Rae Harper - Coaching Women to Shine

17/09/2026

If you're leading a team through change this September, you'll know the vision is rarely the hard part.

It's the bridge that gets forgotten.

You can feel the energy right now. New term, new year feeling, ideas flowing, decisions being made. It's easy to picture where you want to land.

But what's the impact on you, in the middle of leading this? On your team? On what you're actually trying to deliver? Getting from here to there is never as easy as the plan makes it look.

Your people don't all feel the same way about change either. Some of them will be thriving on it. Others are quietly struggling, maybe holding onto a time change wasn't managed well, or simply because life already feels full and this is one thing too many right now.

You can have the clearest vision in the world and still lose people on the way to it, if nobody's helped build the bridge underneath them.

If that's where you are this autumn, get in touch for a free consultation call, and let's see if coaching could help.

Image of Rae in front of Pulteney Bridge in Bath.

Photo Credit

17/09/2026

Somerset Business Mums any Trainers/Facilitators/Coaches local to Taunton/Bridgwater/Yeovil and interested in this term time role… the team are fab and the programme and working with the mums is very rewarding 🤩

✅ Please note: all applications need to be sent direct to Anna Wheeler: [email protected]

🔶 The roleDue to our geographical expansion, we’re looking to hire a Somerset based L&D Specialist. We are excited to be delivering more programmes in Somerset this academic year so this role is specifically for programmes in locations including Bridgwater, Taunton and Yeovil. We will be delivering our core HIVE programmes as well as specialist schools programmes in the area.

🔶 You will be responsible for delivering our award-winning training during term time. Between October and early December you will be required to shadow training (twice per week) being delivered in Bridgwater, before delivering yourself from January 2027 onwards.

🔶 The training for our HIVE programme and our specialist schools programmes are made up of cohorts of 15-20 Mums and is structured around 2 half days days per week (10am - 1.30pm), during school hours and term time only.

🔶 Working with the Learning & Quality Manager and the Programme Manager, you will own the delivery and evaluation of any training, ensuring that the face-to-face element of our programme is delivered in an engaging, innovative and creative way. You will be heavily supported by the Core Support Team in Bristol, with key people travelling to be with you in Somerset for quality and monitoring purposes.

🔶 You will take the established programme content (you will not need to design any content), and using your skills in facilitation and coaching and your wider business and/or workplace experience, you will make it your own. Your role will be to bring the basic content to life with personal anecdotes, learnings and insight. You will feel comfortable picking up developed and tested content and bringing your own perspective to each component. The peer support network that develops across cohorts creates a vital support network for our Mums and you will need to confidently facilitate the cohesiveness of these groups.

🔶 You will also own the end to end evaluation and feedback of each cohort, and proactively use the output to improve the content and delivery as you go along.
YouYou will be Somerset based and have local insight including familiarity with Taunton, Bridgwater and the nearby towns and villages.

🔶 You will have a proven track record of delivering training or coaching in a proactive and responsive way. Experience and understanding of employment and recruitment practices is also a really important part of the support we give our Mums.

🔶 You will have strong empathy and emotional intelligence and be able to read the room effectively, managing (at times) difficult or challenging conversations sensitively and supportively. Our training is a collaborative experience so you will need to be someone who can be flexible with timings and content to get the best out of any session.

🔶 We place a huge emphasis on lived experience in our team and half of our current team are previous WWL participants. We want our team to continue to reflect the communities we support and would encourage and welcome applications from under-represented groups who would like to use their lived experience in a positive way. Programme delivery is term time and school hours only.

🔶 *Due to the nature of the work carried out in our training, this role is restricted to female applicants only in accordance with the provisions of the occupational requirement (Equality Act 2010, pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1).

🔶 RemunerationIn line with our usual recruitment and on-boarding for Mum-facing roles, you will need to shadow a programme before delivery begins in January 2027. This initial on-boarding phase will be paid at a freelance rate of £350 p/day (made up of 2 half days per week) which will take place in Bridgwater. There will be a break during the month of November when Mums will be on Careers Month and training is paused.

🔶 The PAYE contract would begin in January 2026 - this will be 15 hours/week, term-time only and run until 31st July 2026. Salary would be £35k pa/pro-rata.
Queries If you have any questions about the role, please do not hesitate to contact: Sophie Windsor Learning & Quality Manager at the Women's Work Lab: [email protected].

🔶 Application processIf you would like to apply, please email your CV and covering letter to:Anna Wheeler, Director of [email protected]
As a social enterprise we do not have a budget available to pay recruiters so please don't contact us unless you're happy to refer pro bono.

🔶 The Women’s Work Lab is committed to safeguarding and as such, the successful applicant will be required to undergo an enhanced Children & Adults DBS check plus specific Health & Safety, Safeguarding and Prevent training. This will be paid for by the WWL.

📩 Please email your responses to: Anna Wheeler: [email protected] Deadline for applications: Tuesday 22nd September 2026Interview Date: Monday 28th September 2026

16/09/2026

It's mid september, the kids are back at school and the busyness of back to work is already the new normal.

September always leaving me feeling energised and motivated, more so than January ever does.

So, as we notice the C word mentioned more and more, what do you want the rest of the year to hold?

Let me know, I'd love to hear what others are up to.

19/08/2026

So many of the women I coach say the same thing once we start working together. They've been feeling like this for months, work has felt hard, there's been a shift in their behaviour they just hadn't said it out loud and hoped things would change.

There's often a moment when you notice something isn't quite right, before you can even say what it is.

What's the sign you're noticing right now?

17/08/2026

01/06/2026

May was fast and slow. Wonderful month, lots of outdoors in nature, metaphors and sunshine.

20/05/2026

In a group session this week, I introduced the idea of radiators and drains.

Radiators? The feeling of warmth, comfort, that quiet sense of ease.

Drains? Think of tipping your cold coffee dregs down the sink. That slightly grim, flat feeling. Nothing left.

You can apply this to people. To tasks. To whole days.

When work is feeling harder than it should, pause and ask yourself two questions.

What gives me warmth right now?

What is emptying me?

That’s it. Just honest noticing.

Once you know, you can start making small adjustments.

If it’s tasks draining you, can you sandwich them between the ones that energise you? Can you do them differently, or at a different time?

If it’s people affecting your energy and mood, that’s a harder question. But still worth asking. What do you want to do about it? And what, realistically, can you do?

You don’t have to overhaul everything. You just have to start noticing.

Radiators or drains. Which is winning this week?

13/05/2026

I read an email this morning from someone I’ve been following for years but never really engaged with.

I’ve watched her grow, pivot, and rebuild. Reading it today I was genuinely excited for her. All that she has worked for is becoming real. She has evolved, and those watching from the wings have probably seen it for a while. She’s definitely known it for a while. She just wasn’t ready to share it.

I replied and told her I felt it. It gave me goosebumps and helped me call out what I’ve known for a while.

I know I’m growing, evolving, becoming. I’m sensing a big shift this year. I’m just not entirely sure what that looks like yet.

So I’m sharing here, for vulnerability, for accountability, and maybe a little inspiration for anyone else feeling a shift they can’t yet name.

Anyone else is feeling it?

01/05/2026

Wow, where has April gone?

Fabulous month - flowers, walks, new clients, great conversations.

More sunshine please May! ☀️