7TH NOVEMBER 2025
Finding My Feathers: Reflections from My Book Launch
By Maura Jackson – Author of Finding Your Feathers: What We Can Learn About Invincible Leadership from Birds
An Unforgettable Night
What. A. Night.
After four months of planning, it came and went in a flash — like every truly amazing experience does. I was surrounded by around seventy brilliant people: family, friends, colleagues, fellow leaders, entrepreneurs, and politicians.
Many were from Bolton, but others travelled from Blackpool, Wigan, Cheshire, Blackburn, Stockport, Halifax, and Liverpool — all to share in a moment that I’ll never forget.
Standing at the front of Bolton Museum and Art Gallery’s stunning history room, looking out at a sea of smiling faces, I felt pure joy, pride, and a healthy dose of disbelief.
It was the perfect setting to launch my first book — Finding Your Feathers: What We Can Learn About Invincible Leadership from Birds.
When Words Nearly Escaped Me
During my speech, I nearly choked up three times:
“Who do you think you are?”
I know who I am. I’m just getting started.
That moment hit home for a lot of people in the room — because leadership, like life, is never a straight flight.
A Room Full of Feathers (and Pasties)
The energy was incredible. People chatting, laughing, reconnecting — all over prosecco, pasties, and cake. (Because what’s a Bolton celebration without pasties?)
Those pasties came from my dear friend Marie Walsh, owner of Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe. Marie has been a long-time friend and supporter of both me and BACKUP, and it meant so much to have her there — along with her son Chris (we went to school together!) and his lovely wife Lena.
Another truly special guest was Councillor Linda Thomas — former Leader of the Council, Mayor, and one of the most inspiring women I know. Linda has been a tower of strength for Bolton and was one of the first to endorse my book. Her support means the world.
Speakers, Sponsors & Superstars
Our headline sponsor and first speaker, Carol Brown from the University of Greater Manchester Business School, spoke beautifully about the need for strong leaders with integrity — a message that runs right through Finding Your Feathers.
Becci Martin from BOO Coaching and Consulting — another sponsor, and a multi-award-winning businesswoman — brought a “This Is Your Life” vibe that had me filling up (more than once).
The fabulous Phil Heys, the voice of Bolton Wanderers, hosted the event and led our mini Q&A panel with Nick Peel (Leader of Bolton Council), Kev Monk (local businessman and experienced leader), Becci, and me. Phil reminded us all of Bolton Brand Place messaging that we are born to perform and how I embodied this in every possible way.
We talked about leadership challenges, risk, resilience, and how we all try to walk that tightrope — themes that sit at the very heart of Invincible Leadership.
The Sponsors Who Helped Us Soar
The night was a true team effort. I felt so supported and valued by our sponsors and collaborators:
And of course, my publisher Gemma Holgate of Maddison House Press. Calm, smart, and unshakeably kind — she guided me through the whole publishing process. We cut the cake together (a masterpiece by Nicola Pearson of Celebration Cakes) and looked, for a moment, like guests at our own wedding. A union of sorts — author and publisher, united by purpose.
A Few Special Touches
Neon Creations (Catherine and Tony Spink) gifted me a bespoke neon sign that says “Don’t Be a Dick” in my own handwriting — Invincible Leadership Principle No. 7! It now glows proudly in my lounge.
Behind the scenes, my brilliant colleagues Ed Hamer and Laura Pendlebury, and the amazing team at Bolton Library, made everything run perfectly.
Dominic Holden captured it all in beautiful photos — little moments that tell big stories.
What People Said
Our guest book was passed around the room and filled with some gorgeous messages. I’ve since had early feedback from readers that really touched me:
“Wow. Read your book, couldn’t put it down. It gave me a nudge to do something in my business I’d been avoiding. Hard but necessary.”
“I noticed most of your thank-yous were to other women. I think most of us just like being with our own kind. Many women have lost that opportunity in modern life.”
That last one sums up the birds of a feather flock together idea perfectly.
Closing Moments
The night ended with Councillor Andy Morgan giving a heartfelt speech about my work, my love for Bolton, and the people who make this town what it is. He called me a great leader — and a friend.
And that’s exactly how I felt all night: surrounded by friends.
We finished with Tequila Rose shots (tiny pink drinks always taste better when shared), and plenty of laughter and a rousing of Happy Birthday to me for the next day.
Final Thoughts
As I said that night — and in Finding Your Feathers —
Leadership isn’t about titles.
It’s about reality.
It’s for the tired, the scared, the overworked — the real people leading anyway. My kind of people.
I’m the woman who built it, broke it, fixed it — and wrote the bloody book on it.
So, if my inner critic ever pipes up again asking, “Who do you think you are?” —
I’ll tell her:
I know who I am.
I’m just getting started.
#FindingYourFeathers #InvincibleLeadership #MauraJackson #Bolton #WomenInLeadership #BookLaunch
20TH NOVEMBER 2025
The Highs and Lows of Leadership: When You’re Flying… and When Everything Drops .
There are days in leadership when you feel absolutely unstoppable — plates spinning effortlessly, balls juggling in the air, deadlines smashed, inbox cleared, team thriving, customers happy. You glide through the day like a bloody circus superstar. On those days, the adrenaline is powerful. It reminds you why you chose leadership in the first place. You feel like the trapeze artist catching every bar with ease — graceful, brave, brilliant.
And then there are the other days.
You know the ones I mean.
The days when every plate you’ve been spinning for weeks suddenly starts to wobble at the same time. You’re not so much juggling as you are desperately scrambling on the floor picking up dropped balls, trying to remember which crisis is the most urgent and which one can wait until you’ve had a strong brew. You feel like the clown whose trousers have fallen down mid-performance.
And the audience is watching.
And you’re praying no one notices you’ve forgotten your own script.
Welcome to leadership.
It’s a wild ride — exhilarating one minute, exhausting the next. And right now? I’m in a dropping-balls phase. I’m tired.
But I know enough to know that both phases matter. Both phases teach you something. Both phases tell you exactly where your feathers are strong… and where they need fixing. Both phases shift.
When You’re Flying High When things are going well, we rarely stop to acknowledge it. We’re too busy moving on to the next thing, ticking off the next target, saying “yes” to the next opportunity. But the high moments are important — they’re your sparkling moments.
Those are the days when:
■ Your vision is clear
■ The team is aligned
■ Strategy feels simple
■ You’re making decisions with confidence
■ You get to be the Ringmaster, not the clown
■ You feel in full possession of every feather in your headdress
These moments give you momentum. They fill you with belief. They remind you that you can do this — that you aren’t an imposter, you aren’t winging it, and you absolutely deserve to lead. When you’re soaring, take a second to look down and appreciate the damn view. You worked for this.
When the Plates Start Falling And then… reality throws a curveball. Thank you, Shingles. Thank you, Migraine.
A deadline shifts. Someone resigns. The funding drops. A project blows up. Your toddler, teenager or member of staff has a meltdown. Suddenly the circus lights flicker and you’re not gliding anymore — you’re scrambling. This is where the inner critic pipes up. This is where guilt taps you on the shoulder. This is where stress starts whispering, “You’re slipping.” But the reality is: Every leader drops plates. Every leader juggles too much sometimes. Every leader feels like a clown occasionally.
You’re not failing. You’re evolving.
The drops teach you more than the successes ever will. This is where resilience is built, where clarity is found, where feathers are strengthened.
This is where you learn:
• What needs delegating
• What needs ditching
• What needs prioritising
• What needs reframing
• And what absolutely needs telling to jog on
This is where invincible leadership is forged — not in the perfect days, but in the bloody hard ones.
The Magic Is in the Recovery.
Leadership isn’t about keeping every plate spinning perfectly. It’s about learning how to recover with grace when one smashes. It’s realising:
■ Not all plates are made of china — some are plastic
■ Not all balls are meant to be juggled by you
■ Not every crisis is yours to own
■ Rest is as important as effort
■ A wobble does not equal weakness
■ You’re not failing — you’re human
And when you pick things back up — when you get the plates steady again — you earn another feather in your headdress. These are the feathers that make you wise, brave, grounded… and bloody brilliant at what you do.
And Remember: You Are Not Chicken Licken.
Chicken Licken is the young chicken who gets hit on the head by an acorn and immediately assumes “The sky is falling!” Terrified, she runs to tell the king, gathering a parade of panicked friends along the way. Their fear spreads like wildfire — even though nothing is actually wrong. In many versions of the story, their panic leads them straight into danger (usually courtesy of a cunning fox).
The moral?
• Don’t jump to conclusions
• Don’t let fear spread
• Check the facts before panicking
• Avoid catastrophising
The sky is NOT falling down.
If You’re in a High Season — Soar.
If You’re in a Low Season — Keep Going. Both Are Necessary. Both Are Leading You Somewhere. Leadership isn’t linear. It’s a circus. It’s a dance. It’s a juggle, a tightrope, a magic trick and occasionally a comedy sketch that wasn’t in the plan. But the highs and lows — the exhilaration and the chaos — are all part of becoming an invincible leader.
So next time you’re flying high, celebrate it. Next time the plates drop, be kind to yourself. You’re not a clown — you’re the Ringmaster. You just need to dust off the feathers, reset your stance, and step back into the spotlight. Because you were born to lead this show. I know I was. I’ve been down before — and I will enjoy the journey back.
