With September just around the corner and Quarter 4 approaching, I've been thinking about how often accomplished women make themselves smaller, cheaper or more accommodating than their expertise requires. Recently, I had lunch with a friend who told me about a commission she had undertaken. She had negotiated her services with a client at what she described as a relatively cost-effective price. Then she mentioned something that stopped me. The same client had paid a basic con

Welcome to August's newsletter July was a productive month. I delivered a Black Oxford Guided Heritage bus tour with students from the University of Alabama, delivered a lecture about public engagement at the Weston Library, and worked with several clients through 1:1 coaching sessions. I’m also now in the final phase of a project I started 18 months ago, so look out for an announcement in September. As we move into August, I’ve noticed that people started to slow down menta

August isn't just a holiday month. It's an opportunity to reset, reflect and prepare yourself to enter the final quarter with renewed energy, purpose and intention. Joy is central to my coaching practice as both a strategic tool and a leadership strategy. What I have witnessed, and have been guilty of myself over the years, is becoming completely engrossed in the hustle. As soon as I completed one project, it was straight into the next one, the next deadline, without taking t

For the past month, I’ve been deep in research on one of the Black scholars I write and lecture about: Christian Frederick Cole, for a new project I’m currently working on — details coming soon. Cole’s story is remarkable. He was the first Black student at Oxford. At the time, there was a very clear, almost mechanical pathway into becoming a barrister: Attend Oxford or Cambridge — he attended University College, Oxford in 1873 ✔ Study classics or law — he achieved an Honours

Most of us don’t expect to get caught out by someone who seems genuine. They’re friendly. Complimentary. They tell you how valuable your work is. They say things like “we’ll definitely work together” and “this is just the start.” You relax a little. You assume goodwill. That’s often where the trouble starts. Recently, I found myself in a situation where I provided assistance and insight to someone who then used my work as a case study for a bid. The bid was successful. I w

The 3-Letter Word Every New Entrepreneur Needs but secretly hate hearing....

During a recent exercise in self-awareness, I identified the hyper-achiever as one of my dominant saboteurs. It resonated with me on a...

What does launching Oxford's first black heritage guided bus tour and authenticity have in common with the film Cool Runnings?

Yesterday, I had the honour of presenting Covington & Burling LLP's Black History Month event at their stunning Bishopsgate offices in...