About

Meet Jacqueline Valk

I’m Jacqueline Valk, an author, speaker and former construction business owner.

I built, grew and eventually sold The Pod Canberra, a construction business specialising in secondary dwellings.

Along the way, I experienced the realities of business ownership, from managing multiple construction projects and coordinating trades to financial pressure, difficult decisions and personal burnout.

Those experiences changed the way I think about success.

Today, I share what I’ve learned to help others build stronger businesses, make better decisions and create lives they actually enjoy living.

Portrait of Jacqueline Valk in a coral top, hands on hips, smiling

01 — My Construction Journey

From the Ground Up

  1. Entering the construction industry

    Stepping into an industry that wasn’t built with women in mind.

  2. Building and growing The Pod Canberra

    Creating a business specialising in secondary dwellings.

  3. Managing projects and teams

    Running multiple builds, coordinating trades and keeping clients informed.

  4. Navigating major challenges

    Financial pressure, difficult decisions and personal burnout.

  5. Selling the company

    Knowing when something needs to change, and acting on it.

  6. Writing, speaking and education

    Sharing the lessons so others don’t have to learn them the hard way.

Jacqueline in a hi-vis shirt taking a selfie on a cleared construction site
Jacqueline reviewing selections and plans with a client at a table

Inside The Pod

Jacqueline and team members reviewing plans and inclusions around a table
Jacqueline pointing to a framed floor plan while explaining a design
Jacqueline talking with a colleague in The Pod office

02 — Beyond Construction

Learn. Move. Connect.

The lessons from construction didn’t stay on the building site. Today Jacqueline’s work extends into burnout prevention, movement, personal development and wellbeing, helping people perform well without losing themselves along the way.

LearnPersonal development and practical business lessons.
MoveMovement as a tool for wellbeing and perspective.
ConnectReal conversations, real people, real community.
Jacqueline presenting to a full room of seated attendees