We started this business in 2018 because we had spent years watching leadership training fail. Expensive two-day courses full of models and acronyms, followed by nothing. People went back to their desks and carried on exactly as before.
The problem was obvious: the training was disconnected from the work. So we built something different. Short, focused coaching and workshops that start with the manager's real situation and stay close to it throughout.
Six years later we have worked with managers at over 40 organisations across Scotland and the wider UK. We are a small team, deliberately. That means every client works directly with a senior coach, not a junior associate reading from a script.
A short history of the decisions and milestones that shaped our practice.
Fiona Maguire left a 14-year career in financial services operations to set up the business. Her first client was a mid-sized insurance broker whose new managers were struggling with the transition from technical expert to people leader. That engagement lasted eight months and produced the template for what became our new-manager foundations programme.
David Keir joined as our second coach, bringing 10 years of experience managing software development teams. His background let us serve technology companies with credibility. By the end of 2019 we had worked with 35 individual coaching clients and delivered 12 workshops.
Like everyone, we had to adapt quickly. We redesigned our workshops for remote delivery within three weeks. The format worked well enough that about 40 percent of our workshops are still delivered online today, even though in-person is again an option. Remote delivery opened up clients outside Scotland: we now regularly work with teams in Manchester, London and Bristol.
Amara Okonkwo joined the team with a background in NHS operational management. She brought deep experience in leading through complexity and ambiguity, which resonated strongly with clients in health and social care. The same year we added strategy facilitation days to our offering after several clients asked us to help their leadership teams make difficult decisions together.
We passed the 140-manager milestone. Repeat clients and referrals now account for about 60 percent of new business. We moved to our current office at 3 Simonis Court in Little Bernieringham, which gives us a dedicated space for in-person coaching sessions and small workshops.
These are the principles that guide how we design programmes and how we behave with clients.
We do not apply a standard curriculum and hope it fits. Every engagement begins with listening: what is actually going wrong, what does good look like for this team, what constraints are non-negotiable? The design follows from the answers.
Models and frameworks have their place, but only when they help someone do something differently on Monday morning. We keep input sessions short and spend most of our time on application: role-plays, live feedback, real conversations rehearsed in a safe space.
A coach who only tells you what you want to hear is not a coach. We give direct feedback, respectfully but clearly. Clients tell us this is one of the most valuable parts of the work.
We are three coaches and one administrator. That is intentional. It means you always know who you are working with, and we always know your context. We turn down work when we are at capacity rather than sub-contracting to people we have not trained.
Three coaches and one person who keeps everything running smoothly.
Founder and lead coach
14 years in financial services operations before founding the business. ICF PCC credential holder. Fiona works primarily with senior managers and directors navigating organisational change. She designed the new-manager foundations programme and leads most of our strategy facilitation days.
Coach
Managed software teams for a decade before moving into coaching full-time. ICF PCC credential holder. David specialises in coaching technical leaders: people who were promoted because they were brilliant engineers or analysts and now need to learn a completely different set of skills. He also delivers our feedback and delegation workshops.
Coach
Eight years in NHS operational management across two health boards. ICF ACC credential holder. Amara coaches middle managers in health, social care and the public sector. Her particular strength is helping people lead when resources are tight and priorities shift constantly, which describes most of the public sector most of the time.
Operations coordinator
Tom handles scheduling, invoicing, venue logistics and client communications. He is usually the first person you speak to when you get in touch. Before joining us he worked in event coordination for a conference company in Glasgow, so he is very good at making sure rooms are booked, materials are printed and nobody gets lost.
If you are considering coaching or a workshop for your team, the first step is a short conversation. No charge, no obligation.
Phone: +44 7535 536912
Email: [email protected]
Address: 3 Simonis Court, Little Bernieringham, Scotland, QO08 6EG, United Kingdom