About us

Our story so far…

In 2023 we decided we were done with living in the rat race. We were done with complaining about the injustices in the world, and being chained down by the “system”. We decided enough was enough!

We began to make BIG changes to our lives, to move us closer to our dream of an off-grid homestead, and a more self sufficient way of living…

We de-registered our boys from school and began home-educating. We sold our house and half our belongings. Jeff quit work, and we spent the rest of 2023 travelling the UK and Europe in Amber the Camper, our beloved VW T5. We spent 8 weeks in Central Portugal in autumn 2023 and fell in love with it there. We began searching for the perfect plot of land to allow us to fulfil our dream.

Thanks to the 90-day European travel restrictions, we spent the following year travelling backwards and forward between Portugal to the UK. We had lots of fun and adventures in the meantime as we continued roadshooling our 3 boys.

At the beginning of 2024 we brought ourselves a caravan (Edith) to live in.In the springtime, we finally found ourselves a beautiful organic farm in the mountains of Central Portugal .

After returning to the UK for the summer to apply for visas, we are finally back in Central Portugal - and this time we’re here to stay! We hope you enjoy following our journey as we document the next chapter of our lives on our off-grid farm in Central Portugal.

You can read about our professional backgrounds below, and find out more about our services and offerings through the tabs on the homepage.

A bit about me (Chloe)

I’ve worked in the marketing industry for nearly two decades. My career spanned a number of roles from advertising, graphic design and digital marketing, working in the natural health and wellness sector, and then in the arts industry.

Since becoming a Mum nearly ten years ago, I decided to step away from the corporate world to look for a more flexible way of working, and specialised in Social Media Marketing. I now work with smaller businesses and individuals, offering consultancy to teach them how to utilise their social media platforms to help them grow their business.

My work now is mainly focussed on Instagram and I offer workshops, “power hours” and one-to-one guidance on how individuals, small businesses and bloggers can make the most of this social media platform.

Alongside this, I am working with an amazing team of conscious entrepreneurs to help coach, mentor, and empower people to build their own successful online business, to allow them to achieve a better balance of living with location freedom.

I love being outdoors, immersed in nature and enjoy travel and adventures with Jeff and our three boys. I’m passionate about exploring ways in which we can heal our bodies, minds and souls through the gifts of Mother Earth, homeopathy, mindfulness, creative practice and natural healing modalities. I am now embarking on a deep journey with frequency healing.

A bit about me (Jeff)

Inventor, Engineer, Designer—these have been the cornerstones of my 25-year professional career. I’ve worked for large international companies, delivering innovative product designs across a variety of industries. What drives me most is the design process—starting with a basic concept and transforming it into a tangible product. I achieve this through research, visualization, computer-aided design, and physical modeling. Each design is rigorously tested and evaluated, allowing me to refine and optimize it for manufacturing and successful product release. Over the years, I’ve designed numerous successful products, with three patents granted and one more pending.

After spending so many years working for companies, I had long considered working for myself but never leaped—until now. In 2024, I founded JSM Design and Engineering, based in Portugal. I aim to offer professional design services remotely and for local projects. Alongside my professional expertise, I bring a wealth of practical skills. Being a hands-on and creative person, I have always enjoyed building and renovation work. I am a competent handyman with experience in house renovations, garden landscaping, and creating structures ranging from treehouses to chicken coops. I recently took a tree pruning course and I am currently doing another in permaculture. With my combination of engineering knowledge, creativity, and my own tools, I can offer a comprehensive service for a wide range of projects.

As a family, we have achieved a lifelong dream of owning a beautiful Quinta in Portugal. My aim now is to find the perfect balance between life and work, enjoying the freedom and flexibility to pursue my passions, both professionally, and personally.