The Priority Academy

As the Owner, Trainer and Coach at The Priority Academy, I run a varied business that helps individuals and businesses. Whether that be to train as a Coach or as a Mental & Emotional Health Coach for businesses who support their employees.

Founder, Trainer and Coach

ExecOnline

As a Leadership Coach with ExecOnline I coach executives and leaders of global businesses, supporting them to achieve their key personal and business goals.

ExecOnline Leadership Coach

Graham Nicholls Strategic Coaching & Training

Strategic Life Coach, Trainer, Author

Priority Intervention Coaching

Results & Success Coaching
Anxiety, Depression & Stress Recovery

Professional Coach - Results Coaching, Anxiety Conitions Recovery

Tayto Group Limited

Interim Technical Consultant assisting with preparation for Tesco PIU Audit, responsibilities included:
- Complete HACCP System re-write
- Redevelopment of the Internal Auditing System
- Allergen Risk Assessment development

Interim Technical Consultant

Adelie Food Holdings

Full Technical responsibility for a sandwich production site including 
- QA Team
- Technical Services Team
- Process Control Team
- Hygiene Team
- Customer Management on site

Interim Technical Manager

SFQC

Working with SFQC offering my services as:

- Food Safety / Technical Consultant 
- Audit Consultant 
- Red Tractor Assurance Scheme Auditor

Consultant / Red Tractor Assurance Scheme Auditor

2 Sisters Food Group

Full Technical responsibility for a Poultry cutting and packing site, including:
- Managing the restructure of the Technical Team to achieve business KPI's
- Ensure Green Tesco PIU Audit
- Ensure A Grade BRC Audit
- Manage multiple retail customer relationships on site
- Write and Impliment Quality Improvement Plan
- Team Management & Coaching

Freshcook (Bakkavor)

Interim QA Manager

Weetabix

•	Complete Technical Management for 2 factories producing wheat biscuit & flake products
•	Audit, review and improve Quality & Technical Systems
•	Complete overhaul of Hygiene systems during tender and transition process 
•	Management of complaint reduction programme
•	Drive improvement standards 
•	Preparation for unannounced BRC Audit

Interim Quality & Compliance Manager

Making Coaching Training Accessible. Founder - CoachHive & The Priority Academy. Over 150,000 people trained. Follow me for posts on Coaching, EQ, Mental Health, Mindset and more.

What the world won't tell you....

Is that training and personal development doesn't have to cost the earth!

Follow my Step-by-Step Coaching Newsletter for regular updates on how to improve your coaching and grow your business and get your free copy of my Coaching Session Success Strategy Cheat Sheet:

GO HERE -> www.coachhive.com/newsletter

I help people help other people! 

An international best-selling training provider in the areas of Coaching, Mental Health, Emotional Intelligence and Mindset.

Coaching Coaches:
Expert guidance from someone with 20 years experience as a coach. 
Coaches, if you need help please get in touch. I'll bring my 20+years knowledge and experience with me to help you thrive!

Training:
Over the last 7 years I have trained over 150,000 people in 190+ countries in the areas of mental health, mindset, strategic life coaching, NLP, CBT, meditation, mindfulness and more.

I help coaches master their skills and build their sustainable and ethical coaching business.

My portfolio:
=> I'm the founder, trainer and head coach at The Priority Academy & CoachHive
=> I have produced hundreds of hours of training content
=> I have thousands of hours of coaching experience under my belt
=> I have 7 training programs that are international best sellers in their field
=> I've coached leaders at all C-Suite levels of their business

My results:
=> Hudreds of hours of training material produced
=> 150,000 people have been trained or are training
=> A rating of 4.7 out of 5 across over 32000 reviews
=> A community of over 36,000 people
=> I have trained people in 190 countries around the world

GO HERE: https://www.coachhive.com/newsletter
To sign up for my newsletter and get your free copy of my Coaching Session Success System Cheat Sheet.

GO HERE: https://www.thepriorityacademy.com/courses-individual/
To check out my courses and super value course bundles

Wishing you success in all you do.
Graham

Graham Nicholls

She thought AI was destroying her coaching business.
But it was really her all along.

Not because she wasn't good enough.

Because fear had convinced her
to shrink before the world ever asked her to.

I coach many coaches who 
Have the same quiet dread:

"What if AI replaces me?"

AI only replaces the coaches
Who don't adapt to it.

She began doubting her value
In a way she never had before.

But fear rarely tells the truth.

Then something shifted.

Her client walked in overwhelmed

carrying a story she'd told no one else.
  
That special moment a human soul 
trusts another enough to fall apart.

That session woke her up.

Transformation is human-first. 
Tools second. Always.

She realised AI didn't replace her work 

It replaced the parts that weren't her work.
 
And what remained was all her:

The presence, emotional intelligence,
The intuition, the humanity 

Here's what she embraced 

And what every coach I work with embraces 👇

→ AI can produce answers
✅ Only humans produce meaning.

→ AI can analyse language 
✅ Only humans can feel emotion.

→ AI can map behaviour
✅ Only humans truly understand identity.

→ AI can automate tasks 
✅ Humans create trust and space.

→ AI can challenge patterns 
✅ Humans challenge stories.

→ AI can speed up preparation 
✅ Humans slow down for presence.

→ AI can support the coach 
✅ Humans help create transformation

Support is scalable.
Transformation is personal.

She didn't lose her business to AI.

She almost lost it to the story she was telling herself.

AI isn't the end of coaching.
It's the beginning of a new chapter. 

Where the most human coaches will rise the highest.

💾 Save this to remind yourself: AI can enhance coaching, but it will never replace humanity.
♻️ Repost it so that all coaches know they can adapt and thrive

➕ Follow me Graham Nicholls for more coaching and mindset insights

Founder. Coaching Coaches & Leaders who coach. Coaching Training that doesn’t cost the earth! Over 150,000 people trained. OUT NOW - Burnout Coach & Trainer Certification. See Featured section below!

This story still hurts him.
And it changed how he would lead forever.

She was the kind of person every team needs. 

She'd been with the company for years.
When she resigned, he was shocked.

He offered everything he could
But her answer cut deep.

"It's not about that. 
I just don't feel like I matter here anymore."

In my coaching work, I see this pattern constantly 
Leaders don't lose people; they lose connection.

He'd focused on performance. But not the people.

He assumed people knew they were valued,
But he rarely said it. Rarely showed it.

Rarely made them feel it.
And that's why good people leave.

Show your people they matter.
It's the least expensive part of leadership,

But it delivers the highest return.

Here are 7 simple ways to do that 👇

(you'll know these if you're a good leader)

1️⃣ Notice effort before outcome.
Catch people doing something right 
Even when the result isn't perfect. 
Recognition builds trust.

2️⃣ Ask questions that show care.
Not "How's the project going?" 
But "How are you doing with the project?" 
Small difference, huge impact.

3️⃣ Be consistent in your presence.
Leaders who show up only when things go wrong
Teach people to fear visibility. 
Be there in the calm too.

4️⃣ Give credit publicly.
Shine light on others' contributions. 
What you celebrate, you multiply.
And people notice.

5️⃣ Listen without fixing.
Sometimes people don't need answers. 
They need to feel heard 
Not managed.

6️⃣ Protect their wellbeing as much as performance.
A culture that values rest and respect
Outperforms one that glorifies exhaustion.
Make people the priority.

7️⃣ Say thank you and mean it.
Never underestimate the power of genuine appreciation. 
It costs nothing but changes everything.
Thank you.

That day he learned the simplest leadership truth: 

People don't leave jobs; 
They leave when they stop feeling they matter.

So if you lead others
Remember this: 👇 

Show your people they matter.

It's free to give,
But it's priceless to receive.

💾 If this hits home, save it for your next 1:1.
♻️ Repost to help another leader remember what really matters.

✅ Follow me, Graham Nicholls for more on leadership, mindset, and emotional intelligence.

Coaches: your new unfair advantage is right here.

And it will cost you nothing.

What breaks my heart is this:

Some of the best coaches I know

Are one good system away

From changing their entire career.

Most coaches are building their business 
the hardest way possible.

And I say that with love. 

Because I did it too.

When I started coaching over 20 years ago,
I had to figure everything out the slow way.

Coaching wasn't the hard part.

Building my coaching business was.

I wish I had these 20 years ago! 👇

Here are 10 ChatGPT prompts 
every coach should be using right now 

These 10 alone replace months of trial and error.

And there are 10 more in the infographic.

1️⃣ "Create a clear value proposition 
for my coaching business based on my niche: [insert niche]."

2️⃣ "Write 10 high-converting social media hooks 
tailored to coaches who want [insert client result]."

3️⃣ "Analyse my current offer (describe it) 
and suggest how to make it more irresistible."

4️⃣ "Create a step-by-step 30-day content plan 
for attracting my ideal coaching clients"

5️⃣ "Write a compelling bio for my coaching business 
for use on social media and my website."

6️⃣ "Draft a simple sales funnel for my coaching program 
with top, middle, and bottom-of-funnel messaging."

7️⃣ "Create 10 niche-specific lead magnets 
I could offer to attract ideal clients."

8️⃣ "Rewrite my coaching offer 
to clearly communicate transformation instead of features."

9️⃣ "Write a week's worth of authority-building posts 
that position me as an expert in [your niche]."

🔟 "Create a client onboarding sequence 
including emails, forms, and touchpoints."

Save yourself:
 
Thousands of hours,
Thousands in cash.
 
And years of frustration.

Today?

You get them for free.

Because as a coach,

Your time should go into transforming people. 
Not fighting through marketing overwhelm.

💾 Save this post. These prompts will decide how fast you grow.

♻️ And repost it to help another coach unlock the advantage you now have.

A terrible fear crashed in on him 
One he'd never admitted to anyone...

"Did any of this actually matter?"
(and that hurt a little more than he expected)

His leadership legacy didn't just fade
It disappeared without a trace.

Your true legacy as a leader

Isn't in what you leave behind
It's in the people who lead because of you.

Leadership convinces you to measure your value.

→ In targets hit, 
→ In goals achieved, 
→ In fires extinguished.

Someone asked him...
"How do I know if I'm becoming a good leader?"

The easy answer was performance metrics.
Deadlines. Output. KPIs.

But in that moment
The answer came to him...

And it's an answer he should have known
many years before. But didn't.

"You'll know you're leading well when
the people you lead become leaders themselves"

Jack Welsh said it better than anyone:

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. 
When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."

A true leadership legacy is built quietly, 
in moments like:

• The mistake you turn into a lesson
• The opportunity you give not guard
• The encouragement that unlocks confidence
• The conversation that changes their direction
• The belief you hold until they hold it themselves
• The trust you extend when they doubt themselves

If you want to understand the true strength of your leadership,

Don't look at what you've achieved.
Look at who is rising because of you.

Legacy isn't the work you complete.
It's the leaders you leave behind to continue the work.

Who will carry on because of you?
Who will lead because you believed in them?
And what part of your leadership will live on in others?

That is legacy.
And it's the only kind that lasts.

💾 Save this as a reminder of the legacy you're building today.
♻️ Repost to help other leaders focus on what truly endures.

✅ If you want more on human-centred leadership, I share practical lessons every week. Follow me here => Graham Nicholls

I said yes to something...
And it scared the hell out of me.

I felt wildly unqualified for it

But dived in anyway.

Most people think growth begins when you feel ready.

It doesn’t.

It begins the second you commit
to something that scares you.

On the outside, I smiled. Said “yes.”

But inside? Pure fear.

I questioned everything:

→ My experience,
→ My competence,
→ My right to even be in the room.

That’s the part no one talks about:

It’s not the opportunity that hurts 
It’s the voice that tells you you’re not worthy of it.

That voice feels like a punch in the gut!

And then the moment came.

I wasn’t perfect. 
But I was present. 

I stopped waiting to become
the person who belonged there

And started behaving like I already did.

Here’s what I learned 👇

And what I now teach every coaching client
who faces a moment they feel unqualified for 👇

7 Actions To Say Yes Before You Feel Ready

1️⃣ Take the smallest possible step today

Don’t wait for readiness, build it.
Choose one tiny action that moves you forward.

2️⃣ Turn fear into fuel

Your anxiety is proof the moment matters.
Ask yourself: “If I wasn’t afraid, what would I do?”

3️⃣ Practise in real conditions

You grow faster through doing than planning.
Start messy and improve as you go.

4️⃣ Interrupt the self-doubt loop

Doubt spikes before growth.
Replace “I’m not enough” with “This feeling means I’m stretching.”

5️⃣ Say yes publicly to create accountability

Fear hates commitment.
Commit to someone you trust

6️⃣ Behave like the person you’re becoming

Identity forms through action.
How would the future you act?

7️⃣ Make bravery a daily habit

Courage grows with repetition.
Do one brave thing every day. 

Your potential expands with every brave choice.

Looking back, I wasn’t ready for that moment.

But saying yes forced me to grow 
into the person who was.

You don’t rise because you feel qualified.
You rise because you show up anyway.

I’ve seen this shift change 
careers, confidence, and entire identities.

💾 Save this for the next time fear convinces you to play small.
♻️ Repost it to show others how to thrive

✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for insights into leadership and growth

Your team feels your emotions before your words
And I got taught a powerful lesson.

Your emotions arrive
before your words ever do.

It was supposed to be a simple check-in.

But I walked into that room 
carrying a storm inside me.

I didn’t say anything negative.
I didn’t raise my voice.
I didn’t snap.

But the team shifted instantly.
A heaviness settled over the room

And I remember thinking:
“Why is everyone so off today?”

They weren’t off. I was.
And that would change how I lead.

One of my team members pulled me aside.
Quietly. Gently. Bravely.

“When you walked in, we all felt something was wrong… 
so we held back.”

Because my emotional energy filled the room
before my agenda did.

That moment hit me hard
Harder than any feedback I’d ever received.

Your emotional state is the loudest voice in the room 
even when you’re silent.

I had to change. I had to change me.

My state.
My regulation.
My awareness.

I had to rebuild how I lead
One pattern at a time.

Here are the 7 emotional leadership behaviours 
I now teach every leader 

The ones that rebuild trust, stability, 
and psychological safety 👇

1️⃣ Regulate before you communicate
Your emotions transfer before your message lands.
“Is the state I’m in helping or hurting the room?”

2️⃣ Enter the room with intention
Leaders set the tone... consciously or unconsciously.
“What energy does my team need from me today?”

3️⃣ Acknowledge pressure without projecting it
Honesty builds trust; emotional dumping breaks it.
“How can I share the truth without shifting the burden?”

4️⃣ Slow your pace to calm the space
When you rush, others tense. Pause.
“What changes if I take a breath before I respond?”

5️⃣ Stay emotionally consistent
Predictability creates safety. Safety creates performance.
“Would my team describe me as steady?”

6️⃣ Create space for emotional honesty
The quieter the room, the more people hold back.
“Who needs permission to speak today?”

7️⃣ Reflect on your impact daily
Leadership isn’t about perfection; it’s about responsibility.
“How did my presence shape the room today?”

The moment you stop leading from pressure
and start leading from presence...

Your team didn’t just perform better…
They trusted you more.

Leadership isn’t what you say.
It’s who you are.

💾 Save this for the moments your state matters more than your strategy.
♻️ Repost this for a leader who needs it

✅ Follow for more emotional leadership frameworks => Graham Nicholls

7 leadership behaviours that give you an advantage

I hated it
But leadership isn’t about being liked…

It’s about being trusted.

I had to make a decision the team didn’t want.

Not because it was easy.
Not because it was popular.

But because it was the right one.

The thought hit me:
“They’re going to hate me for this.”

Part of me wanted to soften it.
To compromise. To choose harmony.

But leadership isn’t about avoiding discomfort.
It's about embracing it.

Leadership can feel brutally lonely
When carrying a decision others don’t yet understand.

Then…
Someone from the team pulled me aside:

“I didn’t like your decision at first…
But I see now why you made it.”

This is what leadership means.

Being liked is optional.
Being trusted is essential.

Here are 7 behaviours every leader needs:

1️⃣ Communicate the “why,” not just the “what.”
People can accept hard decisions 
When they understand the purpose behind them.

2️⃣ Hold your nerve when things get uncomfortable.
Confidence is contagious 
Your steadiness becomes their anchor.

3️⃣ Stay consistent in your actions.
Trust grows when your behaviour doesn’t change 
With the room you’re in.

4️⃣ Admit what you don’t know.
Vulnerability builds credibility, 
Not weakness.

5️⃣ Listen to the frustration, not just the feedback.
Emotions are data 
They reveal what people truly need from you.

6️⃣ Make decisions based on values, not popularity.
Favourite leaders come and go. 
Trusted leaders endure.

7️⃣ Follow through on every promise.
Nothing strengthens trust 
Faster than reliability.

Leadership isn’t about being liked today.
It’s about being respected tomorrow.

It’s the quiet trust
that forms long after the noise of disagreement fades.

Sometimes, the decision they resist
becomes the decision they thank you for.

💾 Save this if you’re navigating a hard leadership decision.
♻️ Repost to help other leaders choose trust over approval.

✅ For more human-centred leadership insight, follow Graham Nicholls

Leaders don't need to be liked

One action gave her more respect
Than any promotion ever did.

Respect has nothing to do with other people.

For years, she thought respect came from results.

→ Deliver more.
→ Work harder.
→ Say yes to everything.

But it didn't.
It came from one simple shift. 

How she showed up.

Like many professionals, 
she thought effort was enough.

So she stayed late, stayed quiet, and stayed agreeable.

She wanted to be helpful.
Instead, I became overlooked.

Because when you don't protect

→ Your time, 
→ Your energy, 
→ Or your voice
 
People stop valuing them too.
And I see it every day with my coaching clients.

Here's what she learned 👇

Respect doesn't start with how others treat you.
It starts with how you treat yourself.

🔥 Behaviours that destroy respect:

(I bet you recognise some of these)

→ Saying yes when you mean no.
→ Apologising for things you didn't do wrong.
→ Avoiding conflict to keep the peace.
→ Over-explaining your decisions.
→ Letting deadlines drift without communication.
→ Taking credit from fear, or avoiding it from doubt.
→ Staying silent when you disagree.
→ Complaining instead of leading change.
→ Waiting for permission to act.
→ Treating everyone's priorities as more important than your own.

But there is another way.

💪 Behaviours that build respect:

→ Speaking with calm conviction, even when challenged.
→ Saying no with clarity and yes with commitment.
→ Taking ownership of your time, results, and growth.
→ Listening deeply before you respond.
→ Communicating early and honestly.
→ Giving credit freely and owning mistakes fully.
→ Holding boundaries without apology.
→ Following through every single time.
→ Asking for feedback and using it to grow.
→ Leading through consistency, not control.

I was taught to respect everyone,
no matter their position.

Remember this: 👇 

You can't earn respect from others
Until you respect yourself.

Because your actions tell the world
What you believe about your own worth.

And when that belief is strong 
Respect follows naturally.

✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for more on mindset, leadership, and growth.

💾 Save this as a reminder to respect yourself daily.
♻️ Repost to help someone strengthen their professional presence.

Blind to her own potential
Something was lying to her...

She almost rejected the opportunity 

Not because she lacked the skills...
Because fear sounded more convincing than fact.

Imposter syndrome is lying to you
And it was lying to her as well.

She stared at the job description for hours.

"I've never done that."
"I only meet about 60% of this."
"Someone else would be a better fit."

"They'll see right through me."

→ It didn't matter that she was talented.
→ It didn't matter that people believed in her.

After coaching many through imposter syndrome
I've learned this truth:

Imposter syndrome doesn't shout.
It whispers. Quietly. Persistently.
 
When she gathered the courage to apply...
They didn't hire her résumé.

They hired her possibility.

Someone, right now, already sees something in YOU.
If you've doubted yourself, this is for you 👇 

The 5-Step Reframe for Imposter Syndrome

1️⃣ Recognise the Real Voice
Separate your fear from your ability.

2️⃣ Reclaim Your Evidence
List what you have achieved.

3️⃣ Redefine "Qualification"
Define success in your own terms
 
4️⃣ Reframe the Gap
Write where you meet the criteria.

5️⃣ Respond With Action
Confidence comes because you leapt.
 
Someone out there sees your potential.
Your job is to catch up to the version of you they see.

So ask yourself:

Who took a chance on you?
When you were convinced you weren't ready?

You're far more qualified than your fear suggests.

Don't wait to feel ready 
Act, and readiness follows.

💾 Save this for the days your imposter syndrome gets loud.
♻️ Repost to help someone who deserves more belief than they currently hold.

➕ PS: I write about confidence, coaching and overcoming self-doubt. Follow for more => Graham Nicholls

Reframing Imposter Syndrome

I used to mistake activity for advancement.

And it cost me dearly.

"The scariest place to be
is the same place as last year."

I convinced myself I was progressing.

→ My days were busy.
→ My calendar was full.
→ My to-do list was endless.

And I told myself the biggest lie 
high performers often believe:

"If I'm active… I must be advancing."

But I wasn't.

Founders, coaches and leaders 

I've coached them all.

And we all fall into this trap.

Busyness becomes our badge.

What makes it worse is:

Zero growth has its own kind of pain.
 
It's the stagnation that hurts. 

And I felt that deeply.

This isn't about urgency…

It's about alignment.

Pay attention if you want to
step intentionally into 2026 

Here are the 7 steps that 
helped me stop confusing effort with evolution 👇

(The infographic expands this to 12 frameworks)

1️⃣ Audit where you truly are 

Honesty beats hustle.
Look at what's really progressing.

2️⃣ Identify your 2026 identity

Name the version of you who achieves next year's goals.
Lead from that identity now.

3️⃣ Choose one defining priority

Not 15 goals.
One direction that moves everything else forward.

4️⃣ Replace busyness with strategy

Ask yourself daily:
"Is this activity moving me closer to who I'm becoming?"

5️⃣ Remove the biggest drag on your growth

A habit. A task. A fear.
One thing slowing you down more than you realise.

6️⃣ Set standards that make old patterns impossible

Growth is built from boundaries, 
not willpower.

7️⃣ Start now, not in January

Momentum isn't created by a date.
It's defined by a decision.

I'll say it again:

The scariest place to be
is the same place as last year.

But the most powerful place?

Standing at the end of a year and knowing:

You didn't wait for change, you created it.

2026 won't change... unless you do!

💾 Save this so you can thrive in 2026, take the next steps!
And ♻️ repost so others can follow your lead

✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for more on helping you thrive in the years to come.

His choices felt quiet and lonely.

And it hurt.

It's not the loud moments that change us.

The quiet ones do.

He was waiting for something...
Special.

But that moment never came.

I've seen this pattern in hundreds
of my clients

They don't understand 

That the quiet choices mattered.

And he didn't either.

They felt too ordinary. Too soft.
 
He realised the truth far too late:

You know you're capable of more,
But you're quietly choosing less.

That's where the real pain lives.

The harsh truth hit him:

"It's my quiet choices and actions
that make the big impacts"

In over 20 years of coaching
I've seen how these choices change lives.

Here are the 7 quiet choices that shape your life
and how to make them positively 👇

1️⃣ Choose discipline over convenience

• Reduce friction
• Prep the night before

2️⃣ Choose rest before burnout

 • Honour early signals
 • Protect your boundaries

3️⃣ Choose to walk away from what isn't right

 • Listen to discomfort
 • Name the cost of staying

4️⃣ Choose discomfort over stagnation

 • Do the thing that scares you first
 • Reframe fear as growth 
 
5️⃣ Choose honesty with yourself

 • Ask: "What's really going on?"
 • Admit what you've been avoiding

6️⃣ Choose to keep going when motivation dies
 
 • Let discipline carry you when emotion won't
 • Focus on the minimum viable action
 
7️⃣ Choose who you're becoming 

 • Act like your future self today
 • Replace old patterns with intentional ones

These are the choices that define you.

And choosing them today
Will define the direction of your 2026

The life you want won't be built in dramatic moments.

But in the quiet commitments 
you honour when no one is watching.

💾 Save this for the days you're choosing between comfort and who you're becoming.
♻️ Repost it for those in your network who need to hear it

✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for insight on mindset and life

My biggest growth happened in silence 
Long before anyone knew what I was doing.

The truth? 

If you're quietly growing in your career or leadership
You're in the right place to thrive.

When I first started training as a coach over 20 years ago,
I didn't tell a single person.

Back then, I wasn't confident.

I wasn't "a coach."
I wasn't anything special.

I just knew something needed to change.

So I started alone.
Quietly. Privately.

I doubted myself constantly.
I questioned whether I was good enough.

And because no one knew, there was

No reassurance.
No encouragement.
No accountability.

Just me and my doubts.
But that was the gift.

Those months of studying, practising, failing, learning
Changed me.

Not just as a coach. As a person.
And it built the foundation

For every client success I've seen since.

So, if you're in that unseen season right now,

Here are 7 ways to grow when nobody is clapping yet
That I've learned in all my years of coaching 👇

1️⃣ Learn deeply, not loudly.
Grow from curiosity, not from the need to be seen.

2️⃣ Practise even when it feels pointless.
Repetition without applause builds mastery. 

3️⃣ Build self-trust by showing up for yourself.
When no one is watching, consistency becomes identity.

4️⃣ Track your progress privately.
Keep a simple daily log; it compounds quickly.

5️⃣ Use your doubts as data, not judgment.
Every insecurity reveals your next layer of growth.

6️⃣ Set boundaries to protect your focus.
You don't grow in chaos. You grow in intention.

7️⃣ Celebrate the small wins
Quiet milestones are the foundations.

Your private growth becomes your public strength.

If you're growing quietly right now,
wondering if it's enough…

Believe me:
You're not behind. You're being built.

Because quiet growth...
That's where coaches and leaders are forged.

💾 Save this for the days when you're growing quietly.

Follow me Graham Nicholls for practical, experience-backed tools to grow your impact as a coach or leader.

"I'll try" => the expensive lie we tell ourselves.
For her, that one sentence shattered her story

For years, she lived in "almost."
"Almost ready."

(Sound familiar?)

It became her comfort zone.

In one of our coaching sessions 
The truth became clear.

And in 20 years of coaching I've seen it many times.
It was hesitation dressed as effort.

Deep down, she knew it.

She'd been offered an opportunity.
Her first reaction?

"I'll try my best."

But the truth hit her just as quickly:
Trying meant nothing would change.

Trying was survival.
But deciding?

Deciding was identity.

She realised she wasn't waiting for confidence.
She was waiting for courage.

Here are 12 things to stop saying today:
You'll start to notice them everywhere.

❌ I'll try...
❌ I'm not sure yet…
❌ Maybe later…
❌ Let me think about it...
❌ What if this doesn't work?
❌ I just need a little more time...
❌ I'll wait for the right time...
❌ I don't feel ready…
❌ I'll see how things go…
❌ Let me get back to you…
❌ I need more information...
❌ It might be better if I wait.

12 things to kickstart your decisions:

✅ I've decided…
✅ This is the direction...
✅ I'm moving forward with this.
✅ Here's my next step.
✅ I choose progress.
✅ I'll create clarity via action.
✅ I don't need to feel ready...
✅ I'm making space for this.
✅ I'm choosing this option.
✅ This is worth the discomfort 
✅ I trust myself to figure it out.
✅ I'm getting started

Your life doesn't change when you try harder.
It changes when you decide differently.

Because your destiny
Is defined by your decisions.
(read that again)

💾 Save this for the day you need courage more than confidence.
♻️ Repost for those who want to thrive.

✅ For more actionable insights, follow Graham Nicholls

She spent 10 years helping others grow.
But was hiding the most important thing.

Because being the helper felt safer than being helped.

Here's the uncomfortable truth:

When you're always the expert, 

You get to avoid your own discomfort.
You get to keep performing.

But you also get to stay stuck.

In my 20 years as a coach,
I've seen this constantly.

→ Coaches who won't be coached.
→ Leaders who won't ask for support.
→ Helpers who refuse to be vulnerable.

They'll guide 50 people through transformation.

But the moment someone offers them feedback?

Walls go up.

I did this for years.

Helped hundreds of people.
Avoided being truly seen myself.

The helper role became my hiding place.

Growth always requires what you're avoiding:

Letting someone else see you clearly.

To change this and thrive, you must:

1. Receive feedback as openly as you give it

2. Prioritise your own growth with the same urgency

3. Embrace being a work in progress

4. Let yourself be truly known, not just needed

5. Invest in support without rationalising it away

6. Model the vulnerability you ask for from others

7. Share your struggles as part of your learning

8. Lower the shield and let people see the real you

9. Create space for your own development

10. Choose evolving over performing

"I don't want to be coached because I'm afraid."

That honesty changed everything for her.

She needed permission to not have all the answers.

The best coaches and leaders I know stay coachable. 

They invest in their growth daily.

You can't guide others through territory you refuse to walk yourself.

💾 Save this if you've been hiding behind helping.
♻️ Repost for the coach or leader who needs this.
------
✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for more on coaching, mindset, and emotional intelligence.

I took control and my best people left.

I broke the trust I thought I’d built.

A great leader's job isn't to shine...

It's to make sure everyone else can.

I learned the hard way.

Instead of helping

They left because of me. 

That cut deeply.

The shift I needed?

Real leaders don't create followers.

They create other leaders.

I changed.

My management became leadership, 
not control.

And my team thrived.

When you step back, you don't fall.

Your impact multiplies.

Here are 5 ways to start empowering your team this week:

1️⃣ In each meeting, ask someone else to share first

Wait 10 seconds after asking. 
Their ideas need space before yours fill the room.

2️⃣ Delegate with all the info.

Explain the required outcome.
When people see the full picture, they make better decisions.

3️⃣ Name a specific team member in your next leadership update

Credit them by name to senior leadership 
Visibility creates momentum for their career.

4️⃣ Build and share a simple decision framework 

Write down how you evaluate options. 
Give them the same tool so they can use it as well.

5️⃣ Assign ownership of decisions you'd normally make

Tell them you trust their judgment. 
Then step back and let them lead it fully.

The greatest leaders aren't remembered for their brilliance.

They're remembered for the light
that they helped others discover.

Great leaders don’t stand in the spotlight

They shine it on others

📑  Save this for when you need clarity in your leadership purpose.
♻️ Repost this if you want more leaders, not more followers.

✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for insights on leadership and mindset.

Back then, we didn't call it burnout.
We just called it "pushing through."

25 years ago, my body gave up before I did.
Stress. Depression. Anxiety. All at once.

It was the worst time of my life!
I'd been living at full speed for too long.

→ Chasing goals 
→ Ignoring rest
→ Pretending I was fine.

And somewhere in between, 
I lost myself completely.

For a long time, I felt ashamed.
How could I have fallen apart?

But burnout isn't weakness.
It's the body's emergency brake 

The final act of self-preservation.

I promised myself that if I ever made it through,
I'd help others do the same.

That promise became my purpose.

Over the last 20 years as a coach,

I've worked with countless professionals 
Travelling between ambition and exhaustion.

Now, I've created something 
I wish I'd had back then

The Burnout Recovery Roadmap 

→ Here's the first thing every client realises in Phase 1: 
Burnout isn't failure, it's feedback.

Here's what that journey looks like 👇
(There's more info in the carousel)

✅ Phase One: Awareness & Recognition 
The moment you stop pretending.
Accepting that you're burning out 
is the first brave step.

✅ Phase Two: Stabilisation & Rest
You can't heal at the same pace that broke you.
This phase is about slowing down, rebuilding energy, 
and creating space to breathe again.

✅ Phase Three: Inner Work & Identity
Here, you begin to explore what led you here
The patterns, the pressure, the beliefs.
It's where self-awareness becomes clarity.

✅ Phase Four: Rebuild & Redesign
You start to rebuild from the inside out.
Values, priorities, and boundaries.
You learn to work with yourself, not against yourself.

✅ Phase Five: Integration
This is where recovery transforms into resilience.
You rediscover purpose, energy, 
and a new, sustainable way to succeed.

Burnout once broke me.

But it also rebuilt me 
Stronger, softer, and infinitely more self-aware.

And if you're there right now, feeling lost, drained, or defeated,
Please know this:

You're not broken.
You're being asked to rebuild.

💾 Save this if you're in recovery or know someone who needs it.
♻️ Repost to help someone else begin their recovery journey.

✅ Follow me, Graham Nicholls for more on burnout recovery, mindset, and emotional wellbeing.

Creating a Burnout Recovery Roadmap

He didn't come looking for a breakthrough.

He came because he was stuck.

This happens to leaders so often
And it boils down to one thing.

Most people don't like hearing it 
They hate this question.

Only the strongest leaders answer it honestly.

This transformative question
is only three words long.

He kept telling his team, his peers, even himself:

"I'm trying my best."
"I'm doing everything I can."
"I'm just under a lot of pressure."

He wasn't failing because of a lack of talent.
He was failing because of a lack of honesty.

And this is where so many careers stall.

Halfway through our coaching session, 
something cracked.

He whispered:

"I'm scared I'm falling behind... 
and I don't want anyone to see it."

That was the moment I asked him the question
That I reserve for the turning points in someone's career:

"What's the truth?"

He thought vulnerability was a weakness.
Once he confronted it,

His leadership sharpened.
His confidence returned.

Because here's the uncomfortable truth:

Leaders don't grow by trying harder.
They grow by being braver with themselves.

Here's my 5-step leadership breakthrough framework

The same one I use with executives, founders, 
and senior leaders worldwide 👇

1️⃣ Name the truth
Growth demands honesty 
long before it demands action.

2️⃣ Identify the cost of not changing.
Leadership stagnates when comfort wins. 
Progress requires discomfort.

3️⃣ Own what's yours
Accountability accelerates careers. 
Self-blame destroys them.

4️⃣ Choose one courageous action today.
Movement breaks fear faster 
than motivation ever will.

5️⃣ Commit before doubt returns.
Decisions shape identity. 
Identity shapes leadership.

You might be one honest answer away
from your next level.

Because clarity never destroys
It builds strength and resilience.

💾 Save this for the moment honesty becomes your turning point.
♻️ Repost to show you know the truth

➕ Ready for more leadership and mindset insights? Follow Graham Nicholls

What blindsided me most wasn't the decision
to make me redundant.

It was what happened next.

They invited me back a year later.

It felt like rejection.

But it was really a redirection.

Twelve months later, my phone rang.

I said no because,

I'd learned this truth:

Some people don't understand the value you bring to the table

Until they see you at another table.

At my new place, they didn't just see my worth.

They invested in it.

The difference wasn't me.

It was them.

If your workplace can't see your value, 

Here's exactly what helped me rebuild my confidence

1️⃣ Track your impact weekly
Write down specific results you delivered.
Revenue generated. Problems solved. Time saved.

2️⃣ Schedule quarterly value conversations
Don't wait for annual reviews.
Ask: "Where can I create the most impact next quarter?"

3️⃣ Collect feedback beyond your manager
Reach out to colleagues who benefit from your work.
Their perspective reveals your broader value.

4️⃣ Solve tomorrow's problems today
Study industry trends affecting your company.
Build skills for challenges they don't see coming yet.

5️⃣ Make your work visible to decision makers
Share wins in team meetings.
Send brief update emails to stakeholders.

6️⃣ Interview elsewhere every 6 months
Not to leave, but to stay sharp.
You'll discover how others value your experience.

7️⃣ Build your exit plan while you stay
Update your network. Refresh your skills.
Ready doesn't mean leaving - it means choosing.

When you become someone who 
knows their value, everything changes.

The right environment doesn't just use your talents.

It grows them.

A table that doesn't value you isn't a table.
It's a waiting room

💾 Save this for when you need the reminder
♻️ Repost this for anyone questioning their value right now

✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for insights on career growth and leadership

I stopped telling myself BS excuses...

And gave my potential the room to thrive.

Everything changes when 
You stop giving yourself a way out

I had a routine I knew mattered to me
Morning reading, mindset work, and coaching practice.

But every morning, 
I’d still tell myself the same quiet lies

I now coach clients through this
Every day.

“It won’t matter if I skip just once.”
But “once” always becomes twice and more.

High performance doesn’t collapse overnight.
It erodes quietly.

Eventually, 
You forget you ever had standards.

My excuses weren’t the problem.
My negotiations with them were.

So I made a decision
“No more negotiations.”

And within weeks, everything shifted:

My energy. My focus.
My discipline. My consistency.

Your identity strengthens
Every time you follow through on a promise to yourself.

Here are the 7 insights that will help you
Because they help my clients to level up:

1️⃣ Decide your non-negotiables in advance

Never decide in the moment.
Choose your standards before the day begins.

2️⃣ Reduce the friction, not the goal

Make the habit easier, not smaller.
Create an environment where success wins.

3️⃣ Start with “the minimum viable win”

Five minutes of consistency 
beats one hour of inconsistency.

4️⃣ Recognise your most common excuse pattern

Is it time? Fear? Fatigue?
Knowing the pattern helps you stop falling for it.

5️⃣ Anchor your behaviour to identity, not emotion

Don’t ask, “Do I feel like it?”
Ask, “Who am I becoming?”

6️⃣ Use accountability that protects your standards

A partner, a journal, a routine
Something outside your emotions that keeps you aligned.

7️⃣ Track only one thing: Did you show up today?

Not perfectly. Not impressively.
Just truthfully. Yes or no.

Consistency is what unlocks 
every level of high performance.

When I stopped negotiating with my excuses,

I didn’t become someone new 
I became someone consistent.

If you’re tired of being stuck between who you are

Start where I did:
Stop negotiating with the voice that wants you comfortable

Discipline isn’t loud. It’s the quiet choice you keep.

💾 Save this for the days your excuses feel louder than your potential.
♻️ Repost to show you are quitting the negotiations with yourself

✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for insights that help you thrive.

Growth felt like he was falling backwards.
And that's why he almost quit.

At the time, he felt like a failure.

Every effort was heavy.
Every step forward felt like sliding back.

And he thought, 
"If it's this hard, maybe I'm not cut out for it."

One thing I've learned
From 20 years as a coach:

No one warns you that progress 
Rarely feels like progress.

→ You doubt your ability.
→ You question your choices.
→ You feel resistance and assume it's a sign to stop.

He still remembers sitting in his car 
Wondering why trying so hard felt so impossible.

And that's when the truth hit him 
Growth always feels wrong before it feels right.

You feel:

 📉 Weak before you feel strong.
 📉 Confused before you feel clear.
 📉 Terrified before you feel brave.

It's the same in every area of life:

💪 The gym makes you sore before it makes you strong.
🧠 Learning makes you doubt before it makes you confident.
💎 Investing in yourself feels risky before it pays off.
🦁 Facing your fears feels terrifying before it sets you free.

What part of your growth journey has felt the hardest?

Growth hides behind friction.
Yet every breakthrough demands it.

He didn't know it then,

But those moments of discomfort 
Were proof that he was growing.

Here's what he discovered 👇

→ Start before you feel ready.
Courage is built in motion, not in waiting.

→ Learn before you feel confident.
The lessons arrive after the leap, not before it.

→ Stretch before you feel certain.
Growth never happens in the comfort zone. 

He kept going.
Falling. Rising. Repeating.

Because the only true failure
is letting temporary discomfort stop permanent growth.

One day the struggle will make sense.

Not because it was easy, 
But because it shaped who you became.

💾 Save this for the next time resistance makes you doubt yourself.
♻️ Repost to help someone else keep going when it hurts.

✅ Follow me, Graham Nicholls for more stories on mindset, resilience, and growth.

Deena Priest

Corporate Pivot Accelerator

Helping experienced corporate leaders build high-impact consulting and coaching businesses for freedom and fulfillment.

https://deenapriest.org/corporatepivotaccelerator

Stage 1: Explore
The Clarity Sprint
Get clear on your vision and niche.

Stage 2: Engineer
Client Magnet System
Build a roadmap to 6-7 figures with premium positioning, a signature offer, and systems.

Stage 3: Execute
Authority Amplifier
Unlock predictable leads and referrals via LinkedIn thought leadership, partnerships, and other marketing channels.

All underpinned by accountability and the elimination of imposter syndrome.

----
Client  Successes:

Kitty left a 20 year sales career and is now a 6-figure executive coach to CROs.

Peter, ex-corporate COO, replaced his salary within 90 days and works three days a week.

Glen, HR Director, secured two paid consulting clients before leaving corporate.

Laura, lawyer, runs an executive coaching practice with a thriving group program.

Rachel, left the Big 4 and runs her own risk advisory practice alongside her other passions.

Founder  | Executive Business Coaching

Deena Priest Coaching & Consulting

Helping Corporate Professionals (35+):

✅ Escape burnout, stagnation, and career traps
✅ Gain clarity on your next chapter
✅ Maximize income and visibility with a strong personal brand.
✅ Build a future-proof career with more autonomy, purpose & peace

Executive Coach 

Corporate workshops and keynote presentations on future of work and workplace culture.

Speaker

Purpose & Pay Newsletter

Try it free: https://deenapriest.org/join-purpose-and-pay

Strategies and frameworks for leaving corporate and building a coaching or consulting business.

Writer

Parentaly

Transforming the false tradeoff between career and parenthood  into a win-win.

Coach

Serco

Coach Mentor

Accenture

Led digital strategy projects for consumer goods, retailers and professional services businesses.

Managed and led project teams for large-scale digital transformation, change management and innovation programs.

Part of the team that shaped Accenture's AI proposition for Consulting.

Facilitated workshops for Accenture's Innovation Centre -> helping key clients plan their future strategies.

Managed several key client accounts Client Account Lead -> helping scale Accenture's footprint across Consulting, Digital, Outsourcing & Strategy services.

Digital Transformation & Client Account Director

Part of the Change Management & Talent Consulting function.

Helping PwC client's implement large scale change and transformation programs from a people perspective.

Programs included:

(i) Target Operating Model changes for financial services clients.
(ii) Business recovery consulting for a Global Bank who collapsed during the economic crisis
(iii) Talent advisory for consumer goods businesses.

People & Organisational Transformation Manager

Various Companies

Lawyer

Executive Coach | Accelerating Careers Without Burnout & Designing Smarter Exits | ex-PwC & Accenture Leader | Former Lawyer 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺

I coach ambitious corporate professionals (15+ years experience) to build businesses or portfolio careers — with their health, wealth, and credibility intact.

👋 Who are you?

You’re a high-achieving corporate professional or leader with 15+ years of experience.

But now you're burned out, boxed in, or simply done with the politics, pace, and pressure.

➤ You want freedom without losing income
➤ You want to work with purpose, on your terms
➤ You want to build something of your own with clarity, confidence, and control

👋 Who am I?

I’m Deena Priest.

I spent two decades in  high-pressure industries including law, consulting, and commercial leadership. 

I’m the founder of the SAVVY Framework™, a step-by-step method to exit corporate and build entrepreneurial freedom without the chaos.

🎯 What You Can Expect to Achieve

➤ Clarity and a sharp vision for what’s next
➤ A market-relevant offer that clients will pay for
➤ An authority-driven personal brand that opens doors

💼 This is the heart of the Corporate Pivot Accelerator Program.

A high-touch, high-impact coaching experience for ambitious professionals ready to design and launch their next chapter.

📅 Join the January Waitlist:
👉 https://deenapriest.org/corporatepivotaccelerator

Coach  - Mentor

When someone close to me passed away, 
their employer only cared about two things:

1️⃣ Proof it had really happened. 
2️⃣ Whether they were liable.

(Yes and no were the answers.)

A few weeks later, a new replacement sat at their desk.

That’s when it really became apparent: 

In the corporate world, you are always replaceable at work.

It isn’t personal. It’s just business. 

But it should change how we all live and work.

After that, I ran my decisions through a different filter:

1. Do I have freedom and autonomy?
2. If I leave on time, who will care/remember? 
3. Am I being present when I am with my kids?
4. What are the consequences of cancelling my vacation?
5. Does saying “yes” mean "no" to something important?
6. Will late-night emails really make me indispensable?
7. If I sacrifice weekends, will I progress or burnout? 

It was the driver for me to leave corporate and start my own business.

And the reason I am a strong advocate for having a fall-back business or income stream (without relying on a single source salary.)

Because as the current market is showing us - everyone is replaceable at work.

Does this mean you shouldn't work hard and do your best?
Of course not.

It means that you should never lose sight of your key priorities.

Your health, relationships and financial security.

Making different choices in the moment means you stop trading the irreplaceable for the replaceable.

Deena Priest

Turning senior corporate leaders into in-demand consultants + coaches | Exceed your old salary | Win premium clients | 150+ coached (SAVVY™ method) | ex-Accenture & PwC

Even senior executives suffer from imposter syndrome.

All of my client's building businesses ask: "What if I fail?"

My response: "What if you succeed?"

When I started my coaching business, I had zero entrepreneurial experience.

I came from a family of academics: Lawyers, engineers, judges, doctors. 

So the idea of becoming a business owner was a big leap of faith. 

I told myself:

I  wasn’t ready.
I didn’t know enough. 
I needed 5 more qualifications.

Now I see the same mindset stall brilliant, seasoned leaders. 

They have the skills. 
The network. 
The ambition. 

But they still doubt themselves.

Here’s what I’ve learned: 

→ Confidence comes after action, not before. 
→ All skills are learnable. Business is no different. 
→ You don’t need more validation. You need action.

Double down on your strengths. 
Close your gaps.
Execute.

And start before you feel ready.

That’s how legacies are created.

♻️ Repost to remind that action builds confidence.

➕ Follow Deena Priest for more.

I help current and ex-senior corporate leaders build profitable coaching & consulting practices | Structured framework to replace or exceed corporate income | 150+ execs coached | ex-Accenture & PwC

When my kids were born, I decided my loyalty was to them not my 80-hour corporate role.

So I started a flexible, high-impact business. 

Loyalty to a business can be your biggest career risk after 40.

It can keep you stuck in a role where your potential outpaces your reality.

We’re raised to believe loyalty is a virtue.

And it is. But only when it doesn’t harm you.

Here’s when loyalty becomes a liability:

• You put all your eggs in one basket 
• You stay in a role that’s burning you out 
• You are loyal to a company that lays you off
• You are loyal to a boss that doesn’t see your potential

That kind of loyalty isn’t noble. It’s costly.

I’ve seen it too many times:

• High performers afraid to start a business 
• Leaders staying because “the team needs me” 
• Talented professionals pushing themselves to burnout

Here’s what healthy loyalty looks like:

✅ Loyalty to your values 
✅ Loyalty to your wellbeing 
✅ Loyalty to your future, growth, and purpose

When you start directing that loyalty inward, everything shifts:

✅ You realise your potential
✅ You stop tolerating sub-par cultures

In 2025, there are thousands of other ways to earn.

Definitely don't stay loyal to a paycheck.

♻️ Repost if this hit home. 
➕ Follow Deena Priest  for more.

And if you are leaving corporate to start a business, 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: https://lnkd.in/e4c_nEp7

I help senior corporate leaders launch coaching & consulting practices | Structured, de-risked path to replace income | 150+ execs coached | ex-Accenture & PwC

It's a good time to start a solo consultancy.

Everyone asks:  “But how do I compete with the Big 4 or other big consultancies?”
 
You don’t.
 
You differentiate. 
 
One of my clients (a two-person business) just beat a global player to win a major operating model project.
 
Another launched a solo risk advisory consultancy from scratch.  She’s now leading global engagements.
 
Another Ex-CRO now earns double his corporate salary, running a sales strategy consultancy.
 
These aren’t anomalies.  
They are the new normal. 
 
Why?  
 
Because clients want trusted, specialized advisors who solve painful problems. Fast.
 
Here's how to get started:

1. Define your profitable niche and offer
2. Work out your market positioning and messaging
3. Use LinkedIn as a platform to build your authority
 
You don’t need to be a “big” consultancy.  

You need to be a right-fit one.

Anyways:

In all Ernst (and Young): 

If you want to know what's PwC (Possible Without Corporate),

I'd be Deloitted to speak to you. 

Let's KPMG (Kick-off Profitable, Meaningful Growth.)😉

Take the diagnostic to see if you're ready to build a profitable solo business: https://lnkd.in/eyJx78uv

Deena Priest

----
Image credit: wallstreetoasis on IG

Are you overcomplicating your goal of starting a business?
 
If your 2025 goal was to launch your consulting or coaching business…
 
Let me save you from the “analysis paralysis” phase.
 
But first, here's what's not needed:

❌ A website  
❌ An MBA 
❌ A 38-page business plan 
 
And here's what is.
 
𝟱 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗹𝗲 (and will help you replace your corporate salary):
 
𝟭. 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿.  
→ Choose ONE urgent problem you solve for ONE decision-maker.  
→ Package it as a high-value outcome.
 
𝟮. 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟬 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀.  
→ Use your network, warm intros, or alumni groups.  
→ Ask: “Is this a real pain point?”
🚫 No pitching. 
 
𝟯. 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗮 ‘𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆’ 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟭–𝟯 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.  
→ Offer part of your service in exchange for feedback.  
→ Focus on delivering a fast, tangible win.  
 
𝟰. 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳.  
Turn that one win into a before/after story, a testimonial, a content post.
 
𝟱. 𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵.
Develop a real go-to-market-plan. 

Voila.
 
Your 2026 goals sorted. 

Action > Analysis.
 
👇 Which of the above are you stuck on?

---
➕ 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲  "𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿" 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘇 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: https://lnkd.in/eAMqzJ-Q

Follow Deena Priest for more.

I attended the funeral of a dear friend last week.
 
She was 45. Cancer. Two kids.  

And she lived more in 45 years than most do in 90.
 
Raised a family.
Built businesses.  
Travelled the world.    
Kept friendships alive.
 
Her energy was contagious.  
Any time I hesitated, she’d say:  “Come on. Just do it.”
 
And it reminds me that life’s biggest regrets don’t come from what you do.

They come from what you don't do.
 
The conversation you never had.
The business you never started. 
The change you kept deferring.  
The dream you kept on hold.

You tell yourself there’s time.  

After the next bonus.  
After the kids are older.  
After the mortgage is paid off.
 
But the truth is, you’re never fully ready.  

And sometimes "after" never comes.
 
So take the risk.  
Start the thing.  
Make the move.
Just do it.
 
Back yourself fully.  
(If not now, then when?)
 
Because the fear of trying fades.  

But the regret of not lingers.

Make your next chapter count.
 
Warmly,
Deena Priest

From laid-off corporate exec to high 6-figure consultant in 6 months.

This is the new world of work.

Reinvention has become a critical life skill.

In this market:

Job security is gone. 
AI is reshaping industries. 
New career paths are emerging.

(Forbes predicts that 70% of professionals will have portfolio careers by 2030.)

The future belongs to those who can adapt, reposition, and pivot.

Start building your consulting or coaching business whilst still in your corporate job.

This is how I did it:

1️⃣ Monetize Your Expertise
↳Start solving real problems outside your 9–5. 
↳Test offers. Validate your niche. 
↳Don’t wait until you're “ready”

2️⃣ Build Your Personal Brand 
↳If you can't post publicly because of your employer, build (real) relationships behind closed doors.
↳Start showing up where your future clients are. 
.
3️⃣  Stop trading time for money. 
↳Turn your skills into scalable offers—like workshops, strategy days, or advisory retainers.
↳Corporate = capped earnings.
↳Consulting = the sky is your limit.

4️⃣ Create Time Leverage 
↳You don’t need more hours, you need a better system. 
↳Use evenings and weekends to build assets.
↳Automate what you can. Focus only on high-return activities.

5️⃣ Build a new CEO mindset
↳You’re not a “former director”
↳You’re a leader and a trusted advisor solving meaningful problems. 
↳Own it.

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥.”— Benjamin Franklin

Reinvention isn’t about restarting.

It’s about leveraging all you've already built to build something better. 

And the best time to start?

Before you have to.

Follow Deena Priest for more.

---
🔥𝟮 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁:

1. Download the guide: "𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.": https://lnkd.in/epwykXmZ
   
2. Try the newsletter for 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: https://lnkd.in/e4c_nEp7

"I’ll build my business when I have more time.”

This is the biggest blocker to exiting corporate. 

Most people think a salary is the most important thing.

It’s not. It’s your time

The one currency you’ll never get back.

If you’ve spent 20+ years building:
✔️ Deep expertise
✔️ A strong reputation
✔️ Financial stability

You may have built money
But not time or financial freedom.

When I worked 80 rigid hours in corporate, I missed:

> My son’s football matches
> My own health check-ups
> Most of my vacation allowance

“Flexibility” was just a corporate buzzword.

The reality:

99 percent of my time was eaten up by admin, egos,politics etc.

Maybe 1% of my week was focused on real impact.

Use your money and knowledge to map your exit and build your high-impact business. 

Here’s how I did it:

1. Buy clarity before you build
> Invest in someone who’s walked the path.
> Shortcut months of second-guessing with a clear map and mirror.

2. Extract the value from your career
> You don’t need reinvention. Just repositioning.
> Package what already works and make it profitable.

3. Buy back hours with expert thinking
> Ditch the PDFs and random LinkedIn posts.
> Use frameworks that actually move you forward.

4. Build a premium offer that respects your time
> No low-ticket time traps.
> High-trust work with high-calibre clients on your terms.

5. Learn while you earn
> Start now, while still employed.
> Gain clients and confidence before you ever hand in your notice.

Your knowledge built your salary.
Now it can build your exit.

But only if you start treating your time
like your most valuable asset.

P.S - Time is not the issue. Clarity is. Once you're clear on what your business does and how to build it, you find the time to drive things forward.

Deena Priest

No alternative text description for this image

I used to think employment was the safe path. 

But no one’s saying that anymore.

Amazon just laid off 14,000. 
TCS – 19,000. 
Accenture – 3,000. 
Microsoft – 7,000.

Even the most “secure” jobs are changing.

When I took the risk to start a business, I was terrified.

I’d worked so hard to climb the ladder.

But I reached a point where staying felt riskier than leaving.

Still..I didn’t leap blindly. 

Here's what helped me move forward in a de-risked way:

✅ I built a roadmap 
✅ I surrounded myself with others doing the same 
✅ I turned my expertise into an offer with market value.

And here’s what surprised me most. 

Confidence didn’t come before the plan.

 It came because of it.

And now I recommend people start building this path whilst they are STILL in employment.

Because job security is quickly disappearing.

That’s why I built the Corporate Pivot Accelerator: https://lnkd.in/e8F7Z2BQ

Join the January waitlist.

For corporate leaders ready to build a coaching or consulting business with a community of peers and without risking everything they’ve worked for.

Curious what a structured, low-risk path could look like for you? 

Drop a 🔥 or DM me “PLAN”.

Follow Deena Priest for more.

Coached 150+ Corporate Execs To Build 6-Figure Coaching & Consulting Businesses | x-Accenture & PwC | Commercial + Consulting Leader

Many ex-corporate leaders turned coaches underprice.  

Not because they’re new.  
Because they’re still thinking like employees.
 
One client came to me after 20+ years leading multimillion-dollar teams.  

He was coaching for free.  

I asked him why.
 
“I wanted to prove I could help.”
 
Here’s the problem:  
When you undercharge, you don’t prove your value.  

You prove you don’t believe in it.
 
And I see this every week:
 
• Free = devalued
• Cheap = not trusted
• Underpriced = underchosen
 
Your pricing isn’t about greed.  

It’s about energy, equity, and transformation.
 
You don’t need to charge like a hedge fund.  

But you do need to:
 
𝟭/ 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻  
A CRO I coached dropped “leadership coaching” and positioned her offer around a $10M sales leak.  

She landed a retainer within weeks at 4x her original rate.
 
𝟮/ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲  
One ex-COO came in charging $300/hr.  
We repackaged her expertise into a 90-day delivery ops engagement.  

First deal. $25K. 
 
 𝟯/ 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁
A public sector leader told me, “I don’t want to be seen as greedy.”  

After working through that belief, she doubled her rates and signed two clients in a month.
 
 𝟰/ 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁  
One ex-MD was still asking, “Am I allowed to charge that much?”  

That question vanished the moment she got a “yes” on a $150K proposal.
 
Because you’re not here to play “pretty woman.”
 
You’re here to build a business that respects your decades of work.  
 
Price accordingly.

KR,
Deena Priest

Fear of failure haunts corporate leaders who exit to start a coaching or consulting business.

And if I am honest, many do fail.

Because you leave corporate thinking your reputation will carry you.

It's not enough.

When I left corporate, I thought 20 years of experience would speak for itself.

But instead of clients lining up… I was scrambling to figure out how to consistently generate revenue.

(And then I noticed 20 year olds creating $10m ARR businesses. 🤔)

It was a kick in the teeth and a steep learning curve.

I questioned everything: 

• Was I even cut out for this? 
• How long could I go without income? 
• Would I have to go back to an employed job?

Many years and lessons learned later...

I now teach my clients how to build sustainable income:

Here's how:

𝟭. 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
→If you can’t explain your offer in one sentence, clients won’t buy it. 
→We build your signature offer: ✔️ The pain you solve ✔️ The result you deliver ✔️ How it’s packaged 

𝟮. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
→Hourly rates and “free sessions” scream uncertainty. 
→You’ll price for outcomes, not time so your clients value you from day one.

𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 & 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆
→Client acquisition is a professional skill.
→We ditch vague posting and networking and build thought leadership authority.
→You’ll learn how to attract and convert the right buyers.

𝟰. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 = 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁
→If you’re still operating like a corporate exec, you’ll build a job not a business. 
→We rewire how you think, market, and show up so clients see you as the solution.

The coaches and consultants earning real money aren’t more talented than you.

They have learned how to be a successful entrepreneur so they never need to return to corporate.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: https://lnkd.in/eyJx78uv

Follow Deena Priest for more.

When Sarah left her executive role to become a growth consultant, she didn't earn.

She had decades of experience. 
A solid network. 
A desire to be her own boss.

But three months into her business, she was signing low-value contracts. 

She was trading time for money. 
Back on the same treadmill she’d tried to escape.

Why?

She followed conventional advice:

→ Launch a website 
→ Post on LinkedIn 
→ Create an offer

Her calendar was full of non-value-add tasks… not traction.

When we looked deeper, the problem wasn’t her capability. 

It was her sequence.

She’d started with visibility. 

But what she needed was value and proximity.

Here’s what we changed:

✔ Prioritized quality conversations over content 
✔ Reworked her value proposition from the ground up 
✔ Priced for outcomes not effort or retainer norms

Within 8 weeks, she signed a $50K client.

From activity → traction. 

From corporate expert → trusted advisor.

If you’re in motion but not gaining momentum,  it might be time to reassess your roadmap.

📌Join my free newsletter for strategies to go from Corporate →Entrepreneur: https://lnkd.in/e4c_nEp7.

Follow Deena Priest for more.

I left a 6-figure corporate career in my 40s and started a business.

The identity shift was real.  

But all my clients in their 40s and 50s have that pull toward 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵?
 
By now, many have:  

• Grown-up kids  
• Respected networks  
• Paid-down mortgages  
• 20+ years of wisdom, leadership
 
It 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 like the right time to make a change.

They don't want to climb the ladder anymore.
 
They want to use their expertise to gain more freedom, fulfillment, purpose, legacy.

But here’s what often stalls them:
 
• Clarity: “I’m not sure how to do it”  
• Fear: “What if I fail and have to go back?”
• Financials: “What if I can’t replace my salary?”    
 
👆 All of it? Just fear of the unknown.
 
Here’s what helped my clients and I all move forward:
 
1️⃣ Roadmap 
– A step-by-step plan to replace and exceed your salary

2️⃣ Structure 
– Clarity on what to offer, who to serve, how to get clients  

3️⃣ Community 
– Others walking the same path (so you're not doing this in isolation)
 
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿™
The system for corporate professionals to launch consultancy or coaching businesses that are credible, profitable, and purpose-led.
 
Turn your expertise into a profitable business without risking income or reputation.
 
👥 Join the waitlist now to get first access and details: https://lnkd.in/e8F7Z2BQ
 
Or send me a message and I will share more details.

Deena Priest

If you're at stage 3, it may be time to start your business.
 
The stats are brutal:  
• Executives spend ~23 hours a week in meetings.  
• Around half of them are totally unproductive.
 
That’s calendar captivity.
 
It’s stopping you from doing the high-impact work that actually gives you energy and fulfilment.
 
When you build your own consulting / coaching business:  

• You get paid for outcomes, not attendance.  
• You spend your time on high-ROI, high-impact work.
• You decide which meetings exist (and who’s in them).  

Here’s how to start shifting out of stage 3:
 
1️⃣ 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀   
→ Don't let others' priorities run your calendar.  
→ Ring-fence 2–4 hours a week for planning and doing.
 
2️⃣ 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿  
→ Start thinking in problems solved.  
→ Who do you help → what do you fix → what changes?  
→ That shift to “I solve this” is the bridge to becoming a business owner.
 
3️⃣ 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀  
→ Prioritize conversations with those who benefit from your expertise.
→Their challenges will literally point to where your future business fits.
 
Free up your time → Make an impact → Earn well. 

If every meeting leaves you thinking, 
"I could be doing something better with my time”… 

Your next chapter is probably not another promotion.  

It’s a business.
 
Deena Priest

📌Join for strategies to go from Corporate → Profitable consultant or coach: https://lnkd.in/e4c_nEp7

I missed a billion-dollar opportunity.

In 2005, someone approached me about building a coaching subscription platform. 

Back then, almost no one knew what that even was.

We sketched out the vision. Mapped the model.

It had real potential. But I hesitated.

“I don’t know how to build tech,” I told myself. 
“Maybe later.”

Someone else moved. 

That same idea is now a billion-dollar business.

It’s not about the money.

It’s the hesitation. The self-doubt. The fact that I didn’t back myself.

Sir Richard Branson said it best:
“𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵, 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳.”

Because the cost of hesitation is real: 
Regret. Time. Momentum. Income. Relevance.

If you’ve been:
• Laid off
• Restless
• Sitting on 20 years of wisdom
  
And have wanted to start a business, here's your chance:

𝟭. 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 
If not you, someone else will do it.

𝟮. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻-𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 
Get clear on what problem you solve better than anyone else.

𝟯. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 
This is the biggest gap for most ex-corporate leaders and the most powerful shift.

𝟰. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁  
The right roadmap and peer group changes everything.

I’ve seen clients land deals within 3 weeks of doing this.

Not all opportunities knock twice. 

Some slip by quietly. 

And one day, they belong to someone else.

Don’t let action come too late.

P.S - What’s one opportunity you still think about?

♻️ Repost to encourage action over perfection.

Follow Deena Priest to exit corporate and build a coaching or consulting business.

How I knew at 40 it was time to exit corporate and start my coaching business.  

(Even though the money was good.)
 
First of all:  

I wasn’t burned out.  
There was no dramatic exit.
 
I simply couldn’t shake the feeling that I was no longer in control of my time or my life.
 
Meetings ruled my calendar.  Politics ate up any impact I hoped to make.
 
Frankly, I was bored of exchanging my time for money.
 
So even though I was "well-compensated"...  I didn’t have time freedom or financial freedom.
 
After my kids were born, I realized:
 
It’s not about getting rich.  
It’s about owning your time.
 
I didn’t need anyone’s validation. 
I wanted presence at home.
 
I didn’t want more responsibility.  
I wanted optionality.
 
If you're here too, wondering whether to start your own business...
 
Here are 12 signs you’re ready:
 
 1. You’re done trading time for salary bands
 2. You know your potential is being underutilized
 3. You’ve realized no job is actually secure
 4. You want to lead with purpose, not politics
 5. You want to own your calendar, not be owned by it
 6. You already have decades of experience and skills
 7. You value freedom more than titles
 8. You want to grow your brand, not someone else’s
 9. You want to make a meaningful impact
10. You’re highly self-disciplined
11. You’re not driven by external validation anymore
12. You’re ready to bet on yourself
 
What’s missing for 99 percent of corporate leaders ready to pivot?
 
A clear roadmap.  
A de-risked plan for turning your expertise into income.
 
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 -> 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄.

(𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿. 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝟱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.)

https://lnkd.in/ekE3tHxP

I’ll show you exactly what to focus on to secure clients before Christmas.

Because in the end, money is the tool. 
Not the goal.
 
Freedom is the goal. Don’t forget that.
 
KR,  Deena Priest

Your coaching and consulting clients won’t always know what they want.

This is true of both B2C and B2B clients. 

They’ll tell you symptoms: 
“We need clarity.” “We want to grow.” “We’re stuck.”

But if you take that at face value,
you risk selling the wrong thing. 
Delivering the wrong result. 

And ending up with a client who’s “meh” at best or disappointed at worst.

That has a cost: No referrals. No renewals. Damaged reputation.

When I first started consulting, I made this mistake. 

Jumped to strategy. Skipped the deep work. 

And built solutions for problems they hadn’t fully committed to solving.

Everything changed when I redesigned my discovery process.

Now I use 2 core frameworks to uncover what clients really need:

𝟭. 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗗 (𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝟮𝗖 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀)
Uncovers both logical and emotional needs, wants and drivers.

𝗦𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 
– What triggered the conversation? 

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 
– What’s not working day-to-day? 

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 
– What’s it costing them to stay stuck? 

𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 
– What’s really underneath it? 

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 
– What do they say they want?

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 
– What will make them feel this was worth it?

--------

𝟮. 𝟱𝗗 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴)
Use this when the ask is big, political, or vague.

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 
– What do they truly want? 
– Often the request is surface-level. 
– Dig for what’s driving it. Reputation? Revenue? Legacy?

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 
– What’s in the way? 
– Uncover both external blockers (budget, regulation) and internal ones (silos, resistance).

𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 
– What does success actually look like?
–  Push for tangible outcomes across 3, 6, and 12 months.
 – Not just “more alignment” or “better culture.”

𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 
– What could derail it? Who needs to buy in? 
– What priorities, politics, or hidden agendas exist?

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 
– What do they actually need? 
– Co-create the solution based on what you’ve now uncovered.

The best consultants and coaches ask sharper questions. 

They define the real problem and co-create the solution.

Client success = Your success.

What's your go-to discovery framework for coaching or consulting?

-----
I'm Deena Priest. I help corporate professionals and executives with 15+ years experience build 6-figure coaching and consulting businesses.

7 years ago, I was afraid to leave my corporate job.

Today, I’m afraid of my 10-year-old daughter.

(She’s brutally honest. Zero filter. No mercy.) 😬

But seriously... we all need someone like that.

Because the more senior you are...  the less truth-tellers you have around you.. the more you ignore the voice in your head that says "do something purposeful."

Has anyone ever sat you down and asked:
“Why are you still grinding 80+ hours a week… for someone else’s dream?”

Nope. Didn't think so. 

But if deep down, you’ve felt:

The uneasy question: “Is this really it?”
The itch to start something of your own 
The frustration that you're capable of more 

Then maybe it’s time to stop ignoring it.

Ask yourself:

1. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸? 
→Is it time? Security? Identity? 
→Or is it fear disguised as “being realistic”?

2. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 
If so, from whom? And is it worth it?

3. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀, 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆? 
(Were you, like me, taught that promotions = prosperity?)

4. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿? 
Is there a market for that?

5. 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲?
Smart people overthink everything.

One of my clients had 25 years in global leadership. 

Brilliant. Respected. Burnt out. 

He kept saying, “I’ll start something of my own when the timing is right.”

Then came the layoff.
Suddenly, someday became now.

Today, he runs a solo sales advisory business that brings in multiple 6 figures.

Most knowledge workers could turn their skills and knowledge into a business. 

But mindset eats strategy for breakfast.

You need to believe it's possible or nothing will happen.

Do you have an honest truth-teller in your life?

Follow Deena Priest for more.

📌Join my free newsletter "Purpose & Pay" for strategies and frameworks to go from Corporate → Entrepreneur: https://lnkd.in/e4c_nEp7

7 Pieces of Business Growth Advice I Ignore.

(And my coaching business still grew).

I’ve worked with some brilliant business advisors. 

But here’s what no one ever tells you when it comes to business: 

Trust your instincts.  

Here’s the common advice I 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 follow:

1. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼’𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 
   → I trust myself. I know their world better than any guru.
   
2. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆 
   → If AI can generate it, it doesn’t add value. 
   → I share lived lessons.
   
3. 𝗕𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 
   → I chose 1-2 that actually work for me. 
   → That’s more than enough.
   
4. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 
   → I built a message that attracts action-takers.
   → No cold pitching required.
   
5. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 
   → I write how I speak. 
   → Human > expert.
   
6. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 
   → Clients don’t buy your method. 
   → They buy solutions to their pain.
   
7. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀 
   →  I mix it up. 
   → Insights > image.
   
Truth is…

When you run a business, the advice can be overwhelming.

But real traction comes from trusting what actually works for you and your ideal clients.

⚡Understand your market. 
⚡Test and refine your approach.

And never outsource your instincts.

P.S - What's been your biggest business lesson?

If you're leaving corporate to start a coaching or consulting business, join the free newsletter for strategies: https://lnkd.in/e4c_nEp7

Follow Deena Priest for more.

I see 3 terrible pieces of advice for consultants and coaches on LinkedIn.  

Especially for those who've recently started their businesses. 
 
Here they are:
 
𝟭. “𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱.”
 
It sounds smart and feels productive.  

But here’s the reality:

A personal brand won’t save you if your offer and positioning are vague.
 
I know people with 100K followers…  who post daily…  who go viral…  and are still broke.
 
Because branding without a clear offer = attention without income.
 
Build your offer and positioning first.  
Speak to real humans second.  
Build your brand last.
 
 
𝟮. “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁.”
 
No. 
 
Niche is discovered not guessed.
 
You can’t “think” your way to clarity.  

You test and validate with discussions.

Conversations > assumptions.
 
 
𝟯. “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹.”
 
Not at the start.
 
Funnels don’t work without trust.  

Trust doesn’t come from ads or emails.  

It comes from conversations.
 
Momentum > funnels.
 
 
Most of the advice out there is recycled, misapplied, or shared by people who aren't actual consultants or coaches. 
 
You don’t need hacks.  

You need trust and proof.
 
How do you build that?
 
You guessed it:
 
Conversations.
 
What’s the worst piece of advice you had to unlearn?

------------
If you like posts that cut through the noise, you’ll enjoy my newsletter. It’s where I share the things about leaving corporate to start a business that I don’t post publicly. 

Join here: https://lnkd.in/e4c_nEp7

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