Celebrating Grace’s Journey at The Juniper Co.

By: Lucy Tippett, 10 October 2025 Categories: Team News

At The Juniper Co., we believe that growth flourishes in an environment of trust, encouragement, and care. When people feel truly supported, wonderful things happen, both personally and professionally. Growth doesn’t happen by chance; it takes care, encouragement, and a community that believes in you, and that's what we strive to nurture every day.

This month, our Juniper snippet of inspiration is the theme: positive encouragement is essential for growth.” With this theme in mind, we’re delighted to shine a light on one of our own, Grace Thomas-McGuire, who joined us in September 2024 and has already been promoted to Programme and Operations Coordinator.

We have recognised the operational elements of her role - Grace helps keep The Juniper Co. running smoothly behind the scenes, bringing calm, organisation, and care to everything she does. Here, she shares her journey so far, what she has learned, and how encouragement has helped her grow.

Embracing the journey:

Q: Reflecting on your first year with Juniper, what has been your biggest learning?

My biggest learning from working here has been learning how to properly manage my time and priorities. I always thought I was good at it, but once my workload and responsibilities grew, I quickly realised it was something I still needed to work on.

With support from our small team, I learnt how to use my diary properly, stay flexible when priorities change (because they always do), and speak up when I needed clarity. I’ve got a much better handle on managing my time now, and I feel way more confident and calmer when things get busy.

Q: What does your new role involve, and what excites you most about it?

My role has evolved over the past year; it now involves more of the operational side of things — managing the day-to-day running of the office, supporting the financial area, and working closely with Harriet, our Programme and Operations Manager, to make sure everything runs smoothly. I’m also getting more involved in improving internal processes and supporting the wider team where needed. I’ve always thrived in operations, so being promoted into a role that includes this as part of my responsibilities has been exciting.

On encouragement:

Q: This month, our theme is positive encouragement is essential for growth. How has encouragement played a part in your development so far?

As a team, we’re great at encouraging each other — whether it’s a quick “thank you” or telling someone they’ve done a great job. Those little moments of appreciation make a huge difference. It’s super motivating and makes you feel genuinely valued and part of a supportive team.

Q: What advice would you give to someone at a similar point in their career about making the most of their early days in a new job?

There’s no such thing as a stupid question. It’s completely okay not to understand everything at the start — that’s literally part of learning. My advice would be to ride the wave of feeling uncomfortable, because it takes a good few months before things really start to click. Don’t stress too much, just stay curious, ask questions, and have faith that it’ll all fall into place.

On growth:

Q: Can you share a moment when feedback or support from a colleague or manager helped you grow?

Each month, we have a one-to-one meeting with our Account Director, Nicki, and I’ve found these sessions genuinely helpful for reflecting on what’s gone well and where I can improve. One piece of feedback that’s really stuck with me is to ‘slow down to speed up’. I’ve learnt that it’s okay not to have all the answers straight away. Sometimes it’s better to pause, get clarity, or move on to something else while you wait for what you need. That’s helped me work more calmly and efficiently overall.

Q: What does “growth” mean to you at this stage in your career?

For me, growth at this stage in my career means taking on more responsibility, but also growing into myself learning more about who I am in the workplace and how I handle different situations. It’s about continuing to learn every day, building confidence, and trusting myself as I develop.

Every career milestone tells a story of learning, teamwork, and the moments when someone believed in us enough to help us stretch a little further than we thought we could.

Perhaps today is a good moment to celebrate someone who’s inspired you, or to offer a little encouragement to help someone reach their next step. You never know where it may lead!