Joanne Brooks, affectionately known as “The Circle Builder,” is a visionary educator, business strategist, and systems thinker who believes deeply in collaboration over competition, circles over ladders, and building businesses that support human wellbeing rather than burnout.

With more than 30 years of experience in the education sector, Joanne has become a respected leader in the world of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), compliance, governance, and learning design. She has helped emerging organisations achieve RTO status, strengthened compliance and operational systems within existing training organisations, and designed internal education frameworks for businesses across multiple industries and stages of growth.

Having personally owned and managed multiple RTOs, Joanne brings not only technical expertise, but lived experience. Her insights are grounded in real-world leadership, navigating both the successes and challenges of business ownership firsthand. Earlier in her career, she successfully scaled a business to $30 million, while also experiencing liquidation, an experience that profoundly shaped her understanding of sustainable leadership, resilience, and what truly creates long-term success.

Across her career, Joanne has authored thousands of online learning programs and developed numerous nationally recognised Certificate I-IV and Diploma qualifications. She understands deeply what makes education meaningful, engaging, and transformational, and what causes learning experiences, businesses, and people to disconnect or collapse under pressure.

Joanne’s approach is deeply relational and values-led. Guided by her philosophy of “circles, not ladders,” she champions collaboration, inclusion, shared wisdom, and creating environments where people can thrive authentically rather than perform endlessly for approval or status.

Within The Backyard Peace Project community, Joanne brings grounded leadership, strategic wisdom, compassion, and decades of insight into systems, education, human behaviour, and sustainable growth. Her work helps individuals and organisations move toward greater alignment, purpose, connection, and meaningful impact.