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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.

3 weeks ago I wrapped up 2 cohorts for the 8-week leadership training.

One gentleman was, how shall we say… resistant.

According to him:

He was ‘not capable of change’.
He ‘didn’t need training anyway’.
He thought, “I am who I am”.

Great.

I love a challenge 😏

**Cracks knuckles**

And you know what – I GOT HIM.

Before the 8 weeks began, his Lion was getting him into trouble.

Even though the Ant is his top animal influencer, it was his Lion vulnerabilities that caused communication problems.

He was a wild Lion.

Loudly asserting with total ‘it’s my way or the highway’ directness.

So you better believe me when I say the entire group had to scoop their jaws off the floor after our last role-play session.

Because something happened that has NEVER happened before…

Not only did he volunteer for the role-play, I also had no suggestions for improvement.

NONE.

Yet the instant I asked the group for feedback on what he’d done well – BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

The main feedback was that he was still Lion because he needed to be.

Yet this time he was a Lion working from his strengths.

This time he was a Lion basking in the sun.

Cool, calm, and collected.

Katie – our role play actress – said, “I had nowhere to go. I couldn’t continue being difficult because you were so authoritative but the energy was so calm”.

He wasn’t overly direct, loud, or confrontational…

He just asked the BEST questions and directed her down the path he wanted her to go.

It. Was. Extraordinary.

I’ll often ask how leaders feel after the training and words that usually come up are: transformed, capable, optimistic, inspired, motivated, etc.

This leader, who has become a perfect example of the kind of 180 you can expect from this training simply said… changed.

“I am a changed person because of this”.

Yes, good sir, you are.

>> Proof that this work works for anyone.

>> Proof that the impossible can be possible.

Change is hard. We get that.

Some might resist.

But no one ever regrets doing this work on themselves.

On that note, we are now fully booked until May 2025. If you want us on board in 2025, the time to talk about the Lead Your Culture 8-week training is now.

Rock on.