Insights and lessons from a pandemic

July 11, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Claire Holden, Empowerment Coach

I was in a meeting yesterday where we all agreed that we’re sick and tired of the Covid-19 pandemic. We’re tired of talking about the need to ‘pivot’, the ‘new normal’ and the uncertain future. Our news feeds are filled with stories of loss, blame, uncertainty and recriminations. It’s exhausting. The constant anxiety and barrage of bad news shuts down our thinking and saps our energy. We need creative, innovative thinking and an abundance of energy to be successful entrepreneurs, so it’s imperative we change the conversation!

Empowerment Using the Principles of Appreciative Inquiry

May 8, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Claire Holden, Empowerment Coach

I’m passionate about empowerment – “the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights.” This is the area of coaching that I focus on and where I do most of my ongoing learning. The challenge with empowerment is that we don’t often realise how much of our personal power we give away on a daily basis until we feel resentful, run down, fed up and / or confused and uncentered.

Identifying Roles to set effective Goals

February 22, 2019 Melanie Hawken

by Claire Holden, Empowerment Coach

How many hats do you wear? How many roles do you fill? As an entrepreneur you’re a business owner and likely a finance manager, marketing director, accounts receivable clerk and operations manager too. Many of you will also be a wife, mother, daughter, sibling, team or group member, friend, volunteer…. The list goes on! The risk is that we spread ourselves so thin trying to be all things to all people, that we fail to prioritise the things that are most important to us personally and to our businesses. So, how do we change this? How do we cultivate a life where we clearly articulate our goals and set clear action plans in place for success?

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