Phoenix Ahead Coaching

Phoenix Ahead Coaching Life Coach | Personal & Professional Development

Clarity • Connection • Transformation • Growth

www.phoenixahead.co.uk

A Bank Holiday reminder from your friendly coach...You don't have to be productive every minute of every day. Sometimes ...
28/08/2026

A Bank Holiday reminder from your friendly coach...

You don't have to be productive every minute of every day. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can do is slow down, reconnect with what matters, and enjoy the moments that make you smile.

Whatever your plans, I hope you're doing something lovely this weekend. Log off, unplug and unwind - Percy is!

What's one thing you're looking forward to?

Change is everywhere. And whether we like it or not, it's inevitable.This week I'm in Manchester delivering training on ...
25/08/2026

Change is everywhere. And whether we like it or not, it's inevitable.

This week I'm in Manchester delivering training on Change Management, exploring different models, sharing experiences, and discussing how we can support people through transition. As always, the conversations have been insightful and thought-provoking.

It got me thinking about how change shows up in all areas of our lives - CONSTANTLY!

For some, it might be a child starting or heading back to school, having to navigate new routines, friendships, and learning experiences. For parents, it could be adjusting to yet another phase of family life and letting go a little more.

For others, it may be leading teams through organisational change, managing uncertainty, resistance, and the emotional impact that change can have on people.

The scale may differ, but the experience is often the same. Change can bring excitement, opportunity, discomfort, fear, and growth, all at once.

This is where coaching can help.

Alongside practical tools and frameworks, coaching provides a space to reflect, build resilience, gain clarity, and navigate both the micro and macro changes that life presents us with.

Because whilst we can't always control change, we can choose how we respond to it.

What change are you currently navigating, and how are you supporting yourself through it?

Before Goals, There Must Be VisionEarlier this week, I shared a post about checking in with our goals and asking ourselv...
12/08/2026

Before Goals, There Must Be Vision

Earlier this week, I shared a post about checking in with our goals and asking ourselves whether we're still on track.

But today, I'd like to take a step back.

Before we can set meaningful goals, we need a clear vision of the future we're creating.

After all, if you don't know your destination, how will you know when you've arrived? Or what route you need to take to get there?

So often, people focus on goals first:
• Get the promotion
• Start the business
• Improve wellbeing
• Increase confidence
• Improve Self Esteem
• Earn more money

But these are simply milestones along the journey!

The real question is: What do you want your life to look and feel like?

For me, creating a vision board has been a powerful way to keep that future picture alive. I also schedule regular moments to check in with myself, ensuring my vision is still clear, still relevant, and still aligned with who I am becoming. Here I am doing that ( and having late lunch and doing a bit of reading at the same time – who says I can’t multitask!)

Once the vision is clear, setting goals and objectives becomes much easier because they are connected to something meaningful.

Your vision doesn't have to be perfect.
It just needs to be clear enough to guide your next step.

So, what are you envisioning for your future?

Do you use a vision board, journalling, visualisation, or another method to stay connected to your bigger picture?

I'd love to hear what works for you in the comments below. Or reach out to me if you'd like support creating a vision that inspires action and meaningful goals.

I've been quiet since coming back from my holiday, and I thought I'd pop in to say hi! For many people, July and August ...
10/08/2026

I've been quiet since coming back from my holiday, and I thought I'd pop in to say hi!

For many people, July and August are a time to slow down. A chance to enjoy some well-deserved holiday time, rest and recharge, or perhaps navigate the balancing act of school holidays and work commitments. It can feel like a naturally quieter season.

For me, though, it's quite the opposite!

As many of you know, I wear a few different hats professionally. Alongside my coaching work, I support learners working towards their qualifications as a Tutor, and I also support apprentices through their End Point Assessment (EPA) journey.

This means that July and August are some of the busiest months of my year. I'm working with learners and apprentices who are reaching the end of their programmes, helping them prepare for those final milestones before academic and contract years come to a close.

It's busy. It's fast-paced. But honestly – I love it.

It is so rewarding to see someone complete a qualification or EPA they've worked so hard for, and move forward into the next chapter of their career. Watching people achieve their goals, overcome challenges, and realise what they're capable of never gets old. Their success gives me such a buzz.

So, I've been quiet... but I've been busy helping others conquer their mountains.

And that always prompts reflection of my own.

At the beginning of every year, I spend time setting intentions, planning goals, and creating a vision board that sits where I can see it every day. August is usually my opportunity to check back in, take stock of where I am, adjust my sails if needed, and focus on what I can still achieve before the year draws to a close.

Which got me thinking...

We're now well into August. If you were to revisit the goals and ambitions, you set yourself at the start of the year:

How far have you come?
What progress have you made that perhaps you haven't celebrated enough?
What's holding you back from the next step?
And what one action could you take today to move closer to where you want to be?

I'd love to hear one goal you're proud of progressing this year in the comments below…

11/07/2026

This holiday’s reading has opened something in me - to be honest, I wasn’t sure why I picked some of them, I was in a panic on kindle and bought four books that looked easy reading, but they’ve actually had a theme and purpose. It’s brought about a remembering, a soft but certain shift. Moving through Prue Leith’s reflections on ageing, Kathy Burke’s unapologetic voice, Women of a Certain Rage, and Women Who Run With the Wolves, I felt myself being pulled inward toward the part of me that has always known the truth.

Each book held up a different mirror, yet they all reflected the same message:

As I age, I am coming home to myself.

Prue Leith reminded me that ageing is expansion, not decline. Kathy Burke showed me the beauty of a woman who refuses to dilute her mind. Women of a Certain Rage helped me see anger as clarity. And Women Who Run With the Wolves called me back to my instinctive, intuitive leadership - the wild wisdom beneath everything. Maybe the choices of books were already made for me?

Then there were the women I watched around me this week.

Women in the mother archetype, even when they’re not actively mothering.
Women organising, sorting, creaming shoulders and noses, filling plates and cups before their own.
Women who still look wonderful, still try to catch a few rays, still hold everything together with grace that often goes unnoticed.

I saw their tenderness.
I saw their exhaustion.
I saw their quiet power.

And I found myself hoping, deeply - that when this season shifts, when they move into their next archetype, they find their way home to themselves too. That they remember the part of them that existed long before the world asked them to carry so much.

Because this is what the divine feminine really is:
Not mysticism.
Not perfection.

But the moment a woman remembers her own inner knowing and leads from that place.

For me, this feels like a reclamation, not of something new, but of something ancient. Something mine.

I’m not reinventing myself.
I’m remembering myself.

And that remembering feels powerful.

Balancing Work, Presence, and SunshineThere’s something beautifully real about being away with your son, he’s nearly 18 ...
08/07/2026

Balancing Work, Presence, and Sunshine

There’s something beautifully real about being away with your son, he’s nearly 18 and so I know these times together are going to start slowing down. I have loved every second of this holiday so far - the slow mornings, the sunshine, the laughs and still choosing to dip into work here and there.

Not out of pressure, not out of obligation, but because those small moments of staying on top of things actually support you. They create space. They create ease. They create the kind of balance that feels lived rather than chased.

We’re so conditioned to think of work and downtime as opposing forces, constantly fighting for dominance. But here’s the truth you’re living right now:

You can hold both. You can enjoy both. You can let both serve you.

Logging on for a couple of emails, making bookings, researching, thinking, updating, these aren’t chores. They’re meaningful touchpoints that keep your future self supported. They’re small acts of self‑leadership that allow the rest of the day to be spacious, playful, and fully yours with your son.

This is the grey area, the place where life isn’t split into rigid boxes of “work” and “rest,” but instead becomes a fluid dance between responsibility and joy, intention and presence. I used to get so cross and precious about “my time” - that by looking at my phone or anyone asking anything of me was an invasion and intrusion, that they were not respecting me or my boundaries - but actually it’s about a choice and perspective. That resistance and lack of open thinking only led to me being stressed, feeling “put upon” and over extended - because that was my mindset - not the ask! The asks keep coming it’s how we greet it that can change.

Reframe it.
Balance it.
Dance in the grey.

Because what’s not to be grateful for? A morning of gentle productivity that buys you an afternoon of sunshine, laughter, and memories. A holiday where work isn’t the enemy, it’s simply one of the rhythms you move with.

And in that rhythm, you’re modelling something powerful:
That leadership isn’t about extremes. It’s about harmony.

See you later - this stress free digital nomad is off for breakfast xx





This month we’ve been exploring self-belief, and as we move into the final week, we’re focusing on something powerful … ...
29/06/2026

This month we’ve been exploring self-belief, and as we move into the final week, we’re focusing on something powerful … your self-talk.

Because the way you speak to yourself shapes everything.

As women in leadership, we’re often the one holding it all together, making decisions, supporting others, driving results both in and out of work - but behind the scenes… that internal dialogue can still be overly harsh, questioning, and critical.

“I should be further ahead.”
"Have I done enough?"
“I’m not ready for this.”
“What if I get it wrong?”
" I can't do this"

This week is about gently challenging that voice.

Rewriting your inner narrative doesn’t mean pretending everything is perfect. It means choosing a tone that supports you instead of diminishes you.

What if your voice became: “I am learning, growing, and capable of figuring this out.”

Right now, I’m writing this from my motorhome in Scotland, something that once felt unrealistic, and actually irresponsible to my inner critic - that had me chained to my desk from 6am to 6pm thinking that this was the only way to be productive and useful. My inner critic thought that anything else was inefficient, unprofessional, and actually a bit reckless and selfish.

But shifting that narrative has allowed me to build a life and business that genuinely works for me.

And that’s what I want for you too.

What is one sentence your inner voice tells you that needs rewriting this week?

Drop it in a message to me, and we can work together to reframe it.

Take it from me - sat here in my office on wheels, parked up amongst the trees!

Self-belief doesn’t disappear overnight … and rebuilding it is a process, not a quick fix.For many women, it’s been shap...
25/06/2026

Self-belief doesn’t disappear overnight … and rebuilding it is a process, not a quick fix.

For many women, it’s been shaped by past experiences, expectations (from ourselves AND others!) and putting others first for too long.

But here’s what matters. Resilience lives within you.

And self-belief can be rebuilt - steadily, intentionally - step by step.

You are not starting from scratch. You’re rebuilding from strength, wisdom, and everything you’ve already learnt and overcome.

Save this for the days you need reminding just how powerful your comeback can be.

Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that have the biggest impact on our day.Today, I decided to move my office outside...
23/06/2026

Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that have the biggest impact on our day.

Today, I decided to move my office outside and make the most of the warm weather.

A simple change, but one that instantly lifted my mood and energy.

This week, as I’ve been talking about resilience, I’m reminded that resilience isn’t always about pushing harder or doing more. Often, it’s about noticing what you need in the moment and doing what you can to support yourself.

You don’t have to do everything. Just one small positive choice can change the course of your day.

What’s one small thing you can do for yourself today?



Ps yes the events shelter is still up from Father’s Day, it’s a good job I didn’t get round to that job too quickly - I’m going to need it later!

Resilience isn’t just about pushing through; it’s about how you bounce back from challenge and obstacles!There’s a momen...
22/06/2026

Resilience isn’t just about pushing through; it’s about how you bounce back from challenge and obstacles!

There’s a moment most of us experience, after a setback.
Something doesn’t go to plan. You doubt yourself. You wonder if you’ve got it wrong.
And suddenly, holding back feels far safer than trying again.

But this is where I want to gently shift your perspective.

In coaching, resilience isn’t defined as “just pushing through.”
It’s your ability to:
• stay connected to who you are
• respond with intention- not fear
• keep moving forward after things haven’t gone to plan

Resilience isn’t about never falling; it’s about how you deal with it when you do. Because this is where self-belief is built.

Every time you:
✔ try again after a setback
✔ speak to yourself with compassion
✔ take the next step, even when confidence is low

You strengthen your trust in yourself. Hmm, we have heard that before haven’t we – action – evidence- confidence?

So if something hasn’t worked out, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
It means you’re being given the opportunity to try again, differently.

Like the Phoenix – It’s time to rise!

How could you choose to respond differently to your last setback?

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