“I love the enthusiasm I see on their little faces, it’s great to see a child learning new skills every day and knowing that you are part of that.”
After having her first child, Leigh decided that her existing career in the world of Banking was not going to be the right choice for family life. She came to Jo Jingles as a customer initially and enjoyed the classes with her baby so much that she decided to invest in her own franchise.
‘I like a challenge and having been to many Jo Jingles classes as a parent, I know how much fun learning through music is’.
Having never worked with children before Leigh thought the classes might be tough to begin with but discovered the specially designed Jo Jingles programmes and strong franchise support network made it much easier than she thought. She also loved seeing the progression of the babies to pre-schoolers and says:
‘I love the enthusiasm and seeing the little ones getting so much enjoyment out of it – they are learning new skills all the time’.
On purchasing her Jo Jingles territory back in 2007, her first-year turnover achieved over 4-fold the initial investment and it continued to grow rapidly, more than doubling its annual turnover in year 2. Leigh successfully maintained her classes with two class teachers and further expanded her business in 2015 when she purchased 2 additional franchise areas – East Edinburgh and Central Edinburgh. She now manages a team of class teachers across these areas and in 2017 appointed a co-partner to help accelerate her business growth. In addition to her own public classes and those of her team, she also runs sessions in nurseries and local baby groups on a regular basis.
In recognition of her success, Leigh has been the recipient of numerous Jo Jingles awards including: New Franchisee of the Year, Business Development Award and on 2 occasions, Franchisee of the Year. She has also been recognised by whichfranchise.com, receiving a Great British Franchisee Award in 2021. Her outstanding management skills and approach to business growth have far surpassed expectations and in her role as a Regional Business Mentor, she now shares her experience with other franchisees in the network.
All of this has been achieved whilst being mum to two young daughters and an active member in her own local community. Her positive approach to the Jo Jingles business, and life in general, provides an excellent example of how a franchise model can support family life and a successful career!
