Coaching for research leaders

Are you looking for help with…

  • The challenge of hybrid roles: building a research team while juggling craft and people management?

  • Staying sane in an exceptionally dynamic workplace?

  • Managing up to company leadership that don’t know much about the value or process of a research practice?

  • Lifting you out of the day-to-day and discovering a new perspective on your work?

  • Getting a regular touchpoint with a thought partner who’s experienced similar challenges?

Two people sitting at a table, coffee/tea cups in hand. Only their arms/hands and the cups are visible.

Helping research leaders become the boss they wish they’d had.

Let’s turn your research expertise onto yourself, and see what insights you find!

I’m passionate about partnering with research leaders building thoughtful careers that balance the growth of team members and stakeholders in harmony with their own aspirations.

I work one-on-one with researchers on their leadership journey, whether leadership means an expert-level individual contributor, a manager, a director, or a VP.

I’ve been called a manager whisperer, a thought-partner, a coach and a mentor. Depending on you and your situation, I’ll wear the hat that provides the most fruitful way forward.

Complimentary Discovery Session

If you want to explore more about how this process could work for you, I encourage you to sign up for a complimentary discovery session. In that session, we will look at where you are in your research leadership journey and where you want to be. Then, we’ll discuss some strategies you could implement to bridge that gap. You will walk away with value no matter what. If it makes sense to talk further about working together to implement those strategies, we can do that, too! Click here to sign up for your Complimentary Discovery Session.

A little bit about me.

I’ve been on a career journey myself - from academia to corporate to solopreneurship.

I’ve spent 20 years in management roles, first in a university where I managed researchers and research craft in large lecture courses to student research projects, from the bachelor to the post-doc level.

In corporates, I’ve worked as a founding lead researcher and a UX research manager hiring and leading a rapidly growing team. I’ve also held a hybrid role, simultaneously leading and managing an existing UX research team.

What my clients are saying.

Deanna Sim, User Research Manager at an Amsterdam-based fin-tech company

"It was a light in a dark tunnel to be able to chat with Janelle and get her guidance. It was pretty changing. With our conversations I’ve been able to reframe things and remind myself that this experience is a small part of a bigger career.

It’s been really nice to bounce ideas around with someone who’s had similar experiences and who understands and is dedicated to the craft. It feels like there’s been progress, even though before I thought there couldn’t be…having these chats sparked something, and also made me realize this is an experience I can learn from, and it contributes to the bigger picture.

I was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes I see these coaching programs and they’re a bit fluffy or lightweight - management training I’ve done in the past left me wondering, why did I spend that time? With Janelle, this time has been more collaborative."

Head of UX Research at a UK-based media company

“Janelle creates a bespoke coaching programme that unearths a mine of thought provoking nuggets; some to extract now, others to keep checking in on over time. All invaluable, and all tailored and relevant to the topics and situations we initially set out to explore together. Highly recommend working with Janelle for anybody who wants to take the UXR practices they look after to the next level.”

Lindsey, Senior User Experience Researcher at a US-based ed-tech company

“Janelle is one of a kind mentor who has the rare ability to listen deeply and see things from both tactical and strategic points of view. She is kind, understanding, and expertly breaks down complex workplace issues into actionable, bite-sized pieces that are easy to understand and tackle. 

Janelle's expertise in UXR and experience coming from academia, is evident in her wealth of knowledge and experience, which she generously shares. I was grateful to connect with her as someone who also took a non-traditional route into UXR. What I appreciate most about Janelle is her ability to listen and ask good questions; it's like she's a researcher herself! :)  She made me feel heard and understood, and her insightful questions helped me think more deeply about the topic at hand. 

Janelle's mentorship has been invaluable to me in identifying how I want to grow in my current position. Through our conversations, she helped me develop a clear understanding of my goals and provided me with the necessary resources and coaching to achieve them. Thanks to her guidance, I feel more confident and capable in my work, and the fog of uncertainty regarding how I want to grow has lifted. 

I would highly recommend Janelle to anyone looking to work through tough issues and grow their professional capabilities. Her expertise, guidance, and support are truly invaluable, and I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from her.”

What my past team members are saying.

  • "Janelle has a deep understanding of the craft of research but what makes her shine is her competence as a research lead and manager. She has been successful in growing a team of highly talented and assertive researchers by encouraging a culture of learning, curiosity and healthy debate. She's proactive, a clear communicator, and is structured yet flexible. Best of all, Janelle recognises the human aspect of being a good manager: she's down-to-earth, thoughtful and approachable."

    Mansha Manohar, Principal UX Researcher

  • "Janelle introduced the field of UX research in our company and managed to get people enthusiastic by both evangelizing it and showing valuable results. She built her team from scratch and the people in the team love her as a manager because of the vision she sets, the structure she provides, and her deep understanding of the research field. In addition, I really value that she pushed me to be on a panel in a Women-in-Tech conference as one of the things to help drive diversity within our team and in the broader industry."

    Johan den Haan, former CTO

  • "Janelle is a terrific manager, a strategic thinker and an empathetic person. She is one of the reasons I joined the team. Under her strong leadership, the team gained a strategic role in the organisation in addition to growing in size. Whenever one approaches Janelle, she understands the situation by asking the right questions which makes her an awesome mentor and an experienced coach."

    Bindu Upadhuay, Lead Service Designer

  • "I met Janelle in 2016 when I applied for a PhD position under her supervision to research Chinese gay men's dating app use. In the years since, she has shared her strategic knowledge, in terms of her expertise in user-centered research and in determining appropriate methods to answer my research question. She has been a great source of encouragement and helped build up my confidence in becoming a researcher. As a manager and advocate, Janelle has my highest recommendation."

    Shangwei Wu, Assistant Professor

  • "Janelle has turned the success of the UX Research team into a team sport and she has managed to create a team culture where sharing, learning, laughing and listening are core values. Janelle’s human-centered skills also show as a manager on a 1:1 level, as she is very good at coaching, listening and talking to her team members: making sure that everyone succeeds in their role. One of Janelle’s core strengths is her ability to build all sorts of bridges: whether it is bringing people, projects or perspectives together."

    Mirjam Tiemensma, UX Researcher, current PhD candidate