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I've oftened wondered, and have often been asked, what is it that makes some business partnerships fail and others work. Work even to the point that you forget you're in business with each other and simply feel as though you're co-captaining an important vessel on a wavy sea! I certainly don't have all the answers but have some observations from my 20 plus years in business, that may be helpful if you're hoping to have a meaningful and lasting business arrangement with someone. Here's my top 5 which I'm sure you can add to... 🌊 1. Have robust discussions about your purpose and revisit this frequently - check that you're still heading in the same direction. 🌊 2. Don't be afraid to disagree - healthy conflict is essential if you are going to navigate choppy waters together with open eyes. 🌊 3. Play to each other's strengths - celebrate them , don't compete with them - a strong partnership generously offers to enhance and utilise the skills, experiences, wisdom and passions of each other. 🌊 4. Have as much fun as possible, wherever you are, and whenever you can! Shared experiences buoy you up in tougher times and allow you to carry a heavier load when others need a moment of rest. 🌊 5. Lead by example - don't ask others to do what you're not prepared to do yourself - being in business is tough, it gets messy and it's stressful, but knowing you have someone sharing the load is powerful. Happy business surfing everyone and if you want any more coaching guidance to help you navigate through your own challenges, we're here to help, either through our impactful training or our coaching interventions. [email protected] Remember you can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf! Wishing you all business success, and a lot of fun having it! Photo: Lucy Mullins & Sonya Shellard working hard and playing hard in Vancouver 
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 I keep sighing. I can hear myself. There's a shuffle, not a spring, in my step right now. I feel adrift... I'm sure we've all experienced this at some time in our personal and professional lives. It's human. It's to be expected. And it's sometimes a chance for important reflection and the fresh thinking that follows.
Here at #RideTheWave we value practical, effective coaching interventions that bring real change to people's lives and to the lives of the people they influence. It matters that people get a chance to be heard, a chance to consider their behaviours and importantly how these impact their immediate and wider communities. We have a great tool for you to use today. It is simple, practical and powerful. Let's have a go: Take a few minutes to think about your life and all's its components. Don't rush and let your thoughts drift in, or even land with unwanted strength. It's all ok as we will shift through them in a minute. Think about the behaviours, mindset, habits, activities that have got you to where you are right now. Now let's do some reflection. Using the #RideTheWave SURF grid above, think about the elements you want to: SAVE - they work for you, you enjoy or need them in your life UNLOAD - the old stuff, the elements that drag you down and drain you of buoyancy REFRESH - the things that you have done before which you'd like to breathe new life into FIND - what do you want or need to add in to your life? Reflect on the above and start with 3 things you can do to get yourself back on top of the wave! Want more of this guidance in your personal and professional lives? We're here and you can get involved. Flick through our brochure and pick your next destination... WAVES Brochure Download Form Or email us on [email protected] to set up your own discovery call. by Sonya Shellard, #RideTheWave Co-Founder, Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant  I stopped to admire this young seagull in Fowey, Cornwall, who chose such a lovely colourful nest. It had swapped a nest of grass, twigs and earth for something more beautiful, more comfortable and with an incredible view of the harbour.
I wanted to tell it that it too would be fully beautiful soon with pearly white feathers and a bright yellow beak. I also thought about how wonderful it would be if each seagull was actually instead a blank canvas and could choose the feathers it wore. But it would tell me no doubt that to stand out from the flock would be dangerous, make it a target for capture or attack. So best settle for a colourful nest instead and stick to being the same as all the others when it grew up. As a coach I look beyond the "sameness" of my human clients, the feathers they feel they have to wear to fit in, be perfect, to stay safe, and encourage them to find their own feathers, their identify, their voice, their unique combination of skill set. It takes courage to stand out and not remain invisible but for many people this leaves them feeling lacklustre, frustrated and unfulfilled. Through my listening and questioning I encourage them to try flying instead. On WAVES, our professional coach training programme, we enable coaches to paint their own corner of the coaching industry, #CelebratingDiversity, and making a real difference to others and the environments they work within. So, I have a creative coaching activity for you to try today: Draw the outline of a seagull on a piece of paper and choose the feathers that best reflect you and the world you want to live and work in. Which of these feathers are you already wearing; which would you like to find; and which would you like to offer to others so they can also wear them, helping them fly to greater heights and further destinations. Pick your beak! What shape, what colours can you envisage for yourself? What will be your song? So I've taken a flight of fancy in this blog and hope you will too. If you want to fly into our Beach Hut anytime soon, you'll find a warm welcome. Take a look at what's coming up soon... Until then fly high on your new feathers!
By Lucy Mullins, #RideTheWave Co-Founder
This is a podcast hosted by Professor Loretta Breuning, founder of Inner Mammal Institute, which aims to help you blaze new trails to your dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphin levels. I got in touch with Loretta Breuning after reading her book “Habits of a Happy Brain” as it was one of the inspirations behind our #RideTheWave DOSE model. When she saw our DOSE of Happy Chemicals infographic she invited me to join her on the podcast and tell her more about how we coach coaches to coach at #RideTheWave. I loved this conversation with Loretta. Listen in and subscribe so you can fast track blaze new trails to a natural high with your happy chemicals, and hear more about where the idea for #RideTheWave came from.  Women’s roles in the workplace have come a long way. There are now more women choosing typical ‘men’s’ careers than ever before with record numbers of female plumbers, builders and women choosing the military. However, there is still a very small percentage of women choosing careers in the IT and Technology sector. Research suggests that it may be a lack of confidence and a lack powerful female role models preventing from women applying for IT positions that have been previously occupied by men. Lucy Bramley is an IT specialist at Microsoft in the UK and has worked there for more than 20 years. Here’s what she thinks will make the difference in the tech workplace.
 By Jon Hobbs, #RideTheWave Coach
Approaching the final module on my RideTheWave training programme, I felt excited and wistful. Excited to complete the programme that had inspired me to reflect on my life, my choices and my career to date. Excited to see the other coaches that I’d grown to appreciate more and more through the duration of the course. Excited to see where I take this new qualification and continue on my development pathway to becoming an accredited coach. Wistful about the end of a 4-month process that had become an important part of my development as a person.  By Jane Bruce, #RideTheWave Coach I’ve never been one to rush. In fact I’d go so far as to say that I actively hate rushing. I have a solid reputation in my household as the last to get up and the slowest to get ready - more a case of ‘get up slow’ than ‘get up and go’. And yet my professional reputation as a leader, is that of someone who gets stuff done quickly.
I never feel like I’m moving at pace so this contradiction has always puzzled me a bit. By Jon Hobbs, #RideTheWave Coach
One of the unexpected benefits of a coach training programme for someone relatively new to the field, such as myself, is the enjoyment of actually receiving meaningful coaching for the first time in my life. As I completed the second of four modules with my wonderful cohort of 15 other coaches, I’ve had the pleasure of receiving free coaching from some incredible individuals. Andy Griffiths is a highly experienced lawyer and Partner at Weightmans. He is an Accredited Executive Coach with the Association for Coaching and a highly valued member of the #RideTheWave Community.
We asked him what he believes the benefits are for legal professionals gaining coaching skills. He suggested there were 4 important key areas which were impacted though effective coaching... By Jon Hobbs, #RideTheWave Coach  On Friday 8th and Saturday 9th January, I had the pleasure of engaging with 18 wonderful people on a coach training programme with #RideTheWave.
I came into the course with no formal experience of coaching and only a vague understanding of the entire concept. |