Why Do I Do What I Do?

A bit of a different article this time. I thought I’d share with you a little bit about my journey, what has influenced me along the way and why I do what I do. I hope you enjoy it.

A Crossroads at 40

As I approached 40, I found myself standing at a major crossroads in my life. On the surface, I had everything I thought I should: a well-paid senior Corporate HR role, a husband, a home and a dog, crazy lovely Dylan. Yet, despite ticking all the boxes that society had laid out for me, I didn’t feel satisfied, happy, or fulfilled. From the outside looking in, my life seemed perfect - but inside, I was disillusioned, lacking purpose and unhappy. "Is this it?" I asked myself repeatedly.

I slowly realised that I had been organising my life around external milestones-things I thought would make me happy, slowly ticking them off like a to-do list. It was a hard truth to face, but I wasn’t alone. Many of my peers around me, were grappling with similar feelings of dissatisfaction, even though they had seemingly achieved ‘success’.

Slowly grasping that all that hard work it had taken to get to where I was in the first part of my life wasn’t ever going to provide the feelings of happiness and contentment was tricky to come to terms with.

I couldn’t imagine staying in my safe, corporate job for the next 20 years, waiting and hoping to be one of the lucky ones to reach retirement. That just wasn’t me, I needed something the meant something…

This moment of self-reflection became a turning point, motivating me to pursue a path more aligned with my values and passions. It took some time to work it all out, but I finally identified that working with female leaders in sustainability was what deeply mattered to me. Their struggles and aspirations mirrored many of my own, and I felt a deep calling to help them navigate the challenges of leadership and life while making a meaningful impact on the world.

Influences: My Mother’s Legacy

My drive and independence are, in part, shaped by my upbringing. I grew up as the middle child of three in a household where both parents worked full-time, and we operated as a team. Unlike the more traditional family setups I saw around me, my family worked together to keep things running smoothly, well almost! ??. Our family unit was set up with clear expectations for example, we’d have a rule that if you finished the last of the ketchup or other such items, it was your responsibility to add it to the shopping list on the whiteboard, yes we had a whiteboard in our kitchen!

My mother was a huge influence on me. Her career as a teacher was not just a job but a vocation. She dedicated herself to helping her students see their potential and excel, especially supporting those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Balancing her career with raising a family and a house full of pets, she became one of the few female deputy head teachers - something quite rare at the time. I don’t know how she managed to achieve a doctorate on top of all this!

To me, she was a real-life Wonder Woman. A force of nature: there was nothing she couldn’t do! Sew, bake, help me with my maths homework and answer any question we asked while also, excelling professionally. I was in awe of her as a child, wondering if I could ever live up to her example.

Through her, I learned the value of working for something greater than myself. As I grew older, I began to understand how challenging it must have been for her to push against the societal expectations placed on a mother in the 80s and 90s, messages that told women to stay confined to the household. My mother’s refusal to conform and her tenacity to make a difference rubbed off on me. If she was still here to read this I’d like to think this would make her chuckle but smile with pride too ??

Challenges Faced by Women Leaders

My upbringing taught me fierce independence, but as a child, I struggled with the absence of a close mother-daughter relationship. I often saw my friends enjoying those relationships, and I envied them. Now, as an adult, I understand how difficult it must have been for my mother to try to balance everything. I see the same struggles in the women I work with—women who want to make a significant impact in their careers but also raise their children as conscious global citizens.

The women I work with know that raising a future generation that can see beyond capitalist, consumer-driven values is one of the most important contributions they can make and they know this. They face the constant pressure to do this as well as manage their careers and run a household. It’s a heavy burden in which burnout is rife. To be able to find the mix that is fulfilling for them personally requires crystal clarity on what they will and, importantly, won’t take on.

Through my coaching programmes, I help them navigate this complexity. If we are to raise strong, self-assured adults who can push back against the "buy this and be happy" messages of today’s cleaver marketing that constantly bombards us, we need female leaders who are intentional in their impact both at work and at home.

The Importance of the Next Generation

One of the biggest motivations for my work comes from my youngest niece and nephews who are all under 10. As they grow older, I frequently imagine them asking me, "What did you do, Aunty Fran?" That thought motivates and drives me to do all I can. I want to be able to tell them that I did everything I could to help build a fairer, more sustainable world with them in mind.

This sense of responsibility fuels my commitment to supporting female leaders. I believe that they hold one of the keys to creating a society where both nature and humanity thrive together. I share the deep emotions many of these women feel about the world their children will inherit. Like them, I feel frustration at the lack of action from those in power who continue to delay action on the solutions we urgently need.

The women I work with are driven to create change, just as I am. Together, we advocate for a world that is far different from the capitalist, consumerist structures we currently live under.

My Mission

The reason I trained as a coach was influenced by the coaching support I received in the later stages of my successful career in HR and during my transition to starting my own business. I experienced firsthand how coaching can help with overcoming obstacles, taking action and doing things you didn’t think you could do.

That’s why I’m passionate about coaching the women I work with today. I know that with the right support, these passionate, capable women can achieve the impact they dream of without sacrificing their well-being or missing out on raising their children to become globally conscious citizens. They can create change, both within themselves and in the world, and that is why I do what I do.

If the themes in this article resonate, why not book a free confidential call here to discuss?