All Posts

You know the pyramid. Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the one with physiological needs at the bottom and self-actualisation at the top, is one of those frameworks so familiar it's almost stopped meaning anything. But if you're a high-achieving woman who's spent years giving more than she has, doing more than she should, and somehow still ending up feeling like she's falling short, it's worth looking at that pyramid again. Because here's the thing: you can't build a fulfilling, p

If you've ever sat in a meeting wondering why two perfectly capable people can't seem to agree on anything, you've already met the problem DISC profiling was built to solve. It's not personality test, it's a practical tool that helps teams understand how people communicate, make decisions and handle pressure, so you can stop guessing and start managing with a bit more precision. What DISC Profiling Actually Measures DISC profiling looks at behaviour across four core styles: D

If you're hiring in the talent-short markets of the built environment, engineering or sustainability sectors right now, you already know the uncomfortable truth: there simply aren't enough good people to go around. This isn't a blip. It's not seasonal. It's the market you're operating in, and it's been the market for a while. So why do so many SMEs still hire like it's 2015? Write a job spec, stick it on LinkedIn, wait for the applications to roll in. That approach might have

There's a question I keep coming back to in my women's wellbeing coaching sessions lately, and it's not "what else can you add to your day?" It's the opposite. So many of the women I work with hear that the answer to feeling overwhelmed is another system, another app, another 5am routine. More discipline. More willpower. More of themselves, poured out in yet another direction. But almost every time, what actually shifts things isn't addition. It's removal. Not "what can I add

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools a manager has. Used well, it builds confidence, accelerates performance and strengthens working relationships. Used poorly, or not used at all, it creates confusion, erodes trust and, from January 2027, could leave your business exposed to a significant legal risk. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is the most substantial shake-up of UK employment law in a generation. Among its most immediate and practical impacts is a fundamental chang

There is a common misconception that great leadership is about having all the answers. That if you are senior enough, experienced enough, or confident enough, you will instinctively know what to do and your team will simply follow. In reality, the leaders who build the strongest, most engaged and most resilient teams tend to operate very differently. They are not louder or more authoritative than their peers. They are more intentional. More human. And more willing to lead in

Why High-Achieving Women Are the Most Likely to Quietly Fall Apart You are successful by every measure that matters. A good career, people who rely on you, a full diary and a life that looks great from the outside. So why do you feel so flat? This is one of the most common things I hear from women who come to coaching. Not a dramatic breakdown. Not an obvious crisis. Just a quiet, creeping disconnection from themselves that has built up over months, sometimes years, of puttin

Every leader has experienced it. A team that looked great on paper starts to feel harder to manage in practice. Whilst the capability is there, deadlines get missed because of unaddressed tension. Meetings that should be productive become stunted or, worse, argumentative. Capable individuals, but an ineffective team. Before you conclude you've hired the wrong people, just pause. What you might be witnessing is one of the most natural, well-documented phases of team developm

If you've clicked on this article, it's likely that you're currently experiencing some form of physical discomfort. Perhaps that's a tight chest, foggy head, pure exhaustion, and you're thinking to yourself "am I broken?" Let's zoom out a little. Firstly, I want you to review how you typically spend a day. What time do you wake up? How many hours quality sleep did you get? How does the day ahead look for you? How does your day make you feel? Who are you interacting with? Wh

You’ve hired your top talent… now what? Gone are the days of the sink-or-swim mentality. High-performing organisations are investing far more in the employee experience at the induction stage. Not only does this speed up how quickly new joiners become productive, which positively impacts the bottom line, but it also strengthens retention and helps you attract even more great people. Onboarding and induction do not get the spotlight they deserve. I recently wrote about how rec

When it comes to attracting top talent, guiding them through an effective recruitment process, and ultimately making the right hire, the whole journey is a lot like dating. Stick with me on this one… In talent acquisition, I speak with plenty of hiring managers and business leaders who arrive with a strict checklist of what they must have, what would be nice to have, and what they absolutely won’t consider. Sound familiar? It’s not far off the way many of us approach dating:

Absenteeism at work is at an all-time high in the last decade, according to the recent CIPD Health & Wellbeing at Work Report (2025). This has seen absence, largely due to mental health and minor illness, rise by nearly a day per employee per year since the pandemic in 2020. It’s costing businesses, and it’s costing the wider economy. As Founders, CEOs and Leaders, we need to know how to combat this swiftly and effectively. So, what’s going on here? The pressure points Firstl

The hot topic in every organisation right now is the Multigenerational Workforce. With every new generation entering the workplace, a wave of change occurs. Speaking with leaders and early-career professionals alike, it seems the gap between expectations on both sides is at its widest yet, but equally, the opportunities for collaboration and innovation have never been greater. A quick trip down memory lane Picture this: you’ve just landed your first role after applying with