Photos were first used in 1986 by Joel Walker, a Psychiatrist and Photographer, when he produced the Walker Visuals as a stimulus for clinical use. Walker understood that what is perceived when looking at visuals is based on one’s history, experience, beliefs, values and feelings. The images helped patients to verbalise their feelings and memories better and therefore acted as a representation of the patient’s inner world or subconscious.
Coaches and therapists have been using physical visual cards / images for decades to help their clients / patients tap into their subconscious thoughts so that they can understand themselves better and gain clarity around issues in their life / business to be able to take positive action going forward.
Matt Guiver, an executive coach and keen photographer, developed his own version of these physical picture cards (PictureSpark), in 2017 for his executive coaching business, Jumpstone International. Matt has used the PictureSpark cards to help hundreds of individual and business clients find clarity and creative solutions to issues so that they can get unstuck and take the right actions. Link to Testimonials
In 2022 Matt used PictureSpark Cards to help Anna Malone gain clarity over a career decision, Matt had already helped her with the same technique in 2017, which was life-changing. Anna and Matt have known each other since the early 90’s when at Loughborough University. It was over a coffee after the session that Matt explained his frustration with not being able to use the Picture cards so easily with most of his clients since COVID as most of the coaching sessions are now online.
Anna has a background in managing projects and transformational change in financial services and thrives on a challenge. Anna also trained as a Health Coach during lockdown and could see the benefits that PictureSpark could have to helping people find the clarity they need for life’s inevitable challenges. Anna and Matt hatched a plan; Anna has since driven the development of the digital version of PictureSpark, working with her brother Andre Brantom, an experienced IT developer and CTO.
And as they say, the rest is history…..
After living abroad in Sweden, Austria and the USA, Matt has now returned to his roots in the UK, where he continues to run his own executive coaching consultancy - Jumpstone International. Matt specialises in supporting executives and corporations with their strategy, vision, leadership transformation and skills to re-calibrate their leadership and business bearing.
His 20-year career includes working with a variety of multinationals and non-profits in manufacturing, voluntourism, design, higher education, Pharma, IT and Emerging Technologies. He loves discovering what makes people tick and has become interculturally astute, having driven so many international projects, partnerships and developments in over 35 countries spanning Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
Matt helps entrepreneurs, leaders and executive teams identify, evaluate and confidently resolve complex challenges by providing deep insight, perspective and learning from his innovative and transformational coaching programs.
His career has seen him work with companies such as Volvo, Dyson and SAP, as well as pre-accelerators and SMEs across Europe and the USA. Matt is experienced in 1-to-1 coaching with executives and CEOs, customising workshops and facilitating AGMs for senior executive teams and boards. He is also a keynote speaker for Chambers of Commerce, Businesses and Associations.
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Born in the UK, at the age of 12, Anna moved to HK with her family to attend secondary school, and she grew up in HK. She returned to the UK to go to Loughborough University to study PE, Sports Science and Recreation Management. Once graduated, Anna went to work in the Health and Fitness industry with the idea of helping people to get fit and healthy, but after a few years in the industry, the realisation dawned that, actually, it was a business where the focus was to make money rather than get people fit and healthy. So Anna returned to University to complete an MBA and then started a career in the Finance sector (including insurance and UBS) managing projects and large-scale transformation programmes, which she loved.
After having two children within 14 months of each other, an opportunity arose for an expat assignment with her husband’s job to move to Kazakhstan. It was a great opportunity, and Anna was up for the adventure.
After four years of living in Kazakhstan, Anna returned to the UK with the kids to support her mother with terminal lung cancer. Unfortunately, there were another five years of supporting four other family members with health conditions such as cancer and dementia. In addition, Anna managed a large house renovation project and juggled the kids' ever-growing sporting interests. Anna was keen to get back to work, but then covid hit, so she took the opportunity to train as a health coach and coached some clients. Although she enjoyed the coaching, she wanted to do more. Following a PictureSpark session with Matt, she decided to drive the digitisation of PictureSpark.
