Insights

At the start of this year, I saw a very established (US-based) LinkedIn-er share this statement: “HR exists to manage risk for the company, not to help us. Understand this so we know how to proceed… and prepare.” Cue a collective intake of breath from people professionals everywhere as the post gathered global momentum . 😱 (I’ve used the People title for the last 5 or so years, but I do see that HR is still widely used, so am utilising the simple “HR/People” format to cover

Ah, Christmas! The one time of year when mince pies, fairy lights and that urgent  need to finish all the Netflix shows collide into a deliciously chaotic two-week bubble of festivities, family and yes — potential career gold. 🎄✨ But hang on — before you dive head-first into festive oblivion (although please  enjoy that), what if I told you this season could  be your secret weapon for success in the year ahead? Have a Cool Yule, from me and Bob x Here’s how to make your Chri

Earlier this year, I wrote an article about deliberately throwing myself into something that scared me: a brand-new sport. Not because I was naturally athletic, nor because I wanted accolades. I did it because I wanted to feel proud of doing something outside my comfort zone. The goal wasn’t victory — it was courage, effort, and the thrill of confronting uncertainty head-on. First Slalom competition, one spill and four overtakers. First time EVER on a slalom run! Six months l

If someone had told me on 1 January 2025 that by December I’d be writing a retrospective about coaching conversations, corporate talks, Women’s Circles, podcasts, and all the moments that made me pause, I’d probably have given them a side-eye and muttered, “Are you serious?” And yet, here I am. Running Pause and Empower this year has meant embracing both the chaos and the clarity that comes when midlife transitions, menopause, career uncertainty, and life’s bigger questions c

If any of you follow me on Insta or Facebook, you might have spotted my post last Friday. I shared that I’ve started a gratitude diary — and I was feeling super  grateful. I’d just walked into the BBC studios on Oxford Street for a small filming segment on the Morning Live Show about menopause and creatine (yes, that trending nootropic!) — a highlight in itself. That evening I was due to present at the Bedford Women’s Circle on Women’s Rights in the Workplace. And this week,

It’s that time of year: the evenings are drawing in, the heating bill is mocking you, and you’re realising that your only  superpower lately has been turning rants into emails. You, dear reader, might just be teetering on the edge of burnout. But before you hit the wall — or worse, resign yourself to becoming a permanent fixture on the sofa — there’s hope. Let’s talk about how to hit reset, rediscover your spark, and get your work-life mojo back, all before the end of the yea

If you’re reading this, there’s a fair chance you’re navigating midlife, career change and the often-under-acknowledged swirl of menopause. Let’s be clear: this is not  a time to quietly fade into the background . It’s a hot flush-fuelled springboard for reinvention, for flipping the script on what “mid-career” means, and for embracing micro-revolutions — those small, dare-I-say cheeky acts of not giving a toss in the very best sense of the phrase. Having a laugh with clients

As mid-career professional women, we carry rich histories. We’ve led teams, drawn on our experience, navigated transitions and taken our share of learning curves. Yet there comes a moment when we must pause, honour what has passed and consciously open the next chapter. On Remembrance Sunday and beyond, we can draw on the themes of remembrance, reflection and renewal to foster strong leadership in this season of our lives. My Dad and Grandads regimental tankards, along with v

By Amanda Connolly, Career & Wellbeing Coach, Pause & Empower Hello wonderful women transitioning through career, life, and yes — that menopausal chapter too. It’s Amanda here, waving a light-hearted but earnest hello. Right now we’re edging into the week of 3–7 November 2025—yes, you guessed it: International Stress Awareness Week .   isma.org.uk +1  This is a perfect moment for us to pause, reflect, and align our work-lives and menopausal lives in a way that honours both ou

It feels fitting to be writing this during   Diwali  — the Hindu festival of lights — a time when homes across South Asia and Britain glow with candles and colour, celebrating the triumph of light over darkness, hope over despair. So, I’m moving a little out of my own comfort zone here, shining my coaching torch into a space I’ve not personally lived but deeply admire: the midlife career transitions of South Asian British women   navigating the crazy (and often chaotic) worl

By an ADHD Career Coach for Menopausal Women! I’ll be honest — menopause was already throwing enough curveballs my way. Hot flushes that could warm a small village. Brain fog that turns simple tasks into advanced cryptography. And now, apparently, a shiny new label to add to the mix: ADHD . Yes, that’s right. At an age when many of us are supposed to be “slowing down”, I was suddenly facing a realisation that I’d been neurodiverse all along. It’s a curious and often misunders

10 October marked World Mental Health Day —a timely reminder that our mental health deserves just as much attention as our physical health. As a Mental Health First Aider , I can’t recommend upskilling in this area highly enough. (Most good courses are at least 2 full days, but it's worth the time and energy.)  For many of us in the more “experienced” generation, mental health was something rarely spoken about at work. We pushed through, kept calm, and carried on. When you kn

October marks World Menopause Month, a time when conversations about midlife health and wellbeing take centre stage. For many of us...

On a crisp Saturday in Bedford, I spent the day with a stranger hugging other strangers. Not a metaphorical hug, but actual...

The books say that autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. But let’s be honest: here in the UK, it’s also the season when...

On Saturday 13th September, I did something that, for me, was pretty brave: I drove to Northampton. For most people, that might sound...

When I moved to Bedford recently, I was looking for ways to meet new people, get myself moving, and shake up old routines. Around the...

When most people think of coaching, they imagine one-to-one sessions: a client, a coach, and a goal to be achieved. But the coaching world is far bigger, broader, and more colourful than that. There are life coaches, business coaches, executive coaches, wellbeing coaches, performance coaches, and coaches who specialise in everything from leadership to lifestyle. With so many approaches, it can be difficult for someone new to coaching to know exactly where to start. That’s whe

As the leaves should  be turning golden but instead cling on in the sporadically blazing heat, something else is stirring: it’s...

This week marks World Humanitarian Day (19 August) —a moment to celebrate compassion, service, and the power of making a difference. It...