The Story Behind The Flying Fish Company®
Born from loss. Rooted in lived experience. Designed to change how we respond to grief at work.
My Grief Journey
Grief changes everything. After losing my first husband to suicide at 24 I returned to work feeling like an alien. Lost, disconnected and completely misunderstood.
I could see the world carrying on as normal but mine had stopped. People didn’t know what to say or do and the discomfort in the room was often louder than words. That experience shaped something deep in me.
The Flying Fish Company® was born from that journey. The image of a fish out of water captured how it felt to navigate grief in a world that didn’t know how to meet it. The sea became a place I returned to again and again. I didn’t have the words yet but I knew I needed to find meaning and healing somewhere.
I wasn’t able to stay in my role after my loss and I know I’m not alone in that. That’s why I’m passionate about helping workplaces respond with compassion and clarity.
My Professional Background
I have worked in the mental health sector for over 20 years in both clinical and community-based settings. I qualified as a social worker in 2012 and went on to work as a mental health professional supporting people living with complex and enduring mental health problems.
Alongside my frontline work I studied counselling skills and studies and hold a further skills qualification in grief and bereavement. These experiences deepened my understanding of how trauma and loss affect every part of a person’s life.
Following a road traffic collision I stepped away from practice and began thinking more deeply about how grief is treated in the workplace. That reflection became the foundation of what I now do through The Flying Fish Company®.
Why The Flying Fish Company®?
The name came long before the business plan. I was sitting by the sea thinking about how grief makes you feel. Out of place, exposed and barely keeping afloat.
The flying fish became a natural symbol. It lives underwater but can rise above it just long enough to move forward. That is what living with grief often feels like. Everything around you seems the same but nothing really is.
Water has been part of my healing and continues to be a source of reflection and calm. Choosing the flying fish was not just about a logo. It was about naming the way grief throws you out of your environment and forces you to move through a world that no longer fits.
The Flying Fish Company® is about making space for that reality at work. Not fixing it. Not rushing it. Just understanding it better and responding with care.
Why This Work Matters
Grief does not end when someone walks back into work. It follows them through meetings emails and daily routines. Yet many workplaces do not know how to respond. That silence can cause more harm than anyone realises.
My experience was not an exception. It was one of many. Current research and national postvention guidance highlight the need for compassionate and informed responses to loss at work.
Without support people leave. They lose financial stability and connection. Organisations lose valued colleagues they have already invested in.
I want to change that.
This work is about education action and care. It is about giving managers and teams the tools to show up for one another when it matters most. My training is human centred business conscious and grounded in real experience and current research.
I believe there is a better way to support people through grief at work. It does not need to be complicated. It just needs to be thoughtful, informed and real.
That is the approach I bring to every organisation I work with.
Bringing Grief into Focus at Work
My work is shaped by both lived experience and professional training. I understand what it means to return to work in grief and I know how hard it can be to support someone through something you cannot fix.
I bring a trauma informed approach that recognises both human emotion and workplace reality. My sessions are practical reflective and rooted in real life.
Training is tailored to the needs of each organisation. Whether you are a manager a team leader or someone in HR you will leave with tools that feel useful respectful and grounded.
This is not about scripts or quick fixes. It is about building confidence clarity and care where it is needed most.
Outside of Work…
I live in the North East with my husband and two grown-up children. The sea is where I go to pause, reflect and stay grounded. It’s also where many of my best ideas begin.
Support beyond the Story…
Training & Workshops
Help your team feel confident supporting grief at work.
Practical, research-informed training for real workplace challenges.
Manager’s Toolkit
Coming Soon
Get early access to a practical, research-informed resource designed to help managers support grieving colleagues at work. Be part of the BETA testing phase.
Speaking & Events
Real talk from lived experience.
Book me to speak at your event or within your organisation.
Curious to hear more?
Listen to the Flying Fish Podcast or explore my blog, where I share real stories, honest reflections and practical ideas on grief and work.
