Introducing the idea
Ever since I had the idea to set up a coaching and advising business, I've known that I wanted it to be for and by females / those who identify as females, at all ages and at all stages of life. The idea I have, and am working on setting up, is a service of support for women to get one-on-one support with trained female coaches and mentors, small group coaching sessions with of other women, and events that celebrate women. The programmes that I'll run will be holistically tailored for women to be empowered, to come together and create communities of support, and for them all to have time and space to be celebrated and acknowledged, growing in confidence, resilience and strength.
So why is it only for women?
Because we're great, and why not? Joking aside, speaking as a female and someone who works with females / those who identify as female, from teenage years and up, I know that there are very limited spaces and programmes for women to get support professionally and personally at the different stages of our lives. Even with the advancements that have been made, we still experience inequality as women. Those who are women of colour, LGBTQI+, and in different cultures, women suffer with sever inequalities for their gender. The world we live in has been created by straight white men, for straight white men. The systems and inherited beliefs and behaviours are that which they created, and still very much rule over us.
The needs and challenges that women face are sometimes very different to that of a man and still very little is understood about it. The way we see ourselves and each other is down to the way we've been told to do so. The way we feel that we must be able to 'do and have it all' comes from years of being told that there are only certain things we can be good at. The way we feel we can't show emotion with fear of being the emotional or angry women. The systems we inhabit and media we've grown up with have created a competitive nature between women. For example, kitchen appliances used to be sold to women for fear of other women having them and therefore them being better housewives - ludicrous! And don't even get me started on the pressure of whether or not we choose to have relationships and families - I'll save that for another time ;) Take medicine for example, very little is still known about common illness such as endometriosis, let alone the menopause, which we females will all go through. Seat belts aren't created for or tested on women, let alone pregnant women, so don't accommodate or take into consideration our different body shapes. And, did you know that stab vests worn by all in the forces and police aren't made for people with breasts, so they don't fit properly.
The challenges we face and needs we have as women are very different, and at different stages of our lives they change. Regardless of what career we choose (I'm very much including the role of mother and homemaker as a career here - that's a full on job!), life we have, amount of money we have in our pockets or where we live, women very rarely 'have it all' as we don't have the same privileges or systems to support us.
Therefore, my work and the programmes I'm creating will be only for females and those who identify as female. There will be programmes that are tailored and run by professionally trained women to support those at different stages and facing different challenges. There will be support and ways for women to come together, challenge, empower, motive and inspire. I will create communities for women and girls to be themselves, unashamedly and in a non-judgemental environment. We will speak, share, come together, celebrate and overcome personally, professionally and privately.
The programme that I am setting up will include:
- Small group coaching programmes called 'Action Learning Sets' for individuals to identify the challenges they have and work as a group to support one another to overcome them.
- One-to-one coaching and goal orientated support.
- Retreats throughout the year for women to have time and space to learn, grow, heal, restore and build resilience.
- Mentoring programmes for women to be matched together and with trained mentors of different ages and backgrounds.
- Breakfast clubs for women in business, self employed and in charities to build communities and network.
- Events including exhibitions, live performances and conferences led for and by women and their work.
- Well-being and resilience sessions through creativity and craft, giving those involved time to reflect, meditate, ground themselves and be creative.
What difference will it make?
The programmes will make a difference to the lives of those involved. Whether it's at the start of a career or setting up a business, at the point of making life decisions like whether or not to have a family, or at points where trying to juggle everything is too much, and more. Equally, they will be programmes that bring women, in all of their wonderfulness together, so those involved will develop connections, be inspired and motivated. Overall, it'll change the lives of the women involved by enabling them to take power, confidence and ownership in their own challenges and goals, whilst achieving them.
Want to be in my community of wonderful women?
Fancy getting involved? I'm open to women, of all ages and backgrounds to get involved. Want to join my taskforce of coaches and mentors? Want to be in the programme and receive coaching, support and small group sessions? Want to come to the events, or speak at them? Want to donate your money or you time to help get this show on the road? Maybe there's another way you'd like to be involved. However you'd like to be involved, even if it's following me and my work in Instagram and through these blogs, please get in touch here, follow me here, subscribe to these blogs here.
"I am woman hear me hoar" - WE are women, hear US hoar! Together we will find strength in commonalities, power in our own personal leadership styles, and achieve our goals.
