Tag: Yvonne’s Story

Participate in the process & measure the progress
‘I don’t care about making money, I want to make a difference with this.’

This stopped my coach training mentor in her flow and she paused to repeat back what I’d just said. This resonated and really stuck with me. I’d had a feeling for a while that coaching was my calling – that moment confirmed it.

This conversation was a few months prior to really considering what my business and brand could be aside to from the coaching world.

I worked with trusted coaches, mentors and peers along with hours of self-reflection and research – all helped along by the fact that I’m someone who is obsessed with inspiration.

Sometimes I seek it out, sometimes it comes to me in the middle of a conversation, TV show, song, book or talk. These inspirations give me meaning and guidance and help me bring my goals to life.

When you become a coach, you quickly get focused on goals

The are key in solution focused coaching and the models I was becoming familiar with. If the client has a goal for the session and we successfully work towards achieving it, then we can safely say that the session has been useful.

A few hundred more hours along, my coaching is no longer just about the goal… Sometimes there is other work to do too.

Along with my coaching practice, I was starting to build some goals for myself and the business.

A trusted mentor began gently guiding me to future focused achievements. There was some amusement in some of these sessions too. When I bound excitedly into my online mentoring session with my new logo and branding colours, excited to put it out to the world on social media, Jane’s reaction was priceless…

‘Oh, I don’t think we’re connected on Linked In yet, let me check’.

She pulled out her phone and after finding me, she paused and looked up at the screen to me over her glasses with a warm but firm honesty – ‘Well, you only have 30 connections, so don’t launch anything yet because no one is going to see it!’.

This moment still makes me smile when I look back but it made me realise the power of people in your corner, who you trust to tell you the truth and back you all the way.

While we are never in full ‘tell’ mode in mentoring, there was a certainty in the message from this session – go and make some worthwhile connections. ‘When you’re at 100 – we’ll launch!’.

The accountability along with the consistent, supportive drive and championing of my success markers from Jane got me there and beyond within about 3 weeks!

Along with Jane’s sessions, some excellent peer coaching introduced me to the power of visualisation: When I’m successful…
- Where am I standing?
- How am I standing?
- What am I wearing?
- How am I feeling?
One particular session around this work led to the infamous pink jacket that has become a staple of my brand. From the visualisation, I knew that when I was successful, I would be wearing a pink jacket.

Not long after the business launched, I saw a candy pink blazer hanging in H&M on a London visit with my husband. We were a couple of wines in on our way to dinner and with our mutual adoration of Michael Portillo, we grabbed it for a fun photo op.

But as I looked in the store mirror, that visualisation came back to me…

this is the jacket that is going to help me bring my vision to life!

The first photo I picked when creating my bio and website was of me in the jacket – it somehow represented success – even though at this point I had no paying clients!

But with goals and achievements, it of course takes work. And the achievement of a goal doesn’t always bring the desired effect. The business being a success felt huge – unbelievable even. Would people ever pay me?

So, like with coaching and visualisation, we need to figure out what the goal is and work things back from there.

Big goals like this take focused action over a long period of time. Sounds scary but if you break it down into small steps of progress you can see it clearer. You can then start.
- Success depends on action…
- Action leads to momentum…
- Before you know it, you’re halfway there.
Speaking of Bon Jovi (how long have you got?!)… Thanks to mum, I’ve been in love with Jon and the band from around age 8! Mum and I have a matching Bon Jovi tattoo and I have their music notes around it too. I carry their inspiration with me as a part of my canvas.

Watching their documentary ‘Thank You, Goodnight’ in late 2024 was planned as just a girls night with mum and sister, but with the business and all this goal setting world growing, something landed from the man himself when talking about the early days of the band.

He spent years as a runner prior to his success, sweeping the floors and making the coffee in the recording studios and watching the greats such as Queen and Springsteen at work.

His commitment to observing and learning the craft was inspiring.

And after years of success as a platinum selling musician, the pivot into action was again approached in that same way – start by learning the craft, know it inside out and grow with continuous improvement. Don’t just take the big paid job because of your name.

This took me back to that mentoring conversation. This wasn’t just to build a business to make money. This was me learning a craft and building a grounding to a whole different type of success – personal and professional excellence.

So, feeling inspired that even the greats start way before the starting line, and realising there is possibly some truth in the term ‘It takes 10 years to become an overnight success’, I settled into a sense of pride for the work I was putting in.

But it really resonated when Jon Bon Jovi talked about overcoming his vocal surgery and the way it could have easily the end of his career. For someone with less tenacity, it may well have been, but the mindset work it took was probably more of a challenge than relearning a new way to sing those incredible hits we all know and love.

Clearly a difficult road to travel, his simple phrase stuck with me and caused me to pause the TV and make everyone wait while I wrote it down!

‘Not every day you’re going to win, but every day is an opportunity to participate in the process and measure the progress’.

Knowing one day, there’ll be something in that quote to come back to, I kept it safe.

More recently, I knew I wanted to write this blog but I wanted to wait until I’d witnessed Jon’s return to the stadium stage. And wow, last week did I do just that!

After 15 years away from UK stadiums and any shows of that magnitude, Bon Jovi walked out and delivered 2.5 hours of amazing entertainment, with a presence that simply said ‘we’re not done yet’.

For mum, me and sister (along with the other 65,000 people!), it was the best night we could imagine, but I kind of think it was an ever better one for Jon and the band.
- Goals are set.
- Visions are brought to life.
- Barriers can show up unexpectedly in the shape of huge boulders…
But from what I can see after my years in leadership and L&D and now in business ownership, the sure way to success, to the next achievement or goal (or Linked In connection!) is hard flippin’ work (and a lot of coaching!).

So, learn the craft, put in the hours, find your network, do the practice, and that’s the way there’ll be longevity.

I was right in that mentoring session, I’m not just here to make money. I’m here to make an impact, to craft moments of reflection, emotion and connection that endure long after the session ends.
09/06/2026
The Music Always Makes Me Stay

It’s been a while since my last blog post… you might think after my last one, that I’ve been hidden away writing my book.

I was so excited, so passionate and so motivated to write a story I knew I would love. But since April, I haven’t written a word.

Despite the best of intentions and some excellent coaching sessions to prepare me, I didn’t keep momentum when things got very busy. Well, it’s ok, I thought, November is my deadline. Plenty of time, I’ll get back on track in June once things settle…

Then the world ended.
Grandad passed away.
Relatively unexpectedly and very suddenly.

How to hold on to every spinning plate when you are spiralling out of control is near on impossible.

Last year, after losing both grandmothers within 2 months, I wrote about stress and grief and the impact they can have both physically and mentally on us. I’ve had this in my mind during these last few months, particularly due to an ongoing shoulder injury causing a lot of pain. It’s all been so much weight to carry.

So many times, my manager has said to me how amazed they are by my resilience. While I’m quick to make light that my only success to celebrate this year is the miracle of no sick leave – is that a success or stupidity?! A little of both I think!

So, two months on without grandad, there’s a gaping hole in my life without him. We were inseparable, there was such a bond between us. I loved all of my grandparents so much, 18 months ago, 3 of them were very much still here… he was the last to go. I wasn’t ready.

When I sat down to write this, I had little to say but I hoped the words might come. As a start, I went to my inspiration notes to see what sparked something in me, there they were – song lyrics can get us through so much.

The first was a note I found that I made after a special event – an acoustic pre-show soundcheck by Nick Carter from Backstreet Boys (in case you didn’t know, my first love!). In the Q&A someone asked him is favourite Backstreet Boys lyric – he smiled and instantly sung:

‘As long as there’ll be music, we’ll be coming back again’

(From their iconic – Everybody (Backstreets Back) anthem).

No matter how far we walk from the path of life, the music always helps to guide us back. Whether it’s to lift our mood, celebrate events, help us feel something or give us the inspiration we need to get back up and keep going. This felt fitting and took me to one of my other favourites from another favourite – Kip Moore…

‘I’ve tried before to just walk away, but the music always makes me stay’

My music, isn’t music itself. In the case of this metaphor, it’s writing. Throughout all of this pain, I’ve not felt any inspiration or interest, just the absolute essentials of work and business. But I’ve known what’s missing, I’ve heard that silent niggle – you need to write, book or blog, ‘just start creating and see what happens’.

Grandad loved music, he loved people around him and he always wanted everyone to feel included and a part of the fun and memories we made. I made a promise in my dedication to him that I’d continue to do that for him.

Music and lyrics have helped me create and shape a very corporate looking concept into a business that is all me – my creativity shines out of it.

And, it’s took me until this point to mention, despite taking my foot off the gas recently, it’s continuing to grow and thrive and build my brand.

I know every minute of work is creating this success, but the foundations are there for me to keep coming back to for the next path to tread.

Ideas are starting to bubble for what the future could look like. I have a new timeline for my employed role, which has given me more space to plan the next chapter of the business, write the book at a steadier pace and most importantly start to heal and enjoy the beauty of life along the way…

The music always makes me stay.

Writing this reminded me that even in the hardest seasons, something always calls us back to ourselves.

We all lose momentum when life shifts beneath us. What matters is recognising the moments that call us back – to our creativity, our purpose, our joy.

What’s the ‘music’ in your life that helps you return to yourself when everything feels heavy?

08/16/2026
The Accidental Author
If you’ve been on this business growth journey with me for long enough, you’ll know that foundations are a key to success, especially when they are tied to strong vision and core values.

I’ve lost count of the number of people who have asked me who my target market is, what’s my niche and who’s my ideal customer.

The answers to some of these questions are still shifting and changing but there’s a definite certainty in most of them.

Part of the work in finding those answers was looking back on all the years in my career to see what I’m actually about. Going really detailed with it and then putting a curious slant on it with a ‘why’ or a ‘so what’ and looking at the past with a future focused mindset:
- Why does that shape me now?
- What can that past experience bring to this situation?
I was tentative at first but the more I’ve looked back over the last few years, the more I fell in love with my past career all over again. Those of you who have gone through redundancy will know the impact it can have, the feelings you can take with you and hold against the past because of how it ended.

The focus ends up being all on that final chapter of an otherwise outstanding book! And it can sometimes take time to remember that the earlier chapters were overflowing with life, learning and joy.

Speaking of books – I’m not one to write a review but when a book grabs you the way a recent one did me, you have to tell your world about it.

That book was ‘I Shop, Therefore I am’ by Mary Portas.

I happened upon the book while on a girls weekend with mum. We were at Good Housekeeping Live. Mary had been the resident author a few days prior, doing book signings. I picked up the book and read the synopsis:

‘From the legendary doyenne of the high street comes a no-holds-barred account about her time as the window dresser and creative director for Harvey Nichols that is immersed in the fashion world, full of juicy anecdotes and bursting with ‘90’s nostalgia.’

I got excited about this… Let’s not forget, I am by trade ‘a retailer’. I read the inside cover summary; the final paragraph started with:

‘Mary takes us behind the shop window – to the people who kept the show on the road and the early lessons that shaped her career.’

I was sold. With a big smile on my face, this 43 year old approaches mum and says ‘ Please can I have this for Christmas?’!

Now, I could have bought it myself but it felt like a gift, like something I’ll be excited to open on Christmas Day and that will also remind me of this great weekend shared with my mum.

The book sparked something in me. Mary wasn’t a salesgirl, she was a creative. But the way the book weaves through the behind the scenes of retail, fashion and high street reawakened all of the glamour, pride, humour, exhaustion, chaos and sometimes horrors that make up the mystifying world of being a store manager in ladies fashion…

Oh the stories I could tell… and do you know what? I think I just might!

When I sat down to write this blog, before I knew it, I had eight pages of A4.

I realised, it wasn’t a blog anymore, there was a force in me to start writing my story from the beginning. I want to revisit all of those memories, all of those special times, the struggles, meeting L&D, working at headquarters, the fashions, the sales, the insane amount of hours in the workdays, the endless journeys across the country and most importantly, the incredible people I worked with, most notably all my wonderful Wallis girls, the core of whom are still at the centre of my friendship group today.

So, I have Mary’s book as a shining inspiration that told me how special my story with Wallis was. And how much of it is still helping me today.

I’m still living the brand… only this time, it’s my brand!

So I am it seems, accidentally writing a book! The book is a long way off completion – it may never be. It may never see the eyes of anyone outside my office but if that’s the case, I’m still doing it for me. And I’m excited to see where it goes. I’m so in love with revisiting those days and creating something from it.

So with a little thank you to Mary Portas, I’ll get back to my pen and paper. But before we wrap up, let’s reflect:
- What story from your past still has something to teach you today?
- What experience might you have undervalued that actually shaped your brilliance?
- And what could you create if you simply allowed yourself to begin?
04/05/2026
I’m so busy!
I wrote this in the midst of a chaotic October and I thought it would be a great pre-Christmas read for helping us be intentional with our ‘busy-ness’!

‘I’m so busy!’ How many people do we know that constantly say it to you?! I never wanted to be the person that’s always saying ‘I’m busy’ because what impression is that giving to others?

It gives me the perception that although unintentional, that person is saying to others ‘you’re nowhere near as busy as I am’, ‘you have no idea how much I’ve got going on’ and even ‘my time is more important than yours’.

This is something I try to regularly check myself on… and if I’m slipping, my husband likes to kindly pull me up!

When deciding to take a recent temporary promotion, whilst also running the business I was told at home; ‘do it, because you’ll be amazing, but I don’t want to hear how busy you are for the next year’!

Right now, yes, I am really flippin’ busy!

I’m in a nearly full-time senior employed role, I’m running Yvonne’s Leadership Development as a Coach, Mentor and Trainer with personal and associate clients and I work with a coaching partner on a women’s development project. I’m also a charity volunteer and am studying for a qualification.

I have a never ending list of emails to read, planning, designing, marketing and learning to do – not to mention the dreaded reel creations for Instagram – not my favourite task!

I also have some personal challenges going on. I’m navigating difficult bereavements, some poorly family relatives and an aging beloved pet.

And guess what? I still need to find time for the gym, to make dinner, for grocery shopping, to clean the house and see friends when we can all coordinate busy diaries!

I therefore need space to support my own wellbeing. I will never be too busy for that.

But what I never want to do is to give the impression that I don’t have time for others. As I said earlier, isn’t that giving the impression that what I’m doing is more important than what they’re doing?

We’re all busy in our own ways.

One person’s version of busy isn’t any more valid than others. Some people have childcare, pet care, school governor roles, hobbies, two jobs, open university, charity work etc.

It’s important whatever it looks like for us or others, we should remember our own boundaries and what’s right for us. And respecting others without judgement. And yet, even with all these different versions of busy, we often underestimate how much ‘spare’ time exists in our schedules. The Office for National Statistics found UK adults spend over 26 hours a week on leisure — proof that even with full-time work, sleep, and exercise, we still hold discretionary hours.

So how are we spending them? Are we using them in the best way for what we need?

There will be times in our life when we can tolerate more or need less. The important element is having the self-awareness to notice that before it’s too late.

So back to where I’m at. As I began my new role at work and a few months in, I was feeling quite smug at the lack of ‘I’m busy’ in my vocabulary, proud of my ability to seemingly be managing my capacity.

Until last week, an amusing situation occurred. In an evening debrief, telling my husband all the things that are going on, he stopped me and said, every week you keep saying ‘I just need to get through this week and then it will calm down… and then the next week comes around and guess what you say?’… oh dear! This appears to be my new ‘I’m so busy’!

The very next day when a coaching client bought the exact same narrative to me for themselves following a conversation with a friend the night before – so coach, navigate that one! I guess us coaches are still figuring it out too!

So where’s the learning?

Some people don’t need a lot to be at capacity and that’s ok. Some people need to feel busy for a feeling of purpose or to keep them motivated, that’s ok too.

We need to look for the opportunities to rest, reflect and consider:
- ‘What do I need right now?’
- ‘What are my boundaries for my current situation?’
- ‘Am I really busy or am I using distractions to feel busy (and maybe avoiding something)?’
- ‘Is it my mindset or my actual physical being that’s busy?’
So as the festive season approaches, let’s resist the trap of ‘just getting through this week.’ Instead, take the time to check in, don’t over commit if it doesn’t feel achievable.

Let’s own our busy-ness, shape it with intention, and make space for what truly matters.
11/30/2025
Embracing Change: My Journey to Finding Purpose in 2024

This year, everything changed.

Some things were so exciting I couldn’t keep still.

Some hurt so bad it was hard to breathe.

But that’s what life is right? That’s how it shapes us.

Finding My Calling
This year, for the first time in my life I understood what it meant to say you’ve found your calling. I truly have found mine and the move towards it now feels completely natural and not at all daunting.
It’s so interesting to look back on the last 20 years to see how I’ve got here. Each twist and turn have led me to this big year of newness that feels so familiarly right. Why does it feel this way? Why do I feel so calm when everything is so uncertain?

The Nature of Change
This got me thinking about change; it’s the one thing that’s inevitable to all of us and yet the thing we’re often most afraid of.
When are we afraid of it? Usually when it’s unexpected and not planned. When it’s a difficult time, this is certainly the case.
If it’s a change that we want, then we put all of our energy into focussing on that result. If we don’t get it, then what? What does that do to us and what impact is that having on us. If we do get the result we want, is it that everything is now ok, we’ve ‘made it’ and can now relax. But for how long? When will we become dissatisfied again and want more; therefore, more change?

Learning and Growth
In the past, I’ve not been one for change, often dealing with it in a really poor way. Blaming others or a greater force (or mostly myself) if I didn’t get what I wanted or felt I ‘deserved’. I tended to be just short of most achievements. Great, but never quite great enough, a second or third best in most situations. Looking back now, I think that’s still pretty good. But just because I didn’t get the ‘win’, the ‘golden ticket’, whether it be the job, the boy, the house, whatever, then it was a fail; I was a failure.

Looking Back to Move Forward

Only now, looking back, I see that it was me that could change it. Not the result as such, but the reaction to it and the story I told myself and those around me about it. The energy around a situation good or bad can impact us and the way we see ourselves and our lives dramatically. This alone, daring to look inwards, is the most powerful learning, I’ve ever done for myself.
A few years down this personal development road, I’ve now began to use this to support my decisions and this is really helping my confidence. I trust my gut more and if I think that something isn’t good for me, even if I might really want it then I’m comfortable with steering myself away from it.

I don’t get tempted to do something just because I feel I should. By gaining that control, I feel better about saying no and understanding that if it doesn’t feel good for me then it’s probably not.

Since doing this, the doors around me seem to have opened up. I’ve put energy into myself and the paths I like the look of. Because they feel good, I’m enjoying them. Because I’m enjoying them, I’m seeing outcomes and positive results. It’s helping me attract the right things to me.

I have no doubt that the next year will bring yet more change. So much of this can be unwanted. This year has been one of my hardest and one of my best at the same time. I’m not sure what to do with that math! But a few years ago, I tore this piece of advice out of a magazine, and I’ve carried it around in my purse. Now I’d like to share it with you as I think it sums up this writing perfectly:

“Don’t stress. Life moves on, No matter what you’re doing, or stuck in, or are feeling, it will change. Just breathe and know that nothing is stuck, there’s always hope. Things always move. Don’t stay stagnant.”

Conclusion: A Challenge for the new year

My challenge to you is to look at what you really want but also what you really need. What feels good, what doesn’t and trust yourself to know what is right. If tough times come, embrace them, sit with it and heal from it. If greatness comes, be proud of it and know that you deserve it.

As we step into the new year, let’s embrace each change with courage and hope, knowing that every twist and turn brings us closer to who we are meant to be.

12/30/2024
Stepping out of My Comfort Zone

Today was my first in person networking event where I didn’t know anyone, safe to say this morning the nerves were huge!

But I wanted to go as me and meet like minded women who love & believe in empowering each other and their businesses. Safe to say I need not have been nervous, I was welcomed in and immediately felt at ease. We all had one shared vision, how to support other women with their confidence, education and barriers and how to engage with allies who can support this journey for them.

I am proud of my business and the work I do, not only with females but with all individuals, everyone brings a different story, challenge or situation that we work through together in partnership.

I often talk about self development first and leading yourself before you can lead others. I’ve worked on this for myself in the past, doing it again for this new journey and the results are amazing… I’m buzzing with ideas and new connections but mainly I’m very proud to have found my purpose and finally feel like the last 20 years has led me to this. I’m in the right place and on the right path… who knows where the destination will be!

10/08/2024