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I’ve just come back from holiday. (Sorry? Oh thanks for asking – Portugal.)

And for the first time ever… I didn’t take my laptop.

Not “didn’t open it much” – I mean, didn’t even pack it.

And wow.

I can’t tell you what a difference it’s made to my clarity, my energy, and my enthusiasm to get stuck back in.

My brain isn’t fried. My motivation isn’t flat.

And I’m more excited than ever about the training I’ve got coming up.

I was on a retreat with an old school friend – days filled with early morning lake swims, sauna sweats, ice bath screams, gym sessions, and full-on belly laugh snorts during mountain walks.

I even played volleyball for the first time since school – and blooming LOVED it. Turns out I’m quite competitive… 😉 #Cheetahallday

Honestly, by day three I couldn’t tell whether my abs were sore from workouts or from laughing.

And that’s when it hit me…

This is what real rest feels like.

Which brings me to this question:

Are you WFH?

(That’s Working From Holiday, in case you thought I meant your kitchen table.)

☀️ Your suitcase packed with sandals, swimsuits… and your laptop
📩 Your out-of-office lying through its teeth

The Wi-Fi password is the first thing you ask for at check-in.

You sneak into emails before breakfast.

And suddenly, that holiday you were so desperate for… feels suspiciously like work, just with more suncream.
#WFHolidays #LeadershipFatigue

But here’s the real question…

Why don’t you trust your team to step up when you’re away?

Is it because they’ve actually dropped the ball before?
Or because you’ve never really let them carry it?

If you’re hovering on holiday, you’re not delegating.
And if you’re not delegating, you’re not leading – you’re hoarding.
#DelegationMatters #LetGoToLead

Let’s bring in the #AnimalInfluencers, shall we?

🐶 Is it your Dog that feels guilty for resting, because you “don’t want to let anyone down”?
Reminder: burned out leaders aren’t helpful leaders. Oxygen mask. You first.
#BurnoutWarning #LeadWithBoundaries

🦁 Is it your Lion who just can’t bear giving up control?

Let someone else drive for once. Even you can’t be in the driver’s seat from a sunlounger.
#ControlIssues #LionLeadership

🐝 Is it your Honeybee, twitching at the thought of someone doing it differently (aka wrong)?
Their way might not be your way – and it might actually work.
#ProcessPerfectionist #HoneybeeHiccups

And while you’re busy micromanaging from your beach towel…

They’re tiptoeing around decisions, hoping not to mess up your version of right.

Because if the boss won’t step back, they assume they’re not ready.
#TrustYourTeam #PsychologicalSafety

So before you pack your charger alongside your passport… ask yourself this:

Did you really fork out thousands, fly four hours, and promise your partner/kids/friends real time together…
just to sit with your inbox in one hand and a mojito in the other?

Didn’t think so.

Rock on.

I was 7 months pregnant when I got made redundant from my lovely, secure, very ‘grown-up’ job at American Express.

(And yep, the hormones were raging, belly like a beach ball, crying at dog food ads… it was A LOT.)

This was back in 2002.

We’re talking low-rise jeans, flip phones, and Destiny’s Child on the radio.

It felt like the rug had been yanked out from under me by someone wearing steel-capped boots.

I hadn’t planned it.

I hadn’t asked for it.

And I definitely didn’t feel ready to leave the ‘safety’ of full time employment.

But here’s the thing about curveballs:

They often knock us straight out of our comfort zone… and into a whole new chapter we never saw coming.

If I hadn’t been made redundant, I know I wouldn’t have had the guts to leave.
Not then.
Probably not ever.

I would’ve stayed put, doing great work for someone else’s vision, never realising what I was capable of building on my own.

And The Training Rock?
Wouldn’t exist.
(Which means you wouldn’t be reading this glorious slice of truth right now. #SlidingDoorsMoment )

Right now, lots of companies are ‘resizing.’

Which is the corporate equivalent of:
“We’re gonna need your swipe card back.” 

It’s painful.
It’s unsettling.
It’s bloody hard not to take it personally.
#RedundancyFeelsReal 💔

And when it happens to you – or someone you care about – it feels massive.

Like your whole identity’s been shaken, stirred, and poured out on the pavement.

But let’s get one thing straight:

This moment might feel like everything right now…
But in the grand scheme of your life?
It’s just one chapter. Not the whole book.

And real talk for a second – was that job ever really that comfortable?

Or had it become your favourite uncomfortable jumper?
A bit itchy. Bit tight. But you stopped noticing because it was familiar.

Were you working for someone who didn’t really get you…
But you got used to it?
Stopped questioning it?
Started telling yourself it was “fine”?

Sometimes we don’t jump – not because we’re happy,
but because we’re used to it.

And redundancy? Well… it can be the nudge we didn’t know we needed.

I’ve had 23 years since that day in 2002.

Was it painful? Absolutely.

I was about to have my second child – I had a mortgage, a career I loved, and a whole lot to worry about besides growing another human. 🤰🏽

It felt like everything was unravelling.

And looking back? That redundancy was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

It cracked open a path I never would’ve taken on my own.

And I’m not the only one.

Most of the people I know who’ve been through redundancy?

They end up somewhere brighter, bolder, and more them.
#PlotTwistToPowerMove 💥

And while we’re at it, let me remind you:

✨ You still have all your strengths.
✨ You still have all your experience.
✨ You still have all your fabulous, sassy, skilled-as-hell self.

Nothing can take that away from you.

Your confidence might’ve taken a wobble—but your value? Rock solid.
#YouStillGotIt 🔥

Your next move?

❌ Don’t let fear drive your decisions.
❌ Don’t shrink to fit.
❌ Don’t let your inner Meerkat or Hedgehog take the wheel.

✅ This is your time to lean back into your strengths.
✅ To trust your instincts.
✅ To back your brilliance.

The world hasn’t ended.
It’s just giving you a new plot twist.

So throw on your big girl pants, take a deep breath,
and remember who you are.

✨ You’ve done hard things before. You can do this too. ✨

Rock on.

Loads of leaders ask me for leadership development book recommendations. But here’s the thing…

There’s zero correlation between how many leadership books you’ve read and how effective a leader you actually are. Nada. Zilch.

It’s like stocking your fridge with kale, kimchi, and turmeric shots for peak health—but never actually consuming them.

You don’t get fitter by joining a gym. You have to show up and put in the reps.

Same goes for leadership. You have to DO the stuff.

Theories, frameworks, and inspirational quotes are great… in theory. But when you’re in the thick of it—leading a tough conversation, building a strong culture, or trying to inspire a disengaged team—knowing what to do isn’t enough. You have to be able to do it.

That’s exactly why The Training Rock Method™ works. We don’t just talk about leadership—we embed the habits while we train you. So you leave already leading differently.

We bridge the gap between knowledge and action.

We don’t do passive learning. We don’t do fluffy theory that sounds good in a keynote but falls flat in real life. We train leaders to actually lead—practically, actively, and in real time.

Because let’s be real… some of the least effective leaders I’ve worked with? Oh, they’ve read all the books. They can quote them, reference them, and debate them endlessly.

But leadership isn’t a pub quiz. It’s about impact. And impact comes from action, not just knowledge.

Just look at what this leader (who finished our 8 week programme last week) said:

#justcallmeJiminy

If you’re ready to stop reading about leadership and start being a better leader, book a chat about coming to train with us.

Because your bookshelf won’t make you a better leader. But this training will.

Rock on.

P.S. If leadership books alone worked, your team would already be thriving, your meetings would be seamless, and you’d never have to have a difficult conversation again. Sound like reality? No? Then let’s do something that actually works. 🚀

So, here we are again.

It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow.

I’m sure you’re aware of that (after all, the shops have been filled to the brim with pink and red sentiments of love for weeks now!)

#TheresAlwaysAHolidayInRetail

So before the clock strikes midnight and the world collectively lines the pockets of big corporations with their Hallmark Cards and Champagne truffles, I want to ask you…

Do we have to wait for Valentine’s day to show our nearest and dearest how much we love them?

Personally, no.

Whether you’re a soppy lovebug or stoic romantic, we should be the best we can be for our partners all year round.

Don’t give them the best of you for only one day because a public holiday says so.
Don’t wait for the worst to happen to show someone how much you care.
Don’t only buy flowers because you’re in the dog house!

Love isn’t just about one big day of romance—it’s about consistency, commitment, and care.

And the same applies to leadership.

Great leaders earn that title because they lead well every single day.

IT’S A FULL-TIME JOB, DON’T YA KNOW 😉

They don’t *only* listen to their team when there’s a 360 survey coming up…

Or when they know they’re being watched…

Or when they’re vying for that promotion…

They don’t wait until someone has filed a complaint or threatens to leave before they listen, guide, and support their team members.

No.

If you want to be an exceptional leader, you need to be one no matter what mood you’re in and no matter what your calendar says.

Because, just remember, by midnight tomorrow the shops will eliminate every trace of Valentine’s Day and replace them with a giant Jenga display of eggs and bunnies.

#BringOnEaster

Love will be forgotten.

It’s up to us to keep it alive for the other 364 days of the year.

If you do celebrate tomorrow with your special someone, I hope you enjoy it.

Just remember—real love, like real leadership, is a year round commitment… make sure you carry it on.

Rock on.

I suppose it would be rude of me not to say… HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I promise not to bore you with the same ol’ ‘New Year, New Me’ stuff. Would I do that to you?! No.

Instead, I want to share just one of many plans for 2025… to continue living by my values.

One of those is adventure!

And 2024 was one of the most adventurous years for me, by far – both in and out of work.

>> Flying upper class to Miami to deliver training to a beer company?
#IllNeverSayNoToThat

>> Visiting Zim to meet little Agness – the sweet girl I sponsor and am TOTALLY in love with – in the flesh?!
#YesPlease

>> Delivering a Trust Repair Workshop to a team in Macedonia
#SomebodyStopMe

(If you’re a regular reader, you might remember that I’ve now delivered training to almost every continent. Asia, I’m coming for ya!)

So last year, I can confidently say that I lived by the value of adventure.

Wanna know something even more spectacular than that?

That hunger has passed on to my children.

At the time of writing this email to you:

My son is currently in Thailand.
My daughter has just returned from New York (literally one hour ago!)
My other daughter has left corporate, bought a van, and is travelling the world!

I’M NOT CRYING, YOU ARE.
#ProudMumAlert

Yep, they’ve spread their wings and brought that sense of adventure to their own lives.

And I’ve been there every step of the way:

Letting go.
Supporting their choices.
Helping them play to their strengths.
Trusting that they know what they’re doing.
Ready to catch them if anything goes wrong.

And… continuing to lead the way.

We’re an adventure-seeking family, it seems.

You’ve heard me say it before, and the new year is the perfect time to say it again…

Behaviour is contagious.

We always talk about it in the context of ‘toxic’ or ‘negative’ behaviour.

For example, if you chuck a newbie into a dysfunctional team, they’ll inevitably contribute to that dysfunction or say, “Forget it, I’m out of here!”

Add people to chaos and you get more chaos.

#SHOCKHORROR

Let’s not forget about the flip side, though…

There is such a thing as being positively contagious.

As leaders, others follow in your footsteps.

Your behaviour determines their behaviour.

If you want your team to stop competing and start collaborating, it starts with you.
If you want your team to stop barking and start listening, it starts with you.
If you want your team to celebrate ideas and innovation, it starts with you.
If you want your team to see, hear, and value each other, it starts with you.

…and on and on and on until I’m blue in the face!

It. Starts. With. You.

Just as I have influenced my children as a parent, you will influence your team as a leader.

The question is, are you being the positive influence they need?

You tell me 😉

Something to think about…

How do you want your team to behave?

Now look at your behaviour.

Are you being the role model that sets the standards?
Are you leading the way?

If not, and you don’t know where to start, call us in .

We’re particularly good at changing behaviour that positively spreads from person to person within an organisation.

Don’t wait! The Training Rock is already in high demand for 2025 (Woooop!). We’re fully booked until June so the time to talk was, well, 2024… but now will do. Book a call with me here.

To even more adventure this year!

Let’s rock 2025.