We’re here to help guide you through the landscape of personal and professional well-being.
A modern approach to leadership, wellbeing and personal transformation — grounded in lived experience, not theory.
James Harrup-Brook
Founder
Self Cultivation was born from James’s lived experience — a journey shaped by growth, reflection and decades spent working in high-pressure corporate environments.
His career began stacking supermarket shelves before moving into NHS IT. Without a university route and navigating dyslexia, James built his professional life step by step. Over the next 20 years he led complex transformation programmes across global banks, insurers and consulting firms — eventually becoming a senior change leader trusted to deliver high-stakes organisational work.
Alongside his career, James faced a defining life event: a traumatic accident that required multiple surgeries and a long physical recovery. What followed was less visible — a silent struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. For years, he continued performing at a high level while privately managing the emotional and psychological weight of the experience.
That journey changed everything, reshaping not only how James worked, but how he understood himself and the environments in which people thrive.
During his recovery, he developed a renewed connection with the natural world. Observing how plants respond to conditions — soil, nurture, environment, rhythm and care — became a powerful metaphor for leadership and personal growth. It reinforced a simple truth: transformation doesn’t happen under constant pressure, it happens when the environment supports it. This philosophy sits at the heart of Self Cultivation.
Today, James brings together:
• Senior leadership and transformation expertise
• Lived experience of trauma, recovery and resilience
• Behavioural science and modern wellbeing practices
• A grounded, compassionate coaching approach
His work isn’t abstract theory — it’s lived and practical. James helps individuals and organisations build healthier cultures, clearer communication, stronger resilience and more sustainable ways of working.
When people feel safe, supported and connected — they perform at their best.
“Because of James’s unique journey he can help you. The experience of building a City career from humble beginnings to the journey of learning how to thrive personally and professionally with PTSD.”
THE TRI-BIO™ METHOD
A reflective framework for building self-awareness, clarity and direction — grounded in lived experience.
The Tri-Bio™ Method invites you to write three short autobiographies. Each biography reveals a different layer of truth: who you’ve been, what has shaped you, and who you are becoming.
This process helps you acknowledge past experiences, recognise deeply-held beliefs, and define the life you choose to create moving forward.
1 — The External Bio (The CV Version). This is the story people see — achievements, milestones, roles, and reputation.
2 — The Unspoken Bio (The Story Behind the Story. )This is the hidden story — the truths, challenges and turning points that shaped you.
3 — The Becoming Bio (Who You’re Growing Into). This is the intentional story — the life you are consciously growing into.
The Tri-Bio™ Method creates a bridge between your past, present and future.
It offers a clear understanding of who you are today — and who you are becoming.
-
James is a senior change and transformation leader; his career has culminated in becoming a Partner for a Global Consulting Firm. Over the course of a 20-year career James has led complex change and transformation initiatives for the world largest Investment Banks, Insurance Companies and Global Consultancies.
James’s career has seen him break the traditional mobility celling and class barriers. James is from a true working-class background, this coupled with his struggles with dyslexia meant university was simply not an option. After leaving school he began by stacking shelves in the local supermarket before getting a job in the local NHS Hospital IT department – where his job was to dismantle old computers and shred hard drives.
Being extremely focused, driven and with a tenacious personality James moved from the supermarket shelf, to Investment banking. Throughout his career James knows what it takes to deliver and knows how to spot and maximise career opportunities – he knows the challenges, he knows how hard you need to work, he knows it can all be achieved. -
Sixteen years ago, James suffered a life changing accident, breaking his arm in ten places. Two pieces of bone pieced his arm externally, on their way out that bone severed James’s main vein, James lost all his blood. What pursed was a 10-hour stint in surgery and a week in intensive care. During this ordeal James was pronounced dead three times with family members called to hospital by consultants to say their goodbyes. With his arm wrapped in titanium secures by 45 screws, his main vein replumbed and an impressive 18inch scar. James survived to tell that tale.
The tale that Jame did not tell for years was one of horrific Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The experience of the terrible accident and the aftermath has impacted him ever since; the impact of PTSD on the brain, the mind and the body; James had periods of suicidal feelings PTSD the impact on his life, his personal relationships with wife and son, family and friends was immense. He literally almost lost it all.
Through the experience James eventually succeeded in taking control and changing his life. Through a process of recognising something was wrong and building himself up to seek help he managed to take full control and calm his life. PTSD never leaves, it will always be there lurking in a darkened corner ready to pounce, through years of practice James is now in control of PTSD, not controlled by it. James has created a life where his has a balanced family career and well-being.
-
Because of James’s unique journey he can help you. The experience of building a City career from humble beginnings to the journey of learning how to thrive personally and professionally with PTSD. This lived experience has been instrumental to James’s positioned as a coach and mentor, and his approach of building a life that intertwines ambition and drive with compassion and care.
James is passionate about mental wellbeing, as somebody who will always be in recovery from PTSD mental health will always be central to him. He is passionate about understanding and creating balance; successful career and meaningful personal relationships. James is a qualified life coach and mentor; his approach is immersive; it will enable you to have active agency in your own future. It is a confidential space delivered with compassion and care to help you to discover the future you. It will help you consider all aspects from your work to your social connects and to your spiritual life. The journey will provide an experienced and compassionate advocate for you to self-explore and enable to become the curator of your future you. You will have a renewed courage and strength to face challenges. James is on hand to help you understand for yourself how to make your light shine brighter and warmer.
MEET THE REST OF THE TEAM
Amy
Nutrition Adviser
Amy is passionate about helping people make informed choices about the way they nourish themselves. As a nutrition adviser and member of the Royal Society for Public Health, she’s seen how lifestyle and dietary habits can transform physical and emotional wellbeing.
Her interest in nutrition began while helping care for grandparents with dementia — witnessing firsthand how food can impact cognition, mood, and long-term health. That personal connection shaped her mission: to make nutrition simple, accessible and deeply personal rather than restrictive or overwhelming.
Today, Amy supports clients in building small, sustainable changes that lead to long-lasting wellbeing — physically and emotionally.
Areas of focus:
• Nutrition for energy and balanced living
• Habit-based lifestyle support
• Education over restriction — food that works in real life
Lee
Hairdresser & Stylist
With a 25-year career, Lee has worked with actors, public figures, CEOs and media professionals — bringing together creativity, style and storytelling. As an Artistic and Education Director in the industry, he has helped shape contemporary approaches that emphasise identity and self-expression.
Lee believes hair isn’t simply about appearance — it’s about confidence. His process begins with listening: understanding personality, lifestyle, and the image someone wants to step into. The result is a look that aligns with who they are and who they’re becoming.
Areas of focus:
• Style and identity coaching
• Confidence through personal presentation
• Practical styling for real-world life
Tom
Personal Trainer & Life Coach
Tom has spent over a decade helping clients improve their wellbeing through a holistic approach that blends movement, mindset, and reflection. As a qualified personal trainer and life coach, he focuses on three core pillars: physical health, emotional balance, and mental resilience.
Tom’s journey into coaching began with his own relationship with food and fluctuating weight. That experience shaped his philosophy: movement should be empowering, enjoyable, and rooted in understanding — not pressure or perfectionism.
He now works to help people build confidence from the inside out, moving beyond quick fixes toward habits that support meaningful change.
Areas of focus:
• Holistic personal training
• Behaviour-based habit change
• Confidence, self-belief, and long-term wellbeing
Amanda
Neurodiversity Expert & Life Coach
In her 40s, Amanda received a diagnosis of Autism — an experience that brought relief, clarity, and deep understanding. That turning point ignited her work as a neurodiversity advocate and life coach, helping others discover their own identity with compassion and confidence.
Her approach blends scientific understanding with lived experience. Amanda supports individuals and organisations in embracing neurodiversity, improving communication, and creating environments where different minds can thrive — not mask, minimise or struggle.
Amanda’s work makes space for individuality, safety, and acceptance — helping people step into a life that feels authentic and possible.
Areas of focus:
• Neurodiversity awareness and acceptance
• Coaching for identity, confidence and emotional regulation
• Inclusive environments for teams and families
Kate
Small Business Coach & Women in Leadership Mentor
Kate’s career is rooted in a lifelong fascination with human behaviour. Her journey spans studying psychology at university, working in human intelligence, and successfully building, scaling and selling her own retail and events business over more than a decade.
Today, she brings this rare blend of behavioural insight and real-world commercial experience to her work as a coach and mentor. Kate understands the pace, pressure and responsibility of leading a business — because she has lived it.
Her approach helps founders and leaders uncover the unseen drivers behind behaviour: the motivations, fears, patterns and blindspots that shape performance and team dynamics. Kate believes the most meaningful breakthroughs happen when leaders understand the *why* behind the *what* — transforming uncertainty into clarity and potential into capability.
Areas of focus:
• Women in business mentoring
• Leadership mindset and confidence
• Understanding behavioural patterns and team dynamics
• Scaling with clarity, structure and emotional intelligence
If you'd like support creating your own Tri-Bio™, we'd love to hear from you. Book your discovery call.
CEO
CEO Mentor & Coach
With more than 30 years of leadership experience across the UK and US financial sectors, this CEO brings deep insight into business, team culture, and human behaviour at the highest levels.
Over the past 15 years, they have mentored senior leaders navigating complexity, pressure, and change — helping them develop clarity, emotional awareness, and sustainable leadership practices. Their coaching focuses on strengthening communication, decision-making, and organisational influence in fast-moving environments.
Their work is grounded in one belief: leaders who feel steady and supported build stronger teams and healthier organisations.
Areas of focus:
• Executive and senior leadership mentoring
• Communication and influence under pressure
• Sustainable high-performance leadership.
NEWSLETTER
Enter your email to receive our upcoming news and offers.
If you’d like a little more clarity before taking the next step, the FAQ may help.