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

Business leaders often feel the pressure to go it alone, but true success comes with support. Jono Brake, founder of The Forged Leader, is a skilled mentor and coach dedicated to helping leaders overcome isolation and develop both their personal and business potential.

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

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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 20 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 from 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.

The Power of Purpose: How Your Personal Vision Creates Authentic Leadership

The Power of Purpose: How Your Personal Vision Creates Authentic Leadership

When we talk about authenticity in leadership, we often miss its true source: a deeply personal vision that guides everything we do. This isn't just about having goals – it's about understanding your own "big why" and being able to articulate it in a way that...

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