From England to New Zealand: A Squiggly Journey Through Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Reinvention

Jo Dowley is the founder of ReFrame Lab, a neuroscience-informed coaching and facilitation practice based in Hawke’s Bay.

Originally from England, Jo trained and worked as an Occupational Therapist, later leading one of the largest hand therapy units in the UK before moving to New Zealand in 2009. Her own “squiggly” journey has included leadership, entrepreneurship, vineyard ownership, co-founding a start-up, psychosocial facilitation with the New Zealand Red Cross, and ultimately creating ReFrame Lab.

Passionate about human behaviour, nervous system safety, emotions, and the brain, Jo translates neuroscience into practical and accessible insights that help people better understand themselves, their relationships, and the patterns that shape how they think, feel, and respond to life.

Her work explores how the brain is constantly predicting and responding to the world around us, how stress and safety influence thinking and behaviour, and how greater awareness of our own nervous system patterns, triggers, environments, and responses can help us think more clearly, adapt more effectively, and create lasting change.

Known for her warm, thought-provoking, and conversational style, Jo combines science, storytelling, and real-world experience to create engaging discussions that leave people reflecting differently about themselves and others.