The Brave Act of Asking for Help

I’ve been thinking about how hard it can be to ask for help. Even to take the time to ask for help. This morning I opened The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse for a morning journaling prompt. This image prompted me to think about the people that have helped me over the last, now 12 years of Clearbird.

Yes, you need to be a bit brave. But I’ve learned that we need a tribe, or a few tribes that we can lean on and be leaned on. I’ve reached out many times, especially when I felt a bit stuck. As others have to me.

The first quarter of this year saw two chunky projects completed for Clearbird. The first was a new strategy which fed into a new website (launching this week) and new brand identity.

The second was submitting my Master Coach Accreditation application with the Association for Coaching. For those who have done it, you know this is a high effort piece of work. I strongly advocate for professional standards in coaching and this is an important element of that.

Both brought a focus to the personal and professional journey over the last 10+ years.

Running your own business requires asking for help. It takes time and effort and vulnerability - and a bit of letting go of control! That is often the hard part for me. As I help leaders to be future fit, in parallel I actively bring in resources to support me in being future fit.

So, just before I launch the next evolution of Clearbird, there are some people that I’d like to call out who have played a significant role in my story and helped more than they might know.

Masterminds

Firstly, the Fabulous Masterminders, Angela Guillemet and Anna Frankland .

In the early days of Clearbird, I knew there was only so much of all the passion and plans for Clearbird that my husband and kids could take.

I set up my first Mastermind group and it reaped rewards both for me and my fellow masterminders - strategic thinking, focus, accountability, thinking partners. That turned into friendship as we supported each other through the ups and downs of life as well as business.

Gratifyingly, I recently heard accounts of the positive impact of other mastermind groups that I played a role in setting up over the years. Businesses who say they wouldn’t be where they are, without it. The power of coming together to think, to plan, to execute, to support and not feel alone is so fundamental in resourcing ourselves.

Coach Supervisors

A heartfelt thank you to my coach supervisors who have served and guided and helped to keep me steady as a new coach, a growing coach, an established coach and now as a coach supervisor myself. The wisdom and insights that each have shared and enabled have been such an important part of this journey.

Not all coaches engage in supervision. I wouldn’t be the coach and supervisor that I now am, without them.

I want to honour Gobnait O'Grady , my wise owl for many years, Pamela Fay for inspiring a way of being from the early days and more recently Claire Genkai Breeze and Lynne De Lay, The Coach's Coach for holding me at the (sometimes uncomfortable) edge of learning. An accompanying thank you to fellow coaches for the shared journey, especially in group supervision.

June Duffy , who helped me by holding my place open on the coaching diploma. Pregnant with twins, I had no idea if I’d make it, but I did. That was the beginning of it all and I can’t thank you enough.

Coaching Supervision Academy Ltd faculty and classmates who helped with a step change in what I can only describe as a transformational year, helping in not just becoming a coach supervisor but elevating the coach that I was becoming.

And Ruth McCarthy for guiding my stepping into the Thinking Environment as a way of being and to bring to clients with presence and simplicity. Another huge influence on the coach and supervisor I am today.

The next phase

In the last year, I asked for help with figuring out the next direction for Clearbird, to be a ‘me’ for me, to help me to step into my full self, my wise self. I help clients to do this every day. It’s just hard to do it for yourself!

Thanks to Tara Nolan, MCC who helped with the initial thinking, in helping me to step forward into the next version of myself.

Finola Howard for helping me (dragging me) through that strategic re-positioning and thinking for Clearbird. It was hard work. It required time and effort when I didn’t have much free time. Finola challenged me and prodded and poked me until we got to where I needed to get to. I am particularly pleased with both the vision and the values work we did which feels like such a very strong foundation.

Thank you Lucy O'Reilly for the new website design. I have seen Lucy grow her business in recent years and have often referred people to her. When it came to my time to update my website, there was no other choice. Lucy cares and is skilled at her craft. And dovetails very nicely with Finola and Eva.

The third prong to that fork, is the amazing Eva Blake whose personal brand photography is evident throughout the new website. She is also a master at her craft and it has been a joy to watch her shine and go from strength to strength.

Finola and Lucy may both curse me as a client but I am so grateful for their tenacity and support and patience in getting me here.

Valued Partners

Associate Coaching has always been an important piece of the blend and I thank Fredericka Sheppard (FCIPD) and Joyce Rigby-Jones Chartered CCIPD, M Inst D from Voltedge, Dayna Caceres and Peter McDermott from Distinctions, Mark O'Donnell from Odgers for partnering and trusting me with their valued clients.

Cultivating resilience and self-compassion

Ellen Shilling for helping when I thought I wanted to learn mindfulness but actually needed to learn self-compassion. I pay that forward regularly. I see self-compassion as one of the greatest needs of our time - especially for women. Ellen opened me up to a whole new way of thinking and being, that I draw from regularly in resourcing myself as a coach, as a mum, as a daughter and being a human.

Each of these valued relationships have brought being part of a much valued community and tribe.

Thank you to my client organisations who have trusted me over these years with their valued employees. I hold these relationships and people you send to me as precious cargo.

And my clients, who I hope I have helped. But who in turn, have helped me to grow as a coach and as a person as I walked beside their courage, their commitment to growth, their investment in deep reflection for transformational results and for their trust in me.

There have been others, who have played a part, along the way. I appreciate you too, even if I haven’t called you out. So many. Fellow coaches, fellow small business owners. All of us doing our thing and supporting each other.

This definitely feels like an Oscar speech. But writing this post, makes it all the clearer. It takes a village. To set up as a coach, to run a business, to navigate a career, asking for help is key!

And finally… thank you to Pierre-Henri Baviera for supporting me in so many ways as I beat my own drum. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Asking for help may be seen by some as a sign of weakness. For me it is an act of vulnerability and trust and yes, bravery.

Here’s to the next ten years and the paths that I will cross.

Watch this space this week for the new website!