Balance in Business
When I talk about balance within my coaching framework, I am normally talking about time management, boundaries, or wellbeing routines. And while those elements matter, there’s another kind of balance that often goes unnoticed; the balance that comes from giving as much as we take. For me, that balance has always been rooted in volunteering.
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to be able to contribute in a variety of roles:
🙋♀️Supporting adult literacy programmes for the local council
🙋♀️Helping business start ups with the Peter Jones Foundation
🙋♀️Business Mentoring through The King’s Trust
Each experience has taught me something different, but all of them have shaped me into the coach I am today: compassionate, grounded, and deeply empathetic.
Learning Empathy in Real Time
In my late 20’s. I trained to become an adult literacy teacher and was supporting adults who were learning to read for the first time. Nothing prepared me for how eye-opening; and at times heart breaking it would be.
People often assume illiteracy is obvious. It isn’t. Many of the adults I met had spent years mastering the art of hiding it. They memorised bus routes instead of reading signs and found excuses to avoid forms or paperwork. They learned to survive in a world not built for them; which was hard to get my head around..
What struck me most was why many of them finally decided to learn. It was when they had children.
☑️They wanted to read them bedtime stories
☑️They wanted to help with their homework.
☑️They wanted to break a cycle.
It was an emotional journey and with that vulnerability came something I didn’t expect: dependence. When someone finally feels safe enough to share a secret they’ve carried for years, trust grows quickly and many learners understandably clung to the support I offered. They wanted reassurance, help with decisions, or just someone who understood. Stepping back when the time was right was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
It was a powerful lesson in compassion with boundaries. Supporting someone doesn’t mean doing the journey for them. Empathy isn’t stepping into their struggle; it’s walking beside them while they find their own strength. This experience changed me. It shaped how I listen, how I support, and how I guide others through change.
Encouraging Potential in the Next Generation
My work with the Peter Jones Foundation introduced me to a very different kind of learner - young people filled with energy, creativity, and an almost contagious belief that their ideas could change the world. Many just needed someone to help them turn raw enthusiasm into a direction.
Sometimes that meant challenging them. Other times, it meant reminding them that failure is simply a step towards their success. But always, it required empathy meeting them where they were, not where the world expected them to be.
Walking beside new Entrepreneurs through the King’s Trust
My work with The King’s Trust has been one of the most inspiring parts of my volunteering journey. The entrepreneurs I’ve mentored often come from backgrounds where traditional education didn’t support them in the way they needed. Many left school early. Some struggled with confidence or felt that formal pathways weren’t built for people like them. What they did have though, was passion, creativity, and a hunger to build something of their own.
I’ve had the privilege of mentoring a wide range of aspiring founders from an artisan jewellery maker to a dog-grooming business owner to health and fitness professionals who all had brilliant ideas but were overwhelmed by the “business” side of things. Each of them brought something unique but also lacked the confidence needed.
What The King’s Trust does so well is open a door that might otherwise stay closed. Through training, workshops, and practical support, it gives people the foundations they were never taught: business basics, planning, confidence, and the belief that their ideas are worth something. As a mentor, I’m there to help them take the next step. Sometimes that looks like refining a business model. Other times, it’s helping them price their services, build repeat customers, or simply recognise the value they bring. Quite often, it’s about having someone to talk to when things get tough.
Mentoring through The King’s Trust has brought me close to individuals standing at a crossroads in their lives; often battling low confidence or difficult circumstances, yet holding onto a spark of hope that entrepreneurship could change everything.
Benefits of Doing Volunteer Work
How Volunteering Makes Me a Better Coach
These experiences have shaped the way I coach today, strengthening qualities I consider essential:
1️⃣ Deep Empathy - I’ve learned to hear the words spoken, and those left unsaid. To recognise fear, hope, frustration, and possibility. Empathy helps me guide clients without judgment, only understanding.
2️⃣True Compassion - Compassion isn’t soft. It’s one of the strongest forces in personal growth. Volunteering taught me how to support people through vulnerability in a way that empowers them rather than shelters them.
3️⃣Respect for the Journey - I’ve seen courage in many forms. I’ve watched people rebuild themselves step by step. It’s taught me that growth isn’t linear, and that my role is to steady the path, not carry someone along it.
Business Balance
Balance Isn’t About Doing Less - It’s About Being More
For me, balance comes from the interplay of ambition and humanity. Volunteering keeps me grounded. It reminds me that leadership isn’t just about strategy; it’s about connection. It’s about remembering that at the heart of every challenge is a human being trying their best.
And that’s why, when I coach business owners, especially those growing through uncertainty I bring the same spirit with me: empathy, compassion, boundaries, and belief. Because the most powerful growth happens when someone feels truly supported and deeply understood.
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