Consulting businesses don't grow the same way other businesses grow, yet many experts seek advice from coaches who have never built a high-trust consulting practice. This article explores the seven capabilities your coach should understand, plus one often-overlooked area that can have a significant impact on growth: adult learning design.

We're entering a trust crisis where polished content is no longer enough to earn credibility. Discover the proof signals that help thought leaders, consultants, and experts build trust with clients in an increasingly skeptical world so they can demonstrate they’re the real deal.

One of the biggest myths in any business, whether you’re a B2B thought leader, consultant or corporate executive is that if you just do good work, you’ll eventually get noticed.

Unfortunately this isn’t always the case.

Mark, my husband and I have just got back from our honeymoon last week. Not that we just got married, but we were married during Covid so we had to put our honeymoon off, other things got in the way and so finally we set sail from Barcelona to Rome! 

AI is everywhere, and in many ways it’s been a huge benefit to those of us with an advisory, thought leadership or consulting practice. It’s promised us speed, access, productivity – and often delivered on that promise.

But there’s a hidden cognitive debt owed to cover this promise, and for thought leaders, this could undermine everything we’ve worked so hard to build – and that’s a loss of ownership over your ideas.

In other words, overreliance on AI can lead to less of our own thinking.

But this doesn’t have to be the case. There are ways to use AI that doesn’t replace our own thinking but strengthens it.

One of the most common things I hear people say when they’re first trying to become leaders in their niche or industry is, ‘I don’t know if I have anything to say.’

These are exceptional people who have spent years building their expertise, solving complex problems and advising others, yet they’re still hesitant to share their thinking or even define what that thinking is. They often assume they aren’t ready, or not expert enough or even not different enough from others in their industry.

There’s a story often told about Jacinda Ardern that says more about influence than any framework ever could.

During her time as Prime Minister, Ardern was known for something that’s difficult to quantify but impossible to ignore. In moments of crisis, particularly after the Christchurch attacks, people didn’t just listen to her words. They also felt her presence.

There’s a misconception that emojis don’t belong on LinkedIn.

That using them somehow reduces credibility.

However, it’s not about whether you use emojis.
It’s about how you use them.

Because when used well, emojis aren’t decorative.
They’re structural.

They help your reader move through your thinking.
They create rhythm.
They signal what matters.

And in a fast-scrolling environment, that matters more than ever.

Below is a curated set of emojis that support clarity, authority, and influence—particularly when used as bullet points and visual anchors in your content.

If you’re spending hours creating beautiful proposals that never turn into revenue in your business, something needs to change. But before you feel too uncomfortable, you should know that you’re not the only one who is experiencing this.

I recently had a coaching session with a brilliant client Rachel, who’s building an incredible practice. She’s attracting enquiries from strong potential clients thanks to her marketing. But every new conversation ends with the same question – ‘Can you send me a proposal?’

She then goes back to the office, opens Canva, builds a custom document, exports it as a PDF, crafts the email, and finally sends it off. Then she repeats that process at least five more times per week. Each week she’s losing at least two full days to proposal writing – and many of those prospects won’t say yes.

Satya Nadella didn’t become more influential by doing more. He implemented strategies that allowed him, and everyone else in his organisation, to protect and focus his time, attention and energy. That shift is what changed the way he led. And that same opportunity sits in front of you. 

So if something needs to change, start by giving yourself space and protecting where you place your attention because it’s this attention that shapes your thinking, and your thinking that shapes your influence. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts…

AI has transformed how we communicate, making it faster and more polished than ever. But in the process, we may be losing something critical: meaning. And without meaning, there is no real influence.

Referrals work because they transfer trust. Someone I trust, trusts you, therefore I should trust you too. That logic makes sense intuitively, but it’s also backed by research.

When I first start working with clients, I see a full spectrum of creativity. Some arrive at our coaching sessions or bootcamp days feeling ready to push full steam ahead. They’re creativity is sparking and they’re fired up.

In this edition of the Shining the Light series, I’m honoured to present Justine Maree Cox—a seasoned leadership and career-coach who supports individuals and teams through transition, transformation and growth with clarity, confidence and compassion.

Nick, a CEO I once coached, was gearing up for his industry conference keynote. His slides were full of bullet points and facts — solid content, but lacking spark. He rehearsed, yet the energy wasn’t there and the connection with the audience felt weak.

Struggling with sales proposals? The real issue might not be your client – it’s you. Learn why selling to yourself first is the key to sales confidence.

So many of my clients proclaim that selling is hard. They struggle with outreach. They struggle with articulative value. And they struggle with building true sales confidence.