The Forged Leader
Tackling the leadership dilemma of having to go it alone.
An Aussie with a passion to help business owners and leaders know who they are and what they need to do next.
Why The Forged Leader? Eradicating The Reality of Being Alone in Leadership
Through The Forged Leader’s proprietary Trail Marker framework, leaders can discover their purpose, enhance their leadership capacity, and build effective business strategies. Whether you’re scaling, pivoting, or transitioning leadership, Jono’s guidance ensures you lead with clarity and confidence while driving business success.
Our Values
How We Do It
Intentional Connections
Forge meaningful connections with the essence of reciprocity, where every exchange enriches both giver and receiver.
Passion That Wont Be Silent
We are here for you but wont sit idly by if we see something holding you or your business back.
A Set Apart Experience
The whole package adds up to what we call a “set apart” experience for your family, your team and your customers.
Protecting The Family
More than family first, we protect our families, we fight for them, we wont compromise for our families.
What You Can Expect
Meaningful Insights
Jono is a mentor and trained coach. The Forged Leader understands your business inside and out bringing decades of experience to your game.
Challenging Authenticity
We get real fast! We are famous for it. We bring our authentic selves to the game so you will be comfortable to do likewise.
Great Conversations
Ultimately this is about you and your team. Relationships matter, what’s really going on in your world matters. We are here to listen.
The Trail Markers
Jono and his friend William Walker, inspired by their love for outdoor adventures, developed the Trail Markers framework to guide leaders and businesses. Just like trail markers help hikers stay on course, this proprietary framework helps leaders identify who they are and what steps to take next.
| PURPOSE | Knowing why you’re here and what guides you. |
| STRATEGY | Distilling your purpose into those important next steps. |
| PEOPLE | Knowing and inviting the right people onto the trail with you. |
| COMMUNICATION | The right conversations at the right time so your people can run with purpose with you. |
| REPEATABLE PROCESSES | Building frameworks that make it simple for others to follow and repeat. |
By focusing on both personal growth and business goals, the Trail Markers framework ensures leaders stay aligned, focused, and on the path to achieving their desired destination.
Meet Jonathan (Jono) Brake
Jonathan Brake (Jono)
Entrepreneur | Leadership Mentor | Coach
Jonathan Brake is a seasoned business leader, strategist, and coach with over 25 years of experience across six continents. From startups to multi-billion-dollar companies, Jono brings expertise in marketing, leadership, team communication, and customer experience.
A Certified Predictive Index Practitioner and DISC expert, Jono is skilled in leveraging people-focused tools. He holds a Master’s in Advertising and PR, a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Political Science, and coaching credentials recognized by the International Coaching Federation.
Based in Western North Carolina, Jono enjoys hiking, mountain biking, rugby, and global travel with his wife Rebecca and their two children, Charlie and Hannah.
Trail Talk
A Blog About Leaders and Leadership
Join the conversation on the trails with Jono. It’s on the trails where the true conversations about life and strategy come out.
Leadership Ego – A Necessity and A Trap
Ego in leadership is often misunderstood. It's not about arrogance or self-importance, but a healthy sense of self-confidence rooted in genuine capability. As Kris Vallotton suggests, ego can be understood as the internal sense of self-worth that empowers leaders to...
Finding Your North Star: Leadership Purpose in Challenging Times
In the depths of every great leader's journey lies a moment of profound questioning. It's not the success stories we hear about, nor the victories celebrated in boardrooms. Instead, it's those quiet moments of doubt that shape us – the very moments that we're about to...
The Art of Assertive Leadership: Backing Yourself With Humility
Picture this: You're in a room full of leaders. Some leaders command attention with booming voices and bold gestures, while others guide their teams with quiet, steady determination. Which style is more effective? You might be surprised to learn that neither volume...