About

I was born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire and although I have left many times, I always come back to my roots. Home is actually where my heart is. I’m proud to say I was the first in my family to head off to university and I graduated from Bournemouth in 2005 with a degree in Licensed Retail Management. After four years of study, I left with a qualification… and quickly realised it hadn’t taught me the most important part of the job: how to manage people. That lesson came later – the hard and human way.

My early career was spent in the hospitality industry in London and Manachester, fuelled by passion, long shifts and copious amounts of Lucozade (back when that was a thing!). Hospitality will always have my heart – I love welcoming people, creating experiences and being a great host. But the early mornings, late nights and constant pressure eventually took their toll, both physically and mentally.

That experience is what drives my work today.

I’m passionate about inspiring people to look after their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others and to feel confident having the difficult conversations that really can make a difference. Because ignoring problems doesn’t make them go away, but compassionate conversations can change lives.

In 2012, I retrained as a Trainer and Assessor and went on to add MHFA England training to my work, driven by a simple belief: supporting people’s health and wellbeing should never be an afterthought. Since then, I’ve personally trained over 1,200 people in practical mental health skills that enables individuals, managers and organisations create safer, kinder more human workplaces.

In 2026, I’ll take the next step in my own journey, qualifying as a coach to support aspiring people managers to grow and lead with compassion. When leaders are well, teams thrive.

Today, I combine lived experience, professional training and a deep love of people to help organisations build cultures where wellbeing matters, conversations feel safer and nobody feels they have to struggle alone. 

Wendy’s career history & qualifications

  • Holiday Representative for First Choice– This is where I developed my people skills!
  • Retail Management – I lost count of how many sausage rolls I sold when managing Greggs, however I do remember ‘that Saturday’ when I didn’t order enough and we ran out at lunch time. It didn’t happen again!
  • Hospitality Management with Mitchells and Butlers & Whitbread – Managing bars, restaurants and hotels. I’d never walk past a glass and expect someone to clear it up. Lead by example.
  • Olive tree maintenance technician (pruner) – Doing what needs to be done whilst backpacking in Australia!
  • I returned to the UK in 2012 and retrained as a trainer/assessor for Leaping Man Group where I designed, delivered and assessed the Level 1 and Level 2 of Retail Management apprenticeships. I added Apprenticeship Intake Consultant to my role then promoted to Apprenticeship Group Compliance Manager – Managing funding of apprenticeship programs, including training all staff on procedures and efficiencies
  • In 2017 I worked for Liberty Living the Student Accommodation provider as the Training & Development Advisor – I designed and delivered the accredited Highfield Qualifications and implemented the workplace wellbeing strategy for the business. I won the company award for ‘Creating an Exceptional People Experience.’
  • Following redundancy in 2020, Garrett Learning was established! We’re now making a difference to many, together!

 

  • Level 5 ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) in Coaching and Mentoring
  • Level 3 Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector
  • Level 3 in Assessing Vocational Achievement. TAQA Assessors Award
  • Level 4 Certificate Leading the Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) of Assessment Processes and Practice
  • MHFA England Mental Health First Aider course facilitator
  • Level 2 Business Mentoring Practice
  • IOSH – Managing Safely
  • BA (Hons) Licensed Retail Management 2:2 – Bournemouth University

Why choose us?

Our vision:

To deliver authentic, memorable and exceptional learning experiences. 

Our mission:

To support, inspire and empower learners to develop themselves both personally and professionally. And, to remind them that questions are just as important as answers. 

Our core values: 

  • We are supportive: We (Wendy & her growing team) are here for you when you need us. We are here to hear you! We are kind in nature and open to hearing everyone’s point of view. Our training and overall learning experiences are built to ensure you feel comfortable and can be yourself.
  • We are curious: We love asking questions and we encourage you to ask them too! Whilst we are experts in our field, we know that there’s always more to learn. We encourage our learners to see the world as an opportunity to learn more.
  • We are welcoming: We are naturally inclusive by nature and this means we ensure that all our training is as welcoming as it can possibly be. We understand that each individual has different learning needs and we do our best to be as accommodating as possible. We want to ensure you get the most out of your sessions with us.
  • We are encouraging: We are here to be your ‘cheerleader’ and to remind you how brilliant you are. Whether you’re at the start of your career, switching your role or you’re stepping into a management position, we’re here to encourage and energise you to take the next step.
  • We are straightforward: We always pride ourselves on being straight-talking and staying away from jargon. We want to ensure you feel at ease when you’re learning and that the language we use isn’t intimidating or too complex. We want you to feel comfortable and maybe even have a bit of fun during our sessions!