Authentic-Self Coaching with Jess

06/10/2026

"Congratulation, from this day forward you're on your own, watch your back, you can't trust anyone. Those you think are your friends, aren't, in reality, they now make it their mission to make your life difficult. And those who didn't care either way, now care even less."

Those were the first words out of my line managers mouth when she told me I was successful in gaining my first management role within the NHS many years ago. As I sat there in her office my heart sank, it took a moment for me to realise I hadn't taken a breath in what felt like forever, my mind was racing, my heart pounding, hands sweaty, and I remember thinking; I don't know if I even want the job anymore.

Sadly, to a degree, she was right.

“You're too sensitive, to honest for your own good and take things far to personally.”

I've heard versions of this throughout my career. And for a long time, I thought 'sensitivity' was something I needed to 'fix' or at least manage, if I wanted to succeed.

Something I needed to toughen up, or hide.
Something to be ashamed off.
And something that would definitely get in the way of being a good leader.

Now? I see it very differently.

Not because it didn't hold me back....... because the truth is at times, it did!

More because noticing things isn't weakness.
Caring isn't weakness.
Being affected by what happens around you isn't weakness.

The important bit is what you do with what you notice. My experiences have taught me to pay attention to the things that aren't always being said;

The shift in someone's voice.
The person who suddenly stops contributing.
The team that laughs something off but clearly isn't okay with it.
The leader who says everything is fine while everyone else is looking at the floor.
The policy that makes perfect sense on paper but creates something entirely different in practice.

Those things matter. And perhaps that's one of the reasons my work has evolved towards the space it is now. Because transformation isn't only about what we can measure. It's also about what people experience. And sometimes the things we dismiss as “too sensitive” are actually the things telling us where we need to focus our attention first.

What is one piece of advice in your leadership journey, you have been given that hit too hard to comprehend, only to find out it was painfully true?

20/09/2026

This might surprise you…

It’s Sunday again.

And for my Husband, Daughter and I, that means football match day. ⚽️

I love every part of it.

🫶The build-up.
🫶The atmosphere.
🫶The match itself.
And, of course, the joy on my daughter’s face.

But do you know what I love the most?

The people.

The girls.

The coaches.

The parents.

And the extended family members who turn up to support, encourage and cheer the girls on.

And I’ve been thinking about why that is.

The answer is actually pretty obvious.

Because it’s the same thing that drives my work.

It’s the human being evolving within.

We could learn a lot from my daughter’s team.

Not because they were unbeatable last season, winning their league and two cups, and have made a strong start to this season too.

That’s just a bonus.

⭐️It’s the golden thread running through the middle that interests me.

The girls love, encourage and cheerlead each other.

The coaches train them brilliantly, but they don’t treat them as a collective of players.

They see each girl as an individual.

Her strengths.
Her qualities.
Her areas for growth.

And then they teach them how to bring all of those individual abilities together to create something stronger as a team.

The parents?

They support every girl as if she were their own.

And you know what happens as a result?

They earn respect from the people they come up against — individually and collectively.

💫The culture is wholesome.

💫Trust works both ways.

💫They feel safe enough to be themselves.

And most importantly…

They have FUN.

Win or lose.

And perhaps that’s the bit that really got me thinking.

Because isn’t this what we want in our workplaces too?

People who feel seen as individuals.

Leaders who understand that different people need different things to thrive.

Teams that know how to bring individual strengths together rather than expecting everyone to fit the same mould.

Cultures built on trust, respect and psychological safety.

And people who can do great work without having to leave their humanity at the door.

That’s the golden thread running through everything I’m building now.

Because transformation isn’t just about changing systems, structures or strategies.

It’s about the human beings evolving within them.

And sometimes, the best lessons in leadership aren’t found in a boardroom.

Sometimes they’re found on a Sunday morning, standing on the sidelines of a football pitch, watching a group of girls remind us how it can be done. ❤️

Now… COME ON GIRLS! ⚽️🙌🏻

17/09/2026

What if the biggest barrier to transformation isn't the strategy… but the human being experiencing it?

I’ve been thinking a lot about what happens when change meets real people.

Because we can have the strategy.
The transformation plan.
The new values.
The policies.
The leadership framework.
The beautifully designed presentation telling everyone where we're going next.
And yet…

🚩 People can still feel unheard.
🚩 Leaders can still feel stuck.
🚩 Teams can still struggle to have the conversations they need to have.

And the experience of the people inside the organisation can tell a very different story to the one written in the strategy.

That gap fascinates me. . . . It’s also where my work is increasingly focused.

So I’m bringing my workshop “Finding Growth in the Story You Didn’t Choose” into a new in-person experience.

A day for people who lead, influence or support change to step away from the noise and explore:
→ What really happens when change meets the human being
→ How our experiences shape the way we lead and respond
→ Psychological safety and what people actually need to speak up
→ The relationship between leadership behaviour and culture
→ The gap between organisational intention and lived experience
→ What Post Traumatic Growth can teach us about growth and transformation
And, perhaps most importantly, what we might choose to do differently because of what we discover

💫 There will be reflection.
💫 There will be honest conversation.
💫 There will be creativity.
💫 There will be challenge.
And there will be plenty of those moments where you suddenly think…

“Oh. I hadn't looked at it like that before.”

💫 This isn't another conference.
💫 It isn't another tick-box leadership day.
💫 And it definitely isn't me standing at the front talking at you for six hours.

It’s an experience.

One designed to make you think differently, feel differently and see transformation differently.

I'm currently building the first dates and venue, and I'm keeping the group intentionally small so there is space for proper conversation and connection.

Places will be limited.

So if this sounds like the kind of day you, or someone in your organisation, needs right now, join the waiting list.

You'll be among the first to know when the date is released and have the opportunity to secure your seat before places fill.

👇 JOIN THE WAITING LIST

And perhaps start with this question in the comments:
If you could wave a magic wand and change ONE thing about the experience of people within your organisation, team or leadership… what would you change?
That's where the conversation begins.
Transformation from the inside out. ❤️

12/08/2026

What if the biggest leadership lesson isn’t about how to lead others… but how to lead yourself?

🎙️ I’m talking leadership, identity, culture, growth and what happens when our biggest challenges become the catalyst for something bigger.

My conversation on the Medway Learning Matters Podcast with host Richard Pemberton FCMI CMgr and the man behind the scenes Gary Knowles is now live.

🫶This one is personal.

🌱It’s professional.

And there are a few things I say that I really hope make you stop, think… and perhaps challenge the way you see leadership.

🎧 Have a listen and let me know what resonates.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7u2rFT2QtU4ngrImM10tE7?si=H-3zp1c4SKiuxpDWvWzbZg&utm_source=copy-link

And remember, Your authentic self is ALWAYS good enough. ❤️

Medway NHS Foundation Trust

Medway Learning Matters · Episode

17/07/2026

I won 🙌

Last night I was recognised as a winner in the Medway NHS Foundation Trust STAR Awards ⭐️

I was the winner of the Equality and Inclusion Award Category following a nomination for the small part I played in supporting someone who was struggling to find themselves during a period of extreme mental ill health.

I say the ‘small’ part Intentionally because they did the hard work, I just held space for them to do so. And honestly seeing them transform their whole life into one they can look in the mirror and be proud off, not despite their challenges, but because of them, fills me with pride and happiness, and was all the recognition I needed.

The words in their nomination will fill my cup time and time again when those grey days roll in. Why….. because they celebrate me for just being me and doing what I love, helping others grow to achieve their full potential.

THANK YOU, for taking the time in your journey to make tonight one I will always remember.

Congratulations to my fabulous colleagues who won and were finalists in their respective categories, we are all winners in the overall vision to put our patients first and celebrate our colleagues who demonstrate our values and deserve to be recognised for all their hard work. And to those who shared their joy and celebrated with me 🫶

Oh and I didn’t just win once either…… I only went and won in the raffle too 😂

Thank you Medway Hospital, UNISON, my amazing colleagues and you, you know who you are.

08/07/2026

After an incredibly rewarding period in my fixed-term maternity cover role, I find myself at another crossroads and beginning to explore what might be next.

With over 25 years of experience across healthcare, leadership, learning and organisational development, alongside my qualifications and experience in Executive Coaching and Emotions Coaching, I’m looking for opportunities where I can continue doing the work I care most deeply about: helping people, leaders and organisations grow, thrive and lead authentically.

I’m particularly interested in roles that focus on:
✨ Executive and Senior Leadership Coaching
✨ Leadership and Organisational Development
✨ Culture Change and Psychological Safety
✨ People Development and Wellbeing
✨ Coaching, Mentoring and Transformational Learning

Ideally, I’m seeking a part-time opportunity (3 days per week), although I would absolutely consider full-time for the right role and organisation.

If you know of any opportunities, upcoming vacancies, or simply think my experience may be a good fit for your organisation or network, I would be incredibly grateful if you could share this post or reach out directly.

As always, thank you to my amazing network for your support. You never know where one conversation or connection might lead. 🫶

19/05/2026

I am incredibly proud, grateful and humbled to share that I've been shortlisted as a finalist for the Medway Star Awards in the Equality & Inclusion Category ⭐️

To learn that the nomination came from someone who felt seen, supported and safe during one of the most difficult periods of their life was honestly, deeply emotional to read.

What I've learnt along the way, is that leadership is never just about performance, targets or operational delivery. It's about people. It's about creating environments where others feel psychologically safe enough to be human, especially when life feels heavy.

The words shared within the nomination reflected something I care about deeply, taking the time to understand the person behind the role, the behaviour, the absence or the struggle.

Not asking...
"what's wrong with you?"

but instead...
"what's happened for you, and what do you need to feel safe, supported and able to thrive?"

This recognition means so much because it aligns completely with who I am, both within my NHS leadership role and through my business, Authentic Self Coaching.

I truly believe that people are not broken because they've experienced challenge, adversity or trauma. They are human. And with the right support, awareness and psychologically safe spaces, growth is possible.

This is the foundation of Post Traumatic Growth and the ethos behind everything I do, helping people reconnect with themselves, rebuild confidence, and realise that their authentic self is always more than good enough.

To be recognised for leading with compassion, emotional intelligence and humanity in a system often under immense pressure is incredibly special.

Thank you to the person who nominated me, to those who continue to believe in human-centred leadership, and to Medway NHS Foundation Trust for creating space to celebrate the people and values behind the work.

Whatever the outcome, this nomination is a reminder that kindness, inclusion and authentic leadership matter more than ever. 🫶

21/04/2026

📢 I’m back.

Did you notice I’d gone?

For the first time in a long time, I completely stepped away.

❌ No work.
❌ No social media.
❌ No calls.
❌ No “just quickly checking in.”

I was away with my husband and three children, and I made a promise.

But it wasn’t just a promise to them. It was a promise to myself.

Not because I had the luxury of switching off, because I knew I needed to.

🌱 One of the biggest lessons from my own Post Traumatic Growth journey has been this:

It’s not enough to know what you need. You have to be willing to honour it.

And that meant listening.

🧠 Listening to my mind.
🧘‍♀️ Listening to my body.
❣️Listening to the quiet signs before they became loud ones.

Because the truth is:

You cannot encourage other women to prioritise themselves while continually abandoning yourself.

So I practised what I preach.

I slowed down.

I read four books, including powerful words from Brené Brown and Donna Ashworth.

I spent time alone on the beach.

I let myself breathe.

And I spent real quality time with the people I love most, the same people who can sometimes feel like strangers in the same home when life gets too full.

And it reminded me of something:

Rest is not something we earn. It is something we need.

Especially when you are the woman everyone else depends on.

Because sometimes growth doesn’t happen in the pushing….. it often happens in the pause.

And that pause?

That is part of the work too.

And it is exactly why the women joining my founding cohort at the beginning of May will not just be learning how to lead others better…

They will be learning how to finally listen to themselves first.

Because transformational leadership always starts within.

If this speaks to something in you,
send me a message or comment READY and I’ll share the details 🫶

07/03/2026

📢 I need you!

If you are a women in a leadership position, who cares about those around you…. And yourself

If you are done being resilient, bouncing back but never moving forward, never growing into the next version of your authentic self.

If you’ve ever felt defined by what you do, instead of who you are… then I have something you need.

I am looking for an intentionally small group of women to be part of something transformational.

A pilot of my group coaching program, grounded in my proven PTG.R.O.W.T.H framework.

A New Evolution of Leadership is needed and here’s what it looks like…

Leadership rooted in masculinity alone, control, demand, compliance… is outdated.

Not because masculinity is wrong…

But because leadership without compassion is unsustainable.

That’s not to say the future leadership required is “soft”

It means, the future is human leadership.

A powerful blend of masculine and feminine traits:

💫courage and compassion
💫accountability and empathy
💫decisiveness and emotional intelligence
💫standards and psychological safety

And the evidence is everywhere:

When people feel safe, they speak up.
When they speak up, risk reduces.
When risk reduces, care improves.
When care improves, performance rises.

Leadership rooted in Post Traumatic Growth, positive psychology and holistic wellbeing is not nice to have it’s essential.

This is not ideology.

This is common sense.

And it’s the leadership revolution we all need if we want to survive what’s coming next.

If this sounds like something you want to be apart of and would like more details, comment: PTG and I will message you directly.

06/03/2026

Reflections on today’s CivicaNet
Conference to celebrate International Women Day.

🤗The connections were great

💡The conversations were insightful

🫶The speakers were inspiring

Laura Eshelby did a fantastic job moderating the majority of the day, with Molly Ellis wrapping things up with her raw thought provoking words.

The women in the room from far and wide (and right next to me Amanda Russell) all brought their unique experience and perspectives from several different backgrounds, to contribute to one shared vision, breaking Broken Systems.

Putting the spotlight on intentional, compassionate and courageous leadership that advocates not only for those we serve, but for ourselves too…..because we’re worth it.

Thank you CIVICANET , ladies, and special guest for a wonderful day. I look forward to following up with the joint ventures in the future.