The countdown is on
12 months from now, that’s in 52 weeks or 365 days, The Woman’s Guide to Change will be on bookshelves near you (hopefully very near you, like in your house!). I’m delighted to announce today that my first book The Woman’s Guide to Change has a publication date set for 8 March 2023. We all know that time flies, so I wanted to bookmark it now and, as I run screaming with excitement around my studio, ask you to bookmark it too.
The book brings together the skills, tools and resources I know it takes to thrive through change, and it’s the culmination of over two decades of work in this space. For the first time, the approach I’ve created through working with senior leaders in the world’s top organisations is available to you, sitting on your sofa at home. I’m beyond thrilled to have got to this stage and am not sure how I’ll contain myself for the next year to be honest!
Why did I write The Woman’s Guide to Change?
I’ve always loved books. As a kid I was often found with my nose in a book and can remember lying in bed aged 7 or 8 continually telling my mum that I would ‘just read to the end of this chapter!’. I’m pretty sure we both knew that the end of the chapter would come round and I would keep reading, but it was a conspiracy we kept together. The stories of famous and lesser known authors kept me enthralled, and in my teens and adult life the magic that can be discovered in the pages of books have continued to provide a source of escapism, inspiration, education and much more. An avid reader, I had read most of the fiction books in our tiny classroom library and eventually turned to the non-fiction books to keep me going.
I was the definition of a book worm, so it’s probably no surprise that I’ve also always loved writing. I made up poems as a kid, and do so occasionally now. I wrote creative pieces, and have written for various work roles including white papers, thought pieces, and employee communications material among other things. The idea of writing a book was never far away. But it takes guts. And commitment. And a lot of time and energy. I needed the final nudge to tip me into action. That nudge came when I ran two workshops for women in Police Scotland in August 2020.
Those women inspired me. The workshops I delivered were on Dare to Lead (TM) and I helped the participants with tools to be more courageous in their day to day jobs. Not in handling weapons or walking into burning buildings - they already had the courage for that. What I could help them with was in asking for promotion, starting a new relationship, or even retraining as a yoga teacher. Together we explored why it’s ok to keep your fluffy slippers on (well maybe not for yoga!). We looked at the fact that change doesn’t need to look tidy. And I confirmed that you don’t actually need to take one giant leap and ignore the rest of your life in single-minded pursuit of your dreams. Every single woman on that zoom call wanted more from their life and, like you, they wanted help to make it a reality. Which is where I realised I was stuck. Because I had nothing to offer them after the workshop. They weren’t my regular clients, I didn’t have a workbook I could send to them. I was frustrated beyond belief. I wanted to help them, I just needed to work out how. And so The Woman’s Guide to Change was born. For women facing change - of their choosing and not. For those women in policing - and for you.
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What’s in The Woman’s Guide to Change?
The book is written for you to read and work through in just fifteen minutes a day. I know you’re busy. I’ve been the mum frantically racing for school pick-up time, or jostling after-school commitments. I’ve worked two jobs. I get that time is precious. But I also know you’re ready to grow, that it’s time for you to carve out just a little space each day for you and your dreams. This book can be that oasis. I’m also going to be recording the audio book so you can even listen while you walk the dog or wait in the car or commute to work (assuming those days return). Within the pages of this book or the megabits of audio (I think that’s what they are called), you’ll find the following content:
Reading the book and working through the activities within it will unlock your self-belief, ignite new possibilities and give you the tools, skills and resources to make those become a reality. This book will change your life - but only if you want it to.
One final thing that might not be obvious, this approach will help you with both change you choose like career change, moving house, starting a family or a new relationship, and also with change you don’t. Sadly we all have to face the stuff that life throws at us in the form of job loss, relationships ending, health changes and bereavement. The skills and tools you need are the same for both so this is a one-stop shop for change. Learning the techniques when you’re facing what I call reactive change can then set you up for proactive change. So in learning to cope with what life flings in your direction you can actually equip yourself for the life of your dreams.
Who’s The Woman’s Guide to Change written for?
I hope that by now you realise that this book is for you. If you’re reading this and have got this far then the chances are the book is written with you in mind, or at least someone you know - maybe a colleague or a family member or perhaps a close friend. I will also say that this book has been written with women in mind, because there are some differences, but the tools and skills are the same ones I use with men and women when I work with them, so don’t let that put you off if you are male and want to read it - you’re most welcome!
How do I find out more?
You can follow me on social media to get snippets from the book and to join me in the journey from here to the bookshelf. Finally, if you’d like to talk to me about running workshops or speaking at conferences in your organisation and helping women to thrive through change, please get in touch and I’d be happy to help!
