Joanna Harris is the driving strategic and creative force behind The Oneness Movement. A catalyst for change, the aim of TOM is to engage and empower people to embrace their true nature and purpose.Recognising a shift in the desire for global consciousness, TOM connects people seeking conscious wellbeing and encourages a playful, inquisitive approach to discovering their journey to ‘Oneness.’
Joanna Harris is a change specialist in financial services with vast experience in large-scale transformation projects, strategy, design and process re-engineering. She has worked for investment and commercial banks in the UK and internationally.
With over 10 years’ experience, Joanna has managed a multi-million-pound portfolio, large and small projects, strategy, design, and implementation. Joanna has a proven track record for creative problem solving, and her expertise in business transformation ensures her clients’ expectations are exceeded.
Demonstrating leadership and strong communication skills, Joanna has a reputation for complex issue resolution. She combines extensive project management experience, strategic thinking, business analysis, and process design skills and a deep understanding of IT development to meet challenges.
Since 2007, she has worked across many areas of banking including finance, risk, operations, relationship management, and lending. Joanna also managed a commercial branch set up in a foreign jurisdiction and has worked for clients such as Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Credit Suisse, and Lloyds Bank.
Hey Joanna, can you introduce yourself to us?
I’m the driving strategic and creative force behind The Oneness Movement. My career has been as a change specialist in financial services. I have vast experience in large-scale transformation projects, strategy, design, and process re-engineering, working for investment and commercial banks in the UK and internationally.
I have over 12 years’ experience and have managed a multi-million-pound portfolio, large and small projects, strategy, design, and implementation. I have leadership and strong communication skills, a reputation for complex issue resolution and creative problem solving, and I combine extensive project management experience, strategic thinking, business analysis, and process design skills and a deep understanding of IT development to meet challenges.
Since 2007, I have worked across many areas of banking including finance, risk, operations, relationship management. Joanna also managed a commercial branch set up in a foreign jurisdiction.
Can you take us through your journey to where you are now?
Throughout my younger years, I struggled with feeling separated from myself, my environment, and those around me. It was these intense feelings of separation that led her to discover my own personal transformation journey. Following several years of exploration into counselling, meditation, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), herbalism, mindfulness and psychotherapy, and researching scientific theories such as quantum physics, I started working with William Whitecloud of Natural Success.
It was through my teachings with William, who brought together many of the concepts previously studied, that I become comfortable and accepting of the person I am. The training enabled me to connect with myself, my environment, and others, in ways I never thought possible.
Discovering my truth led to Imagineering the concept behind TOM and to bringing my life purpose, literally, to life.
Since finding my purpose, I have spent 2018 launching TOM with a team of dedicated specialists who helped me establish the company and the brand. We have grown an engaged community with whom we share insights and resources across of a number of Conscious Wellbeing disciplines, such as Reiki, Tai Chi, Life Coaching, Sound Healing. Our aim is to provide them with the tools and information they need for their own transformational journey.
We have also developed an online platform, myTOM which will launch in late February. myTOM connects people with Practitioners in these Conscious Wellbeing disciplines so they can explore different services, such as retreats, classes, workshops, and appointments, to help them find what resonates with them.
How is The Oneness Movement funded, is it bootstrapped, self-funded ect?
Throughout 2018 we were self-funded. We have 2 Angel investors on board now and are running a crowdfunding campaign in March.
Can you tell us more about the brand DNA and ethos of The Oneness Movement?
TOM is about bringing Oneness into our everyday lives – thinking, knowing, being
Our Values:
CONNECTION
- We believe that everything is connected throughout all time and space.
- We create opportunities to grow and make connections that haven’t been made before.
- We work with people (staff, providers, suppliers) who are connected to their higher purpose.
COLLABORATIVE
- We actively and openly share ideas to better serve the community.
- We recognise and embrace people’s differences, we all have something to share and give.
- We invite our customer and practitioners to actively collaborate with us and each other.
CLARITY
- We believe in telling it like it is, there are no smoke and mirrors.
- We are open, honest and clear in all communications.
- We build trusted, ethical relationships with, our staff, suppliers, customers, and practitioners.
ENERGY
- We believe that all our energy is inherently connected with universal energy
- We are a force for creating and collaborating powerfully
- We trust that our actions build momentum towards our true vision and purpose
Can you tell us how you are bridging the gap by connecting like-minded individuals within the conscious wellbeing industry to businesses and practitioners?
We are creating empowering resources for people to explore, engage and embrace Oneness through disciplines which are centered in conscious wellbeing, with the aim of supporting each person’s unique journey to Oneness with the Self, the world and the universe.
We provide a:
- COMMUNITY. A social platform for interaction, knowledge sharing, and collaboration.
- MARKETPLACE. An online platform to buy and sell conscious wellbeing products and services.
- TOOLBOX.Software and tools for Practitioners to manage their business from promotion to payment, so they can put their focus on helping their clients.
Where can you see yourself within the next 3-5 years?
TOM is my life purpose. In 3 to 5 years, our aim is to have expanded our reach in the community globally and through our myTOM platform, connect people around the world in sharing conscious wellbeing, their journeys, their knowledge, their services, their products – we want to make Oneness a mainstream concept.
Alongside the platform, we will host TOM events, grow our conscious affiliates programme, create conscious wellbeing media and support conscious wellbeing through charitable causes. My aim is to grow the business substantially via the myTOM platform, to enable us to build out these supporting areas on a more significant scale.
Can you highlight the 3 ways we can gain clarity to enable a transformational change?
Our ethos is that there is not a one-size-fits-all, we are all unique and all have our own path to walk. We love to encourage playful inquisitiveness on our journey to oneness, so we recommend that people
- EXPLORE. Oneness by discovering the different disciplines that promote connection with the Self, world, and universe.
- ENGAGE. With different people, practitioners, disciplines, experiences to see what resonates for you.
- EMBRACE. Bring connection into your life by discussing topics, exploring synergies and exchanging ideas.
Who does the team involve behind you?
We have a team of diverse and creative specialists with a passion for their delivery and their own journey.
Lucy Nolan – Chief Product and Marketing Officer
Lucy is my partner in bringing TOM to life – an entrepreneur and success story all of her own, a true friend, and incredible woman and an amazing person to create with.
- Lucy is a digital technology expert with over 12 years experience in web development, digital marketing, and building and monetising communities.
- She creates P2P technology solutions and devises user-focused digital products that enable clients to hit record online profits, grow revenue and market share.
- Lucy loves using digital technology to educate and connect people and brings her passion for this to TOM.
Lucy is supported by a marketing team:
- Ross Macintyre, our digital communications specialist,
- Suzanne Potter, our social media guru,
- Lise Meyrick, our branding and graphic design.
Chris Honore – Chief Information and Technology Officer
- Chris has a deep passion for creating beautiful and functional products.
- He has been involved in implementing technical solutions for companies like DeliveryHero, IBM, and SimbaSleep.
- Chris has served as CPO for start-ups in London and Berlin and is a member of the StartupHealth (NYC) incubator where he helped bring digital products to market.
- Chris spends his spare time teaching coding and product design through creative workshops aligned with Conscious principles.
We partner with Calcey Technologies who are building our myTOM platform. They are an incredible team of 6 led by Ruveen Thirimanne.
Stuart Kerslake – Chief Financial Officer
- Stuart possesses a rare mix of strategic thinking and attention to detail to truly get behind the numbers.
- He brings a combination of strategic input, and stewardship & financial control to TOM.
- He has spent his career helping start-ups and smaller businesses grow, often combining business coaching or mentoring with financial control.
- Stuart is passionate about helping TOM grow so that TOM can help many small businesses to grow.
Stuart works with our legal counsel, Nida Khayrallah, and engages with external bookkeeping, accountancy, and company secretariat firms.
What are the key tools that you use for your trade?
We love collaboration tools! With a location-dispersed team, we make sure we always stay aligned and collaborative with tools such as Trello, Zoom, Slack and Whatsapp.
Can you tell us what areas you have struggled in professionally?
Being visible. I am exceptionally diligent, and my natural tendency is to hide away behind my laptop screen and work away for hours. I do struggle with networking and putting myself out there as the ‘face’ of TOM.
Have you ever had any other mentor? If so how has this benefitted you to grow?
I am very fortunate to have had some incredible mentors over the years. In my corporate life, Carla Shearman was my first example of a woman owning her own power and being a successful businesswoman in PR. Richard Oliver was another who recognised my skills and talents and sought to support and teach me many things that gave rise to my career in change management, and Annie Rowland nurtured me along this journey.
In my personal life, William Whitecloud has been instrumental in helping me connect to my purpose. It is through his teachings that I have really understood myself, my vision and the structures required for creating. He has been my coach for the last 18 months and I will continue to work with him to keep me focused on my life purpose.
What outlets do use to market The Oneness Movement?
We work largely in the digital marketing space and use social media channels such as Facebook and LinkedIn. We also work with influencers who help us spread the word, and we attend many events in the industry to engage with our community face to face.
What or who inspires and motives you?
Working on my life purpose!
What would you like to see changed for millennials in business?
That they focus, on their own heart, their vision, and their goals to determine what they want to do in business and create what is in line with their purpose in life.
What is the best piece of business advice you have received to date?
To be myself as everybody else is taken.
What is the number 1 critical lesson you have learned in your career so far?
Leave your own ego at the door, and listen to your team. True innovation and growth come from collaboration.
How do you create an evenly balanced work and personal life?
I do have the curse of the entrepreneur of having to work full time will creating my vision, so I do a lot of work out of hours for TOM. But it is true what they say, when you work for your purpose, you feel like you never work another day in your life. And I am also lucky to have an amazing team who are working with me to grow our vision.
One thing we do though to make sure we all balanced, is that TOM enables each of us to have a conscious wellbeing experience of our own each month. This way, we continue to work on our own transformation journey and we also enjoy and share the wonderful experiences we have with our community, to inspire and encourage them to explore more.
Personally, I do go more than once a month! I have been enjoying sound healing with crystal bowls and chakra therapy. I also have an energy-based massage at least once a month and I practice yoga. But my favourite thing to do is go on retreats! This year, I am attending Shine Your Magic with Christina Whitecloud and Paula Jones, and also the African Soul Safari with William Whitecloud. I love to travel and explore new things, and this way, I go with like-minded people and get to enjoy lovely experiences and new locations, whilst working on my own Oneness.
A seminal point in your career so far?
Recognising that, while I love the challenges and experiences I have had in my corporate career, that actually my life purpose lay elsewhere and taking that step into the unknown to follow it!
What gives you ultimate career satisfaction?
Knowing what I do is of benefit to someone else, and then doing it to the best of my ability.
What challenges have you seen to have been presented during the growth of your business?
The hardest part has been to secure investment in the very early stages of the business. Most investors now want to see a product before they invest, however it requires funding to build that product. So it has been a slower, self-funded journey to get us to the stage of being of interest to investors, and I am happy to say that we now how 2 angels on board.
Which other leading entrepreneurs and pioneering game changers do you also admire and why?
I love to hear of anyone’s journey where they found their purpose and worked towards it, despite the challenges or pressures which came from the outside world, or even within themselves. When we go for what we truly love, it is most rewarding, but our egos try to get in the way, in their attempt to keep us ‘safe’. People that go beyond this, find the true magic of life.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
‘The Secrets Of Natural Success,’ by William Whitecloud.
How do you define success?
Living your true nature and purpose.
What does #BEYOUROWN mean to you?
To me, this is about being your true self. This is very different to the egos and personalities we have created based on our past experiences, thoughts, and feelings. It’s about going beyond them, and finding who we are at our true core, our true nature.
This is the real essence of who we are, our heart, and when we connect with that and live from there, and when we recognise that others too have a heart, a true self outside of their ego, then that is where true harmonious connection occurs. We are our own true selves and yet we are connected.
Finally, what are you working on throughout 2019?
This year we are focused on championing the Conscious Wellbeing industry and expanding our reach in the community, providing them with more resources, more information and more access to all that there is to explore.
Our my TOM Marketplace launches late February and we are keen to share this with practitioners so they can see how to make the most of this to broaden their reach and connect with more people and we want to build out the features on the platform to really serve what they need. We will also be hosting TOM events to showcase our practitioners and get more people interested in and felling the benefits of conscious wellbeing.
Twitter: @onenessmovement
Instagram: @theonenessmovement
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theonenessmovement
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-harris-5a2a7628/ linkedin.com/company/theonenessmovement/
Website: https://theonenessmovement.com
