Welcome to Intentional Partners ✨
The sun is shining, the sky is blue. These are rare things for London in January. As am I, in your inbox, saying hi and welcoming you to this journey we’re about to embark on together.
But before we dive in, I want to say thank you. You signed up for this mailing list with little more than a vague promise of “design leadership coaching and advising” and no actual proof to back it up. Yet, for 100 of you, that was enough. I’m humbled and grateful for your support. Thank you.
Alright, back to it.
Introducing: Intentional Partners ✨
If this is your first time hearing the name—don’t worry, it’s still just me. I created this separate identity to house my coaching and advising work. I chose to name it Intentional Partners because that’s how I work best.
“Coach” and “advisor” can mean a lot of things. What matters most to me is building long-term, purposeful relationships—meeting you where you’re at and evolving our partnership as you grow.
As a coach, I partner with emerging and established design leaders. Whether you’re early in your management journey, leading an entire organisation, or a senior IC figuring out what’s next, I’ll help you navigate leadership challenges and unlock growth—for yourself, your team, and your product.
As an advisor, I help leaders elevate great design within their companies. If you’re a Head of Design looking to amplify your team, a product leader building one from scratch, or need a partner to tackle key organisational challenges, I’ll help you chart and execute a clear path forward.
If any of this resonates, hit reply or book a call. I’d love to chat.
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How I Got Here & What to Expect
The past few months have been a deep dive into self-reflection—reconnecting with friends (many of whom are design leaders themselves), journaling, and refining what’s next in my professional world. My goal was simple: to align the work that energises me with the value I’m uniquely suited to bring. Intentional Partners feels like the natural intersection of those two, so I’m excited to see where this leads.
I’m passionate about supporting the design community. While coaching and advising is the most direct way I can do that, I also want to help those without the time or means to work with me 1:1. That’s where writing comes in.
This newsletter will be a space for thoughtful, longer-form reflections on design leadership today—a mix of big ideas, practical tactics, and maybe a little bit of humour along the way. I intend to write these once a month, but only when inspiration strikes and capacity allows.
I’ve also added a Weeknotes section on Substack. I didn’t auto-subscribe you (or new subscribers) to it, but it’s there if you’re curious. Weeknotes are my way of building a habit of writing in public—small wins, personal reflections, and insight into how this independent path is unfolding. Expect short updates, most weeks. Here’s last week’s. I’ve long admired the practice, so I’m excited to have the right opportunity to try this out.
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That’s it for now. My first longer-form piece is in the works, and I’ll aim to send it next week—keep an eye out.
Thank you for being here. Your support means a lot. 🙏
Tom