Martin Knowles

What Menopause Is and Isn't: 5 Fast Facts: don’t scroll by! A 2023 survey by SimplyHealth found that 23% of women aged 40 to 60 considered resigning due to menopause. A Women and Equalities Committee report cited research that found women who reported menopausal symptoms at age 50 were 43% more likely to leave their jobs by age 55. When I was at school, no one took the girls to one side to talk about MENOPAUSE, so there’s zero chance the boys knew anything about it either. My mum was of the “never complain, never explain” era, so she didn’t talk about it. In fact, she yells at Davina on the telly to stop moaning! As it’s Menopause month, i’ll share my personal reflections that may be useful: The definitions: - Perimenopause - the years leading up to menopause when women start experiencing physical changes in their bodies (symptoms) - Menopause - the point in time when a woman hasn’t had a period for 12 months - Premature menopause - occurring before 40 (happens to about 1 in 100 women) - Surgical menopause - when a woman reaches menopause after her ovaries are removed - Postmenopause - ten years after menopause What menopause is: 1. There are at least 35 reported menopause symptoms, every woman experiences it differently 2. Will affects over half the world’s population at some point 3. Perimenopause can last for up to 10 years before menopause happens 4. A change in hormones that can affect your body in many ways - incl. losing 10% muscle mass during the perimenopause stage alone 5. An increase the risk of certain health conditions, like osteoporosis What menopause isn’t: 1. An illness or disease 2. Not exclusively for ‘old women’ 3. Isn’t immediate - the transition takes time 4. Untreatable - there’s a range of options and lifestyle changes that can help individual symptoms and preferences 5. Just experienced by women….. family members are connected to the physical and emotional change happening to the significant women in their life My top tips: - Start taking marine collagen as soon as you begin experiencing symptoms - and sooner than you think you need to (particularly to help skin and hair changes) - Do moderate weight training in short bursts at least x2 a week to retain strength - Intermittent fasting can be really effective once you figure out how your body has changed and what it needs for this next life stage (short eating windows rather than whole day fasting, and time managing food groups) - Apps like Balance are great for tracking symptoms to have fact based conversations with doctors. Zoe also has a Menoscale calculator. Feel free to add any useful tips so we can share support more widely. Men: feel free to share with those who might need this advice. Organisations: get your menopause policy in order. Look at your health packages, wellbeing provisions and consider workplace adjustments as necessary. Avoid labelling everyone the same way. #women #femaleleadership #genderequality

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Speaking up scaring you? As you look at your diary this Monday morning are you facing any speaking angst knowing in the days ahead you are going to be… Hosting a Webinar Delivering a Zoom Meeting Presentation Giving a Network Minute Hosting a Meeting Delivering your Sales Pitch Talking on stage Having a Podcast Interview Being in a TV Interview Recording an a course on camera Going Live on Facebook Introducing yourself to Influential people? If so, remember - you have until midnight BST TONIGHT to secure your Confident Speaking SOS Call with me for my introductory price of just £99. (Call dates booking in until 13th June) This is for you if you… * Want to get rid of the shakes, stop feeling like a fraud, worrying you won't talk any sense * Want someone to help you get over your hangups about your voice and how you sound * Know you’ve done everything you can to help it to go well In my time as a Confident Speaker Coach I have seen many, many clients who have a certain event/interview/meeting/webinar/talk/pitch who suddenly NEED it to go well and to feel better about it doing so!!  These clients come to me with urgency and in a short matter of time I help them to regain a sense of calm and confidence.  To turn it around. That's why I'm offering you a powerful and impactful 1 hr Confident Speaking SOS Call with me so that you can… * Go over what you are going to say and how you say it * Regain confidence and trust in your own voice * Stop panicking and have a plan of how to handle the event! * Have FUN (yes I did say that!) & feel SO much better about the whole thing Because you want to… * know you'll say the right thing! * remove the worry you are going to get it wrong! * know you will come across like you know what you are talking about! * know you can get outside your comfort zone and live * have confidence in how you sound and speak I can’t wait to help you!  Remember cart closes and this introductory price closes at midnight tonight!  See you soon😉

What do you want to achieve? And what’s getting in the way? Two simple questions to set up an easeful yet powerful group coaching session. Here’s how folk answered the Q's this month (are you coming on Thursday?) Q1: What do you want to achieve as a result of this session? ✅Confidence I am on the right track ✅Grow my client base ✅Feel connected to a community of like-minded leaders ✅Effectively communicate how I add value ✅Better align work to my values ✅Set up a new business ✅Be more strategic in my work Q2: What's currently getting in the way? ❎Fear of judgement ❎Imposter syndrome ❎Isolation (bored of and exhausted by my negative thoughts) ❎Perfectionism ❎Caring for others ❎Fear and uncertainty of the unknown ❎My team! If you were to come on Thursday, how would you answer these questions? To sign up for June, or July's community coaching call: https://lnkd.in/dV7agMAt See you there! #leadpowerfulimpact #leadership #business #coach #impact #bcorp #bthechange #positiveleadership #community #event

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Do you know much your businesses produces in CO2e emissions? I recently attended the "How to tell your Sustainability Story" event hosted by the ever-knowledgable and inspirational Alex Pearson using the Small99 Carbon Reduction Action Box (CRAB). I became certified Carbon Literate a decade ago but it for sure pays to keep learning. In the spirit of transparency, here are the results for my business: https://lnkd.in/edNDHeSf Have your examined your emissions yet? As we near the end of the year and a natural time for pause and reflection, I am writing my business and personal goals for next year. One I hope to achieve before then is to move the rest of my personal banking to ethical banking providers, likely - Triodos. Using the CRAB, it was a stark reminder just how much of an impact decisions about who we bank with make. My business name wasn't just because I like the sound of the word. I'm a human being first and business owner second which means I am not perfect. But I strive every day in my work to conduct my business in line with my professional and personal values. I definitely don't always get it right and I may not always make the progress I wish for, but I keep trying. And when it comes to regenerating and protecting the world we live in and operating in ways that are right for people and planet, it's the small actions we take that make all the difference. Alex Pearson Adam Bastock Dr Paul Norman #sustainability #netzero #climatechange

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Negotiations can be difficult to navigate correctly, where you actually come out with a deal that both parties are happy with. You may be guilty of making critical mistakes that are impacting your deals, confidence and success rate. Start your 2025 Negotiations with a positive approach by registering now to join our Master the art of Negotiation webinar.

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Great to meet Edward Ephraim at today's Gatwick Diamond Business meeting, and his great question: "What's the main theme that you see in your business coaching work?". Hmm. Interesting. There's no one theme, but three do come up again and again more often than the rest. Number One: when I'm working with teams - management teams or operational teams or across the threshold where the two meet - it's communication. Almost never about the *content* of communication, almost always about communication *style*. I regularly see people with great skills, shared beliefs and values and (at least to start with) great respect for each other experiencing breakdown in professional and personal relationships because they have different communication styles. Catch it early and it's just a healthy rupture-and-repair cycle, and the repair process makes the relationship stronger than ever. Catch it too late and the damage can be too deeply entrenched and sometimes the best you can hope for is more-or-less benign toleration. And if neither party is willing to experiment with adapting their communication style (because, obvs, it's the other guy needs to do that) then all hell can break loose and it's a parting of the ways (Surely this never happens in personal relationships too 🤔 🙄 ? Discuss). Number Two: when I'm working with solo business owners, the most common theme is getting stuff done. Not the client stuff - that's always the top priority - or the easy-and-fun, illusion-of-progress stuff, it's the stuff that will *genuinely* grow the business and make next year better than this year. Michael Gerber coined that phrase more than three decades ago and it's a real issue, especially for solo business owners: most know it's a thing but few consistently do it! Which is why so many are in the feast-and-famine cycle. Number Three: Whoever I'm working with there is almost universally a challenge around clarity. Clarity of options. Clarity of priorities. Clarity of symptoms. Clarity of diagnosis. Clarity of outcome. Clarity of action. Clarity of resources. Clarity of measurement. The list goes on. Which means, I guess, that the first challenge is to get clear about where the clarity is lacking! Your thoughts? Thanks to Gatwick Diamond Business for a great meeting as ever and especially to Dee Mathieson for her inspirational words. Lovely to chat with Charlie Lloyd - CIPD, Sally Brown, Mark Vaesen, Shaun Amedee, Arabella Alexander DipPFS, Amanda Lusted about her wonderful charity Ten Tiny Toes (check them out), Louella Flooks, Mike Bosnovic. And always so heart-breaking and heart-warming to be reminded by Ian Wilkins about the impact Crawley Open House has on real lives in our local community. I frequently walk into these big meetings feeling 'oh no, here we go again' when I see a crowd of anonymous backs, but I almost always come away feeling inspired, entertained and educated. Note to self, though: take more selfies to make posts more interesting 🤦‍♂️ ! xx

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WORKSHOP 3PM UK (10AM EasternUS) on Thursday 25 July: Please join to hear about 4 pillars to profitable practice growth📈 without it taking over your life🛌. Specifically you will learn: + A strategic approach to profitable practice growth + The strategies you need to bring in work of the right kind + How to engage your team to free you up for strategy + How to care for yourself and manage time pressure Please DM me here if interested in attending. #LawFirmLeadership #ProfitableGrowthLawFirms

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🌟Calling all Edinburgh based impact leaders 🌟 Curious about the B Corp movement and how to get certified? Join Michelle Sutherland for a deep dive during the “Become a B Corp Workshop” co-facilitated with certified B Corp Zebra Growth and Co Founder Lee Fitzpatrick. We’re excited to be delivering this workshop together because we firmly believe in the B Corp movement and its values. Lee from Zebra Growth will be sharing their own B Corp certification journey, including their experience with the B Impact Assessment, how they manage being a B Corp and the positive impact it has had on Zebra Growth. 📆 Date: 23rd July 🕔 Time: 9:30 am - 12:30 am GMT 📍 Location: myEdinburgh, 18 Brunswick St Ln, Edinburgh, EH7 5JG 🎟️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/d343vay5 In this workshop, you’ll kickstart your journey towards becoming a Certified B Corporation. Here’s what you’ll gain: ✅ Insights into what a B Corp is and its significance. ✅ An understanding of the B Corp movement and its impact (featuring a B Corp business). ✅ A clear overview of the B Corp certification process. ✅ Guidance on mapping your path to B Corp certification. ✅ A walkthrough of the B Impact Assessment (BIA) tool. ✅ An initial assessment of your business’s impact using the BIA tool. ✅ Tools to set goals and track your business’s impact improvements. ✅ A chance to get your questions answered by a B Corp Consultant and a B Corp certified business.

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𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘂𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗽 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀❗ I hosted two low-show events yesterday - only 6 showed up for a B Corp Webinar I ran for the Institute of Directors (IoD) and half that for my Group Coaching - from over 20 sign-ups. I brought the same passion, energy and expertise to the sessions, got great feedback, and those who came received more time, attention (and gentle challenge!) from me... AND it's disappointing when you're ready to set the world on fire, and your world suddenly feels very small... My partner gave me some encouraging words last night "you're doing great sweetie" which is nice, but you know....he would say that.... It was only when I spotted my Money Mindset Mentor Denise Duffield-Thomas's post that I remembered to lighten up. It's all a journey, we'll have winning days when we feel ON FIRE and there will be the damp ones too, where the flame struggles a bit....but they all count! Humbled to hear Denise went from 4 people gigs to multi-millionaire owner of her incredible Money Bootcamp with 3700 course participants. And her message: KEEP GOING! For entrepreneurs and business owners who are having a damp day, or will do soon, remember it's all part of the journey KEEP GOING! And, if you're looking for a mentor, whether it's 1-2-1 or a group setting that would serve you best, get in touch, we should talk, or pre-register to hear about my Impact Business MasterMind COMING SOON: https://lnkd.in/duprw3mP #leadpowerfulimpact #leadership #business #coach #MasterMind #bcorp #bthechange #sustainablebusiness #positiveleadership #celebrate #friday

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Embracing change is essential for growth. At Yellowchair Coaching, we believe in turning challenges into opportunities. Our bespoke coaching sessions are designed to help you navigate change with confidence and resilience. Choose from: 💫 Leadership & Executive Coaching 💫 Career Coaching 💫 Resilience Coaching 💫 Performance Coaching 💫 Individual and Team Coaching 🔗 Discover more about how we can help you: https://lnkd.in/gANn7ky #Leadership #Coaching #ChangeManagement #PersonalGrowth

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What an uplifting programme. The impact of Diversity & Inclusion on all our lives can be immeasurable when we embrace it. This group of humans featured in the programme are truly remarkable and inspiring. If you're looking for something to lift your spirits and inspire your thoughts about inclusion of every kind in and outside of the workplace, this is definitely worth a watch. Check out the link to the programme here. #DiversityMatters #InclusionMatters #TheAssembly

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Considering launching a new course? There is always an opportunity cost associated with nurturing a new course idea. And all too often new courses are launched with insufficient market evidence and no dedicated 'launch budget'. The outcome - more courses in the overall portfolio that now receive a SMALLER overall marketing budget. But there is another way. Sometimes it is better to concentrate on the current gems in our treasure chest than to go out seeking new riches. Need some advice on what to do with your current gems? Drop me a line.

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Caroline's story It's never comfortable to talk about yourself for 38mins but I was happy to do this podcast as its important to me to help inspire others working out their paths (I remember how important this was to me in my 20s/30s) Here's the topics covered in case you're a more short-form targeted listener: *Career journey (1 min) *Managing up/showing up (5mins) *Living by the mantra "Live your dash" (8mins) *The difference great leaders make (11mins) *Making career choices (15mins) *Giving back/industry volunteerism ... and creating space for others (20.5mins) *Building networks (25mins) *Balancing work & family commitment (27mins) *Owning the stage - public speaking capability (32mins) *Personal purpose/why (36mins) Thank you to DEI Advisors & Dorothy Dowling for the invitation. Enjoy the listen and do let me know if it prompted any questions or ideas for you https://lnkd.in/eBzxFVez #careerstory #createbetter #workplace #leadership

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🌟 Unlock the Power of Your Brain with Neuroscience! 🌟 We are Neuro Leadership Consulting Ltd, a London-based firm grounded in cutting-edge scientific research. Our strategies and solutions are driven by the latest advancements in neuroscience, ensuring you receive the most effective tools for leadership and personal growth. Led by the incredible Pat Clough, a Neuro Leadership Specialist, we help transform organizations and individuals by understanding the science behind human behaviour. Ever wondered how your brain controls everything from thoughts and emotions to movements? 🧠 In our latest video, we dive into the fascinating world of neuroscience. Learn about the structure and function of the nervous system, different types of neurons, and the latest breakthroughs in brain research. Whether you're a curious student or simply fascinated by the human mind, this video is for you! 🎥 Watch the full video below Gain clarity on your strengths and areas for growth! 💡 🎥 Join the NeuroLeadership movement and discover how the science of human behaviour can transform your leadership and organization. Book your complimentary 50-minute session here 👉 https://rb.gy/zwzsj4 If you found this post helpful, please consider: • ♻️ Reposting to help someone in your network! • Following Neuro Leadership Consulting Ltd (+🔔) for more cutting-edge neuroscience updates! See you tomorrow—have a fantastic day! 😊 #Neuroscience #BrainResearch #Leadership #NeuroLeadership #MentalHealth #PersonalGrowth #TimeManagement #LeadershipTransformation #ExecutiveCoaching

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“The tricky bit will be staying focused on the places you can add most value.” Excellent, sage business advice I got recently. This is why we stay clearly focused on…. Three core Beautiful Minds coaching services: - Our One Team Coaching for Growth Programme - Our One to One Executive Coaching - Our Specialist Bid Team & Presentation Coaching We have respectfully declined invitations to get involved in other kinds of work. We will always try and recommend someone else from our network who will do a much better job than us. We want to be leaders in these three spaces. We love it. We see enormous value for our clients in these areas. We are building a team of experienced and passionate team coaches (including systemic), executive coaches and presentations coaches. They cross over and cross pollinate for maximum impact too. This hasn’t happened overnight. All good things take time 😉 Which of these do you need most? #teamcoaching #executivecoaching #presentationcoaching

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Some useful tips to help you 'think about your thinking' by Gavin McMahon

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Inordinately long customer feedback surveys. Who’s in charge of composing these! 😡 My local golf club sends me a survey after every round enquiring about my experience. I don’t know how long the survey takes because I give up after 5 mins. So they’ve never actually received my thoughts. But this isn’t a company thing. It must be a ‘feedback-composition role’ thing. I just got off a flight and came across the airline’s on-screen customer survey. Guess how many pages? 23! I didn’t engage. Even when a survey appears to be short, it entices you in….click on ‘did you use x service’ and you enter another labyrinthine interrogation. What’s going on here? You don’t need to work in the Nudge unit or have Christian Hunt’s knowledge of behavioural science to know people have about a 1min max attention span these days. Or maybe companies don’t actually want the feedback so they can construct their own narrative and tell customers how great they are? Maybe too dystopian… Another argument for better quality thinking…

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Another gratifying testimonial from one of my coaching clients; it was a huge pleasure to support her as she transitioned to being CHRO for a FTSE 100 company: "Having met Sahera through group work, we established a highly productive coaching relationship for several years. Through both virtual and physical 121 sessions – both equally effective – I found Sahera’s observation, insight and humour a powerful way to tackle some of my deepest development opportunities. She is passionate and energetic – but equally capable of creating moments of stillness and reflection. I found the relationship and advice very helpful as I transitioned to the CHRO role. Would highly recommend for senior executive 121 coaching." #executivecoaching #leadershipcoaching #promotion #mindset #trust

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