and what the phases of that mean in practice as part of that. It’s also helped me personally in making clear headspace rather than constantly having my head down.”

Suzanne Caldwell, Cumbria Chamber of Commerce.

"The Cumbria Chamber of Commerce mentoring support has been invaluable to me in setting up a new enterprise. My mentor Jen Maxwell has been very flexible and responsive to my emerging business needs and has supported me with branding, time management, leadership and pricing. Jen has a wealth of skills and experience she has brought to every session and I am much better equipped to lead my own consultancy business as a result.”

Kaz Stuart

"Thanks to Gail’s expert support through this programme, I now have a clear business plan and a defined niche. Her advice has made a huge difference to how I position my writing services and has given me real clarity and direction.”

Jill Morgan, Clear and Credible

"When I signed up to the mentoring programme, I wanted to grow my confidence within a marketing manager role, something that was very new for me, whilst building skills within marketing, strategy and being part of a management team. Since I started with my mentor Paul, I have done this and so much more. My confidence has excelled, and I am now confident to bring to the table what is expected of a marketing manager whilst still learning from my peers. Paul has been a great mentor, and I look forward to continuing the programme with him to achieve more throughout the development of my career.”

Rebecca Jobson, Jennings Brewery Limited

"I came in as a co-ordinator of a growing holiday-letting business, feeling stretched between day-to-day operations and the leadership the team needed. We had big ambitions and a busy pipeline, but I lacked a clear framework for prioritization, delegation, and developing others while keeping standards high. I needed structured, external support to sharpen my leadership, understand how to best utilise my team, and build confidence in how I lead through growth. Alec’s programme offered exactly that, with relevant and practical mentoring. The sessions were focused, honest and actionable. Alec helped me appreciate the team from a strengths-based perspective, helped me develop effective 1:1s and feedback, and clarify roles so the team knows who owns what. We also worked on decision making, difficult conversations, and aligning responsibilities with strengths, which made an immediate difference. Overall, we have begun to appreciate and understand the team in terms of their specific personality strengths. We are communicating with more clarity, I am delegating better and creating space to work on the business rather than only in it. Team accountability has improved, meetings are quicker and more useful, and I feel more confident leading through change. Alec’s mentorship is grounded, time-efficient and tailored to real business pressures. IF you are scaling, juggling competing priorities, or want to lead with more clarity and calm, this programme will pay back quickly.”

Niall Mellonie, Laik Ltd

"As a small business owner it has been so helpful having Paul as a sounding board and trusted source of advice. During our monthly calls he holds me to account over the actions I've committed to that will really progress the strategically important aspects of my business.  He also helps me resolve issues that I would have struggled with alone. I now feel much more confident in where I need to focus my attention to grow the business, and my ability as a leader to get us there."

Karen Gee, Cycle Sprog

"I have had the privilege of working with Alec through the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce mentoring programme.  He has been a consistent sounding board for progression discussions within my business, offering clarity, perspective, and challenge when needed.

His experience in international business, has been instrumental in supporting key business decisions. The insight he brings from what is happening outside of the UK has genuinely broadened my thinking and helped shape strategy with greater confidence.

His knowledge of generational differences and how people learn and absorb information has been incredibly impactful. He created a space for me to unravel ideas, explore possibilities, and gain understanding. Using CliftonStrengths, we were able to identify my core strengths and weaknesses, which has been both valuable and validating as we’ve engaged in deeper discussions.

If you are considering the mentoring programme, I can recommend Alec and Cumbria Chamber."