In 2024, as I worked towards my coaching qualification, I joined a Coaching Supervision group to hone my coaching skills. I left the first call feeling energised and full of ideas...and then, I realised that I really thrive in group learning environments. Specifically, I appreciated the weekly accountability of the group program, learning from the diverse range of experiences in the room, and the unwavering support I felt from the group.

This was the beginning of my growing passion for Group Coaching. I went on to complete a certification in Group Coaching and ran two group coaching programs so far this year. My passion has only deepened being witness to the transformations of each individual and the group overall, in just 6 weeks. Here is just a snapshot of the feedback shared by these clients:

• "I feel less alone - There is so much value in learning from others’ perspectives"

• "The best way I can describe it - It is like medicine"

• "An eye opening experience of personal self discovery through career and personal goals and finding harmony in both"

• "It’s easier to do things like self reflection and goal setting when there’s others supporting you"

What is group coaching?

Group coaching is where a trained coach facilitates a group working on similar goals, often for a set program or time span.

For example, my group coaching program Shape Your Future, brings together people who are ready to take control in their life, whether they are feeling overwhelmed, on the road to burnout or navigating a change. We invest 6 weeks working together on taking control, getting clear on where each person is today and creating an empowered roadmap for what's next. Each person leaves this program with a renewed sense of confidence, clarity & conviction.

What are the benefits of group coaching?

Every person is different. Every phase brings new needs. All forms of coaching can be powerful - The key is to find what will work best for you. For me personally, I have learned that I thrive learning with the connection, community and support of a group. For others, they progress best in a 1:1 coaching environment.

As group coaching is lesser known, I wanted to share the key benefits of a group coaching program, from my experiences:

1. Structure & Accountability - When you join a group program, you are committing to showing up at set times, being present in sessions and doing any follow on homework before the next session. There is nothing like a group to add the feeling of accountability and having the dates blocked in your calendar helps too.

2. The gift of new perspectives - A group starts and ends with the program, which means you have the opportunity to connect with new people, with diverse backgrounds. Learning from this group can spark all sorts of new inspiration. It can be a welcome break from leaning on friends, work colleagues and mentors and offer totally new perspectives.

3. Feeling less alone - In our world today, it is so easy to feel alone. People share that they feel very isolated in their challenge coming to the first group session and they leave feeling less alone. Although every story shared in a group is different, there is always a common thread that ties a group and brings a unique form of powerful connection. This is where the magic happens!

4. Lower cost, more accessible - I believe everyone deserves to thrive and coaching can be a key tool to move you from surviving to thriving. As a coach, I struggled seeing coaching being inaccessible to those who needed it the most. When I found group coaching, I took a sigh of relief that I had found a way to offer coaching to a wider range of people, at a lower cost...but no impact on the quality of coaching delivered.

5. Less daunting - People are nervous coming to their first coaching call. I get it, I was too. For so many, they have told themselves for a long time that they "should" find a coach, find a therapist, invest in their development etc. The first step can become the biggest hurdle. I have found that group coaching feels more welcoming and less intense for those who enjoy a group dynamic.

How do you know if group coaching is for you?

If you are feeling overwhelmed, if you are ready for change but have no idea where to start, if you feel like there is more than life, if you are navigating a change - Coaching can be an invaluable support for you.

Instead of getting overwhelmed by the range of options, I am happy to jump on a call and talk through your situation to help recommend what coaching might work best for you. You can schedule a free 30 minute consultation here (with absolutely no strings attached). I would love to connect and hear your story!

Overwhelm is a universal experience, that has never been more prevalent than it is in the world today. Overwhelm can be triggered by many different situations, including a combination of those below:

• Your head overflowing with lots of different tasks, feelings and ideas

• One big challenge that is weighing you down and you have no idea where to start

• External factors that feel out of your control but take up energy

Overwhelm is very individual but signs that you are overwhelmed can experience: 

• Feeling frozen

• Changes in your sleeping pattern

• Low energy and maybe muscle aches

• Changes in appetite

• Anxiety

• Difficulty concentrating

When you are overwhelmed, it can feel like everything is out of your control, but actually, I believe you always have a choice. As a coach, I am most passionate about coaching clients to take control of overwhelm. There are practical tools and tricks you can learn to take control of overwhelm and I promise you, it is worth giving it a try as the results are transformational.

Recently, I held a 60 minute reset workshop: Turning Overwhelm into Action, where I did a live run through of the steps you can take to take control of overwhelm.  I wanted to share to share a tip sheet from this workshop free of charge with the goal of reaching as many people as possible, with these insights. You can access your free copy here and please get in touch if you would like to explore how coaching can support you to navigate overwhelm.

In October 2023, after 12 years, I closed a chapter of a career, packed full of adventure, challenge, fun and steep learning curves at LinkedIn.

One year on, I have been reflecting on this decision. Some unexpected learnings jump out that I want to share, for anyone who is considering taking a leap and needing that final push.

1. There is a transition period… or in my case, a recovery period. I took my hyper scheduled approach from work, and tried to build my new life with this approach. The result was more intensity - I found myself baking muffins, while listening to a wellness podcast and booking into a yoga class, all at the same time. Wellness of max speed is not recommended! It took about 3 months to decompress and learn to enjoy the moment and kick the need to feel productive.

2. Sometimes you just need to rest - After my frantic wellness phase, January came as a gift. With cold days, dark evenings and fewer social demands, I finally surrendered to the bed, with the heated blanket and Netflix on….and immediately wondered why I hadn't done it months ago.

3. The gift of space allowed me to reconnect with what mattered the most. I started to embrace the opportunity to walk the dog without having to rush back, to take over some of the logistics of 3 kids from my husband, I started to enjoy yoga when I acknowledged I will forever be a beginner, I was able to be there for friends and family in those moments that matter, without rushing off for a meeting, and I learned to read again and I have loved exploring the local library.

4. My energy came back when I got back into alignment with my authentic self. Connection is a key value for me and I am energized now that I can honour it and be present. My friends and family are still shocked now when I actually reply to their messages (although I am still working on my response rate) I have deepened my relationships and created a whole new network through true connection (while still dodging the School Parents Association)

5. Headspace allowed me to embrace learning and risk taking. My career pushed me outside my comfort zone in every way and that is something I never wanted to lose. It turns out life is full of opportunities to “feel the fear and do it anyway”. I have found myself swimming in a 50m pool to channel my inner Olympian, singing in Dublin's Convention Centre with my 200 person choir (Follow us at here), completing a 6 month certification in Coaching and now, I have set up my own business The Big Life Project.

6. No decision is every 100% clear cut. Over the year, there have been many moments wondering whether I was doing the right thing, should I be doing more with my "free time", what if I never got a job again... All the negative chatter surfaces every so often. Having a strong network of friends in similar set up (and an very patient entrepreneur husband) has been key to being able to talk it through, see the positive perspectives and embrace the opportunity for everything it is.

To anyone who is considering taking some time out from your career. I would challenge you to just do it. You never know what will happen but I guarantee you, you won't regret it.

This past year has been a complete privilege, a wild ride and just the break I needed to prepare for the next phase of my career. We are working for longer than ever and the old way of working, just won't hold up going forward. I now think about my career as stretches or sprints, rather than a marathon… because I know I am definitely not a marathon type :)

I asked my kids how they would describe my career break…and they said… “I like it when you collect from school and give me a hug… (but I miss the presents from your work trips)”. Sometimes, the simple things are the most important.

There is a season for everything.

In August, I took my 8-year old craft/rainbow mad daughter to a mosaic making workshop. She was absolutely bursting to get started when she saw the treasure trove of colourful tiles. Within 20 minutes, she was cutting tiles, glue flying everywhere and racing to collect more tiles.

While she was gone, I glanced over at the next table. A group of "grown ups" had met for a fun afternoon of mosaic making…. except, there was no excitement or tile cutting at their table. We got talking, and one woman shared, she was making a number plate for her house, and she just could not put down the first tile.... what if it was the wrong colour, the wrong shape, what if it didn't work out. The adult table was frozen in fear…..

….meanwhile, my glue covered 8 year old had created 3 very eclectic mosaic designs with no plan, no fear and she was delighted with her work. On the car trip home, she asked me if the other table didn't have tile cutters that worked because they hadn’t made anything…….

This contrast will stick with me for a long time. When did we lose the ability to enjoy the moment, trust ourselves and take it all less seriously?

To me, this is not a sad story, there is hope. It starts with awareness. This child still lives within us all, we need to practice letting it out to play, trusting our gut and going with the flow. Coaching is an ideal support to unlock your authentic self.

…..and so, The Big Life Project was born.

Qualifying as a coach was exciting and daunting. ....What now? In reality, I have been trained to coach anyone, through anything, so where do I start? There were so many people telling me what I should do, where the money can be made, and that it is likely it won't be a viable business..... Well none of that aligned with my beliefs. This is my chance to start a business and I am committed to enjoying the experience, failures and all.... so I respectfully ignored all the noise.

I decided to trust my experience and give myself space to observe and find my way. The first thing I noticed was the common thread between people who came to me for coaching. They were make a change in their life somewhere, and couldn’t figure out how, when, why or/and where. A mixture of curiosity, overwhelm and impatience showed up and created the perfect space for change.

As a Life Coach, I support people who are feeling overwhelmed, experiencing burnout, wanting more of something, or less of something. Ultimately, they are curious and ready to embrace what “could” be possible. I have learned that when we created a trusting partnership, they were willing to explore more playfully, practice quietening the pesky critic voices, think bigger, challenge “what ifs”, explore new perspectives. The results were incredible - people were surprising themselves expressing goals and passions buried so deeply inside, they didn't even know they were there.

As adults, we have learned to “fit in”, suppress so much of our authentic selves and play it safe. The freedom of unlocking your authentic self is palpable.

The Big Life Project is here to support every person who ready to take control and play with possibility, even just one baby step is incredible. I am here to cheer you on. Do you feel ready to take control and shape your future? You can get started right away. The next time you find yourself using “Can’t” or “Should”....Pause, channel your inner rainbow child and try “Why not” or “Could”. I'd love to hear how it goes for you :)