Myra Swan Kotze is an Executive Pressure Specialist, former Group Managing Director, and creator of Accumulated Executive Pressure™, a framework that explores how pressure from sustained leadership responsibility can accumulate over time and leave its mark on the women carrying it. Drawing on her experience in senior corporate leadership and her work with accomplished women, she challenges the belief that continuing to perform always means everything is fine. In this interview, Myra explores why highly capable women can overlook the cost of sustained executive pressure, how the body begins communicating through whispers, signals, and screams, and why protecting your health and life beyond work does not have to mean walking away from the career you have built. Myra Swan Kotze, Executive Pressure Specialist What led you to focus specifically on the pressure carried by women in senior corporate leadership? I chose to work specifically with women because I was one of those women. I spent years in senior leadership, ultimately as a Group Managing Director, carrying responsibility for hundreds of people, significant financial outcomes, difficult decisions, and the constant expectation to deliver. I know what it is like to be highly capable and successful on the outside while carrying far more internally than anyone around you necessarily sees. Although the corporate world has changed since I was in those roles, I still hear many of the same experiences from senior women today. This isn't to suggest that men don't experience significant executive pressure. They absolutely do, and for some, that pressure can be equally or even more profound. I simply made a conscious decision about where I wanted to contribute. I understand these women because I have lived a version of their world. I cannot change the experience of every woman in senior leadership, but for the women I do work with, I want that change to be big, meaningful and lasting. What makes Accumulated Executive Pressure™ different from the stress or burnout executives may already recognize? Stress is usually something we recognise because we can connect it to what is happening around us. A difficult quarter, a restructuring, a board meeting, a major decision, or an intense period at work. Burnout is also widely recognised, particularly when someone reaches significant physical or emotional depletion. Accumulated Executive Pressure™ looks at something different. It is the gradual accumulation of pressure through the continuous, day-to-day reality of carrying executive responsibility over time. A senior woman may move through hundreds of decisions, conversations, problems, and competing demands while remaining completely functional. The immediate situation passes, but that does not necessarily mean everything her body carried in response to it has disappeared. Over months and years, pressure can leave footprints. That is why I don't describe Accumulated Executive Pressure™ as something that happens before burnout. Burnout can be one possible expression, or what I call a “scream,” but it isn't the only one. The accumulation may begin showing itself physically, emotionally, cognitively, or relationally long before a woman identifies herself as struggling. Why can remaining highly functional make it harder for a senior leader to recognise that pressure is taking a toll? Because we tend to use performance as evidence that everything is fine. A senior woman can still walk into the boardroom, make complex decisions, lead her team, deliver results and carry enormous responsibility. From the outside, there may be very little indication that anything is wrong. Often, she uses that same evidence herself: “I'm still functioning. I'm still performing. I'm still getting everything done.” That is precisely what can make accumulated pressure so difficult to recognise. The early effects can be subtle. She may be more exhausted than she used to be, less patient, sleeping differently, withdrawing more at home or needing increasingly more energy to maintain the same level of performance. But because she can still perform, these changes are easily dismissed as the normal cost of senior leadership. High-functioning women are exceptionally good at adapting. The danger is that adaptation can keep moving the line of what she considers “normal,” until something happens that becomes much harder to ignore. Why do you believe endurance has become such a deeply ingrained measure of strength in executive culture? Executive culture has traditionally rewarded the person who can carry more. The person who remains available, handles the difficult situation, takes on another responsibility, and continues delivering regardless of what else is happening. Over time, endurance becomes intertwined with identity. Being the woman who can cope is not simply something she does, it becomes part of how she understands her own value as a leader. There is also a practical reality. At senior levels, responsibility doesn't disappear because you are tired or because something difficult is happening in your personal life. People are depending on you. Decisions still need to be made. Results still matter. So you learn to keep going. The problem isn't endurance itself. Sometimes, endurance is necessary in leadership. The problem comes when we begin treating the ability to withstand pressure indefinitely as evidence of strength. I believe real strength includes recognising what carrying that responsibility is costing you, rather than waiting until your body or your life makes that cost impossible to ignore. What changes around midlife can make some accomplished women begin questioning whether they still want their leadership roles? By midlife, many senior women have already spent decades building their careers. They have proven themselves, carried significant responsibility, and achieved many of the things they once worked incredibly hard to reach. Then something can begin to shift. It isn't necessarily that she has lost her ambition or that she is suddenly less capable. Sometimes she simply becomes less willing to accept the personal cost of continuing in exactly the same way. She may find herself thinking, “I don't know if I want to do this anymore.” That can be frightening when so much of her identity, achievement, and financial life has been built around her career. But I think there is another question worth asking before assuming she wants to leave: “Do I no longer want this career, or do I no longer want to feel the way I feel while having it?” Those are very different questions. Sometimes the career isn't what she wants to escape. It is the way she has had to carry it. In your Whispers, Signals and Screams model, which early signs of accumulated pressure are easiest for executives to overlook? The whispers are often the easiest to dismiss precisely because none of them necessarily feels serious enough on its own. It might be waking already exhausted, struggling to switch off at the end of the day, feeling emotionally flatter than usual, losing patience more easily or gradually withdrawing from the people and activities that once restored you. A senior woman can explain almost all of these away. She has had a busy month. She needs a holiday. There is a difficult project underway. She isn't sleeping well. Once things settle down, she will feel like herself again. That phrase, “once this is over,” is one I pay particular attention to because executive life rarely stays quiet for long. One demanding period is replaced by another. In my Whispers, Signals and Screams model, the objective isn't to make women anxious about every change they notice. It is to help them recognise patterns earlier, before whispers have to become louder signals, or eventually screams, to get their attention. How does Recognition, Release, Recovery™ help a woman recover without stepping away from the career she has built? Recognition, Release, Recovery™ begins by changing the question. Instead of asking, “Can I keep pushing?” or “Do I have to leave my career?”, we begin by recognising what years of sustained executive responsibility may have been leaving behind. Recognition gives language to the invisible footprints of accumulated pressure. It allows a woman to see patterns she may previously have dismissed simply as the normal cost of leadership. Release is the intentional process of no longer carrying every emotional, psychological, and physiological burden as though it has to remain with her indefinitely. It is not about reducing ambition or becoming less committed to her role. It is about changing how that responsibility is carried. Recovery is not about returning to the woman she was before leadership. It is about restoring the capacity to lead with clarity, resilience and vitality while protecting the woman behind the executive title. In many cases, that means remaining in the career she has worked so hard to build, but no longer believing that success has to come at the expense of her wellbeing. How did experiencing the cost of sustained leadership in your own life change your definition of success? For many years, I measured success by what I could build, achieve and carry. I became a Group Managing Director, built successful businesses and carried responsibility for hundreds of people. From the outside, I had many of the things we associate with a successful executive life. What I didn't fully understand at the time was what sustaining that level of responsibility was costing me personally. The impact wasn't confined to work. It reached into my health, my marriage, my relationship with my daughter, and eventually the way I experienced my own life. That changed my definition of success profoundly. I no longer believe success can be measured only by what a woman achieves professionally if maintaining those achievements is steadily costing her everything else that matters to her. Today, success means being able to hold significant responsibility without disappearing underneath it. It means protecting your health, your relationships, and the person you are beyond your title, while still pursuing meaningful, ambitious work. I don't believe women should have to choose between an extraordinary career and themselves. What would you like senior women to understand about carrying responsibility without losing themselves in the process? I want senior women to understand that carrying significant responsibility doesn't have to mean carrying everything at their expense. For too long, we have admired the woman who can keep going regardless of the cost. She delivers, she solves, she supports everyone around her, and because she remains capable, very few people stop to ask what carrying all of that is doing to her. You do not have to wait until your body, your relationships or your life forces you to pay attention. Nor do you have to become less ambitious, step away from the career you have built or stop being the woman people can depend on. But you do need to recognise that your capacity is not an unlimited resource. The goal is not a life without pressure. That is unrealistic at senior levels. It is learning to carry responsibility differently, so that the pressure of leadership does not slowly consume the woman carrying it. Your career can remain important without requiring you to disappear inside it. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Myra Swan Kotze

A slower industry finally catching up to itself. Moving has always been treated as a commodity purchase. Get three quotes, pick the middle one, hope for the best. That approach is starting to break down, because the moves themselves are changing shape. More households are moving for reasons that have nothing to do with a new job across town. People relocate for remote work, for lower cost of living, for a specific school district, or to be closer to aging parents. That shifts the timeline and the stakes. A move tied to a work transfer usually has a hard deadline and a company footing part of the bill. A move someone chooses for themselves usually does not, which means the person planning it is doing the budgeting, the scheduling, and the vetting all at once, often for the first time. Vladyslav Ladygin, owner of Spyder Moving and Storage in Oxford, Mississippi, has watched that shift from the inside of a moving company. His view is that the industry's old assumptions about who is moving, and why, no longer hold up, and that the companies still operating as if every move is a standard relocation are the ones customers end up frustrated with. Why his read on this matters Spyder Moving and Storage operates as a full moving and storage company, which means Ladygin sees both ends of a move: the packing and loading on one side, and the holding and storage on the other. That combination gives him a view of jobs that don't fit the old pattern, where someone needs their belongings held for weeks between a move-out date and a move-in date, or needs a partial move now and the rest later. Those jobs are becoming more common, not less. What's actually changing Timelines are getting looser, not tighter The standard moving quote assumes a fixed date: pack on day one, load on day two, deliver on day three. More customers now need flexibility built into that structure. A remote worker might not know their move-in date until a lease closes. A family relocating for a school district might need storage for a month while they finish house hunting. Companies that only quote the rigid version of a move are quoting the wrong job. Storage is doing more of the work Storage used to be an add-on. Now it's often the reason the move works at all. When a moving company can hold belongings for a stretch of time without handing them off to a separate storage vendor, the customer avoids a second point of failure, a second bill, and a second chance for something to go missing. Distance is less predictable Fewer moves are the classic across-town job. More are regional or interstate, driven by cost of living or lifestyle rather than a transfer letter from an employer. That changes what a customer needs to know before they book: how the company handles interstate paperwork, how pricing works across state lines, and who is liable if something goes wrong on a longer haul. What this means for someone planning a move now Ask about flexibility before you ask about price A low quote on a rigid schedule is not actually cheaper if your closing date slips and the mover can't adjust. Ask directly: what happens if the date moves by a week? What happens if it moves by a month? A company that has a real answer, not just a shrug, is one built for how people actually move today. Treat storage as part of the plan, not an afterthought If there's any chance of a gap between move-out and move-in, ask whether the company stores what it moves, or whether it hands off to a third party. Every handoff is a place where things get delayed, damaged, or lost. One company doing both jobs is not always cheaper, but it is almost always simpler. Get the interstate details in writing For a longer move, ask specifically how the company is licensed to operate across state lines, and get the total cost in writing before the truck is packed. Verbal estimates on long moves are where most disputes start. Don't assume the biggest company is the safest bet Scale doesn't guarantee flexibility. A large national mover may be well set up for a standard relocation and poorly set up for the kind of open-ended, storage-heavy job that's becoming more common. Ask pointed questions rather than assuming size equals reliability. The takeaway for the industry Ladygin's view is that moving companies built only around the fixed, three-day relocation are going to keep losing jobs to the ones that can flex around a real timeline. Storage capacity, honest interstate pricing, and a willingness to adjust a schedule matter more now than they did when most moves followed the same predictable pattern. For anyone planning a move in the next year, the practical move is to stop shopping on price alone and start asking the questions that reveal whether a company can actually handle the shape of the move you're making, not the one the industry assumes you're making.

Written by Tracey L. Curtis, Chiropractic Clinician, Educator, Coach & Advocate Dr. Tracey is an educator, coach, and chiropractic clinician whose work bridges genetics, nervous system regulation, functional wellness, and human potential. Known for her compassionate and insightful approach, she empowers individuals to create lasting transformation by aligning science, self-awareness, and personal leadership. Have you ever known exactly what you needed to do, and still couldn't get yourself to do it? You may have had the plan, the information, and even a compelling reason to begin. You told yourself to focus, be disciplined, stop procrastinating, or simply get moving. Yet somehow, action still felt difficult. We tend to interpret these moments as motivation problems. We assume we need a better mindset, stronger willpower, or more discipline. But action doesn't begin with thought alone. Before you take the next step, speak up, make a decision, start something unfamiliar, or move toward a meaningful goal, your brain and nervous system are continually evaluating what that action requires of you. Do I have enough energy for this? Does this feel manageable? Is there uncertainty or risk here? Do I have the internal resources to respond if something doesn't go as planned? We usually don't consciously ask ourselves these questions. Much of this evaluation happens beneath conscious awareness and comes from old beliefs and habits that run on automatic. That means what looks like a motivation problem may sometimes be a capacity problem instead. Why knowing what to do isn't always enough Most of us have been taught to approach change from the top down. We set goals. We create plans. Make lists. Change our thoughts. Read books. Listen to podcasts. Tell ourselves what we "should" be doing. This is certainly what I learned to do. Well-meaning teachers and other authority figures presented processes they believed would lead to the results I desired. However, I rarely experienced the transformative results I was looking for using that guidance. It’s not that these actions can’t be useful. But information and intention don't automatically translate into action. Your brain doesn't operate separately from your body. Your ability to focus, make decisions, tolerate uncertainty, regulate emotion, and initiate behavior is influenced by your physiological state. Think about how differently you approach the same problem when you are rested and calm compared with when you are exhausted, rushed, hungry, overwhelmed, or emotionally activated. The problem hasn't changed. Your capacity to meet it has. This is one reason I encourage people to become curious when they find themselves repeatedly unable to follow through. Instead of immediately asking, "Why can't I make myself do this?" try asking, "What is happening in my system that is making this action difficult right now?" That question opens an entirely different pathway forward. Your nervous system influences what feels possible The nervous system is constantly gathering information from inside and outside the body and adjusting your physiology in response. When your system has adequate capacity, you generally have greater access to curiosity, creativity, flexible thinking, social connection, and intentional action. When demands begin to exceed your available resources, your priorities change. Your attention narrows. Decisions feel harder. You become more reactive, restless, avoidant, fatigued, or indecisive. Something that seemed exciting yesterday can suddenly feel overwhelming today. This doesn't mean you should wait until you feel perfectly calm before doing difficult things. Growth requires us to encounter uncertainty, challenge, and discomfort. The goal isn't to eliminate activation. The goal is to develop enough internal capacity that activation doesn't automatically determine what you can and cannot do. That's an important distinction. Movement can create momentum before motivation appears We often think motivation should come first. Feel motivated, then take action and make progress. But sometimes the sequence works in the opposite direction. A small amount of physical movement can change your internal state enough to make the next action more accessible. This doesn't have to mean completing a workout. It might mean walking outside for five minutes, standing and stretching between meetings, gently shaking out tension, changing your posture, or moving to a different environment before returning to a difficult task. Movement provides sensory information to the brain. It changes breathing, circulation, muscular tension, attention, and your relationship to the space around you. Sometimes the most productive response to feeling stuck isn't another thought. It's movement. Then you can return to the task and notice whether something has shifted. Your breath is information Breathing is another way the body and brain continually communicate. Your breathing changes automatically with your state. Notice what happens when you are startled, rushing to meet a deadline, deeply relaxed, laughing with someone you love, or preparing to have a difficult conversation. Breath reflects your state and is also one way you can influence it. This doesn't mean taking one deep breath instantly removes stress. For some people, deliberately controlling the breath can actually feel uncomfortable. It can help to notice your breath before trying to change it. Is it fast or slow? Deep or shallow? Are you holding it? Can you allow the exhale to become slightly longer or softer without forcing anything? Even a brief moment of awareness can interrupt automatic patterns and give you more information about what your system needs. Emotional regulation creates room for choice Inspired action also requires the capacity to experience emotion without immediately becoming controlled by it. Fear doesn't necessarily mean stop. Excitement doesn't always mean go. Discomfort doesn't mean something is wrong. Emotional regulation lets us experience these signals while staying flexible enough to choose our response. This is particularly important when we're doing something new. Growth frequently includes uncertainty. Starting a business, changing careers, having an important conversation, setting a boundary, sharing your work publicly, or becoming more visible can create activation precisely because the outcome isn't guaranteed. If we've learned that confidence means feeling no fear, we may wait indefinitely. Embodied confidence is different. It sounds more like, "I can feel this uncertainty and still trust myself to respond." Confidence is something the body learns We often approach confidence as a belief we need to create in our minds. But confidence is built through experience, before the mind is fully engaged. Every time you encounter a challenge and stay connected to yourself, respond, recover, and realize that you can handle what happened, your system receives new information. I did something unfamiliar. I experienced discomfort. I stayed present. I adapted. I recovered. This is how confidence becomes more than positive thinking. It becomes embodied evidence. Over time, experiences that once triggered significant hesitation may require less internal effort. You aren't simply telling yourself that you're capable. Your brain and body have accumulated experiences that support that conclusion. Before pushing harder, build capacity When you're struggling to take action, adding more pressure isn't always the answer. Before assuming you need more discipline, pause long enough to notice what your body is telling you. You might ask: What sensations do I notice when I think about taking this step? Am I tired, activated, overwhelmed, or simply uncomfortable because this is new? Would movement help me shift my state? What happens when I soften or slow my breathing? Is the next step small enough for my system to engage with it? What support or resource would make this feel more manageable? Can I take one action without requiring myself to feel completely confident first? The best way to find out what will help is to try the action, then pause to notice how you feel afterward. If you feel calmer, more present or engaged, or ready to consider a next step, your body benefited from the regulation you gave it. You have increased your capacity from the bottom up. Now you can act from a more positive place with improved conditions. Inspired action feels different from forced action Sometimes we need discipline. There are responsibilities we won't always feel inspired to complete, and nervous system regulation shouldn't become another reason to wait for ideal conditions. But there is a difference between stretching your capacity and continually overriding yourself. Forced action often feels like pushing, bargaining, criticizing, or threatening yourself into motion. Inspired action can still be challenging, but it contains a greater sense of internal agreement. Your thoughts, emotions, physiology, and intentions are moving in roughly the same direction. That's why some of our clearest decisions arrive after a walk, a good night's sleep, a quiet moment outside, a meaningful conversation, or simply enough space to settle. We didn't necessarily think harder. We created the conditions that allowed us to access more of ourselves. Start with the body The next time you find yourself saying, "I know what to do. Why am I not doing it?" resist the urge to immediately demand more from yourself. Notice your body. Move. Breathe. Orient to your surroundings. Pay attention to the emotion underneath the hesitation. Then make the next step smaller if you need to, and take it. Motivation matters. Mindset matters. Strategy matters. But our ability to use them depends, in part, on the internal capacity available to us in that moment. Sometimes the path forward doesn't begin by convincing your mind. It begins by helping your body discover that moving forward is something you can handle. For more nervous system regulation support and neuroscience-backed resources, subscribe to my blog or website, where you can download a practice or join a course. Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Tracey L. Curtis Tracey L. Curtis, Chiropractic Clinician, Educator, Coach & Advocate Dr. Tracey is a chiropractic clinician, educator, and coach specializing in nervous system regulation, functional wellness, and personal empowerment. Known for her thoughtful and compassionate approach, her work integrates genetics, human behavior, and neuroscience-informed wellness practices to support lasting transformation. She is passionate about helping individuals reconnect with their innate resilience and capacity for growth through greater self-awareness and intentional living. Through her clinical work, coaching, and writing, Dr. Tracey explores the intersection of biology, mindset, and human potential to support meaningful, sustainable change. Related articles: Decoding The Breath’s Language Take Inspired Action

Ben Robins is a business and leadership coach and keynote speaker who spent a decade in senior leadership, including running EMEA for a global consultancy with clients such as Google and Meta. He has seen the pattern from the inside: companies that have grown but still rely too heavily on the owner for decisions, client relationships, and to keep things moving. His work sits where business strategy, leadership and mindset meet. He helps owners change how the business runs, while also challenging the habits, beliefs and ways of leading that keep them at the centre of it. Ben works with business owners across London, Dubai, Singapore and the US who are ready to lead the business rather than carry it. Ben Robins, Business & Leadership Coach Who is Ben Robins? Introduce yourself, your hobbies, your favourites, you at home and in business. Tell us something interesting about yourself. At 22, I worked on a cattle station in the outback of Australia. On a particularly sweltering day, I passed the wrong tool to my boss, and he exploded in rage. This happened most days. But what I could never quite understand was that he would almost always come and apologise afterwards. He knew what kind of leader he wanted to be. He just often fell short of it. That question became the central premise of a lot of my coaching, "Why do we know what kind of business owner or leader we want to be, but sometimes fall short of it? And what does it take to actually change that?" From that cattle station, I motorbiked through Vietnam, spent several months in India, and taught English to children in South Korea whose language I could barely speak. Eventually, I made my way into boardrooms in London, Amsterdam and Seattle, leading Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for a global e-commerce consultancy, growing the division to around £15 million in revenue and a team of more than 20, working with brands like Google and Meta. Now I’m a London-based business and leadership coach, working with established founders and business owners internationally. The thread I first noticed on that cattle station is still the one I'm pulling on, the business and the person running it are inextricably linked. My partner and I split the year between London and somewhere sunny. We travel a lot, eat our way around wherever we happen to be, and are ideally never too far from the sea. What inspired you to become a coach, and what problem do you feel most called to help people solve? I don't really think of it as becoming a coach. Looking back, much of what I had always valued most in leadership was already coaching, understanding what somebody actually wanted, what was really motivating them, what was behind what they were saying, and how to help them move forward. That was the part of building businesses I found most interesting. Eventually, I realised I could do it much more directly, without a specific industry being at the centre of the conversation. What I'm most interested in is helping business owners solve the problems they've struggled to solve themselves and build the business in a way that works better for them too. Very often, that starts with seeing the problem differently. A founder says they have a hiring problem, a delegation problem, or a growth problem. But when you keep asking questions and get underneath it, the real constraint becomes much easier to see. When that happens, the beauty is that what looked like a constraint often starts to look more like an opportunity. That's what I'm interested in, coaching that changes what a founder actually does next in their business. How would you describe your coaching approach, and what makes it different from others in your field? My coaching sits between business strategy and the person making the decision. I don’t see the two as separate because, in my experience, the biggest impact comes from addressing both at the same time. I usually start with the business problem the owner thinks they have. I take that seriously, but I don’t automatically assume it’s the problem we actually need to solve. I’m listening for the question behind the question. Why do you want the business to grow? What would that give you? What are you assuming to be true? What are you worried would happen if you made the obvious change? And is that risk actually real, or has it grown larger in your head than it is in reality? Because usually there is something deeper than the presenting problem. These types of questions allow me to understand what the business means to the owner, what fears sit alongside the decision, or perhaps what they are too close to see for themselves. As I see it, strategy and psychology are happening at the same time. So sometimes the answer we need is a better business decision. Other times, it might be understanding why that decision has been so difficult to make in the first place. My role is to work out which one needs attention and how the two are affecting each other. One of the business owners I coached on my Owner’s Block podcast put it better than I could. He said most coaches and consultants snorkel, whereas I scuba dive. He came in thinking he had a recruitment problem. But within 90 minutes, we had challenged several assumptions he was treating as facts and realised that one of his strongest recruitment advantages, the mission behind his company, was barely showing up in his hiring process. Once we were able to see that, it wasn’t only about recruitment. It had implications for retention and even how potential clients connected with the business. A conversation focused only on recruitment tactics or onboarding strategy would never have got us there. Who are your ideal clients, and what challenges are they usually facing when they come to you? My ideal clients are founders and business owners who have already built established businesses but have reached a point where some of the things that got them here are starting to get in the way of what they want next. What they want is someone who can get to grips with it quickly, speak their language, and challenge the thinking behind the decisions they’re making. They know a good strategy is important, but they also recognise that they’re part of whether that strategy works or not. What they come to me with varies. For one person, it might be that they are still too involved and have become the bottleneck and don't quite know how to pull themselves out. For someone else, it might be hiring, a difficult decision they finally want to make, or why the business has become more challenging to run as it has grown, rather than less challenging as they’d hoped. We often come back to where their time is going, how much real control they have over the business, and how they can keep growing without just adding more complexity or making everything even more dependent on them. The people I work best with are willing to look at themselves as part of the equation. They’re not just looking for another set of tactics. They’re open to the possibility that part of what needs to change might be how they’re thinking, deciding or leading. Why can growing a successful business sometimes create more pressure and fewer options for the owner? Because growth tends to magnify everything that already exists in the business and in the person building it. If the founder is still central to the important decisions, client relationships and quality control, adding more revenue doesn't automatically reduce that dependence, it can simply scale the chaos. The volume of what needs their attention increases, but the number of hours they can feasibly work doesn’t. It doesn’t, of course, happen overnight. As the founder, you check a piece of work one evening because you care about the standards. You don’t just do it once, so the team knows that whatever they produce is probably going to come back through you anyway, which means they naturally stop taking quite as much ownership. That same thing happens with clients. You are involved in everything because, particularly in the early days, it was probably one of the reasons the business did well. But it also trains those clients to expect that you will always be there and that they will have direct access to you. When a problem comes up, you know you can probably solve it faster than anyone else, so you just do it. Again, none of these decisions in isolation are wrong, but there does come a point where the behaviours that get you to one stage can become exactly the behaviours that stop you getting to the next. The irony is that, from the outside, everything can look better. More clients, more revenue, a bigger team. But you can actually have fewer options than when the business was smaller. Taking time off becomes harder, and stepping back becomes harder because more and more of the business now depends on you. "If this business doubles, what else doubles with it?" If the answer is your workload, that is worth addressing before simply trying to make the business bigger. What are the most common patterns or blocks you see holding founders back from real progress? Four come up again and again, and they all have something in common, they look like one thing but are actually another. Founder dependency disguised as high standards. The founder stays involved in everything because they care about quality. Over time, the team learns not to take ownership because the founder will always check anyway. "It's faster if I just do it" is one of the most common things I hear. Usually true in the short term, but costly in the longer term. Sometimes what looks like high standards is actually perfectionism. The difference is that high standards are about the work, whereas perfectionism becomes about the person. Until you understand why everything needs to be perfect, it can keep pulling the founder back into things they should no longer need to own. Avoided decisions disguised as needing more information. There is always another book, another conversation, or another quarter to wait and see. But in many cases, owners already have enough information to act on. What they often need is to get comfortable with making a decision and adjusting as new information comes in. Complexity disguised as ambition. Launching a new product or channel can feel like the obvious next move. But in many cases, the founders with the strongest businesses are ruthless about focus. Often, the answer is doing fewer things really well rather than lots of things adequately. That’s the basis of what I call the Subtraction Method, before adding something new, ask what you could stop, simplify or do less of first. Delegation without authority. The owner hands something over, it doesn't work out, and they conclude the team can't handle it. But the key part, the ownership, wasn't passed on, just the task. They remain the bottleneck, frustrated that everything comes back to them, even if the work itself is done by someone else. Beneath a lot of this, there is often a fear, assumption or old belief that hasn't really been questioned. So a lot of the time, it's about challenging that, testing whether it's actually true, and then deciding what to do next. What kind of transformations do clients typically experience through working with you? The transformations show up in the business and in the owner, but they can ripple out much further than I ever see, to family members, employees and beyond. I've seen a client go from working 12-14 hours days to working four or five-hour days. Another tripled their revenue over the time we worked together. One went from overthinking decisions and watching opportunities pass by to growing his property portfolio, improving returns from his existing assets, and feeling in control of his business rather than controlled by it. Then there are the outcomes that probably don’t make the headlines but can be just as significant. Spending more time with family, being more present, taking a few weeks off without stressing, or not spending their time at home thinking about work and their time at work thinking about home. Putting far more focus into what they are uniquely able to do. Over time, they get better at catching themselves too. They start recognising their own patterns earlier, questioning assumptions they might previously have treated as fact, and seeing what actually needs their attention rather than just reacting to the obvious problem. There's a phrase you sometimes hear, "chips on shoulders put chips in pockets." My clients can still put the chips in their pockets without needing the chip on their shoulder. They can remain ambitious and driven while becoming clearer on what they actually want, rather than constantly needing to prove something. How do you help clients create change that is sustainable, not just short-term motivation? I'm not in the motivation business, as motivation comes and goes. If someone keeps needing to re-motivate themselves to behave differently, something is still making the old behaviour more attractive than the new one. Most business owners already know the obvious changes they could make. If knowing was enough, they would have made them already. So when somebody keeps doing something they say they want to change, I'm interested in what they're getting out of it. Staying closely involved might allow a founder to feel significant or to hold onto control that feels important. Until we understand what the behaviour is doing, telling someone to act differently rarely works. Once we're clear on that, it's about connecting the change to something they really want, rather than something they think they should want, then breaking the next step into something small enough to do on a difficult day. We do that because I'm much more interested in building momentum through consistent action than doing something sporadically. Then we iterate. It might be that the person you've delegated to does a brilliant job, or maybe they don't. Based on that, we now have actual data from your business to work with. So we adapt based on what has happened and build from there. For me, sustainable change is when somebody no longer needs to keep motivating themselves because enough of what was driving the old behaviour has changed. For someone reading this who feels drawn to your work, what's the best next step? The best place to start is Ben Robins’ business and leadership coaching website. You can read client success stories, watch me coach business owners through real strategy sessions, and get a clear sense of what working together looks like. If what you see resonates, you can book a confidential consultation. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube for more info! Read more from Ben Robins

Vicky Vimbai Goredema is an award-winning Chartered Certified Accountant, entrepreneur, and author of The Numbers Behind the Business, Tax Structure and Systems for the Modern UK Entrepreneur. She is the Founder and Director of VCK Accounting Services Ltd, a UK-based accountancy practice supporting small to medium-sized businesses with strategic financial expertise. Vicky Vimbai Goredema, Chartered Certified Accountant UK What led you to build VCK Accounting Services around helping business owners understand the numbers behind their businesses? When I was at university, I received career advice that encouraged me to think beyond simply qualifying in a profession and to consider what I ultimately wanted to build for myself. Even then, I knew that one day I wanted to have my own business. After qualifying as a Chartered Certified Accountant and gaining experience working across several organisations, I felt the time was right to build the practice I had always envisioned. I have always had a strong passion for accounting and tax, but what motivates me most is seeing how much more confident business owners become when they actually understand their numbers. That is really where the idea behind VCK Accounting Services came from. I wanted to go beyond preparing accounts and tax returns and help business owners understand what their figures are telling them, so they can make informed decisions and build stronger businesses. What financial challenges make healthcare businesses different from other small and medium-sized businesses? One of the biggest challenges is cash flow. Many healthcare businesses operate under contracts where there can be a significant delay between providing the service and receiving payment. At the same time, they still have immediate financial commitments such as salaries, pension contributions, suppliers, rent and other operating costs. This can create significant pressure, particularly for growing businesses that are taking on more staff or premises before the corresponding income has been received. A profitable business can still experience cash flow difficulties. That is why I encourage healthcare business owners to look beyond their profit figure and actively manage their cash position and future cash requirements. When advising healthcare providers, which numbers give you the clearest picture of whether a business is financially healthy? I look at both cash flow and profitability, because they tell you different things. Cash flow tells me whether the business can meet its immediate obligations, whether it can pay its staff, suppliers and other bills when they fall due. Profitability tells me whether the underlying business model is actually working and generating a sustainable return for the owner. A business can be profitable on paper but struggle to pay its bills because the cash has not yet been received. Equally, a business can have cash in the bank but not be genuinely profitable. For me, financial health is about understanding both sides and how they work together. Where do you think entrepreneurs most often misunderstand the role an accountant should play in their business? I think some entrepreneurs still see their accountant primarily as the person who prepares their accounts and submits their tax returns. In reality, an accountant can be a valuable strategic adviser. I have seen business owners make financial decisions without seeking advice first, and sometimes those decisions can have unnecessary tax or financial consequences. For example, the timing and structure of a purchase can affect whether certain tax reliefs, including capital allowances, are available. My advice is simple, don’t wait until after you’ve made the decision to ask your accountant whether it was the right one. Bring your accountant into the conversation before making significant financial decisions. What changes when a business owner starts treating accounting as a strategic tool rather than a compliance requirement? The biggest change is that they start taking control of their business rather than simply ticking a compliance box. Instead of looking at their accounts once a year, they begin asking better questions, "What is driving my profitability? Where is my money going? Are my prices right? Can I afford to grow? What needs to change?" Accounting then becomes a management tool rather than something that is simply done because HMRC or Companies House requires it. Ultimately, it gives the business owner greater clarity around why they are in business, where they want the business to go and what they need to do to get there. What financial information should every entrepreneur be reviewing regularly before making growth decisions? One of the first things I would look at is pricing. Business owners need to understand whether the prices they charge for their products or services are generating a healthy margin after taking into account their costs. Growth can sometimes create the illusion of success because turnover is increasing. But if the business is not pricing correctly, increased sales can actually create more pressure rather than more profit. I would also encourage entrepreneurs to regularly review their profit and loss, cash flow and key business costs before committing to growth. What is one financial system growing businesses should put in place earlier than they typically do? A reliable bookkeeping system. For many businesses, accounting software such as Xero provides the foundation for understanding what is happening financially on a day-to-day basis. But having software alone isn’t enough. The bookkeeping needs to be accurate and kept up to date. When transactions are recorded regularly and correctly, the business owner has access to meaningful financial information and can make decisions based on current data rather than trying to piece everything together months later. What does going “beyond numbers” mean to you in the way you advise and support clients? For me, going beyond the numbers means understanding the person behind the business. Every client has different personal circumstances, ambitions and definitions of success. One business owner may want to grow a large organisation, while another may want to build a profitable business that gives them greater freedom and flexibility. I therefore want to understand both the client’s business goals and personal goals because the two are often closely connected. The numbers are important, but they are ultimately there to help the business owner achieve something bigger. What is the one thing you want entrepreneurs to understand about their numbers before they focus on growing their business? Before focusing on growth, make sure you have a sound financial system underneath you. At a minimum, that means having appropriate accounting software, keeping your bookkeeping accurate and up to date, and regularly reviewing your financial information. You cannot make good strategic decisions from numbers you don’t trust. Once the financial foundations are in place, you can start using those numbers to understand profitability, cash flow, pricing and performance, and then make informed decisions about how and when to grow. For me, growth should not simply be about becoming bigger. It should be about becoming stronger, more profitable and more sustainable. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Vicky Vimbai Goredema

In a crowded market, having a great product may no longer be enough. Entrepreneur and bestselling author Daniel Priestley believes one of the biggest advantages a business can build today is being known. Priestley, co-founder of Dent Global and ScoreApp, has spent years helping entrepreneurs become what he calls a “Key Person of Influence” in their industry. His message has become even more relevant in 2026 as businesses compete for attention in an increasingly crowded digital world. Priestley argues that attention is now one of the hardest things for businesses to earn. A company can have an exceptional product or service, but without visibility, the right customers may never discover it.But being known isn't about chasing millions of followers. His approach focuses on becoming highly visible and highly valued within the right market. Through publishing, building authority, developing a strong profile and forming strategic partnerships, entrepreneurs can position themselves as the obvious choice in their field. That distinction offers an important lesson for business owners. Visibility isn't simply a social media metric. When paired with genuine expertise and a strong business behind it, it can create trust, demand and new opportunities. As Priestley puts greater emphasis on personal brands and attention in 2026, his message is clear: being great at what you do matters, but making sure the right people know about it may matter just as much.

Written by Cameron Tukapua, Heartfelt Living Coach, Chinese Medicine Practitioner Cameron Tukapua coaches people to heal and transform their lives and relationships through conscious Self-care. Her offerings are based on four decades of clinical acupuncture and teaching experience. Cameron is the author of 'Heartfelt Living – How to Navigate Change and Healing: Your Ancient Wisdom Guide'. Wondering why your heartbreak is hard to heal? In this article, a Chinese medicine practitioner introduces practical steps for reconnecting with your whole heart. This pathway explores how to use heartbreak to go deep within and connect with the essence of your true self. These seven steps offer insights into what you may feel when you are wounded by love. 1. Allow time and space to attend to your depths The heart is the home of our deepest sense of Self, which is why heart pain hurts. It can be brutal and savage. Like a cut from a scalpel, we feel it in our depths. With the right support, our deep scars become part of our life experience rather than the reference point for our existence. There is no right or wrong way to heal our heart hurt. It is a highly individual journey. In clinical therapy, practitioners are trained to keep pace with a client’s healing process and meet them where they are. Lasting healing takes time to fathom and integrate, so gently, gently is a healthy approach. It can be an up-and-down journey. Above all, be patient with yourself. “We can’t go too deep, though we can go too fast.” Dr Samantha Jennings 2. Accept your hurt In the early stages, heartbreak is likely to feel most intense. We can feel it physically in our chest, with tightness, tension, and difficulty breathing. Emotionally, we may feel extremely vulnerable. As the heart is our supreme ruler, when it is broken our thoughts can be racing, scattered, and ‘out of order’. All these signs are to be expected and allowed. When you are raw and broken, stay safe. Notice who and what comforts you. It may be a belief, a person, a teaching, or a substance. In the acute phase, do what you need to do to get through it. Reevaluate as you move forward, and get help if you remain stuck in unhealthy self soothing behaviours. Resisting our pain and trying to escape never works long term. Our wounds are part of the human experience. 3. Collapsing duality As many of us in the Western world have been brainwashed by 'good and bad,' 'right and wrong,' and 'should and shouldn’t' thinking, it is easy to avoid and deny what feels imperfect. Denying our hurt places creates tension in the system, as the self we like and the one we reject appear to be at war. In broken states, we can think, 'If only I didn’t have this problem, I would be ok.' This creates tension between us and the problem, as though there were two of us. To collapse the tension, begin by accepting that our pain and whole self can exist together. Roger Callahan, an American psychologist, observed that in chronic states of imbalance, people’s brains can default to searching for what is not working rather than what is. Roger developed a simple technique called 'psychological reversal correction.' I’ve been using a version of this correction in my clinic for over two decades. As a practice, this simple acupressure and affirmation technique can help interrupt the 'I’m broken' self-reference point and reset homeostasis. It supports the search for balance, which is programmed into every cell of our being and is far stronger than any disease pattern. 4. Engage your higher self’s viewpoint, consider the context The heart is the home of our highest consciousness, which acts as the 'fair witness' to our lives. In situations of heartbreak, it is wise to call upon this part of ourselves and look for higher points of view. Our hearts are attuned to love and they know what is real. It is important to be brave and to listen. “When you ask people about love they will tell you about heartbreak” Brene Brown When heartbreak responses are especially intense, the roots may be old traumas. We can recognise these by the depth and intensity of the feelings. Like high voltage electricity, there is often an extra charge to the sensations. On the other hand, the intensity may be a natural, normal, healthy response to extreme stress, for example, the grief a mother feels when her child dies. In this situation, the natural order of life and death has been disturbed. 5. Practice compassion, lick your wounds Treat and speak to yourself as you would your best friend, beloved partner, or family member. Give yourself space for the rawness of your heart pain to ease. Time is a compassionate healer. Prioritize sleep to help support the restoration of healthy brain function. Tend to your wound in loving, tender ways. For some, it is time alone, on retreat, to reflect and dive deep inside. For others, it is best to be surrounded by those who love you and with whom you can safely express your emotions. Accept your wound as a path to wisdom. In the future, when you look back, it will make more sense. “Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.” From The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran 6. Tell the truth If our heartbreak follows a relationship breakdown, it is an opportunity to reset and review. Sometimes, a relationship has simply run its course. When it is over, it is over. Relationships show us who we are now, and as they evolve, we evolve. Some were never meant to be long term. In romantic relationships, 'love is blind,' and healthy discernment can easily vanish. When we want someone in our lives, we will make all sorts of excuses for 'out of order behaviour.' This can be an unconscious attempt to hold on to the dream of being in love. Truth is like a sword. It cuts to the heart of our knowing. Truth telling starts with taking an honest look at how we show up in life and with others. When we tell the truth to ourselves about what we sense and feel and act accordingly, we come home to our authentic self. They can help you shift from a heart breaking to a heart awakening. “Oh break my heart and do it again and again so I can love even more”. Sufi saying 7. Be you, be true, be courageous The French word for heart is 'cœur,' which also means courage. If we stand by our heart’s depth of knowing and presence, we discover a sleeping power that lives within us. When we are pushed to the limits of our humanness, it is here that we find our divinity. Our heart spirit has more power than we can ever imagine. Its light helps us see the purpose and meaning behind life’s happenings. Heartbreak is often a path to lasting heart awakening. Deep down, we know what we need to become the most whole version of ourselves. “There comes a time in the spiritual journey when you start making choices from a very different place. And if a choice lines up so that it supports truth, health, happiness, wisdom, and love, it’s the right choice.” Dr Angeles Arrien, Cultural Anthropologist If you resonate with these teachings I invite you to join me for a Heartfelt healing journey. Learn more about my livetime, interactive Masterclasses: 'Heartfelt Living' and 'Nourishing Roots'. For a deeper dive, individual wellbeing healing, and/or professional development support, join me for one to one coaching. Free yourself to be your Self. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Cameron Tukapua Cameron Tukapua, Heartfelt Living Coach, Chinese Medicine Practitioner Cameron Tukapua is a wellbeing coach who shares ancient wisdom teachings from Chinese Medicine, along with Qigong, Yoga, and Meditation practices. She helps people align the head and heart. Cameron has written a book called ‘Heartfelt Living', and her work has been featured in Thrive Global. She offers Individual coaching, online study pathways, and face-to-face wellbeing retreats.

Written by Claudia Cubbage, Headteacher and Career Change Coach Claudia Cubbage is known for her work in leadership and career development, particularly within education. She is the founder of RenewEd Ltd and is currently developing the RenewEd book series, drawing on over 25 years of school leadership experience. Many people begin searching online for phrases such as “I need a new job”, “I want a new career” or “I need a career change”, hoping the right opportunity will magically appear. Most career advice begins at the wrong point. It starts with curriculum vitae (CV) documents and LinkedIn profiles, interview preparation, job applications and networking. All of these have their place. Yet they come much later in the career change process than many people realise. The need for a more deliberate process is not abstract. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) research published in 2025 found that more than 1 million United Kingdom (UK) workers had left their jobs in the previous year due to a lack of flexibility. A job move may change the employer without resolving the underlying mismatch unless the person first identifies what work now needs to provide. Yet I kept noticing the same pattern. Those who made the most successful career decisions rarely started by asking, “What jobs could I apply for?” Instead, they asked a far more important question, “What am I actually trying to change?” That question changes everything because until you understand what is driving the desire for change, every job advert begins to look like a potential solution. That realisation became the foundation of what I now call the Career Compass. The framework brings together themes explored in my earlier Brainz articles on why knowing you need a career change is not enough, why career change can feel harder than it should, and why CV language can hide transferable value. Here, those issues become four connected conversations rather than isolated pieces of advice. I chose the word Compass deliberately. Career change is rarely a straight line. Priorities shift. Opportunities appear unexpectedly. Circumstances change. A map assumes you already know exactly where you are going. A compass helps you navigate uncertainty while keeping you moving in the right direction. The Career Compass is not another personality profile. It is not a psychometric assessment. It is not a list of careers matched to your interests. It is a practical framework built around four conversations that consistently help people make better career decisions, clarity, alignment, positioning and movement. Each conversation builds on the one before it. Miss one, and the process becomes more difficult. Work through all four, and career change becomes less about searching for another job and more about making thoughtful decisions that reflect your strengths, your aspirations and the life you want work to support. Clarity: Understanding what is really driving the desire for change The difficulty is that activity without clarity rarely creates progress. More often, it creates confusion. People apply for roles that look attractive on paper but never really address the reason they wanted to make a change in the first place. After weeks of applications, they begin to lose confidence, assuming the problem is their CV or the competition, when in reality they may have been pursuing opportunities that were never the right fit. What are you actually trying to change? People often believe they need a new job when what they really need is a different way of working, a different organisation or a different role within the same sector. Others discover they don’t want to leave work altogether, they simply want work that better fits their lives. Throughout my coaching, I often encourage people to stop asking, “What job do I want?” and instead ask, “What needs to be different for work to become sustainable again?” That subtle shift changes the entire conversation. Instead of chasing vacancies, they begin recognising patterns. They identify what gives them energy and what consistently drains it. They separate temporary frustrations from genuine long-term dissatisfaction. Alignment: Recognising what genuinely fits What does the right career actually look like for you? Many people assume this question can be answered simply by looking at their qualifications or previous job titles. In my experience, it goes much deeper than that. A fulfilling career is rarely built on skills alone. It is created when your strengths, values, motivations and lifestyle all work together. This is why I describe the second stage as alignment rather than simply identifying strengths or transferable skills. The challenge is understanding how they fit together. Over the years, I have worked with teachers, healthcare professionals, military personnel, finance directors, operations managers, engineers and senior leaders from many different sectors. Despite their very different careers, I have noticed something remarkably similar. Many define themselves by what they do rather than by the value they create. The capabilities people develop do not disappear simply because they change sector. What often changes is not capability but identity. Many people have spent years describing themselves by their profession. Leaving that profession can therefore feel like leaving part of themselves behind. Recognising that your value extends far beyond your job title is often one of the biggest breakthroughs in the coaching process. The challenge is recognising those capabilities. Alignment is about helping people understand the combination of strengths, experiences and personal values that make them successful. It is also about recognising what they need from work to thrive. For some people, that means autonomy. For others, it means flexibility. Some need opportunities to lead. Others value collaboration, creativity or purpose above status or salary. Positioning: Communicating your value with confidence Many people believe positioning is simply about writing a better CV. It isn’t. A CV is only one way of communicating your value. Positioning is about being able to explain, consistently and confidently, why you are the right person for a particular role. It starts with recognising your transferable skills. One of the biggest challenges when changing sectors is understanding how to transfer your skills into language that employers immediately recognise. One of the most valuable parts of career coaching is helping people identify those transferable skills and translate them into the language of the sector they want to move into. The capability already exists. It simply needs translating. Many organisations now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and recruitment tools assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) to screen applications before a hiring manager ever reads them. If your experience is described only in the language of your current profession, the technology may fail to recognise how well your skills align with the new role. The capability is there. The evidence is there. The application simply isn’t telling the story in the language the employer is looking for. Positioning is about bridging that gap. It is about translating your experience into language that is both authentic and relevant to the organisation you want to join, ensuring that AI systems recognise your transferable skills and that hiring managers immediately understand the value you bring when your application reaches them. Confidence is not about pretending to know all the answers. It is about understanding your strengths well enough to communicate them with clarity, credibility and purpose. Movement: Taking action with purpose The problem is that without the three preceding conversations, career moves are often reactive rather than intentional. Without clarity, many professionals apply for roles they do not really want. Without alignment, they pursue opportunities that fail to reflect their strengths, values or the life they want work to support. Without positioning, they struggle to communicate their value in a way that both AI recruitment systems and employers recognise. Movement is where all of that thinking becomes purposeful action. Importantly, movement does not always mean changing employer. For some people, the right decision is to apply for promotion. For others, it is moving into a different department, negotiating flexible working or taking on a project that better reflects their strengths and aspirations. Sometimes the right decision is to stay exactly where they are, but with renewed purpose and a clearer direction. The Career Compass is not designed to persuade someone to change careers. It is designed to help them decide whether change is actually necessary. That distinction matters. Successful career decisions are rarely driven by urgency. They are driven by understanding. Once someone understands what they are looking for and feels confident communicating the value they bring, movement becomes far more strategic. Rather than applying for every role that appears remotely relevant, they begin focusing their time and energy on opportunities that genuinely fit. Movement is also about recognising that career development is rarely a single decision, but a series of thoughtful decisions made over time. Sometimes the next step is a new role. Sometimes it is gaining an additional qualification. Sometimes it is volunteering, shadowing someone in another organisation, taking on a project or building experience that strengthens your position before making the move. The aim is not to secure the next job as quickly as possible. The aim is to secure the right job, for the right reasons, at the right time. By this stage of the Career Compass, people have usually stopped asking, “What’s available?” Instead, they begin asking, “Which opportunities genuinely move me closer to the career and life I want to build?” That question transforms the quality of every decision that follows. Movement is no longer driven by frustration or uncertainty. It is guided by clarity, alignment and confident positioning. For me, that is where the Career Compass comes together. Clarity helps someone understand what they are really trying to change. Alignment helps them recognise what genuinely fits. Positioning enables them to communicate their value with confidence and credibility. Movement turns that understanding into purposeful action. It is the difference between searching for another job, and building a career that continues to fit as your life evolves. More than a framework for career change Each conversation strengthens the next. Miss one, and the whole process becomes harder. Work through all four, and career decisions become calmer, more intentional and far more sustainable. Choosing where we spend such a significant part of our lives deserves more than a rushed application or a reactive decision. It deserves reflection. It deserves intention. It deserves direction. That is what the Career Compass is designed to provide. It is not a shortcut or a guarantee, but a practical way of making career decisions that reflect not only the work you want to do, but also the life you want your work to support. Successful career change is rarely about finding the next job. Whether you’re looking for a new job, exploring a new career, changing sectors or simply questioning whether your current role still fits the life you want to live, the Career Compass is designed to help you make those decisions with greater clarity, confidence and purpose. A map tells you where to go. A compass helps you choose the right direction. The Career Compass is explored in more depth in my book, RenewEd Career: How Career Change Coaching Provides Clarity and Direction. If you are considering a career change and want to work through the Career Compass with a coach, visit RenewEd Ltd to book a confidential consultation. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Claudia Cubbage Claudia Cubbage, Headteacher and Career Change Coach Claudia Cubbage is a UK-based career change coach and headteacher coach specializing in sustainable leadership and purposeful transitions. After a decade as a headteacher and 30 years in education, including 25 years in senior leadership roles, she brings deep, practical insight into the realities of leadership. She supports headteachers and school leaders to lead effectively while balancing the demands of complex roles, alongside professionals from outside education navigating career change. She is the founder of RenewEd Ltd and the creator of the Compass framework, which underpins RenewEd Leadership coaching. Her work focuses on helping people lead and work in ways that are sustainable, values-led, and confidence-building.

Written by Tanner O. Campbell, Philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell is a public philosopher specialising in orthodox Stoicism. He hosts the Practical Stoicism podcast, co-authored "What Is Stoicism? A Brief and Accessible Overview", and runs a private Stoic coaching practice in Dundee, Scotland. Most people who tell you they’re into Stoicism have never studied Stoicism. Instead, they’ve consumed a lot of so-called Stoic content on social media and mistaken that content for an education in the philosophy. The result is that a version of the philosophy which would have baffled Epictetus and bored Seneca has become the mascot of Stoicism–to the detriment of all. Here are the five ideas about Stoicism that do the most damage, and what the actual Stoics said instead. First, what is Stoicism? Stoicism is a ~2,300-year-old philosophy and virtue ethics framework founded by a Phoenician merchant-turned-shipwrecked-homeless-immigrant named Zeno (of Citium). It teaches that the proper use of a human life is to perfect one’s rational faculty so that one may “live according to Nature.” To live according to Nature means to perfect one’s natural purpose. As a parallel, consider the honeybee. The nature of a honeybee is to pollinate and serve the hive, and the better it does this, the better a honeybee it is. The nature of a human being, so say the Stoics, is to reason. It is a thing we cannot help but do. You’re doing it right now as you read these words, and you’ll continue to do it every moment of the rest of your life, well or poorly. To reason well, one needs to interpret reality as honestly as possible so they can first understand their roles and duties to others and themselves. Once they’ve done this, they can begin the lifelong process of training their mind and character toward fulfilling these roles and duties. Or, in the shortest of short form, Stoicism is a naturalistic theory for living a good life, where “good” means virtuous. If you’d like a more robust explanation, you might consider my book. Why is Stoicism so often misunderstood? Like any theory meant to give you a complete picture of human purpose, morality, ethics, and the natural laws which govern the cosmos, and, indeed, how the cosmos itself came to be in the first place, Stoicism is deeply nuanced and requires years of study to understand properly. It’s also the case that the Stoics were more specific in their use and definition of words than we are accustomed to being today. For example, when the Stoics use the word “Good,” they don’t mean it in the way we mean it today, as in, for example, “I’m having a good day,” or “he’s a good guy,” or “that was such a good book.” Combine these reasons with an internet culture of click-baiting and view-chasing for profit, and what you have is a nuanced philosophy being cherry-picked for marketable content, misinterpreted by the uninformed, and popularised through shallow but catchy maxims that look nice on coffee mugs but do very little to teach anything truly useful to anyone. Five common misconceptions about Stoicism 1. Stoicism is a philosophy for men only Since Stoicism is the pursuit of a virtuous character, and the Latin root vir- denotes “of men,” some people say that only men can pursue virtue. Thus, Stoicism is a philosophy and practice reserved for men alone. This is, frankly, stupid. For a couple of reasons. First, Stoicism is an Ancient Greek philosophy and, I probably don’t need to tell you, the Ancient Greeks didn’t write their philosophies (or anything else) in Latin. “Virtue” is the Latin best equivalent for the original Greek “Aretḗ,” which meant “excellence.” In particular, it meant excellence of character. Certainly women have characters the same as men, and certainly the perfection of character cannot be valuable to one gender without being likewise valuable to the other. But in addition to this, Aretḗ is the name of a Greek Goddess (see, woman) who was the Goddess of excellence! If all that isn’t enough, consider the words of Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus, who said: "Women as well as men have received from the gods the gift of reason, which we use in our dealings with one another and by which we judge whether a thing is good or bad, right or wrong. Likewise, the female has the same senses as the male, namely sight, hearing, smell, and the others. Also, both have the same parts of the body, and one has nothing more than the other. Moreover, not men alone, but women too, have a natural inclination toward virtue and the capacity for acquiring it, and it is the nature of women no less than men to be pleased by good and just acts and to reject the opposite of these. If this is true, by what reasoning would it ever be appropriate for men to search out and consider how they may lead good lives, which is exactly the study of philosophy, but inappropriate for women?" Stoicism is a philosophy for human beings, and one’s gender has nothing at all to do with it. 2. Stoicism teaches you to stop caring When translating from Greek to Latin to English, a lot of unfortunate artifacts arise. One such artifact is that when you say the words indifference and indifferents out loud, it sounds as though you’ve said the exact same word twice. Since most people aren't familiar with the plural form of indifferent, they think they are hearing the word “indifference.” This has led to the (incorrect) belief that Stoics are meant to practice indifference. That is to say, they are meant to be indifferent toward things. What things? “Anything they cannot control.” But none of that is correct. In Stoicism, an “indifferent thing” is a thing which neither reflects our character nor impacts our character’s development. For example, being poor does not reflect whether I am a good person or a bad person. Nor does being poor prevent me from developing my character toward excellence, toward virtue. So money is an indifferent thing, not in the sense that it doesn’t matter, but in the sense that it doesn’t say anything about our character or prevent us from improving ourselves morally. From the Stoic perspective, almost all things are “indifferents.” Freedom, slavery, peace, war, wealth, poverty, etc. The Stoic never held that these things don’t matter. Of course, they can matter a great deal! They held only that the presence of these things is not a sign of our individual character. We can become better and act well, or worse and act poorly, whether we are free or enslaved, whether the world is at war or peace, and whether we are rich or poor. Stoics, in fact, have to care about a great many things. Stoics have to care about things like freedom, slavery, poverty, wealth, war, and peace to execute their roles and duties appropriately (and thus pursue Virtue). After all, what would it say about a person’s character if they said, “Oh, slavery doesn’t affect me, and so I don’t care about it!” Would that suggest a virtuous and excellent character to you? Of course it wouldn’t. 3. Stoicism is for lone wolves Stoics were notoriously problematic for corrupt leadership and, as a result, they were exiled a number of times throughout history. Musonius Rufus, quoted earlier, was one such exiled Stoic, banished to the island of Gyaros by the tyrant Nero. It is perhaps for this reason that there has been credence lent to the idea that Stoics are meant to live lives of solitude, in need of nothing and no one, to subsist on their own mental musings and intellectual pursuits alone. But this is wrong. One of the things that distinguishes Stoics from Cynics is that Stoics believe the pursuit of virtue, of an excellent moral character, is best pursued through the appropriate fulfillment of duties and roles within the Cosmopolis. The Stoics were prosocial and believed that participation in society was key to attaining virtue. Stoics are meant to be able to endure exile, solitude, and loneliness, to be sure, but they are not meant to seek it out as if it were the point. 4. Stoicism is a resilience programme Google “Stoic resilience routines,” and you’ll discover a theme. Stoics seem to like to punish themselves to prepare for the worst. There is some truth to this, but only a small amount. There is a (Latin) phrase, “Premeditatio Malorum,” or “the premeditation of evils,” which suggests Stoics spend some amount of time, on a regular basis, thinking about all the things that might go wrong in the world so that they might be less caught off guard when those things wind up actually happening. As I said, there is some truth to this, and it predates Stoicism by a century. Aristippus of Cyrene, a sensual hedonist, seems to be the one responsible for the idea. It was not until the 21st century, however, inspired by English translations of Seneca, that several Anglophone Stoics coined the expression “negative visualization” and gave it the dog-Latin, that’s made-up Latin, expression “premeditatio malorum.” So the term is more marketing than it is anything else, but the idea is somewhat Stoic. We should prepare ourselves for what may come, in whatever ways we’re reasonably able to do so. But not for the purpose of being strong and resilient when and if those terrible things we’ve prepared for finally arrive. Rather, so that those terrible things, which are also indifferent things, which you now understand, do not overpower our rational faculty and cause us to act unjustly, immorally, or with evil intent. Stoics prepare appropriately for the worst so they can keep improving their moral character in its wake. 5. Stoicism means suppressing your emotions It seems that when the word “stoic” is used to describe someone, it’s frequently meant as a pejorative or as shorthand for a lack of appropriate emotion. This use of the word isn’t without its truth. Whether we Stoics, with a capital “S,” like it or not, the compartmentalisation of duty from emotion is associated with “being stoic,” note the lowercase “s.” This sort of stoicism, again, lowercase “s,” does have some utility in the world. Certainly a combat medic cannot go to pieces when attending to the needs of wounded soldiers, no matter the horrors he or she may be witnessing while doing so. But Stoicism, I’ll point out the capital “S” this final time, doesn’t encourage this sort of emotional compartmentalisation. Instead, Stoics must be highly in tune with their emotions, because being unaware of them risks being overpowered by them. A Stoic must notice when they are angry, for example, so that they can hold that emotion in their mind, examine it, and determine whether it’s a safe and appropriate emotion to have. There are two categories of emotion in Stoicism, unhealthy passions (pathē) and healthy feelings (eupatheiai). It is rarely, if ever, appropriate to validate indulgence in pathē, and it is encouraged to express eupatheiai appropriately. Pathē include hate, anger, jealousy, and lust, to name a few. Eupatheiai include love, joy, contentment, and so forth. Pathē always encumber just and appropriate action. Eupatheiai are the opposite. If you feel rage about injustice, for example, and you use that rage to motivate your response, it will ensure your actions are both inappropriate and unjust. Whereas, if you use the emotion of love to motivate your response to injustice, your actions can be both appropriate and just. This doesn’t mean that a response to injustice cannot be violent, or cannot involve force, consider the Stoic Opposition. It only means that our deployment of reason in planning our response is not fueled by negative emotions that cloud both right reason and a proper understanding of our duties and result in a less thoughtful and less ethical response to injustice, which frequently only makes things worse. Where to start with real Stoicism If you’re interested in learning more about actual Stoicism, you can listen to my free podcast or buy my book. Or, if you’re a successful professional who, despite their success, is feeling a bit lost and uncertain about what comes next in life, you might consider engaging my private Stoic coaching practice. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tanner O. Campbell Tanner O. Campbell, Philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell is a public philosopher who teaches Stoicism as the ancient Stoics actually practised it, not in the way that pop culture has bastardised it. He hosts the award-winning Practical Stoicism podcast (over 10M downloads), and co-authored "What Is Stoicism? A Brief and Accessible Overview." Through his company, 134 Labs, he delivers decision-making and team workshops to businesses, mentors private clients one-on-one, and writes the Stoic Brekkie newsletter weekly. He writes the journaling curriculum at StoicJournaling.com, a year-long daily journaling programme. Tanner lives in Scotland with his wife and their son.

Written by Michael J McCusker, Founder & Podcast Host Michael J McCusker is a Global Freedom Fellow, a multiple-time author, and host of the acclaimed “Lived Experience Podcast Series.” He’s a respected advocate for justice reform and a thought leader in Lived Experience Leadership, using storytelling to spark social change. Virality has become a false god in the digital age. A seductive metric, numbers that flash across screens and convince people that attention equals impact. Spiking visibility is mistaken for a shift in influence. Yet beneath the noise, beneath the endless scroll and algorithmic theatre, something quieter and far more powerful is at work. Trust does not trend, nor explode overnight. It does not arrive in waves of anonymous engagement from people who will forget your name as quickly as they discovered it. Trust is slower. Heavier. Earned through consistency, clarity, and lived alignment between what is said and what is done. A viral post might bring a million eyes. Few of those eyes will stay, and even fewer will listen. Almost none will act. A trusted voice, on the other hand, can move a room with fifty people. Influence decisions inside organisations. Open doors that metrics alone will never unlock. Create opportunities that are not available to those chasing reach without resonance. The obsession with going viral has distorted what thought leadership actually means. It has encouraged performance over substance. Speed over depth. Reaction over reflection. The result is a landscape flooded with content but starved of conviction. Authority is not built in moments. It’s built in patterns. A pattern of showing up when it is easier to stay silent or saying something meaningful when others are saying something popular. Patterns refine ideas, sharpen perspectives, and allow lived experience to shape the message rather than forcing the message to fit a trend. This is not as immediately rewarding as virality. It does not deliver the same dopamine hit or provide the illusion of instant validation. What it does provide is something far more enduring. Credibility. The kind of credibility that makes people pay attention when you speak and leads to invitations rather than requests. It positions you as someone worth listening to, not because you are everywhere, but because what you say carries weight. In a world driven by algorithms, it is easy to forget that real influence still operates through human judgement. Decision makers are not looking for the loudest voice. They are looking for the clearest thinking, for individuals who understand nuance, who can navigate complexity, and who can articulate ideas with both conviction and care. Those individuals are rarely the ones chasing virality. They are the ones building trust with the right people. The right people are not defined by numbers. They are defined by alignment. Alignment of values, ambition, and perspective. When your message reaches individuals who recognise themselves in your thinking, something shifts. The interaction moves beyond consumption. It becomes a connection. Connection is where influence begins A trusted voice does not need to convince everyone. It needs to resonate deeply with a specific audience. An audience that sees not just the content, but the intent behind it. That recognises the consistency and begins to associate your name with a certain standard. That standard becomes your currency. When you write, speak, or share from a place of lived understanding, something changes in the way your message lands. There is a depth that cannot be manufactured. A tone that cannot be replicated by those who are simply repackaging ideas. Authority that comes not from volume, but from experience. People can feel the difference, and this is why trust compounds Every piece of content becomes part of a larger narrative. Reinforcing a reputation that is being constructed in the minds of your audience. Over time, this creates a body of work that speaks for itself. No single post needs to carry the weight of your entire platform. A single moment need not define your trajectory. Instead, your influence is built through accumulation. Through sustained presence and a refusal to dilute your message in pursuit of attention. The pressure to go viral often leads to compromise. It encourages individuals to say what will be shared rather than what needs to be said. Rewards exaggeration and pushes people towards the edges of their integrity in exchange for visibility. This is a dangerous trade. Visibility without trust is fragile. It can disappear as quickly as it arrived and does not translate into long-term opportunities, create meaningful impact, or build a legacy. Trust, however, creates leverage. Leverage in conversations and rooms where decisions are made, shaping narratives that extend beyond your immediate audience. When people trust you, they do not just engage with your content. They advocate for your ideas, reference your work, and bring your name into spaces you have not yet entered. This is how influence expands. Not through a single viral moment, but through a network of trusted relationships that amplify your voice in ways that algorithms cannot replicate. For those building a platform rooted in lived experience, this distinction becomes even more important. Lived experience carries a responsibility. To develop it into a trusted body of work is to honour its depth. This requires discipline, patience, and a willingness to prioritise long-term impact over short-term attention. It requires an understanding that not every message will resonate with everyone, and that this is not a failure, but a sign of clarity. Clarity attracts the right people The right people are not looking for perfection. They are looking for authenticity, consistency, for voices that feel grounded, considered, and real in a space that often feels performative. When they find that, they stay. They read more, listen more closely, and engage more thoughtfully. Over time, they begin to trust not just what you say, but how you think. That trust becomes the foundation of your influence. From that foundation, opportunities emerge. Speaking engagements that are not based on follower counts, but on perceived value. Partnerships that are built on a shared vision rather than transactional reach. Audiences that are invested, not just interested. This is the difference between being seen and being respected Being seen can happen in an instant. Respect is built over time. One can be achieved through tactics. The other requires substance. The current landscape rewards those who understand this distinction. Those who are willing to step back from the noise and focus on depth. Understanding that influence is not about how many people hear you, but how many people trust you enough to act on what you say. Going viral might change your numbers. Being trusted by the right people will change your trajectory. Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read more from Michael J McCusker Michael J McCusker, Founder & Podcast Host Michael J McCusker is a dynamic storyteller and podcast host who uses the power of voice to spark meaningful change. As a seasoned leader with lived experience, they’ve dedicated their life to guiding others toward purpose, self-leadership, and impact. Through powerful interviews and transformative conversations, their podcast The Lived Experience Series amplifies voices that are often unheard but deeply needed. A published author, Michael J McCusker, writes with clarity and conviction in Hidden Potential: Unlocking The Door Within, turning personal insight into universal lessons. Their work empowers individuals to own their story, speak with influence, and lead with authenticity. Whether on stage, behind the mic, or on the page, The Resilient Irishman: How to Tackle Life's Adversities. Michael J McCusker is committed to shifting narratives and building a legacy that inspires others to rise.

Written by Phyllis R. Caddell, Communications Strategist Phyllis Caddell is an author, ghostwriter, publicist, and communications strategist. She has been guiding clients in developing, crafting, and improving their brand narratives for over 27 years. We tend to celebrate founders. They take the risk, build something from nothing, and leave behind organizations that outlast them. What we talk about far less is what happens next: the harder, quieter work of carrying that vision forward. What does it actually take to inherit someone else's life's work and make it your own? That question matters more every year as founders across industries plan their exits, family businesses pass to the next generation, and organizations everywhere ask what leadership looks like once the person who started it all has stepped back. Building something is one kind of challenge. Inheriting it and earning the right to lead it is another entirely. Joy Rohadfox has lived both. Her father, Dr. Ronald Rohadfox, founded Rohadfox Corporation in 1976. Today, it's a respected global construction and program management firm with a footprint across major transportation, aviation, and public infrastructure projects. Under Joy's leadership, that footprint has grown to include work tied to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), and the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) expansion ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics. When Joy stepped into leadership, the company was only part of what she inherited. She also took on a name, a reputation, a workforce, a client base, and a set of relationships that had been built long before she arrived. Her path holds real lessons for anyone thinking about what legacy demands. Stewardship comes before leadership Leadership conversations tend to center on authority: who's in charge and who decides. Legacy asks something different of you. It asks for stewardship. That's the word Joy returns to when she talks about her own approach: protecting what her father built while making sure the organization is ready for a future she won't be around to see. That mindset changes how decisions get made. It's no longer just, "What's right for the business today?" It becomes, "Will this leave the organization in better shape for whoever leads it next?" For someone stepping into a second-generation role, that's not simple. There's real pressure to honor what came before. But honoring the past isn't the same as being bound by it. Markets shift. Clients change. Technology moves on. Whoever comes next has to be free to move with it. The best successors don't see it as a choice between preservation and reinvention. Their real job is figuring out which parts of the foundation are nonnegotiable and which parts were never meant to be permanent. Related article: Moving a Family Business Beyond the Founder's Vision, Harvard Business Review Taking over doesn't mean being believed Joy became Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rohadfox Corporation at 27. She was stepping into a company her father built in an industry, construction and infrastructure, where women, and especially Black women, almost never held the top seat. So the job wasn't just running a business. It was leading while constantly working against assumptions that came with the last name on the building. She's talked about sitting in meetings as CEO and watching people direct questions to someone else at the table, anyone but her. There are a lot of ways to respond to that. Joy responded by getting sharper. Instead of letting other people's doubts shape how she saw herself, she kept building her knowledge, experience, and judgment. It's a lesson that applies well beyond one boardroom: You can't control what people assume about you when you walk in, but you can make sure your work leaves no room for the assumption to hold. Nobody inherits trust Maybe the clearest lesson in Joy's story is this: Succession hands you a title. It doesn't hand you credibility. A last name can connect you to a legacy. A title can give you authority on paper. Neither one makes people trust your judgment. While running the company, Joy earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Georgia State University because she wanted to be genuinely better equipped for the job she'd already been given, not to prove a point. She didn't lean on the company's history to vouch for her. She built her own case. There's a real gap between being handed an opportunity and actually earning the confidence of the people counting on you to lead. That confidence gets built slowly through consistency, sound decisions, integrity, and results that hold up over time. Employees notice how you handle failure. Clients notice whether your word is good. Partners notice whether you follow through when it's inconvenient. The real test tends to show up when things go sideways. Joy's take on leading through hard stretches is instructive: People don't need a leader who has every answer. They need one who's honest about the problem, steady under pressure, and visibly working toward a solution. Anyone can look like a good leader when the numbers are up. Leadership becomes much clearer when they aren't. That holds whether you're running a family company, a startup, a department, or just trying to level up in your own career. A title can start your leadership. It can't finish it. Sometimes growth means leaving home In 2001, Joy made the call to move Rohadfox's headquarters from Durham, North Carolina, to Atlanta, a decision she's said came down to Atlanta's talent pool and its room to grow. It is easy to admire that decision now, but much harder to be the person who has to make it. Legacy has a way of tying you to what's familiar. When something's worked for decades, changing it can feel like a betrayal of the people who built it that way. But real stewardship means recognizing when growth requires letting go of the familiar. Relocating wasn't just a logistics decision. It was a statement that her father's foundation deserved to be planted somewhere with more room to expand. It paid off. The move opened the door to Hartsfield-Jackson work and gave Rohadfox real standing in Atlanta's infrastructure world. There's a broader takeaway here. Respecting where something started doesn't mean staying put. Sometimes honoring a foundation means giving it space to outgrow its original footprint. Related article: How to Build Upon the Legacy of Your Family Business and Make It Your Own, Harvard Business Review Trust is the real scoreboard You can measure Rohadfox by its project list. Or you can measure it by its relationships, and that tells a different story. Construction runs on deadlines, budgets, and deliverables. But companies that last decades aren't surviving on technical skill alone. They last because people trust them. Joy's view on this adds something important. The business world loves to highlight the visible wins, including the signed contract, the completed build, and the expansion. But some of the most valuable things a company owns never show up on a financial statement. Trust is one of them. Clients come back because they trust the delivery. Employees stay because they believe in the culture. Partners go deeper because consistency has earned their confidence. You can't fake that with a slogan or a polished mission statement. It's built one kept promise at a time. This is where leadership stops being abstract. Plenty of organizations spend years building a portfolio. The strongest leaders understand they're simultaneously building people, relationships, and a reputation that will outlast any single project. A portfolio shows what a company can build. Relationships show who's actually leading it. Real leaders build room for whoever comes next One of the most underrated jobs of a leader is preparing people to eventually take their place. Experience matters, but it turns into a liability the moment it convinces you there's nothing left to learn. There always is. Technology keeps reshaping how organizations run. Younger employees show up with different expectations. Entire industries that operated the same way for generations are being pushed to rethink how they recruit, communicate, and serve clients. If you want your organization to outlast you, you have to make room for that shift. Joy has spoken about adjusting to a changing workforce without losing sight of the standards that shouldn't move. Listening to younger employees doesn't mean throwing out what worked. It means staying open enough to hear a different perspective and honest enough to admit when it's right. Preparing the next generation isn't just about handing down what you know. Sometimes it means being willing to learn from them, too. No legacy survives on one person staying in charge forever. It survives by producing other leaders, people ready to make hard calls, question old assumptions, and eventually take the organization somewhere its current leadership never could have pictured. Related article: How Family Business Leaders Make Room for New Generations, The Right Time and the Right Way, Forbes What legacy actually measures We throw the word "legacy" around a lot in business. Maybe we've overcomplicated it. Legacy isn't the eulogy people give when your career ends. It's what's still standing because you were there. It's worth asking yourself: Who got an opportunity because you opened a door for them? Who became a better leader because you took the time to invest in them? What community is better off because your company chose to show up, not just profit? What's stronger today because you made a hard call when it would've been easier not to? Those questions say more about a legacy than any award or headline ever will. Joy has said that watching employees grow into leaders, mentoring, developing talent, and helping people see their own potential rank among the most meaningful parts of her career. That reframes the whole idea of legacy. It stops being about what carries your name and starts being about what keeps going because you put something into someone else. You can't expect loyalty from people you haven't invested in. Leaders serious about building something lasting have to treat people development as part of the business, not separate from it. When Atlanta declared May 15, 2026, Joy Rohadfox Day, it was a meaningful honor. But it meant something because of everything that led up to it: years of leadership, growth, and community work that reached well past her company's walls. Recognition is the outcome. Impact is the legacy. The inheritance every leader faces Joy Rohadfox's story starts with a company her father built. But the lessons in it go well beyond succession planning. Everyone inherits something eventually: a company, a team, a client relationship, a community role, or just an opportunity someone else made possible. The real question is what you do with it. Do you protect it so tightly it can't evolve? Do you tear it down to make it yours? Or do you find the harder path, honoring what came before while taking full responsibility for making it better? The best leaders hold all three at once: respect for the past, accountability for the present, and enough vision to build toward a future they may never personally witness. That's what it means to lead beyond the founder. The responsibility of legacy was never just about protecting what someone else built. It's about making sure there's something worth handing off. Follow Phyllis on her Instagram or visit her website for more info! Read more from Phyllis R. Caddell Phyllis R. Caddell, Communications Strategist Phyllis Caddell is an author, ghostwriter, publicist, and communications strategist. She has been guiding clients in developing, crafting, and improving their brand narratives for over 27 years. A subject matter expert (SME) and adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University, she holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Organizational Communications, a Master of Science (M.S.) in Internet Marketing, and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Public Relations.

Written by Susan F. Moody, Intuitive Business, Life, and Success Coach As a Life Mastery Certified Coach®, Susan integrates spirituality with practicality, guiding women to discover their unique Soul Goal™ and chart a personal path to success and happiness. Unlock your inner wisdom, align your heart with your mind, and uncover actionable steps that resonate with your authentic self. Is today a good day or a bad day? Maybe it's neither. Maybe it's just, a day. The kind of day where nothing spectacular happens. Nothing terrible happens either. You move through your routine, check things off your list, and before you know it, the day is almost over. Yet somehow, you don't feel particularly energized, fulfilled, or excited. I've noticed that whenever I start feeling dissatisfied with my life, it's often because I've shifted my focus to what's missing, what's not working, or what I wish were different. That's usually my cue to 'stop'. To take a breath. To focus on what I appreciate. It's amazing how quickly our perspective can change when we stop dwelling on what's wrong and start noticing what's right. Appreciation doesn't change our circumstances overnight. But it does change the lens through which we view them. Sometimes, that makes all the difference. When appreciation makes a difference The beauty of appreciation is that it works whether you're having a wonderful day, a difficult day, or an ordinary one. When you're feeling discouraged: It's easy to focus on setbacks, disappointments, and things that haven't gone according to plan. Appreciation reminds you that not everything is going wrong. When you're comparing yourself to others: Social media and everyday life can make it seem like everyone else has it figured out. Appreciation helps you recognize the blessings, strengths, and opportunities already present in your own life. When life feels routine: Even ordinary days contain moments worth noticing: a good conversation, a warm cup of coffee, a beautiful sunset, or simply the comfort of coming home. These small moments may not seem significant at first, but they have the power to shift your mood and your mindset. Simple ways to practice appreciation 1. Pause and notice what's going right Our minds naturally focus on problems. Appreciation requires us to intentionally look for what's working. Action step: Take a moment today and identify three things that are going well in your life right now. 2. Celebrate the small things Not every blessing arrives with fanfare. Sometimes the greatest gifts are the ones we overlook because they seem ordinary. Action step: Notice one simple pleasure today, a smile, a meal, a comfortable bed, or a supportive friend, and allow yourself to truly appreciate it. 3. Keep an appreciation list Writing things down helps reinforce positive thoughts and creates a record you can revisit on harder days. Action step: Start a daily appreciation journal. List three things you're grateful for each evening before bed. 4. Shift your inner dialogue The way you speak to yourself influences how you feel about your life. Action step: When you catch yourself focusing on what's lacking, gently ask: What do I have right now that I appreciate? 5. Share your appreciation Expressing gratitude not only benefits you but also uplifts others. Action step: Reach out to someone today and tell them why you appreciate them. Your words may mean more than you realize. The wise woman says Some days are wonderful. Some days are challenging. Many days fall somewhere in between. No matter what kind of day you're having, appreciation has the power to shift your perspective. When you stop focusing on what's missing and start noticing what's already present, you begin to see your life differently. You feel lighter. More hopeful. More content. So the next time you find yourself questioning whether today is a good day or a bad day, pause for a moment and focus on what you appreciate. You may discover that the life you're looking for is already closer than you think. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Susan F. Moody Susan F. Moody, Intuitive Business, Life, and Success Coach Susan F. Moody, Wise Woman, is dedicated to empowering women to tap into their own inner wisdom and discover the power of intentional living. Along her personal journey, Susan became a wisdom seeker looking for ways to connect with the divine for inspiration and guidance. She started working with the I Ching, angel cards, wisdom cards, runes, and pendulum work over 20 years ago and now offers these spiritual insight tools as an option to her clients. She has also developed a tangible technique, the Soul Goal™ finder, to help clients answer the contemplative question “Why am I here?”