About Rachel Abbott
Leadership grounded in lived experience
I work with business owners and senior leaders who are growing their organisations and recognise that confidence, clarity and capacity at the top matter.
My approach is grounded in lived experience. I am a founder and long-standing SME leader, with direct experience of building, growing and leading a manufacturing business through periods of complexity, pressure and change. I understand first-hand how leadership decisions shape growth, culture and performance and how isolating leadership can feel when responsibility increases.
Alongside my business leadership role, I hold a number of regional governance and advisory positions, contributing to economic development, quality standards and leadership practice across South Yorkshire. My leadership and strategic contribution have been recognised through multiple industry awards.
Why work with me one–to–one
While peer support is a powerful part of the North Star programme, many leadership challenges require personal focus and trusted, confidential feedback.
One-to-one work sits at the heart of North Star because it allows leaders to slow down, think clearly and address the issues that most directly affect their confidence and decision-making.
My one–to–one sessions are practical, reflective and grounded in real leadership experience. They are not about theory or generic coaching models, but about helping you navigate the pressures, decisions and growth challenges you are facing in your business.
This work supports leaders to strengthen judgement, build confidence and lead with greater steadiness as their organisations grow.
My Story...
I have always been drawn to building things. I started my first small business in my early twenties, which was short-lived but formative, giving me early insight into responsibility, decision-making and risk. That experience confirmed something important: leadership is learned through experience, not theory.
After completing a law degree, and still driven by an entrepreneurial instinct, I went on to co-found a manufacturing business with my brother in 2004. Over the years, that business has grown and evolved, bringing with it the realities of scaling, people leadership, strategic decision-making and long-term responsibility.
It is this journey, not a textbook, that underpins how I support other leaders today.
North Star exists because I believe many SME leaders would benefit from the kind of support I wish had been available earlier in my own leadership journey.
The North Star approach...
Everything within North Star, whether group work or one-to-one support, is designed to strengthen leadership capacity as a foundation for sustainable growth. My role is to provide clarity, perspective and challenge, grounded in real experience, so leaders can move forward with confidence and purpose.
Contact
If you would like to explore working together, you are welcome to get in touch.
Tel: +44 (0) 7958 782725