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A visual blog (and an appreciation nested within of the Visual Science Lab blog by Kirk Tuck)
A visual blog (lots of photos), with a review of Kirk Tuck’s now sadly defunct blog, and an appreciation of going to galleries.
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Book review – Coach your Team by Liz Hall
In this blog I review Liz Hall’s excellent book Coach your team, which introduces a wide range of approaches and models and grounds it all in conscious and mindful practice.
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Framing return on investment – Setting up a coaching network – Part 2
In the second part of the series of blogposts I discuss how to frame return on investment and how to support the people training to be coaches to make sure they get through the…
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Catching the bluebells and coaching in nature
An overview of the advantages of taking coaching sessions outdoors, plus a few pointers of things to consider if you do
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Coaching top tips – The four, five, six, seven levels of listening
In which I get back to the brass tacks of coaching and explore the levels of listening
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Seven lessons in Physics by Carlo Rovelli – book review
A review of Seven lessons in Physics by Carlo Rovelli and some ponderings on how this can be used in coaching (and life)
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An appreciation of breakfast briefings
In praise of the breakfast briefings run by Cardiff Uni Business School
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Gwen John revisited – a Cardiff Museum exhibition review
This blog discusses an exhibition of Gwen John’s work at Cardiff Museum, highlighting her unique artistic approach and its parallels to coaching. It explores themes of commitment, observation of body language, and the importance…
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Am I a swimmer, or a writer?
As spring arrives, the author reflects on their fitness journey, including gym workouts and a return to swimming, aimed at improving mobility after years of playing badminton. They discuss habit formation, identity-based theories, and…
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Spring cleaning and the volcano filing method
The author reflects on the contrast between their cluttered home and the newly tidied common room at work, pondering how environments influence comfort and usage. They discuss their “volcano method” of organisation, which they…
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How many grains of sand does it take to make a heap?
January seemed to blitz past pretty quickly this year, and I’m hoping that we can shift into the longer hours of daylight and warmer days sooner rather than later, and similarly quickly. The winter…
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The last book that made me cry – Bread of angels by Patti Smith, something of a review
In Mark Sexton review’s Patti Smith’s latest biography and ponders the art that made him cry and reflect on the momentous things in life.
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Unfreezing and gratitude in the New Year
Happy New Year! As I prepare to return to work tomorrow, tapping away at this blog, the couple of weeks annual leave seems to have breezed by fearfully quickly. Still, I’ve picked up a…
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What Steeleye Span can teach us about longevity
The author reflects on their lifelong passion for music, particularly their appreciation for Steeleye Span, a band that’s witnessed generational admiration in their family. They draw parallels between the band’s evolution and their experience…
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Podcast Review – Off Menu
Happy advent everyone. This week I’ve been pondering what food I’ll be sorting for Christmas and nipping out to some of Cardiff’s diverse food shops to pick up bits and bobs for the home-made…
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Am I becoming a silverback gorilla?
Mark reflects on how the way he is perceived has changed over time, noting instances where colleagues have highlighted his talkativeness, resemblance to bugs bunny but also his gravitas and wisdom. He emphasizes the…
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Setting boundaries
“I drew a line…” by Toon Tellegen https://www.poetrybooks.co.uk/blogs/news/poem-a-day-i-drew-a-line?srsltid=AfmBOopRblbayLbu8kRiVxMYeRqj4wRXrvbsL7dFppycOXpSXWG_m38y The setting of boundaries in coaching/client relationships (and for coaches within their own coaching competence and practice) is another theme that has regularly cropped up in…
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Bursting the bubbles – Swn music festival – Cardiff (2025 edition)
Talking about Cardiff’s Swn Festival and the way in which you can use conferences and festivals to widen your view
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People who make the time, not just those who have the time
(Structuring an internal coaching network – part one) A topic that I have been called upon for advice time and time again has been on how to structure an internal coaching network. Coaching, as…
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Looking back at six eventful months of Aspiration Experts Ltd
In the past six months, the coaching consultancy founded by James and the Mark has laid a platform, using mountain climbing metaphors and eclectic approaches to help clients navigate challenges. They’ve created valuable coaching…
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Making peace with your personal wasps
The plum tree outside of my partner’s office window heralds that Spring has properly arrived with a glorious display of blossom which usually coincides with April fools day. It’s a bit hard to tell…
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Podcast review – Happiness and how to get it (HAHTGI)
This week I review a podcast that I found both light and breezy, but that was packed with top tips that are great for coaching. I’m not sure if I was a late adopter…
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Walking unafraid
The pleasure/pain principle is a really key theory that can be used in coaching, which I explore here.
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The way some people… get hooked on murder mysteries
I love a good detective novel, here I discuss the works of Ross MacDonald and why, at core, we all love a mystery
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Albert Einstein, involuntary swindler*
This blog discussed imposter syndrome (heck , even Einstein had it)
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“Drew 550 different shoes today, it almost made me faint”
In this blog I talk about how Andy Warhol took the discipline he needed in his commercial drawing and turned it into an asset.
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Surround yourself with good people
In this blog I take stock after wrapping up the 5th Public sector coaching week, thanking Hermionie and everyone involved in growing our homebrewed week of CPD from a cottage industry into the beast…
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“Why? The Purpose of the Universe” by Philip Goff – Book Review
A review of Philip Goff’s book Why? The purpose of the universe, because this blog doesn’t shrink away from tackling the big questions
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Fantasies, Faust and mental contrasting
When you’re picturing goals it’s interesting to know the scientific theories as to how this can be made to work for you, so in this blog I explore the ideas behind mental contrasting
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Would a kick in the shins make you angry or indignant?
Looking at how emotions and physiological changes interplay and which comes first (James Lange theory and the weird experiments around it al)
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The Sounds in Silence
A blog on the use of silence in coaching, what types there are and how it’s a challenge (for me) worth persevering with
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Aspiration Experts Ltd
How James and I started a business to spool out coaching consultancy and executive coaching
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Photographing the photoshy
How I trained in photography at the same time as I trained to become a coach, and how I used my project to photograph the photoshy as a way to practice my coaching skills…
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Book Review – Neuroscience for coaches by Amy Brann
One of the most thumbed books in my coaching library is Amy Brann’s superb, Neuroscience for Coaches, so here’s my review
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Building a coaching library
I’m an avid reader and a huge book lover, here’s a post about the importance of building a coaching library (both personal and institutional)
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The benefits and risks of optimism
Although there’s a lot of people pushing the benefits of optimism, it was fascinating looking at the two underlying strands of research in this area which helps to examine the good stuff and the…
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Time out in Cardiff Museum with Gwen John
A digression into the amazing paintings at Cardiff museum and a pondering on how coaching can encourage people to try (a bit like some approaches to painting, or to Lord Byron)
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Mindfulness and meditation – a long way from relaxing
Looking at practical and unfussy ways to meditate (with Prof Paul Gilbert and Victor Davich)
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Joe and Harry’s Double Glazing
An overview of Johari’s window, self knowledge and a song from The Coasters
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“…you do not eat that which rips your heart with joy.”
A blog on the neuroscience of delayed gratification, the painting of Lucy Pass and the poetry of Thomas Lux
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WOOPing in the New Year
A bit of new year reflection and an overview of the great coaching tool – WOOP
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Online coaching – tips and takeaways
Tips and tricks for online coaching, including a little quiz on the unlikely place I found the best guidance
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Wasting time on a Friday afternoon, and other philosophy
Blog in which I discuss how stoic philosophy is really nifty in coaching practice
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The Power of Recontracting
In which I discuss how contracting and recontracting during the coaching process (and even within sessions) isn’t just a boring chore, but an essential part of the process
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Coaching Plus (the day job)
In which I discuss the benefits of having an internal coaching provision and being a coach alongside your day to day work.
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Explaining what coaching is… the elevator pitch.
I don’t think if we were starting up today we’d use the word “coaching”, so I think as workplace coaches it’s crucial to have a pithy pitch to help people understand the offer.
