Here’s an idea. The bucketlist brainstorm. First, grab a hot drink and get comfy Get a large piece of paper and some sharpies or felt tip pins Start doodling — lines, shapes, anything — this is your warm up Now draw out 3–5 dreams of yours, big and small. e.g ? See the Northern Lights ? Start your own winery ? Build a retreat centre ? Start a rock band and tour the world ☮️ Become a peace activist … whatever comes to mind. There are no limits. Be bold. Don’t think ‘yeah but how’. Maybe you’ll get inspired to combine them. (And buil ..read more

Can attachment theory help explain our emotional relationship with money and how we price our work pricing)? Alongside @Ben Johnson, I’ve hosted over 66 episodes of the Happy Pricing podcast and ran a coaching program designed to help people price with confidence. Through this work, I’ve realized that our ability to price is deeply influenced by how we relate to both money and people. This got me thinking. Could attachment theory provide a framework for understanding our money behaviors and pricing challenges? And could this understanding empower us to make more powerful life pivots ..read more

Last week’s guest on The Friday Fireside knows this all too well. David Spinks is the influential author of The Business of Belonging and was a co-founder of CMX, a passionate hub for community professionals. In his powerful Substack post, A Letter from the Abyss, he shared his experience of stepping down from the company he co-founded and figuring out what’s next. This was his first interview since stepping down and the lifequakes that threatened to swallow him whole, and David didn’t hold back. By turns candid and insightful, he shared his profound journey from feeling “hollo ..read more

A lot of us struggle when it comes to writing on LinkedIn (and Medium). But I think there’s a question we forget to ask: Are you building a habit or an audience? I believe most people struggle when they try to do both. I’m definitely one of them. In January, I took part in David Hieatt’s microblogging workshop because I wanted to grow my following on LinkedIn. I learned lots of things! But the most important thing was that before I nurtured an audience, I needed to nurture my habit. That’s why, if you’re struggling with writing on LinkedIn, I suggest that you get into ..read more

Many of us want to lead in a new way. Whether it relates to the climate, to business, or to organisations, we know that old ways of leadership need to change. But how can we develop more intuitive leaders and promote a more feminine and collaborative energy in leadership? Michelle Grant, an alumna of our Vision 20/20 program, is the founder of The Great Full, where she combines her deep knowledge of sustainable systems with her passion for personal and professional development. She offers coaching and community for women leaders involved in food systems, sustainability, and regeneration ..read more

There are two letters that are everywhere at the moment: AI. For some of us, it feels like an exciting new dawn of productivity. If you’re a solopreneur it can help you be more impactful, more effective, and free up your time — whether that’s doing research, coming up with new ideas, or producing content. But if you’re a conscious business owner, you might worry about what AI is doing to our humanity and our creativity. And these two positions are not mutually exclusive. Last month we were in conversation with Kerry Harrison, an AI educator and professional copywriter. Kerry makes AI acc ..read more

Our brains have been hardwired to protect us from harm. It’s ancient and evolutionary. This is why so many people keep their dream career or business firmly tucked away in the ‘one day’ folder. But we never consider the cost of inaction. We assume the safest place is where we are now. No matter how uncomfortable it feels. But whilst the primitive part of us tries to keep us safe, there’a higher part that has learned to dream. A part that can imagine possibilities A part with higher order needs Not just to survive but to self-actualise Yet when these needs are not me ..read more

And putting wellbeing first First, a truth… When you’re a company of one (or two), YOU are your greatest asset. However we often prioritise: Other people’s demands The to-do list Meetings Often at the cost of: That morning walk The exercise class Serendipity But what if you made these things the most important? When I started to do this, everything changed. A few years ago I started ring fencing: My morning dog walk Time at the gym Lunch And SPACE in the day for any unplanned events life had in store: Kids errands Checking in on age ..read more

“Kill the competition” “Seize market share” Dinosaur terms in a modern world. When starting out in business, we can obsess by the competition. But those on the second mountain of life know that competition is a fallacy. It comes from fear And a scarcity mindset When we focus instead on our mission, something shifts. We see others not as a threat, but fellow travellers on this journey of change. So stop comparing yourself to others (and feeling worse). You have something unique — you, your ideas and big, big heart. Don’t get sucked into the old wo ..read more

On today of all days ? 1500 days. When was the last time you committed this time to one project? Confession: It’s very rare that I do. Like a lot of creative entrepreneurs I tend to get bored quite quickly. So I’m still amazed that I’ve devoted the bulk of my work life over the last 1500 days (4 and a bit years) to one project. And even more amazed that I’m just as in love with it as I was on Day 1. So I wanted to share this excitement as we launch another epic cohort of our Vision 20/20 group coaching program next month. We’re not usually ones to blow our o ..read more